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Summary: The return of the Vampire Chronicles
Review: The chronicles are back! After Pandora and MTD I had decided Anne Rice was sick and tired of the characters. That she was determined to produce more Vampire Chronicles only to feed the demand of her readers, but was desperate to evolve the series into something entirely different. If you feel the same, then you must read Merrick immediately.It introduces and focuses on a new character, and admittedly isn't concerned with vampires through much of the novel. But, after Merrick's story is completed, the rest of the book is dedicated to a welcome continuation of Louis, Lestat, and David Talbot. One word of caution: If you are not already a fan of Anne Rice, in particular the Vampire Chronicles, you should not start with this book. You must go to the beginning of the series or you will not have the appropriate context.
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Summary: Keeping with expectations
Review: This tale wonderfully fills in a few 'uknowns' about characters related to the series, and keeps the look/feel of the originals. Reads as if it was part of the other books, not a separate one. Great to have, for Lestat followers, especially.
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Summary: A character the VC sorely needed
Review: Yes, I've read all the books and loved almost all of them. Yes, the VC holds a special place in my heart, even though the tale began to wane. But Merrick brought it back for me. This book was simply superb. Thanks Anne for developing David's character. Thanks for re-introducing Louis as something other than the big cry baby that he had become. And MOST of all thank you for Merrick. I just simply loved the story and anxiously await a continuation.
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Summary: Not sure where this fits in
Review: I'm not sure quite where this work fits into the Vampire Chronicles. It's ostensibly about one of the newer blood drinkers, David, but talks most about his relationship with Merrick--an octaroon offshoot of the Mayfair family of the witch series. It's not a great tale--that is, it's not a page turner like the earlier vampire novels. It almost seems a non-sequitur in this respect. It was a mostly enjoyable read, however, leading to my moderate rating.
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Summary: Not Much of Anything
Review: I've read all of Anne's Mayfair Witches books and all of the Vampire books as well. I found "Merrick" to be an almost unsatisfactory blending of both, amounting to not much of anything. Unlike the other Mayfair Witches books, the character Merrick is barely connected into the Mayfair genealogy by only passing references to "Oncle Julian" and the vague connection of Great Nanane to the Mayfairs. Her treatment of Lestat, who remains in a comatose-like state for almost the duration of the book seems to be some kind of sop to those who want to see another book focussed on him. He mysteriously comes "alive" at the end for a "they all lived happily ever after kind of ending."
The book seems more focussed on David Talbot than Merrick, who almost seems like a prop to the action, which largely focussed on him. There really wasn't much character development for Merrick. I never liked Claudia as a character and disliked her even more in this book--was it Claudia or something else? There was certainly a lack of clarity, explanation or development as to this character and yet Claudia was supposed to be the reason David Talbot contacted Merrick on Louis's behalf. Although the treatment of Louis is consistent with his character, I didn't find his end and return to be very satisfying either. The book left too many loose ends, gave me not enough satisfaction and almost looks like a serial that ends by saying "stay tuned for our next adventure." Unlike Anne's earlier books, the more recent ones are looking more and more like commercial "sequels".
The earlier books gripped me and I found myself saying "this woman knows something about the occult." Now I'm thinking "this woman looks at her bank account." Worth a quick read because it does add a few details to the Mayfair saga but otherwise, I'd skip it.
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Summary: How About the Voodoo Chronicles?
Review: This book had the potential to be a great book but it was just too much going on at once. Voodoo, candomble, ancient Mayan religions, Catholicism. Too many different characters - voodoo priestesses, witches, vampires, Talamasca psychic investigators. Personally I would have liked to see Ms. Rice focus more on Merrick's rich voodoo legacy. With New Orlean's rich heritage of voodoo, this religion should have been the focus of the book.
This book could have been the first in a series of "Voodoo Chronicles" introducing a whole new set of characters. I would have loved to see Merrick portrayed as a modern day Marie Laveau. Instead Merrick came off as a confused voodoo priestess/witch running here and there across the globe. Also New Orleans unique racial history could have been played up with black, quadroon and white characters all sharing a secret family history and voodoo heritage. I liked the book but for me too much was going on at once. There was an unsuccessful merging of Catholicism with voodoo with candomble with witchcraft and also an unsuccessful merging of vampires, witches and voodoo priestesses. And like another reviewer stated "why does everyone in Ms. Rice's books have to be beautiful, wealthy and young?" Can't at least one character be a boring middle-aged government employee?
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Summary: Disappointed with this book.
Review: I am a huge Anne Rice fan and have read all of her books, except for Blood And Gold. I am disappointed with this book. Instead of repeating what other's have stated in their reviews about genre, etc., I will give you my own personal feeling of this book. I have always been fascinated with the power that Rice's vampires had; they were almost untouchable. In this novel, the vampires appeared weak and passive. I had this sense that the vampires were simply humans with a blood disorder. They walked almost everywhere they went. Didn't they travel via other means in previous books? It's like they lost their powers in this novel. The ending was so rushed and I think a flop. Lestat, who is the leader becomes the passive one and decisions are made for him in the end. Merrick, who is a new fledging calls the shots. Louis became way too wimpy of a character. Talbot, well.. he might as well be a human as that is exactly what he seemed to be.. a human with a blood disorder. The biggest disappointment to me was the feeling that the vampires had lost their powers or had few powers, unlike the other novels.
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Summary: Not up to standards
Review: I enjoyed Rice's first few novels of the Vampire Chronicles (I liked The Mummy even better.), but find she has increasingly missed the mark with the genre. The later stories are little more than erotic melodramas about people who just happen to bite each other on the neck. Vampirism itself is either ignored or portrayed as nothing more than a serious skin rash. The entire mythos of the vampire is missing; and that, after all, is what makes the subject so fascinating in the first place.
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Summary: Tantalizing!
Review: I am a really big Anne Rice fan. I've read all her vampire novels. Merrick, I have to admit, is not her greatest work by far. (Don't worry, the following isn't a "spoiler") The story begins with David Talbot asking Merrick to raise the ghost of Claudia for Louis. The book drags. Merrick eventually raises the ghost of Claudia...250 pages later. For that length of the story, David is telling Louis about the life of Merrick (Which is painfully boring). I won't tell you what happens after the 250 pages as I will spoil for you the only good part of the book. But I will tell you that what does happen is more than enough to redeem the novel. The book went from a 1 to about an 8 or a 9. So, to sum up my review, I recommend this book, if for nothing else but the last 100 or so pages.
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Summary: Simply Brilliant!
Review: I am an Anne Rice fan, but not biased -- I have been disappointed in a few of her books. But not this one; it is a glorious accomplishment by a true talent. As a short novel, it is very tight -- every word is compelling and necessary. As in all of Ms. Rices works, the characters are richly developed -- when you finish the book, you "know" them and are reluctant to let them go. The story features a captivating blend of love and darkness, history and lore, and simply a wonderful plot. And, as always, it is beautifully written.
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