Rating: 
Summary: Lestat redux
Review: Glimpses into the mind and craft of Anne Rice, "Merrick" is a book for those of us who love her stylish writing. Lushly written and a compelling read, "Merrick" is recommended for fans. The author's obsession with her art and the world it creates becomes clearer with each book she writes. That being said, her obsession is enthralling.
Rating: 
Summary: Merrick Is Magnifique!
Review: Magnifique is truly the only word I can use to describe
this book, because, as its narrator, Sir Derek Jacobi
does an expertly elegant job of introducing listeners
to and taking them through the world of witches and vampires created by Anne Rice.
Rating:
Summary: Another Page Turner
Review: I usually purchase the first edition hardbound copies of all of Anne Rice's novels, but I forced myself to wait for the paperback. Was it worth the wait? You bet! Once again I was transported into the world of the vampires. Anne's novels are spellbinding and Merrick is no exception. Immediatly I was absorbed into her descriptions and the richness of her language. No one creates moving pictures for the imagination better than Anne Rice.
Merrick's story is told by fledgling vampire David Talbot. David goes to Merrick, a former protege from the Talamasca and a gifted witch, to ask a very important favor for the vampire Louis. Louis, the most melancholic of the vampires, is being plagued by constant memories of Claudia, the child vampire he and his master Lestat created and then lost years ago. David goes to Merrick to ask her help in conjuring Claudia's ghost with the hope that this will take away some of Louis' pain. But what David and Louis do not realize is that Merrick has her own agenda and must follow what she knows to be her destiny.I think you'll find the scope of this novel to be narrower than Anne's other Vampire Chronicles, but it is a captivating read and I'm sure any Anne Rice fan will love it.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book also!
Review: I can not believe anyone would say that this book is awful!(Anya) This was a wonderful addition to the vampire chronicles. Anne Rice introduced a wonderfully interesting character and story. I don't know about all of Anne Rice's fans but I sure do love it when I am reading a new story about a new character. If you are not familiar with all of the vampire chronicles, I do not recommend reading this, for you will not understand a lot of things. This book was beautiful at introducing Merrick into the family, it had familiar characters such as David, Louis and the ever wonderful Lestat towards the end. In my opinion, I was very satisfied adding this one to my ongoing collection. By the way fans, I can not wait to read Blood and Gold...behold Marius!
Rating:
Summary: Fun reading!
Review: I enjoyed reading this work by Anne Rice. I have read every book by Anne Rice (and own all but Interview with a Vampire in first edition) and found this to be at the top of the list. I enjoyed how the two story lines get blurred between the Mayfair Witches and the Vampire Cronicles but I would like to have seen more with the actual Mayfair family involvement-maybe she's holding out for a future book.
Rating:
Summary: Vampires meet a Witch?
Review: While this book was not the best in the series, it was however a good one. I just love Anne Rice's books. She is a master story teller, weaving a descriptive aura around her characters. Almost immediately I fall into her books, transported to another place, another life. With this book, it took a chapter or two to fall into place, and once it did... it was wonderful, as always. While Lestat seems to be Mrs. Rice's favorite character, it is Louis who entrances me the most and this book really brought him into his own. Merrick is an enticing character who brings new life into the "family" that Lestat, Louis, and David have created. She is a breathe of fresh air and excitement. After years of boredom, things look to get exciting again and I look forward with great anticipation to the next chapter in the story!
Rating:
Summary: Witches Meets Vampires
Review: Merrick mixes the two great series Anne Rice has been working in for the last few decades. David Talbot, now a prominant vampire figure of the Vampire Chronicles, is brought back to Merrick, a Mayfair witch, because Louis wants Merrick to contact Claudia's ghost. Louis has been haunted by Claudia and he wants to make sure that she is happy, wherever she is. This, of course, sets forth for some great historical horror like only Rice could write. The reason to read this book is that it tells us a lot about Talbot's past. Talbot has always been a mysterious character of which we didn't knew much. But this book sheds light on a lot of questions I had about this character. Plus, the book also introduces Merrick who will undoubtedly become a major figure in the series from now on. Merrick is a great character, one that Rice will have a lot of fun with in future novels. Finally, the book also holds some great romantic scenes between Merrick and Talbot, which only thickens the plot even more. And finally, any fan of the Vampire Chronicles should read Merrick to know what happened to our beloved Claudia, the beautiful vampire child who was murdered in Interview With The Vampire. The end of the book is shocking, sad and very touching. Merrick is some of Rice's best writing. It is her best book since Servants of The Bones, a great ride which any fan of Rice's work will not soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic! A Must Read! Let the CrossOver Begin!!
Review: I have to start off by saying how much I loved this book! I loved this book! Merrick is a great addition to the Chronicles! It brings the flair of the Mayfair family and the Vampire family of Rice's claim to fame into one complete package. I was also pleased with her introduction of a character that is of mixed heritage. Mostly all of her characters are Caucasion/European, but Merrick is a richly developed character using elements from both of her sagas. Merrick begins telling the story of the "Black" side of the Mayfair family which we never knew existed from The Witching Hour books. Give thanks to the incomprable Julien Mayfair (one of her best characters) for this. David Talbot, our new vampire documentarian takes a breather from writing down stories of others to get into a little bit of his past. Merrick and David go back a ways and Merrick has not seen David since he became a vampire at Lestat's hands. Needless to say this sets up the stages for a wild ride into David's past and the darkly and passionate witch Merrick. We see more sides of David in this book as well. From his feelings of being one of the most powerful vampires, being created by Lestat and being able to hold his ground against the New Coven of Vampires, Armand, Marius, Pandora,etc. Also his romantic, and adventerous side as well. Without giving too much away of the story, poor Louis is being haunted and driven mad by the guilt of Claudia's death and is aware that Merrick is able to see/contact spirits. He wants to contact Claudia to apologize for what he did to her so that he may be able to go on living. All the while Lestat is still in his comatose after I dont know - 3 books later. In this book we are treated to a Lara Croft/Indiana Jones styled adventure with danger and action, which has been missing from her books lately, and we also get to see an even more coniving creature than Lestat ever was in Merrick. All the while, The Talamasca is hot on the tail of Merrick, being that afterall she is one of their agents and she has been delcared AWOL. They want her back at any cost, but is David willing to hand her over? Or will he keep her with him for all eternity? All this makes for a great read and very entertaining. You won't be bored at all. Even though there's no real mention of the "white uptown" Mayfairs we've come to know in her other books,they don't make a cameo at all, but it's still can be considered a crossover. Merrick leads us down new paths not yet taken before and opens up all new doors, with the awakening of Lestat, the final rest of Claudia, a new Louis, and a really surprising ending that's just screaming *SEQUEL*. You'll see what I mean. Just when it gets down right dirty it ends. But didn't the book The Vampire Lestat end the same way? Only time will tell if she does another book about Merrick. More so this has to be one of her best works to date and hopefully Anne Rice will continue writing like this.
Rating:
Summary: Another book to add to my Collection!!
Review: I have read all of the Vampire Chronocles and loved every one of them, but when I started to read this book I had some problems with really wanting to read it. About the third or fourth chapter is when it really caught my attention and then it was glued to my head!! I loved this book and I will continue to read all of Anne Rice's books!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Worthy Addition to the Vampire Chronicles
Review: Merrick, the latest edition to Anne Rice's vampire chronicles is really two stories in one novel. Louis, the most contemplative and withdrawn of the vampiric clan, guiltily longs for the long dead child vampire, Claudia, he created in Interview with a Vampire. His guilt over her creation and untimely death nags his conscious. He asks David, a more recent vampire created by Lestat and former member of a secret order that investigates the paranormal, vampires, witches, etc. to seek out someone who can call up her spirit to set his mind at ease. This leads to the story of Merrick Mayfair, a witch, whom David had taken under his wing when she was 14 afterlosing her grandmother. Merrick comes from a line of "witches" and her story, full of ghosts and spirits, is an interesting one. And there's some unique and interesting twists to the tale as we are lead up to her conjuring up of Claudia's ghost and her own designs on David and the world of the vampires. The second story in the novel is the apex of Louis' melancholic existence as a vampire -- which has been an on-going if not always quite so stark drama throughout the Vampire Chronicles. Louis' contemplation of his existence and where itleads him is probably the most interesting part of the story. On the whole this is an entertaining novel. For fans of the Vampire Chronicles we learn more about David Talbot and Rice seems to have found a voice through this character. There are times when the plot is a bit slow and plodding, but once Claudia's ghost is conjured up the plot picks up quickly through the end. Rice seems especially good here at subtly showing us her characters' personalities. Overall, a worthy addition to the Vampire Chronicles.
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