The Vampire Armand (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 6)

Rating:
Summary: SOAK UP THE CONFLICT
Review: If you've ever had that aching variety of conflict about GOD- if you've ever been a Christian, a Buddhist, a New Age Revolutionary and struggled with the representation of belief and spirit- then this is a book you can sink your soul into.

Now, I first read this book when I was a bit of a child, full of sexuality, myself. This is the best time of life to read this book. Of course, if these circumstances have become, shall we say, out of your control- just be prepared for that youthful intensity of yearning. The unreasonable desire. The temper tantrums. The highs and lows of Romance. I should mention, though, if you are threatened by unconventional relationships (i.e. offended by homosexuality) I might recommend nudging the boundaries of your acceptance by picking up a copy of Anne Rice's "Belinda"- and then opening your heart to a hard hit from Christopher Rice's "A Density of Soul's"- and then you can come back and take a crack at the Vampire Chronicles.

Finally, to the story. It is best read as a follow-up to the other Chronicles. Only then can you really feel this boy emerge. Only then can his entrance be ultimately suprising- ultimately defying!

Anne Rice is captivating. Her worlds can be overpowering... for me, a great vacation from the mundane. The language is a bit feverish at parts. It might leave you in a weakened state. Also, geographically speaking, a great trip to Italy- and if you become enchanted with Italian life- make sure to extend your stay into "Blood & Gold" and "Pandora".

Rating:
Summary: Anne Rice returns to best
Review: I loved this book, adored it. After The Vampire Lestat, I had the feeling Rice lost the feel of the books slightly, but The Vampire Armand brings her back to top form, creating an intricate weaving of mini stories which mix to create the compelling Armand. A must read for any Chronicles fan.

Rating:
Summary: Been There, Done That
Review: I read all the vampire books around the same time, one after another, which may not have been a good idea. I say this because Armand and Blood and Gold are too redundant, and redundancy is a problem that I see a lot with Anne Rice.

But that isn't the biggest issue that I had with this book. You have to expect a bit of repetition when you are writing about characters so closely interlaced.

Armand is a boy of rougher stock, from the cold Ukraine, and from a modest family. He had to deal with these orthodox beliefs that were rigid and unforgiving. Before Marius gets to him, and even before he is kidnapped and sold into slavery, this is a character made of tougher stuff than most of the other vampires we already know.

I expected more than the fop he became, I guess. Rice can get away with pedophilia because her story is set in a time when it was totally normal and not necessarily a crime, so I will not gripe about that despite it being an uncomfortable read. I don't care who these vampires get their jollies from. It's all part of reading Anne Rice. Armand, however, ends up being nearly indistinguishable from Lestat, Marius, and Louis in that he is just another undead dandy that feeds off the living at night. Those few hundred years with the cult in France did not change any of that in his later years after he and Marius were separated.

And maybe that's part of reading Anne Rice. The male characters are always androgynous and bisexual, weeping at the sight of a painting. I've learned that her female characters are far more intriguing.

I also did not like the ending. Not even a little bit. But I will not spoil things by going there. This book got my four stars because it /is/ a good read, and Rice really does take you back to Renaissance era Italy. Foppish or not, Armand is one of those characters we like to know more about because of the manner in which he was introduced in The Vampire Lestat. If you are a die-hard Rice fan, Armand is an essential in the collection.

It did not get five because Armand is like the one candy in the dish with the different color on the wrapper. Once you open it and realize that the candy inside is the same as all the rest, you can pretty much say that it was at least enjoyable,classic Rice that you still didn't regret ingesting.

Rating:
Summary: Ugh. A turnoff for this hardcore Rice fan
Review: I was eager for an in-depth examination of The Vampire Armand but the sexuality was deeply disturbing and downright repulsive. Marias' obsession with the child Armand is pedophilic and just plain gross. Ruined the book for me.