Rating: 
Summary: Simply Over-descriptive and slow
Review: Anne Rice's "The Witching Hour" is a novel of a legacy of witches who are haunted by a being over several centuries. There are some good characters in the story that add interest, such as Michael, Rowan, and Aaron. However, the book will probably be difficult for many to take a long-term interest (which is necessary in order to read the 1,000+ pages) in.
This book should be a solid buy for those who: 1) are interested in witchcraft and 2) can dedicate time to reading.
The book contains three main parts: a 280-page introduction, a 4000-page file, and a 350-page end story. Unfortunately, the story is just too slow and too descriptive. Many who begin will probably not finish due to boredom with the story. It would have been so much more entertaining had the author eliminated two-thirds of the text in this book and simply "told the story".
Rating: 
Summary: Anne Rice has bewitched me with this tale
Review: Oh my god as soon as I saw the queen of the damned movie I heard that Anne Rice had a series on witches. I have always been interested by them so I decided to buy the book. From the minute I picked it up, I found myself unable to put it down, staying up till all hours of the morning reading on, captured by the mysterious lasher, Michaels visions and Rowans struggl. All of the characters are so realistic, however I must say there were a lot of characters and descendants "inter related" which made it difficult to keep along in the second part of the book, but I was able to find a gene list on line. This book is captivating and i highly recommend it to anyone and everyone capable of reading!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: my favourite!
Review: This is the first Anne Rice I've read, and I loved it from page 1. It has a wonderful sense of the "Gothic", and the section detailing the history of the Mayfair witches was terrific background. Having studied the history of the witchcraft and heresy trials, this novel was a fantastic twist to those familiar stories. Definitely one to read, whether you are a die-hard Anne Rice fan, or simply looking for a spooky read on a wild and stormy night!
Rating:
Summary: Probably my favorite book ever
Review: I have to say that I'm not a big fan of Anne Rice... I've read a few of her other books and have found them to be mediocre, but this one by far is the best! I absolutely love how she chronicles the history of this amazing family over the generations, switching between the present and the past. While the book is quite long, it will keep you interested for as long as it takes to read it. I re-read it approximately 4 years after the first time I read it, and it was just as good the second time around. Moreover, Rice's ability to describe each scene down to the most minute detail is amazing. I later learned that Rice's house in New Orleans is the same house as described in the book. After seeing pictures of her house, I was amazed at how it matched exactly what I imagined the house would look like. Finally, if you like a novel about strong women, and a strong matriarch, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging storyline that you almost believe is true....
Review: While I have read the Vampire Lestat series, the series of the MayFair Witches, starting with this book, is by far my favorite.
I bought this book when it was in its first edition. I had never read any of Anne Rice's books at that time, but this one got me hooked. For those who have gotten their fill of "crime and attorney books" -this is a invigorating change. You can't guess the plot and it has many twists and turns. This series should (in my opinion) be made into a miniseries or movie triology, as it is a great story, and oddly enough in some ways believable. Also the Mayfair house and description is actually the house that Anne herself lives in, located in New Orleans. I think knowing that the house exists makes it more engaging.
Rating:
Summary: Corona, CA
Review: This was the best book I have ever read, by far. I could not put it down and I was always looking for time to read it. I also loved the sequels Lasher and Taltos. Ann Rice is the best. I wish she would write another!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Powers that be
Review: Anne Rice has managed to write a novel that is so voluminous and wonderful that you really feel as though these women are real and that witchcraft may truly exist. Rice paints a vivid picture of New Orleans grandeur that is so detailed it reminded me of my Spring vacation. When ones reads a novel such as this, one begins to wonder how she kept all of her facts straight, it is absolutely astounding. I would recommend this book for anyone who is in desperate need of mystery, or romance, and suspense. I love how she is able to parlay beautiful love in with the haunting fate of witch burnings. This is a refreshment from some of her other dulling novels. Happy Reading!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Likeable...But Horror?
Review: Let me start by saying I rarely, if ever review books but in this case I had to get this off my chest. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice is a great book hence my 4 star rating. However, it will be my last Anne Rice novel.
I first encountered Anne Rice as I'm sure many of you did with Interview. I found it extremely boring and uninteresting. This was surprising as I love vampire lore, horror novels and had heard so many great things about it. It was years later that I picked up The Vampire Lestat on a whim and boy oh boy was I blown away. Totally and utterly brilliant. Loved it! It was on my Lestat "high" that I began The Witching Hour (borrowed from a friend who worships Anne Rice) She couldn't say enough great things about the book hence I started reading. That was about a year ago and I just recenty finished the book! It's very slow folks. The first part was great and I devoured it but was the entire second part a huge yawn or what? I just was totally uninterested in the family history and I love adjectives as much as the next writer but come on. Anne Rice could probably spend five pages if not more describing a velvet drape pull -- the lushness is exotic at points but it just dragged and dragged and dragged. There was no horror in the true sense of the word until the third and fourth parts of the book. Now let me say that after the second half the book is fabulous. Its scary, sexy and very juicy...now why couldn't the entire thing be as wonderful? Could the second half been totally left out? Think about it. Rowan, Michael, Lasher and Aaron were strong enough to stand alone without the three hundred pages of historical background. Most of the history was irrelevant and the poeple were meaningless to the story save a few like Deborah, Peter, Julian and Deidre..but the rest?
My final complaints are with Lasher and Michael. Michael is at first made out to be this manly, protective, beefcake but in the end seems to lose his masculinity and is practically wimpering over christmas ornaments and acting way too girly for what his part seemed to dictate. Then Lasher. Poor Lasher. Oh wait he's a demon--but alas he's a poor suffering soul who wants to love and is misunderstood. I so wanted to be scared of him and when Rowan begins her dialogue with him there is that fear but it disappears quickly as he becomes way too mushy and romantic. Is it for his own gain? At that point I didn't care.
It seems Rowan is the one true character in the story who maintains her kick-ass spirit up until the last page. I have found that in Anne Rices other works such as The Vampire Lestat she does have a knack for over-romanticizing the "villains" and any sense of horror or fear I may have melts into a feeling that perhaps this could have been a harlequin romance.
In closing, there are memorable moments, some great characters and some truly scary scenes and images. For that Anne Rice is applauded and she is truly a gifted writer with a fan base to prove it. It is just a shame that her tales become so lush that they lose the sharpness that a good horror story needs. At least one that will keep me up at night.
In reading many of the reviews on Amazon of her books it seems I am not the only one who finds her to be a hit or miss author. That is why i say it will be my last Rice novel. With so many amzing works of literature available why risk it on an author who may or may not do it for you?
Rating:
Summary: Rich historical fiction!
Review: I loved the Vampire Chronicles, however they began to be repititious and boring. The lives of the Mayfair witches was the escape I needed! As with the vampires, the Rice gave the witches wonderful character development.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: This is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read. Anne Rice paints pictures so brilliantly that the reader becomes completely drawn into the story. The horror feels real, and her story is the work of a genius.I found myself making timelines and family trees to follow along with her story of the Mayfair witches. If you are looking to read a book that you won't put down, read this one! You cannot be disappointed by it.
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