Lasher

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: First of all I have to say that in my opinion, the average of 3 1/2 stars is fair enough to this book.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good book but it's not a masterpiece.

I believe it would be better if, with Taltos as its sequel, it would be a separate saga. Why's that?
Witching Hour was about a family, a clan and its link with a spirit; a story full of passion and mistery told from a human being point of view.
In Lasher, Rice falls in a common place: with the purpose of explain everything she creates a new species.
In my opinion this practice stole some mistery to the first book to create a new different story.
With minor changes, it would be a new saga, starting from other point of view of existance, the Taltos point of view, which is a rich enough story itself.

Anyway, I think is a good plot and a reasonable sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Lasher...
Review: This book is absolutley awesome. If you like Anne Rice, you'll love this. I read all three of the witch cronicles in two days. Set some time aside for this book because once you start reading it, you won't be able to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: worth the read
Review: I did enjoy this book. I felt that it was very beautifully written. Although, it seems that sometimes Anne rattles on and on about absolutly nothing, somehow in the end she finds a point.
In this book Lasher is finally in human form. And he must find another mayfair witch to create a being called the "Taltos". But to get to this point and understand it, you pretty much need a reference book of scottish history.
It would have been better if AR would have stuck to the witch format, instead of the Taltos. But you get hooked and you have to find out what happens.If you've read "The Witching Hour", then you will probably read this just to find out what happened to Rowan.

Rating:
Summary: gimme a break!
Review: Anne Rice is comparable in style to Stephen King. What they have in common is their talent of starting with a brilliant idea and turning it into something absurd. The Mayfair trilogy is yet another example of this. I really liked the initial premise - a mysterious spirit following and protecting a family of witches through generation after generation.
I found The Witching Hour difficult to put down for most of the way through, until the end, which was so idiotic I am still shaking my head in disbelief. The books 'Lasher' and 'Taltos' just became increasingly ridiculous. This concept of Lasher being some 5000 year old super being from Atlantis or whatever was so far fetched I was laughing out loud! And why, in all of AR's books, is the main character always about 5000 years old?
It would've been nice if she'd stuck with the original theme, instead of this far fetched piece of drivel. If I could give this zero stars I would.

Rating:
Summary: Second Book in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches Trilogy
Review: Now that Lasher has become human (which occurred in the previous book, "The Witching Hour"), he wants to continue his lineage by procreating with any Mayfair who can bear a Taltos. Unfortunately, very few of the women he impregnates live for very long, including Gifford, Edith, Mandy, Lindsay, Clytee, and Alicia Mayfair. They all die shortly after sex, resulting from uterine hemorrhaging. The only woman, so far, who can carry a Taltos to full term is Rowan Mayfair, who is the thirteenth witch and also Lasher's birth mother. At the beginning of this book, Rowan is pregnant with Emaleth, Lasher's soon-to-be mate. During her entire pregnancy, Rowan is hidden away in various European locales (such as Berlin, Paris, and Geneva) so that no one--particularly her family--will be able to find them. The couple do eventually return to the States, where Rowan gives birth to Emaleth, and Lasher pursues the above mentioned Mayfair women.

Meanwhile, Michael Curry (Rowan's husband) and the other Mayfairs are teaming up with Aaron Lightner and Yuri Stefano (two ex-members of the Talamasca) to protect the women in the Mayfair family from Lasher's devious scheme, as well as attempting to find Rowan--alive, hopefully. However, working against them are two Talamasca replacements, Erich Stolov and Clement Norgen, who will do everything they can to capture Lasher alive, even if that means killing anyone in their way.

A few new members of the Mayfair clan make appearances in "Lasher", such as Mona, the redheaded 13-year-old nymphomaniac who seduces Michael and becomes pregnant by him; her drunken parents (Alicia--the same one mentioned above who dies because of Lasher--and Patrick) and her wise, quiet great-grandmother (Ancient Evelyn).

"Lasher" begins where the last book ("The Witching Hour") left off. This book is almost half the size of the first, mainly because there's no lengthy family history to sort through. Well, there is Lasher's biographical speech at the end of the book, but that only takes up about 100 pages, not hundreds like in "The Witching Hour".

If you enjoyed "The Witching Hour", you'll love this sequel. And don't miss "Taltos" either, the third and final book in this series. All three of these books are must-reads for Anne Rice fans.

Rating:
Summary: Another Anne Rice Classic!
Review: The second in a series of three, this Chronicle tells the tale of the spirit that has become human. The spirit that only the Mayfair daughters that have inherited the necklace can see, Lasher. His life story is compelling. Aaron along with Michael try to get to the bottom of this being's presence with the Mayfairs. Beautifully told. My favorite out of the three.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely not the best from Anne Rice
Review: It really sort of saddens me when I read a book that has so much potential, but instead rambles on and on and on........Ah! this took me forever to get through. After the "Witching Hour" I was so excited to read this book. I was disappointed. But I will say towards the end, Julian's conversation with Michael, reliving his journey to Donnelaith and such is worth reading. Also, Lasher's explanation of how he came into being is worth a read. However, there is so much in this book that is NOT worth reading, I don't think I'd recommend it on the whole. For die-hard Anne Rice fans such as myself, you might as well read it. For those of you looking for an interesting read or a book as riveting as the "Witching Hour", don't bother.

Sorry Ms. Rice.

Rating:
Summary: The search continues....
Review: I found this book to be all that I imagined it to be and more. It picks up exactly where The Mayfair Witches leaves off without missing a beat. Can Michael find his true love? If he does, will it be in time to save her? You'll have to read it to find out. If you enjoyed The Mayfair Witches, you'll love this book. The description of each character and scenery transports you to the frontline of the story. You won't be able to help but be cocooned in the story with the Mayfair family and feel each reaction as they do. Rarely do books come along that so involve you as Anne Rice's books do. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has either read The Mayfair Witches or is looking for a truly spell-binding, fictional book concerning the unknown of this world. Read one of The Mayfair Witches Chronicles, and you will just HAVE to read the rest.

Rating:
Summary: Not a Stand-Alone
Review: _Lasher_ marks a return to the magnolia-perfumed world of the Mayfair Witches, where incest, speaking with spirits, and the practice of psychic gifts are games the whole family can play. Once again we meet Rowan and Michael, Aaron and Julien, Mayfair after Mayfair--and, of course, Lasher himself.

There are a number of good things that can be said about this book. Rice's descriptive powers remain at their usual height; likewise, the new characters she builds for us are strong, amazing, and intriguing. (Some people love Mona, some hate her. I for one like her plenty here--though in _Taltos_... well, that's material for another review.) We're once again treated to a slice of the Mayfair history with its depth and richness. The characters of Marie Claudette, Marguerite, Julien, Katherine, and Mary Beth are each fleshed out considerably. And we finally learn what became of Rowan after her mysterious disappearance, and what will become of her now.

However, though all of the aspects mentioned above make _Lasher_ worth reading for anyone who liked _Witching Hour_, it has many, many, many more weaknesses than its predecessor. Yet again the pacing is clumsy; yet again the ending is abrupt. Further, the characters no longer seem to be much like themselves. I found that I no longer cared about Rowan or Lasher particularly; their sections bored me terribly, and I wished to skip on, to get back to the Mayfair history or the mystery of what is preying on the Mayfair women. Lasher's story lacked any attraction--it was more dull than anything else in the book had been (at least in my opinion), and finished the job of transforming this dark and powerful spirit into something almost pathetic in its childish cruelty. At the final call, there just wasn't enough attention to detail in places--I was left wanting to know more, to know things that were hinted at and alluded to but which were never explained.

Though it really is fairly dissatisfying, _Lasher_ gets four stars from me, primarily because of Mona; she, Ancient Evelyn, the historical Mayfairs, and the various 'cousins' ended up being the most interesting characters in this story for all that they weren't the main protagonists. If you became hooked on the Mayfairs in _Witching Hour_, you'll have no choice but to read this--but be sure to brace yourself for a letdown. You may very well enjoy it, but the dark seductive power that made TWH so intense and dramatic is largely missing here.

Rating:
Summary: A well written and evocative tale
Review: A brilliant follow up to the extraordinary book, the Witching Hour, Lasher tells an engaging tale of witches and demons. The tale spun by Ms Rice is, as always, well thought out and well written. The story is sensual and arousing at points, and the emotions depicted by the characters are realistic. One cannot help but to empathize with the characters in the book. This book, while not her best work, is really well done, and would be a great addition to anyone's library.