Rating: 
Summary: YES! Back to the Vampires!
Review: I am a big Anne Rice fan, and I was disappointed by some of her recent work (esp. Violin). I am so glad she went back to her Vampires! Pandora was a great book, although I agree with others that I would have liked to read more about her life after becoming a vampire. Maybe that will be a future novel. I look forward to Armand, and future Vampire Chronicles. Hey Anne! I also miss Ramses. Any chance on a new book about him in the future?
Rating: 
Summary: More like an overlong short story than a novel
Review: After being severely disappointed by Rice's last four books (back as far as "Taltos"), I found "Pandora" to be a marked improvement, although far from perfect. The return to the vampires is far overdue, and Rice has a good idea in focusing on previously minor characters. (After "Armand", I can imagine books will arrive about Maharet, Santino, Eric, Mael and all the rest). It is interesting to learn more about Pandora, although the depiction here doesn't exactly match up with the woman in the earlier novels, where she seemed to me to be a rather distant, passive woman. But it seems like a very long short story. Not a lot happens, not a lot is achieved... to some extent it feels pointless. However, its greatest strength is that it eschews the self-important pseudo-religious nonsense of "Memnoch" and a few of her other recent books. A mixed but ultimately positive review from me. Here's hoping Rice has another "Queen of the Damned" up her sleeve yet.
Rating:
Summary: Rice sublime in Pandora
Review: Anne Rice's newest installment in her Vampire Chronicles is by far the best of her more recent works. Unlike previous novels, Pandora is focused, concise and mostly void of the rambling passages that hampered Memnoch the Devil, Violin and Taltos. Rice accomplishes the task of keeping the reader focused and intrigued through the recounting of ancient Roman history seen through the eyes of a 2000 year old vampire, Pandora. Pandora, mortal in the time of Ceaser Augustus, is a highly educated "highborn", a senator's daughter, who flees Rome when her family is slaughtered by the government. She attempts to hide in Antioch, but is soon discovered by both a surviving brother and a long-lost love. Both men bring dramatic changes to her life, but not before we get a detailed account of life in the times of political treachery, religious fervor and spiritual questioning. Although the story of Pandora occurs thousands of years ago, the reader may ask him or herself if we, as a society, have evolved as much as we think. There is less telling of Vampiric horror and pain in this novel than in Rice's previous works, however the historical background provides enough intrigue and splendor to fulfill the readers' thirst for a finely told story. Pandora is more similar in that vein to Margaret George's The Memoirs of Cleopatra than to Interview With The Vampire. This sublime and easily read novel is therefore one of the best new pieces of historical fiction available today.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Anne!
Review: Thank you Anne for all your hard work and research. As an avid Rice fan, I have enjoyed ALL of the hard work put into each of her novels. This is no exception. Her research is evident and the story shows her growth as a writer. I can't wait until the next book.
Rating:
Summary: Anne getting back to the basics
Review: With "Pandora," Anne Rice lands back in the midst of her vampires where she's at her best. Although I yearned for a little more development "between" the characters as she did for Lestat, Louis and Armand, Pandora quickly grew on me and I really liked her. She is a strong woman -- ahead of her time. I didn't want the book to end, but when it was over, there was hope for more to come - can't wait for "Armand!"
Rating: 
Summary: so-so.
Review: one of the first reviews here says that marius made pandora and then later made lestat. duh! magnus made lestat and then leapt into the fire. oh, anyway, the book was alright but only to hear more about the vampires, not because her writing is that great. it wasn't nearly as awful as violin, though.
Rating:
Summary: "Pandora" better in life than in death.
Review: I was somewhat apprehensive about another Vampire novel. In my opinion, the "Chronicles" should have stopped with "The Vampire Lestat", with the last three being utterly useless (Queen, Body Thief and Memnoch). But this novel (or novella as Mrs. Rice has called it) was an entertaining read. "Pandora" demonstrates Rice's ability to write a story from thorough historical research. She can, and did, bring the ancient Roman world to life as she chronicles the life of Pandora before her conversion into a vampire. This was a better representation of the ancient world than Azrael's Babylon in "Servant of the Bones", both Rome and Antioch are portrayed in living detail. Rice also depicts Pandora as a strong, independant character able to argue philosophy and recite Homer and Ovid on one occasion, and on the next use her cunning and intellect to survive alone. It is too bad that Rice ruined such a fine character by making Pandora a Vampire. The last quarter of the book (after Pandora is made in to a Vampire)becomes the typical vampire faire. She slowly becomes the two dimensional supporting character that was introduced in "Queen of the Dammed". The last 25-30 pages were unnessary and did not hold me. All in all, this is a good book. I highly reccomend "Pandora" for the beautiful writing and decription of the Ancient Roman world the characterization of Pandora. Rice really did her homework on this one. It is a shame that Pandora dies a typical vampiric death.
Rating: 
Summary: A lesson in Roman History?
Review: Although Mrs. Rice's return to the vampire series is refreshing, after her last few attempts to keep a reader excited about her "latest book" (Violin depressed me and I left it unfinished as with Menmoch the Devil), I will be hard-pressed to buy any new releases. Pandora felt like a roman history lesson - boring (I skipped over pages), and I felt she should have focused more on Pandora's life as a vampire and her feelings for Marius. I detect somewhat an "I am woman hear me roar" type of personality in Pandora. Give me more LeStat and his army or even better - Ramses! Maybe Anne needs a "sabbatical" to freshen up her tales from the darkside.
Rating:
Summary: Anne Rice is back on track
Review: I was pleased and surprised when I picked up Pandora. I think it is safe to say that all of Rice's vampire fans were in a much needed fix for a new story. Pandora brought me back to the much read and dearly loved vampire chronicles. Now I am a lover of ancient history so I did enjoy the beginning of the book when we were tranported to ancient Rome. I thought the story of Pandora and her family was compelling. The book was well written but not in a far cry of being finished. I have so many questions about Pandora after she was given the dark gift. Her life with Marius was unfinished. Her years without Marius was unfinished. This short novel could have gone on for many more enjoyable pages. I am used to the Anne Rice of the Witching Hour where I was caught up for many many hours of inquisite pose. I want to thank Anne Rice for beginning the new series for us. I thoroughly enjoyed Pandora and am looking forward to Armand.
Rating:
Summary: 2 dayer
Review: I read this book in 2 days. Some of the reveiws I've read on this site have been dissapointed in Anne's depiction of Pandora's mortal life more than her vampire life. I disagree. If we are to understand the vampires, we need to understand them as they were before receiving the blood; for this is what makes them the vampires they end up being. I love her attention to detail, and I think this book is a fine example of her elaborate work. Good job once again.
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