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Summary: Pandora no box of mystery....
Review: Firstly, if you haven't read Interview w/ a Vampire or the Vampire Lestat - this is not the place to start. While the narrative of Pandora stands largely on itself - they are numerous mentions of all past books and plot lines.What surprised me about this book is that 80% of it is about Pandora's (2000 yr old Roman vampire) life growing up in Rome. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that I enjoy Roman history - I probably would have abandoned this book half way thru. Also, it would not surprise me to find that Anne Rice's historical research was limited to Robert Graves' I, Claudius. It reads like a sort of Cliff's Notes for that excellent book (and excellent PBS miniseries it was turned into.) I was disappointed that the book was so short. Once Panadora becomes a vamp, the book is essentially over. We find very little about her life between becoming a vampire (around 10AD) and the modern day. She skips over those 2000 with a flourish of her hand. A pity. If I were Anne, I would have shortened the Roman history and shown a few chapters of her life thru the ages. Also, since when did her Vamp's become such nice noble creatures? Marius and Pandora only drink the blood of "evil-doers." Such prattle. So, if you want another Vamp book and are REALLY TIRED of Lestat, this is an ok read - otherwise... I hope you didn't acutally read this entire review to figure out its a fairly boring book.
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Summary: Pandora and the lost voice of a brat prince
Review: Pandora begins with the horror and gore I expected when I warily bought my first of Anne Rice's vampire chronicles, (horror is not my favorite genre.) And while Pandora is a soulful character, full of desire and regret, she has nothing of the mischievous charm of the vampire LeStat. LeStat does make appearances in Pandora's tale of a life lived in death, but only as a passing mention. The ancient vampiress allows LeStat's dark brother David, to pull from her the very soul the tale of her life. Unfortunately this tale follows the same formula as the others, but with less charm. The struggle which Pandora experiences in the telling of her millennia in darkness, is refreshing. She is indeed a unique character and does not completely disappoint. As Rice creates yet more vampire mythology, she attempts to let the reader see through Pandora's eyes the world the author has so successfully created. This creation of a world so richly detailed and fantastically intricate is, in my opinion, the author's greatest strength. Rice makes her alter reality likeable and plausible, drawing me in almost effortlessly. This is what makes even a mediocre Rice book readable. You will discover more about pagan religion and the also the ancient Marius, but I couldn't help asking myself: what became of LeStat? How did the author loose such a clever and rich voice? I found LeStat to be much more enjoyable, in him Rice seemed to have discovered a rare thing: the true voice of a unique and complete character. He made evil fun. Pandora just makes it interesting and leaves me cold as her marble skin
Rating: 
Summary: Unexpected Excellence
Review: When I first sat down with this book I didn't really expect that much from it. I was merely looking for a pleasant deversion before finally getting into The Vampire Armand. I was wrong. This book is quite simply the best of all of Anne Rice's writings (even after having read Armand). Pandora, as the beautiful Roman "princess", was an amazing character. I felt a connection with her unlike any of the previous characters in the Vampire Chronicles. In addition, the story took place during the awe-inspiring period of the Great Roman Empire. The only flaw with the book, which has been expressed numerous times in other reviews, is that the ending comes all too quickly. We bond with the character and begin to love her just as she is ripped away from us. The rest of the story more than makes up for this shortcoming. We are even treated to Pandora's encounter with another earthbound supernatural being. Details like this make the story well worth the read.
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Summary: a historical romance for vampire fans
Review: If you're already a Rice fan, you'll love this book. If you're a fan of historical novels & romances, you'll find this book a great introduction to Rice's vampire fiction. I'm a 50/50 Rice fan -- sometimes her prose is irritatingly unweildy, but sometimes her stories are gripping & passionate. Pandora falls into the latter category. It's an engaging, romantic tale set in the fascinating backdrop of Ancient Rome.
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Summary: Ann Rice at her best!
Review: A vivid recreation of ancient Rome & an enjoyable summary of the whole Vampires saga.
Rating: 
Summary: Standard Rice
Review: I've read all of Rices Vampire-books, and this is hardly one of the best. It's not bad, but not too special either. What I like the most is that a big part of the book's events take place in ancient Rome, a time and place which I find very interesting. Also the thing that the main character is female is different in a positive way. The most important part of the story is the relationship of Marius and Pandora, which Rice describes well. I think it's a bit boring that Pandora ends her story quite early, and then the text returns to modern age. I would have liked to hear more about her, like where was she and what did she do before the "Queen of the Damned". The book is quite short compared to the ones before it. It's quite standard Rice, really. So, if you are a fan, you won't be very disappointed, or may even like the book a lot. But if you're looking for a really good horror/fantasy-book, I don't think Pandora is the best choice.
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Summary: Pleasantly Surprised Philosopher Enjoyed It
Review: After an early summer of "dense" non-fiction in psychoanalysis and philosophy, a friend recommended this book. Not one for sci-fi, horror, or "cultish" titles from today's popular fiction writers, I must commend Ms. Rice for captivating me in this historically relative story with highly developed characters, an intense plot and wonderfully rich prose that few modern American seem capable of. I'll be reading Ms. Rice again!
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Summary: A Triumph !!
Review: I bought this book expecting a 'nice' vampire story. Once I got to the second page I was hooked! The characters and the historical detail captivated me throughout the entire book. This has to be one of Rice's best efforts. How she packed so much detail into only 353 pages is incredible. I've read it 5 more times since buying it.
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Summary: Anne Rice has done it again
Review: A fantastic tale set in the time of Ceaser, Rice gives us Pandora. I reccomend that everyone read this.
Rating:
Summary: Good...worth reading
Review: This is one of those books that Vampire Cronicle fans should just read, because it shows a lot about the little known Pandora and Marius, and about how they got started, but expect it not to compare to one of the earlier novels... still worth a read. Over all it was really good, just not if you compare to, oh say, The Vampire Lastat, or Interview with the Vampire.
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