Rating: 
Summary: WHAT A CHORE!!!
Review: Dry,boring, and long-winded describe this horrible book. Maybe if I actually made it to the end I would have realized the point of the story, but I could only suffer through half of it. I quit during the reading of the "book within a book" in the middle of this sleep inducing creation. Absolutely painful.
Rating: 
Summary: Very compelling plot, intricate character personalities.
Review: This book I couldn't put down, especially in the middle. The book spans a great lenght of time in the history of a family of witches. In true "Ann Rice" form you get intrigue, suspense, sex and a fantisy world you almost believe is real. A good read all around.
Rating: 
Summary: Endless Midnight
Review: I found the book to be so-so mainly because it was rather long-winded (as long-winded as Stephen King is with several books of his). I don't mind lengthy epics only if they don't get dull and boring, and overly detailed. However, I prefer to read between the lines and let my imagination do the rest. Indeed, Anne Rice is an excellent story-teller, and she should be; she possesses incredible prowess with her eloquent style of writing, of conveying thought and emotion, of graphically depicting locales in San Francisco and New Orleans. Of course, the geneal chronology of the Mayfair witches is the bulk of the book, as well as it plays an important part for what is yet to come. Yet, I'm not into "family tree" stuff. Last, but not least, I was disappointed with several elements of "The Witching Hour," one of which is incest (a topic of which does not sit well with this reader). For some reason, I wasn't too fond of Rowan or Michael, but I enjoyed Aaron Lightner's easy-going, analytical character. Plus, I had expected a lot more action (i.e., witchcraft, telekenesis, etc.) than was given in the book. I also enjoyed reading about Julien and Deidre, as well as I enjoyed the surprising (albeit shocking) shenanigans of Cortland. Moreover, I was disappointed with the book's ending; it was not what I'd expected or hoped for. My biggest problem with the book was that I was not able to recollect much of what had occured in previous chapters as I read along. I felt it was just too much and overly done. Just my two cents...
Rating:
Summary: In My Top 10 Favourite Books!!!
Review: This is a fabulous rich and detailed novel, which keeps you guessing with its intricate family details and horrors. I especially like the way the stories of the past witches are told through the records of the Talamasca. I am not fond of the folllow up novels, and feel this can stand alone, but I urge anyone who loves reading to take this novel and lock themselves away somewhere quiet for a while!
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down, didn't want it to finish!!
Review: Anne Rice came through. So far the best she has written. I love sagas that go on for generations, and this was it. The Witching Hour is exceptionaly written, it's intense, sensual, she has you actually believing that this family is real. I had me going every free minute I had. The sequels to this first one are good, but still the Witching Hour take the prize. Hurrah for Anne Rice.
Rating: 
Summary: A vibrant story idea, yet put to dull use.
Review: Hello I'm Angel Cassiel. This was an overall good tale-rich inviting settings, fairly interesting characters, but too much information on the history of the Mayfairs. The idea behind the story-a lineage of witches who carries an iniquity phantom during their lifetime was interesting, but the way she used the idea became a burden. The Mayfair history should have been severely edited. I mean the bulk of the book is about the Mayfair's history, but darn she could have summed it up in a couple of hundred of pages! She wrote in 3rd person view most of the time, and that became very annoying. I think dialogue is the better choice...you are pulled into the story more. Furthermore, the climax was pitiful-there wasn't any until the near end of the novel, and even that left questions dangling in the air... Those were my main dissatisfactions, but truly it is a fairly interesting read, it had its now and then uplifting tiny climaxes, but I'm hoping that the next novel in the series, "Lasher" will be much better... Angel C.
Rating:
Summary: Anne Rice at her very best!
Review: I have read almost all of Anee Rice's books (I had to put down Memnoch and SOTB for fear of being bored to death). The Vampire's are wonderful, A Cry to Heaven and The Feast were hauntingly beautiful. But none can touch this book. I almost started believing in Lasher. Of all of her books in all of her series this is the one that stays with me always. I think it is time to re-read it.
Rating:
Summary: A little tip-DON'T SKIP THE LAST TWO BOOKS
Review: Let's clarify something for the few of you who didn't enjoy this whole series. First of all, the name of the series is "Lives of the Mayfair Witches". Not "Life of Rowan Mayfair." Rice's in depth account of the family dating way back to Suzanne Mayfair is crucial. The reader needs to get the "big picture." Fascinating picture at that, with beautiful descriptions of New Orleans. Secondly, those of you who thought the whole series was just one big loose-end obviously stopped after "The Witching Hour." Lasher needed to be explained too. He wasn't just some silly ghost. He is in a sense a depiction of all that tastes good but is very bad for your teeth, if you follow my point. Taltos was a little lengthy but it was "the rest of the story." Ashlar, the only known Taltos still around, just wants to live in this world with humans-in peace and harmony. To have his race replenished on the earth. His race was love and gentleness and it was destroyed. Think of yourself as a baby-the epitome of all that's innocent and carefree and gentle. And then you grow up, and all your innocence and carefree ways are snatched away. Ashlar had a real need and longing for the way it once was. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be carefree again? As for Miss Rice, Keep em' coming!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The best of the Mayfair Chronicles...
Review: I have read and re-read the "Witching Hour" every year since it came out. I feel it is the best of the Mayfair Chronicle trilogy. I began reading Anne Rice when she first wrote "Interview with a Vampire." I have to say that I was much more entranced with the witches than the vampires. I was so interested in her stories and the settings, that I visited the sites in New Orleans this spring. It was fascinating to put real pictures with her words. I didn't find the length daunting at all, as many have complained. I was caught-up in the story from page one. I look forward to reading her newest book.
Rating:
Summary: The chronicle of an amazing family of women
Review: With a minor in history, I often wish history was told this well. Anne Rice paints a potrait of words with her tale of 13 remarkable and tragic women move through history with the help, and the curse of a dedicated spirit and a group of equally dedicated scholars of the Talamsca. All the more entrancing, the storyteller allows you multiple perspectives as a scholar, a lover, a witch, and a spirit. By far her best work and I highly reccommend the book and visiting First and Chesnut in New Orleans to be even more awed by the tale.
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