Anne Rice - Blood Canticle

Pros: it's over and I don't have to read it again
Cons: someone killed trees to publish it

I swear, it isn't intentional. My recent reading of the Beauty trilogy coincidentally led up to picking up Blood Canticle on the bargain rack. I'm a long-time fan of The Vampire Chronicles as well as her tales of the Mayfair Witches, ...

Pros: lush, florid, rambling, playful, energetic*
Cons: not too many; conscious stress on action in this one, not verbiage

In this book, at last, the witches and vampires meet. Rice has finally taken both of her primary series far enough (and some might say exhausted the ideas within them sufficiently) to mix up not just the concepts of her very particular, personalized ...

Pros: It ended quickly.
Cons: poor characters, ridiculous plot, rushed

Half way through the Blood Canticle I found myself losing interest and becoming adgitated with the context of the characters and the story line. The language is confusing and at times very off base and rambling. Lestat blabbers on and on for pages about ...

Pros: Lestat narrates; Rowan Mayfair; the Taltos; rich writing
Cons: Slow; ending blows; weaker in tone

With "Blood Canticle", the 10th novel in Anne Rice's long running "The Vampire Chronicles" series, the author seems ready to end it all and call it quits with this one. Both creatively and emotionally, is there anywhere else to go that we have not yet ...

Pros: Meeting of the two stories (Mayfair and Vampire), more storyline of Blackwood Farm.
Cons: Yet another sudden and obligatory vampire inferno, ditzy characters, and quick (but pointless) point advancement.

I was excited about the publishing of this book, this is the book when Anne Rice full integrates the Mayfair Witches and the Vampire Chronicles. I expected a lot of sparks and bangs with this one, but it fails to deliver. This book and her previous ...

Pros: Finally find out about the Taltos, Revist the Mayfair Legacy, See life/death from Lastat's eyes.
Cons: Too no frills, what just happened? it's like being hit by a mac truck.

When I first started reading this series (can you call 2 books an actual series??), I thought I had lost some my shinny, magical perspective when it came to reading Anne Rice's novels. Being a long time fan and having read I believe every book she has ...

Pros: Endings? for the Mayfair witches, the Taltos and Lestat.
Cons: Lacking Rice's usual flair for description

This is supposedly the end of the Vampire Chronicles but as with most writers, it is difficult to tell for sure. While Blood Canticle is definitely not one of her best works, Anne Rice shines as usual in a style all her own in which she combines the ...

Pros: Another Anne Rice novel...
Cons: Did Anne Rice actually write this?

I read Blackwood Farm not long ago. Thought it was one of Anne RIce's best novels. ANd then I HAD to read The Blood Canticle. And since this is supposed to be her last Vampire Chronicle novel, I was expecting something mega great! But I was really disappointed by the novel. Sure, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the book but after it was over, I wasn't satisfied at all. The writing seems sloppy and Vampire Lestat (who happens to be my favorite character) seemed wimpy and tired. As a matter of fact, it seemed like someone else had written this novel under the name of Anne Rice. It's a definite read of course if you're a Anne Rice fan but please skip this novel if you're not!

Pros: Witty as well as humorous at times.
Cons: Lacked story, adventure, promise. A very mediocre novel for Rice.

Blood Canticle was hard to put down, captivating our imaginations, a long with a majority of Anne Rice's other novels. But it wasn't until I was almost finished the novel that I realized that basically nothing happens in this book. No big adventure, a lot of questions that get answered, but no heroic tales. Also, for many people who are fans of The Mayfair Witches, will be incredibly bored throughout this book as they already know many of the answers. Quinn and Mona's love is finally revived, but Mona's rebellious-teenage behaviour drives Lestat mad at times and I found that area of the book to be quite amusing. I cant say that I despise it and that I'll never pick up another one of Anne's books, but it lacks adventure, a middle and an end. But nonetheless, I enjoyed it as I have the previous eight books.

Pros: Lestat is back.
Cons: Most of the book.

I love Anne Rices books, but this was not one of them. I actually only like the first four books in the Vampire Chronicles; Meminoch the Devil was not all that great to me. It seems that Lestat is too quick to want to fall for everyone he meets. I know he is someone who always does that, but now he seems weaker when he does it. It just did not bring the characters to life like her other books do.