I wanted to reread this before restarting the series. I forgot how much of a douche Lestat can be. He’s an interesting character with lots of flaws and I think that’s why I like him/ his story so much. I think Mojo is now my favorite character 🥰

I really appreciate Rice’s back and forth with religious beliefs in the story. I’m excited to see how this story continues, especially since I started it over 20 years ago. 

Lestat, wtf.

This book was quite enjoyable though as I've experienced TVC so far, they only tend to really get me hooked well beyond the halfway mark. 

The pacing issues are still present, though not as pronounced this time around, mostly on the start of it.

This book was refreshing in that it didn't have an absurd amount of characters, just a very crucial few that happened to be extremely infuriating.  The title character was unbearable but as a villain it's to be expected. The issue is that when your other main character is also an antihero and insufferable there's just too much of that to go around and nobody to root for but a dog. 

I believe that after finishing it, if i had to guess what Rice's purpose was with this book it would've been to maybe make it so people really saw Lestat the way he truly is in her eyes. I think the readers are Talbot and Rice is guiding the tiger towards us and trying to remind us that it's not just a big cat. 

Surprised to say that I really enjoyed Louis in this book. He's always felt very underwhelming as a character though I assumed it was planned that way to make Lestat stand out more. 
I got spoiled majorly about this book and yet it still hurt more than I thought it would. 

Time to move onto the next one. 

*gets up on soapbox* the entertainment while reading this book was what lead me to giving it 5 stars there are a few things I could’ve done without

the rape scenes… technically two of them and then she runs rampant with fucking a nun for a bit there too

I feel like Anne Rice has such a compelling, juvenile at times but that’s partially just Lestat’s personality, voice while writing. 

Part of loving this book was I am in such a Vampire Chronicles headspace in the moment as I wait for szn 2 in May that I was craving any more content that I hadn’t already consumed. also sending my friends screenshots and voice memos of me reading passages which I think made me love this book even more because I was giggling and being like wait this is a good concept/paragraph/line. Like yes parts of it were WILD and reminded me of a 90’s sitcom

the stand off between the ‘villain’ of the book and lestat happens on a cruise ship which is so funny to go from iwtv olden times to 90’s cruise body switching + anytime Lestat was talking about shitting/pissing/weeping had me belly laughing.

. I kind of find Anne rice’s writing delicious even if she is going on a theological tangent or making lestat reprehensible at points.

Also the concept of a vampire switching bodies with a human and having to deal with human weaknesses is such a great idea. It’s like oh shit yes he would be upset about eating and peeing because he didn’t have to do this for like 200+ years. The whiplash of the tone of the book was also so funny and good at times. Like lestat’s ending the book by lighting a candle for himself and then there’s another chapter that’s literally like…. Actually there’s one more chapter read if you dare. And then the next chapter is MORALLY BAD LESTAT. I also really loved the power dynamic switch between him and Louis in this book. Actually any time Louis and lestat interacted in this book I was like oh fuck yes.

anyway what a fever dream but so good in my opinion