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It is Louis who brings about the collision of the fang and voodoo universes. Louis made Claudia a vampire in Rice's classic Interview with the Vampire, in which she was destroyed, and now he's obsessed with raising her ghost to make amends and seek guidance from the beyond. (Claudia physically resembles Rice's young daughter who died of a blood-related illness. Rice nearly died of a diabetic coma in 1998, and writing Merrick turned her excruciating recovery into an exhilarating burst of creativity).
Vampire David Talbot lobbies Merrick to call Claudia's spirit and slake Louis's guilt, but Talbot winds up in the grip of an obsession with the witch. You see, Talbot, unlike most vampires, lived 70 years as a human, so his sexual response to humans is still as strong as his blood thirst. Merrick can cast spells to make men crave her, and Talbot is tormented. After she reads his palm, he muses, "I wanted to take her in my arms, not to feed from her, no, not harm her, only kiss her, only sink my fangs a very little, only taste her blood and her secrets, but this was dreadful and I wouldn't let it go on."
The secrets of Merrick are dark and sensuous, but the book is a romp animated by Rice's feeling of coming back to life through the magic of a literary outpouring. The narrative flashes back to the past, to an Indiana Jones-ish adventure in a Guatemalan cave, and to scenes from many other Rice novels. It may be helpful to read Merrick with the Rice-approved guidebooks The Vampire Companion and The Witches' Companion at hand.
After many books, Rice's grand Vampire Chronicles tale was in peril of getting long in the tooth. Merrick Mayfair's magic represents an infusion of fresh blood. --Tim Appelo --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A LUSH,SENSUAL NOVEL IN THE GRAND RICE TRADITION,
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This review is from: Merrick (Vampire Chronicles) (Hardcover)
David Talbot, vampire from previous novels, sets the stage to have Merrick, a witch, help him raise the ghost of Claudia, a vampire child destroyed in "Interview With The Vampire".Merrick will begin telling her story to Talbot, taking him from present day to days gone by in New Orleans, to the Maya Ruins of a century ago, bringing vivid life to the witches of the Talamasca, as well as the vampires. Before ammends can be made with the ghost of the dead child, these stories will have to unfold, and come together for both the vampire and the witch worlds. "Merrick" is classic Anne Rice; sensual, dark, eerie, gothic, lush detailing, and always a pleasure to read. This is Rice's best book in years, bringing the two worlds of the witches and vampires together in a story that is completely fascinating. As any reader of Anne Rice knows, her novels need to be scarce on the plot description, as to keep the reader captivated in the web she is spinning with her story. Anne Rice has created a great heroine in Merrick, and readers will welcome her return in future novels. Fans of her books will enjoy their favorite characters making return appearances, but new readers may be confused as Rice uses many, and I mean many, of her characters from "The Vampire Chronicles" and "The Mayfair Witch's" series. A MUST read! Nick Gonnella
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reading Anne Rice is like returning to an old friend!,
By
This review is from: Merrick (Vampire Chronicles) (Hardcover)
Merrick was a wonderful blend of the Mayfair Witches and The Vampire Chronicles. The story told from David Talbot's perspective started slowly but took off in the fine tradition that we have always known Rice to be capable of. David begins his tale by searching out Merrick to request her help in contacting the spirit of Claudia. Louis suffers unending guilt for producing the fledgling Claudia, and needs reassurance that she has moved on to a happier existence. This will set off a chain of events that will take you back in time and introduce you to some of Rice's most vivid characters. Merrick uses a blend of Voodoo Magic and Catholicism to conjure up spirits that you will never forget. Lestat plays a small but important role in this book and the ending leaves us with the promise of tales of his time spent out of body. A gauntlet is thrown down by the Talamasca, leaving us wondering if it will step out of its age old position of observation only. The events surrounding this are what will keep you turning the pages. This book brings me back to the style of the original Vampire Chronicles, which I so needed from this author.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rice's vampires may fair well after all...,
By
This review is from: Merrick (Vampire Chronicles) (Hardcover)
In Anne Rice's new book, "Merrick," the worlds of her vampires and her witches come together in an epic tale that spans the lush streets of New Orleans to the mystical hidden caves of Guatemala. Through the vampire narrator, David Talbot, Rice introduces her newest character; Merrick Mayfair is a powerful witch who works with the Talamasca, an order of psychic detectives, who specialize in the myths and realities behind such creatures as vampires and witches. Rice also reintroduces her classic vampire characters, Lestat, Louis, and even the "dead child" Claudia. It is easy to get completely lost in Rice's beautiful prose; it is like she has cast a Voodoo spell on her readers. The story begins as the tale of Merrick, but by the final pages it serves to bring the entire Vampire Chronicles full circle from her very first novel. This is a novel of rebirth and redemption for all of Rice's beloved vampires and witches, and it is an excellent beginning to her next vampire or witch saga.
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