Merrick

OMFG this one was so good. It was a breath of fresh air from the usually Victorian or New Orleans settings of her other novels. We get to go to the jungle AND we get so see some ghost shit through a jade mask? Are you friggin' kidding me, that's awesome! I'm glad Rice finally touched on a non-caucasian character, because her character lineup thus far seemed whiter than milk.Read this.Seriously.I am not even joking.Don't make me cut you.Kidding. [Not kidding]

This is definitely my least favourite in the Vampire Chronicles series by so far. Not much happened until much later in the book.This, the 7th installment, introduces us to Merrick, a witch descended from the Mayfair line of witches. David Talbot, newly turned vampire, recounts his meeting and subsequent relationship with Merrick, while he was a member of the Talamasca.The novel outlines Merrick's family history and her powers, while dealing with the present day: Louis is miserable because other [...]

Disappointing, truly. First, almost nothing actually happens within the present timeline in which the book is written. It's a string of stories told over a glass of rum. As a result, it reads like a "best-of clips" episode of a sit com (and is about as interesting).You get to hear all about Oncle Vervain, Cold Sandra, Great Nannane, and Oncle Julien. This could have been interesting, but because Rice never managed to make me care about any of these characters before plunging into these droning s [...]

There are two books in the vampire series I hold higher than the others; Merrick and Queen of the Damned. The story of Merrick and David is a great addition and brings David alive as one of the vampire family. What a wonderful addition to the family we get in Merrick as well. She is so seductive and intense. I love the idea of her and hope that she appears again in future books. I also love the story of David in this book. Davids mortal years are explained in this story and his history with the [...]

At Louis’ request David gets back in touch with Merrick Mayfair, a powerful witch and member of the Talamasca. He has known her since she joined the order as a child and knows her long, powerful and often frightening history.But that history may be why she can do what Louis needs and call on Claudia’s ghost to confirm for him whether the child vampire has reached a peaceful afterlife or suffers as a ghost. And David’s connection to Merrick may be why she’d want to do it.Though Merrick ma [...]

It's definitely not one of Rice's best and in hindsight, it's even a toss-up as to why this book was written, other than more royalties for Rice, because it doesn't add anything valuable to the overall plot of the Vampire Chronicles. Much of the book delves into reminiscing about the past and the last three hundred pages or so, it finally tried to lurch into action and falls flat on its face, like a flan in a cupboard.You don't feel for the main characters either - all of the known characters ac [...]

After the first 3 books in the Vampire Chronicles, Merrick is the next dearest tale to my heart. Tying together her beloved vampires and beloved witches, producing such a gorgeous, full and sensuous story. To see my Louis again, to watch his doomed love affair with Merrick unfold was absolutely exquisite! I tore through this book, I was so voracious in my adoration. An all-time favorite, for sure!

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, and I really wanted to give this book 4 stars instead of 3. I just couldn't find it in my heart to give it that high of a ratingeep - factor gets an A. raising the dead from a spot of blood, severed limbs, burnt flesh, and the revival of life from being burned is all pretty creepy. there's a good amount in here. Anne Rice ' s witches: an A- here. I love Anne's witch chronicles and the further development of Merrick was great, but the magic of th [...]

In this book the Mayfair witches, and the Vampires come together at last through Merrick a very powerful witch. This is fast paced, and I love that we get to spend a little bit of time with Louis whom I love so much! This truly is a great read!

The rest is at [NMR]: So far I didn't know Anne to be able to refrain from describing countless of art pieces her characters encounter in Vampire Chronicles, but here it is. Merrick is a fairly easy read in many a sense. Maybe it is because David Talbot told it. Maybe because it was spun around Mayfair witch and archaeology, two topics I delight in. Or maybe just because it's getting better by the book. Unlike Armand’s story, this wasn’t filled with descriptions of paintings, and architectur [...]

Nobody writes the myth of the vampire better than Anne RiceAspects of this book are truly beautiful but I have one criticism of the writing which I have never come across in any of her other novels. I found myself having to re-read the occasional sentence two or three times before it made sense. For example she would put a word at the end of the sentence and then it didn't make sense whereas if it had been placed elsewhere it would have been fine. Also I think she found a new favourite word when [...]

Merrick is the seventh book in The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire introduced me to Anne Rice many years ago now, and I have been a fan of her work ever since. I think I have now read everything she has ever written, some several times over. Every so often I work my way through this series again and I found myself reading the Vampire Chronicles for about the fifth time, as a friend of mine who had never read any of Ms. Rice’s work asked me to ‘buddy read’ them w [...]

Here is an attempt made by Anne Rice to merge two themes into one: vampires and witches. In theory, forming a blended story in order to draw readers into a new series is a grand idea, but if only the application were worthy. Let's face it, no matter what hocus pocus Merrick has in her back pocket, with all her rich familial history, voodoo, jungle masks- can anything come close to the horror and mystery of the vampire? The pages which starred Louis and Lestat were few and left me thirsty for mor [...]

Hmn. On the one hand, I think the writing, the prose itself, in Merrick is a return to form. Rice is known for her insanely purple prose, and I think it works in this one as it did in Interview. I didn't cringe at the writing as I did through Armand. Merrick's flow felt natural and lush. Perfect Rice. I also love the framing plot, with Louis and David approaching a witch to help raise Claudia' ghost. I didn't even mind that 90% of the book was Merrick's backstory that you might or might not care [...]

I'd give this book 2.5 stars if that were possible, so I'm being generous with 3 stars. I'm reading the Vampire Chronicles because a good friend gave me Prince Lestat as a present and I feel an obligation to the characters and the ongoing story to read them all before reading that. I am beginning to wonder if my sense of obligation is misplaced.The first 200 pages were boring. Never thought I'd say that about an Anne Rice novel, but they were. Then the action finally, finally picks up and we've [...]

In her mesmerizing new novel, the author of The Vampire Chronicles and the saga of the Mayfair Witches demonstrates once again her gift for spellbinding storytelling and the creation of myth and magic. Here, in a magnificent tale of sorcery and the occult, she makes real for us a hitherto unexplored world of witchcraft. At the center is the beautiful, unconquerable witch Merrick. She is a descendant of the gens de couleur libres, a society of New Orleans octoroons and quadroons steeped in the lo [...]

This book was of the same high caliber I've come to expect of the series. It is well constructed and I've grown quite fond of Ms. Rice's writing style. This novel brings the reader to a closer knowledge of David, and through David to the new character of Merrick (obviously). Both are welcome additions to the series, I think. Unfortunately I feel kind of bad for Louis as a character, and by that I mean I feel bad for the character because I grew to like him even less in this installment. I always [...]

I always love any book I read from Anne Rice. I read this one expecting it to follow along with the Mayfair Witches. Being that Merrick IS from the Mayfair family. This is based more on the Lestat and Louis storyline it seems, with Merrick as a main feature. Sort of a convergence. The first-person POV I had to get used to. Whenever I read it long enough though, I found myself getting lost in the lyrical quality of the writing, as Anne Rice is great at. This is a great book to read maybe after yo [...]

Not a terrible book but not a terribly good one neither be honest since Memnoch the Devil with it's paradise lost type stylings the series seems to have lazily become embroiled in origins and back stories to circumstance rather than moving apace as say books such as Queen of the Damned or the tale of the body thief did.I haven't read any of the Mayfair Witches saga to be honest and maybe i may view this book as more essential if I had that grounding as this is the book that marrys Rices two 'ser [...]

In typical Anne Rice fashion, the story grabbed me from page 1. She combines some of the characters and story-lines of both the Mayfair Witches and Vampire Chronicles into one delicious tale that I simply could not put down once I started it. I finished it way too soon (as is the case with most books I love) and I cannot wait to start the next book in the series, Blackwood Farm.Anne Rice's enduring love for her characters and for the city of New Orleans comes shining through as always.

I don't like it at all. This is by far the worst book in the VC series.

Well, another day done, another Anne Rice book finished at midnight. In all honesty, reading this book for me was like pulling out 4 of my teeth (and yes, I've had that done, baby teeth, but still). I tried to read this book earlier this year and only got a quarter into it before I threw it down in sheer boredom. If you would prefer to read the Bible instead of a vampire book, you can't give it more than two stars. Not that I spent the whole afternoon reading the Bible, that would be weird. Not [...]

The book of Merrick was amazing and I've loved it's atmosphere to the core. It was romantic as I've expected it because of Louis's presence but it was much more than that. The story of Merrick was written by David Talbot the newest vampire that roams the Earth with Louis and a depressed Lestat. In the book Lestat is still a prisoner of it's own mind and can't be fully awakened. He listens to Mozart a lot and dreams of nothing. Louis and David are aware of this and scared for him, both of them w [...]

thriftbookish/2015 stars ★ ★ ★ ★★

Witches and vampires oh my~
Merrick is book #7 in The Vampire Chronicles series written by Anne Rice.
   In the next installment of The Vampire Chronicles series,Merrick, we resume after The Vampire Armand after Lestat has awoken from his slumber however, it was only temporary and again returned to his convent to slumber aimlessly without word or movement.
After feeling abandoned from Lestat, his fledgling, Louis becomes somewhat lost and [...]

Aviso: es el séptimo libro de la saga. Si no lo leyeron, huyan de la reseña porque cierta información podría tomarse como spoiler. Me gustó tan poco que mis ganas de hablar del libro son mínimas, pero creo que es necesario hacer un esfuerzo para explicar por qué al inicio esto parecía ir por buen camino y después la nada.Merrickpropone un narrador más fresco, un personaje nuevo e intenta iluminar algunas cuestiones que se abrieron en libros anteriores. El intento de innovación es buen [...]

From the Saga of The Vampire's Chronicles, I was still pending to read Merrick, Vittorio and the Vampire Armand so I decided to start by Merrick. One of the reasons was that I wanted to read Rice in its purest style again because I was very disappointed when I read "The Prince Lestat," her latest novel.Although this, Merrick is still different from the rest of the saga of Vampire's Chronicles novels. The main character is a witch and therefore, the book is a mix of the known world of vampires an [...]

First order of business: ANNE RICE FAIL.Second, if I could rate it lower, I would. I had originally picked up Blackwood Farm, being hopeful after reading Blood and Gold. I read the first few pages and realized that I'd skipped a book. Foolishly, oh so foolishly did I go back and read it. This is one of my many regrets in life.The entire book is all of the characters contradicting themselves. Louis is a whiny little bitch, and David goes on and on about how in love he is with this woman who is NO [...]

This is the first encounter with the Mayfair witched in the Vampire Chronicles. David Talbot tells the tale of his love for Merrick, their journey to the jungle and the raising of Claudia from the dead for the sake of Louis. Unlike the last two installments, this edition does not dwell on the meaning of life. It is slow and plodding, but atmospheric and mysterious. Merrick is a New Orleans Voodoo witch - not the Anglo cauldron stirring stereotype. Merrick is a mocha colored, creole girl from a f [...]

I haven't read the Mayfair Witches yet, but very much want to now. Since the vampires are swiftly becoming more and more godlike, it is enjoyable to see them face the confusion of the occult, which seems to operate under different rules and is barely understood even by those proficient in its invocation. There are still things unknown and potentially horrible, even to near-immortal bloodsuckers. Operating partly in the human realm, including David's human memories from long ago, this is also lig [...]

David Talbot never truly stuck out in my mind. Just some guy writing down stories from vampires and various other things. I didn't give a shit if he was in the book or not. But, then this one rolled around and I actually found I had feelings for his character.Of pure hatred.Yeah. I hate David Talbot thanks to this book.It's never a good idea to try making me like a character who I discover is a pedophile. That's what Anne Rice tried to do with her flowery, purple prose, describing a fourteen yea [...]