Book Review: “The Vampire Lestat” by Anne Rice

Warning: If you have not read The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, do not read this review if you want to avoid spoilers. If you have already read the book or don’t minds spoilers, go ahead and read it!

I’m back with another book review! This time, it’s “The Vampire Lestat” by Anne Rice. I already reviewed “Interview with the Vampire” before, so I figured it was about time I read its sequel.

Essentially “The Vampire Lestat” serves as not just a sequel of sorts to Interview with the Vampire, but also as a prequel as about eighty-percent of the book is about Lestat’s history about how he became a vampire. It also discusses events he went through before meeting Louis in “Interview with the Vampire,” including turning his mother Gabrielle into a vampire. It also explains how Armand got control of the Theater of the Vampires by the time of “Interview with the Vampire,” too.

Plot Development: 4 out of 5 stars

Plotwise, the book was a bit less consistent than it was with “Interview with the Vampire” overall. The time jumps from present day to the past were no problem. Finding out how Lestat became a vampire was also fun to read. However, things started to get a bit muddled in the latter half of the book. This was especially the case once Lestat ended up in the desert somehow after his mom left him. The last chapters, taking place in the present time, were also a little confusing. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on in the last moments of the book. The main thing that registered for me was that other vampires attacked Lestat, Louis and other fellow vampires.

Romance Development: 4 out of 5 stars

What I really liked about the book was Lestat’s relationship with Nicki. Lestat was lovers with Nicki before he ever met Louis, according to “The Vamprie Lestat.” The romantic chemistry between Nicki and Lestat was interesting. It was especially fascinating once it began to fall apart, after Lestat became a vampire. It was also fun reading how it fell apart further, after Nicki became a vampire.

Character Development: 4 out of 5 stars

Lestat really stood out to me in the book out of all the characters. He thinks a lot throughout the book about the current situation, almost to the point of it being a bit philosophical. It gives us an opportunity to look into his mind and see how he sees certain situations the way he does. Even from his youth he’s shown to be very enthusiastic about the arts, giving a theatrical air to his actions. Its fitting that he became a rockstar by the present day, given how into it he is when he finally gives a performance close to the end of the book during the present day.

Overall I’m rating this book 4 out of 5 stars!

This is because of the inconsistent and slightly more confusing plot compared to “Interview with the Vampire.” Otherwise, I totally recommend reading the book. I especially recommend it if you want more of Lestat! It would be best to read “Interview with the Vampire” first, given that it’s the first book written. This is especially so that the modern-day parts of “The Vampire Lestat” make sense, but one could easily also read “The Vampire Lestat” first too.

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