If you enjoyed Merrick, I suggest reading The Witching Hour and its Sequels Lasher and Taltos. Those books are about the Mayfair witches that live in New Orleans and they are very aware of the vampires and the Vampire Chronicles intertwine with the Mayfair witch series! They're phenomenal books

currently reading The vampire Lestat, and already loving the book series.

Yes please do a deep dive of the vampire Chronicles

I came to KZfaq looking for this I can't believe you just posted it!

I’d have ranked 10 & 11 the other way round. Other than that I am amazed at how I agree with so much of what you say about them and why you order them as you do. Thanks for the video.

I remember an interview where Anne said she really only wrote Blood Canticle to give an ending for Ashlar & Morrigan from The Witching Hour series.

Your channel is AMAZING! It's incredible because I made a similar ranking just yesterday. Different opinions but I agree with you on a lot of points you make. Excellent video! So here's my ranking (and I'd also recommend you read Pandora, since you loved Marius' book!) 1. The Vampire Lestat: the introduction to my fave literary character of all times will always have a special place in my heart! To think that Monsieur Le Rockstar, Nicki, Young Lelio, Gabrielle, Marius, Armand, are all in this book, and to get Lestat's unique, passionate and unhinged voice, is simply AMAZING and can't wait for season 3 ❣️. Also this book contains a lot of my fave quotes! 2. The Tale of the Body Thief: I think Lestat here is at his best and at his worst and, even if he does the most QUESTIONABLE things (with the mortal woman and with David in particular) and behaves like a stupid basic guy, I can't help but love him! Apart from Gretchen, whom I hated, this book is also full of action and proves that Anne is brilliant and CAN actually write without doing digressions, cosmogenesis and existential crisis every three pages. Lestat is so funny hear, and I loved Mojo so much I'll just assume he's an immortal dog! I also think the Lestat/David and Lestat/Louis interactions were the most suspenseful and realistic here: Lestat showing Louis some hurt and hostility is well deserved even if I love when they make peace 😂. 3. The Vampire Armand: even if in the rereading I didn't enjoy the Marius/Armand relationship as I did when I was younger (now it's just that I can't stand Marius from an adult perspective), Armand's voice is so full, sensual and vibrant, and the description of Venice and the Renaissance so beautiful, I fell in love with everything and everyone. I also was moved by Armand's horrific past, his contrasts, suffering and spirituality. Some descriptions and religious stuff in general were too much for my taste, but overall a WONDERFUL read. 4. Pandora: she's such an intelligent, curious, complex, compassionate and loving human being I can't help but loving her. Her reflections are so on point and deep, and this book is so marvelously written, it gave me some great insight in my life choices and also some hope for the future, which is a great feat! It's not higher just because it was a small book and I really would have liked to know something more about Arjun and why Pandora is so sad and defeated and can't find courage and strenght again. 5. The Queen of the Damned: the vampire lore established from this book is simply unmatched. Armand, Marius and all the immortals are joined together for the first time through Lestat and Akasha's awakening. First glimpse on the Talamasca and on why everybody loves (and sometimes hates) Lestat so much. Akasha's plan was terrible and she was unhinged and also a bit of a disappointment (we're supposed to feel that way I think) but the twin's story is intelligent and beautiful. I liked Devil's Minion exactly for its dark co-dependency but I'm not obsessed with it, still hoping to see some Armand/Daniel in the show. 6. Prince Lestat: it's a neat expansion, refinement and epilogue of Queen of the Damned. I loved Lestat from beginning to end, I couldn't hate anyone (even Rosh or Benedict!), and Lestat and Louis' love declaration in the end broke my heart. All vampires old and new are beautifully (re)introduced and I love that Antoine is playing with Benji and Sybelle! I'm Happy for the sense of unity and community both Lestat and Amel finally provide. Lestat's acceptance of Amel was something truly great and dramatic to read, like an epiphany. 7. Blackwood Farm: I felt the Louisiana vibe so much in this, fell in love with the swamp and the house. I empathised more with Patsy and thought some of Quinn's behaviours were over the top but overall loved all the characters and Lestat and Quinn's interactions. I wished Goblin had more space, he was the most mysterious and compelling character. Petronia is a really creepy villain. Only thing is that makes me cringe is that this instalment + the sequel seem kind of unrelated to the other ones: we don't hear of the Mayfair Witches and of Stirling later on and I wonder why. 8. Blood and Gold: After The Queen of the Damned this book provides a lot of insight on vampire lore and Children of the Millennia. Also introduces a lot of fascinating characters (Pandora, Mael, Avicus, Zenobia, Raymond) and we get Armand and Bianca from Marius' point of view! Sadly I can't stand a lot of things Marius does here and I can't abide his way of thinking. Also this book would have benefitted of an editor (especially on the Botticelli part) 😂. Cheers for Pandora and Bianca both leaving Marius as he deserved, and cheers to Anne for writing that! I feel her women characters are sometimes bland, but this was NOT the case. (All these 8 are very close, I enjoyed them immensely and I gave them 5 stars on Goodreads!) 9. Interview with the Vampire: I know it's the beginning of all the Chronicles, but I feel like something's missing hear: the plot and characters are not fully and richly delineated, Lestat's portrait is of course biased and Louis... well, he's whining 😂. I love him in later books but hardly in this first one, it seems things keep happening to him without any agency and responsibility on his part (which is very annoying) and also that he likes Armand even if he's responsible for Claudia's death, but he can't see Lestat's love for him (and can't accept or process his own feelings). I'm glad the following books got more explicit on this topic. 10. Merrick: thought overall a good read, I didn't like David's way of describing (sexualizing) Merrick. The flashbacks were also too long and sometimes pointless. I loved all Louis scenes (also with David) and of course Lestat's awakening and blood exchange (even though I'm still mad Anne didn't write it!) Truly a turning point for Louis. 11. Memnoch the Devil: even if this book was very sophisticated, with a lot of beautiful quotes and very well-written, I wouldn't reread it anytime soon. I really disliked Dora and most of the novel doesn't advance the plot, but I really liked the ending (Lestat's eye restored, him being shaken to the point of sleeping for years and Armand's leap of faith, that really moved things for the better for him). 12. Blood Canticle: I disliked Mona but I had fun reading Lestat being mad and calling her "harpy" and "power sl*t" 😂. I loved Rowan and Lestat's interactions even if I felt sorry for Michael. I didn't care much for the Taltos but I guess their storyline got a decent ending. Also Quinn didn't have much space. Julien and Lestat's dialogues cracked me up, especially when Lestat calls Julien bourgeois for caring about his aristocratic title and he is offended 😂. 13. Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis: Even if I hated the alien plot and lore and I still think it was over the top, this book has one of the most beautiful Loustat chapters! Also, finally Louis using his powers. And some insights on the Talamasca Elders! Lestat's dialogues with Magnus and with Amel were also my fave parts. 14. Blood Communion: I think this book was like a coda, and the final ball was nice, but the abductions, Rosh's execution and the court stuff were a bit excessive and I didn't feel involved in them. Benedict's suicide was gruesome and unnecessarily gross, I don't know what was Anne's point in showing again the mostruosity of vampires (also: vampire servants willing to do it and human prisoners ready to be eaten? Big no).

I cannot believe that you rated Memnoch as #12. It is so good, I loved it.

I definitely agree with your opinion of Memnnoch the Devil. In my opinion, it was overly religious, and definitely seemed to express Rices newfound christian faith, which didn't fit in with the previous books moods and history. Her whole point of the story seemed to be "christianity is true."

This is such a great video! I agree with many of your placements. The whole series is amazing. This video makes me want to read the series again!

The Vampire Lestat Queen of the damned Blood and Gold Tale of the Body Thief,Merrick The vampire Armand I could go on about these fantastic books and characters all day here but one of the reasons Lestat is my favourite character is because he does the things that we dare not do,he's the type to clean the city of criminals and drug dealers and pretty much defies everything with pride even when he was captured by Armand's Devil worshipping vampires he completely shattered their old religion:“You will bring down the wrath of God on all of us with your defiance,” said the boy, the smallest of them, who couldn’t have been more than sixteen when he was made. “In vanity and wickedness you disregard the Dark Ways. You live among mortals! You walk in the places of light.” “And why don’t you?” I asked. “Are you to go to heaven on white wings when this penitential sojourn of yours is ended? Is that what Satan promises? Salvation? I wouldn’t count on it, if I were you.” that's what makes Lestat unique he does what he wants and even if he is in way over his head he still comes back even stronger than ever, he is what makes the thought of immortality or life in general general being one's own self without any care of what others think about you and that all starts off with him just being a side character in Interview to Prince Lestat years later Anne's brilliant mind and character will be forever in our hearts RIP Anne Rice and thank you for building character's that I feel as though I know them all well as old friends and I never tire of them 💙

Realizing it is about an different group of vampires, but what is your opinion of Vittorio the Vampire?

She also wrote Vittorio the Vampire and Pandora. Lestat is mentioned briefly, so it is in that world. Other then that, more of a stand alone.

Would you ever do videos on the wolf gift series or the mayfair witches books 🤔 i totally would love a review on queen of the damned and the body thief

2:40 i find several details in Ann Rice's books left unexplained. I haven't gotten to book 6 yet, but i still have at least 1 question from book 1 unanswered

I think most of Anne Rices fandom just... ignores the whole aliens from Atlantis thing...

Good vid. From those I've read (I skipped the Mayfair crossovers until I read the trilogy, something I'm now going to get around to, and stopped at Blood And Gold) I agree with your list - apart from The Vampire Armand which I despised, but that's because I've always despised the character and it came off as 'woe is me, this is why I'm so unlikeable' (the title being a sign of Armand's insecurity too). So I suppose it was incredibly well written! Also where I'd differ is I'd have TVL top and QOTD second, but that is only because TVL is the Alien to QOTD's Aliens. I feel more intimately connected to the characters in TVL even as I thoroughly enjoy the action and revelations in QOTD.

Honestly, I don't even remember Memnoch the Devil. In fairness, it was a long ass time ago but I don't think I cared for it. Queen is the last one I remember.

I'm only in book 2. But I have nothing for Claudia. She and Louis were too different. I don't think she should have treated Louis the ways that she did. IWTV never gave me a reason to love Lestat. But I never thought Louis was whiney, either. He was torn. He patiently handled his fellow vampires

It's interesting to see everyone's opinions of the books; so many different interpretations. I loved, "Memnoch the Devil". Anne told me it was her, "...favorite child of the Chronicles".

Don’t forget, Anne Rice was Diabetic, since it may not hinders on her writing. But more of what she couldn’t keep track of what-went-where’s story and the last part of what she may have written also. Also, I love Blood and Gold! I’d read it twice and it gives a good amount of details of how he met the few people during his time as a vampire.

I loved her Vampire books ...but I also loved her other books ,like Cry to Heaven , and Feast of All Saints ...........................and the Sleeping Beauty Series

Thanks for doing this video i recently read queen of the damned and i absolutely enjoyed it so far my favorite in the series i didn't enjoy prince lestat that much

Honestly i thought Memnoch the devil was an amazing book. It wasnt my favorite book from the Vampire Chronicles series but as a stand alone book it was one of my all time favorite book. Im not sure if I'm explaining what I'm trying to say very well but whatever lol

Your top 5 are my top 5 but in a different order 😅

Did I miss Pandora? Great video though and I agree wholeheartedly with the review. Trying to mix the Mayfair witches with the Vampire Chronicles was a strange move in my honest opinion.

I find myself after reading them all always coming back to the first 3 books as there a masterpiece of literature I like alot of the following books in the series but my god ann what happened down the line alot of it was needles I loved the description of the first books in the series and even now I have questions that were never answered

I love Memnoch the Devil, granting I used the audiobook version. However, I think you really have to be a little religious or at least a church going Christian to appreciate it. Quite exciting for me but then again if the reader is not religious I can see why it could be boring for them.

Loved these books as a teen and recently reread. The Vampire Armand is where I fell off, the Jesus stuff is too much for me 😮‍💨

seeing as im a fan of randomly placed scatttered subjects the Lastat and atlantis one to me is a work of art based on the fact on how nutty. from the fact that atlantis was chose for a setting, who / wats living there, to Lastat almost getting abducted by aliens 😆 🤣 😆 🤣 🙃 😆 🙃 😅

I didn't even KNOW about the Prince Lestat with Atlantis book existed... and now I'm glad to never read it. I agree with your number 13 and 12 ... I really really tried to read the Mayfair Witches / Vampire books however just... nope... and Memenoch... wth? I read it because I loved this series however damn it was... a lot of nothing.

To me The Vampire Lestat will always be number one is like T2 and The Empire Strikes Back a sequel that's better then the original.

I lost interest after the body thief so I'm always interested in someone else's view of these books

For you or anyone to get into trouble just for mispronouncing names is stupid to me/not the end of the world,anyway this is a cool ranking How about an origin story on the red haired twins?

Memnoch was great!

Love to read them but they are old an cant find them .

Yes bc I've never read the books

i haven't read any of the books, so I can't rank any of them (except Mayfair Witches, and it was stupid as f*ck)...but, how are the books ranked according to sales?...I know IWTV is no. 1, but how are the others ranked...i just read that The Vampire Lestat only sold about half a million, whereas IWTV sold over 8 million...but, altogether, she has sold 80 million...but, do you know how the books rank according to actual sales?... cause let's be honest, sales are all that matters...numbers speak louder than words...

Memnoch The Devil was a phenomenal book.. I don't know what you were reading 🙄

Hated Memnoch! Was the worst one for me.

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis is the worst book.

Dude are you using AI? That's sort of a mood killer for me.