Coming into this book from Interview with the Vampire, I had high hopes, but didn‘t know what to expect. Lestat, in my mind, was cruel, a captor, a madman, someone who did not hold or could receive love. This book changed that.

Louis‘ story made sense. He was scared, he held hatred and fear, and I don‘t believe he intentionally mislead the audience or fabricated things about Lestat with the intent to harm. But reading Lestat‘s story, it‘s like you begin to understand. This was no villain, no antagonist. He was just as scared as Louis was, just as conflicted, the hero of a story he didn’t want to tell. He has such a different voice to Louis, and while it‘s the same author, you can tell she understands her characters. The style, the tone, and the emotion is completely different. Lestat has had so long to understand himself and his powers that he doesn‘t ramble about the emotion - why would he? He states his love, because that is what it is, and moves on. He tells a story, and it flows beautifully, it keeps you up and keeps you hooked. Rice has a way with words that flows with gorgeous, river-like ease. It‘s impossible to put down, and easy to get lost in the world, and in the emotions.

Love is such a big topic in these books, followed so closely by physical affection (kisses especially). Reading the first book, I found an element of discomfort in this. Claudia and Louis felt weird to me, she was too young, it was almost creepy. Lestat and Louis felt stockholm syndrome-y. It took this book, and a lot of effort to push past that. To understand that love, intimacy, desire, everything under the umbrella of sensuality and lust is not just sexual, nor is it objectifying, and that in many cases, they are not in love, they just feel love for themselves, for others, and for those that they are close to.
It is, in some cases, off-putting.

I absolutely hated reading about him and Gabrielle, knowing that that was his mother.

But it is also an emotion so complex and in depth that, when you push past your initial shock or confusion, you begin to understand, even just a little bit, what their love means to them. They express it differently, much more physically, but I think that‘s the point.
Don‘t get me wrong, the themes of incest were a bit too prevalent in this book, and the last book dealt a bit too much with children for my liking, but I don‘t think that Anne Rice ever intended for these themes to be the case, nor did she intend to romanticise it. She wanted us to feel pushed out of our comfort zones, but never repulsed or disgusted. It took time and effort (and a few shocked voice memos to a friend), but I got there, and I am so glad that I feel like I understand, even just a little bit.

This is, without a doubt, a true, handcrafted vampire story. Not just some erotic fantasy about a blood sucking monster. There is lore here, genuine background as to why their skin burns in the sun and to why they must drink blood. Are the

magical ancient Egyptian statue people with super strength and healing blood

kind of weird? Yes. But, you know what, it works, and I had a blast reading about it. There is more to be built on, but there was also so much detail put into this. I can‘t wait for the next one.