Blood Communion
Published: 2, October 2018
Author: Anne Rice
The Vampire Chronicles, Book 13
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Ghost, Gothic, History, Horror, Literary, Occult, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers, Urban, Vampire
Check the summary of this book here:
Blood Communion Summary
The Review:
Blood Communion, Anne Rice's latest installment in her acclaimed Vampire Chronicles series, has some of her most potent, straightforward, and successful narrative writing to date. I agree with her that readers should avoid reading spoiler-filled book reviews about this novel. In the next paragraphs, I will not go into depth about the plot or what happens to the characters. I'll keep my comments to the broad implications that are important for comprehending and making decisions about whether or not to read this book.
This is the thirteenth title in The Vampire Chronicles. This epic series has been released over 42 years and culminates in this, the most current book. Even if there are many stories remaining to tell, this is a culmination of such magnitude that I, a devoted fan for the past many years, would be satisfied if this were the final installment.
The book is solely narrated by Lestat, which was a pleasant change from the many, many voices that had previously shared the pages with him. Even if a first-person narrator can never describe a narrative completely authentically, I admire his point of view. So, in order to hear Prince Lestat's voice, we must make do with hearing only his side of the story, which, although adequate, is not totally gratifying.
But, on the other hand, how can you not like his voice and the rash resolve with which he gives away the story's ending on the first page? However, as it is best if you find out for yourself, I will refrain from using such terms here.
This is a well-crafted, fast-paced, brilliantly alive, and occasionally terribly scary story written entirely in the first person by Lestat de Lioncourt. In today's society, the narrator wrestles with what his job as Prince of the Vampires has actually become on a worldwide scale—though not every single member of that tribe acknowledges his rule, which is a significant issue.
The intriguing environment into which Anne Rice transports us, as well as the seductive voice of the narrator, which makes the story compelling, amuse generously with writing so vivid, but streamlined, that it seems in the mind's eye to be a fantastic film or television series.
The profound intellectual and spiritual undertones are also consistent throughout the Chronicles; however, these components never detract from the basic entertainment value.
Consider this: predators are not inherently bad in nature; in fact, they are important for the health and well-being of prey populations in general, since they tend to cull weaker individuals such as the young, injured, or sick, as well as the old. Here in Anne Rice's reality, mortal people and post-human vampires coexist in the same realm as us, the readers.
The only true evil appears to originate directly from human nature, and its post-human version, with the option to select actions, is essentially the same. This wickedness is ultimately nothing more than a fervent desire for vengeance, a propensity to ruin lives and magnificent achievements, a lack of sympathy, basic brutality, and even a terrible desire to inflict agony.
We first encounter Lestat in his family's château in the Auvergne highlands of France. The castle has been largely repaired and now houses a large court. It is an attempt to create a center for vampire habits and existence, despite the fact that integrating so many millennia and cultures into one common culture appears to be unachievable.
However, when I read about this court, I am reminded of another. Versailles, the magnificent. Isn't it wonderful that the old Sunking has been replaced by a Prince of the Night?
There is, in fact, character growth. At least in the case of certain vampires. Others, such as the everlasting boy Armand, stay dormant. To the point that he doesn't see the irony in accusing others and being completely unforgiving and that made me smile because, despite all the changes, certain things remain the same, for better or worse.
These creatures of Anne Rice's limitlessly creative imagination are far too intricate and intriguing to perform "bad for evil's sake," as we occasionally see in lesser fantasies. The moral ambiguity at work in the Vampire Chronicles is as bit as terrifying as the "real world" human problems we presently face.
I'm also encouraged to think about if our populations are growing substandard because we no longer have natural predators that pose a major threat to us. Occasionally, I consider, are human wrongdoings like interminable wars, on a deeper level, our species' own predators?
Furthermore, in Anne Rice's latest offering, Blood Communion, the prospect of atonement, of acceptance of a healthy balance between predatory tendencies and the goals of a prey population grows as never before.
The concept of deliberate predation—to murder by choice, not just out of hunger, with the opportunity to kill solely the evil-doer—has been explored since the beginning of these Chronicles, which, despite several imitations, remain unique in modern literature. These vampires can read people's minds and have a high level of sensitivity, so they recognize a rotten apple when they see one: the rapist, serial murderer, sadist, and unregenerate destroyer of others.
A Blood Communion can also be referred to as a Blood Community. The same community that Lestat is attempting to create in his fortress. Is this, however, to say that the outcast has vanished? That resistance and the pride that came with it, as well as otherness and queerness, have all been conquered in order to build a society of like-minded creatures? For the sake of uniformity, has Anne Rice killed her Byronic Hero?
The ones who toss them out define the outcast and isn't the Vampire the appropriate image? Outcasts can discover their tribe if they refuse to be defined by what is deemed normal and acceptable. And how can an entire community of misfits possibly still be considered outcasts?
Final Thoughts:
I've always admired and respected Anne Rice's writing because she explores with concepts, starting with a sentence or an event and not knowing how it will turn out. It's a pleasure to read this discovery, just as it must have been to write it.
If you keep an eye out for it, the book hints to a bright new approach. It also has concepts that one might go into more, but they are all addressed so subtly that the narrative is a breeze to read, with some wonderful images to cap it off. Although it was a touch predictable for me, it was still a lovely and brilliant read by Anne Rice.
Synopsis:
“NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this spellbinding novel, Lestat, rebel outlaw, addresses the tribe of vampires, telling us the mesmerizing story of how he became Prince of the vampire world, and of the formation of the Blood Communion, and how his vision for the Children of the Universe to thrive as one, came to be.
Lestat takes us from his ancestral castle in the snow-covered mountains of France to the verdant wilds of lush Louisiana, with its lingering fragrances of magnolias and night jasmine; from the far reaches of the Pacific’s untouched islands to the 18th-century city of St. Petersburg and the court of the Empress Catherine. He speaks of his fierce battle of wits and words with the mysterious Rhoshamandes, proud Child of the Millennia, reviled outcast for his senseless slaughter of the legendary ancient vampire Maharet, avowed enemy of Queen Akasha, who refuses to live in harmony at court and who threatens all Lestat has dreamt of ...”
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Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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