Having read several books written by the author, I must say that this one is one of the most disappointing. In fact, I would go as far to say that it is a rather shoddy piece of work. At less than 300 pages, it is a slim volume that has more fluff than substance.

Don't get me wrong though. The language is just fine - what's lacking is the content. The book started off with Vittorio boasting how powerful he was when compared to the others (I wonder really - can anyone be more powerful than "my" Lestat? :P). He then went on to talk about bits and pieces of his history from just before he became a vampire.

The story feels really stretched - even for Anne Rice. So, a girl falls in love with a guy and then it results in the obliteration of the entire cohort of vampires. Let's not forget the mentions of angels who helped him and were not sure themselves if it was God's will or not. As I read on, instead of believing it (like when I immerse myself fully into a story), I found myself thinking it was really some lackluster ravings of a deranged guy. When I read that part where the author said she went to Florence to receive the manuscript from Vittorio, I almost burst out laughing. She really got carried away.

At the end of the book, she tried to add a moral of the story that seems really out of place. A spark in everyone? It doesn't even have any direct relevance to the story. Granted that this book was written in 1999, this idea of a spark in everyone should have already got stale even by then. A spark? My foot! :P

And he/she has the audacity to end with "Let me pay the price for you instead." This is the icing on the blood-red cherry cake. Is this supposed to be a new martyr in the making? Besides if you think about it, he sucking the blood from people and living in enviable bliss isn't even half sacrificial at all.

Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors but I have to steel my heart for once and give this book a thumb down. Having said that though, I would still read this book (speed-read) even if I had known how bad it is - since I am a fan of her writings. So there, this book is for fans only. Otherwise, I would suggest you turn to other books by Anne - they are much, much better.