“It’s got the Edwardian feel that we’ve come to expect of Anne Rice’s best novels, and it’s got something more … Tying feudal pasts with modern passions, Anne Rice and Christopher Rice have crafted a supreme sequel.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
As a long time Ann Rice fan I was eager to dive into what I assumed was her continuation of her Vampire Chronicles and the sequel to “The Mummy, or Ramses The Damned”. It was anything but.
The Proem was the first indication that the character was rewritten and the attempt to present a introduction to the story line was poorly written, choppy and clearly lacked the passionate flow we have come to expect from Ann Rice. I can only assume the Proem was written by her son.
As the chapters unfolded I realized this had nothing to do with her Chronicles and everything to do with giving her son a vehicle to hone his own craft.
While there were moments when it was clear that I was reading Ann Rice the disruptive flow caused by dual authors deeply impacted my overall view of the book.
Ann’s books have always been edge of the seat page turners. I’m sad to say this book was not one of them. I found myself eager to get to the end of the book rather than dismiss it midway.
I would not read an Ann Rice/ Christopher Rice collaboration again and I fear this may turn her fan base away from future projects.
Reviewed by:
William E Waldeck
Added 15th August 2018
