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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
An all time fave. Anne Rice’s rich detailed writing crafts a mysterious tapestry of family spanning generations and oceans.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Anne Rice might have been paid by the word.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is an interesting one, and the first Anne Rice novel I have read that isn’t one of the Vampire Chronicles. I am not as enamored with it as I am with the vampiric novels, but it was good and I still enjoy her writing style nonetheless. I know that the two series converge later on, which is why I am reading this one.
This book is probably not well suited as an introduction to Rice’s writing, and it is very tedious in parts. It is over 1000 pages, and much of it is detailed history of the lineage of the Mayfair family. Some of it is hard to follow, and while it is interesting, it is also very very lengthy. Toward the end of the novel, and reaching its climax, the story did become captivating, and I am hoping that this very long first novel is an extended setup for an ultimately very entertaining story. It remains to be seen.
I am not as impressed with Rice’s writing and connections and philosophy in this book as I have been with some of her others. Normally I am blown away by her writing and very emotionally dragged into the characters and outcomes. This was somewhat less evident in this novel, even though the characters do have some great potential, and some of the emotional reactions were starting to come out near the end. Again, hoping for better things as the series progresses.
Overall still a very good book, but anyone interested in Rice should probably start elsewhere to get a taste for her style.
This book is probably not well suited as an introduction to Rice’s writing, and it is very tedious in parts. It is over 1000 pages, and much of it is detailed history of the lineage of the Mayfair family. Some of it is hard to follow, and while it is interesting, it is also very very lengthy. Toward the end of the novel, and reaching its climax, the story did become captivating, and I am hoping that this very long first novel is an extended setup for an ultimately very entertaining story. It remains to be seen.
I am not as impressed with Rice’s writing and connections and philosophy in this book as I have been with some of her others. Normally I am blown away by her writing and very emotionally dragged into the characters and outcomes. This was somewhat less evident in this novel, even though the characters do have some great potential, and some of the emotional reactions were starting to come out near the end. Again, hoping for better things as the series progresses.
Overall still a very good book, but anyone interested in Rice should probably start elsewhere to get a taste for her style.
slow-paced
I bought my copy of The Witching Hour well over a decade ago, and though I thought it was incredible back then, I wasn't as thrilled by it the second read through.
Why? It's too long, and huge chunks of pages could have been cut. It was repetitive. Worst of all, quite a bit of the dialogue between the main characters, Rowan and Michael, felt contrived, forced, and unrealistic. Sometimes it went as far as to make me think I was reading the script for a soap opera. I didn't feel their deep, unending love for each other. Instead, I felt like gagging and rolling my eyes. Hot, passionate sex after just meeting doesn't equal true love forever.
While the rest of the story is classic Anne Rice, I think she got a bit out of her depth with the romance. It would have been better if she stuck to what she knows: Horror, the supernatural and paranormal, and steamy sexual encounters. I'm going to continue with the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy since it becomes more about Lasher and an interesting twist on some Pagan mythology, but, had this been the first time I had read The Witching Hour, I would probably just stick with her Vampire Chronicles.
Why? It's too long, and huge chunks of pages could have been cut. It was repetitive. Worst of all, quite a bit of the dialogue between the main characters, Rowan and Michael, felt contrived, forced, and unrealistic. Sometimes it went as far as to make me think I was reading the script for a soap opera. I didn't feel their deep, unending love for each other. Instead, I felt like gagging and rolling my eyes. Hot, passionate sex after just meeting doesn't equal true love forever.
While the rest of the story is classic Anne Rice, I think she got a bit out of her depth with the romance. It would have been better if she stuck to what she knows: Horror, the supernatural and paranormal, and steamy sexual encounters. I'm going to continue with the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy since it becomes more about Lasher and an interesting twist on some Pagan mythology, but, had this been the first time I had read The Witching Hour, I would probably just stick with her Vampire Chronicles.
The writing is beautiful in this but ugh...its so long! The story just went on and on but the story just wasn't interesting enough to hold my interest.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book is a beast! Right from the start, it’s clear that Rice’s writing is incredibly detailed (sometimes too much so). The File on the Mayfair Witches section—taking up about 35% of the book—was a slog. So many minor characters, endless ancestry research, and Talamasca reports that felt unnecessary. But that last 20%? Pure intrigue! The pacing finally picked up, and I was hooked. Rowan, Lasher, and the dark family legacy kept me questioning everything. Final thoughts: A slow-burn, overly wordy read, but ultimately fascinating. The ending convinced me to continue the series!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated