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A review by arnrockwell
The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Vampire Armand is the 6th book in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles (8th if you count both books from New Tales of the Vampires). As the title implies, this book is the story of Armand, a character that has previously appeared in Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, and Memnoch the Devil.
Armand tells the story of his life to David Talbot. He details his life from his childhood abduction from his native Russia by slave traders during the Renaissance era, to modern day (1998, to be specific).
I will admit, I've never really been fond of Armand as a character. However, I do respect that this book does humanize him a bit more. Some of this is helped by the introduction to two new characters who become like family to Armand. Also, if you are concerned about the book repeating information, don't be. Any information that was already revealed in prior books, if touched on at all, is either viewed from a different angle or mentioned briefly.
Although I'm not fond of Memnoch the Devil, one thing I will give this book credit for is the depiction of how the events of that book affected Armand on an emotional and mental level. Armand was raised as a Christian and what occurred with Lestat in Memnoch the Devil did affect him profoundly.
The ending of the book was not a surprise to me. I don't exactly call it a negative, but I'll just say one thing: if you get to the final portion of the book and you suspect the fate of a couple specific characters, you are most likely correct in that assumption. It didn't ruin the ending for me, but it may for some.
Overall, this book did not change my view of Armand, but I do have a somewhat greater respect for him as a character. And that makes a worthwhile book to read in my mind.
Armand tells the story of his life to David Talbot. He details his life from his childhood abduction from his native Russia by slave traders during the Renaissance era, to modern day (1998, to be specific).
I will admit, I've never really been fond of Armand as a character. However, I do respect that this book does humanize him a bit more. Some of this is helped by the introduction to two new characters who become like family to Armand. Also, if you are concerned about the book repeating information, don't be. Any information that was already revealed in prior books, if touched on at all, is either viewed from a different angle or mentioned briefly.
Although I'm not fond of Memnoch the Devil, one thing I will give this book credit for is the depiction of how the events of that book affected Armand on an emotional and mental level. Armand was raised as a Christian and what occurred with Lestat in Memnoch the Devil did affect him profoundly.
The ending of the book was not a surprise to me. I don't exactly call it a negative, but I'll just say one thing: if you get to the final portion of the book and you suspect the fate of a couple specific characters, you are most likely correct in that assumption. It didn't ruin the ending for me, but it may for some.
Overall, this book did not change my view of Armand, but I do have a somewhat greater respect for him as a character. And that makes a worthwhile book to read in my mind.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape