#my favourite part in memnoch the devil

[they-stole-my-shmunguss]

"Armand envies you and spies on you far more than you might think."

“I hear Armand and I see him and I ignore him,” I said.

[savagewildnerness]

Well, my first re-read of Memnoch The Devil in a long time is complete (I must have read it several times as a teenager. Otherwise my old copy of the book would be with the Vampire Chronicles I only read once, and it isn't there - my old copy is hidden somewhere, meaning I must have reread it and mislaid it when I did so.)

It took me a long time to read it - partly because I knew that as a teenager, after The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned it was my favourite book... and I was very afraid that I might hate it now... and partly with S2 of the TV show and so Memnoch was put aside... And partly as some bits are very long bits of just talking!

But now I have finished.

And what I think is that... well... I can't speak for teenaged me and what I thought then.

But me now finds that Memnoch has something which isn't that common in The Vampire Chronicles - a beautifully resonant and perfectly tragically satisfying, almost Shakespearian ending.

Anne Rice is wonderful at creating these worlds and especially the characters and conveying their emotion and experience and internal philosophy and existential quests... but sometimes books trail off at the end a little into a "...get ready for something coming in the future..." or even into comparative mundanity... Which is fine as it's not about the ending for them... but not Memnoch. What a wonderful ending Memnoch has. Which I won't talk about as it isn't to be talked about, just to be read.

But I will say - Memnoch's letter. The way Memnoch is so Lestattian in his own character, and so you could imagine in part he was just conjured by Lestat's broken mind... The sadness of the ending and the horror of it and all that it is made clear is happening, which which Lestat doesn't fully describe.

I love how it harkens back to Nicolas and Claudia and The Witches Place and I am back in The Vampire Lestat in a way I haven't been since The Vampire Lestat in the last parts of this book. I love the tenderness of Louis. I love the confused horror. The realness of Hell so you feel like you are there.

I wouldn't say I adored the whole book.... Roger's story is LONG. Memnoch really does go ON (it's interesting... but it's long!)

But the last 1/3 of the book, oh yes - I loved it. I wish all of the Vampire Chronicles had endings as powerful and meaningful as Memnoch does.

Well, just my brief thoughts. Is Memnoch a polarising book?

[leslutdepointedulac]

Vampire Chronicles Fan Tag Game

Tagged by: @desertfangs Thank you! 💞

Post your responses and then tag 5 people to do the same!

First VC Book You Read:

Interview with the Vampire and then I read all the way through the whole series in order from there.

Favorite VC Book:

Interview with the Vampire again lmao. It's my beloved. I love the themes of guilt and grief it explores. It's a very personal story to Anne, and it shows. I mean, I could go on and on and on all day about why I love IWTV but I don't want to waffle on lmao.

VC Book You've Read Least (Or Not At All):

Probably Memnoch the Devil. I have read it but I can only go through that so many times lmfao. I find it really dense and it took me ages to get through even though it's not that long.

That said though, I do love the Lesmand content and the ending, it's just the rest of it I can't deal with.

VC Book You Would Yeet From the Series If You Could (If Any):

I think all the books have their merits and their place in the series. There are some that I love more than others of course, but I don't entirely hate any of them if I'm honest. Even ones like Memnoch, and Merrick for example, where I'm not a fan of them overall, there are still elements of those books that I do like. They all have their part to play, I think.

What's a VC Quote That Lives Rent-Free In Your Head?:

So many quotes, honestly. One of my all time favourites though is:

"Wither thou goest I will go, where thou lodgest I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and because I have no other god and never will, you shall be my god."

I will always go completely feral over this quote, I love it so much 🥺

How Many Copies of Your Favorite VC Book Do You Own?

I currently have two copies of Interview with the Vampire but there are a couple more that I'm planning on getting soon, so that will bring me up to four. This is also just the actual books, not including the comics, graphic novel and manga, but if you include those as well then I currently have five different copies/versions on IWTV.

I've also got (including other formats) three of both The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned and two of The Tale of the Body Thief.

Tagging: @bubblegum-blackwood @hekateinhell @butchybats @lovevamp & @teethingpains but no pressure of course ❤

[plx-scribbles]

I don't remember when I first read Interview with the Vampire. But read it I did.

What I do know is that at that point I had no idea of Anne Rice's stance on fanfic - didn't really know about the existence of fanfic at all. For the record, I think her war on her fans was a very bad decision and a very - stupid one, and it's one that has hurt the books and lessened their cultural impact (probably), as well as hurting the fandom as a whole.

But yes. I read the book. And watched the Tom Cruise movie, too, at some juncture. (Parts of it I liked; the ending is still brilliant; other parts I very much didn't.) And then I went on with the series: I read The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief - and then my memories get patchy. Memnoch the Devil. Pandora. Merrick. Some other ones as well? (I did try Lasher as well but it's - just - no.) And then, there's one definite recollection: The Vampire Armand.

I wouldn't say I loved the books, but clearly there was something about them that made me come back for more. They're not exactly great literature. And no one in them was really likeable - or everyone was both horrible and monstrous and someone you couldn't help loving, a little - and it was a bit like watching a trainwreck (metaphorically) - you couldn't stop if you tried.

Except that after that last one I did.

There were so many things that are squicks for me. (Yes, I'm using that word deliberately.) So many things I didn't want to know about - things I'd still want to forget about reading, erase from my memories altogether.

I didn't want to know anything more, and so they sat on the shelf collecting dust.

These are all I have left, now. Armand I got rid of - very decidedly - in connection with a move.

But now. With the new tv series, and gifs and photos all over the place - and people talking about it, and everything it is -

It all came flooding back. Everything I hadn't thought about, for so many years. It's very strange to find that a part of your brain has held on to these characters, and everything about them that spoke to you in some way.

Armand was always my favourite character. I can say that now, can't I? I sympathise to a nearly alarming degree with him: the need for stability. For things to be under control. The seesawing back and forth with religion (also stemming from a craving for an underlying order for things - that doesn't exist). And what it's like to always be the one who others rely on, the one who's expected to carry on and be strong and not show the strain in any way. And the way people abuse that.

(And never being anyone's first choice.)

(Perhaps it's also like looking at those traits about myself I least like, seeing them writ large, blown up larger than life.)

All that mayhem and death and destruction and horror - everything I don't want to face?

This book, though, I also still have kept. I've never read it, and I'm very ashamed of that.

It was a gift, years ago, from someone I no longer am in contact with - I don't know why they disappeared, and stopped talking to me. It wasn't about this book, but I still should have read it because I got it from them.

I'm also ashamed because. It's signed. And I can't bring myself to read it.

(I'd so love to say that L, if you're reading this, - but I know you're not, so I won't.)

But those parts of Armand (being buried alive - the abuse -) keep coming back to me every time I think about reading it.

In the same way, all of it affects other things as well. I bought this notepad from a museum a year and a half back and can't bring myself to use it. And it took this long for me to realise why: the decoration is from Pompeii. There's that scene in The Queen of the Damned with Daniel and Armand - that's where they are, and that's what it reminds me of.

Still. After all these years.

And so. Now there's this thing. Do I watch it? (I don't have access to the second season yet.) And what then?

[faerywhimsy]

📖 & 📚 & 📕

Ahhh, this is gonna be long my friend ^.^

📖 Favourite book and why... okay this part is maybe not so long. This is The Vampire Armand, because of course it is. The playfulness of Armand as he comes to Marius, the sweetness he allows himself to share with Bianca, the character of BIANCA HERSELF.

Even in misery, Armand is so completely mesmerising. It's when he drops some of his most devastating descriptions of the ones he loves and, honestly, what's more relatable than that?!

📚 Memnoch the Devil wins this dubious award of least favourite. To answer the third question early, I definitely did not read these books in order, and only read Memnoch for the first time last year. I was disappointed.

Honestly, I wasn't brought up with religion, so it's possible that so much of what doesn't make sense to me narratively is due to that. And if that was the case, I would put this book down as not for me and not pick it up again. Because I came to it late and it's easily forgettable.

Except, it has some of the best content between Lestat and Armand in it. Chronologically, I think it's the first time we see Lestat say 'I love you' to Armand? (The shared 'I love you', but it's easy to forget about David honestly.) It's a book that's instrumental in understanding Lestat's mental state from here all the way to Prince Lestat which came almost 10 years later both in real- and book time. If those things aren't enough, it gains new relevance in the final trilogy when we also find out that the aftermath of Memnoch is when Lestat first started hearing Amel.

Whatever one thinks of Memnoch, it's pretty much a cornerstone to the present day happenings across the Coven of the Articulate, not least because Lestat is our main protagonist throughout. Maybe Anne just needed to find a way to put Lestat out of the way in order to focus on the others' (Armand, Louis, Marius) books. But these things keep Memnoch alive and present in my head and I sometimes wish it were otherwise 😅

📕 Coming back to my first introduction to VC, I read The Vampire Lestat first, after having watched the 1994 Interview with the Vampire maybe late-1997?

This is actually a (bad?) habit I've continued through the years - there are far too many books, and if someone has gone to the effort of making a faithful movie or a TV show of something on my TBR pile, I will use that for an alternative because it takes less time to watch a movie than read a book. It's just economics!

Actually, I still don't think I've read the whole of Interview of the Vampire in order, so much as reading passages and parts of the story as the mood takes me.

Amusingly, I did get to Queen of the Damned before the 2001 movie, and all I can say is THANK GOD. I'm sure it would have filtered down even without Tumblr that that was NOT a faithful movie, though I appreciate that would have been a DIFFICULT book to convert.

[high-fructose-lesbianism]

A Subjective Ranking of all 18 Books in the Vampire Chronicles Extended Universe

18. Blood Canticle (2003)

It took me the longest to read Blood Canticle of any of the books because I couldn’t read more than about 25 pages at a time before the urge to throw the book out the nearest window got too strong. The story is bad, the characters are the worst they’ve ever been and the writing style is full-on terrible. Blood Canticle is one of the worst books I’ve read full stop.

17. Taltos (1994)

I hated the Mayfair Witches trilogy. While Taltos was at least the shortest of the three, it was a terrible conclusion to the trilogy. The Taltos are one of Anne Rice’s worst ideas. Each of the books delves more into their mythology and it gets worst the more it’s explored.

16. Blackwood Farm (2002)

A major issue I have with Anne Rice is she insists on telling these extremely lengthy backstories of characters we’ve just met who I almost never give a shit about. That’s the entirety of Blackwood Farm. It’s the backstory of a character I just met and don’t care about whatsoever. Blackwood Farm evokes the classic Anne Rice style of bad where it switches between just being insane and being fucking boring at the drop of a hat. I skimmed most of the book because it was so boring. But then I’d tune in to some insanely weird shit about intersex vampires or ghost twins giving handjobs or whatever was happening and yeah, my attention would of course be held by such insanity. But invariably, the book would drift back into describing wildly uninteresting events with too much detail and I’d tune out again.

15. The Witching Hour (1990)

The Witching Hour has a three paragraph summary on Wikipedia. It is an accurate summation of the events of the book. So then why is this fucking book 968 pages? That’s my main grievance with The Witching Hour; it’s way too fucking long. It’s the least insane of the Mayfair Witches trilogy but also by far the least interesting.

14. Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis (2016)

These fucking bird aliens who inhabited Atlantis are just the Taltos 2.0. There’s a lot of insanity and also boring backstory in this one. I skimmed the backstory of the Atlantean bird aliens and don’t feel like I missed anything. What saves this book from ranking lower is I’m a slut for the main VC characters interacting and this one did have such a thing, plus some good Louis/Lestat moments which is my other big priority with the series. Simultaneous highlight and lowlight of this book is when that one dude looses a hand but it gains sentience, breast feeds off him or something and then becomes his perfect clone. Fucking insanity.

13. Lasher (1993)

Lasher is the best of the Mayfair trilogy because there are genuine moments of horror in this horror novel. On the downside, the Taltos are as always, insane. Also, another signature of Anne Rice’s is sexy and sexualized teenage characters which there is a lot of in this book in the form of 13 year old Mona Mayfair, her affair with Michael Curry and the many scenes where this is excused, justified or even somewhat celebrated. That disturbed me and not in the way I want a horror novel to disturb me.

12. Memnoch the Devil (1995)

In terms of writing style, Memnoch is a lot better than many of the books that will rank higher than it. But this is a subjective ranking and I didn’t give a shit about Anne Rice working through her weird, religious baggage in a series that I’m reading to hear about the exploits of sexy, bisexual vampires. The majority of this book is again, a long backstory from a character we just met and I don’t care about. In this case it’s literally Satan which is a good start but Anne Rice sure has a way of taking too long describing everything which leaves me extremely bored by the narrative.

11. Blood Paradise (2018)

Blood Paradise should be lower in this list. It’s objectively extremely poor. Blood Paradise is basically the inverse of Memnoch; I really liked the story but hated the writing style. This one only ranks so high because it is a story that focuses on the lead vampire characters who are my priority. And yeah, I liked the outline for the story. It’s character-based, no major new characters interrupt the narrative and no insane additions to canon are added. Too bad the writing style feels extremely half-assed. Where usually I’m critical of Anne Rice taking way too long to say anything and focusing on unimportant details, this one is the opposite. It feels extremely rushed. A lot of major, emotional scenes that occur between characters are only a few sentences or paragraphs long. But still, at least this one gave me story content that I could just expand upon in my head instead of insane additions to canon that I’d prefer to ignore.

10. Merrick (2000)

Merrick actually might have my favourite ending to any of the VC novels. I loved Lestat resurrecting Louis from his suicide attempt and then that descends into Lestat, Louis, David and Merrick living in what seems to be perfectly happy polyamory. I totally dug that. But of course, the majority of the book is a backstory of Merrick, a character I just met and don’t care about. Also, we get a bit of David backstory which I seem to remember being him mostly creeping on some young boy who was in expedition with him. Not ideal. 

9. Vittorio, the Vampire (1999)

Vittorio is a fairly effective historical horror. Anne Rice did a lot of research and it shows. That’s not exactly my interest but she did well with it. There’s also some really horrific moment where Vittorio meets a clan of vampires in an old castle who do keep humans like cattle and eat babies and stuff. The major downsides is just that this is a character who we’ve never met before and never see again. Also the fact that Vittorio is 16 and is absolutely sexualized. I’ve really grown tired of Anne Rice’s constant belief that’s in almost all of her writing that teenagers are sexy and it’s totally fine to fuck them. It makes me uncomfortable to say the least.

8. Pandora (1998)

This one’s just pretty good. I’ve no major complaints but no specific bits of it I want to champion either. Again, a lot of historical research is done which is not interesting to me but well done. Also nice to have at least one book with a female vampire protagonist.

7. Prince Lestat (2014)

Prince Lestat is not objectively better than the last two books. I rank it this high mostly out of relief. For ages, Blood Canticle was the last book in The Vampire Chronicles. So, when Prince Lestat was released, it was impossible to see this as anything other than a huge upgrade. And of course, I liked that this book returned to focusing on the lead characters of Lestat, Louis, Marius, Daniel etc. It’s still a baffling idea to have Lestat be the vampire head of state or whatever though. But oh man, that Louis/Lestat moment near the end of the book made me feel a whole lotta feelings.

6. Blood and Gold (2001)

This one is another excuse for Anne Rice to do a lot of historical research. And you know what? Better she spends her energies doing that instead of creating weird, tall supernatural beings with specific quirks that are impossible to take seriously. I like the framing of this one because it’s sort of the inverse of usual. Thorne, a new character is introduced but instead of him telling Marius his story, it’s established character Marius who tells Thorne his story. And he does this the first day they met after Thorne’s awakened after several hundred years and they’ve taken a bath together. That’s just good story structure right there. The most memorable part of this story for me is keeping a vague tally of all the people Marius fell in love with throughout the course of the story. In one 100-page stretch, Marius falls in love five separate times. This grew tiresome but I also just thought it was funny.

5. The Vampire Armand (1998)

I’m the most morally against The Vampire Armand. It’s basically the peak of Anne Rice’s love of sexualizing teens. That’s sort of the whole book. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that around the time of its publication, Anne Rice got back into religion. I think she looked over what she wrote and was like yeah okay, maybe I do need Jesus. But I dunno, I remember really liking it. It was well-written and Armand is one of my favourite characters. I think Anne Rice did actually hit the right mixture of the story being sexy, horrific and rather tragic. Also, that bit at the end where Armand eats a drug dealer’s face and heart in front of some new, human friends is one of my favourite scenes.

4. The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)

There’s a lot of good and a lot of bad in Tale of the Body Thief. I love the body swap aspect and this one has some of the best interactions between characters. On the downside, there absolutely is a 2-page description of Lestat taking a piss, he absolutely commits a rape and him turning David into a vampire was #problematic. But even there, the Lestat and David scene is really well-written and works because Lestat is an absolute piece of shit. Tale of the Body Thief is for better and worse, Lestat at his most Lestat. Still didn’t need to hear about him taking a piss in that much detail, though.

3. Queen of the Damned (1988)

Akasha is the only good villain in any of the Vampire Chronicles books. Plus, Queen of the Damned brought all the characters we’d met in the previous two books together and I was absolutely all about that. At this point in the series, I actually did care about the majority of main characters and their interactions were absolutely spectacular. Only downside is again, we get a lengthy backstory of Akasha that I absolutely skimmed.

2. Interview with the Vampire (1976)

Yeah, it’s only number 2. Because while this book is better written and the start of this whole damn phenomenon, Louis is far from my favourite narrator. Dude’s too morose and shit. Still, the writing style is exquisite and it introduced great characters. As the series went on, Anne Rice clearly ran out of ideas but because this one is the first book, that’s not the case. There’s a lot of ideas here and they aren’t even fucking insane. 

1. The Vampire Lestat (1985)

I’m really only into this series because of how much I love Lestat as a character. I read Interview and thought I was done with the series. Interview was fine but I didn’t think I cared about the sequels. However, six months later when I decided to read The Vampire Lestat, I knew within the first two pages that this was going to be a problem for me. This is exactly my brand of bullshit. It’s just Lestat being a sexy and shitty person who makes out with everyone and overreacts to everything. I love him. And in the third act when it’s revealed he’s been in love with Louis all along and then Louis shows up in the present day and they reunite???? Oh my god. 16 year-old me nearly exploded. The Vampire Lestat is really the sole reason The Vampire Chronicles happened to me as hard as it did. I love this book and its ridiculous narrator/protagonist.

[vcsecretgifts]

Wipe his blood from your mouth with mine

(Otp shenanigans based on what could have happened between Armand and Daniel post hunting together in the warm rain - in last chapter of Prince Lestat - {Hope that’s okay not a blood communion fan and Daniels not in it…} Lestat and Louis are nosey, helpful spectators/advisors In that order. A little nsfw, soppy and an essay of angst. Hope you like It! Merry Christmas 🤗)

Gift for: @headfrst4halos

From: @auburnandamberangel​

…

A few nights had passed since their reunion, they’d hunted together in the warm rain - eyes had acknowledged them slipping out together but no interference, this felt more solid then previous meetings. A certain Roman not such a prominent Father hen presence. Familiarity was steadfast, much left unsaid between but in the spirit of having survived this latest blip in immortality pushed down to be revived at a later time. Negotiating simply being in each others company was rollercoaster enough. Small glances, heated snatched stares. Measuring the changes in eachother, coveting the lack of them.

The huge cinema room, a ridiculous term as he’d paid good dollars to watch a flick in smaller venues, the latest safe space to catch up. A do not disturb sign hooked on the double doors, a lock across them. Not that this meant much to telekinetic mentalists amongst them. But a polite notice to leave them in privacy. Daniel was eyeing Armands form, at least what he could see beneath the knitted Sweaters neckline. No tanning or change in tone to porcelain perfect flesh. The theory of their healing abilities known, but never tried into practice by himself just yet. Not that he hadn’t had the impulse - Marius ha immolation was beneath him, always made sure his charge was safe and sound come sunrise.

Armand noted changes too, still flushed as marked his age in the blood. But more strength coiled than should have accumulated in the decades since their parting. His blood then, nursing his fledgling. Practicality was one thing, necessity another, but his passionate possessive side said hang being reasonable - the implications of the to and fro between his beloved and his maker. Aside from Louis’ attack post interview only his fangs had tasted Daniels blood, only his fangs had parted flesh in his necks favourite crook. Louis had understood his hesitancy to bring the subject up, close companions coming together in a time of mutual vulnerability. Many happy years spent in New York. Trinity Gate their slice of peace. "It's not as if I’ve ever asked Lestat to compare me to David. Though it doesn’t mean I’ve never thought it. Never ask a question you mightnt like the answer to.“ His response had been succinct. "But Cher they were definitely lovers. This situation is less clear cut.“ Louis had smiled then, shrugged meaning everything and nothing. "Things concerning Marius rarely are, are they."Preaching to this choir had been his reply.

Daniel was recalling his own pep talk with Lestat, not so much a pep talk as the brat Prince not so subtly inquiring as to his intentions towards his blood brother. More being spoken at. "I feel responsible for his last brush with oblivion. I’d rather not stand idle at this potential catalyst to my blood brothers well being.”

Feeling peeved and rather touched all at once, he’d nodded. “Lestat you’re many things but thinking of you as my uncle and I your nephew is too, too much to want to comprehend!" Thankfully the mercurial anointed leader took his words in good humour. Always had quite liked him fortunately, could once upon a time have run away on adventures together. Though whose heart that particular fancy was meant to wound more Louis or Armand - Daniel had never quite fathomed. Hands up in a sign of peace he’d added. "Rest assured I’ve always broken my own heart over him, I’d rather that than breaking his ever again. I was off my noodle for way too long. I have alot to catch up on.”

A strange look had passed over Lioncourts face. “I said something similar to him you know. …‘You break my heart you little fool, you always have…’ I think i prefer your sentiment.” Shudder as if someone had walked over his grave. Memnoch related Daniel had assumed.

“Can I ask a favour. Could you make sure Marius doesn’t try to help us in what no doubt will be a charged, embarrassing and classically devil and minion problematic fest." Brow quirked at this request Lestat had smirked, a twinkle in those famed blue eyes. "Run interference as they say. It’ll be a pleasure." Making to turn heel and leave. Pausing. "You know I can’t decide if you smell different or not… Never mind." With that winking and walking away before Daniel could comment what he’d meant.

Back in the room, Daniel edged nearer, leaning across the plush seat between them to better see Armands face. Rewarded with a wistful tug of lips.

"Of all the vampires in Trinity I have your full attention still. Im flattered.” Eyes warmed in a way they hadn’t been in quite sometime. Flitting to Daniel equally captivated violet ones.

“Always will have it too.” Moving almost to sit on the arm of aforementioned middle seat.

“Its…complicated. Or whatever the get out clause for a relationship not happening is these days…online.” He’d tried to keep up to date with modern jargon. Not as much fun as learning with his minion in the eighties, but he couldn’t wouldn’t allow himself to atrophy again.

“There it is breathtaking in every way yet simultaneously so stupid!” Daniel hitting the seats cushion in a burst of frustration. The seat rocked. Oops.

Armand laughed despite himself. “There’s that sassy mouth I’m fond of coming out to play.” Glancing down at the seat, it had been bent. Ah.

“Give my mouth something else to do. Kiss me. I promise I’m same as I ever was.” Just a plain simple kiss, though usually desire took over and wham they were engaging in full on blood sharing in a blink.

“Let’s not rush into things…” Playing with a stray curl, rapidly teasing it out. At this rate he’d have straightened his locks from the sheer tension of it all.

“I’m not waiting six years again for a snog. The chase ended. We’re way passed third base now don’t you think?!” Edge of something darker in his tone. Lestats words echoing in his mind now.

“We hunted together.. Be- Daniel.” Slip of the tongue he’d nearly uttered beloved. “That was alot.” No lies there. He hunted alone as a rule, Daniel was the only immortal he’d shared with.

“I know we shared the kill. Shared the blood. It was great, lovely. But Im not going to lie I wanted to be responsible for your heart racing…” Wow his throat was dry. Blurting all this oit, no holding back or hiding behind word play. “Is it because I smell different.”

“Smell? What do you mean?” Nose prickling as he’d wondered hadn’t he, a moment before about infusions from a twice millennial source. Did he hesitate because on a base level Daniels blood smelt different because it was…

“Lestat said something about me smelling different. Is it because I smell more like him. Like Marius?”

Deep breath. Right to the jugular of the situation. Flush of pride who the hell else spoke to him like this, no one.

“We were parted whatever happened between you is none of my business. It would only be natural for you to seek comfort in his arms… He’s very persuasive.” The words were coming out, but he knew his heart wasn’t so forgiving or clear cut.

“Well fuck! Your going to quote we were on a break. Really! This isn’t Friends. I doubt either of us matches Ross or Rachel.” Daniel realising bow improbable it was for Armand to be up to date with 90s pop culture. “It wasn’t like that. It was feeding not flirting. I wasn’t exactly following a balanced diet. I don’t want him, it’s you it always has been!” Last hit to the seat and it screeched it’s last. “Shit! I’m sorry.” Staring at his hands like he’d just seen them.

Armands eyes widened. There was that strength again. Not more thsn his own but a progression. Lestats mind voice in his head. *Do I need to come in and break you guys up? Or is this good rough?* That famous timing…*No. He’s broken my furniture, no harm to me. And it’s always good rough between us for the record.* Satisfaction at the too much information wince on Lestats part. *Don’t make me tell on you to Louis, you know he hates you being a voyeur.* Quirk of a brow inside and out. *Its been a while we’re out of practice.* Pleasing ringing of laughter as the brat Prince took the hint. Opening his eyes from a protracted blink to Daniels face and form kneeling right infront of him. Unforgivable this oversight, to allow himself to be this surprised. Hadn’t even seen him move. No threat from this vampire though, no need for high alert physically, only emotionally. Always his heart that needed protection. Minute frown appearing. The urge to reach out and run fingers through Daniels hair almost over powering. Hands death gripping the plush arm rests, clawing into the material and stuffing as well as the metal frame below.

“Don’t you want me anymore. Is that it - Really?” Once he’d thought he’d never get to touch those rosy lips again. Stroke hands through deep russet flaming curls. Hear his voice and those special noises he only made for him. Cold shower for Mr Molloy. “The bloodworks just a primal excuse. The usual vampiric urges BS.” All this aside he wouldn’t force himself on Armand. Never. A time machine to kill any who had. He’d thought him dust to the wind. Well he could feel himself ready to blub. Filled to the brim with so many feelings.

Armand could smell the start of those tears. He could lick them away, like they used to. Drink the pain away. Curled up together after a fight. Entwined. Love through the blood. Strength and stay through that intimacy. “I could never not, beloved.” Time for his own tears, that affectionate term opening his own flood gates. “I don’t think I can love you how you need to be loved, is more the point. What if I make you relapse. I’d never forgive myself…” Nails now through his own palms. Chair two in ruins. His own blood scent filling the air. “My beautiful boy…”

There it was, the spicy scent he could only taste as a mortal, fully appreciating the body of it after crossing over. The aroma. Fearful words sinking in. Shaking his head. “None of that was your fault. It was just our luck to be the tortured star crossed lovers. I’m better, was well on the way to better when I knew you weren’t gone. Not dead. I left, that was on me.. I left you alone, I swore I wouldn’t in our garden but I did. I neber meant to not come back. The rot had set in, nothing made sense. But here you are whole and perfect and as maddening self introspective as ever. Don’t you get it. That was my job as your minion, to save you from yourself. To save my devil from whatever tested you. And I wasn’t there. I’ll be Damned if I ever make that mistake aga-” Words cut off as bloody yet healed hands reached for him, pulling Daniel bodily into his lap. Not an easy task sized as they were.

Armand couldn’t bear him saying one more heart wrenching thing. Broke that physical truce and kissed him as requested. Lips breaking away from his only to lap away falling tears. Poised staring into violet orbs he’d been lost in the moment they’d met, truth be told. Breathy. Quite the achievement for beings who didn’t need respiration. “Mine, you taste like my better heart. With added vintage. Wipe his blood off your lips with mine.” A single bead of blood for Daniels tasting. Hand teasing his lovers skirt buttons, to touch skin on skin.

Years were stripped away and here they were like nothing had happened battle scarred yet together. That’s all the mattered. Familiar elixir warming him in ways he never expected. Picking him up to better remove clothing, they had to map each others bodies like old times.

Sometime later.

Laying on the plush carpeted floor, clothes strewn around them. Not a stitch left on them. A third seat broken on its hinges. Armand was happily listening to Daniels heartbeat. “I think I may need to redecorate.” Glancing around the mess they’d made. Stretching like a cat.

“Agreed perhaps we should make a passion room. But hey we’re super rich so why spoil the fun. At least in this cinema there’s no popcorn stuck in odd places like that time we got romantic in Palm Springs.” Kissing his makers forehead. Basking in after glow. “I’m pretty sure we’ve thoroughly infused each others blood counts.”

“One can never be too careful. We need to hunt. I don’t want you getting peeky as I was so enthusiastic.”

“Agreed, and I don’t mind at all. Drain me I’m your love muffin.”

Armand wrinkled his nose. “Love muffin. Wash your mouth out! We do need to lock this room up tight upon leaving. In case Cupid Lioncourt takes photos.”

Daniel laughed. “He does have a nose in most situations I admit. In this case it’s just as well. How long do you think it would have taken to jump each others bones, without his ear worm about smell?”

Armand laughed at the phrasing, a throaty chuckle sending vibrations down Daniels chest. “Not too long, possibly quicker if I’d gotten that particular ear worm and we’d gone the route of territorial angry me, with your oh so smart mouth baiting. Then we’d have made up, like old times.”

Daniel snorted. “Are we that predictable?”

“Perhaps…Now how he kept a certain others nose out of this… robust reunion is the story I want to hear…” Smiling into Daniels matching grin.

“Now that story can wait.” Winking and gathering Armand closer again. “Round three?”

[fromthelibrary]

“Memnoch the Devil” by Anne Rice (Vampire Chronicles, Book 5)

I’m not really sure what I want to say about this book or even what to think of it. The Tale of the Body Thief almost managed to put me off of this series, but I started reading about Lestat’s adventures when I was a teenager and so decided to give him another chance. In this case, I’m going to do a point form review of my likes and dislikes for this book.

What I Liked:

Lestat is the absolute worst. He throws temper tantrums, he’s vain, he doesn’t listen to anyone and he’s absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes this makes the events of the story funnier than I think they’re intended to be,but generally I find it really interesting to read about Lestat’s world and adventures through his own skewed perceptions and deeply flawed personality. I mean, he interrupted the beginning of the story to describe his Brooks Brothers suit in painstaking detail and imagine what David must have thought of him. Lestat is a very distinct and charismatic voice and I think that is the reason for a lot of the popularity of this series

Really, I’m down for almost any book with a sympathetic devil

It’s a testament to how well this book is written that I read almost 400 pages of dialogue and wasn’t bored senseless. There is some action at the beginning and the end, but mostly it is just a very long conversation between Lestat and Memnoch as they travel through the distant past. Not a lot happens in this book, but when it does it happens all at once, almost unexpectedly, violently.

A really interesting take on religion which tries to reconcile creation and evolution, religion and science, humanity and nature, the relationship between the devil and God and just generally explain why a benevolent, omnipotent God would allow bad things to happen. Despite an attempt to bring all religions into the explanation that Memnoch offers Lestat, it comes across very Catholic in flavour and maybe does not do the best job of accounting for polytheistic or more philosophical type religions. Memnoch’s origin story for the angels, the universe and humanity is one of the reasons I’m not sure how to feel about this book, and I think anyone interested in these type of ideas might enjoy this book specifically for this conversation.

What I Disliked:

Parts of this book were super creepy. And not in the spine-tingling, pulse-racing way you would want from a vampire novel, but in a way that’s just kind of gross. The way Dora’s character in particular is described and presented is just . . . not my cup of tea at all. This is the same thing that put me off The Tale of the Body Thief; Lestat’s interactions with mortal women are always jarringly unpleasant for me.

Books with ambiguous endings are not to my taste. I can see where many readers might really enjoy looking back on the story to try to work out whether Memnoch was lying, and what his plan for Lestat actually was. It might even be fun to look back on Queen of the Damned for evidence that Maharet or any other vampire had encountered Memnoch. But endings like this just are not my favourite.

While Dora herself has a part to play in the larger story happening with Lestat and Memnoch, the little side story with Roger and the Wynken de Wilde books is strangely out of place. It is set up at the beginning as though Roger himself and the books he collected will be very important and then they are forgotten until the end of the story. I’m left wondering if it’s meant to be implied that Wynken and his following had actually encountered Memnoch and were attempting to live by his interpretations of nature, humanity and the way into Heaven. Am I missing something?

I will most likely pick this series up again later, but this book was not one of my favourites and I am not sure these will ever regain the appeal for me that the first two or three novels had.

[isolationstreet]

I've been in a very listen to jcss mood on repeat mood today and I blame the combination of me stanning drew sarich and me rereading my favourite parts of memnoch the devil yesterday

[savagewildnerness]

I read all of the Vampire Chronicles as a teenager; some of the later ones, as they were released. I only ever reread TVL & QOTD as they’re my favourites (especially TVL which I have reread many, many times since then)… although I know when I was a teenager I also adored Memnoch the Devil & that was the only book I felt I wanted other people to read it too.

I think I never reread Memnoch because of Lestat’s existential questioning & the deep impact the book had on me & not long after I read it, my Dad died. It isn’t that I ever believed in God myself. My Mum is Catholic, but I wasn’t brought up religious & my Dad didn’t believe. But where I could have said I was agnostic till then, after my Dad died that was an absolute no for me. I had to know for certain what I believed.

And I think part of why Lestat is such a powerful character; The Character to me is that his reasoning underlay my personal development & so he helped me when I had to delve deep into what I believed in the most difficult context (when someone is dead, you wish you could believe in more, at least because it would give some comfort and so be easier… but I do not believe that. I believe when we are dead, that is it: utterly dead, dead, dead, gone.)

Anyway… I think I’m going to go through all the chronicles now. Not just my favourites. I don’t know: does it seem silly that when I do deep existential questioning or sink into dark questioning of my fundamental beliefs, Lestat is ALWAYS there with me? He is who I talk such matters over with, I suppose… and that’s despite that only 2 of the books did I ever reread till now. But Memnoch particularly had such an impact on me that even having never reread it, its impact is still the same now. Although I’m a bit afraid to reread that in case I don’t feel it the same now I’m not a teenager???

Well, TVL was actually the first Anne Rice book I read ever, but I am returning now to Interview with the Vampire for the first time since I was in my young teens & this page has just broken my heart. I was young when I first read this book. I wasn’t thinking about Anne Rice herself at all; only the book. I doubt I knew, when I read it about Anne’s own daughter.

But reading it now, knowing the context in which it was written, I hear Claudia’s challenge to Lestat & Louis “Which of you made me what I am?” as something veiled, but deeper too: Anne making her daughter challenge her & Stan (incidentally Stan was my Dad’s name too) as to why she had to die. (Not saying this was her daughter’s feeling in reality in any way ever, or even necessarily Anne’s intention. Only what I felt just now.)

Anyway - No wonder Lestat & Louis had to be redeemable, loveable, beautifully in love vampires by The End Of It All, in order to overcome this pain & trauma & the impossibility of the wrongness of death (that any soul can cease is unimaginably awful. Incomprehensible when that’s your own child & you have no power over it) that is surely impossible to ever overcome in reality, but which (o the joy of fiction), in fiction, these characters can be loveable, loved & they can be “redeemed”, they can be ok, they can endure & they can even become The Character eternally, just like their immortal selves for I am sure thousands of people, just like (you &?) me.