Merrick
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this mesmerizing new novel, Anne Rice demonstrates once again her gift for spellbinding storytelling and the creation of myth and magic, as she weaves together two of her most compelling worlds? those of the Vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair witches.
From the Paperback edition.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The 22nd novel from the dazzlingly popular vampire chronicler (The Vampire Lestat, The Witching Hour, etc.) brings her familiar undead characters into New Orleans's underworld of witches, and then to the jungles of Central America. Charismatic, biracial Merrick Mayfair comes from a New Orleans caste bound up with traditions of voodoo; she's also descended from the powerful Mayfair witch clan. Once a supernatural detective, now a vampire himself, narrator David Talbot took care of Merrick when she was in her teens, but hasn't seen her in years. Rice-watchers will remember Talbot and the Mayfairs, and also the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac and the girl Claudia, who now torments Louis from the afterworld. When Louis asks Talbot to raise Claudia's ghost, Talbot pleads with Merrick to use her rare talents--and to revisit the past they share. Can Merrick really conjure the dead? Should she? What of the unspoken erotic charge between Talbot and Merrick? What secrets lie in the magical artifacts Merrick will have to find, and then to wield? And what do they have to do with her dead parents? This volume merges several long-running plots; the first chapters sag with the weight of their exposition, and the prose seems overheated even for Rice. Vampire fans will no doubt plunge on, however; soon enough, Merrick must revisit the Guatemalan rainforest, where she traveled as a young girl, to locate a secret treasure trove of ominous ancient runes. Displaying her imaginative talents for atmosphere and suspense, Rice creates a riveting scene that shows Merrick's awesome magic at work. A potent cameo from the vampire Lestat, with whom the fabled series began, leaves hints of more dark tales to come. 750,000 first printing; BOMC and Science Fiction Book Club main selections; Literary Guild selection; QPB alternate; Doubleday Book Club featured alternate.
Customer Reviews
Merrick is a Anne Rice at her best
I’ve been re-reading all the books that were written after Memnoch the Devil. I love that David is the narrator of Merrick. He gives a new perspective and a fresh set of eyes on Louis, Lestat, New Orleans and the Vampire Tribe. And he’s able to tell us deeper insights about The Talamasca. And of course Merrick Mayfair herself is fascinating, as a powerful Mayfair witch. And Anne Rice’s deep dive into the Mayfairs of color expanded not only her literary Universe, but also her credibility as an American author, concerned with American ways of life. This book showcases her interest in the women and POC in New Orleans and the South. Anne was able to show the flip side of the Mayfair coin. This book is impressive! 💚
Love
Love all her books and this one bringing the witches and the vampires together is just awesome.
Enthralling as always
I love the familiar feeling of reading an author you know and love. It is like slipping into a warm bath. A wonderful addition to a glorious tale. Took it on vacation and read it in 2 days! Indulge yourself in yet anther masterpiece.