Ranking All 13 Vampire Chronicles Books By Anne Rice

hello everyone and welcome back so today I'm going to be reviewing all 13 vampire Chronicles books by an rice and rate them from my least favorite to my favorite and I'm going to explain to you all why they're rated as such so basically I've read all the books so you don't have to I'd still encourage you to read them however as it is a fantastic vampire series this is not going to be a massive deep dive into each book in one video but I'll give a good review of my thoughts on each book and if an in-depth review of each single book is what you want then let me know in the comment section below and I can dissect the books one by one in a series of videos so anyway let's kick it off with my least favorite at number 13 blood Canticle okay so this is my least favorite book an has ever written I struggled to get through it and I really didn't enjoy its pace and here's why it tries to blend the world of vampires and witches together again but by doing it this time it actually upsets The Narrative structure of the story basically it's nothing like mer something we're all very used to seeing being done so well with an is she writes really well from her character's firstperson perspective now blood CLE is extremely overly descriptive and I think an spends too much time trying to explain situations tying together from both worlds it's like she doesn't believe what she's explaining so she thinks her readers will struggle too and to be honest it actually ends up hindering the whole story it keeps switching between what the start is telling us and what's going on in the now larger Supernatural world so basically the conflicts within the book just don't knit together so well Mona Mayfair a central character from the Mayfair which is series under goes a significant transformation in blood cicle her character development in this crossover lacks the depth and complexity she exhibited in the original series this is the problem I have with the book there's not enough focus on the individual's development because it's a combination of two worlds I found it predictable that she'd become a vampire and transition into lad's world and speaking of lad he's just so boring in this book it's like it's not even him he's obsessed with love and pursuing it he's not the listat we know from previous books he still p ing over the nature of his existence something we really know a lot about from previous books even the ending the climax to the story this was supposed to be the final book by the way just it didn't explain everything we didn't find out what happened to mcari and maharet like what was their future what was in store for them we got a look into the talamasca which I thought was going to continue so we'd get a deep insight into the history of the organization that didn't materialize overall it just wasn't an's best work work and it really was my least favorite out of the 13 books number 12 Mok the devil so in that number 12 we have another book I found very difficult to get through Mok the devil was just dragged out overly religious and just boring for me I could not get into it no matter how much I tried now I did read something about anr becoming like a born again Christian or she became heavily religious herself around the time she wrote This Book I definitely read that in one or two forums don't quote me on the I don't have any links but she definitely put this down for the book's theme I mean when you think of the premise I mean it's got so much potential lat meets the actual devil and goes on a journey with him and it sounds really enticing but it's really not it focus is all about the devil's war with god what happened to Jesus different religious points throughout time and on each side of that is lat's obsession with his new girl door the daughter of the man he killed whose ghost then actually comes back and becomes friends with lad and then lad cries when he has to go away it was just once again another book where lad wasn't lead he ends up being the one the devil learns from it's just very peculiar and so far wide of the vampire world that we are so used to from what we've seen basically in the first four books theat even manages to take the veil of Veronica with him which really cements the fact that Christianity does play an actual factual like fictional place in the vampire Chronicles and this disappointed me because I believe there's a difference in the Supernatural and the miraculous spirituality of Christianity itself the book isn't as dark as its predecessors if you ask me its shift and focus was something that I feel was not well received the ending of the book lacks a little Clarity for me especially with lat losing his eye to the devil's slipping grasp when lat was trying to escape but then he gets it back from the devil as a sign of his gratitude like I just didn't know what to make of that what was happening I think this book struggled and it's ploy to break away from the aashi based top of the pyramid view as she was dead now was really really apparent in addition to that I think because the first three novels concluded and Blended so well it was always going to be a challenge to give L start a new story not the worst book but by no means is it even close to being my favorite at number 11 we have Prince lead and the Realms of Atlantis so Prince lad and the Realms of Atlantis well this is a book that certainly took things in a weirder different direction not exactly bad because lots of things happen in this novel but certainly weird unexpected if I can be completely honest it's a lot lot of new yeah well that's how it's suing up it's a lot of new obviously the vampire world is in crisis and that's known in the opening of this book lad is in charge and he's trying to anoint the vampires after they basically hear a Mel's voice in their heads telling them to burn the oldest among them now this was intriguing for me it gave the book a good start carrying over from its predecessor it's a mystery and as a reader we want to find out why this is happening however the surge of sci-fi into this book which resulted in the departure from the gothic horror we have been so used to was rather shocking for me the lost city of Atlantis is a big feature alongside the new humanoid species called Reids who are the inhabitants of Atlantis and have supernatural abilities that was a big one now I liked that lat was Central to all of this it all linked to him so that kept uniformity from previous books it was a little bit all over the place in the fact that it was one plot which led to the next plot and then back to a subplot it was kind of like okay where are we at this minute I didn't know and I still don't know how I feel about the vampire sacred core being transformed into an actual living entity which subsequently removes the core from lad but he and everyone who are all vampires still remain alive for a series as longstanding and beloved as the vampire Chronicles readers expectations are always high that's something even Anne knows herself and also something she had hanging over her in her latter years something I think that reflected in this book she wanted to excite her readers again with shock and surprise and you know I will admit that Prince the stad and the Realms of Atlantis took a bold narrative risk it took many risks that while Innovative didn't really align with what some longtime fans expected or desired from the continuation of lat's story I found it rather slow paced too many things had to be explained and I think it was just too much of a challenge for an to neatly align it all together it wasn't the most enjoyable read but I was happy with the book's conclusion so in at number 10 we have Prince lad now I was moving this book up and down this list several times because it's not exactly top tier but it absolutely trumps blood icle by a mile and it was a pretty strong return to the Chronicles for an especially after apparently concluding the series with canle my guess is Prince lad stemmed from the harsh criticism blood canle received and even wrote a 1200w response to those that canned her 10th novel it successfully revitalizes the series after a break bringing back the Beloved character of lad and intertwining his story with new intriguing elements like scientific advancements and deeper explorations of vampire Origins now if I'm honest I already said this I wasn't too big of a fan when it came to blending in sci-fi but you know I wasn't too much against it it wasn't over the toop like the Realms of Atlantis was this book was well received for its return to the gothic and romantic tones of earlier novels while also innovating and expanding the universe correctly lat once again returns after being in self-imposed Exile still struggling to find meaning behind his existence an ongoing theme throughout the novels and then we have a Mel the spirit of the Sacred core or basically the sacred core itself is telling all vampires to burn older vampires unless that becomes Central to the plot trying to initially figure out who this voice was and why it was telling vampires to kill their own kind it's a full-on crisis within the vampire community and you know it's complete chaos basically we see maharet we see M and Marius all return to the fold which I loved especially the twins because blood cicle left their future so uncertain theat is chosen to be the leader or Prince of vampires a role he accepts reluctantly his leadership is seen as a means to bring order and address the chaos caused by the voice but it still remains a struggle for him especially when he ends up taking the SE good core into his own body it had good pace and it wasn't that difficult to follow due to their being basically one huge Central plot everything was linked to the voice it concludes with theat trying to lead the vampires into a new era where they coexist with the voice learning to deal with ael's influence overall I enjoyed this book next up at number nine we have blood communion now this is the final and 13th book of the series and blood communion wasn't actually a bad book I rather enjoyed it simply because it linked the two books previous together rather well I really enjoyed many aspects of it especially the construction of the vampire Court in order to maintain order within the vampire world something we've seen plenty of in other vampire franchises I like Rosa Mendes as a character who was another ancient vampire who opposes the stats rule he has a personal Vendetta against the new vampire ruler in addition to siding with the vampires who also oppose lat's Rule and decision making he directly challenges lat's Authority and lat is in a position where he has to defend himself for a position he never really wanted in the first place remember he reluctantly became the prince of the vampires so he has to deal with that descent he has to deal with rebellion and the need to forge a unified identity for vampires and the novel really explores the psychological and emotional burden of this role on the stad a character previously known for his own rebellious and individualistic nature which is ironic as now he's trying to prevent it which is pretty good character development it's kind of like reflecting on on the person he's been so vampire politics and governance really do play a role in this book better late than never and the core becomes the setting for critical Gatherings decisions and confrontations acting as a focal point for the newly established vampire Society Amel is also still around in this book and his relationship with thead really does influence the latter's behavior I think that's something many readers will enjoy if they haven't read this book yet there's a lot of good in this book and it really reflects on an's earlier work of highlighting the importance of character Evolution and development a good conclusion for the series for me in at number right we have Blackwood Farm now this book was really good and I mean really good I can't tell you how much I enjoyed Blackwood farm and that's solely because of how well tarken Blackwood was so easily introduced and made such a believable impact on the story probably because it's actually Quinn's story we're discovering as he tells the stat about his life it's his narrative that takes Center instead of theats who are all so very used to by now we also get a completely different setting with Blackwood Farm a lush and opulent estate in the heart of Louisiana the farm is as much a character in this story as the people who inhabited the farm is basically shrouded in mystery okay so it's haunted by the ghosts of the family's past and these huntings are Central to the novel's mood and plot and creates a deeply atmospheric setting we meet Goblin the spirit that's been haunting Quinn for quite some time and Quinn's transition into a vampire at the hands of petronia which subsequently leads him to meeting the stad is all tied in together nicely the blending of new characters and themes into the already established universe is done really well and I was really accepting of Quin becoming what I believed would be a main stay in the vampire Chronicles great Pace to the book great subplot great overall theme nice and Gothic the way I like an's books to be it's not absolutely trailblazing in terms of its impact but it's still a good read and for those of you currently reading the series I genuinely believe you will enjoy this book next up at number seven we have Merrick so I mistakenly misjudged this book before I read it because I initially thought okay a full book with the central themes about witches not that I don't like Witchcraft and things like that I actually think it's really cool but I just never imagined an really Crossing into the witch genre but I suppose when you replace witches and vampires into one overall genre it's all Supernatural at the end of the day which is an's speciality anyway I ended up loving this book it was a fantastic read I loved that David Talbert narrated someone who really knowledgeable about witchcraft from his talamasca background however I was so pleasantly surprised that it wasn't all about Merrick Mayfair but also Lou the Pont the lack and his struggles over Claudia's death something that has haunted him for centuries something he just cannot seem to get over we also see The Return of Claudia well Claudia's Spirit who chastises Louie over the manner of how she died and how he treated her she has nothing good to say to Louie and any love she had for him seems to have completely vanished which further sends Louie into a deep depression it devastates him because he carried love for Claudia in his heart for so long there's so much more in this book that's so intriguing I don't want to give it all away in case there are some who've not read it yet and watching this video but Merck's past her story where she came from is all explained beautifully and really draws you in it's such a well constructed crossover something that had to be handled carefully as obviously it was important not to take away from the magic that was the theme of The Vampire Chronicles series it was believable it was credible it was entertaining it had decent pace it wasn't overly descriptive and had done everything an failed to do when she tried her next Crossover with the Realms of Atlantis book Merck has my backing and is one of my favorite books of this series so guys we are halfway down this list and in at number six is the tale of the body Thief now when I first seen the title of this book and learned what the premise actually was I immediately thought damn poor Claudia she really just didn't meet the right people with the right Powers I mean the power we witness in this book could have saved her so much suffering especially going through arman's horrific experiments on her severing her head and well read the vampire Armand and you'll find out what happened anyway I always think of Claudia when I read this book that's how I feel because I really took to our character so the novel begins with thead having one of his existential crisises he knows something that that's quite reoccurring in these novels it's like oh lat is wallowing in self-pity again sorry lat you know I love you as a character but you really do just love to complain about existence and everything so lat is approached by Raglin James a psychic body Thief who proposes a daring exchange they will swap bodies temporarily James a master of astral projection has the ability to transfer his Consciousness into other bodies lad on the other hand in intrigued by the opportunity to regain his mortality even temporarily agrees to the swap this is perfect for lat as he Longs for human experiences so a temporary switch really suits him lad is now without his vampire powers for the first time in centuries he indulges in human food drink and sleep but he also experiences the negative effects from this experience too like sickness tness and physical pain Raglin James then betrays him and wants to keep theats vampire body which sets the central Cat and Mouse theme of the book in motion except it's kind of like a mouse chasing a cat because Raglin has the more powerful body but anyway it's a fastpaced book and very adventurous following the queen of the dam was never going to be easy but this was a good change and a book I really really enjoyed in at number five we have blood and gold one of my favorite books of the series I mean I just love it what a book what a story what a character Marius the Romanus is this book really restored my fate in the vampire Chronicles because I felt as if an was just getting a little too religious in previous novels and while she does toss in a little religious aspect into blood and gold the book in general just outweighed that with its detailed story on the life of of Marius Marius is a Roman as we know who is chosen by a cult to be its next God and turned into a vampire against his will we discover his lost love in Pandora how he meets and changes arm mind how he becomes the carer for those who must be kept in Kill and aasha how he deeply loved aasha worshiped her and was allowed to feed from her several times it has it just has so much information guys so many explanations so plots excitement it's paced beautifully doesn't rush and I can't begin to express just how much I love this book truly excellent I loved the overall focus on immortality in Blood and gold how it's a gift to some but a curse to others I enjoyed how an incorporated actual history into marius's story too we see Maul or Mel I got in trouble for pronouncing that wrong in my last video and advocus and their relationship with Marius as their companions grows especially from the early animosity with M something Marius learns to move past the only reason blood and gold isn't number one is because the books that follow this were so damn good which says a lot about this one blood and gold you have to read it amazing next up at number four we have the vampire Armand now guys I'm being completely honest when I say I was back and forth and back and forth between blood and gold and the vampire Armand where to place them because I basically hold them on equal level in terms of preference however I just sway towards the vampire Armand due to the fact the story is just so compelling it's so apparent in Interview with the Vampire that Armand's character has been through a lot and you can just see how torn he was with Louie and how he battles with who he was and who he is something Louie mirrors within himself so I knew when I began reading this book I was in for a real deep diving story and what a story it was Armon has been through some guys let me tell you this book has it all from a young boy with vast prospects for his artistic talent to being captured and forced into sexual slavery to being rescued by marus and given the complete opposite life of what what he was living with riches and comfort Beyond his Wildest Dreams to becoming a vampire to be captured again and then mentally broken down brainwashed so to speak into leading a satanic cult having three different names that reflected the different periods in his life the pace of the book was fantastic the subplots were so intriguing but what gets me most about this book is how an linked everything together so well how she joined the different aspects and periods of our man's life together just incredibly it highlights how impactful a character he truly is how he still questions who he truly is when comparing his religious upbringing as a human to his satanic worshiping practices as a vampire you could literally read this book as a standalone and still enjoyed the vampire Armand great read great book so guys in at number three is Interview with the Vampire the book that started it all the book that gave us Lou lead Armond Claudia and introduced us to the world of an Rice's vampire Chronicles now I bet some of you thought it would be my number one choice a lot of people do rank this as their favorite book but for me it comes in at number three many of you would most likely have read this book more so than any others this is the story of Louie this is Lou's interview about his life as a vampire everything he went through it's the first book it's exciting it's fresh and it sucked us all into the franchise when I think of where lat is now in the latest installment of The Chronicles in comparison to where he was in interview it's literally like chalk and cheese leat was at his peak in terms of being a selfish manipulative narcissistic anti-hero who dangled Louie on a string only giving him the bare amount of information on the meaning of it all in order to keep him by his side the pace of the book is actually a little slow I have to admit but the entire story comparison and narrative is just excellently written I actually really enjoyed the audio book version too it's a perfect book for audio as we get to hear Louis's voice tell us everything that happened that's one thing that I would suggest if you're not really into reading a book listen to these books on audio because the first person narrative really does draw you in anyway this book had me hating on lad then loving lad then hating him and I questioned if Louie was just whining too much or did he really have Merit behind his hatred of Life as a vampire I kept asking so many questions but also got so many answers this book really changed the scene for vampire Gothic writing it made vampires cool it humanized them gave them compassion and made made them more than just the evil blood sucker living high up in a castle on a hill one of the greatest books ever written in the vampire genre Interview with the Vampire next up it's number two and that is of course the vampire lad we had to wait a long time for the sequel to interview to come out almost 10 years between books well I didn't have to wait I wasn't born so I got to go from book to book but anyway the vampiress stat was not disappointing by any means and it actually improved on interview in my opinion this is lat's life story his complete Origins everything he went through before and after he became a vampire it was actually a sad story especially on how lat never chose or never really wanted to become a vampire it was forced upon him again it goes back to Tom Cruz in the movie The Choice I never had we look at his encounter with Armand and his satanic cult and lat gives his own account of certain events that Louis spoke about in Interview with the Vampire don't forget this book was released not just in our world but also the vampire world too so lat reads a copy of Interview with the Vampire and has quite the contradictive arguments to what actually happened he also talks about the guilt he felt over Claudia's creation the book is so important because it gives us a complete insights to understanding the stats character his motivations and his role in the broader vamp Empire lore he's such a central figure to the whole franchise and I don't believe we'd ever truly be able to comprehend who he is as a person without this book it's got a great Pace to it plenty of depth isn't overly detailed but just gives us the answers we need and it sets the stage for the expansion of the series brilliant brilliant brilliant book so guys it's time for number one and there is only one book left and that is the Queen of the Damned probably the most significant and important book to the series Queen of the dam is crucial to the successful expansion of the series with the introduction of an array of new fresh characters depth vampire history and it broadens the lore of the series this book really takes things to the next level this book features the great mother the queen of ked the first vampire the Queen of the Damned Akasha what a character she is we learned about the history of the vampire race how they originated a Cash's backstory alongside her husband enill how their actions led to shaping the Destinies of the witch Twins maharet and marari were shown how Akasha just refuses to drink blood anymore and has no drive or motivation to continue to exist as a vampire resulting in her and Ill becoming living statues or better known as those who must be kept lad starts a world famous rock band he has hundreds and hundreds of vampires wanting to basically kill him for exposing their secrets but lat music actually awakens aasha after Millennia and now she wants to take over the world and eradicate 90% of the population of men which results in lat joining her but getting caught between what he feels is truly right and his actual feelings for the queen of the dam the rest of the ancient vampires gathered together in an attempt to stop her it all goes down in this book we also learn about the history of the talamasca and the role the organization played throughout history the Queen of the Damned just has it all it's the Pinnacle of the series it's so well constructed it's so well paced I do think the chapter layout is a little confusing but besides that you're looking at the greatest book from The Vampire Chronicles the greatest book from the series and one of the greatest vampire books ever written