Blood And Gold (Vampire Chronicles 08)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
With Blood and Gold, Anne Rice is firing on all cylinders again, producing the kind of heady mix that distinguishes her best work: a bizarre mélange of gothic horror, overripe romanticism and a genuinely poetic vision that is very much her own. This latest vampire novel boasts all the Rice specialities, notably a moody, patrician vampire protagonist.
Marius, from a noble family (and a distinguished scholar), is one of the oldest of all vampires, his origins lost in the mist of ancient Rome, in the time of the Emperor Augustus. But all of his encounters over the centuries have not prepared him for his meeting in the present day with a sinister being of snow and ice. The northern vampire Thorne is seeking Maharet, his "maker", a centuries-old Egyptian vampire queen whose unbreakable hold over him rests in chains made of her red hair. As the Visigoths looted and pillaged, Marius looked on; he strode the decadence of the Roman empire, still seeking his lost love Pandora, but was later beguiled by Renaissance beauty Bianca, and the boy Amadeo. Rice, as usual, intertwines her diverse and complex narratives, keeping a massive cast of characters always alive for the reader. But the emphasis here is on the brilliantly created Marius, in thrall to Pandora and his alter ego Mael. As Rice conjures him, Marius may be the most distinctive protagonist in all her fiction. Throughout the seven volumes of the Vampire Chronicles, and most notably in such recent books as Memnoch the Devil and Merrick, Rice showed that she would never be content to repeat herself. Blood and Gold is further evidence of her willingness to tackle new areas in her colossal vampiric mythos.--Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Here is the gorgeous and sinister story of Marius, patrician by birth, scholar by choice, one of the oldest vampires of them all, which sweeps from his genesis in ancient Rome, in the time of the Emperor Augustus, to his meeting in the present day with a creature of snow and ice. Thorne is a Northern vampire in search of Maharet, his 'maker', the ancient Egyptian vampire queen who holds him and others in thrall with chains made of her red hair, 'bound with steel and with her blood and gold.' When the Visigoths sack his city, Marius is there; with the resurgence of the glory that was Rome, he is there, still searching for his lost love Pandora, but bewitched in turn by Botticelli, the Renaissance beauty Bianca, with her sordid secrets, and the boy he calls Amadeo (otherwise known as the Vampire Armand). Criss-crossing through the stories of other vampires from Rice's glorious Pantheon of the undead, haunted by Pandora and by his alter ego Mael, tracked by the Talamasca, the tale of Marius, the self-styled guardian of 'those who must be kept' is the most wondrous and mind-blowing of them all.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 stars,
By
This review is from: Blood and Gold: The Vampire Marius (The vampire chronicles) (Paperback)
curled up in my bed with my new book, not exactly looking forward to it, but knowing it was better than nothing. But once I started, I couldn't stop, and finished it sometime around 4 am the next morning. I can't explain how I could suddenly be completely sucked in to this world, but when I got home, I raided my friend's collection of Vampire Chronicle books.
I've read them all, except Interview. That confuses many people, but I just can't get into it. All four main characters - Louis, Lestat, Claudia and Daniel - appear in other books, I'm familiar with the plot points, and don't think it's necessary. I just really don't think it's a very good book. I much prefer the characters' appearances in the other books. I've loved many of the other selections in the series, but none quite as much as I love Blood and Gold. For me, it's the true last contribution to the Vampire Chronicles, even though two or three more books were published. (Those stories were Mayfair Witches crossovers, and I did enjoy them very much.) It's Marius' story, and he and Armand are by far my favorite of the characters (followed closely by Lestat, who also plays a big role in Marius' story). Marius is very close to being the oldest vampire of the group, so his maturity and authority are to be expected. However, his immaturity and childishness are surprising elements, and those unforeseen qualities are some the reasons he is so interesting to read about. I've read it three times so far, and if I could give it another star, I would
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a bit of a disappointment,
By a reader in Penarth "jackmac65" (south wales) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Blood and Gold: The Vampire Marius (The vampire chronicles) (Paperback)
I bought this as a treat to read on holiday. I enjoyed the book, in that it passed the time, but it seemed to me to lack 'zip' and pace, and much of the prose was, frankly, overly flabby and plodding. (How many times in one book can you use the device of repeating an introductory clause with a slightly different ending three times over ?) Also, there was vey little in the way of new plot introduced here - rather, there was a re-warming of much that was known from other parts of the chronicles. The dialogue seemed unconvincing at times too ... sorry, to be so negative, as I have thrilled to Rice's prose in the past, but the sparkle seems to have worn a bit thin here.Still, if you've read the other books in the chronicles seies you'll probably want to read this - if you haven't, might I suggest that you start elsewhere ?
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anne Rice at her best,
By
This review is from: Blood and Gold: The Vampire Marius (The vampire chronicles) (Paperback)
This is perhaps her best story of all.I bought it because I am captivated by all her Vampire Chronicles. I did not expect it to be anywhere near her best because I realised it would cover old ground explored in her earlier books. But she covered it so well. She made what was ground covered before new ground from Marius's perspective. Rather than him being a supporting character he was the main character and you got to see his true feelings on what occurred. The book is a tragedy in many ways and brings out many emotions in the reader. It is spell binding. It is a love story and it is a action book. It makes you fall in love with the characters and the places they go. She has always been an expert at bringing out the emotions in her readers and she does to with great skill in this novel, the scene where he meets Pandora again after so many centuries but must let her go is heartbreaking. I started off loving Marius as a character in her earlier books, then as she wrote more books coming to dislike him, but reading this has made me once again come to admire and respect and have empathy for this character. He shall now always be one of my favourites of all her characters. If you have not read any of her other Vampire novels then this is a good one to start with. As long as she writes books like this I will be a fan and eagerly buy her work.
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