The Queen of the Damned

Nearly as good as the previous one, but it was The Vampire Lestat which first blew my mind, this one just kept it that way. All the elements are still here though, great writing, plot, atmosphere and characters, both new and old ones. The book's description is a very good summary of the story.

I was very satisfied with the expansion of the lore, the tale of how the vampire kind originated in primitive Egypt, thousands of years ago. The spiritual world, Amel's lust for blood eventually granting him transcendence from a disembodied form, with just one atom of physical existence, into mortal flesh. The mystical meaning of the dream of the twins permeated the whole book, the pacing and exposition were on point.

I loved the continuation of Armand's journey as he struggled once again to become integrated into contemporary society, Daniel's attempts to become part of the supernatural world, Jesse's coming to terms with her powers and her ancestry. Khayman rediscovering what is meant to be among the living, his tragic history slowly revealed as he and others described the awful actions he was forced to make. Marius world being shattered by the treatment he gets when Akasha finally speaks to him. Maharet's unquenchable love for life and persistent search for her sister. Even after 6 thousand years she manages to overcome succumbing to the common vampire madness which leads them to either kill themselves, to enter a state torpor underground, or just keeps them from being able to join society because they can't keep up with times. Her secret is that from the very beginning of her unlife, she found a reason to live, a reason so strong that kept her going throughout the ages.

Even the minor characters were utterly enthralling. David Talbot of the Talamasca, an organization which research and investigates the supernatural, and in the RPG were turned into vampire hunters, which I enjoyed so much more. Pandora's travel throughout the world as she gathers the most ancient and powerful vampires in order to discuss what can be done with the awakening of the 'mother', who apparently planned to destroy them all.

Akasha and Lestat's love story was beautiful and tragic. They were destined for each other, it was Lestat's lyrics and vocals who brought her back to life from her eternal sleep. But at last they couldn't reconcile their differences of world view. Lestat basically just wanted to be a monster, to enjoy the world to its fullest, being adored and feared at the same time. All Akasha ever wanted was to act as a benevolent God. She just needed to exterminate a small chunk of the world population first. She also didn't want to do this alone. Imagine being the most powerful and old being, all your life experiences and your wisdom means nothing if you don't have someone to share with. Imagine her disillusion when she finds out Lestat could never be who she needed him to be, and that she was destined to rule alone if she continued to pursue her goals of world domination.None of her children understood her. Alone and heart broken, Akasha died by the hands of Mekare, but she was already destroyed when the final blow came. She simply could not be allowed to exist, as no amount of convincing could turn her away from her destructive path.Lestat's just acquired new powers were turning him into a god, and his desire for Akasha was greater then ever. He is deeply conflicted by that love, the love for his friends and even the love for humankind. Ge got all the knowledge and power he ever wanted, but being a god was just too boring for him.

The ending might have seemed simple, but it was satisfying enough. All the remaining vampires that still walked the earth, the ones spared by Akasha because of Lestat's love for them, they try to convince her that killing 40% of the population in order to save the rest is too high a price to pay. They believe that this is the age of 'men', of science, that now more then ever the human species holds within their grasp the tools of their salvation. They just need a little more time. Unfazed by that argument, as recent technological advances had also brought on some of the worst wars in history, they fight. As the fight begins, Mekare shows up, as foretold by her own prophecy thousands of years ago, and kills Akasha. Lestat is depressed for a few months, writes down his thoughts in order to release another book, and by the end of the story, he is his old mischivious self again.

I still have some of the same critiques I had towards the previous book. I wished that the world's most ancient, living, intelligent creatures would have a devastatingly deep and meaningful discussion when they got together to try and defend why humanity should not be annihilated. But I knew that would be difficult, but more importantly, it's not what's the book is about.