Blackwood Farm

I have read all the books in the" Vampire chronicles" series and have been able to enjoy them in spite of their flaws. Perhaps because of the endearing qualities of the characters and the way that their lives intersect- I never tire to hear about them, in fact I always welcome it!- I found myself spellbound by the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of Blackwood farm and its captivating owner Quinn. The description of the mansion and its swampy surroundings was so detailed and meticulous, I felt I could picture them just by closing my eyes. From the initial letter he writes to Lestat, Quinn's innocence, naivete and melancholy trigger in the reader a sense of empathy, that persists even after his forced vampiric metamorphosis. In spite of all the glamor surrounding the vampire life, one cannot help feeling sorry for him and his touching efforts to put behind the cruel fashion in which he was brought over and to continue his human life. I can understand, how at his age, he finds himself so confused about his sexuality, drawn to both genders and to vampire and spirit. I admire Ms Rice's courage and freedom in exploring all of it through her characters. What bothers me most however, is the rapidity with which the Blackwood Farm protagonists (Quinn and Lestat-and Lestat, you should know better!-) fall in love so deeply,so totally, so obsessively within minutes. After reading about lestat's infatuation with David Talbot and the seemingly profound relationship that developed between them, I was not ready to see it fall into oblivion for someone like Rowan Mayfair that he barely gets to meet. I had some trouble, I admit, accepting Merrick's transformation into a vampire and just as I was getting used to it and waiting to hear more about her and Lestat's other companions- I had to mourn her unexpected demise. I kept on hoping for some explanation that never truly came.Overall, my interest in the book endured however and it has become, along with "tale of the body thief " and "Interview with the vampire", my favorite of the series.

Anne Rice has done it yet again. I've never known of an author to carry out a series like this, and frankly, I don't think any other author could muster enough strength to do so. "Blackwood Farm" is the 11th book in her vampire series. It follows the life of a young Louisiana millionaire by the name of Quinn Blackwood. His family is one of the richest in the country and live in a mansion on Blackwood Farm that was built by his great-great-grandfather. Young Quinn has been haunted by a doppelganger his whole life named Goblin that is always the spitting image of Quinn. As Quinn gets older, Goblin begins to have a mind of his own. Quinn is turned into a vampire against his will and Goblin is beginning to get out of control by taking blood from Quinn after every feeding. Fearing that Goblin will make another race of vampire, he seeks out the help of the ever infamous Lestat. As Quinn's tale unfolds, starting from the time he was born all leading up to the moment he and Lestat sat down, Quinn's life is beautifully told in his own words, followed by the some interesting events to conclude the book. Quinn's life is a life shrouded in mystery, haunted by the dwellings of Blackwood Farm, along with his great-great-grandfather's hiding place on Sugar Devil Island in the swamp lands behind the farm... which has a horrible story of it's own bathed in blood. If you've read the other books in the Vampire Chronicles, then you should not hesitate to pick this one up as well. You will love every minute of it.

Incredible story from start to finish I wanted to know more about the Mayfair witches soi read it after ‘Merrick and I can’t believe what became of Merrick Mayfair is my only regret.

Not going too into detail on the why I loved this installment of the Vampire Chronicles collection but I am already amped to get to…Blood canticle

I would recommend this book to all I know!! All of Ann Rice's books are simple marvelous. I am 68 years old, and have been enjoying her books for many, many years