Authors R

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Lasher (Review 10/15/93)
The sequel to The Witching Hour. What happened to Rowan and her "child", Lasher? Where did he come from, and what exactly is he? Why are the Mayfairs the way they are (inbred, and fraught with "witches")? Did Michael live, and if so, what is he going to do about Rowan and Lasher? What does the Talamasca have to do with it all?
Incredible. Absolutely incredible. I sat for five minutes after reading the last line, saying, "Wow. Oh, God. That was wicked good. Oh, God," etc. A+, easily.

Memnoch the Devil (Review 9/9/95)
Lestat the vampire is being stalked, he believes. Finally, a mysterious entity approaches him, claiming not only to be the devil but also to need him for a lieutenant. To explain why he is at odds with God, he tells Lestat the history of the world and humankind. Lestat visits Heaven and Hell before he makes his decision.
Very good, much better than the Body Thief. Once again, Anne gives us a 100 page history that must be endured, but it's worth it. The philosophy/theology involved are well done. A+

Servant of the Bones, The (Review 10/7/96)
Azriel is a spirit, made to be the servant of the bones almost 2000 years ago by self-serving, evil people who did not understand fully what they were trying to do. This is the story of his life, when he had one, his death, how it happened, and his eventual transformation into a free spirit.
Typically Anne Rice in many ways; the handsome -- almost pretty -- supernatural creature, chosen to become so because of his looks; a story that begins in the present but must include a long history to understand the main character. Very reminiscent of Interview with the Vampire because the book is Azriel's story, as told by Azriel to a historical author. Much more stand-alone than most of the previous books; philosophy is present but less emphatic. I give it an A.

Tale of the Body Thief, The (Review 1/93)
The fourth of the Chronicles of the Vampires. Lestat allows a mortal (who was once with the Talamasca) to exchange bodies with him so he can see the sun again. But then the mortal refuses to give the body back. With the help of David, his mortal friend and the Superior General of the Talamasca, he fights to get it back. Of course, on the way he has mortal experiences, philosophizes about his (and mortals') motivations as well as the usual good/evil and happiness questions.
Very good; not as powerful an Anne's other books, but still better than many other authors. Not recommended for someone who hasn't read the other Vampires, but a pleasant chapter for those who have.

Taltos (Review 10/23/94)
Who were the people trying to take Lasher? And what's this about a female they can breed him with? These questions are answered as new characters are introduced (Samuel and Ashlar -- the same as in Lasher?) and Mona has a baby, Morrigan. (There's only one thing wrong with Mona's baby....)
Not as exceptional as Lasher, but the ending was much better than Witching Hour. I give it an A.

Violin (Review 12/3/97)
In the days after her husband's death, Triana is visited several times by a violin-playing ghost. His music brings forth memories for Triana, of her husband and others who have died. Eventually they begin to talk....
Very good; as usual for Anne Rice, a lot of the book actually takes place in the past, this time as memories to support the present-day happenings and the mental/emotional state of the characters. The first two or three chapters are (necessarily) confusing, setting the mood by focusing on Triana's brief madness as she grieves, and her dreams -- bear with the first thirty pages, just read and absorb without thinking too much. It gets much better. I give the book an A, easily.
Anne's books seem to be getting more philosophical and less character driven -- not to say there's little action or plot, but the beliefs and ideas of each character, and their perspectives, are far more important. (Or maybe I've just begun to focus more on that aspect.)

Witching Hour, The (Review 2/11/91)
Rowan Mayfair is the thirteenth of a line of "witches," psychics of varying degrees who are in contact with a spirit named Lasher. Michael Curry is a man who she saved from drowning, using her abilities as a doctor as well as a psychic. Together they go to New Orleans (where Michael grew up, and where Rowan's family -- none of whom she knows -- live). With the help of Aaron Lightner of the Talamasca, they learn the entire history of the Mayfair witches and Lasher. They marry, and Rowan gets pregnant. Finally, Lasher's purpose is revealed, and Rowan has to make the decision of whether to help him or not.
Good book, full of history (typical Anne Rice). The ending is not exactly what most people like out of book endings; it doesn't end on a particularly happy note, nor a particularly decisive one either. As one might expect from a book that includes a two-hundred year history, the middle gets kind of long -- the history is given in the middle, with a few short breaks to keep the reader up on "present day" happenings.

Alchemist of Time, The (Review 11/28/96)
Cassidy continues her search for a way to get home, and her journeys finally take her to the edge of the swamp lands--the outmost edge of what anyone she's met has ever been. Meanwhile, the mystery of where she is and how Andy Greene fits in is solved.
The best thing about this book is the fact that it's the conclusion. The story could have -- and would have -- been much better in two books rather than three. I skipped over a LOT more in this book than I ever have. C.

Persistence of Memory, The (Review 2/25/95)
A woman finds herself on horseback, being chased-but no idea how she got there, who's chasing her, or who she is. She begins remembering things, and discovers unusual things about the people around her. They don't remember where they came from either... and worse.
Very interesting. I'm looking forward to the sequel (ended with a cliff hanger). I'll give it a B, pending the sequel(s). (See reviews of sequels as well.)

Warden of Horses, The (Review 10/30/95)
The second in the Slow World trilogy. Cassidy and Rowena are trying to find the Warden of Horses, in the hopes that he can help them get home. On the way they meet a band of Tinkers, gypsy-like craftsmen led by the enigmatic Clink. They finally meet the warden, with Clink's help, and Cassidy regains her memory-but the warden gives her more questions than answers.
Definitely a middle book, but fun. I give it a B. I'm looking forward to reading the final book.

Closet Case (Review 8/93)
Lionel is junior exec in an advertising firm, and he is gay -- but only his neighbor and his hairdresser/friend know. The situations he gets into -- watching the queeny actor hired for a commercial with subsequent slurs from the firm's partners, attending an awards ceremony with a date, then being more or less forced to vacation for a week with the bosses and clients -- illustrate how difficult it can be for a closeted homosexual.
Very funny at times, a little sad at others. I flew through this book and enjoyed it thoroughly. Better than Fag Hag? Not really, just different. Highly recommended.

Drag Queen (Review 9/4/96)
Mitchell learns he has a twin brother, but Douglas prefers his other persona -- Kitten Kaboodle. Mitch decides he will rescue Douglas from Kitten, while Kitten decides she will rescue Mitch from himself.
Typical Rodi; fun and light, playing off the stereotypes while exploring the prejudices both within and without the gay community. A quick, pleasant read, but not as funny as the other Rodi books; I give it a B.

Fag Hag (Review 8/92)
Natalie's in love with her gay friend Peter, and does an incredible job of manipulating his relationships to failure so she can keep him to herself. Until Lloyd comes along. He's not the vacuous bar-hopper all of Peter's previous interests have been-and this time it's for real. Natalie goes off the deep end.
Well written, and ultimately scary, you feel pity for Natalie by the end. I bounced between wanting her to be accidentally killed and wanting her to somehow live, although her existence would then be a mess... Great. I loved it.

Kept Boy (Review 7/4/97)
Dennis is 31, and he's been living the life of the idle rich with theater producer Farleigh -- who's in his 60s -- since he was 15. Suddenly Dennis realizes he's getting old and the sexy pool boy is only 20. Then Farleigh asks him to get his first job in sixteen years....
Rodi's fifth book is better than the last two (What They Did and Drag Queen). The humor isn't quite as extreme as in the last two, and so the situations seem a little more real and less fantastic -- although there still is the fantastic flavor of the other books. I think I like Fag Hag best, but this one has won a warm spot on my bookshelf. I give it an A-.

What They Did to Princess Paragon (Review 7/3/94)
Brian Parrish is a leading author/illustrator in the comics industry. He signs a contract with Bang Comics to take over the Princess Paragon book-and he rewrites her as a lesbian, from a planet of lesbians. Some of his fans (and hers) aren't too happy with the idea. At a convention in Chicago, one fan doesn't let it end with simple unhappiness....
Not as good as either of his first two books, but still has a number of good parts. (Jerome's mother cracked me up every time she got a phrase, or sometimes just a word, wrong.) I give it a B.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Review 9/2/00)
The second book in the Harry Potter phenomenon. For Harry's second year at Hogwart's, something is literally petrifying people. A message says that the Chamber of Secrets is reopened and the Heir of Slytherin is back -- and most of the students think Harry's the one causing it all!
Like the first book, the plot is well done. There are similarities between the two books, of course: they both start with dismal treatment of Harry by his foster family, with a lot of misunderstandings with his teachers and self-doubt on his own. Still, I give it an A. I'll be interested to see how the others compare, plot-wise.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Review 10/24/99)
Harry's parents were killed when he was a baby, by an evil sorcerer. For some reason, he wasn't able to kill Harry, and so all the wizard children in Britain grow up knowing his name. Meanwhile, he's living in a cupboard in his aunt and uncle's home, while his cousin gets not one bedroom but two. His guardians are determined that he won't know about his magic abilities, until the letters accepting him to wizard's school start to arrive.
This is a children's book, so the situation is very Disney and the language isn't sophisticated -- but the plot is more intricate than I expected. This is a fun book, and I understand why so many adults are enjoying it, too. I give it an A!

Here Comes the Messiah! trans. Daniel M. Jaffe (Review 8/12/2001)
The large number of Russian emigrants to Israel has greatly influenced Israeli culture. This novel paints a vivid picture of the emigre's lives.
I enjoyed the book---the descriptions are delightful---but I have to admit I felt a lot of it went over my head. (A Russian coworker who had read it in the original Russian asked me if I liked it, because so much was very culture specific.) A huge number of characters to keep straight; Rubina does a wonderful job giving them all their own voices and personalities, but I still found it confusing at times. I give it a B, but for those with better understanding of Russian and Israeli culture, I'm sure they'll enjoy it even more.

Female Man, The (Review 7/9/96)
Feminist science fiction from the 70s. There are four main characters, from different universes and different times in those universes. Janet is from a future where there are no men on the planet; the societal structure is impressive. Jeannine is from a world where there was no WWII and the Depression is still going.
It's sometimes very difficult to understand who is narrating at any given moment, but I suspect it may be only one character who reverts from participant to omniscient observer at the drop of a hat. Overall, though, if you read and just absorb, it's not too bad. I give it a B.

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©2001 Eric E. Karnowski, All Rights Reserved.