Review by: I. Indigo
"Life belongs to those who are alive," says David Talbot. And thankfully, by the end of Merrick, all of the characters are, in fact, still alive. This was by no means a simple trick. With Lestat still in a coma, Louis is, as always, pondering his grief and lost humanity. He and David Talbot seek the help of Merrick Mayfair, a witch and a member of the "Psychic Detectives" order, the Talamasca, to raise the ghost of the long dead Claudia.
This part of the plot was easy enough to follow. However, we are soon thrust into the tedious history of Merrick Mayfair and how she came to the Talamasca. At first I didn't understand why I was being forced to read the life account of this woman. As much as I love to hear David talk, I simply couldn't bring myself to like Merrick or care about her. If anything, she annoyed me and continued to do so throughout the history. (On the other hand, I grew interested in Aaron Lightner and look forward to reading the Witches of Mayfair series in which he recurs more often.) The only interesting part of this account was in regard to the possession of Merrick by the ghost of her sister, Honey in the Sunshine, and the mention of a young boy named Joshua who had apparently been David's lover for a while before he became Superior General in the Talamasca. But this, naturally, was because it was an event related directly to David, a character whom I enjoy.
Where Rice in no way failed in her descriptions (which were beautiful) I simply could not appreciate the story due to my boredom with Merrick. This does not, however, mean that I failed to understand the reasons behind the back story being given to us. It did, actually, have a purpose - to show the reader exactly what kind of person Merrick is. It prepared me for any actions she might take or requests she might make of our protagonists David and Louis.
In fact, when she manipulated Louis into making her a vampire, I wasn't surprised. When we found out that she had charmed David to bring him to her, I nodded because it seemed very much like something the character might do. But her manipulative nature made me dislike her as did the fact that she compounded Louis' grief. (This story was, in fact, very emotionally charged, and I enjoyed that aspect of it quite a lot.)
So far, none of the Vampire Chronicles women have become characters that I consider likable. I have already described my feelings for Merrick, and the brief appearance of Claudia made me dislike the child vampire all the more. Her hatefulness for Louis, someone who loves and dotes on her, even after death, leaves in me a great disdain for the girl. I understand her reasons for the hate and the plotting (which we learn of from her diary) but I completely disagree with how she expresses herself. As a character and a device she's very good, but if she were a real person I would have happily had Armand get rid of her for me. Naturally, though, it's up to the individual reader to make up his or her mind over whether or not they like her. (Also, as a note, I don't like the characters Jesse Reeves or Maharet for various reasons. My judgment is not yet made on Pandora because I have not read her story nor the account of her given by Marius in Blood and Gold)
By the end I was at least pleased by the return of Lestat and the rescue of Louis. Upon his return, David asks Lestat what was happening during the coma. Lestat teases David with hints of a greater adventure, but he does not tell the tale. Also, the Talamasca Elders are not pleased with what has happened to Merrick. Unless she returns to them, they plan to start a hunt on the vampires (something that, until now, would have been unthinkable to them). These two developments offer hope of new novels in the Vampire Chronicles given Anne Rice's good health and good will.
ISBN: 0345422406
Edition: M.M.Paperback
