Return of the Brat Prince

Author Anne Rice made a big announcement this week: Lestat is returning! The new book is titled Prince Lestat and will be released on October 28, just in time for Halloween. Of course I've read Interview With The Vampire, but The Vampire Lestat was always my favorite of Rice's Vampire Chronicles. I loved that Lestat was larger-than-life even before he became a vampire. Running away to Paris with his violinist lover and becoming an actor definitely paved the way for his later turn as a rock star. His extreme highs and extreme lows spoke to me in a way that the constant whining from Louis in the first book didn't. I loved it that he wasn't perfect, pretty far from it in fact, but he was never boring.

So I'm excited for his return. Rice's books don't always work for me, but when they do I love them. Lestat is a character that's been in Rice's head for decades. The first book was published in 1976, with the second following nine years later. Rice has always made it clear how important, how real, Lestat is to her, so it doesn't surprise me that she would find his voice again.

My introduction to The Vampire Chronicles came via a song on Sting's first solo album. Moon Over Bourbon Street was my favorite song on the album. According to the liner notes, the song was inspired by Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice. So I went looking for it at the library, and happened to find Lestat's book right after I finished the first one.

Are you a fan of the Brat Prince of the vampire world? How did you discover Lestat?