This is very different from The Vampire Lestat: beautifully, hauntingly written, with tight characterisations, and to the point. The “interview” gimmick does distract a little, though. Every so often, the quote marks remind the reader that this is supposed to be direct speech; and it is simply too well-structured to convince as something that is being spoken right now.

It also would have helped if some sections had been shortened. Especially the long journey between the first and second part is exhausting, at the very least, and the random incidents that are never fully explained don't contribute to the story.

All in all, however, it is a moving tale about a never-ending desperation that affects the reader on a deep level. Its greatest fault is perhaps that Rice seems to be very much in love with her own prose, to the point that she is at times unable to restrain herself: these are the passages that tend to bore eventually.