Claudia is just a child when the vampire Lestat turns her, condemning her to an eternity trapped in a child’s body. As her love for Louis strengthens, so does her hatred of Lestat. This is her story.

Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story is a graphic novel adapted from Anne Rice’s novel by Ashley Marie Witter. I would imagine that the target audience for this book are going to be existing fans so I won’t go into the story too much. Claudia’s very nature is contradictory; her childhood is stolen from her yet she will never grow into a woman. Inside she is a predator, but the world still treats her as a child. It really is a heartbreaking tale.

The beautiful sepia artwork has a sketchy feeling but Ashley captures expressions perfectly. The splashes of blood red are vivid and really do make the pages look bloody. I absolutely love this use of colour, it’s so effective. One thing that is a little weak is her representation of hands. Sometimes they look like deformed claws and whilst not the focus of the images, once I noticed them my eyes kept going there.

If you were inclined to pick up this book with no knowledge of Interview with the Vampire, you might find Louis a bit of a wishy washy character. I imprinted what I already knew onto him as I read but I don’t think he is developed at all except for Claudia’s feelings. The emotion in the drawings of Lestat convey a lot more; enough to fill in the gaps.