Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review?
Click here to submit a review!
Review Summaries
"Marius, main character and narrator, is forcefully made a vampire. He tells his tale to another vampire, beginning with his creation and ending with his life as it exists in the 20th century. Marius tells of almost 2000 years of his existence, relating his love of Pandora, his caretaking of the mysterious "Those Who Must Be Kept," and his relationships and connections with the other vampires of the world, both those he has made and those who have sought him out. His struggles include coping with his new found powers, trying to find a purpose to living for 2000 years, and finding Pandora, who he never stops loving."
D.C. Stewart, Resident Anne Rice Scholar
"The Vampire Chronicles continue with the story of Marius. He takes us back to his beginnings, as a Senator in Imperial Rome, where he was kidnapped and made a blood god by the Druids. He becomes the caretaker & protector of the Queen and King of the vampires. We follow him through his loss and centuries long search for Pandora, his great love. Along the way he becomes the creator and lover of others, including Bianca and Armand, and we follow these relationships. At one point he almost loses his life at the hands of an evil vampire and we stay with him as he heals over the years, until eventually he seeks his revenge. The conclusion of the book brings us back to the present and the shocking results of Lestat's music career."
Kim Mills, Resident Anne Rice Scholar
"
Knopf, Nov 2001, 26.95, 470 pp.
ISBN: 0679454497
Marius was very happy living as a patrician in Ancient Rome. However, he becomes disheartened when a Druid priest kidnaps him insisting that Marius will be the God of the Grove. He is turned into a vampire, but manages to escape. Marius journeys to Egypt to find the Divine Parents of the Vampires and bring them back to his hometown. For most of his life, he was the guardian of Those Who Must Be Kept, paying homage to them on a consistent basis.
Throughout his long life, Marius observed many world events including the fall of the Roman Empire. He found mortals that he loved and converted them, but none ever remained with him for long after changing. Marius made many enemies with one nearly killing him, causing centuries of healing before recovering. However, the ruler of the vampires stymies his efforts for vengeance by forbidding Marius vengeance.
Anne Rice has created another brilliant installment in her vampire chronicles that seem to have been running at a top quality level for as long as Marius' life span. Readers see the events of history through the eyes of the protagonist and understand what it is like to live in each era depicted in BLOOD AND GOLD. The characters are deep and complex and the tale is enhanced by action that occurs throughout the novel. Vampire lovers, paranormal fans, and Rice readers will enjoy this saga.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Anne Rice Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 30% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- depressing/sad
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy story on current Earth
Mental/magical powers focus
Yes
magical powers:
- clash between evenly matched magical power(s) (fantasy)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story?
Yes
Horror plotlets
- vampires taking a quick bite
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- long lived adults
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- mind reading
- mind control
- super strength
- can fly
- is very quick
- can read emotions
- healing
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Age:
- long-lived adults
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- mind reading
- can read emotions
- is very quick
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century
- 17th century
- general past
- during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Sex in book?
Yes
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
TOP SCHOLAR: