Yet "Blackwood Farm" is entertaining because of the fresh and unused characters which bring new life to the stagnating Ricean book production machine (and vampire dolls, for that matter). Old fans that were disappointed by her last books, might find new hope here. And people who haven't heard of Anne Rice's vampires until now (how dare you!) can easitly join in. Though a lot of old characters play minor roles, they don't confuse the new reader with their background. Anyway, it is always recommended to start a novel series in the beginning, so here are all the novels in order.

Interview with the Vampire
The Vampire Lestat
Queen of the Damned
The Tale of the Body Thief
Memnoch the Devil
The Vampire Armand
Merrick
Blood and Gold
Blackwood Farm

Though I was sceptical when I started to read "Blackwood Farm", the story soon captured my interest. It is a quick read, chock-full of sweaty Louisiana-weather, beautiful vampires and fresh characters. Thumbs up for Anne Rice's novel. Be sure to read it before the next one is published in October!