Time heals all wounds, unless, of course, you're a vampire. Cuts may heal, burns vanish, limbs reattach, but for the "blood god," the wounds of the heart sometimes stay open and raw for centuries. So it is for Marius, Anne Rice's oft-mentioned and beloved scholar. We've heard parts of his tale in past volumes of the Vampire Chronicles, but never so completely and never from his own lips. In Blood and Gold, Rice mostly (but not entirely) avoids the danger of treading worn ground as she fills out the life and character of Marius the Lonely, the Disenchanted, the Heartsick--a 2,000-year-old vampire "with all the conviction of a mortal man."
Plucked from his beloved Rome in the prime of his life and forced into solitude as keeper of the vampire queen and king, Marius has never forgiven the injustice of his mortal death. Thousands of years later, he still seethes over his losses. Immortality for Marius is both a blessing and a curse--he bears "witness to all splendid and beautiful things human," yet is unable to engage in relationships for fear of revealing his burden.
New readers to the Chronicles may wish for a more fleshed-out, less introspective hero, but Rice's legions of devoted fans will recognize Blood and Gold for what it is: a love song to Marius the Wanderer, whose story reveals the complexities and limitations of eternal existence. --Daphne Durham
From School Library Journal
What we've all been waiting for: the 2000-year history of Marius, mentor to the Vampire Lestat. At 750,000 copies, the first printing measures up to Marius's long reign. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
After a long, deep sleep, the vampire Thorne looks to centuries-old Marius for guidance as he comes back into the world. Thorne is curious about Marius's life and his relationship to others in the community of Blood Drinkers, and Marius consents to tell all. It is this story that makes up the bulk of Rice's newest entry to the "Vampire Chronicles," the first of which was Interview with the Vampire. This complex tale presents the history of vampires through the eyes of Marius, who offers his perspective on several characters, most of whom have appeared in earlier volumes. Marius, who is something of an erudite philosopher, brings his own spin to the stories of the various undead he has met in his long existence. Though it is not as engrossing as the earlier books perhaps because so much of the story has already been told devoted followers of the series will find new information about familiar characters, and new readers will find this a good introduction to Rice's world of the vampire. Most public libraries will want to purchase.- Patricia Altner, Information Seekers, Columbia, MD Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
Derek Jacobi masterfully and splendidly narrates Rice's Vampire Chronicles novel that fills out the life and character of 2,000-year-old Marius, the Lonely Wanderer and mentor to Lestat. An eclectic cast of new immortals is also introduced. Unhurriedly and confidently, Jacobi reads of Marius's travels with "Those Who Must Be Kept" from Rome and Venice to Dresden, England, and finally the jungles of South America. His voice, as always, is eloquent, strong, and masculine. This haunting history of Marius is a roller-coaster ride of emotions, and it can stand completely on its own or complete the picture for Rice fans. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
From Booklist
Rice's new Vampire Chronicle tells the story of Marius, a mentor to Lestat, the creator of Armand, and the lover of Pandora. He has appeared in almost all the other chronicles, which presents Rice the task of maintaining continuity without treading too much old ground. The first 100 pages here are somewhat flat, especially for series neophytes, who may be confused by the detailed backstory. Once on new ground, the story picks up. For a while, Marius travels with the vampires Avicus and Mael, the latter of whom is responsible for Marius being turned into a vampire. Marius' own strict ethics allow him to feed only on those who have committed crimes. He also carries the serious burden of guarding the very first vampires, the Parents, and that somehow always separates him from any happiness and deep companionship he finds. The middle of the yarn is much more compelling than the beginning and the end, too, which contains more old news. Since this probably isn't the last Vampire Chronicle, let's hope Rice finds some new blood before the next installment. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
“Tantalizing . . . Sustains its impact from start to finish.”
–USA Today
“A MARVELOUS ADVENTURE . . . Rice continues to be a fascinating, immensely talented writer; she’s taking risks that few other popular authors would even contemplate. Readers . . . will be enthralled.”
–The Dallas Morning News
“DIFFICULT TO PUT DOWN. This is perhaps, the finest Vampire Chronicle [Rice] has penned.”
–Lambda Book Report
Review
?Tantalizing . . . Sustains its impact from start to finish.?
?USA Today
?A MARVELOUS ADVENTURE . . . Rice continues to be a fascinating, immensely talented writer; she?s taking risks that few other popular authors would even contemplate. Readers . . . will be enthralled.?
?The Dallas Morning News
?DIFFICULT TO PUT DOWN. This is perhaps, the finest Vampire Chronicle [Rice] has penned.?
?Lambda Book Report
Book Description
“RICE WRITES WITH HER USUAL EROTIC AND HISTORICALLY EVOCATIVE FLAIR.”
–People
Once a proud Senator in Imperial Rome, Marius is kidnapped and forced into that dark realm of blood, where he is made a protector of the Queen and King of the vampires–in whom the core of the supernatural race resides. Through his eyes we see the fall of pagan Rome to the Emperor Constantine, the horrific sack of the Eternal City at the hands of the Visigoths, and the vile aftermath of the Black Death. Ultimately restored by the beauty of the Renaissance, Marius becomes a painter, living dangerously yet happily among mortals, and giving his heart to the great master Botticelli, to the bewitching courtesan Bianca, and to the mysterious young apprentice Armand. But it is in the present day, deep in the jungle, when Marius will meet his fate seeking justice from the oldest vampires in the world. . . .
Download Description
The Vampire Chronicles continue with Anne Rice’s spellbinding new novel, in which the great vampire Marius returns.
From the Inside Flap
“RICE WRITES WITH HER USUAL EROTIC AND HISTORICALLY EVOCATIVE FLAIR.”
–People
Once a proud Senator in Imperial Rome, Marius is kidnapped and forced into that dark realm of blood, where he is made a protector of the Queen and King of the vampires–in whom the core of the supernatural race resides. Through his eyes we see the fall of pagan Rome to the Emperor Constantine, the horrific sack of the Eternal City at the hands of the Visigoths, and the vile aftermath of the Black Death. Ultimately restored by the beauty of the Renaissance, Marius becomes a painter, living dangerously yet happily among mortals, and giving his heart to the great master Botticelli, to the bewitching courtesan Bianca, and to the mysterious young apprentice Armand. But it is in the present day, deep in the jungle, when Marius will meet his fate seeking justice from the oldest vampires in the world. . . .
From the Back Cover
“Tantalizing . . . Sustains its impact from start to finish.”
–USA Today
“A MARVELOUS ADVENTURE . . . Rice continues to be a fascinating, immensely talented writer; she’s taking risks that few other popular authors would even contemplate. Readers . . . will be enthralled.”
–The Dallas Morning News
“DIFFICULT TO PUT DOWN. This is perhaps, the finest Vampire Chronicle [Rice] has penned.”
–Lambda Book Report
About the Author
Anne Rice is the author of twenty-four books. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, the poet and painter Stan Rice.
Blood and Gold FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Anne Rice writes grand romances in the traditional sense of the word, the Victor Hugo sense: novels with larger-than-life characters whose epic experiences sweep through all the great themes and emotions of life, death, love, passion, and loss, while also providing plenty of action.
Blood and Gold continues Rice's Vampire Chronicles by taking up the tale of Marius, who was for centuries the guardian of Those Who Must Be Kept, and whose duty to the King and Queen of the Vampires caused him much pain, loss, and suffering. Marius, who originally appeared in The Vampire Lestat and has figured briefly in the majority of the Chronicles that have followed, was an aristocrat of ancient Rome before his conversion to the Living Death. Blood and Gold follows his lonely life through the ages, sweeping from Imperial Rome to Constantinople to Venice during the Renaissance (Botticelli makes a brief cameo appearance) to the present day. His passion for longtime companion Pandora (detailed in a book of the same name, although told from her perspective), results in his loneliness and a centuries-long search for her.
Blood and Gold is one of Rice's finest achievements and has the added benefit of standing completely on its own for new readers. But those seeking the most complete picture of Marius will also want to revisit The Vampire Lestat, Pandora, and The Vampire Armand to understand how he's viewed by those his life has touched. (Greg Herren)
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"The Vampire Chronicles continue with Anne Rice's spellbinding new novel, in which the great vampire Marius returns." "The golden-haired Marius, true Child of the Millennia, once mentor to The Vampire Lestat, always and forever the conscientious foe of the Evil Doer, reveals in his own intense yet intimate voice the secrets of his two-thousand-year existence." "Once a proud Senator in Imperial Rome, kidnapped and made a "blood god" by the Druids, Marius becomes the embittered protector of Akasha and Enkil, Queen and King of the vampires, in whom the core of the supernatural race resides." "We follow him through his heartbreaking abandonment of the vampire Pandora. Through him we see the fall of pagan Rome to the Emperor Constantine and the horrific sack of the Eternal City itself at the hands of the Visigoths." "Bravely, Marius seeks a new civilization in the midst of glittering Constantinople, only to meet with the blood drinker Eudoxia. We see him ultimately returning to his beloved Italy, where after the horrors of the Black Death, he is restored by the beauty of the Renaissance. We see him become a painter living dangerously yet happily among mortals, giving his heart to the great Botticelli, to the bewitching courtesan Bianca, and to the mysterious young apprentice Armand." Moving from Rome to Florence, Venice, and Dresden, and to the English castle of the secret scholarly order of the Talamasca, the novel reaches its dramatic finale in our own time, deep in the jungle where Marius, having told his life story, seeks some measure of justice from the oldest vampires in the world.
SYNOPSIS
The Vampire Chronicles continue with Anne Rice's spellbinding new novel, in which the great vampire Marius returns.
FROM THE CRITICS
Michael Harris - Los Angeles Times
In Anne Rice's novel Blood and Gold, the comparison flatters us--surely one of the secrets of her popularity.
Book Magazine
Rice brings her long-waning Vampire Chronicles series back to life with this passionate book about the vampire Marius, who recounts his life story to a visitor he has invited in out of the cold. Made into an immortal by a band of Druids during the time of Caesar Augustus, Marius, once a Roman senator, spent centuries living an opulently idle life. His primary task throughout the years was to guard the unmoving forms of Akasha and Enkil, the queen and king of the vampires, who caused such a ruckus in Rice's earlier novels. Marius has always been one of the author's more fascinating characters. His florid, foppish recollections of Rome and Venice, run-ins with people like Botticelli, battles with hordes of Satan-worshiping vampires and the never-ending search for his true love, Pandora, make for a satisfying read, something Rice has not delivered in far too long. —Chris Barsanti
Library Journal
After a long, deep sleep, the vampire Thorne looks to centuries-old Marius for guidance as he comes back into the world. Thorne is curious about Marius's life and his relationship to others in the community of Blood Drinkers, and Marius consents to tell all. It is this story that makes up the bulk of Rice's newest entry to the "Vampire Chronicles," the first of which was Interview with the Vampire. This complex tale presents the history of vampires through the eyes of Marius, who offers his perspective on several characters, most of whom have appeared in earlier volumes. Marius, who is something of an erudite philosopher, brings his own spin to the stories of the various undead he has met in his long existence. Though it is not as engrossing as the earlier books perhaps because so much of the story has already been told devoted followers of the series will find new information about familiar characters, and new readers will find this a good introduction to Rice's world of the vampire. Most public libraries will want to purchase. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/01.] Patricia Altner, Information Seekers, Columbia, MD Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
AudioFile
History and philosophy come together in the engaging tale of Marius, caregiver for "Those Who Must be Kept." We experience the rise and fall of civilizations through the eyes of this ancient scholar, painter, philosopher, and lover of humankind. Roger Rees brings a tender charm to the 2,000-year-old blood-drinker. His voice is irresistible, lush, and seductive. Rees's renditions of the intriguing courtesan, Eudoxia; the beautiful human, Bianca; and the always elusive Pandora are compelling. Each is as unique as her character deserves. Fans of earlier installments of THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES may find the beginning of this episode heavy with exposition, but once they begin Marius's tale, Rice and Rees transport us through the millennia with practiced ease. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
Large arterial heart-piece in Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Though much of the lordly speech ("Oh . . . you foolish, mad, self-important dreamer!") suggests no advance in dialogue since Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur (1880) or H. Rider Haggard's She (1887), Rice opens grandly, reviewing cultural vampirology, its origins and historical underpinnings, in a backstory skimmed from earlier works. Akasha, mother of all vampires and Queen of the Damned (1990), is 6,000 years old when red-haired twins Maharet and Mekare rise up and behead her. Mute Mekare becomes Queen, having taken into herself from Akasha the Sacred Core of blood drinkers. Akasha's destruction liberates Marius, who for 2,000 years kept safe the sleeping bodies of Akasha and her consort Enkil, to tell his story to red-haired Thorne, a Viking given the Dark Gift long ago by Maharet. Too sensitive to kill, Thorne encased himself in an arctic cave for centuries and only now awakens to the modern world. As Thorne listens, Marius describes carrying the royal vampire coffins from Antioch to Rome, seeing Byzantium change into Christian Constantinople, and (skipping the Dark Ages) participating in Italy's glory years of blood and gold, during which he becomes a great painter. For centuries he mourns his beloved Pandora, whom he fled in Antioch. A pair of two-dimensional vampires, angry Mael and tearful Avicus, cling to Marius as he meets the glorious Eastern vamp Eudoxia, who herself has drunk from Akasha. But Eudoxia must die and be replaced by Zenobia, a virginal variation on child-vampire Claudia. Besotted by Botticelli, painter Marius hears Satan whisper, Give Botticelli the Blood. Then Marius loves Bianca the poisoner and the Russian waif Amadeo/Armand. Later turns: Marius is burned by Christian Satanists and tries to win back Pandora. Given her historical antecedents, Rice-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed writes like a damned Queen.
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