The Vampire Armand

The Vampire Chronicles

By: Anne Rice

Narrated by: Jonathan Marosz

Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

In the latest installment of The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice summons up dazzling worlds to bring us the story of Armand—eternally young, with the face of a Botticelli angel. Armand, who first appeared in all his dark glory more than twenty years ago in the now-classic Interview with the Vampire, the first of The Vampire Chronicles, the novel that established its author worldwide as a magnificent storyteller and creator of magical realms.

Now, we go with Armand across the centuries to the Kiev Rus of his boyhood - a ruined city under Mongol dominion—and to ancient Constantinople, where Tartar raiders sell him into slavery. And in a magnificent palazzo in the Venice of the Renaissance we see him emotionally and intellectually in thrall to the great vampire Marius, who masquerades among humankind as a mysterious, reclusive painter and who will bestow upon Armand the gift of vampiric blood.

As the novel races to its climax, moving through scenes of luxury and elegance, of ambush, fire, and devil worship to nineteenth-century Paris and today's New Orleans, we see its eternally vulnerable and romantic hero forced to choose between his twilight immortality and the salvation of his immortal soul.

©1998 by Anne O'Brien Rice (P)1998 by Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"ARMAND'S LIFE UNFOLDS IN RICH, VELVETY PROSE. . . . THIS IS A SUMPTUOUS ADDITION TO THE SERIES."--Library Journal

"ANNE RICE FANS WILL NO DOUBT BE THRILLED. . . . [Armand] until now has played a small role in the Vampire Chronicles. Here he assumes center stage, relating his five hundred years of life to fledgling vampire David Talbot, who plays amanuensis to Armand as he did to Lestat. . . . It's not just the epic plot but Rice's voluptuary worldview that's the main attraction. . . . Elegant narrative has always been her hallmark. . . . Rice is equally effective in showing how Armand eventually loses his religion and becomes 'the vagabond angel child of Satan,' living under the Paris cemeteries and founding the Grand Guignol-ish Theatre des Vampires. In the twentieth century, a rehabilitated Armand regains his faith but falls in love with two children who save his life. By the conclusion of Armand, the pupil has become the mentor."--The Washington Post

"A FASCINATING AND DAZZLING HISTORICAL TAPESTRY . . . BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, INCREDIBLY ABSORBING."--Booklist

Jonathon Marosz as Narrator

I love Anne Rice and her books. Especially the Vampire Chronicles. I have read all of them, but now I'm listening. Although the story itself is great, this narrator drives me to distraction when compared to the other narrators. He feels uninvolved in his own story. When he uses the characters voices,Jonathon Marosz is fine. But as the character Armand is telling his story, Marosz gives him no personality. My rating of the book is strictly on the content, not on the read. I will avoid future listens when I see his name as the narrator. I wish that Roger Rees had been the narrator for this as he did such a great job with Blood and Gold.

Again an amazing storytelling

I'm a fan of Anne Rice books, and there is a reason for it. The love and drama are just too perfect again!

Just AWFUL!

After Interview and Queen and the Mayfair Witches, I knew what I was getting with Anne Rice and I expected much more than this trash. I'm not a homophobic person but I don't particular care to read about the young boys in lovely slippers slipping into the pool with Armand. I couldn't get past 2 hours into this book. There's probably some goodness in there somewhere but what you have to go through to get to it is just not worth it. Skip this one in the Vampire Chronicles - check out the incest in the Witch's Chronicles instead!

Slow start, stick it out though!

I put this book off for too long because the narrator wasn’t what I was used to and I couldn’t get into the book. But after forcing the first chapter or two I really enjoyed it.

Great Story, Terrible Narrator

The story is wonderful but the narrator doesn’t do it justice. Better to read this one in your own!

A sleeper

This has been an invaluable sleep aid. 15 minutes or less of the narrator and I’m in the Land of Nod. What a shame. I hope the rest are better

Narration is not good

Story is alright. Not the best from Anne but alright. Narration is boring though. I couldn’t wait for it to end.

Narration is rough, Story is okay.

I have listened to books 1-6 and I absolutely love Simon Vance, he does an amazing narration. The narrator of this book, is a good narrator. I just think this book wasn’t a good match for his voice. It’s hard to go from Simon Vance to the narrator of this book.

As far as the story goes. I just feel like it was very boring. The beginning is good, the middle is interesting. I liked the story plot but the sexual stuff is hard to get through. The story with Marius (aside from the sexual stuff) is good. And then it just gets boring. The end was like walking through mud, I was just trying to get through the book at that point.

Armand

Love the Vamipre Chronicles, this book is no exception. Not a huge fan of Marosz..a little monotone for me. Still a good listen

Armand grew into a man

TO hear Armand speak of his past; to present he stood. When all was said and done, he grew and loved selfishly. Such a beautiful performance. From bitter ageless selfish child into a man.
Anne Rice is a Genius.