The Brat Prince Lestat --- bestselling author Anne Rice’s iconic creation --- returns in PRINCE LESTAT AND THE REALMS OF ATLANTIS. After a painfully long 11-year break, Rice released PRINCE LESTAT to positive reviews in 2014, proving that her remarkable talents and incredible imagination remained alive and well. While longtime fans breathed a sigh of relief, still others joined Lestat and the gang for the first time, inspiring a new fervor in Rice’s fandom. Now she returns with a new dilemma for the tribe, full of new characters, investigations and even a new world.

After the catastrophes that occurred in PRINCE LESTAT resulted in Lestat consuming the legendary vampiric “core,” he has adapted to princely life splendidly. Ruling over the tribe from a court in France, Lestat has taken his responsibilities seriously thus far, or at least more seriously than readers of INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and THE VAMPIRE LESTAT could have imagined. Still, he has not totally dropped his “brat” persona, and when Amel, the spirit residing inside of him, begins taunting him with visions of a fallen kingdom, Lestat’s curiosity gets the better of him.

When we reunite with Lestat, he is working to unite the vampire world, creating rules and laws for conduct that he hopes will bring his clan into the new world without any major hiccups. Drawing from vampires ancient and new alike, Lestat and his counsel are working not only to maintain the vampiric population, but to fully investigate its origins. Of course, none of this is easy with the spirit that created the first blood drinker residing inside of him, but who ever said being the prince would be easy? Along with beloved favorites Armand and Louis, aiding Lestat in his quest are vampires Benji and Fareed, both of whom use their knowledge of science and technology to unite vampires worldwide through secret radio transmissions and controversial studies. Although Lestat has more or less adapted to Amel’s presence, he is taunted by visions and dreams of a falling kingdom and the screams of its inhabitants.

"Rice’s ability to ease into her beautiful world with the same seamless transitions readers have come to know and love will assure you that Lestat has never fully left the building --- and neither has Rice’s immense talent."

Of course, Lestat is not the only blood drinker plagued by such visions. Worldwide, ancient vampires have been receiving similar dreams, and still others have noticed inhuman creatures in their midst. Dark of skin with a streak of golden hair, these creatures blend in almost seamlessly with humans, but to the undead, they taste, smell and bleed differently. In Manhattan, the vampire Armand has captured one of these mysterious creatures after it was found chanting Amel’s name and stalking undead radio star Benji Mahmoud.

At the same time, Lestat’s sworn enemy Rhoshamandes has gained control of one of these creatures, and his hatred of Lestat --- not to mention Lestat’s inability to take him seriously --- is always simmering in the background. Rhosh is foolishly hoping to keep his creature captive until Lestat publicly forgives him, but, like many power-hungry villains, he is constantly thwarted by his own inability to see past his rage.

Rhoshamandes’ prisoner, Derek, is one of the highlights of Rice’s latest endeavor. Although he is a new creation for the author, both in body and mind, he is as expertly fleshed out and developed as even her most beloved characters. His struggles with morality and mortality will remind readers of early versions of Lestat and his beloved Louis, but he truly stands alone, making him one of Rice’s finest characters to date.

As the vampire world slowly learns more about Lestat’s visions and the mysterious creatures walking among them, it soon becomes apparent that the two are inextricably tied. However, questions of what happened to the utopian kingdom and how its former inhabitants have come to earth remain. Ever conscious of the enormous responsibilities he holds as Prince, Lestat must carefully investigate this kingdom, Atlantis, and how it connects to Amel --- all while the deadly spirit lives inside of him, threatening to control his every move and thought. Although he finds an unlikely companion in Derek, the future of the vampire world and the revisionist history of Atlantis remain unstable, unpredictable and, well, undead.

Divided into three sections, PRINCE LESTAT AND THE REALMS OF ATLANTIS seeks to investigate the history of not only Atlantis, but vampires as well. Though this novel is definitely more science fiction than gothic horror, it still fits perfectly into Rice’s Vampire canon. While on tour for the book, Rice explained that she has had the story of Atlantis in her mind for years, but could never find the drama it needed to become a novel --- until she thought to connect it to her beloved vampires.

If your vision of Atlantis is more akin to Disney’s The Little Mermaid than a futuristic utopia full of unimaginable technologies and medical advances, then prepare to have your imagination shaken. Rice has constructed a wholly original view of this mythical kingdom, and, like all of her luscious descriptions, it will leave you craving for more. Although I do not expect her to return to Atlantis in future books, she has left just enough of a window open so that readers will be delighted should she choose to do so.

I will say now that if you are not particularly well-versed in Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, or have not yet read PRINCE LESTAT, this book will not be the best introduction to this incredible and deeply romantic series. Newcomers will be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of characters, though Rice does a masterful job of highlighting their differences just enough to keep them separate in your mind without distracting you from the main attractions. Longtime fans of Rice’s work, however, will hungrily devour her take on this new world and appreciate the change of scenery. Even if you were initially thrown off guard by the title of the book, Rice’s ability to ease into her beautiful world with the same seamless transitions readers have come to know and love will assure you that Lestat has never fully left the building --- and neither has Rice’s immense talent.