Editing The Queen of the Damned

{{short description|1988 novel by Anne Rice}}
{{About|the Anne Rice novel|the 2002 movie adaptation of the novel|Queen of the Damned}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book| 
| name          = The Queen of the Damned
| image         = TheQueenOfTheDamned.jpg
| caption       = First edition
| author        = [[Anne Rice]]
| cover_artist  =
| country       = United States
| language      = English
| series        = ''[[The Vampire Chronicles]]''
| genre         = [[Gothic fiction|Gothic]], [[Horror fiction|Horror]]
| published     = September 12, 1988
| publisher     = [[Alfred A. Knopf|Knopf]]
| media_type    = Print ([[Hardcover]], [[Paperback]]) & audio book
| pages         = 448
| isbn          = 978-0394558233
| oclc          = 
| preceded_by   = [[The Vampire Lestat]]
| followed_by   = [[The Tale of the Body Thief]]
}}

'''''The Queen of the Damned''''' (1988) is a [[Vampire literature|vampire novel]] by American writer  [[Anne Rice]], the third in her ''[[The Vampire Chronicles]]'' series.  It follows ''[[Interview with the Vampire]]'' and ''[[The Vampire Lestat]]''.  This novel is a continuation of the story that ends in a [[cliffhanger]] in ''The Vampire Lestat'' and explores the rich history and [[mythology]] of the origin of the [[vampires]], which dates back to [[Ancient Egypt]].

In March 2014, a new installment of Rice's series  was announced  titled ''[[Prince Lestat]]'', which Rice's son, novelist [[Christopher Rice]], called "a true sequel to ''The Queen of the Damned''".<ref name="LA Times 2014-03">{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-anne-rice-book-prince-lestat-20140310-story.html |title=Anne Rice brings back her vampire antihero with ''Prince Lestat'' |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Carolyn |last=Kellogg |date=March 10, 2014 |access-date=November 4, 2014 |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226192326/https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-anne-rice-book-prince-lestat-20140310-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Plot summary==
Part One follows several people over the same period of several days. Several of the characters from the two previous books appear, including [[Armand (The Vampire Chronicles)|Armand]], [[Daniel Molloy]] (the "boy reporter" of ''[[Interview with the Vampire]]''), Marius de Romanus, [[Louis de Pointe du Lac]], [[Gabrielle de Lioncourt]] and [[Santino (The Vampire Chronicles)|Santino]]. Each of the six chapters in Part One tells a different story about a different person or group of people. Two things unify these chapters: a series of dreams about red-haired twin sisters, and the fact that a powerful being is killing vampires around the world by means of [[spontaneous combustion]].

[[Pandora (The Vampire Chronicles)|Pandora]] and Santino rescue Marius, having answered his [[telepathy|telepathic]] call for help. Marius informs his rescuers that [[Akasha (The Vampire Chronicles)|Akasha]] has been awakened by [[Lestat de Lioncourt]], or rather his [[rock music]], for he has joined a rock band with mortals Alex, Larry and Tough Cookie. Having been awakened by Lestat's rebellious music, Akasha destroys her husband [[Enkil]] and plots to rule the world. She is also revealed as the source of the attacks on other vampires.

Part Two takes place at Lestat's concert. [[Jesse Reeves]], a member of the secret [[Talamasca]] and relative of [[Maharet and Mekare|Maharet]], is mortally injured while attending the concert, and is taken to be made into a vampire at Maharet's compound in [[California]]'s [[Sonoma Mountains]]. The vampires from Part One later congregate in the compound. Meanwhile, Akasha abducts Lestat and takes him as an unwilling consort to various locations in the world, inciting women to rise up and kill the men who have oppressed them.

Part Three takes place at Maharet's compound, where Maharet tells the story of Akasha and the red-haired twins, Maharet and Mekare, to the other characters. Also present are [[Mael (The Vampire Chronicles)|Mael]] and [[Khayman]], who already know the story.

In Part Four, Akasha confronts the gathered vampires, explaining that she plans to kill 90 percent of the world's human men and establish a new [[Garden of Eden|Eden]] in which women will worship Akasha as a goddess. If the assembled vampires refuse to follow her, she will destroy them. The vampires refuse, but Mekare enters and kills Akasha by severing her head and consuming her brain and heart. Amel passes into Mekare, thereby saving the lives of the remaining vampires. She becomes the new Queen of the Damned.

In Part Five, the vampires leave the compound and assemble at Armand's island resort in [[Florida]] to recover. They eventually go their separate ways. Lestat takes Louis to see [[David Talbot (The Vampire Chronicles)|David Talbot]] in [[London]]. After their brief visit with Talbot they depart into the night, an incensed Louis and his angry words filling Lestat with glee.

===Origin of vampires===
''The Queen of the Damned'' deals with the origins of [[vampires]] themselves. The mother of all vampires, [[Akasha (The Vampire Chronicles)|Akasha]], begins as a pre-[[Egypt]]ian [[monarch|queen]], in a land called [[Egypt#Names|Kemet]] (which will become Egypt), many thousands of years ago. During this time two powerful witches (twins Maharet and Mekare) live in the mountains close to Nineveh. The witches are able to communicate with invisible spirits and gain simple favors from them.  During this period there is a bloodthirsty, invisible spirit known as Amel who continually asks the two witches if they need his assistance, although they prudently decline the offer. The witches' village is destroyed and they are incarcerated by the king and queen, who desire their knowledge. When the witches offend Akasha, the queen condemns the twins. Enkil then orders his chief steward (who is Khayman as a mortal man) to rape the twins in his stead, which would prove their lack of power, before the eyes of the court. Afterward the witches are cast out into the desert. While making her way back home with a pregnant Maharet, Mekare curses the king and queen secretly with Amel. Eventually Amel inflicts such torment on Akasha and Enkil that they demand advice and help from the two witches.

Unhappy with the young king's policies, conspirators attempt to assassinate the royal couple in Khayman's house while they are attempting to exorcise Amel, who had also been tormenting Khayman. While the king and queen lie dying, the evil spirit sees its chance to ensnare the soul of the dying queen and pulls it back into her body. The spirit combines itself with the flesh and blood of the queen, transforming her into a vampire.  Akasha allows the king to drink her blood, which saves his life. In desperation, she orders Khayman to find the witches and bring them back to Egypt, hoping the twins will use their knowledge of spirits to help the couple, as they are overwhelmed by their thirst for blood. However, when the witches admit that they cannot help the monarchs, Akasha orders the mutilation of the witches: Maharet loses her eyes and Mekare her tongue. Afterward, Khayman, who had been turned into a vampire by Akasha, comes to the witches' cell and turns them too. The three flee together, but are caught by Akasha's soldiers. Khayman escapes, but Maharet and Mekare are further punished.  The witches are put into two separate coffins which are then set afloat on two separate bodies of water. They are only reunited near the end of the novel ''Queen of the Damned''.

In Mekare's absence, Maharet returns to watch over her daughter and her descendants. Maharet's descendants become what she calls the Great Family. A maternal line, the Great Family includes every culture, religion, ethnicity, and race. The Great Family represents all humanity and shows the vampires what Akasha would destroy with the creation of her New World Order.

As the source of all vampires, Akasha is connected to all vampires by the blood and spirit they collectively share. In an experiment by the first Keeper, Akasha and Enkil are exposed to sunlight when they are several thousand years old. This merely darkens their skin. However, the result on all other vampires is extreme, and many of the weakest vampires die, thus confirming the legend that anything that harms Akasha will also directly affect all of her progeny.

==Reception==
''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the entertaining, rich [[worldbuilding]] in the historical segments but criticized the contemporary sections for their melodramatic dialogue and cliche-riddled prose.<ref name="NYT">{{cite web |author1=[[Michiko Kakutani]] |title=BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Vampire Kingdom's Fate Hangs in the Balance |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/15/books/books-of-the-times-vampire-kingdom-s-fate-hangs-in-the-balance.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525085224/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/15/books/books-of-the-times-vampire-kingdom-s-fate-hangs-in-the-balance.html |archive-date=25 May 2015 |date=15 October 1988 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' called the novel "thin, unconvincing, and a grave disappointment".<ref name="Kirkus">{{cite web |title=THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anne-rice/the-queen-of-the-damned/ |website=[[Kirkus Reviews]] |publisher=Kirkus Media, LLC |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922203335/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anne-rice/the-queen-of-the-damned/ |archive-date=22 September 2021 |date=15 September 1988 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' said that excessive philosophical musings slow down the otherwise well-crafted storyline.<ref name="PublishersWeekly">{{cite web |title=Queen of the Damned |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780394558233 |website=[[Publishers Weekly]] |publisher=PWxyz, LLC |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426154223/https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780394558233 |archive-date=26 April 2022 |date=12 September 1988 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''The Queen of the Damned'' made its debut at number two on [[The New York Times Best Seller list]].<ref name="Hawes-102388">{{cite web |title=The New York Times Best Seller List - October 23, 1988 - Fiction |url=https://www.hawes.com/1988/1988-10-23.pdf |website=Hawes Publications |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907000735/https://www.hawes.com/1988/1988-10-23.pdf |archive-date=7 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> It ascended to the top spot in its second week and remained on the list for a total of 17 weeks.<ref name="Hawes-103088">{{cite web |title=The New York Times Best Seller List - October 30, 1988 - Fiction |url=https://www.hawes.com/1988/1988-10-30.pdf |website=Hawes Publications |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907004934/https://www.hawes.com/1988/1988-10-30.pdf |archive-date=7 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hawes-021289">{{cite web |title=The New York Times Best Seller List - February 12, 1989 - Fiction |url=https://www.hawes.com/1989/1989-02-12.pdf |website=Hawes Publications |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821135800/https://www.hawes.com/1989/1989-02-12.pdf |archive-date=21 August 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Adaptations ==
* ''[[Queen of the Damned]]'' (2002), film directed by [[Michael Rymer]], based on novels ''[[The Vampire Lestat]]'' and ''The Queen of the Damned''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://annerice.com/Bookshelf-QueenDamned.html ''The Queen of the Damned''] at Anne Rice.com

{{Anne Rice}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen Of The Damned, The}}
[[Category:1988 American novels]]
[[Category:1988 fantasy novels]]
[[Category:The Vampire Chronicles novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Anne Rice]]
[[Category:American fantasy novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Alfred A. Knopf books]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ novels]]