The Vampire Lestat

by Anne Rice

Set in the late 18th century to the late 1980s, the story follows the 200-year-long life of the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, and his rise from humble beginnings as impoverished nobility in the countryside of the Auvergne, to the cosmopolitan city of Paris, to becoming transformed by the Dark Gift into a vampire.

After escaping his family and running off to Paris with his lover and confidante Nicolas de Lenfent, Lestat is kidnapped and bitten by the reclusive elder vampire Magnus, who kills himself that night but leaves Lestat with a tower fortress and a vast fortune. Lestat abandons Nicolas for fear of causing him harm and shuns contact with his loved ones. Instead, he decides to shower them with gifts and riches from his newfound wealth as a means to compensate his departure from their lives. Lestat's mother, Gabrielle, arrives to say goodbye to him, herself dying of consumption. In order to save her, Lestat transforms her into a vampire as well. The pair run afoul of the Children of Darkness, an ancient coven of devil-worshipping vampires led by Armand, who attack them and kidnap Nicolas to punish them for breaking vampire law. Lestat and Gabrielle rescue Nicolas. After a heated debate with Armand, Lestat causes the coven to dissolve by denouncing the old ways and encouraging the cultists to modernize. Lestat later turns Nicolas into a vampire, but the transformation drives him mad, and his resentment of Lestat quickly destroys their friendship. Severely depressed, Nicolas later commits suicide by exposing himself to the sun. Armand "shows" Lestat the history of how he was made by the powerful vampire Marius de Romanus. Compelled by the idea of Marius, Lestat leaves markings carved into rock in numerous places while traveling with Gabrielle, hoping that one day, Marius will see them and find Lestat.

Whilst in Egypt, abandoned by Gabrielle, Lestat sleeps in the ground after being burned by the sun. He is recovered by Marius and is taken to his secret Mediterranean island. There, Marius shares his past with Lestat, and shows him Those Who Must Be Kept, Akasha and Enkil, who are the progenitors of all vampires. Once Marius has given his warning to Lestat not to go see them again, and leaves on a short outing, Lestat takes Nicolas's old violin and plays for the King and Queen, awakening them. Akasha feeds from Lestat as Lestat feeds from her. Then, Enkil, furious at the intrusion, attacks and nearly kills Lestat, who is saved by Marius and then sent away.