After lying in lethargy for decades following his near-destruction
in the hands of the
vampire-child Claudia and Louis, Lestat is finally
awakened and stirred back to life by the power of rock music. He joins an obscure rock band and by sheer talent gains a frenzied throng of fans. His group adopts the vampire theme, posing as “vampires” in their performances, which draw the attention of other blood-suckers. Deathly afraid of being exposed and targeted by humans, they consider Lestat’s music career a mortal danger to all vampires. In this book, Lestat, known in his youth as the “wolf killer” recounts his origin – how he was initiated into the world of the undead by an ancient vampire who, having bequeathed to Lestat his powers, immolated himself to oblivion. It tells how Lestat used his powers to accumulate wealth and arrange things through human agents so as to avoid suspicion. He saves his mother, Ysabelle, from a fatal illness, by turning her into a vampire herself. In the course of time, Lestat embarks on a journey to locate Marius, keeper of the original vampires, whose powers have enabled them to remain statue-like, seemingly unconcerned, through the centuries. Lestat wants to find out what would happen to a vampire who does not find death in immolation – whether he would continue to suffer for all eternity. Finally, he reunites with Louis, who has returned from his wanderings, in New Orleans. Together, and with the aid of the ancient vampire who has the power of immolation from afar, they ward off the attacks of the other vampires during the rock concert in the desert.