I have read a lot of reviews that believe this book to be the worst of the vampire chronicles. While I see some of the reasons the book merits some of the criticism, I also would like to write a defense of this novel.
First, Lestat's character has changed since Menoch the devil, which most fans seem to be split as to whether they liked this change or not. It is a little grating to see Lestat start with a chaotic rambling of "gangster" talk, but then again I don't think it was suppose to be permenant. In Blackwood Farm, Rice did acknowledge that Lestat still loved etiquette, as seen when he rebukes Quinn for spilling blood when Quinn tried to kill Stirling. This chaotic rambling can also be attributed to two things: Lestat is still in mourning for Merrick, and Anne Rice has (at the time of this story's creation) just lost her beloved husband Stan Rice. Stan Rice was Anne Rice's inspiration for Lestat, and perhaps with the loss of her inspiration, Rice might have meant for Lestat to appear distorted. (Rice's claim of inspiration is found in a published Houston Chronicle article.)
As for the inconsistency between Lestat supposingly knowing about computers and then not knowing how to write a simple email: well I guess I do blame that on poor editing or lack of counsel.
The novel is still written in Rice's magnificent writing style. There is indeed a clear beginning, middle, and end. Anne Rice's problem laid in the fact that she did not seem to find a stronger plot to merge the Vampires with the Mayfair withches. The love between Rowan and Lestat does seem to be a bit hard to believe, but then again they are both rather complex characters. Rowan's dark past seems to be paralleled to Lestat's own past, perhaps darkness seeks darkness because they understand each other. Michael is reduced to a duller and somewhat sad role, but this is not new. In the Mayfair witches triology, fans have seen that Rowan has taken him for granted by abandoning him at least twice. As for Mona's supposingly inconsistent bahavior, this is not the case. Mona's obsession with sex, computers, and immature behavior is still persistent throughout this tale.
As for the role of Oncle Julien: he is a character that simply has been important and critical in the previous Mayfair triology. He played a vital role in being the ancestor of both the Mayfair witches in the Mayfair triology, and being an ancestor to Merrick who becomes one of Vampires. Merrick seems to have been the first link of fusion between the Vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair Witches.
What we have here is a story that fuses three very interesting species: the Vampires, the Witches, and the Taltos. It also attempts to delve into religion's part in life itself. The reference to Saint Juan Diego is dued perhaps because he was one of the humblest saints in terms of orgin. It seems Lestat feels drawn to him because Lestat also started out with humble beginings, and since Juan Diego has attained sainthood then perhaps Lestat thinks he could also. Rice just likes to explore the afterlife in this novel, is there a heaven and hell, or is there a purgurtory-like plato like that of Quinn's twin or Oncle Julien's?
The only major complain I have towards this novel is the Taltos storyline. The way that Ashlar and Morrigan (Mona's taltos daughter) ends is just hard to believe. How could they have been taken over by drug dealers of all things. I found Rice's obession with gangsters to be absurd.
Perhaps it could have been written with more extravegence and a stronger plot line, but it still ends with a rather interesting and cliffhanger like ending. Much of the complain seems to stem more from ignorance of the Mayfair Triology then anything else. As a fan of the Vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair Witches, I support this story, and take it as a last gift of this marvelous series for there will apparently never be anymore of Lestat and Co. stories to be in awe of or complain about.

This book was awesome. I have read every one of her books and they keep getting better and better. When you read her books, Lestat is always bragging on himself, but that is his character. I couldn't put this book down.

I remember when I was first introduced to the wonderful, deeply lyrical and darkly enchanting world of the vampire chronicles for the first time by reading 'Interview with the Vampire'. How I was moved by 'The vampire Lestat', drawn into 'Queen of the Damned' and 'Tale of the Body Thief'. Then I remember how I gradually started to lose interest in these once so colorful, wickedly beautiful characters in 'Memnoch' which took me ages to finish, because it was just, so, very, boring. After that, reading the vampire chronicles became nearly painful, the stories grew more and more colourless, and Rice just kept repeating herself. Blood and Gold was slightly more interesting than the rest, but my hopes were crushed by the lousy 'Blackwood Farm'.
Now, I'm the type of person that can't start a series without finishing it, unfortunately, because the characters I once loved have turned into something grotesquely boring and idiotic.
My reading the rest of the chronicles made anything better, it feels as if Anne is just writing new books, losing inspiration, forgetting past stories, and how thoose characters FELT in the first place, just to make more money out of her name.

So, let me put it in a way that no one can misinterpret. Blood Canticle sucks. I hated it. It's amateurish, bleak and even though all it's overdramatics never delves deeper into any of the people or incidents. And what's with the way Lestat is speaking? I cringed when I read his ghettotalk. And his ramblings about being a saint, his extreme LOVE for christianity. This change from how he was is poorly done, and hardly believable. I didn't think it could get worse than 'Blackwood Farm' really, which annoyed me beyond reason, with all it's sad oh-so-beautifully-tragic people, the overdramatic yet pointless rants etc. But Blood Canticle somehow manages to be worse.

Anyone, who like me, fell in love with the first Vampire Chronicles, spare yourself from this! As a matter of fact, don't read the latter Vampire Chronicles, they're basically just boring, and repetetive crap. I won't force anyone, it's hardly possible, and everyone's free to read it and see or themselves what a piece of junk it is. But if you want to keep the image you have of the characters and Rice's style, don't even go near 'Blackwood Farm'.

So, now, I will go and sit down with my copy of Interview with the Vampire, and enjoy the Vampire Chronicles when they were worth reading,(because they certainly arent after the 4th book), and try to push this horrid piece of literature in the darkest corners of my mind, where it will hopefully lie until being forgotten.

And I don't say that lightly. It really is the WORST book ever. My favorite book of all time is The Vampire Lestat, so it hurts to have to say that. But it is true. From the first diatribe ridden page to the last anti climatic ludicrus page it is truly horrible. I've read and reread all of Rice's books except for Feast of All Saints and I've liked all of them (except Taltos and to some extent Memnoch the Devil; but at least that book had SOME redeeming qualities, Blood Canticle has NONE). I refuse to even think that the character in this book is actually Lestat. There is almost no similiarity to the Lestat I know very well and love. This is a completely different character who is boring, juvenile, and insipid. None of the characters are consistent with what they were in the previous books. Michael is reduced to just having a hot bod and being Rowan's cast off. Mona is a brainless you know what. Rowan is a shadow of her former self. The love story between Lestat and Rowan is unbelieveable, laughable, ridiculous and painful to have to read. The storyline about the Taltos is almost disgusting and it is beyond that, besides any point I could see the novel might have. I could say so many things about this book. When I heard about the plot about Lestat wanting to be a Saint, I thought it would be very interesting. It is so far from interesting it goes absolutely nowhere. He yammers on and on about some obscure saint, and has nothing insightful to say about the subject. Inexplicably he gives up the subject half way through and goes of to have a relationship with Rowan who he is paired with through some sort of convenience for the author to try to wrap things up. Lestat could have gone out gracefully, but this book cuts his head off and buries him in sludge (not literally of course). I was excited for Julien to be in the book.....he is hardly in it and is ineffectual as a ghost, person, or character. I see no reason for him being in the book at all. I could go on and on. Seriously, and no kidding, worst book ever.

I've been reading Anne Rice's books for well over 10 years now, and I have to say I've never been truly disappointed until Blood Canticle. Blackwood Farm was okay, especially when compared to the earlier Vampire Chronicles and the stories of the Mayfair Witches, but Blood Canticle was a huge let down. The diatribe on "getting" Memnoch was definitely insulting to long-time fans. Maybe it's time for Rice to leave the vampires and witches behind and start with some new "blood".