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  • The Witching Hour

  • Written by: Anne Rice
  • Narrated by: Kate Reading
  • Length: 50 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (210 ratings)

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The Witching Hour cover art

The Witching Hour

Written by: Anne Rice
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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Publisher's Summary


A spine-tingling tale from the mind of legendary Gothic fiction writer Anne Rice, The Witching Hour is an epic novel that follows four centuries of the mesmerizing Mayfair family of witches and challenges everything you have ever believed to be true.

In the first novel of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches series, listeners are introduced to neurosurgeon Dr. Rowan Mayfair, her husband, Michael, and the rest of the Mayfair family as they grapple with an evil spirit known as Lasher that has a mysterious hold over them. In this novel, Rowan and Michael pair up with Aaron Lightner, representative of an occult organization, Talamasca, to thwart Lasher’s attempts to be born into the flesh. As the story unfolds, listeners learn about this fascinating dynasty of witches that stretches across six sequels, including Taltos and Blackwood Farm.

Anne Rice is the genius behind bestselling sagas such as The Vampire Chronicles, which includes Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned. This audiobook is full of everything Anne Rice’s fans have come to love about her fascinating stories, including hauntings and other supernatural events that will thrill listeners from the opening lines to the spine-tingling end. Accomplished narrator Kate Reading performs this audiobook, bringing these powerful witches and chilling storylines to life in hypnotizing ways.

Fans of the Mayfair witches can now see them brought to life in the American supernatural drama series Mayfair Witches. The TV show airs on AMC and stars Alexandra Daddario and Harry Hamlin.

What the critics say

"[A] huge and sprawling tale of horror." (The New York Times Book Review)

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What listeners say about The Witching Hour

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

It was great until it wasn’t...

I was really enjoying the story of the Mayfair Witches and especially the character or Rowan. But then it all went south at about 3/4 of the way through. I don’t want to spoil things, but I feel her character just does a 180 and betrays everything and the story goes loopy. The ending tries to be “deeper” than the plot can support. I mean I spent FIFTY HOURS listening to this thing and was left feeling like I should have been listening to several other books during that span instead. Disappointed.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A whole lot of not much

Anne Rice has this fascinating ability to write an entire chapter describing something and you're still left not quite knowing what it looks like. Anne rice is incapable of describing a spoon in less than 157 words. I think shes quite famous for her "fluff" though, so this isnt new. You know, completely nonsense descriptions that are entirely irrelevant, for example, where EXACTLY the 2nd cousin twice removed - a character that we've never heard of until now and will never hear of again - is standing in the yard. Or how many times a glass has been filled with brandy, or the waiters name who poured it. There is a scene in the story when all of the Mayfairs are gathered around having a party outside, and they start to talk about "The Pact" and "The Man" and its hands down the most infuriating scene I've ever read (or in this case, listened to.) I could have driven my car into the ditch just to get it over with. I think Rowan asked 3 questions, and she recieved maybe 2 answers, and it took an entire chapter with the irrelevant characters cutting in and bickering back and forth, it was AGONY. I WAS IN AGONY.

I really didn't like Michael, or Rowan for that matter. I probably would have liked Michael if the narrator didn't give him a stupid Boston accent as if he were straight out of Jersey Shore, when the guy is Irish?? Rowan is portrayed as this genius, and yet I envisioned her to just about always have some half-dumb far away look on her face. She's all buisness and stone cold, dont need no man - until shes bawling her eyes out, yammering on about her lonliness, and clinging dramatically to Michael like he's the only thing keeping her from floating away. I cant say too much without giving spoilers, but I will say she is described as one way, and acts in a way entirely opposite to her persona. She is stunningly beautiful in the most cliche way, blonde, tall, extremely thin, wealthy beyond belief, just an utter eye-roll of a character. I have no idea how Rowan and Michael fell in love so quickly and so deeply, it all felt like a bad joke. I feel like Anne really tried to breathe fire into thier relationship, but it was all so obvious, like she was cramming the love down your throat. I assume this is because Michael touches her and suddenly knows everything about her. But I mean, clearly he doesnt know her at all, since she completely flips a switch by the end of the book. I think the only character I liked and had any sort of mystery, was Lasher. The only part of this book that I somewhat enjoyed was when Rowan finally got to sit down with Lasher and talk to him, because she asked most of the questions we were wondering about and he actually answered them. But it didnt last long, and ended up going downhill again shortly after.

Aside from terrible ramblings on and about a thousand pauses to stop and admire the state of that damned bougainvillea, there was the next level disturbing content. ** There should be a serious warning with the purchase of this book. Actually, I'll warn you right now, if you're sensitive, dont bother reading this any further. **

You know, I'm fine with a bit of incest in a book, but hard core (repeated, like, a lot) father-daughter sex? And grown men being attracted to children? And characters actually enjoying rape? Actually asking to be "torn apart?" What the actual hell, Anne, get your head checked! I think this woman is demented! Honestly this book was a waste of time and I'm so grossed out by Anne Rice I won't bother to read any more of her books.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ohhhh, the witches!!!

Even after 15 plus years this reread was just as good as if it were the first time!!! Love Ann Rice and her timeless stories that never bore.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging and Interesting

Having been to New Orleans I found this story so engaging and entertaining. I could see first street and the places they describe. Just loved this book!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Was alright.

It took wayyyyy to long to get going. I liked it but, be prepared to listen for a long time to get to a point where it keeps you interested.....Don't give up eventually it will.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mesmerising story!

What journey this book was!!!love performance.Had great time! Whole experience was wonderful!! Anna Rice did it again!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A five hour story

Expanded to fifty. The plot was good. The writing was dreadful. The first three hours were all telling and no showing. The last chapter wasn’t bad, but perhaps I was simply relieved that the ordeal was over. Save your hard earned. This isn’t worth it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A horribly wonderful story!

A fantastic story that pulls you along through horrible family secrets and crazy lives of women who are cursed with witchcraft! No matter the awful things that happened I couldn’t put it down! Well worth reading. Anne Rice is of course an amazing writer!!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

nothing

this book is twisted. I'm not sure why I finished it thinking it would get any better. It didn't, the ending sucked too.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Slow start but very detailed.

You have to be very committed to finishing the story. the beginning is very slow to get going, a lot of history in this first book, less action. However, it sets you up perfectly for the next book. Not a stand alone novel, at all.

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