Taltos (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #3)
Taltos (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #3)
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1994
Book Brief
Beta576
Novel • Fiction
•
Fantasy•
Horror & SuspenseNew Orleans and New York, United States, from ancient times to the present.
1994
Ballantine Books
Mass Market Paperback • 1996
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
After centuries of isolation, Ashlar—one of the mysterious Taltos—hears that another of his kind may exist. His search for kin draws him into the haunted world of the powerful Mayfair witches, whose history is bound to his nearly vanished race. As supernatural threats gather, ancient secrets and complicated family ties bring the Mayfairs’ past into dangerous contact with the present.
Mysterious
Dark
Emotional
Fantastical
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
59,869 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Reviewers praise Rice’s polished prose, sustained atmosphere of foreboding, and enduring ability to deliver supernatural chills. Kirkus also suggests that established admirers will eagerly consume this comparatively compact entry. Criticism centers on excess and momentum: Kirkus finds the storytelling overwrought and says the action takes roughly 150 pages to gather speed, while Publishers Weekly describes the atmospheric prose as meandering. The result is a dark, stylish novel whose mood may captivate readers more than its pacing.
Who Should Read Taltos (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #3)?
Taltos is best suited to readers who have finished The Witching Hour and Lasher and want the Mayfair Witches trilogy’s conclusion. It will appeal especially to fans of ambitious supernatural fiction that combines Gothic atmosphere, alternate history, family melodrama, witchcraft, and ancient mysteries. Expect beautiful but sometimes overwrought writing and a leisurely opening rather than immediate momentum. Readers sensitive to sexual violence or incestuous themes should approach cautiously, as both are part of the series’ dark material.
59,869 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
The series protagonist and Michael’s wife, a Mayfair witch who emerges from a semi-catatonic state after learning of Aaron’s death.
Rowan’s supportive husband, who cares for her at the Mayfair home and joins her investigation into their friend Aaron’s death.
Rowan’s thirteen-year-old cousin, whose earlier affair with Michael has left her pregnant as the novel’s present story begins.
Yuri’s close friend and a friend of Rowan and Michael whose fatal encounter with a car launches their investigation.
Aaron’s friend and a former Talamasca member who meets Rowan and Michael in London and helps them investigate Aaron’s death.
A Taltos who meets Yuri and Ash in London and contributes important information to the investigation surrounding Aaron’s death.
The daughter of Mona and Michael, distinguished by being a Taltos despite having two members of the Mayfair family as parents.
576
Novel • Fiction
•
Fantasy•
Horror & SuspenseNew Orleans and New York, United States, from ancient times to the present.
1994
Ballantine Books
Mass Market Paperback • 1996
Adult
18+ years
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