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Forlorn Angel : Amadeo

My sweet cruel child...



Forlorn Angel : Amadeo - Biography - In his own words (T.V.A. excerts) - T.V.A. : a review
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Pale death

    "Pale Death"

    all pictures on this page are © Hitori

"How can so much beauty hide such a bruised and steely heart, and why must I love him, why must I lean in my weariness upon his irresistible yet indomitable strength? Is he not the wizened funereal spirit of a dead man in a child's clothe?"
Marius writing about Amadeo, T.V.A., p. 116

Talking about "The Vampire Armand", I've gathered my favorite parts of the book and other graphics on that page:
A look on T.V.A.

"The embodiment of thirst itself", according to Lestat.
Which is dangerous only if you're afraid or too dry to assuage it...

Do you think you know who is Armand? I've discussed about it for hours with fans, on the Anne Rice mailing list and elsewhere. Some gave very good points about him, but mostly, it looks to me as if they're not talking of the same person as I know. As if they didn't read the same books as I did.
So... Let me invite you to my vision of this living-dead mystery. Will you dare to have a look in his fascinating soul?

A foreword. I don't like "vampires". I like or dislike people, characters, whether they're vampires, humans or whatever. And I usually don't bother to talk about the ones I don't like, but save my time for the ones who bring me something.
And, for one, I'm enthralled by Armand. Surely, being a vampire enhanced his uniqueness. Loneliness. Fierceness. The contrast between his appearance of a seventeen years old innocent boy, and his soul, one of a creature who was already alive before North-America even was a british colony, and who's been forced to live on death during the last five centuries. If he wasn't a vampire, he wouldn't be the one he is. But it's just a part of him. It doesn't define him wholly.
«You see, they all want the embrace. There is a kernal in all of them that is "half in love with easeful death" and as I wander through the late-night streets in the chill hours, I can hear their plaintive sighs, a muted chorus rising from those beds. Its rhythms penetrating the very walls.
They summon me. They long for me. Gentleman Death, that has been my epithet, and I so treasure it.»
Armand in 'Interlude with the undead'

Roma's Ragazzo

Now let me introduce you the wonder of wonders:
Armand, dreadful (but so lovely) teen Prince of the Ricean vampires. First, the facts: this "kid" is now about 500 years old. Amadeo is the name he was called in his old days, before he was made a vampire at 17. Armand, the name he has been given when he lived in Paris, sounds in french like a mix of 'arme' (weapon) and 'amant' (lover). So promising, so true...

If you don't know the Vampire Chronicles, I've written a summary of Armand's (un)life. It won't reveal you everything about the Chronicles, but it should cover all that's related to Armand, except the Mnemoch events (I won't even talk about *that*...).

Then let me give Armand the credit he's too detached and doubtful to ask for. Honestly, what's the light of a candle compared to the sun, what's Lestat compared to the dark magnificence of my dear Lord?

Though I'm not sure you'll like him more the way I see him...

For example: one might think that Armand killed Claudia for the sole reason that he wanted Louis?
It's only half-true. As he says it himself, there's never only one reason. Another one in that case, was that he wanted to keep Louis away. Why? Because Louis was too sensitive to his appeal. He got enthralled right away by Armand, and he could have become very close to him... So Armand made sure -consciously or not- that there would always be a distance between them, by killing the beloved Claudia of his 'prey'.

Same with Daniel : did he make him a vampire because he loved him enough to break his word, was it a lost of his control, or did he simply got mad...?

Ah! That's a good one. One I'm not sure about, in fact. I'd say that Armand made Daniel a vampire because he had lost a lot of interest as a mortal yet, and that he'd die anyway. Armand didn't need him as a reason to tune into the world anymore.

So he'd lose him no matter what : either he would stop to love him - or to play as if he loved him... -, or Daniel would die. But if he made him a vampire, it would change him, and it might be in good for once. And if it wasn't, Akasha the mad Queen of the Damned was on the way to kill them all by the look of it. So why not try?

It would break his word? Only if Daniel was to survive... Which, err, was unlikely to happen, truly... I mean, I wouldn't bet a cent on Daniel's chances to stay 'alive' if Armand ever needs some blood for a purpose of his... On the other hand, until that happens Armand probably won't bother to recover the blood he gave him (a gift is a gift but that Gift would have to be a loan...)

Cold green

      "Mourning angel": Armand in the early '90s. Have I told you that he could be modern for a 500 years boy... err, creature?

Anyway, he'd promised himself not to make the Dark Gift because he didn't want to give a soul to the Devil. But he'd lived with the Roman Marius, who didn't believe. With the Children of Darkness, whose obscurantists beliefs had been pulled down and blasted by Lestat.

No matter what may say "Memnoch The Devil", Armand didn't care anymore about the religious reasons.

And Anne seems to have realized it. In the novel called "The Vampire Armand", released in 1998, he's changed a lot... For the better.

The only reason left, not to make a vampire, was that he didn't want to curse someone with his own fate... Or to condemn more humans by creating another blood-drinking creature, deprived of emotions as are most of the vampires...

But Daniel *asked* to be a vampire. That was the reason why he kept by Armand's side. He was thrilled by the only idea of being the "Devil's boyfriend". Fool who never realized that the Devil lies in the heart of mortals much more than in Armand's soul...

Why did you save him, Armand? Did you believe him when he blamed you for his self-destructive behavior? Or did you simply think that it couldn't be worse? That there was still something to rescue... That it wouldn't be such a curse for him, as it was for yourself...

Control: that's another loooong debate... Because Armand sought for Lestat's company -what a weird idea, really...- after having been taken away from Marius by the Children of Darkness, it's supposed that he "wanted" to be controlled, because he'd always had a master -Marius, Santino in the Roman Coven, then he asked to Lestat to stay by his side.

That's not control. Armand learned how to control people, with Santino. He's learned to use his power of attraction to get their attention... and keep it away from him. In such a way that they don't even *notice* he's keeping them away from his inner self... Always ignoring what he feels. His schemes. His thoughts. His dreadful pain...
Different times, different faces
Shadow from the past

What he's looking for is a quickening. A reason to tune into a world that is not his own. And the best reason he can find usually, is a nice guy... Lestat... Louis... Daniel... All keys. Not lovers. People who he knows will be useful, but won't use him... because he won't lose himself to them. Because he doesn't love them. Not like he might...

I guess Armand is sleeping somewhere. Waiting. I've had a vision of him, moving in his sleep at night.

Ah, but vampires don't exist, do they? (sigh)

Rest in peace, Armand, but not too long please. There's never enough beauty in the world and you're missed. I'd rather not to have to go in Hell to meet you. Yet I guess I could do it. So you'd better listen before I feel compelled to find you wherever you are and spoil your rest...

You know, I thought you simply had enough of having your life told by Louis or Lestat, considering they don't get half of it. Or maybe Talamasca's survey became too heavy for your secretive schemes. Also thought you might have used your powers on Lestat to burn down his beliefs... my dear Lord of illusions. Even though I don't believe you still look for revenge against him. You got past this too, didn't you?

Update : by the look of it, threats work. Armand is back in "The Vampire Armand". I couldn't help but review that one.


Do you believe in such a thing? That one could hate instead of someone else, to spare this cherished one the guilt and pain of feeling hatred for those who should be loved?



So here he lies, feeling alive only in desire, since he found that longing is stronger than possessing.
For nothing in this world is enough to fill the terrible emptiness of a lost soul.
Nothing but what always escapes... or death.


Armandian Vampire / Links

Links checked / revised in December 2002


Webrings :

There are thousands of vampire sites on the Internet, so I can't check and link them all, but the links and webrings above should be a good start.


Other pages related to Armand in the Soulcatcher :


I have two souls
One being five centuries old
The other is forever seventeen



This The vampire Armand Webring site
owned by Hiyami.

The Blessed Darkness Ring
This Ring Of Blessed Darkness Site is owned by Hiyami

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