Book description
From the author of the extraordinary Vampire Chronicles comes a huge, hypnotic novel of witchcraft and the occult through four centuries. Demonstrating, once again, her gift for spellbinding storytelling and the creation of legend, Anne Rice makes real for us a great dynasty of witches--a family given to poetry and to incest, to murder and to philosophy; a family that, over the ages, is itself haunted by a powerful, dangerous, and seductive being. On the veranda of a great New Orleans house, now faded, a mute and fragile woman sits rocking . . . and The Witching Hour begins. It begins in our time with a rescue at sea. Rowan Mayfair, a beautiful woman, a brilliant practitioner of neurosurgery--aware that she has special powers but unaware that she comes from an ancient line of witches--finds the drowned body of a man off the coast of California and brings him to life. He is Michael Curry, who was born in New Orleans and orphaned in childhood by fire on Christmas Eve, who pulled himself up from poverty, and who now, in his brief interval of death, has acquired a sensory power that mystifies and frightens him. As these two, fiercely drawn to each other, fall in love and--in passionate alliance--set out to solve the mystery of her past and his unwelcome gift, the novel moves backward and forward in time from today's New Orleans and San Francisco to long-ago Amsterdam and a chΓ’teau in the France of Louis XIV. An intricate tale of evil unfolds--an evil unleashed in seventeenth-century Scotland, where the first "witch," Suzanne of the Mayfair, conjures up the spirit she names Lasher . . . a creation that spells her own destruction and torments each of her descendants in turn. From the coffee plantations of Port au Prince, where the great Mayfair fortune is made and the legacy of their dark power is almost destroyed, to Civil War New Orleans, as Julien--the clan's only male to be endowed with occult powers--provides for the dynasty its foothold in America, the dark, luminous story encompasses dramas of seduction and death, episodes of tenderness and healing. And always--through peril and escape, tension and release--there swirl around us the echoes of eternal war: innocence versus the corruption of the spirit, sanity against madness, life against death. With a dreamlike power, the novel draws us, through circuitous, twilight paths, to the present and Rowan's increasingly inspired and risky moves in the merciless game that binds her to her heritage. And in New Orleans, on Christmas Eve, this strangest of family sagas is brought to its startling climax.
MindfulMingle
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Thumb Candy
I'm addicted to this app's seamless performance and impressive library. ListenBook has rekindled my love for learning, one audio experience at a time. The app's attention to detail is commendable. It's evident in every feature. Great for listening to lectures and educational content. Very useful! Finally, an app that supports all my audiobook formats! ListenBook is a game-changer.
Desert Haze
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Girl Brownie
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Clover Rabbit
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NoiseCake
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Baked ZD
The family subscription option is a money-saver β everyone gets to enjoy their favorite books. With ListenBook, I can immerse myself in captivating stories and enriching knowledge, all in one app. The auto-rewind feature is a small detail that has a big impact on my listening experience. I love it! The auto-rewind feature is a thoughtful addition that enhances my listening journey. I appreciate it! Solid performance overall though some character voices sounded too similar. I occasionally got confused about who was speaking in dialogue-heavy scenes.
Con Mammoth
Thanks to ListenBook, I've rediscovered the joy of exploring my favorite content on multiple devices. Changing the tone of the sound on ListenBook Pro adds a personalized touch to my audiobook experience. I can't imagine my life without this app β it's my passport to countless stories. The app's performance is top-notch. It's stable, responsive, and optimized for a seamless audiobook experience. Kudos to the developers!
Wolf Tribune
The controls on ListenBook are intuitive and user-friendly, making it a joy to navigate through my audiobooks. This app has helped me achieve my reading goals and explore new genres effortlessly. Gone are the days of fumbling with different formats β this app's comprehensive support ensures I can enjoy any audiobook without a hitch. ππ
Miss Murder
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Gingersnap Woman
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Pockets
The customer support team is responsive and always ready to assist. Seamless integration of audiobooks β this app's ease of use is impressive. Supports all my playlists and bookmarks perfectly. It was fine. The narrator did an adequate job but nothing about the performance particularly stood out to me. Got me through my commute though.
Mad Robin
Audiobooks have transformed my daily walks into a time of inspiration and learning. I've become a more empathetic listener thanks to the emotional depth of audiobooks. The versatility of this app is mind-boggling. It's like a one-stop solution for audiobooks. With its powerful audio downloading features, I can have my favorite audiobooks ready to go, anytime and anywhere. ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is a game-changer. It enhances the audio quality and ensures that I can immerse myself fully in the content.
Feline Devil
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The Flying Mouse
This app has made me appreciate the art of storytelling even more. Book Groups on ListenBook make it easy to categorize and access my audiobooks. ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is a game-changer for improving audio quality and clarity.
Stealth
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The Dude
The selection of classics is a treasure trove for literature enthusiasts. π§ββοΈ Finding serenity through the soothing tones of audiobooks β mindfulness and stories in perfect harmony. π§ββοΈπ§ The adjustable playback speed is a secret weapon for getting through educational content faster.
Danger Menace
ListenBook has transformed my mundane activities into enjoyable moments of learning and entertainment. ListenBook has transformed my daily activities into opportunities for personal growth. The app's compatibility with CarPlay enhances my driving experience. Audiobooks on the road have never been better.
M8deUp
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Friday Ferrari
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience