After switching bodies and getting into trouble, a reader would think that Lestat has seen and done it all. In Memnoch The Devil, Lestat talks to one person he doesn’t believes exist, the Devil himself.

In the beginning of Memnoch The Devil, Lestat is following an international criminal named Roger. Lestat plans to kill Roger when he’s ready. However, Lestat has also grown to love Roger’s daughter, Dora. The whole time Lestat has been following Roger, a being has been following him. For once in his immortal existence, Lestat is scared of the being that is stalking him. Lestat calls on David, now a vampire, to help him rationalize what this being could be. Lestat tells David that he doesn’t sense evil from this being, but his form is scary. This being has black wings and the legs of a goat. Lestat thinks that from his appearance, the Devil must be following him.

While killing Roger, Lestat learns through Roger’s thoughts that Dora is a woman of God. Lestat feels bad about killing Roger because he knows that Dora will be hurt by her father’s death. To Lestat’s horror, Roger’s spirit appears to Lestat and begs Lestat to look out for Dora and make sure she has everything she would ever want. Lestat runs in fright when the being that has been following him appears and takes Roger away.

Finally, one night, this being appears to Lestat and introduces himself as Memnoch. Memnoch is, in fact, the Devil and has come to earth to ask Lestat to become his lieutenant in Hell. Memnoch says that he will explain everything there is to know about Heaven and Hell and encourages Lestat to visit Heaven and Hell in an effort to persuade him to join forces with the Devil. Memnoch also says that if Lestat is not moved and inspired to go with him, Lestat has the right to refuse his offer and Memnoch will never bother Lestat again. Lestat tells Memnoch to give him two days to think over Memnoch’s proposition and on the second night, Lestat will have his decision.

Lestat talks to David and his old friend Armand about everything that has been happening. Of course, both of them tell Lestat not to go with the Devil because you, of course, can’t trust the Devil. Lestat decides that since Dora is a woman of god, he will go to talk to her since she has enough knowledge to guide Lestat toward a decision. After he tells Dora about the Devil coming to visit and everything he said, surprisingly, Dora tells him to go. Dora figured that if Lestat had the right to refuse his offer, then he didn’t really have anything to lose if he went with Memnoch. Out of curiosity, Lestat agrees to go with Memnoch.

Memnoch first takes Lestat to Heaven where Lestat sees the light of God. After being inspired and enraptured by Heaven, Memnoch takes Lestat back down to earth and begins to tell him the story of how the world was formed and how he was cast out of Heaven. He also explained to Lestat how God came down from Heaven to teach the people in Jerusalem how to achieve a place in Heaven. Memnoch next transports Lestat to the day in Jerusalem when Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified. Memnoch explains everything to him. Lestat finally comes to the point where he has to make a decision. However, will Lestat join the Devil or not?

Memnoch the Devil, written in 1995, is Anne Rice’s fifth book in the Vampire Chronicles.

Of the five books, Memnoch the Devil is my favorite. Each book is great in its own way, but Memnoch the Devil takes the reader on a journey through the beginning of creation and gives readers a look into Heaven and Hell. Memnoch the Devil is the only book in the Vampire Chronicle Series that a reader could possibly read by itself. The past four books always mentioned something in the previous book, but in Memnoch the Devil, Lestat’s past doesn’t play as prominent a role as in the others.