When I realized we'd picked a 1,000+ page book for the spring read in the Spooky Little Book Club, I panicked.
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Our spring theme was a novel set in New Orleans, so Anne Rice seemed like a natural fit. When it came time to choose which Anne Rice book to put up for a vote, I decided “The Witching Hour” sounded the most exciting.
And then I realized it was well over 1,000 pages – the longest book pick to date in the club and much, much longer than what I normally pick up.
Would people actually read it? And, better yet, would I actually get through it all so I could moderate a discussion? I was hopeful – Anne Rice is a classic contemporary author for a reason, right? – but all spring I was also holding my breath a bit, hoping this pick wouldn’t alienate all my book club members.
And some did decide to bow out of our spring book pick, which I totally get. It was a slow read, to say the least.
We ended up taking eight full weeks to read “The Witching Hour” to give those who chose to trek on ample time to finish it. I may have taken a few extra days to get to the finish line, but in the end…I’m glad to have my first Anne Rice novel under my belt and happy I tackled this particular one.
If you read along with us but aren’t on Facebook, this blog post is your chance to discuss the book! Below is my review, plus the four questions we discussed in the Spooky Little Book Club:

What I Liked
Warning: This section may contain spoilers for “The Witching Hour”.
We chose “The Witching Hour” for our theme of a novel set in New Orleans, and I think it fit the bill completely. As a girl who grew up next door to Louisiana and surrounded by family friends from the state, I’ve always felt an affinity for NOLA. I, myself, have only been once in the fall of 2003…and was barely there for a total of 18 hours (such is the life when you’re following bands on tour…). With is just a short drive away from Houston, I’ve been dying to go back ever since.
As Michael describes his childhood in the Irish district of New Orleans, his wonder with the houses in the Garden District and, in particular, the Mayfair house on First Street is exactly how I picture the city of New Orleans at her best – huge, historic houses dripping in lush gardens, overgrown trees and stifling humidity you can see. A glamorized New Orleans, to be sure, but I love that that is the version of the city where this story takes place.
In more traditional historic neighborhoods, I imagine voodoo and magic live behind the screen doors on the front porches. I like the idea that even in the upscale neighborhoods, witchcraft runs amuck too.
While it was a bit of a slog to get through the backstory of the entire Mayfair family, as I read on in the novel I did appreciate having those stories floating around in my mind too – particularly as we watched Rowan begin to make the mistakes that would lead her down the path to Lasher’s ownership. Without those stories – esp. the early stories of Mayfair witches with such strong wills in times when women were expected to be part of the scenery – Rowan’s downfall wouldn’t have been as epic.
Finally, it might be a bit of a controversial opinion, but I liked the ending. I lean into stories that don’t wrap everything up in a happily ever after bow or give you what you want – to me, they are more realistic and true to human nature. While I desperately wanted HER to be the one to break the chain, it also felt inevitable that Rowan would reject Michael, step into her inheritance as the new Mayfair witch and fall under Lasher’s spell. Who wouldn’t, esp. when kept in the dark about her family history for 30+ years?

What I Disliked
Warning: This section may contain spoilers for “The Witching Hour”.
The length, of course, was the more notable challenge for a book club read. I ended up using Audible to listen to the book in the car and around my apartment as I had time. Had I not, I know I never would have made it through the Mayfair witch history.
That said, one of the challenges I had with the length was how long it took to get to the actual story. Perhaps it makes me a lazy reader, but it made this book’s storytelling feel a bit dated and sluggish to me. I felt like we got glimpses of the story early on before Michael ended up at the Talamasca compound to read the Mayfair witch history as told by its members. And then once that was done, it picked right back up. I enjoyed the moments when we were propelled towards the “Will she? Won’t she?” moment with Rowan.
I also disliked the ending. What, WHAT? You just told us you liked the ending, Miranda! Get it together…
Haha – fair, but here’s what I specifically disliked: the epilogue. Michaels’ journal entry was an absolute trip for me. It felt like he was trying to romanticize the entire experience, from meeting Rowan by being brought back to life by her to their courtship and marriage to nearly losing his life again in that frozen swimming pool. Or worse, he was trying to justify the series of events by saying it wasn’t fate that brought them together at all. I disagree with him completely – how could it have been anything but fate that helped (or forced) Rowan fulfill her destiny as the 13th Mayfair witch?
Would I Recommend It?
Yes! Especially if you’re looking for a book that captures the sights and sounds of New Orleans.
While I’m not sure I’m ready to move on to the rest of the Mayfair witches series – “Lasher” and “Taltos” – just yet, I think they might be on my nursing home bucket list of reads.

Discussion Questions:
If you’ve read “The Witching Hour” before or read it for the book club, you can join the discussion in the comments of this blog post by answering one of these questions OR sharing your own mini-review of the novel!
- What did you like best about “The Witching Hour”? What did you like the least?
- How well you think this book has aged since its publication in 1990?
- What role do you think New Orleans plays in the book? Is it simply a spooky backdrop or does the lore of the city factor into the house, the characters and the ultimate outcome of the story?
- What in the world do you make of that ending? Is Michael’s take on what happened accurate or completely off base?
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Spooky Little Book Club Summer 2019 Pick
Our summer 2019 these is haunted house, and our book has been selected: “The Invited” by Jennifer McMahon.
Want to read along with the Spooky Little Book Club? Our group is based on Facebook, but if you don’t use this particular social media platform you can still read along with us! Here’s how:
- Pick up a copy of the book at your local library, book store or get it delivered to your door via Amazon.
- Read along with us! You’ll have through the end of July to complete the book.
- On Thursday, Aug. 1, come back to the blog and I’ll share my review of “The Invited”, plus discussion questions for you.
If you’re on Facebook, I encourage you to join us over there so you can also be a part of recommending and voting for books each season as well as join in the other book and Halloween fun we share!
You can also learn more about the Spooky Little Book Club, including the past books we’ve read, in this blog post.
Happy reading,

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Kelly
I have to admit that I picked up the Anne Rice book from the library and was immediately intimidated by the size. I started reading the book, but just couldn’t get into to. Sorry! I have my name on the library wait list for the summer book though. It must be a good read because I’m number 8 on the list!
Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween
No worries – “The Witching Hour” proved to be quite the challenge!
“The Invited” was just published in late April, so it’s a hot read. We’re SO on trend! (She said in her slightly sarcastic tone…lol)
Maria
I really loved this book. And I read the series quite a few years ago. I re-read The Witching Hour recently and happened to find your Instagram profile pretty recently. Such great timing! Gotta go home to think about the discussion questions though and I’m super excited to read through other opinions!
Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween
It was meant to be! Welcome to our spooky little community. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the discussion questions. :)
Alise
I will admit that I read this book when it first came out, so it’s been AWHILE! I do remember that it made me fall in love with Anne Rice and New Orleans. The city is indeed a major character in this novel. It wouldn’t even work if the setting was somewhere else. PS, Miranda, go back and spend some time there! We go at least once a year, and live ALL the way in Nashville! It’s perfectly spooky and seductive.
Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween
Couldn’t agree more about the role NOLA plays!
And yes ma’am – maybe I’ll do that later this year. :)