While I am normally not a huge Anne Rice fan, her novel The Witching Hour is( in my humble opinion) her best novel to date.  Rice’s novel follows the story of a specific family bloodline through four centuries until the present.   For the past four centuries, persons within each generation of the Mayfair family have been able to harness the powers of the occult and demonstrate great ability into the art of witchcraft.  However, also for the past four centuries, the Mayfair family have been haunted by a mysterious being intent on manipulating the family for its own reasons.  As each generation of the Mayfair family begins under the inexplicable being’s guidance and manipulation, the true reason for its involvement with the family will finally be revealed with the present Mayfair Witches.  Rice crafts a tale rich in history and geography, taking the reader to locales throughout the world in times long forgotten.  I should also warn you fellow readers about the size; this novel’s pages number just under a thousand.  However, while the size can be intimidating, it is definitely well worth it.  Lastly, there are related books that follow the Witching Hour: Lasher and Taltos.  Although these two accompanying titles do not have to be read in order to fully the Witching Hour, they each offer further insight into the Chronicles of the Mayfair Witches.  Enjoy!