Blue Rose Trilogy
horror
Series · gothic horror
Ramses the Damned
The Ramses the Damned series by Anne Rice has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned (1989).
- Books
- 3 books
- First published
- 1989
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned (1989) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned - Book 2:
Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra - Book 3:
Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris
About the Ramses the Damned series
Ramses the Damned began as a 1989 standalone from Anne Rice -- The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned -- in which an Egyptian pharaoh who drank an elixir of eternal life millennia ago awakens in Edwardian London after being revived by a museum exhibit, and falls in love with the young woman who discovers him. Rice left the story there for nearly three decades, until she returned to it with her son, novelist Christopher Rice, for Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra (2017), which brings Ramses' immortal circle up against Cleopatra herself, revived and considerably less benevolent than expected. A third book, The Reign of Osiris, followed in February 2022, completed by Christopher Rice and published two months after Anne Rice's death in December 2021.
Compared to the confessional, character-driven Vampire Chronicles, Ramses the Damned is pulpier and more adventure-forward -- ancient curses, resurrected Egyptian royalty, and globe-trotting occult conspiracies -- closer in spirit to classic mummy-horror fiction than to Rice's other work. It's a good entry point for readers drawn to Rice's gothic sensibility but put off by the size and continuity demands of the Vampire Chronicles or Mayfair Witches.
Frequently asked questions
How many Ramses the Damned books are there?
Three: The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned (1989), The Passion of Cleopatra (2017), and The Reign of Osiris (2022).
Who wrote Ramses the Damned?
Anne Rice wrote the original 1989 novel alone. The two sequels are co-written with her son, novelist Christopher Rice.
Do I need to read the first book before the sequels?
Yes -- The Passion of Cleopatra and The Reign of Osiris continue directly from the characters and events of The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned.
Was The Reign of Osiris finished before Anne Rice died?
It was published in February 2022, about two months after Anne Rice's death in December 2021; Christopher Rice completed and published the book as her co-author.
Is there a fourth Ramses the Damned book coming?
None has been announced as of this writing.
If you like the Ramses the Damned series
Reading order last verified .