Reread. 
 I remember loving this when I read it the first time, back in the late 80s/early 90s. This time around, I thought it was rather more melodramatic than it needed to be, more along the lines of The Mysteries of Udolpho rather than of Interview with the Vampire, which was melodramatic enough. I also thought Ramses, on whom I'd had a crush back then, was not as smart as you'd expect a 3,000 year old being to be, and some of his actions (or, more accurately, REactions), were beyond silly. Also, Julie could have been stronger. And, finally, the one character I loathed when I first read it turns out to be the character I most liked this time around. (view spoiler)[Cleopatria. (hide spoiler)] I'm so glad to learn there is FINALLY to be a sequel. Only 28 years later. That's not too long to wait, right?