Didn't read that much Anne Rice, so Taltos and several other sagas I cannot comment. But of her work I will say "Cry to Heaven" about a castrati vendetta story, a solid tragedy placed in Venice.
Of vampires... hard to beat Bram Stoker's "Dracula," even if it is quite long in the tooth (a-ha! try the veal, folks!) and lengthy to modern tastes. I recommend the audiobook for most people, though the Copolla movie version is exquisite and closest in current fidelity. LeFanu's "Carmilla" does deserve a nod, too.
Of the White Wolf novellas... I tried reading the Bloodlines series. I really soured after the Gangrel one and read up to Ventrue, if I remember correctly. I heard Nosferatu was the barn burner ending. Of what I read I would probably say Assamite or Setite were the more mature reads, with Ventrue and Toreador close runner ups. But that's with a heavy caveat that I knowingly rate gameline genre fiction exceedingly low bar. Apparently there's some old and new comics about for White Wolf vampires, who knows they might be better?, but I doubt it.
Of this drama... it's really a melodrama of people who preach virtues but only hold public concensus/popularity as the highest 'virtue'. Vanagloria, Superbia, the Sin of Pride. Basically a fight with drama queens and mean girls doing courtier battles. Best to let them eat themselves in their own "Dangerous Liaisons."