The Sequel to "Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side"

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

By Beth Fantaskey

2/2009

Jessica's Guide to Ruling the Dark Side

Due to be released in early 2012

Having taken a month off to travel with my Australian friend after ALA, I am finally digging into my vast pile of blog fodder from the conference.  Never one to resist a good vampire story, I decided to start off my review reading with the follow-up to the fun teen vamp story Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.   In Beth Fantaskey’s (what a great last name for a fantasy author!) tale about a young vampire princess who is raised by adoptive vegan parents on a farm completely unaware of her heritage until the tall, dark, and incredibly handsome Prince Lucius Vladescu arrives on their doorstep from Romania to claim his betrothed.   Where Twilight is dramatic and often sappy, Jessica’s Guide is humorous and witty as young Jessica grows into her emerging vampiredom.  Vampires don’t glimmer in Fantaskey’s world nor do they wilt in sunlight.  At the end of Jessica’s Guide, Jessica, whose real name is Antanasia, and Lucius have finally resolved their relationship and gone off to Romania to face their vampire families.

Often second books in a series are disappointing, but Jessica’s Guide to Ruling the Dark Side, due out in early 2012 will not disappoint fans of the first book.  The book begins with the wedding of Antanasia and Lucius which is revealed by an invitation in the book leading readers to a website for full details of the wedding.  The book then continues with the story introducing many new characters as well as retaining several familiar characters.   The characters of Lucius and Antanasia grow tremendously in this second novel and although it is somewhat more somber and dark in tone, it does still have the sense of humor that Beth Fantaskey maintains in her first volume.

If you haven’t yet read Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and are a fan of fun vampire romps, I highly recommend picking a copy up and reading it now before the second volume comes out.  If you have read it, you won’t be disappointed with the sequel – be sure to put it on your to read list for 2012!

http://www.bethfantaskey.com/