You can tell there are more than 10 years between this sequel and its predecessor, Desmond: there is more hope, the story is lighter, like both main character than author managed to go through a dark period. Even if AIDS is only hinted, and no one of the main characters are affected by it, I have the feeling that it was like the dark shadow that was descending upon Desmond in the previous novel, and that is not lifted, leaving him directly unscathed, but not without some mourning.

Desmond is reborn again at 21 years old; the loss of his lover Tony is still a fresh scar for a more than 200 years old vampire, but he is ready for a new life; not only he has left the big townhouse in the Bowery, he has also decided he doesn’t feel like living in the Dakota apartment like he did for the last years of his previous life. Desmond wants a “country” life, a property remembering him his native England, and the suburbs in New Jersey seem to be the right place.

With the new home, he also meets new friends, like Oliver, the curator of the local Historical society, and Denis, a young business associated; both men stir something in Desmond, but, like in the previous novel, I have to highlight that Desmond is not exactly a champion of diplomacy and tactics. If not for the fact that we know that Desmond is an ancient vampire, he is really behaving like the 21 years old trust fund boy he is pretending to be.

There is really a change in the mood between the two novels, the new Desmond is less “gothic”, less dark hero; even the setting is lighter, from a gothic XIX century townhouse full of heavy wooden furniture, to a ‘20s country house with its Art Deco lightness. Change of life, change of home, and so also change of ending: Desmond, the novel, was nice, but it was sad for Desmond to end up alone. Not the same here, and actually, if the author is in the mood, this could be the nice beginning of the nice vampire suburban series.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009HG3VKY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20