Ulysses G. Dietz

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… (mere)

Originally released in 2000, Desmond is the prototype of many vampire Gay Romances of today; probably written in the wake of successful Anne Rice’s vampire novels, Desmond tried for a less gothic and more romantic approach. Plus it did introduced some original elements, if considering it was written more than 10 years ago.

For example, Desmond, a 250 years old vampire, is not bonded to live only by night, and he actually doesn’t eat anything, but he can drink wine and other beverages. Plus he lives in cycle of 44 years, born again at 21 years old and aging until he is 65 years old. That is quite convenient to explain how he has lived so long without anyone suspecting.

When I started this novel, I was quite impressed by the level of details the author used in describing the townhouse where Desmond has lived since 1820, in the Bowery district of New York City. I did a quick search and discovered that aside from this novel, and its sequel, A Vampire in Suburbia, Ulysses Grant Dietz has written non fictional books in the antique design field. The same background he decided to give to Tony, Desmond’s lover.

That of Desmond and Tony is a classic cinderfella love story: Desmond, 45 years old and wealthy, meets 24 years old Tony, a graduate student who is having a bad time; Tony is hustling, or at least he is trying to, but when he meets Desmond, all his courage left him. Desmond will help Tony, settling him in a nice apartment, finding him a job, and loving him. Exactly like he did for the stray cat he picked up the previous time he was alone wandering the street. That is, Desmond cared for Tony, but I had the feeling he didn’t really love him with all his own, and that is the only point that makes this a good vampire novel, but not a full 100% romance one.

I’m quite curious to see how the author picked up again his characters today for the sequel, and if Desmond will finally have a true and complete romance this time, lasting a life… or maybe more lives.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1555834701/?tag=elimyrevandra-20… (mere)