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readme_atmidnight's review against another edition
4.0
When I first started reading this, I didn't think I was going to like it as much as the first. Then about half way, things really started getting interesting and I didn't want to put it down (much like the first). It was cute and fun and I'm happy with the ending.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
This is really more of a 3.5 rating, but I rounded up.
Jessica Rules the Dark Side is an entertaining quick read. It's the sequel to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, which I haven't read, but I found it didn't really matter. The author does a good job of catching readers up with what's already happened, and I never felt lost.
Jessica is a vampire princess, newly married to her vampire prince Lucius and living in a castle in Romania. It's a major adjustment for an American teenager. The castle is a maze, she doesn't speak Romanian, and there are lots of nasty relatives who'd like to keep Lucius and Jessica (or Antanasia, as she's now known) from becoming king and queen. Jessica is doing her best to deal with the changes in her life, but it's not easy, and things get really bad when Lucius' uncle is murdered. Lucius is accused of the crime, and Jessica has to solve the mystery and keep Lucius from being executed, all while trying to maintain their positions as prince and princess.
I wasn't sure I was going to like Jessica very much at first. She seemed overly dependent on Lucius, and I wanted her to be stronger. But after Lucius is imprisoned and Jessica has to figure out how to save him, she grew on me, as she became a much stronger character. Even though she's way out of her depth in the treacherous world of vampire politics and missing Lucius terribly, she pulls herself together and moves forward with trying to clear him, with the help of her best friend Mindy and Lucius' cousin Rainiero, who has a past with Mindy.
This is a fast-paced entertaining read. The chapters alternate among four viewpoints: Jessica, Mindy, Lucius, and Rainiero. I'm not always a fan of multiple narrators, but in this book, it worked pretty well as you get a lot of different views of the central mystery and the possible bad guys. I found Mindy annoying at first, but her fierce loyalty to Jessica won me over by the end of the book. The mystery isn't terribly mysterious, but seeing it unfold from through multiple points of view made it more interesting.
I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.
Jessica Rules the Dark Side is an entertaining quick read. It's the sequel to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, which I haven't read, but I found it didn't really matter. The author does a good job of catching readers up with what's already happened, and I never felt lost.
Jessica is a vampire princess, newly married to her vampire prince Lucius and living in a castle in Romania. It's a major adjustment for an American teenager. The castle is a maze, she doesn't speak Romanian, and there are lots of nasty relatives who'd like to keep Lucius and Jessica (or Antanasia, as she's now known) from becoming king and queen. Jessica is doing her best to deal with the changes in her life, but it's not easy, and things get really bad when Lucius' uncle is murdered. Lucius is accused of the crime, and Jessica has to solve the mystery and keep Lucius from being executed, all while trying to maintain their positions as prince and princess.
I wasn't sure I was going to like Jessica very much at first. She seemed overly dependent on Lucius, and I wanted her to be stronger. But after Lucius is imprisoned and Jessica has to figure out how to save him, she grew on me, as she became a much stronger character. Even though she's way out of her depth in the treacherous world of vampire politics and missing Lucius terribly, she pulls herself together and moves forward with trying to clear him, with the help of her best friend Mindy and Lucius' cousin Rainiero, who has a past with Mindy.
This is a fast-paced entertaining read. The chapters alternate among four viewpoints: Jessica, Mindy, Lucius, and Rainiero. I'm not always a fan of multiple narrators, but in this book, it worked pretty well as you get a lot of different views of the central mystery and the possible bad guys. I found Mindy annoying at first, but her fierce loyalty to Jessica won me over by the end of the book. The mystery isn't terribly mysterious, but seeing it unfold from through multiple points of view made it more interesting.
I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.
books4susie's review against another edition
5.0
Cannot believe I waited so long to read this sequel! I want to read more about Mindy and Raniero.
reddyrat's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side several years ago in my phase in which I read anything and everything to do with vampires (I guess I'm still in that phase). Given the stupid title, I wasn't expecting much. Boy was I surprised. It was a great book with a lot of humor, fabulous characters, and a strong, unique plot. I was thrilled but a little wary of reading the long-awaited sequel. What if it disappointed, as so many second books do? Not to worry. Jessica Rules the Dark Side is fantastic.
The story is different from many YA novels in that Jessica has graduated high school, is now married, and living in Romania with Lucius. Like many "second books," there is a plot twist that takes Lucius away from Jessica. In this case, he is accused of committing murder and is thrown into the dungeon to await trial. It's up to Jessica to uncover the real murderer. Luckily, she's not alone. Her plucky friend Mindy arrives from Pennsylvania to help, as does Lucius's close friend Raniero. Thankfully, this book avoids the ubiquitous "second book" love triangle plot angle.
I wasn't thrilled with Jessica at first. She's not the strong, stubborn girl I remembered. Instead, she is timid and shy, looking to Lucius for everything. This is frustrating to read, but in context it makes sense. She just moved to Romania, doesn't speak the language, didn't grow up training to be a queen, and is living with people who have hated her ancestors for thousands of years. I would be a little hesitant too. Thankfully, she grows throughout the novel, becoming not necessarily the Jessica we remember, but a mature, logical, competent woman. A true queen.
The book alternates between points of view of Jessica, Lucius, Raniero, and Mindy. Their voices are so different that this never becomes confusing. Similar to the first book, we get the male point of view through letters and e-mail. Lucius's letters were my favorite part of the first book, and they are one of my favorite parts about this book. Lucius's dry humor always makes me smile. His good nature, love for Jessica, and even his arrogance (or self-assurance) shows through his writing. Mindy is also a breath of fresh air. Even when she's complaining or sulking, I feel happier when I read her point of view. She's such a funny, ditzy type of girl who also manages to be strong, capable, and calculating. She's a crucial character.
Then we have Raniero, the mystery man. I love how Beth used Raniero. He is sexy and dangerous. But we aren't sure whether he's dangerous in a good way or in a bad way. Just when we think that we've figured it out, Beth throws a twist into the plot that has us distrusting our assumptions. Whether he's good or bad, Raniero is a great character. A goofy, thoughtless, zen-like surfer dude...at least on the surface.
Jessica Rules the Dark Side is a fabulous follow up to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. The murder mystery keeps you on your toes as you wonder "whodunnit" and whether Jessica will be able to figure out the mystery in time to save Lucius. Plus, it features four distinct characters. Best of all, there's plenty of Lucius's dry wit - my favorite part of both books. I highly recommend this novel.
Rating: 4 / 5
The story is different from many YA novels in that Jessica has graduated high school, is now married, and living in Romania with Lucius. Like many "second books," there is a plot twist that takes Lucius away from Jessica. In this case, he is accused of committing murder and is thrown into the dungeon to await trial. It's up to Jessica to uncover the real murderer. Luckily, she's not alone. Her plucky friend Mindy arrives from Pennsylvania to help, as does Lucius's close friend Raniero. Thankfully, this book avoids the ubiquitous "second book" love triangle plot angle.
I wasn't thrilled with Jessica at first. She's not the strong, stubborn girl I remembered. Instead, she is timid and shy, looking to Lucius for everything. This is frustrating to read, but in context it makes sense. She just moved to Romania, doesn't speak the language, didn't grow up training to be a queen, and is living with people who have hated her ancestors for thousands of years. I would be a little hesitant too. Thankfully, she grows throughout the novel, becoming not necessarily the Jessica we remember, but a mature, logical, competent woman. A true queen.
The book alternates between points of view of Jessica, Lucius, Raniero, and Mindy. Their voices are so different that this never becomes confusing. Similar to the first book, we get the male point of view through letters and e-mail. Lucius's letters were my favorite part of the first book, and they are one of my favorite parts about this book. Lucius's dry humor always makes me smile. His good nature, love for Jessica, and even his arrogance (or self-assurance) shows through his writing. Mindy is also a breath of fresh air. Even when she's complaining or sulking, I feel happier when I read her point of view. She's such a funny, ditzy type of girl who also manages to be strong, capable, and calculating. She's a crucial character.
Then we have Raniero, the mystery man. I love how Beth used Raniero. He is sexy and dangerous. But we aren't sure whether he's dangerous in a good way or in a bad way. Just when we think that we've figured it out, Beth throws a twist into the plot that has us distrusting our assumptions. Whether he's good or bad, Raniero is a great character. A goofy, thoughtless, zen-like surfer dude...at least on the surface.
Jessica Rules the Dark Side is a fabulous follow up to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. The murder mystery keeps you on your toes as you wonder "whodunnit" and whether Jessica will be able to figure out the mystery in time to save Lucius. Plus, it features four distinct characters. Best of all, there's plenty of Lucius's dry wit - my favorite part of both books. I highly recommend this novel.
Rating: 4 / 5
thedistortedbliss's review against another edition
4.0
This two book series is for reals the best!
It kept me reading and never wanting to put it down!
This second book had me wide eyed the whole time because honestly if Jessica couldn't figure out the mystery I would have freaked out!!
Finally Jessica got some balls and let go of her shy self and stood up to the elders and became a Women.
Oh Lucius, if only all guys were as sweet as you <3 Charming... Handsome..Strong! GAH!
It was so hard reading this story without him but even if he was not always there I had to read on for the sake of finding out his fate!
Raniero and Mandy's relationship throughout the story was very cute! Watching their relationship go to crap was heartbreaking :( made me very sad! But in the end it was all well!
I had my suspicions the whole time through this book on who did it AND I WAS CORRECT!!!! WOOHOO!!! Go me! :) And when Jessica also known as Antanasia shows her strong side to finally finish this mystery IT WAS AWESOME! I was all GO JESSICA! Show them elders how smart you are! woohoo!!
It kept me reading and never wanting to put it down!
This second book had me wide eyed the whole time because honestly if Jessica couldn't figure out the mystery I would have freaked out!!
Finally Jessica got some balls and let go of her shy self and stood up to the elders and became a Women.
Oh Lucius, if only all guys were as sweet as you <3 Charming... Handsome..Strong! GAH!
It was so hard reading this story without him but even if he was not always there I had to read on for the sake of finding out his fate!
Raniero and Mandy's relationship throughout the story was very cute! Watching their relationship go to crap was heartbreaking :( made me very sad! But in the end it was all well!
I had my suspicions the whole time through this book on who did it AND I WAS CORRECT!!!! WOOHOO!!! Go me! :) And when Jessica also known as Antanasia shows her strong side to finally finish this mystery IT WAS AWESOME! I was all GO JESSICA! Show them elders how smart you are! woohoo!!
betterbeereading's review
3.0
Non aspettatevi una storia come quella letta nel precedente libro. Qui assistiamo al cammino che Jessica deve compire per diventare la principessa Antanasia. Nella sua corsa contro il tempo per salvare Lucius, ingiustamente imprigionato, sarà aiutata da due alquanto improbabili personaggi: un' aspirante hairstylist e un vampiro surfista. Ma non lasciatevi ingannare dalle apparenze, perchè come Jessica imparerà a sue spese, se un vampiro ti offre aiuto con la sua mano "destra", la "sinistra" potrebbe stringere un paletto...
marryannas's review against another edition
3.0
Mmmhm, how do I start this review? Oh yeah, Mindy WAS THE MOST USELESS CHARACTER WITH A POINT OF VIEW I’VE EVER READ! Just clearing that out of the way.
Jessica rules the dark side looked very interesting for a sequel. I was expecting Jessi- … Antanasia go all badass on those vampires. Well, it did happen, but not when I wanted. During three fourths of the novel, she wept. And it pissed me off because she’s one of the strongest and most influential vampires ever – at least in the story’s universe.
It didn’t start off nicely. In fact, dragged about ages and ages, telling me the boredom of Mindy (have I already said she was pointless?) and how an Italian vampire named Raniero makes her panties wet. Yes, during the first chapters of her POV she only babbles about a guy you will only recognize if you have read the online story! (I think Raniero appears only when Lucius talks about his past in the first installment of the series, which means, it doesn’t count.) Big plot hole right in the beginning. Watch out!
Then, when we get what the book is supposed to be about (you know, the whole betrayal thing if you haven’t forgotten yet). Lucius goes to jail and guess what is the first thing he misses in solitary confinement?
Technology. Not food, or blood, or the woman that he loves – but technology…? WHAT? I thought vampires were supposed to be scary and primitive. That’s their true nature!
But yeah, during the rest of the book, it’s Antanasia and Raniero trying to take him out prison. While she’s complaining that her life sucks, looks like someone steps in and says the following:
And – guess what – she follows his advice and finally, right at the end of the novel, she acts like a princess and even talks like one! That’s some serious improvements!
Now, for the sake of it, I’m exposing some minor details that blew my mind, not in a nice way. This only shows how stupid the major characters can be.
1 – Mindy doesn’t know how to speak and narrate in proper English.
Do you know the simple word “because”? Apparently Mindy doesn’t, so she needs to say “’cause”. DURING THE ENTIRE BOOK! Not once she said it correctly! Does this mean that the majority of teenagers are incapable of using proper vocabulary in a normal conversation? Or even when she THINKS?
Had to add gif. Sorry...
2 - Jess starves because she’s afraid of ordering food.
Yes, you heard it. Do I need to explain more?
Jessica rules the dark side looked very interesting for a sequel. I was expecting Jessi- … Antanasia go all badass on those vampires. Well, it did happen, but not when I wanted. During three fourths of the novel, she wept. And it pissed me off because she’s one of the strongest and most influential vampires ever – at least in the story’s universe.
It didn’t start off nicely. In fact, dragged about ages and ages, telling me the boredom of Mindy (have I already said she was pointless?) and how an Italian vampire named Raniero makes her panties wet. Yes, during the first chapters of her POV she only babbles about a guy you will only recognize if you have read the online story! (I think Raniero appears only when Lucius talks about his past in the first installment of the series, which means, it doesn’t count.) Big plot hole right in the beginning. Watch out!
Then, when we get what the book is supposed to be about (you know, the whole betrayal thing if you haven’t forgotten yet). Lucius goes to jail and guess what is the first thing he misses in solitary confinement?
Technology. Not food, or blood, or the woman that he loves – but technology…? WHAT? I thought vampires were supposed to be scary and primitive. That’s their true nature!
But yeah, during the rest of the book, it’s Antanasia and Raniero trying to take him out prison. While she’s complaining that her life sucks, looks like someone steps in and says the following:
(…)if you wish to be a ruler and save your husband (…)now is the time to begin fighting for everything you want, as hard as you are able. There is no more time to be a child, complaining of fatigue and confusion. – Raniero, 2012
And – guess what – she follows his advice and finally, right at the end of the novel, she acts like a princess and even talks like one! That’s some serious improvements!
Now, for the sake of it, I’m exposing some minor details that blew my mind, not in a nice way. This only shows how stupid the major characters can be.
1 – Mindy doesn’t know how to speak and narrate in proper English.
Do you know the simple word “because”? Apparently Mindy doesn’t, so she needs to say “’cause”. DURING THE ENTIRE BOOK! Not once she said it correctly! Does this mean that the majority of teenagers are incapable of using proper vocabulary in a normal conversation? Or even when she THINKS?
2 - Jess starves because she’s afraid of ordering food.
Yes, you heard it. Do I need to explain more?
hhartwich's review against another edition
4.0
Great 2nd book. It wasn't really left open at the end for another book but I wouldn't mind reading one. :)
kristid's review against another edition
4.0
I adored Jessica’s Guide to Dating the Dark Side so when I learned that I was getting another story with Jessica and Lucius, I was beyond ecstatic!
I haven’t had the chance to read the chapters on Beth’s website that tell the story of the wedding, although I might have to go back and do that after reading this story. Jessica Rules the Dark Side begins after the honeymoon is over. Jessica is having a hard time coming into her new role as vampire princess. I liked getting to see another side of Jessica in this novel. Although she still has the same traits that made me love her in Dating the Dark Side, there was a vulnerability to her too. She was in unfamiliar life and not only that, she wasn’t really sure she wanted to be royalty. As much as Jess struggled to free Lucius, most of the book was her internal struggle.
Even though it was obvious to me who was at fault from the beginning, it was fun watching Jess and Raniero (with help from Min) put the pieces together.
I enjoyed reading from the multiple perspectives too! I’m hoping this won’t be the last I “see” of Jess and Lucius!
I haven’t had the chance to read the chapters on Beth’s website that tell the story of the wedding, although I might have to go back and do that after reading this story. Jessica Rules the Dark Side begins after the honeymoon is over. Jessica is having a hard time coming into her new role as vampire princess. I liked getting to see another side of Jessica in this novel. Although she still has the same traits that made me love her in Dating the Dark Side, there was a vulnerability to her too. She was in unfamiliar life and not only that, she wasn’t really sure she wanted to be royalty. As much as Jess struggled to free Lucius, most of the book was her internal struggle.
Even though it was obvious to me who was at fault from the beginning, it was fun watching Jess and Raniero (with help from Min) put the pieces together.
I enjoyed reading from the multiple perspectives too! I’m hoping this won’t be the last I “see” of Jess and Lucius!