Dramacon Books in Order

The Dramacon series is a romantic dramedy set almost entirely at an anime convention, following aspiring writer Christie Leroux over three consecutive years. It is part love story, part insider look at con culture, and part coming-of-age tale about creative ambition.

In the first volume, Christie arrives at the Yatta convention with her artist boyfriend, Derek, determined to sell copies of their self-published comic and get noticed. Artist alley is noisier, harsher, and more overwhelming than she expected. Derek flirts shamelessly, leaves her alone at their table, and treats their partnership as if he is doing her a favor. In the middle of this mess, Christie keeps running into Matt, a quiet cosplayer who hides behind sunglasses and sharp sarcasm. Their banter is awkward and genuinely funny, and she slowly realizes that someone actually listening to her feels very different from someone only talking about himself.

Volume two jumps ahead a year. Christie has returned to the con with a new artist, Bethany, and a better sense of what she wants from both comics and relationships. She is determined to focus on work, only to discover that Matt is back as well, this time with a girlfriend. The book widens its lens to include Bethany’s struggles with a demanding parent, online opportunities that might pull the friends in different directions, and the way convention friendships can be intense but fragile.

By the third volume, Christie and Bethany are in college and return to the convention as semi-established creators, with readers who already know their work. The drama now spans professional choices, old trauma, and the lingering question of whether Christie and Matt are actually meant to be together or just bonded by a shared, heightened weekend once a year. Family tensions, publisher meetings, and late-night hangouts with friends from the industry all pile on as the convention weekend races by.

Throughout the series, Chmakova uses the con setting both for jokes and for genuine stakes. Crowded hallways, confusing hotel layouts, and endless lines become backdrops for small emotional collisions. The books look at how it feels to chase a creative dream when you are still figuring out who you are, how to handle unhealthy relationships, and how hard it can be to let go of someone even when you know you should.

Readers can enjoy Dramacon purely as a romance with plenty of snark and swoon, or as a snapshot of a particular slice of fandom life, complete with cosplay, portfolio reviews, and late-night room parties. Either way, the three volumes together tell a complete story that follows Christie from naïve first-timer to someone more grounded, if still gloriously geeky, about both love and comics.