Vampires – and the lore surrounding them – have always been fascinating to me, especially around spooky season! If you’re looking for some must-read vampire novels featuring these mysterious creatures of the night, I’ve put together a list of some of the best – ranging from horror to romance, fantasy, and beyond.
Best Fiction Books with Vampires
Vampires are incredibly widespread in pop culture and literature, but their lore can vary quite a bit between different genres when it comes to novels, TV shows, and movies. Some are portrayed as purely misunderstood, with good intentions – others, not so much.
While Twilight wasn’t really my jam, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my favorite shows, along with The Vampire Diaries. Some of my favorite books feature vampires, too (and yes, they’re in this list)!
No matter what type of vampire story you’re looking for, you’re sure to find something perfect for spooky season (and beyond) below! I’m sharing the best books with vampires, from scary horror novels to romantic fantasy books (including some new 2024 vampire novels!).
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Genre: Horror
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is 1990’s housewives meets Dracula, with a whole heap of Southern charm.
Patricia is a devoted housewife in South Carolina in the ’90s. The highlight of her week is book club, where she meets with other wives in the neighborhood to discuss true crime novels.
One day, a mysterious man moves into her neighborhood. Not long after, children start to go missing. Patricia slowly starts to realize the charming new stranger isn’t who he says he is. Unfortunately, no one will believe her – not even her own husband.
Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite modern horror authors. His stories are so unique and so much fun (if you can handle a bit of a scare)!
Read my full review of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires here!
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
Genre: Horror/Paranormal/Thriller
After a wild night out to celebrate her birthday with her best friend – and a group of strangers – Sloane goes through some pretty major changes that will alter the course of her life. But is this a good thing for Sloane, or not so much?
Release date: September 10th, 2024
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
Genre: YA Fantasy/Gothic Romance
Dark academia fans: get ready for your new romantic fantasy obsession!
Orphaned heiress Kidan infiltrates an ancient secret society at Uxlay University in order to find her missing sister. She must get close to the wicked vampire who is bound to her family – and who Kidan believes is the cause of her sister’s disappearance.
Release date: September 3rd, 2024
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal
A human woman competes against vampire warriors in a deadly tournament held by a powerful goddess.
Her only option to survive: form an alliance with one of the vampires.
The Gathering by C.J. Tudor
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Horror
This eerie story toes the line between mystery and horror. It’s set in a small, remote Alaskan town that gets very little daylight – and also happens to have a coven of vampires living nearby.
In this similar version of our world, vampires (known as “vampyres”) are legally allowed to live near humans – as long as they keep to themselves. But when a body turns up and it looks like it could have been a vampyre attack, an investigator is sent out to figure out what really happened.
This is such a unique read, and hard to put down! It has multiple POVs, with a fascinating small town setting. It sort of has those dark and mysterious True Detective vibes (but with vampires).
Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
Genre: Horror
This spine-tingling horror novel is like a cross between Rosemary’s Baby and Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot. It’s set in a fancy New York building, where Ana, Reid, and their newborn baby reside.
Ana is struggling after giving birth, and has a strong feeling that something is wrong. At first, Reid dismisses Ana’s fear as paranoia – but he can’t explain the strange marks on their baby.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Genre: Historical Fiction/Gothic/Paranormal
A woman finds a mysterious old book and a collection of ancient letters, left behind by her father.
With these unusual documents, she’s drawn into a quest across Europe, the same one that nearly ruined her father years ago: to unearth the vampiric legend of Vlad the Impaler and Dracula.
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
Genre: Historical Fiction/Gothic/Horror
This story reimagines the tale of Dracula’s first bride, Constanta. She began life as a peasant in the Medieval Times, and is rescued from death by Dracula – chosen as his new bride.
But soon, she finds there’s much more to her new husband than she ever imagined – and she must make a dangerous decision.
Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice
Genre: Horror/Fantasy/Gothic
From the bestselling author of the The Witching Hour comes an epic saga following some of the most well-known vampire characters in literature.
This eerie novel is the first book in the popular Vampire Chronicles series, and definitely gives off spooky season/autumnal vibes!
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Genre: Horror/Historical Fiction
Set in the 1840s on the Texas-Mexico border, the daughter of a rancher and her childhood sweetheart – who seemingly abandoned her years ago – are forced together by the war between the United States and Mexico, and another horror of a supernatural nature.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal
Fans of paranormal romance and/or popular contemporary romance author Ali Hazelwood will be excited to hear about her new vampire-werewolf romantic fantasy novel!
Outcast vampire Misery Lark is forced to marry an Alpha werewolf in order to keep the peace between their worlds. But Misery has her own, more personal reasons for agreeing to the marriage – if only she can survive in enemy territory.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Romance
This popular fantasy romance series follows the adventures of a librarian witch and a geneticist vampire as they work together to protect a mysterious manuscript.
This series was adapted into a 3-season TV series in 2018, starring Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer. If you enjoy the books, be sure to check it out!
Popular Classic Vampire Novels
Looking for the classics? Here are some of the most popular stories with vampires, some of which likely inspired the modern vampire novels we have today:
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
- Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
- Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
- many of Anne Rice’s novels
And if you’re looking for a long-running vampire series with romance, check out:
- Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Mysteries series (the basis for the TV show True Blood)
- L.J. Smith’s The Vampire Diaries series (which was also adapted into a TV show)
- Stephanie Myers’ Twilight series (adapted into a series of movies)
Do you have a favorite vampire novel, or are there any books on this list you can’t wait to read? I know I’m excited about all the new vampire books we’re getting in 2024!