The best vampire novels manage to be romantic, historical, philosophical, and mysterious simultaneously; these are the critical elements of a page-turning book that will stay with you forever.
The best vampire novels are must-reads for everyone interested in the subgenre, regardless of whether you are an avid reader constantly looking for a new narrative to consume or you are unfamiliar with the subgenre and want to have a taste of what it has to offer.
So, here are some of the best vampire novels you need to read!
1. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Atl is a legendary vampire linked to a group that originated in the Aztec Empire. Domingo is an ordinary street child. Therefore, it complicates things when Atl stumbles across Domingo and sees a delicious snack, while Domingo glances at Atl and is instantly smitten with her.
Then there is the little problem of the vampire gangsters who are hot on both of their tails and the law enforcement officer who inadvertently begins to pursue them.
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2. Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness
You mind your own thing, making a usual trip to the library for your studies, when suddenly, unbeknownst to you, you accidentally call a swarm of otherworldly beings. You are familiar with this sensation. What options are there for a young scholar such as Diana Bishop?
Ashmole 782, the strange book she discovered hidden away in the Bodleian Library in Oxford stacks, is most likely the beginning and the conclusion of the puzzle being presented here.
3. The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
Celine is a Parisian seamstress who is just 17 years old and is the protagonist of Renée Ahdieh’s novel The Beautiful. The story takes place amid an outbreak of yellow fever. Celine flees to the safety of a convent in New Orleans, Louisiana, rather than allowing herself to be enticed by the allure of the great city.
However, when one of the other girls at the convent is killed by a serial killer, Celine pushes herself headfirst into an inquiry that will uncover the truth about the atrocities and the truth about herself.
4. Dracula by Bram Stoker
In a nation very, very far away, a count who is several hundred years old is making plans to go across Europe and take control of Britain using the power of his blood. In London, a tiny group of people, commanded by Professor Abraham Van Helsing, are preparing to confront and ultimately kill him.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to visit the region of Transylvania and enter a crumbling castle to meet Dracula. This is the classic book that first permanently stamped the contemporary vampire into the public mind, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to do so.
5. Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice
This book contains all of the confessions of a vampire, beginning with the time that Louis was bitten, detailing his efforts to live in New Orleans, and ending with the day that he decides to transform little Claudia into a vampire. More than that, it is a novel that altered the general public’s image of vampires when it was originally released in 1976.
The book asks its readers to empathize with the vampires themselves, a radical concept at the time. Said, Interview with a Vampire is a tale that brought a dormant subgenre back to life with its breathtakingly original plot and wickedly sensual tone
6. A Small Charred Face by Kazuki Sakuraba
It should come as no surprise that Japan is responsible for some of the world’s finest works of horror and supernatural fiction, and A Small Charred Face has earned its spot among the top vampire novels. It offers a creative spin on the general idea of vampires, which deviates significantly from the typical conventions in the genre.
The narrative of ‘A Small Charred Face’ is broken up into three parts; each serves as its independent tale within the context of the account. Kyo was formerly known as Kyp. When Kyo’s parents die, he is taken in by Mustah, a Bamboo (vampire), who raises him as his own. Before Kyo begins to understand what they have in store for him, Mustah and Yoji, an additional Bamboo, provide him with their best possible upbringing.
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7. Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Carmilla is one of the first works of vampire literature; in fact, it is even older than Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Thus any lover of the undead who takes their interest seriously should add it to their reading list. These kinds of literature are where some of the most iconic and popular stereotypes about vampires first took shape.
The plot revolves around Laura, a young lady who, with her father, is relegated to a solitary existence in a remote castle. Carmilla, a strange lady, known to prowl about at night, was being transported in the carriage when it appeared one night.
As Laura gives in to Carmilla’s hypnotic influence, she has more disturbing dreams and a diminishing sense of physical strength. Like any other fantastic classic vampire story, Carmilla is full of the sexual tension and gothic romance that the genre is known for.
8. Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
Anyone familiar with Terry Pratchett knows that the author is the undisputed master of subverting conventional fantasy tropes. Vampires appear in numerous of his Discworld books. However, in Carpe Jugulum, he gives vampires the special treatment he is known for.
You don’t have to have read the other vampire books in the series to get a kick out of this one, even though it features characters previously introduced in other works.
Magrat’s daughter will have a naming ceremony, and Count Maypyr and his family have been asked to attend. However, the witches of Lancre have no intention of allowing that to occur, and the fact that the vampires have developed a resistance to garlic and intense light won’t deter them, either. After being accepted, just like all other vampires, they decide to remain.