Stop! Before reading our post, arm yourself with a wooden stake and a garlic necklace! We want to dive together with you into the literary world of vampires and werewolves. We present you with what we consider to be the 50 best novels about undead bloodsuckers and hairy beasts that have appeared on the market to date. Enjoy our selection!
1st place: Stephenie Meyer – Bite at Dawn
Young Isabella Swan, known as Bella, faces a bleak new chapter in her life. This changes only when the protagonist meets the enigmatic yet beautiful Edward. Soon Bella finds out that her new crush carries an incredible secret – he is a vampire!
Moving to a yawningly empty small town promises anything but excitement or even fun for the teenage girl.
The prelude to the “Twilight” series shows us that vampires don’t necessarily have to be bloodsucking killers but can develop amazingly human feelings. The novels of U.S. author Stephenie Meyer are now considered modern classics within the genre. This is mainly due to Edward and Bella’s emotionally described love story, the coherently staged moments of suspense, and the fascinating dark fantasy theme.
2nd place: Bram Stoker – Dracula
In 1897, Irish author Bram Stoker gave the literary world a bloodsucking milestone. The figure of Count Dracula is still considered the prime example of a dark vampire in its purest form. The fascinating character from the Irishman’s pen has been adapted countless times in other works – this alone testifies to the legendary status that the undead flapper still enjoys today. In the context of Dracula’s first appearance, we follow London lawyer Jonathan Harker, who travels to Transylvania at the personal request of the mysterious Count. The host’s appearance, who has no reflection in a mirror and has strikingly pointed teeth, foreshadows the supernatural snake pit into which our protagonist has fallen.
Bram Stoker’s timeless masterpiece is an absolute must for any reader who has even a small shred left for scary and beautiful horror novels.
3rd place: Julie Kagawa – Immortal: Gate of Dawn
Where vampires rule the world, we earthlings have nothing to laugh about anymore. In the first volume of her “Immortal” series, author Julie Kagawa paints a highly bleak setting: in a dystopian backdrop, the once vibrant cities of our earth lie in ruins. The last humans left on our planet are under the yoke of the all-surveilling vampires. Despite these harsh circumstances, the brave Allie tries everything to survive as best she can. When a bloodsucker catches the title heroine during one of her nightly lootings, he confronts her with a real dilemma – Allie must choose between death and eternal life. Ultimately, the protagonist decides to become a vampire herself to use her newfound powers to form a resistance against the ruling undead.
The combination of dystopian and fantastic elements proves to be a clever move by the author. The misery of the fictional world is described as authentically as the emotional journey on which we accompany Allie in the course of the novels.
No master has yet fallen from the sky. Like us mere mortals, vampires have to learn how to use their natural abilities. For this reason, the st. Vladimir’s school of training up-and-coming bloodsuckers. Rose Hathaway, a half-vampire, also attends the gloomy academy to become a full-fledged guardian one day. Rose is also driven by the desire to protect her friend Lissa, one of the last members of a venerable vampire family. The two friends have no idea what dark forces are conspiring against them in the shadows.
The start of the “Vampire Academy” series shines with its fluid writing style, its well-developed characters, and, last but not least, its dramatic suspense curve.
5th place: Lisa J. Smith – Diary of a Vampire: In the Twilight
Do you like the TV series “Vampire Diaries”? Then you can’t go wrong with the novel based on the TV production! The plot centers on the never-ending feud between the brothers Stefano and Damon. It’s been four centuries since the two fell out over romance. Even worse: the beautiful Catarina, who aroused the brothers’ desire, put a curse on the quarrelsome brothers, which turned the ordinary mortals into vampires. Doomed to eternal youth, Stefano attends high school in today’s world. It doesn’t take long before the vampire meets the attractive Elena. It comes as it must – Damon also loses his heart to Elena, and the hostile siblings reignite the fight.
Lisa J. Smith offers her characters enough space to develop authentically. Because the book differs in some aspects from the well-known TV adaptation, the “Diary of a Vampire” series is also suitable for every fan who is already familiar with the material of the TV production.
6th place: George R.R. Martin – Fevre Dream: Fever Dream
George R.R. Martin is, of course, primarily known for his world-famous “Song of Ice and Fire” series, which is the literary model for the no less famous TV show “Game of Thrones.” We quickly forget, given this series’s exceptional success, that the author’s portfolio includes countless other spin-offs that are just as worth reading as the intriguing machinations in the fictional world of Westeros.
In “Fever Dream,” we follow the derelict ship’s captain Abner Marsh, who comes into possession of the fabled Fevre Dream. Onboard the steamer, however, the strangest things happen that make the blood run cold not only for the disillusioned captain but also for us readers. A gripping tale of vampires, deception, and fate you won’t want to miss!
7th place: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu – Carmilla
“Carmilla” is among the most influential classics in the vampire genre. The work, which was published in 1872, is distinguished by its dark theme and its surprisingly explicit depiction of a same-sex love affair for its time. From the perspective of the first-person narrator Laura, we experience how the young protagonist meets the mysterious Carmilla. Laura has no idea that she has just encountered a female vampire. A forbidden romance breaks out between the two, steered by dark forces.
“Carmilla” is a timeless good tip within the vampire ranks, which takes us back to the literary beginnings of the bloodsuckers.
8th place: Stephen King – Salem must burn
When it comes to outstanding novels of horror literature, sooner or later, there is no way around Stephen King.
In his book, published in 1975, the U.S. writer tells us the story of the protagonist Ben Mears, who has a great interest in the Marsten House in Salem’s Lot. This is not just any conventional building but a legendary house in which supernatural forces seem to be up to mischief. Soon Ben realizes that an ancient vampire is the root of all evil. Together with some brave cronies, the title character destroys the undead bloodsucker. However, the fight against the personified evil quickly goes off the rails.
Dramatic, gruesome, brutal – “Salem Must Burn” captivates with its gloomy staging, within which the threat seems tangible at all times.
9th place: Cassandra Clare – City of Bones: Chronicles of the Underworld
Clary is fifteen when her hitherto everyday life is turned upside down. Suddenly there is no trace of the teenage girl’s mother. The adolescent protagonist’s research subsequently tells her the truth about a long-hidden family secret: Clary’s mother once worked as a Shadowhunter and was thus a member of a millennia-old secret society that fights vampires, demons, and other creatures of the underworld. Now it’s up to the courageous heroine to follow in her mother’s footsteps and fight the evil again.
The “Chronicles of the Underworld” series by Cassandra Clare believably portrays the personal development of an initially clumsy heroine. She grows more and more in her tasks as the story progresses. The fusion of fictional and real settings is comprehensibly designed; the suspense curve of the account knows how to please with many unforeseen twists and turns.
10th place: Angela Sommer-Bodenburg – The Little Vampire
It doesn’t always have to be eerily dark or heartbreakingly emotional! “The Little Vampire” by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg is refreshingly light bloodsucker fare that takes us back to our childhood. The book centers on young Anton, who loves scary stories more than anything else. Then, when he meets the real vampire Rüdiger, a fantastic journey begins for the minor protagonist, which holds many lessons, new friendships, and a big pinch of fun.
11th place: Maggie Stiefvater – After Summer
The love between Grace and Sam is subject to a heartbreaking curse. Every year, as soon as winter comes, Sam loses his human form and turns into a wolf.
“After the summer” by Maggie Stiefvater represents in detail the prelude to a successful trilogy, which brings us closer to the love stories of the disparate main characters. Naturally, the works live from their sensitive presentation; the alternating first-person perspective of the two protagonists also gives us an insight into the different views of the characters.
12th place: Anonymus – The book without a name
The town of Santa Mondega is a genuinely whimsical place. The upcoming solar eclipse threatens to escalate into a bloodbath. “The Book Without a Name” is written entirely over-the-top on purpose. The acting characters search for a legendary bluestone within the book, which can plunge the world into irrevocable chaos. However, the story of the book serves only as a shallow cloak; the big spotlight falls in “The Book Without a Name” without any doubt on the dark, crazy, sometimes trashy characters.
13th place: P.C Cast & Kristin Cast – Marked: House of Night
When an inexplicable, bluish shimmering crescent appears on 16-year-old Zoey’s forehead, the teenager suspects that her life is about to change dramatically. In the beginning, the teenage main character has a lot of trouble finding her way in her new life since she has to leave all her friends and family behind. Now that she has the supernatural mark on her forehead, it’s time to get to the legendary House of Night, a storied vampire academy, as soon as possible.
The first part of the ongoing series awakens the desire for more. The characters are multi-layered; the story scores with comprehensible tension and draws much of its appeal from the creative, different vampire boarding school setting.
14th place: Patricia Briggs – Call of the Moon: Mercy Thompson
At first glance, Mercy Thompson seems to lead a perfectly everyday life. In truth, however, the car mechanic harbors a dark secret, which she conscientiously hides from the eyes of those around her. Mercy is a so-called walker, which means that she can take the form of a coyote. Raised by a pack of werewolves, the protagonist once left the community to find her way to everyday life. When a werewolf suddenly appears in the main character’s workshop, Mercy is caught up with her past from one moment to the next.
The entire “Mercy Thompson” series knows how to please with its exuberant richness of detail. If you enjoyed “Call of the Moon,” you’ll have a great time reading the following installments of the series.
15th place: Elizabeth Kostova – The Historian
When a girl comes across a puzzling collection of old letters while rummaging through her parents’ library, she begins to unravel a previously hidden family secret that stretches back many centuries. The writings in question deal with the dreaded Vlad the Impaler, who is generally regarded as the real-life model for the literary figure of Count Dracula. The protagonist soon discovers that Vlad’s arm of terror reaches into the present time.
A captivating book that takes us to several different eras. In addition to the description of the protagonists, the historical background is also examined in detail, which does not detract from the coherently developed suspense curve.
16th place: J.R. Ward – Night Hunt: Black Dagger
Beth Randall leads an inconspicuous life. The young woman works as an underpaid reporter in her New York home, and in her free time, the title character prefers to withdraw into the four walls of her small apartment. One day Beth is called to a crime scene for a report. A man has died due to a car bomb explosion, but there is no trace of the victim’s remains. The ambitious reporter soon suspects that the mysterious Wrath may do with the incident. What Beth doesn’t know: Wrath is a vampire who belongs to the legendary secret society of the Black Daggers.
In “Night Hunt,” tingling romance, a dark setting, and eerie suspense blend into a coherent literary symbiosis.
Roxy is faced with a seemingly impossible task. Within 449 days, she is supposed to capture 449 escaped souls. To make matters worse, the protagonist is additionally supposed to take care of the extraordinary Shaw, who was once possessed by a ghost and since then has no memories of his former life whatsoever.
Within the first part of the “Midnight Chronicles” series, the events are described from the point of view of different characters. So we learn a lot about the main characters’ motivations, which gives the coherently developed storyline an even more authentic flair.
The setting that Nalini Singh creates within her novel “Angel’s Kiss: Guild of Hunters” is as creative as captivating. We find ourselves in a supernatural-influenced world where angels rule over vampires and mere mortals. Elena, a renowned hunter by trade, is tasked with tracking down a disgraced archangel. The protagonist’s soul is shattered by the gruesome discoveries she makes during her journey and the romantic feelings she begins to harbor for her employer.
An unorthodox, refreshing story carried by a strong title character.
19th place: Jeaniene Frost – Night Rebel: Kiss of Darkness
The master vampire Ian is feared by those around him due to his cruel nature. The bloodsucker’s ruthless behavior has, in turn, brought a host of powerful enemies to the scene, including the demon Dagon. To protect himself from the attacks of his adversaries, Ian is forced to make a pact with the hated law enforcement officers, who spend their time trying to catch vampires. Against all odds, Ian and law enforcement officer Dagon begin to develop feelings for each other – but evil has no regard for love.
If you like romance in a dark fantasy setting, the “Night Rebel” series is for you.
20th place: Deborah Harkness – The Souls of the Night
The plot centers on historian Diana Bishop, who comes from an ancient lineage of witches. When the protagonist gets hold of an enchanted manuscript, she is threatened by her magical past, which she renounced long ago. The vampires, demons, and werewolves, who shortly after that are breathing down Diana’s neck, are not interested in the personal wishes of their victim.
Thrilling, intense, entertaining – “Souls of the Night” is a sure bet for all fans of the genre.
