If you like reading vampire stories, boy I have the list for you. The following is my top 10 favorite vampire book series ever. I started reading vampire novels as a child and have continued to do so. Over time, I have developed a taste in stories that I particularly enjoy:
- I like a female lead who rises above what she dreamt was possible;
- I like books that explore philosophical questions of morality, judgment and choice;
- I like vivid characters who break the stereotype; and,
- I like original storylines.
You will notice that the following are are an eclectic bunch. Some are classified as being horror, some are SiFi and others or classified as being romance. The common thread they all share is that they are all captivating reads of the type that will made me want to stay up night reading regardless of what time I had to get up the next morning. If you like being entertained, captivated and even enthralled, these are the series for you…
10.) |
1.) Twilight | 2.) New Moon | 3.) Eclipse | 4.) Breaking Dawn |
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Stephanie Meyers, Twilight Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Teen Fiction | 4 | 4.5/5 |
Twilight is a series of four vampire-based fantasy romance novels by American author Stephenie Meyer. It charts a period in the life of Isabella "Bella" Swan, a teenage girl who moves to Forks, Washington, and falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire named Edward Cullen. The series is told primarily from Bella’s point of view, with the epilogue of Eclipse and Part II of Breaking Dawn being told from the viewpoint of character Jacob Black, a werewolf. The unpublished Midnight Sun is a retelling of the first book, Twilight, from Edward Cullen’s point of view.
The last book makes reading the previous three books worth it. Breaking Dawn is an excellent vampire story. The other 3 books however, felt like I was reading a vampire soap opera. In fact, it felt exactly like I felt when I watched The Matrix 2: I felt as if I was mucking through a lot of background info to get the the good part. While each one of the first three books is entertaining, Breaking Dawn makes the previous books seem almost tedious.
9.) |
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| 1.) Blood Price | 2.) Blood Trail | 3.) Blood Lines | 4.) Blood Pact | 5.) Blood Debt | 6.) Blood Bank |
 
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Tanya Huff, The Blood Book Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Fantasy | 6 | 4.5/5 |
This series pairs a detective with a vampire. The first book introduces Vicki Nelson, a former police officer with failing eyesight due to Retinitis Pigmentosa and Henry Fitzroy, a vampire and writer of historical romances—which is natural for him as he was an illegitimate son of Henry VIII before he was seduced by a vampire. She is known to her police colleagues as "Victory Nelson" for her successful record of investigations; her mother calls her by her legal given name, "Victoria". Henry’s protégé, Tony, is also introduced, as well as Vicki’s hard-boiled former partner on the police force, Mike Celluci. Vicki’s failing eyesight disqualified her from street work and she resigned rather than take a desk job, and, at the start of the first book, is working as a private detective. Together Vicki and Henry stand against a number of supernatural threats. The series is set in Toronto, Canada and uses familiar landmarks. This series was adapted for television under the title Blood Ties and aired on the Lifetime channel in the US.
The books are much better than the Lifetime series. They can sometimes seem somewhat out of date; while the story seems to take place in the present day the characters run into communication problems throughout the story because the cell phone was still a technology of the future when the books were originally published. Even so, each book is extremely entertaining and the conclusion of the series rocks.
8.) |
1.) Undead and Unwed | 2.) Undead and Unemployed | 3.) Undead and Unappreciated | 4.) Undead and Unreturnable |
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| 5.) Undead and Unpopular | 6.) Undead and Uneasy | 7.) Undead and Unworthy | 8.) Undead and Unwelcome | |
 
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Mary Jane Davidson, The Undead Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Romance | 8 | 4/5 |
Betsy Taylor turns 30, gets laid off, is killed by an SUV and wakes up dead all in the same week. The vampire community is convinced she’s their prophesied Queen. But she’s not having any of it—she’s got shoes to buy! And now the undead world is being turned upside-down by a Bela Lugosi throwback and her subjects expect her to take care of it! Why didn’t she read the handbook? But her would-be consort, Eric Sinclair, is (annoyingly) ever-present. If only he wasn’t so tall, dark, gorgeous…and undead.
The series is funny, riveting, goofy, horrific and is a great poolside read!
7.) |
1.) Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story | 2.) You Suck: A Love Story | 3.) Bite Me: A Love Story |
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Due March 23, 2010 |
Christopher Moore, San Francisco Vampire Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Romance, Comedy | 3 | 4.5/5 |
Jody, a young single red-headed woman living in San Francisco, is attacked by a vampire and soon finds that she’s become one herself. While trying to adjust to her new nocturnal lifestyle, she’s aided by C. Thomas (Tommy) Flood, a wannabe writer who just moved to town and works as a night clerk (and champion "turkey bowler") at a local Safeway. As Jody and Tommy begin their life together (and become attracted to each other), they also discover that a recent string of mysterious murders may be the work of the vampire who attacked Jody. To get to the bottom of the matter, they engage the help of Tommy’s coworkers ("the Animals") and an eccentric street person known as "The Emperor."
This series was a complete joy to discover. The story is irreverent and really funny while retaining a horror/thriller genre edginess. Excellent reads!
6.) |
1.) Halfway To The Grave | 2.) One Foot In The Grave |
3.) At Grave’s End | 4.) Destined For An Early Grave |
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Jeaniene Frost, Night Huntress Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| SiFi, Fantasy | 4 | 4.5/5 |
Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father – the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership.
In exchange for help finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner – are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side … and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.
This is another great find. The characters are vivid and each and every book is captivating!
5.) |
1.) Bloodlist | 2.) Lifeblood | 3.) Bloodcircle | 4.) Art in the Blood |
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| 5.) Fire in the Blood | 6.) Blood on the Water | 7.) Chill in the Blood | 8.) Dark Sleep | |
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| 9.) Lady Crymsyn | 10.) Cold Streets | 11.) Song in the Dark | 12.) Dark Road Rising | |
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P.N. Elrod, The Vampire Files
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Mystery | 12 | 4.5/5 |
The books of P N Elrod’s vampire detective series, set in thirties Chicago. Her attention to the details of a period setting pays off, as does her attention to character. The books combine humor, suspense, detection, and a consistent attention to the practical necessities of living as a being with both supernormal powers and special disabilities. Her vampire, Jack Fleming, is actually less dark as a character than his friend and associate Charles Escott, much less the gangland characters they both sometimes associate with.
4.) |
1.) Passionate Thirst | 2.) Luscious Craving | 3.) Eternal Hunger | |
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Candace Steele, Vampire Killer Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Paranormal Romance | 3 | 3.5/5 |
These books have a solid storyline, but enough decency to poke fun of itself from time to time. What makes the books worth reading this the author’s talent for twisting a phrase. The books are full of phrases like "… to fulfill passion’s desire." Said out of context, her writing style sounds really, really cheesy… but when you are reading the book, it is fits in perfectly.
The story is about a woman named Candace Steele, who works in the security field. She is the kind of tough, multi-dimensional woman character that makes Laurell K. Hamilton books so fun to read – especially if you’re female. Dean can write a romance scene and have it come of as being romantic – even if it is raunchy as hell.
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1.) Interview with the Vampire | 2.) The Vampire Lestat | 3.) The Queen of the Damned | 4.) The Tale of the Body Thief |
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| 5.) Memnoch the Devil | 6.) The Vampire Armand | 7.) Merrick | 8.) Blood and Gold | |
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| 9.) Blackwood Farm | 10.) Blood Canticle | |||
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Anne Rice, Vampire Chronicles
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Horror | 10 | 4.5/5 |
The Vampire Chronicles is a series of novels by Anne Rice that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman made into a vampire in the 18th century. Most of the books are in first-person perspective with only a few being in third-person. The only reason Rice isn’t placed higher on this scale is that she can sometimes overindulge her penchant for being a wordsmith. Each story is captivating and all of her characters come alive.
2.) |
1.) Guilty Pleasures | 2.) The Laughing Corpse | 3.) Circus of the Damned | 4.) The Lunatic Cafe |
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| 5.) Bloody Bones | 6.) The Killing Dance | 7.) Burnt Offerings | 8.) Blue Moon | |
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| 9.) Obsidian Butterfly | 10.) Narcissus in Chains | 11.) Cerulean Sins | 12.) Incubus Dreams | |
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| 13.) Micah | 14.) Dance Macabre | 15.) The Harlequin | 16.) Blood Noir | |
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| 17.) Skin Trade | 18.) Flirt | 19.) Bullet | ||
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Due June 1, 2010 |
Laurell K Hamilton, Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Fantasy, Thriller | 18 | 3/5 |
Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter is a series of fantasy novels by Laurell K. Hamilton, narrated by the title character, Anita Blake. Anita lives in a parallel universe’s Saint Louis, geographically and technologically much like our own, save that, not only are things like vampires and shapeshifters real, but their presence is public knowledge and they are considered citizens of America, much like normal humans. The novels follow Anita’s ongoing conflicts with the supernatural as she attempts to solve a variety of supernatural mysteries, come to terms with her own abilities, and navigate an increasingly complex series of romantic and political relationships.
The only reason this series isn’t number #1 is that Hamilton can sometimes cram in five or six too many sex scenes into one book. I usually wind up skimming over those scenes to get back to the real action in her books: exploring the depths of the heroine’s ferocity to make it… to do the right thing in the midst of a stress and indecision!
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1.) Dead Until Dark | 2.) Living Dead in Dallas | 3.) Club Dead | 4.) Dead to the World |
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| 5.) Dead as a Doornail | 6.) Definitely Dead | 7.) All Together Dead | 8.) From Dead to Worse | |
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| 9.) Dead and Gone | 10.) A Touch of Dead | 11.) Dead in the Family | ||
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< Due May 4, 2010 |
Charlaine Harris, Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series
| Type | # Books in Series | Amazon Rating |
| Fantasy, Thriller | 11 | 4.5/5 |
Sookie Stackhouse is the protagonist in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of books written by author Charlaine Harris that was first published in 2001. The series is a first-person account of Sookie’s life as a barmaid and telepath in the town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. The first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2001.
The books are very absorbing and are guaranteed to keep you tuning pages. These books have everything anyone could want: Romance, dark comedy, thrills, horror, mystery, fantasy and more all balanced and perfectly presented in each book.
Tags: vampire
The Twilight Series is one of the best vampire love story I've read..
Have you not read or not liked the Darren Shan: Cirque du Freak series? Those books are amazing. Even though the movie was horrible the books are very good.
Have you read vampire academy? It's my favorite series Ever!!! I like it because its different from most vampire books like twilight because the main charactor Rose is a real badass and its not completely focused around the romance in the book! It's mainly about a Damphir (Half vampire) trying and training to protect her best friend, a moroi (full vampire) princess, Lissa. But there is romance, Trust me!
Great choice's ! Sookie is one of my all time favorite characters! I don't normally like teenage style vampire books but ofcourse I loved Twilight!
i love the twilight saga, after that i read the sookie stackhouse and can't wait until the next one comes out. i also read the vampire diaries which is different than the show but i love both the books and the show. also the night world series is very good by l j smith who wrote vampire diaries.
I Can'r believe u haven't memtioned the BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD SERIES By J>R>Ward. The first book is "Dark Lover" . Each book totally captures you until you are finished -with LOVE, ROMANCE,AWESOME SEX, and adventure that just grabs you! Each book is about a different "BROTHER"and I am telling you I have NEVER been so obsessed with a book – no less each of the 8 in the series, like I am with these! Each story is RIch with character, story line, and LOVE of Family & Romance! I have told sooo many about this series & all who have read them got "sucked" in just as I did!
I must agree with Emily! I love love love The Vampire Academy Series! I was quite sad when I was all finished! I wanted more! Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed The Twilight Saga. I mean that series is what got me interested in the whole "dark" and "undead" type books. But if I had to vote, I would definitely say that The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead was a better story. It has a story line that just pulls you in. A real page turner! It made me happy to learn that there were 6 books (not 4 like twilight) in the series and they were a bit more girthy. Also, Richelle Mead has also been offered a movie deal but I am not sure where that stands. I think it will make for a better movie then Twilight as well. She is also said to be coming out with more books referencing the series. It will be all new story lines from other "students' at the academy and so forth. Not the same story line from another character's perspective… unlike The short second life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer………… I am currently reading Vampire Kisses. Not nearly as intriguing as either one of the above series but it does keep my interest. There are 8 books in the series and each book has been no more than 250 so far. I am on the 5th book. Elen Schreiber does a decent job on keeping you enthralled however, her writing skills are lacking that certain something that both Mead and Meyer posess.
Twilight Saga series is my favorite and is one of the best vampire love stories I have every read. Love stories are my favorite and that too with a different concept is a must read. I have also watched all the parts of Twilight movie.
Maria Contreras
Webmaster, Pressure Calibration
I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DONT HSVE THE BLACK DAGGER BROTHETHOOD?! IMMORTALS AFTER DARK AND LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD ARE GREAT TOO!!
I totally agree with Debbie and Kelly jo. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is so amazing. I have read so many books… But I’ve never been so involved with a book. LOVER ETERNAL actually made me cry… It amazing!
there are great vampire book out threr but the best ones are by j.r ward and lara adrian when you reed there book you will want to read the over ans over again i believe the stephane meyes has a heart for yung adults or teens but the two that i just mentioned to me a a force to be recond with they put there all into what they write ii love them and i hope you will to
So, I see a lot of folks are wondering why I haven’t included the Black Dagger Brotherhood in my list. The reason I didn’t rank it is that I don’t like stories where the female’s power comes through the male.
I like a strong, powerful and independent female lead. I want a heroic woman who doesn’t need a man.
Well this obviously is not a top ten vampire book list if you opted not to list certain novels for something as petty as where where a character’s power comes from. I suggest you change the title of this list to top vampire books with strong female leads. Thank you for keeping sexism alive. Please remember that fiction is just that, fiction. Try representing your beliefs in the real world, and not with misleading titles.
I am a fan of twilight, but the twilight books are garbage compared to the vampire diaries. Also, Bella is the exact opposite of a strong female lead, she is a whiny little girl that needs all the supernatural men to protect her constantly until the last scene where she discovers her power. You probably just enjoy the fact that she has the strong male figures chasing after her the whole time. Ridiculous. Damsel in distress is not a strong female lead, you contradict yourself, in a sad way.
You’re one of those people who have “helpful” opinions about how everyone else can improve things if only they do it your way, imirite? If you don’t like list that I clearly state are MY favorites, then go off am make your own. Also, liking a woman to be interdependent isn’t sexism. Are you one of those annoying people who say stupid shit like ‘intolerance of intolerance is intolerance’? Being sexist against sexism isn’t sexism… And of course you’re a fan of Twilight.
Thanks for all these lists! I have been trying to find some new novels to start, and I hit the jackpot! Another series that is good is the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands. It has different lead characters in each book, both male and female, and there is a romance theme for each one. Although there may be a bit too many sex scenes, it is an addicting series that has an interesting storyline. Happy reading!
I really loved the Twilight books and the movies were just as good…My new favorite series is Vampire Academy and I have read all 6 plus the first 2 in the Bloodlines series which is a continuation of sorts. My main reason for loving either series was the fact that Stephanie Meyers totally recreated the vampire….and Richelle Mead created her own version or rather versions of a vampire. And the fact that none of either series are raunchy sex novels. They are ultimate love stories. I googled for more vampire series and ran across Cristan’s list. I was really hoping more for series along the same lines but seem to have run short. I might check into maybe one or two…but was looking forward to finding the next thrilling “new” vampire. And to Cristan…I commend you on the work your doing in educating and helping others 🙂 Keep up your cause and good work…j/s
This list may be a top ten for those who like a little vampire with their romance novels. For me, the best vampire series is the Morganville vampire series. I read hundreds of vampire books before this one just because of the name. Boy was I wrong. I was actually depressed when it was over. Fortunately, there were many novellas that reveal the history of your favorite characters. After that series, a close second would have to be Christopher Pikes “Thirst” series. Now that is a bad ass female protagonist. But I guess neither of these have enough sex to make this “best vampire book series top ten.” But if you appreciate really good written books with original story lines and don’t mind letting your imagination fill in the blanks where the sex is concerned, these are must read:)
I noticed one of my favorite series isn’t on here that has a strong female lead with strong character development, as well as sever other strong female supporting characters. The “a house of night” series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. It has 13 books, they build quite well on each one as they build up to a huge battle. I’m currently reading the 12th book and fell in love with the series by the end of chapter 1 book 1. I highly recommend this series to everyone. The Anita Blake series is my all time favorite, and I loved true blood as well as twilight. There are a few other series I’ve read one that was very good is Blood ties, it’s only 4 books long but that also has a strong female lead, with romance and drama. Its a good series and more adult type series then the other. I hope this helps.
You listed my favorites — Elrod, Huff, Davidson, Hamilton…
Now, one that is good, but I don’t like it because it’s too dark — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128506.Midnight_Blue Sonja Blue series by Nancy A. Collins.