The final day of October is finally here, and we are ready for all the spooky vibes! From fanged companions to illegal bloodhouses, the book world has seen a revival of vampires in literature in recent years. The bloodthirsty undead has had a “long literary history that has often used monstrosity as a metaphor for queer communities or left marginalized characters out of the larger canon,” Iyana Jones writes for Publishers Weekly. However, with the resurgence of vampires, comes a new wave of gothic horror where marginalized characters are at the forefront and have agency to be a hero, a monster, or both.
EnVi has rounded up seven vampire books, in no particular order, to add to your spooky reading list this year.
Blood Moon by Britney Lewis
Publisher: Page Street YA
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Fans of vampires and werewolves can rejoice in this searing fantasy romance following eighteen-year-old Mirabella “Mira” Owens. Mira grew up hearing about legends of the werewolves who protected her small Midwest town, Timber Plains, from the threat of a vampire enclave. However, since her mom left without a trace when she was thirteen, Mira stopped believing in such stories. Now a freshman at Lakeland University, she finally gets a taste at normality — if she doesn’t count cold and distant Julian Santos into the equation. But, when Julian saves her from a “twenty foot drop” off a cliff, Mira realizes that there is more to the stories she’s heard as a child. Her family, too, might be at the center of the Timber Plains’ legend.
In an Instagram Post, Britney Lewis explained how Blood Moon is rooted in the “anger I felt about Bonnie Bennett’s character [from The Vampire Diaries] (and Kat Graham as an actress).” She went on to write, “I didn’t think I’d get a chance to tell a werewolf and vampire story — especially one with diverse main characters, but I’m so beyond thrilled for this opportunity.”
Blood Moon is the first book in a thrilling, paranormal romance series that will sink its fangs into readers from the very first page.
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Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette)
Publication Date: September 3, 2024
Love comes at the price of blood in this darkly captivating tale set in a world where humans and dranaics — or vampires — coexist through soul-binding contracts.
Kidan Adane is one of two surviving heiresses of the House Adane. When her sister, June, disappears, clues point to the elite Uxlay University and the very vampire bound to her family, Susenyos Sagad. To rescue her sister, Kidan must infiltrate the school and kill Susenyos. However, she soon finds herself caught in the middle of a centuries-old threat with June at the center of it.
Immortal Dark is a sweeping exploration into desire, vengeance, and grief, with critics describing it as “[a] fresh, arresting entry in the vampire genre that revels in violent, bloody delights.”
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Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: October 25, 2016
From the author of the bestselling novel Mexican Gothic comes a gritty, white-knuckle vampire noir. Based in an alternate Mexico City, Certain Dark Things follows a cast of characters caught in the middle of a power-struggle between rival vampire clans.
When street kid Domingo runs into Atl, a vampire descending from a line of Aztec blood drinkers, he insists on being her companion. But while Domingo is looking for connection, Atl’s main priority is to escape Mexico City and away from the rival clan that killed her family. As cops and crime bosses close in, Atl and Domingo realize that the key to making it out of Mexico City alive might just be each other.
Told in whip-smart, multiple-POV, Certain Dark Things reads like an action-thriller movie and will have readers on the edge of their seats until the final page.
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Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Isabel Cañas takes readers on yet another haunting journey through Mexico’s history in this dark tale set in the 1840s, following former childhood sweethearts Nena and Néstor as they set off for war.
Nine years ago, Nena was attacked by a sinister monster that continues to lurk near her ranch — a monster that drains men of their blood. While Nena survived, Néstor believes she is dead. Unable to face his grief, he moves from one ranch to the next working as a vaquero. But Nena and Néstor are brought back together when the United States attacks Mexico in 1846. Before they can work through their sudden reunion, a bloodthirsty force returns. If Nena and Néstor want to survive the night, they will have to face their bloody past together.
Described as a “supernatural western,” Vampires of El Norte is a gripping historical horror that dissects class, imperialism, and war — all of which are monsters of their own.
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This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
If you never thought you needed Jazz Age Harlem lesbian vampires, now you do. Brimming with betrayal, vengeance, sacrifices, and so much angst it’s now anguish, This Ravenous Fate is a must-add to your TBR. In the world of This Ravenous Fate, reapers exist, beings who are “once-human vampires with a terrifying affliction.” But this novel is much more than just vampires. In her release-day post, author Hayley Dennings wrote that this historical fantasy story is also “about Black girls falling in love [and] the collective grief of Black women turned into female rage.”
The instant New York Times bestselling novel follows Elise Saint and Layla Quinn — the heir of a successful reaper-hunting dynasty and a recently-changed young reaper, respectively — as they unexpectedly reconnect. From best friends to dire enemies to forced proximity, the two are forced to work together and unearth why reapers are starting to turn human once more.
These murderous sapphics will return again in the sequel to This Ravenous Fate. Keep an eye out for Our Vicious Descent, coming August 2025!
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Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux (Macmillan)
Publication Date: February 20, 2024
For Hafsah Faizal’s latest novel, she writes an action-packed tale about stirring up a tempest of tea, blood, and a healthy dose of political scheming. Set in a fictional place called White Roaring — which echoes areas of historical London — a self-described criminal mastermind runs a bloodhouse. During the daytime, however, Arthie’s bloodhouse masquerades as a teahouse. At night, vampires can feed safely under Arthie’s watchful eye since being a vampire has essentially become illegal due to society’s fear of them.
Tempest of Tea also follows a few other outcasts in this multi-perspective story, as the ragtag gang are tasked with pulling off a high-stakes heist. While Faizal builds an intriguing world where vampires exist, she draws in necessary discussions on colonialism and channeling rage into reclaiming what has been lost. The first book in the Blood and Tea duology, Tempest of Tea was an instant No. 1 New York Times bestseller on the young adult literature list. Faizal also announced the title of the second book back in May — A Steeping of Blood. So get ready to return to say again, “It’s teatime, scoundrels.”
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Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: August 13, 2024
Bloodthirsty villains never looked as good as they do in Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright. A Sunday Times bestseller, Mistress of Lies is Enright’s debut fantasy romance novel, which also features Filipino and trans representation. In this M/M/F Romantasy (fantasy romance) novel, Shan LeClaire kickstarts her revenge masterplan by assassinating her father, a disgraced Blood Worker — but that’s only the beginning of this twisty and charged story. Filled with court intrigue, vampires, murder, desire, and lots and lots of blood, readers can expect two more books to follow in the coming years.
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Want to read more books to read this season and all year round? Check out more of Team EnVi’s book recommendations here!
