Vampires

There's no doubt that Twilight is the most popular vampire series for ages - and there are plenty of other books in the same vein.

Glass Houses – Rachel Caine

First-year university can be hard anyway, but when you’re only 16 and your parents have (unwittingly) sent you to Morganville, Texas, a town ruled by vampires, study is the least of your problems. Attacked and nearly killed in the dorms, Claire decides to move out and go flatting, but is the Glass House really a safer option, with Eve who dresses like a vamp, Shane who has a tragic past, and Michael who’s never around during the day?

Night Road – Amanda Jenkins

Cole is a heme – a master at survival, with a century of experience on the road. When asked to take on rookie heme Gordon for training, though, not even all his meticulous planning and experience may be enough to keep the two of them safe. And what other choice will he have than to ‘dispose’ of Gordon, if he can’t keep him under control …

Vampire Kisses – Ellen Schrieber

16 year old Raven is a vamp wanna-be, dressing Goth-style and hanging out in the cemetery at night. But when a new boy arrives in town, she begins to wonder if she’s finally found the real thing. A good read for those who like ‘vampire lite’, or a less blood-thirsty take on the subject.

Evernight – Claudia Gray

Bianca has been enrolled by her teacher parents at Evernight academy, an eerie gothic boarding school where the other students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, almost predatory. It’s clear to everyone that she doesn’t fit in, but when she tries to run away, she meets Lucas, another outsider, and decides to stay. But will their new bond be enough to keep them both safe at Evernight? And what secret is Bianca hiding herself?

House of Night - P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world is pretty similar to ours, except for the vampires. When Zoey is Marked by a Tracker at school one day, she must leave her old normal life behind and travel to the House of Night, a boarding school for fledgling vampires. On arrival, she discovers that the Mark she has been given singles her out even more than she thought. This story mixes Native American myths with pagan and other supernatural elements, and is a great read for older teenagers, or for those who enjoy the vampire boarding school theme!

SweetBlood – Pete Hautman

Lucy Szabo has been an insulin-dependent diabetic since she was 6. Now 16, she’s obsessed with vampires, which would be fine, except that her parents think she’s lost the plot, and take away her computer access and much of her freedom. Lucy decides there’s nothing for it except to go out into the real world and try to track down a real vamp. But taking control of her own life, and her diabetes, is much harder and more dangerous than she’s imagined.

Blue Bloods – Melissa de la Cruz

Some of New York’s wealthiest and most important families are hiding a dark secret, one that nonconformist heroine Schuyler and her group of fellow misfits at the exclusive Duchesne School are about to find out. And what they discover will change everything they thought they knew about their own lives and families.

Tantalize – Cynthia Smith

Orphaned at 13, Quincie Morris is now 17 and helping her uncle run their vampire-themed restaurant, Sanguini’s. But when the new chef is murdered werewolf-style, the blame seems to rest on Quincie’s werewolf-in-training boyfriend Kieran. This is a dark and disturbing tale of love triangles, cooking and chaos, and adolescent passions!

In the Forests of the Night – Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Once Risika had a family -- a brother and a sister who loved her. Once she was human. Then she was changed into a vampire against her will, and for three hundred years she has wandered the earth alone. Now someone is following her through the night streets of New York City, leaving her black roses, the same rose that led to her downfall all those years ago …

Suck It Up – Brian Meehl

For those who are getting a bit tired of the traditional cape-wearing, midnight-prowling, bloodsucking fiend scene, try this tale of vegan vamp Morning McCobb (favourite beverage soyblood substitute BloodLite), and his quest to fulfil his childhood dreams of becoming a superhero.

The Society of S – Susan Hubbard

Another blend of humour and horror, and another story about vamp alternatives. S stands for Sanguinists: a group of environmentalists concerned with ethics and human rights, who also happen to be vampires. S also stands for synesthete: a person able to see words and letters in colors. Ariella’s missing mother is a Sanguinist, drawn to lucky places like Sarasota and Savannah. But will those places also be lucky for Ariella?

January 2009

Tags:

Read topics

Read articles