With the premiere of New Moon looming, suddenly everyone’s talking about vampires. The diehard Twilight fans I know never entirely stop talking about it, but the chatter grows ever louder. I’ve read all the books and I suspect I’ll end up seeing all the movies, but there is so much more to read once you’ve run through Bella and Edward (and Jacob)’s story. If you’re hooked on vampires, there are a ton of good books out there.
If you haven’t read the original Dracula, I highly recommend it. There’s so much more going on in there besides the vampire story. In addition, if it’s romance you’re after, there are tons of vampire romances out there and most of us have probably tried at least a few of them. So, here’s a poll – and probably something that will end up growing the TBR mountains we all seem to have:
-Lynn Spencer
My absolute favorite “”vamp”” series is Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series, for a TON of reasons, but primarily because she gives true creativity in her stories and new spins on paranormal characters, including Vampires.
My second vote is, of course, Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood!
Oh yes, the best vampire out there has to be Bones!! Jeaniene Frost writes a wonderful story that makes these characters so real that you feel you should be able to just call them up and talk. Both Cat and Bones have really good points and really bad flaws and that makes them real. And the side characters are to die for as well! She keeps on slipping in historical figures and waiting to see if we figure out who they are.
I’ll say Jeaniene Frost as well, I love Bones and Cat, and the side characters are fantastic (I love me some Vlad ;)
Lestat (after Interview With a Vampire – wasn’t thrilled with the 1st book). My favorites are Memnoch the Devil and the final book: Blackwood Farm.
Voted for The Brotherhood, but I’d also give Lynsay Sands a hands up, as well as Rachel Caine. YA-wise I definitely give LJ Smith (she of the Vampire Diaries), bc she would win any (literary) fight against s meyer any day. [disclaimer being I really didn’t get all the hype about Twilight.]
Vayl from Jennifer Rardin’s Jaz Parks series
Bones
What about the House of Night series by P.C. Cast. Pretty good books.
Has a totally different take on vampires. I have read most of the above series. I think my favorites are the Twilight series and Sookie Stackhouse series but the House of Night was great too. I just don’t know. Hard to choose.
Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series.
Morgainville Vampires by Rachel Caine
Sonja Blue series by Nancy A Collins
I really like the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. The books in the series are: Night Watch, Day Watch, Twilight Watch and The Final Watch. They are not romances – definitely more Horror/Fantasy and Vampires are only one of the inhabitants of the books. One of the things I really enjoy about the books is that the series begins in Moscow and most of the characters are Russian. It is a real change from most of the other vampire or paranormals that I’ve read.
It’s a YA book and a standalone, but the only vampire book I’ve truly loved and the only one which continues to haunt me is Annette Curtis Krause’s “”The Silver Kiss””. The all-too-human issues of a real life teenage girl are skillfully blended with those of a teenage vampire boy. The two of them are so touching in the ways in which they help each other find the strength to face their challenges. I teared up at the end, which is both fitting yet poignant, and I definitely recommend this book.
I love Sookie and Bill, no one else in that series holds my attention. But, equal to that pairing I have to say is Cat and Bones, of Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. I have read and reread these books numerous times. They cover the gamut of emotions. They make me laugh out loud, so much so they could almost be listed in the comedy section. I have cried repeatedly over the valleys of their relationship, and smiled like a Cheshire Cat when things come together in a positive way. And, certainly not to be forgotten are the mind-boggling love scenes. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to not be jealous of Cat. She owns the heart, mind and body of Bones, and I’m telling you that is a fine prize. I can’t get enough of these characters, I wait with painful anticipation for her next book, and am already sad at the thought of the series ending, even though that is three books away.
Thomas Raith from Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files.He’s a White Court vampire and feeds off his victims’ life energy, usually via sex.He’s blessed with the kind of good looks that ‘fathers of teen-age daughters would shoot him on sight.’
Read more about him at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Dresden_Files_characters#Thomas_Raith
I voted for the Brothers! J.R. may have her moments, but I really love those books. :)
The first vampire series I ever read was by Lori Herter. There were four books: “”Obsession””, “”Possession””, “”Confession””, and “”Eternity””. I still like them, but having read other vampire books this series isn’t so amazing. This author was breaking new ground back then, though; these were written in the early 90s. (I know, Anne Rice had been around for a while, but she wasn’t writing vampire romance novels.)
I might have picked LKH’s Anita Blake series if it hadn’t gone so far astray in the last few years. I still have the first few books up to “”Blue Moon””.