Books Like Vanilla Blood
Women in vampire fiction are often portrayed as hapless victims who cannot resist the charms of unread creatures who want to feast on their blood. However, there are also authors who eschew this trope by featuring female vampires as the protagonists of their books. These vampires are just as deadly and cunning as the men and are certainly not in need of rescuing by any dashing hero. For example, Vanilla Blood by S.L. Baron sees a woman named Livia Hart accepting an offer to become a vampire in order to escape from her grief and guilt. However, with her gift of immortality comes the risk of an eternity of regret. For more stories featuring vampiric women taking a starring role check out the following books like Vanilla Blood.
Princess Dracula
by John Patrick Kennedy
Princess Dracula by John Patrick Kennedy is the story of a young woman named Ruxandra who lives in the Our Lady of the Mountains Convent where she is training to be the perfect nobleman’s wife. Ruxandra relishes the prospect of a simple life, but her father, Vlad Dracula, has other plans for her. Vlad retrieves her from the convent on her 18th birthday and after he performs a mysterious ritual over her in an effort to increase his own powers. However, when things go wrong Ruxandra is left with uncontrollable supernatural powers. Afterward, she is left alone and terrified as she knows that she must learn to control her unnatural instincts or else she’ll destroy every last shred of her humanity.
The Immortal Rules
by Julie Kagawa
The Immortal Rules is the first book in the Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa. The protagonist, Allison Sekemoto, survives in the Fringe along with her crew of outcasts. Together, they try and survive the vampires who keep humans as prey. Allie has a hatred of vampires as they killed her mother, but becomes one herself after she is attacked and nearly killed by them. Allie keeps her curse a secret and joins up with a group of humans who are on a quest to find a mythical place called Eden where they might be safe from vampires.
The Hunger
by Whitley Strieber
The Hunger by Whitley Strieber offers a unique interpretation of the vampire mythos. Miriam Blaylock is a wealthy vampire who sees her eternal youth as a curse as it causes her sorrow to see everyone she loves withering and dying. Miriam is able to prolong the lifespan of her human companions using her blood, but unlike her, they do continue to age. When time begins to run out for her latest companion, John, Miriam sets her sights on the work of a young physician whose research work might hold the secret to immortality. Strieber also penned a sequel, The Last Vampire, that continues Miriam’s story.
Lost Girls
by Sonia Hartl
Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl follows the story of Holly Liddell, who has been a vampire since 1987 after agreeing to let her boyfriend Elton turn her into one. Unfortunately, instead of an eternity together he ditches her at a gas station a few decades later. This leaves her supernaturally compelled to follow him from town to town, which is how she encounters his other ex-girlfriends. Both Rose and Ida were abandoned by Elton before Holly was even born and they plan on killing him to stop the cycle. To do so they need her help, but in the process, Holly finds herself falling for Parker, Elton’s vulnerable new conquest, which complicates matters even further.
A Nighttime of Forever
by Matthew S. Cox
A Nighttime of Forever is the first novel in the Vampire Innocent series that sees eighteen-year-old Sarah Wright waking up in a morgue after a night out with friends. At first, she is very bewildered by her predicament, but soon realizes that she has been turned into a vampire. Sarah tries to make the best of the situation and instead of leaving her old life behind, she tries to continue on as normal. This includes still living with her parents, who are understanding enough to help her move her bedroom to the basement. Unfortunately, while being a vampire has its perks it also complicates a lot of things and Sarah has to figure out how to adjust to her new life without putting her family in harm's way.
The Vampire’s Vision
by Shawn Wiseman
The Vampire’s Vision by Shawn Wiseman is set in a world where vampires and psychics exist. Unfortunately, there’s also bad blood between these two groups, which means Kara who is a vampire born with psychic powers, finds herself shunned by her own kind. When the psychic police kidnap her best friend, Olivia, Kara sets out to rescue her. However, to do so she has to make a deal with a gangster who has ties to both vampires and psychics. While taking justice into her own hands Kara also learns that a new war might be brewing between the supernatural factions.
Wake Me When The Sun Goes Down
by Lisa Olsen
Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down is the first novel in the Forged Bloodlines series by Lisa Olsen. Anja Evans was never a night person at heart, which is ironic as she wakes up in the morgue after being turned into a vampire. While Anja tries to piece together how it happened a vampire named Bishop shows up on her doorstep. Anja assumes he’s just a regular cop, but when he asks to see her license and registration she learns that vampires are very strict about creating new members and her unlicensed status makes her an enemy of The Order. This leaves Anja trying to find a balance between her old life and her new one while trying to track down the vampire who placed her in this predicament.
