5 Books to Read if You Love The Vampire Lestat

After two seasons of getting Louis’ side of the story on Interview With the Vampire, it’s Lestat de Lioncourt’s turn to set the record straight and become a rock star in the process. AMC’s The Vampire Lestat is finally here, bringing everyone’s favorite toxic vampire back to the small screen in the biggest possible way. The series—technically the third season of Interview With the Vampire with a new name rather than a spin off—debuted Sunday and saw the larger-than-life Lestat become the main character of the story.

With Lestat taking center stage as he embarks on a rock and roll career, counters Louis’ account of events, and takes us all on a wild, sex-drugs-rock-and-roll ride, you might just find yourself wanting more vampire stories to keep the good times rolling. While there is nothing quite like The Vampire Lestat, we do have some vampire-themed books that are worthwhile reads that will introduce you to more bloodsucking drama—and one of them might just help you get ready for even more of Lestat’s story.

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5) The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

The third novel in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, if you’re loving The Vampire Lestat on television, this is a book you should probably get into your TBR pile as, while AMC’s series will certainly have some differences from Rice’s novels, things happen in The Vampire Lestat novel that lead into The Queen of the Damned—and since we know the series is bringing Akasha in you will definitely want to know more. The novel centers around the awakening of Akasha, the ancient mother of all vampires. Of course, if you wake up an ancient, it’s probably not going to go well and with Akasha bent on a very specific genocide, she has to be stopped. The book helps to further flesh out the world Rice’s has created with her vampires and sees Lestat in a particularly dramatic predicament. It’s a must read (just skip the movie.)

4) A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

If you love toxic vampires and you’re looking for something with a queer edge to it, look no further than A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson. The book is the story of Dracula’s first bride, Constanta, and reimagines the story from her perspective. We see Constanta navigating her relationship with Dracula as well as finding her own comfort with his other “brides” as she ultimately seeks to free herself from Dracula’s control. The book is a gorgeous, dark Gothic romance with a horror twist. It’s great for Anne Rice fans and for Dracula fans, too.

3) Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

One of the great elements of all of Rice’s Vampire Chronicles books as well as the AMC adaptation is that history is a significant element of the story and that’s the case with Vampires of El Norte. The novel is set in 1840s Mexico and follows Nena and Nestor, childhood sweethearts separated by a vampire attack in their childhood who come together because of the Mexican American War. The book offers up an original approach to vampires while also exploring the relationship between Nena and Nestor. It’s a unique story that really leans into the world the story is set in so if you like the historical aspect of Lestat’s story, you may enjoy this book.

2) The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Admittedly, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and The Vampire Lestat don’t really have much in common except for vampires, but Holly Black’s 2013 YA fantasy n ovel is just a good vampire story. In the world of the book, a vampire plague has led to closed, quarantine cities called Coldtowns and we follow Tana, who wakes up after a party and finds everyone dead… except for her, her infected ex-boyfriend, and a chained vampire. To save them? She has to go to Coldtown. The novel is a race-against-time story with Tana trying to save them by going somewhere where there is no way out. It’s a surprisingly high-stakes story and a very vividly created world, not unlike the extensive worldbuilding in Rice’s stories.

1) The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

We’re willing to go out on a limb here and guess that if you’re a big fan of AMC’s Interview With the Vampire and are into The Vampire Lestat that you’ve probably read Rice’s book, but on the off chance you haven’t (or if it’s been awhile since you’ve done so) it’s probably the most essential book on this list. Originally published in 1985, the book sees Lestat awakened from a long sleep by the music of a rock band called Satan’s Night Out who think he’s joking when he reveals who he is. This is how he finds out about the book, Interview With the Vampire and decides not only to publish his own book, but joins the band, renames it The Vampire Lestat, and becomes a rockstar hoping to get the attention of the various important vampires in his life—including Louis. Oh, and he also craves chaos as he spills vampire secrets to the human world. The book is a lush, detailed recollection of Lestat’s life as well as a chaotic adventure that leads to another vampire awakening, one with extremely high stakes and ends everything on a cliffhanger. If you already love Lestat, you’ll love him even more after this book.

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