Realm of the Elderlings
epic fantasy
Series · urban fantasy
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter
The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton has 31 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Guilty Pleasures (1993).
- Books
- 29 novels + 2 novellas
- First published
- 1993
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Guilty Pleasures (1993) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Guilty Pleasures
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Guilty Pleasures - Book 2:
The Laughing Corpse
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Laughing Corpse - Book 3:
Circus of the Damned
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Circus of the Damned - Book 4:
The Lunatic Cafe
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Lunatic Cafe - Book 5:
Bloody Bones
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bloody Bones - Book 6:
The Killing Dance
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Killing Dance - Book 7:
Burnt Offerings
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Burnt Offerings - Book 8:
Blue Moon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Moon - Book 9:
Obsidian Butterfly
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Obsidian Butterfly - Book 10:
Narcissus in Chains
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Narcissus in Chains - Book 11:
Cerulean Sins
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cerulean Sins - Book 12:
Incubus Dreams
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Incubus Dreams - Book 13:
Micah
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Micah - Book 14:
Danse Macabre
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Danse Macabre - Book 15:
Strange Candy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Strange Candy - Book 16:
The Harlequin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Harlequin - Book 17:
Blood Noir
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blood Noir - Book 18:
Skin Trade
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Skin Trade - Book 19:
Flirt
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Flirt - Book 20:
Bullet
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bullet - Book 21:
Hit List
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hit List - Book 22:
Kiss the Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Kiss the Dead - Book 23:
Affliction
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Affliction - Book 24:
Jason
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Jason - Book 25:
Dead Ice
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead Ice - Book 26:
Crimson Death
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crimson Death - Book 27:
Serpentine
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Serpentine - Book 28:
Sucker Punch
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sucker Punch - Book 29:
Rafael
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Rafael - Book 30:
Smolder
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Smolder - Book 31:
Slay
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Slay
About the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series
Anita Blake raises zombies for a living and stakes vampires as a licensed executioner for the city of St. Louis, in a world where vampires won legal personhood decades ago and the undead, werewolves, and other shapeshifters live in uneasy, regulated coexistence with humans. The early novels play as noir-tinged supernatural procedurals -- Anita investigating murders, rogue vampires, and lycanthrope pack politics with a gun in one hand and necromancy in the other. From the middle of the series onward, the books shift decisively toward Anita's expanding, deliberately unconventional romantic and sexual life, driven by the ardeur, a succubus-like power she gains that forces her to feed on sex or lust to survive -- a plot engine that reshapes both the tone and structure of the series.
Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the founding voices of modern urban fantasy -- Anita Blake predates most of the genre's now-standard tropes -- and the series is known equally for its early hardboiled-detective energy and for the explicit, polyamorous direction it took starting around Narcissus in Chains (2001), which split the fandom sharply between readers who followed Anita into that territory and those who preferred the earlier mystery-forward books. Thirty books deep and still one of the longest-running series in the genre, it rewards readers looking for a heroine whose power and relationships keep escalating, with a sprawling ensemble cast of vampires, werewolves, and wereleopards accumulated over three decades.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series?
There are 30 novels, from Guilty Pleasures (1993) through Slay (2023), plus the short-story collection Strange Candy.
What order should I read the Anita Blake books in?
Publication order, starting with Guilty Pleasures. The plot, cast, and Anita's own powers build continuously across all 30 books.
Is the Anita Blake series finished?
Not formally declared complete, but no new novel has been announced since Slay (November 2023) as of mid-2026.
Why do the later Anita Blake books feel so different from the early ones?
Starting around Narcissus in Chains (2001), Anita gains the ardeur, a power that requires her to feed on sex/lust, which shifts the series from noir-style vampire mysteries toward a far more explicit, relationship-driven focus. It's a well-known turning point for readers.
Do I need to read Strange Candy?
No. It's a short-story collection of largely unrelated Hamilton fiction from early in her career; only a small portion touches the Anita Blake world, and it isn't necessary to follow the main series.
If you like the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series
Reading order last verified .