Creatures, Curses, and Chaos: 19 Books That Bring the Monsters to Life

A brutal murder in rural Alaska revives old fears, but the truth may be even darker. In the remote town of Deadhart, a boy is found dead—his throat torn out and his body drained of blood. The townspeople blame the Colony, a mysterious vampyr community shunned for decades. Detective Barbara Atkins, an expert in vampyr-related killings, arrives to investigate and authorize a cull if necessary. Unsure if the Colony is truly responsible, Barbara teams up with Jenson Tucker, a reclusive former sheriff whose past investigation nearly killed him. Together, they unravel Deadhart’s dark history, but as tensions rise, another body turns up. With time running out and the town on edge, Barbara and Tucker must uncover the truth. Are they chasing a supernatural killer—or something far worse?

A villainous heroine. A bastard investigator. A deadly court where blood is power. Shan LeClaire has spent her life mastering blood magic, weaving a network of spies, and clawing her way toward power. When she assassinates her own father to protect her brother, she takes her rightful place as head of the family—but that is only the beginning of her revenge. Samuel Hutchinson wants nothing to do with magic or court politics, but when he stumbles upon a victim of a magical serial killer, he’s pulled into a dangerous world of intrigue, desire, and deception. Tasked with uncovering the murderer, he’s forced to work alongside Shan and the enigmatic Royal Blood Worker, Isaac. But Shan’s plans are as deadly as they are seductive, and in a court where betrayal is a game, Samuel must decide: justice or survival? A blood-soaked fantasy romance perfect for fans of dark intrigue and wicked desire.

A stolen sister, a deadly vampire, and a dangerous quest for vengeance. Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the secretive vampire society that holds her family’s fate. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is certain a vampire took her—Susenyos Sagad, the cruel and captivating one bound to her family bloodline. Determined to find June, Kidan infiltrates Uxlay University, where human heirs study to inherit their fortunes and select vampire companions. As she’s forced to live alongside Susenyos, his darkness draws out her own violent nature, tempting her to surrender. But she has one goal: save her sister and kill Susenyos. When another murder shocks the university, Kidan uncovers a centuries-old threat, and June may be at its heart. Will Kidan break free from the darkness or be consumed by it?

Beware what waits in the shadows… Mina Murray’s orderly life shatters with one unexpected email from her estranged best friend, Lucy. Leaving her psychiatric practice in London, Mina returns to the windswept coast of Wales, only to find Lucy’s strange illness mirrors that of another patient—a woman hundreds of miles away. As Mina digs deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets linking missing girls and a nameless force haunting her past. With Lucy’s life at stake, Mina must face ancient truths and the dark horrors that have been waiting for her. Together with a group of determined women, she takes one last desperate stand to end a cycle of terror. But can they survive confronting something far worse than a man—something monstrous?

A family’s magic, a hidden past, and a new beginning. Diana Bishop, a witch and scholar, and vampire Matthew de Clermont have faced love, danger, and dark magic. Now, the Congregation demands they test their seven-year-old twins’ magical abilities. Fearful for her children’s safety and haunted by her own past, Diana seeks answers from a mysterious great-aunt she’s never known. At Ravenswood, the ancestral Proctor home, Diana confronts her family’s long-buried secrets under the guidance of Gwyneth, a powerful witch. As Diana embraces higher magic, she faces a choice that could reshape her family’s future—and awaken even darker powers within her. In this captivating new chapter of All Souls, Diana’s journey will lead to her most powerful reckoning yet. Will she accept the magic she fears?

The Holy Grail is saved, but the end of night is still out of reach. Gabriel de León, the Last Silversaint, has rescued the Holy Grail, but his mission to end the eternal darkness is far from over. Now, in an uneasy alliance with the vampire Liathe, Gabriel must deliver the Grail to the ancient Blood Esani and uncover how to undo Daysdeath once and for all. But as Gabriel battles enemies from all sides—vampires, warriors, and his own rising bloodlust—his journey becomes even more perilous. With war brewing and secrets lurking in the Highlands, Gabriel may not live to see the Grail reveal her truth. And the truth may be more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

Spirits are drawn to salt—whether blood or tears. Roos Beckman has a unique bond with a spirit only she can see: Ruth, a corpse-like ghost who’s been dead for centuries. Roos’ life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the wealthy widow Agnes Knoop during a séance. Drawn together, Roos is invited to Agnes’ decaying estate, where eerie events unfold—an ill woman haunts the halls, strange smells linger, and unsettling statues fill the family chapel. But when someone is murdered, Roos becomes the prime suspect. Poor, alone, and with a past plagued by accusations of hysteria, Roos must unravel the estate’s dark secrets to prove her innocence—or risk losing everything, including the woman she’s grown to care for. Can she uncover the truth before it’s too late?

A haunted past, a cursed family, and a dangerous secret. In the fall of 1962, Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago—and the spirits only she can see. When she’s offered a job by the wealthy Duchon family in New Orleans, she thinks it’s a chance for a fresh start. But the Duchons are not what they seem. Light enough to pass as white, the Duchons look down on brown-skinned Jemma, and their eccentricity hides a deeper truth: the family is cursed, and they believe Jemma holds the power to break it. As Jemma uncovers secrets that stretch back over a century, she must confront the gift she’s always feared. If she fails, the Duchons’ fate—and her own—may be sealed forever. Will Jemma survive long enough to break the curse?

Secrets buried in the woods never stay hidden. Fern, Jaq, and Mallory always found refuge in their friendship—and the abandoned house deep in the woods—when it wasn’t safe to be themselves. But one night, Mallory never made it home, and Fern and Jaq returned with no memory of what happened. Five years later, Fern and Jaq seem content living straight, cisgender lives—until a spirit resembling Mallory appears, seeking revenge for her death and their role in it. As the haunting intensifies, long-buried memories resurface, forcing them to confront who they really are, who they love, and the dark secrets lurking in the woods. Will uncovering the truth finally set them free, or will it destroy them?

In a world where witches are hunted, love is the most dangerous game. Rune hides her true identity as a witch in a society that now hunts her kind. By day, she plays the role of a shallow socialite, but by night she becomes the Crimson Moth, a vigilante rescuing witches from execution. When a mission goes awry, Rune takes a risk—courting the infamous witch hunter Gideon Sharpe to gather vital information. Gideon despises everything Rune seems to represent. But as he pretends to court her, he discovers someone deeper, more intelligent than he ever expected. As their connection grows, so does the danger: what if Rune is the very witch he’s been hunting all along? Will their love survive the lies, or will it destroy them both?

The Creators never expected their beloved dragons to fall from the sky—once majestic moons, now crashing back to earth. Raeve, an assassin for the rebel group Fíur du Ath, follows one rule: complete the mission and never get caught. But when a rival bounty hunter upends her world, Raeve is captured by the powerful Guild of Nobles, who use her as a political pawn. Meanwhile, Kaan Vaegor, haunted by the loss of his true love, seized a king’s crown in his quest for solace. Drawn to the high-security prison, he stumbles upon Raeve—sparking a dangerous connection that hints at a shared past. With secrets too deadly to reveal, can Raeve and Kaan unravel the truth, or will it destroy them both?

Dragons are gone. Magic is fading. But power-hungry humans still rule. Tamsyn, raised in the royal court, is both a trusted companion and a scapegoat for the princesses’ wrongdoings. Her only solace comes from Stig, the Captain of the Guard, whose friendship hints at something more. But when Fell, the fearsome Beast of the Borderlands, arrives, Tamsyn is forced into a dangerous deception—posing as a princess and marrying the brutal warrior to save the royals. On her wedding night, passion turns to fury when her ruse is revealed. Yet, instead of seeking vengeance, Fell claims Tamsyn as his bride. But dark secrets stir within her—secrets tied to a long-forgotten power. Will Tamsyn’s hidden magic ignite a war, or will she harness it before it consumes the kingdom?

The gods are dead, but their bones still hold power—and the promise of bloodshed. In the land of Vigrid, a huntress embarks on a perilous journey, driven by a quest only she can complete. A noblewoman, desperate for glory, seeks to carve her name into legend on the battlefield. And a thrall, burning with vengeance, joins the ruthless mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn. As war looms, these three warriors find their fates intertwined, each holding a piece of the future in their hands. With the gods gone, will their world rise from the ashes—or fall into eternal darkness?

In Navola, where business is power and power is everything, the di Regulai family reigns supreme. Davico di Regulai, heir to a merchant banking empire, is poised to inherit the vast fortune and political influence that have shaped kingdoms. But beneath the city’s grandeur, darker forces stir. As Davico prepares to take control, he must navigate the treacherous world of Navolese diplomacy and intrigue. His fate is bound to an ancient dragon relic—an artifact that seems to call to him—and to his adopted sister, Celia, whose family was destroyed by Navola’s ruthless politics. With tensions rising and secrets unraveling, will Davico master the deadly game of power, or will Navola’s twisted undercurrents claim him?

Jai, a royal hostage in the Sabine Court, has lived under the shadow of his father’s execution for years. Once a rebel leader, his father’s failure left Jai at the mercy of the emperor who killed him. When the emperor’s son marries Princess Erica of Dansk, the court is introduced to a powerful dowry—dragons. These beasts, bonded to Dansk royalty, hold untold power. But secrets surround the magic needed to control them. Amid conspiracies and chaos, Jai seizes his chance to escape with Frida, a Dansk handmaiden, and a stolen dragon hatchling. On the run, he must quickly master the forbidden art of soulbonding to harness the dragon’s power—and avenge his people. Can Jai become a warrior before his enemies close in?

In 1920s Appalachia, Leslie Bruin, a trans man, is sent to the backwoods town of Spar Creek as part of the Frontier Nursing Service. His mission is simple: vaccinate the locals, deliver babies, and endure the scrutiny of those who see him as a “failed woman.” Hardened by war and shaped by Paris, Leslie thinks he’s prepared for anything—until he arrives. Beneath the surface, Spar Creek hides a festering darkness. A violent tension surrounds a young tomboy whom the local congregation seeks to control. As danger escalates, Leslie realizes the woods themselves are haunted, and time is running out. Can Leslie confront both the town’s prejudice and the sinister forces lurking in the hills before it’s too late?

At the northern edge of a tyrant-ruled land lies a wild, forbidden forest brimming with dangerous magic. Veris Thorn is the only person to have ever entered the forest and survived. Now, she’s forced to return to retrieve the tyrant’s missing children. Inside, Veris must navigate ancient monsters, deadly traps, and the ghosts of her own past. She has just one day to complete her mission. One mistake could cost her everything. Will Veris survive the forest again, or will this journey be her last?

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows, destroying the world Kierse knew. In the aftermath, a fragile peace was struck—The Monster Treaty. Kierse, a talented and fearless thief, is about to break that truce. Her target: the Holly Library, home to an ancient monster. Charming, dangerous, and quietly terrifying, he recognizes her talents and offers a deal she can’t refuse. Now, Kierse is bound to a dangerous bargain that risks her freedom—and possibly her life. As she joins forces with the monster, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old game with no way out. What price will she pay to survive, and can she outmaneuver a creature that has been playing for centuries?

The Devil knows David Aristarkhov’s name—and his time is running out. Once a psychic prodigy controlled by his occultist father, David has now built a successful life as a Boston attorney and powerful medium for a secret society. But an ancestral deal with the Devil is coming due, and David’s days are numbered. Desperate, he turns to the only person he’s ever trusted—his ex-boyfriend Rhys, now a rival in the Society. To reach Rhys, David must work with Moira, Rhys’ wife, stirring old feelings and new tensions as they race against time. With death looming and emotions flaring, can they find a way to break the deal before the Devil claims David for good?