Twenty years is nothing to a vampire. But if you are a mere mortal who lived through the all-consuming bonanza of the “Twilight” era, it may come as a bit of a shock that it all started two decades ago. Stephenie Meyer’s debut novel, the teen fantasy romance that launched a thousand fanfics, hit shelves on Sept. 30, 2005. It was followed by three sequels, whose arrivals were greeted with midnight launch parties full of fake-blood-splattered teens; the books spent more than 275 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. Then came six blockbuster film adaptations, which turned their young casts into global superstars.
With its every-girl heroine, central love triangle, sexually charged yearning and high-stakes drama, the Twilight series helped ignite an explosion of young adult fantasy romance — and later, romantasy — that reverberates to this day. For all my “Twilight” girlies, here are some of its worthy successors: books published in its wake that offer a similarly appealing blend of romance, fantasy and horror — whether you’re Team Edward, Team Jacob or just Team Fun Book.
Bride
by Ali Hazelwood
This book about an arranged marriage between a Vampyre bride named Misery Lark (yes, really) and Lowe Moreland, a werewolf Alpha, comes with feuding supernatural factions, major pining, excellent sarcasm, obsessive brooding and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story that includes some surprising sexy time. I’ve heard several people call it “spicy ‘Twilight,’” which is a superb description. The sequel, “Mate,” arrives Oct. 7.
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