The Attempted Vampirism Books in Order

The Attempted Vampirism series follows Jonathan, a scholarly vampire who would much rather be reading obscure tomes than charging into danger. As the thirty second lord of Bloodhaven he is technically a noble, but his reality is more drafty castle and dusty library than glittering courts.

Everything falls apart when the Blood Alliance Department of Taxation comes calling. Vampire tax collectors strip Jonathan of his home, his treasures, and most of his dignity. Left with little more than a threadbare dressing gown and his loyal butler Miles, he discovers that the only way to pay off his impossible debt is to work for the same people who ruined him.

The Department specialises in dangerous jobs that no sensible vampire would take. Recover lost artefacts, clear out cursed ruins, help with problems that involve sea monsters or dragon lairs, and then hope to survive long enough to send in the invoice. Jonathan is not a warrior at heart. He is an academic who counts steps on long staircases and worries about structural integrity. Watching him drag his bookish habits into these missions is a large part of the fun.

Over the course of the series he acquires a mismatched party of companions. There is Miles, who combines butler level politeness with surprising competence when things get messy. Along the way they add a wandering werewolf with a good heart, a land loving merman, a shapeshifter who may be stuck in the wrong form, and a former paladin whose history with heresy accusations is longer than Jonathan finds comfortable. Each new ally brings useful skills and new problems.

Every book centres on a major contract that might bring Jonathan closer to reclaiming his castle. One mission drags the group beneath the waves to face ancient evils and crumbling dwarf architecture. Another pushes them into the depths of a legendary dragon's labyrinth where the goal is not treasure but helping another vampire prove that love really can survive claws, fire, and unreasonable odds.

The tone stays light even when the stakes are high. Estrella leans into absurd bureaucracy, running gags about the Department, and the contrast between Jonathan's gentle nature and the brutal jobs he is sent to do. Underneath the humour there is a genuine interest in responsibility, friendship, and what it costs to keep choosing the hard, decent path. Readers who like found family adventures with a lot of quips and a hero who would rather negotiate than swing a sword will feel at home here.