How to Read the Children of the Night Series
To fully appreciate the world-building, recurring characters, and evolving vampire mythology, the best way to read the series is in publication order. While each book introduces a new central couple and can technically be enjoyed as a standalone, reading them chronologically by release date allows you to track the relationships, family dynamics, and returning characters like the vampire queen Mara.
Publication Order of the Children of the Night Books
- Night's Kiss (2005) - Introduces vampire Roshan DeLongpre, who time-travels to save witch Brenna Flanagan from execution.
- Night's Touch (2007) - Follows Cara DeLongpre and newly turned vampire Vincent Cordova as they flee an ancient threat.
- Night's Master (2008) - Centers on Kathy McKenna and Raphael Cordova, the powerful leader of the North American vampires.
- Night's Pleasure (2009) - Features Savanah Gentry, a born vampire hunter, who falls for the solitary vampire Rane Cordova.
- Night's Mistress (2013) - Focuses on Mara, the ancient vampire queen, who finds herself pregnant and torn between a mortal artist and her centuries-old vampire creation.
- Night's Promise (2014) - Follows heiress Sheree West and the powerful Derek Blackwood as they navigate wild, lunar-linked powers.
- Night's Surrender (2015) - Centers on human Abbey Marie Cordova and ancient vampire Niccola Desanto.
- Night's Illusion (2021) - Follows former priest-turned-vampire Giovanni Lanzoni and mortal Cassie Douglas.
Chronological Order & Timeline Caveats
For the most part, the chronological timeline matches the publication order, with the narrative moving forward from the mid-2000s into the 2020s. However, the first book, Night's Kiss, contains a time-travel plot that sends Roshan DeLongpre back to the 17th-century Salem witch trials to save Brenna. Additionally, characters like the vampire queen Mara and various members of the Cordova family frequently appear as secondary characters, meaning reading out of order will spoil who ends up together in previous books.
The Cordova Family Connections and Shared Universe
One of the most enjoyable aspects for recurring readers is the recurring presence of the Cordova family. Over multiple books, we see different members of this vampire lineage find their soulmates: Vincent (Book 2), Raphael (Book 3), Rane (Book 4), and Abbey Marie (Book 7). The characters frequently cross paths, visit the goth club scenes of Los Angeles, and assist each other against hunters and ancient threats.
While Amanda Ashley (a pen name for Western romance author Madeline Baker) has written other popular vampire series—such as Morgan Creek, Bound, and Brynn Tor—they exist in separate paranormal universes and do not feature crossovers with the Children of the Night cast.