‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Fans Need To Prepare for a New Vampire Novel ‘Thrall’ From Rebecca Mahoney

We fell in love with Buffy the Vampire Slayer for all types of reasons. For some, it was the female lead, proving to young girls that we can kick butt. For others, it was as the stories progressed, and we got Willow’s development and relationship with Tara. Whichever of the two reasons, Thrall by Rebecca Mahoney is sure to be the next read.

Thrall will hit shelves on April 21, 2026, and it already promises to be an exciting time. Described as a queer campus horror and romance novel, it incorporates a unique form of storytelling to dive into the campus element of the story.

Thrall by Rebecca Mahoney Is for the Vampire Fans

While novels like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries brought romances with vampires, the world of the monster arguably started with Dracula. He was a fierce villain, and he quickly set up the reminder that while monsters can be alluring, they need to be killed. Buffy the Vampire Slayer did cross the line now and then into romance with the vampires, but it kept the focus on the darkness of the undead.

That’s something Thrall promises to offer. When 23-year-old Lucy Easting wakes up in her college dorm room the night after a party with a blacked-out memory and two puncture wounds on her neck, she is taken down a rabbit hole of mystery and uncertainty.

Is it possible that vampires are real? That’s something she has to take in, as she finds other victims who have joined forces to take out the predator who is stalking the college campus. This is where the romance comes in, as Lucy meets her protector, who ends up becoming her potential love interest.

A Unique Form of Storytelling

Mahoney isn’t one for the standard form of prose. Thrall includes a unique form of storytelling to pull readers into the college campus setting. There are transcripts from a student-run radio show, allowing the students to share their experiences and find a way to protect each other.

After all, the institution itself isn’t going to do anything, and it’s the student radio station that helps Lucy figure out everything that’s happened to her. This is the perfect time for a story about advocacy and standing up for what’s right. 

Don’t miss Thrall by Rebecca Mahoney from Disney Publishing as it arrives on shelves on April 21, 2026.