How to read Mayfair Witches books in order? Explained

The latest episode of Anne Rice's supernatural horror show Mayfair Witches aired on AMC+ on February 23, 2025. The dark and magical world of the Mayfair family comes to life in this show, which was made by Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford. The show is very interesting because it mixes witchcraft, horror, and family secrets in a way that keeps people interested all the way through.

Fans have loved Anne Rice's Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy for years, on which the AMC series is based. People don't know about these books as much as The Vampire Chronicles, but they are very important to her supernatural world. The books are about the Mayfair family's problems and dark past. Magic and otherworldly beings are at the heart of the stories.

How to read Mayfair Witches books in order

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The Mayfair Witches series is best enjoyed when read in order. The first book in the series is The Witching Hour (1990), the second is Lasher (1993), and the last is Taltos (1994). The Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy comprises these three books. It is the main plot of the Mayfair Witches series.

Once done with the trilogy, one can read the books that continue The Vampire Chronicles. These are Blood Canticle (2003), Blackwood Farm (2002), and Merrick (2000). In these books, Rice digs deeper into the link between the Mayfair witches and the vampires he wrote about in earlier books.

1) The Witching Hour (1990)

The Witching Hour (1990) (Image via Amazon)

In The Witching Hour, the readers meet the Mayfair family. The story is mostly about Rowan Mayfair, a strong surgeon who learns she has a long family history of witchcraft. The story starts in New Orleans in the 1990s, where Rowan becomes involved with the dark past of her ancestors. Rowan learns more about her family's magical history and realizes that her powers are very strong and could be dangerous.

The book takes place in many places and times, with flashbacks to Scotland, France, and Amsterdam in the 1600s. The creepy Mayfair family is set up in this book. The story is about love, power, and a haunting demon named Lasher.

The book goes into great detail about the connections between magic, family, and identity. It also sets the stage for what will happen in the next books. Its in-depth character development and historical references give Anne Rice's supernatural world a strong base.

2) Lasher (1993)

Lasher carries on Rowan Mayfair's journey as she explores her legacy in the second book of the Mayfair Witches trilogy. Deeper into the family curse, the story revolves especially on Lasher, the demon haunting the Mayfair bloodline for millennia.

Originally called upon by Suzanne Mayfair, Rowan's ancestor, Lasher has been tormenting the family ever since. Rowan is pulled into a sad and emotional trip in Lasher, where she must face her powers, her family's sinister secrets, and Lasher's impact on her life.

As Rowan deals with the weight of her lineage and experiences the heartbreak of love and loss, the story veers darker and more intimate. Emotional complexity permeates the book, which is full of treachery, suffering, and the always lurking, lethal demon with apparently autonomous will.

The book sets the stage for an even more explosive ending by delving into ideas of destiny, power, and the inevitable character of family curses.

3) Taltos (1994)

Taltos: The last book in the trilogy (Image via Amazon)

The last book in the trilogy The Lives of the Mayfair Witches, Taltos, closes the gripping and intense narrative. Many of the issues brought up in the last two books are addressed in this book, which also clarifies the complex relationships among Rowan, her ancestors, and the supernatural powers controlling their lives.

Rowan meets the Taltos in this book—a legendary race of creatures connected to her family's magical past. Rowan's destiny is greatly influenced by the Taltos, who also cause anarchy and strife when they first surface. Taltos explores more the dynamics between the Mayfair witches and their magical background.

Rowan must negotiate her own powers in light of her family's legacy and the results of her deeds. Surprising revelations abound in the book, which finally offers a thrilling, if sad, ending to the Mayfair story. The book explores ideas of family, identity, and sacrifice while fusing elements of the supernatural with unvarnished, human feeling.

4) Merrick (2000)

The book Merrick by Rice (2000) (Image via Amazon)

Though she is ignorant of her relationship to the Mayfair family, Merrick is set in the Vampire Chronicles universe and introduces Merrick Mayfair, a strong witch descended from them. David Talbot, a vampire who develops an interest in Merrick's skills, tells the narrative from his point of view. Merrick is pulled into a perilous web of power and dark magic as she starts to discover her magical background.

Combining vampire history with witchcraft, the book is a cross-between of The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches. Merrick's narrative centers on her battle to accept her identity as a witch and as a woman living in a world run by supernatural entities.

Rich in atmosphere, the book combines elements of the supernatural, horror, and romance. It adds still another level of complexity to Rice's universe by investigating the relationship between the Mayfair witches and the vampires of the Vampire Chronicles series. Merrick stays with the dark and enigmatic themes of the Mayfair Witches series while adding fresh characters.

Also read: Mayfair Witches season 2 episode 7: Release date & time, where to watch, what to expect, and more

5) Blackwood Farm (2002)

Blackwood Farm (2002) (Image via Amazon)

The story of Blackwood Farm is about Tarquin "Quinn" Blackwood, a man who has been tormented by a demon since he was a child. Quinn begs Lestat de Lioncourt, the famous vampire from The Vampire Chronicles, to help him figure out his supernatural family history.

There is some information about the Mayfair family in Blackwood Farm, but it is mostly about witchcraft and demons. So, anyone interested in the Mayfair Witches should read it.

On his journey, Quinn learns upsetting facts about his family history and how it is linked to the Mayfair witches. As Quinn and Lestat learn more about the Blackwood family's mysteries, they find links to witches and their dark magic.

With its supernatural plot, family secrets, and constant battle between good and evil forces, Blackwood Farm is a very full story. In a world where supernatural things happen, the story is about finding your own identity, power, and a way to make things right.

Also read: AMC's Mayfair Witches is based on which Anne Rice novel? Explained

6) Blood Canticle (2003)

Blood Canticle (2003) (Image via Amazon)

Along with Lestat de Lioncourt, Blood Canticle features a number of Vampire Chronicles series characters—most notably, Rowan Mayfair, Mona Mayfair, and Tarquin Blackwood.

As Rowan must face her past and the legacy of her magical bloodline, the book blends the two worlds. As the characters negotiate personal challenges and supernatural threats, the book looks at issues of family, love, and the results of power.

Considered indispensable for viewers of both series, Blood Canticle is a special fusion of horror, romance, and dark family drama. The book also begs philosophical concerns regarding life, death, and the moral conundrums both for witches and immortals.

Completing the arc involving the Mayfair witches, it ties off loose ends and investigates the more profound consequences of their abilities. The book explores human emotions and challenges that define magical beings' life, not only about them.

Mayfair Witches is available to stream on AMC+.

Edited by Meghna