Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels have been published since 1997. Originally under the Pocket Books imprint of Simon & Schuster, many titles were published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment since its launch in 2004. Various authors have written original novels for the series, including Mel Odom, Christopher Golden, and Nancy Holder.
After Disney Entertainment acquired Buffys parent company 20th Century Studios in 2019, the publishing license is currently under Disney's Hyperion Avenue Books, which has published new Buffy novels since 2022.
Chronology Novelizations These Buffyverse tales take place throughout the series and are novelizations of various episodes.
Title Novelization by First published Buffy the Vampire Slayer Richie Tankersley Cusick August 1992 Novelization of the movie The Harvest Richie Tankersley Cusick September 1997 'Welcome to the Hellmouth' and 'The Harvest' The Angel Chronicles, Vol. 1 Nancy Holder July 1998 'Angel,' 'Reptile Boy,' and 'Lie to Me' The Angel Chronicles, Vol. 2 Richie Tankersley Cusick December 1998 'Halloween,' 'What's My Line? Part 1,' and 'What's My Line? Part 2' The Angel Chronicles, Vol. 3 Nancy Holder 1999 'Surprise,' 'Innocence,' and 'Passion' The Xander Years, Vol. 1 Keith DeCandido 1999 'Teacher's Pet,' 'Inca Mummy Girl,' and 'Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered' The Xander Years, Vol. 2 Jeff Mariotte 2000 'The Pack,' 'Go Fish,' and 'The Zeppo' The Willow Files, Vol. 1 Yvonne Navarro December 1999 'I Robot, You Jane,' 'Phases,' and 'Dead Man's Party' The Willow Files, Vol. 2 Yvonne Navarro 2001 'Gingerbread,' 'Doppelgangland' and 'Choices' The Faith Trials James Laurence April 2001 'Faith, Hope, & Trick,' 'Revelatins,' 'Bad Girls,' and 'Consequences' The Journals of Rupert Giles Nancy Holder February 2002 'Helpless,' 'A New Man,' and 'Blood Ties' The Cordelia Collection Nancy Krulik December 2002 'Out of Mind, Out of Sight,' 'Some Assembly Required,' and 'Homecoming' Chosen Nancy Holder June 2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7
490 BCE to 1996 CE These Buffyverse tales take place before the television series begins (from 490 BCE to 1996 CE).
Title Setting Author First published Tales of the Slayer, volume 1 Various Various October 2001 Tales of the Slayer, volume 2 Various Various December 2002 Tales of the Slayer, volume 3 Various Various November 2003 Tales of the Slayer, volume 4 Various Various November 2004 Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row 1940s Europe Christopher Golden May 2001 It is 1940 and for Drusilla's vampiric birthday, Spike decides he will acquire Freyja's Strand, a necklace that has the ability to allow Drusilla to view her reflection. Blackout New York, 1977 Keith R.A. DeCandido August 2006 Spike and Dru come to NYC during a blackout and face Nikki Wood.
Buffy season 1 These Buffyverse tales take place around Buffy season 1 (from spring 1996 until spring 1997).
Title Setting Author First published Halloween Rain Sunnydale, Halloween 1996 Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder November 1997 Buffy is warned that a scarecrow will come alive on Halloween if it's raining. Night of the Living Rerun Sunnydale, 1996/7 Arthur Byron Cover March 1998 The Master attempts to raise an old Slayer nemesis. Coyote Moon Sunnydale, summer 1997 John Vornholt January 1998 It's summer vacation in Sunnydale and the carnival has come to town, bringing with it some disturbing otherworldly creatures. How I Survived My Summer Vacation Sunnydale, & L.A., summer 1997 Various August 2000 Buffy visits her Dad in L.A. whilst the others continue the good fight.
Buffy season 2 The Suicide King, Keep Me In Mind, Colony, and Night Terrors form a series of gamebooks, titled Stake Your Destiny. Each novel contains many numbered sections. Instead of reading the book from start-to-finish, the reader is given a choice at the end of each section. Depending upon the reader's decision, the reader will be directed to another numbered section that might be anywhere in the book. Unlike some other gamebooks, Stake Your Destiny novels do not contain any form of game system.
These tales take place during Buffy season 2 (from autumn 1997 until spring 1998).
Title Setting Author First published The Suicide King Sunnydale, 1997 Robert Joseph Levy February 2005 A number of strange student suicides have been taking place, and Buffy suspects something wrong. Keep Me In Mind Sunnydale, 1997 Nancy Holder April 2005 Ethan Rayne returns and releases an evil sorcerer from Middle Ages Bavaria. Colony Sunnydale, 1997 Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz September 2005 Mayor Richard Wilkins III invited a woman named Belakane to speak at the local Sunnydale High School. She has a program, "Be the Ultimate You!". Night Terrors Sunnydale, 1997 Alice Henderson December 2005 The Night Terror stalks its victims in their dreams. The demon replaces another's soul with its own, then wreaks chaos in the real world. Afterimage Sunnydale, 1997 Pierce Askegren January 2006 Sunnydale drive-in reopens. Carnival of Souls Sunnydale, 1997 Nancy Holder April 2006 A Traveling Carnival arrives in Sunnydale. It seems the carnival might be another victim of Sunnydale's weirdness. Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary Boston, December 1997 - June 1998 Robert Joseph Levy June 2006 Faith has a tough time growing up in South Boston, moving from relative to relative when Diana Dormer arrives and informs Faith that she is a potential slayer. Portal Through Time Sunnydale, 1998 Alice Henderson October 2006 Some of the Master's devotees travel through time to attempt to disrupt the Slayer lineage, thus preventing Buffy from destroying the Master. Bad Bargain Sunnydale, 1997 Diana G. Gallagher December 2006 Items for the school rummage sale become infected with Hellmouth parasites after being stored in the school basement. One Thing or Your Mother Sunnydale, 1997/8 Kirsten Beyer March 2008 Buffy is having a hard time dealing with Angelus and her grades and so Snyder forces her to get tutoring which takes time away from her slaying, just when things couldn't get worse Dru wants a child and sires a little girl who starts to become too much to handle. Buffy's new love interest makes Angelus jealous and a sleep-deprivation spell aimed at Snyder affects the whole Sunnydale community.
Buffy season 3 These tales take place during Buffy season 3 (from autumn 1998 until spring 1999).
Title Setting Author First published Sins of the Father Sunnydale, 1998 Christopher Golden November 1999 Pike visits Sunnydale. Blooded Sunnydale, 1998 Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder August 1998 The Scoobies become entangled in a long-running feud between Asian warriors. Child of the Hunt Sunnydale, 1998 Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder October 1998 The 'Wild Hunt' arrives in Sunnydale. Ghoul Trouble Sunnydale, 1998 John Passarella October 2000 A new vampire arrives in town called Solitaire who is immune to the sun's rays. Paleo Sunnydale, 1998 Yvonne Navarro September 2000 People try to resurrect dinosaur eggs. The Evil That Men Do Sunnydale, 1998 Nancy Holder July 2000 Helen, an ancient vampire attempts to raise a goddess of destruction. The Deathless Sunnydale, 1999 Keith R.A. DeCandido April 2007 Ring Day is fast approaching at Sunnydale High. Doomsday Deck Sunnydale, 1999 Diana G. Gallagher December 2000 Tarot card-reader, Justine arrives in Sunnydale. Immortal Sunnydale, 1999 Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder October 1999 Buffy faces Veronique, a vampire even more immortal than most. Prime Evil Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Diana G. Gallagher March 2000 Crystal Gregory is a beautiful new teacher at Sunnydale High, who also happens to give Buffy panic fits. Revenant Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Mel Odom January 2001 A Chinese gang arrives in Sunnydale. Power of Persuasion Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Elizabeth Massie October 1999 The Moon family try to create a "Womyn Power" group at school, meanwhile there is a string of unusual killings. Resurrecting Ravana Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Ray Garton January 2000 The Rakshasa are in town to help with the resurrection on an ancient Hindu god called Ravana. Out of the Madhouse (The Gatekeeper Trilogy book 1) Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Christopher Golden with Nancy Holder January 1999 The Gatekeeper is frail and on the verge of death, yet must hold the walls of reality together in the face of increasing threat. Ghost Roads (The Gatekeeper Trilogy book 2) Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Christopher Golden with Nancy Holder March 1999 Sons of Entropy (The Gatekeeper Trilogy book 3) Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Christopher Golden with Nancy Holder May 1999 Return to Chaos Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Craig Shaw Gardner December 1998 Four Druids arrive in town. They're in town to try a spell on a certain night to close the gateway in the Hellmouth so that demons would not be allowed to pass through. Visitors Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Laura Anne Gilman and Josepha Sherman April 1999 Buffy thinks she's being stalked by a demon with a high-pitched giggle. Unnatural Selection Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Mel Odom August 1999 Willow battles against the "faeries." Obsidian Fate Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Diana G. Gallagher September 1999 An old Spanish expedition is found on the outskirts of Sunnydale. Deep Water Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Laura Anne Gilman and Josepha Sherman February 2000 After an oil spill on a nearby Sunnydale beach, Willow discovers a 'selkie'; that is, a girl that can turn into a seal with her sealskin. Here Be Monsters Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Cameron Dokey June 2000 After Buffy kills twin teenage vampires, their vampire mother summons a Goddess of balance who puts Buffy on a trial that could cost people's lives. The Book of Fours Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Nancy Holder April 2001 The power of four slayers is needed to conquer a new threat. Sunnydale High Yearbook Sunnydale, spring, 1999 Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder September 1999 Yearbook received by Scoobies when they graduated from high school.
Buffy season 4/Angel season 1 These Buffyverse tales take place during Buffy season 4 and Angel season 1 (from autumn 1999 until spring 2000).
Title Author Date published Prophecies (The Lost Slayer Part One) Christopher Golden 2001 Dark Times (The Lost Slayer Part Two) Christopher Golden 2001 King of the Dead (The Lost Slayer Part Three) Christopher Golden 2001 Original Sins (The Lost Slayer Part Four) Christopher Golden 2001 The Lost Slayer (Omnibus Edition) Christopher Golden 2001 The Lost Slayer series. Buffy, new to UC Sunnydale faces a group of vampires with bats tattooed across their faces who will have huge and not-so-appealing consequences for the Scooby Gang's future. Sunnydale, 1999. Oz: Into the Wild Christopher Golden May 2002 Oz is in search of himself having left his home. Sunnydale, 1999. The Burning (Unseen book one) Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte May 2001 Door to Alternity (Unseen book two) Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte June 2001 Long Way Home (Unseen book three) Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte August 2001 Unseen trilogy. Buffy and Angel have to work together to solve disappearances of teenagers and calm down the gang warfare going on in LA. Sunnydale, Los Angeles, 2000. Crossover book series with Angel.
Buffy season 5/Angel season 2 These Buffyverse tales take place during Buffy season 5 and Angel season 2 (from autumn 2000 until spring 2001).