Night at the Vampire Castle: A Choose-Your-Own Romance

by Hari Conner

It is a dark and stormy night…

When your car breaks down on a cold evening, you must take refuge in the ominous castle that looms above on the hillside, where a handsome, mysterious stranger invites you in. At dinner, you encounter three vampires and decide which to spend the evening with… Choose to charm one of the creatures of the night, have a fling with a few, or escape their clutches in Night at the Vampire Castle.

Stranded in rural Transylvania on a stormy night, you stumble upon an ominous castle, where the mysterious inhabitants seem keen to have you… for dinner.

In Hari Conner's newest chose-your-own-path book, the reader chooses between gothic romance, partying with werewolves, or seducing an ancient vampire into revealing their secrets. Get swept away from the 9-5 by a whirlwind romance or steamy encounters - if you can avoid meeting your end…

With three main vampire romance paths, this story has fun, lighthearted elements as well as gothic themes, with choices to explore characters’ pasts in real European and queer history. Spend a Night at the Vampire Castle, if you dare.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Vampires, LGBT, Fiction, Horror, Queer

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2025

About the author

Hari Conner is an award-winning author/ illustrator who usually writes fantasy, historical and queer romance - sometimes at the same time.

They're the creator of the now-complete webcomic Finding Home, choose-your-own-path books including Into the Tower, and the graphic novel I Shall Never Fall in Love, out 2024.

Hari grew up drawing comics in class in South London and now lives in Scotland, pursuing their quest to find wheelchair accessible forests.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read my first choose your own adventure in years! I used to hate them as a kid, so I never read them much but Hari Conner's Night at the Vampire Castle was a lot of fun!

It is exactly what it sounds like, a second person novel where the reader is positioned as a human who ends up in a vampires' castle for the night. There are a lot of different choices for the reader, which I chose to read almost like a collection of interconnected short stories? I had a lot of fun exploring different paths and aiming for different outcomes with varying results. After 8 or so paths I ended up following, I started skimming through to see what storylines I missed, which I would highly recommend.

I also enjoyed how many side characters you could romance as well!! There is a qpr option, which was nice, and even a poly option at one point! I really enjoyed the art throughout, which made me interested about the different characters.

I will say the form of this book is really what made it shine, Conner took advantage of the uniquenes of a choose your own adventure to expand the world and introduce really fun characters. I thought a lot of the endings were really satisfying in different ways, I enjoy that not all of the happy endings included romance.

I had a really fun time with this book, 4/5 stars. I do plan on reading Conner's other choose your own adveture and I personally recommend Raisa's path. And also not being too cautious in your choices!

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun! This "choose your own romance" book is perfect to pick up if you want something interactive, super queer, and full of gothic romance vibes.

First, I read through this book making my preferred choices, and I ended up romancing Casimir. My choices led me to a really lovely storyline, one that had a lot more character depth than I was expecting. I absolutely loved some of the reveals.

But I was still curious about the other possible storylines as well, so I decided to trace back and romance the other two vampires as well. This led me to some very different storylines, each fun in their own right. I can't say I ended up trying every possible route the story could take, but I do think I tried the majority of the options. I was able to romance all three vampires in different ways, as well as find some unfortunate ends, but also find some other side characters to romance! These were a fun surprise to me as well.

The storylines I ended up most touched with, were Casimir's backstory, as well as the possibility to connect more with the grandma, who my character had been visiting in Romania. I also just loved how many ways out of our character's seemingly hopeless future this book showed - the storylines opened up so many ways for them to end up happier than before, which felt inspiring to see, even if this was a supernatural book.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy heck. 2026 just started and I already have TWO FAVOURITE BOOKS! *dances* This one has been an OMG must read since it came out and in December (thanks Santa) I got it! I wanted to save it for the first day of the year and so here we are.

-Loved the Choose Your Own part (so many options!)
-Loved how MANY choices you have in regards to lovers. I mean, we have our trio at the front, but also a werewolf guy, ghosts, the woman who looks like she could be from Silent Hill (the mommy only not so big), and so many more! Even one I hadn't expected.
-So much sensual blood drinking, oh my.
-And that you can pick how far you want to go. Just nothing or go full in.
-The various kinks/interests. Like Cazimir who likes it when you are a good obedient person.
-The castle and all the things that happen!
-But also that you can go outside of it and have a night (of good or bad stuff) with Raisa.
-The choices in regards to either exploring or just not. I love that that choice is also given.
-There are also several bad endings, I did like how they were added, it gave just a bit extra to it, a bit more danger and excitement.
-That it takes place in Romania!
-The illustrations! I love the style and what they bring~ And in that regard: the cover!
-YOU GET ACHIEVEMENTS!!! I am a big game girlie and I love myself some achievements, so this made me squee in so many ways. I love it! I am not one to write in my books so I was just mentally ticking them off each time I reached an end (which either meant going home to London or sticking around or something else).
-The markers that you can earn as you go through the story!
-The immense joy that this book gave me as I read, it was just so wonderful!

All in all, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you want a sexy but at times also terrifying read. I will be writing a better review in February/March, look forward to it.

[Olivia Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adult choose your own adventure where you romance vampires? SAY LESS.

This was so nostalgic for me and I loved every minute of it. I am going to purchase this so it's easier for me to attempt more storylines.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[K.C. Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t wait can’t wait can’t wait… I’ve seen preview art and I am THIRSTY FOR THIS BOOK!!!

—-

Update: I love me some Hari Connor. I’m less enthused about a CYO, but this was fun. I’ve played several times and gotten wildly different endings, and there are still things I haven’t unlocked. The “spicy” scenes are pretty mild, which may be a pro or con depending on your feelings. There are also ways to play with romantic outcomes, purely spicy outcomes, smooching but nothing more, or even more aro/ace options beyond “you leave because you’re boring” — though that’s an option, too!

Due to the nature of the story format, it couldn’t go as emotionally deep as I generally prefer, but if you want a queer dating sim with some CYOA-novel nostalgia, this is enjoyable and offers plenty of opportunities for rereads. 🧛🏻

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casimir my love <3

[Jordana · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can realistically finish this book (1 storyline) in about an hour. You are reading maybe 30 pages or so total before the story you choose officially ends. I do wish that this story had a way of intertwining the other vampire character into the story more (ex. If you hang out at the Werewolf party, you can still go back to do some more stuff at the castle).
I wasn’t a fan of when the night ended, there was some weird big time jump stuff with some of the other mystery’s in the book. It made it feel a bit rushed.

Overall, the book was fun and I want to go and try some other choices in the books, but I don’t personally think I would buy this again if I had too.

[Horror Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is way more character depth in this spooky 'choose your own adventure' styled book than I expected. Depending on the choices you make, you can learn as much (or as little) as you want about the main cast (Casimir, August & Raisa). You can romance a vampire, play a game of beer pong with some werewolves, or learn about your grandmother's secret past life as a party girl. Or make a series of terrible choices & perish on the road before ever getting to the start of the main story. And these are just SOME of the choices in this book. You can read and re-read, each time going off into a different tangent & learning something new. The world building here is excellent, and the dialogue is both touching & funny at times.

[Yuuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I haven’t done every single possible path in this, but I’ve done one good path per character, and it’s honestly just a lot of fun! If you miss the old Choose Your Own Adventure books, and wished that they could be supernatural queer romances, then you need this book immediately.

[Katie Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded up

something different and entertaining

[Miss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I apparently managed to make all the right choices to survive the night with only the slightest adventure. I achieved Seven Days and Crushin' It and, possibly, Why Did You Buy This Book - which is quite the achievement to include. I know why I bought it and I've no regrets. A booktuber I follow recently introduced me to adult choose your own adventure books like this and it was FUN! While my choices were obviously too safe, I was hoping for much more Casimir and will be going back through untilI figure out how to get the Brat achievement.

Is he a romantic option? I'll find out eventually. The choices I made seemed to steer me toward August or Raisa and I went with the options away from that hoping to lead to Casimir because he is a very nicely drawn option to pursue. Alas, I didn't get there. Yet.

I went for the physical copy of this to relive my childhood experiences flipping through books like this. I think, though, ebook may have been the better way. While I enjoy the art on the pages, it's far too tempting for a neurospicy reader like me to get sidetracked by the art and forget the page I was flipping to to follow my chosen story. August wasn't my goal, but I do have to say from several distracting illustrations that they look very good in blood. Unless it's mine. I look forward to finding out how to get there and learn what's happening other than just flipping through the pages. The ebook would definitely be more focused as I could just input the next page to get to then get straight to it without being steered off course. But then I'd have missed all the glimpses I got of other possibilities that I want to investigate.

So, for being the first choose your own adventure book I've ventured into in at least 30 years, I really liked and recommend this. I tracked my first journey by choice made, but definitely recommend keeping track of pages instead. I definitely want to factor into future decisions whether I've already been to one of the "next page" options already to see how it takes me to get every page read through my adventures. For Halloween and Gothic vibes, this was great!

[Luuui · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just did one playthrough. This is the kind of book you can really read several times - and its always different. If you are into vampires and yearn for queer and kinky romance - this book is for you! There will be kissing or even more - spice included.

I really like Hari Conners writing style. And I loved their book "Into the tower". Even though my vampire days are over, I really enjoyed the read, especially the many choices and possibilties this choose-your-own-path book adventure offered.

Though sometimes I was a bit surprised by how fast the romance plot progressed - and at some points kissing was the only option (at least on the road I took there was no turning back). So yes, romance - its coming for you full force, no slow burn. Tbh, it was a bit too fast for me and I couldn't quite connect to the characters. Even though I saw, that they had rich backstories and depth. I would have preferrred just to be friends - close friends you share secrets with, feel an emotional connection to but no need for physical intimacy. But thats just a me thing.

If you love vampires and like your book spicy, this is for you!

[Kaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a Choose Your Own Adventure book since I was a kid but when I saw this in BookTime I had to get my hands on it.
I've never read a Choose Your Own Romance book but I am fond of romance Visual Novels so I am familiar with the game elements.
I decided to try a couple of endings before reviewing.
Night at the Vampire Castle is just wonderfully fun. The characters are wonderful, the art is gorgeous, and the game elements add so much extra enjoyment as there are so many ways to tell an entirely new story every read.
I can't wait to try another route, though I am cursed to always choose the same option in these sorts of things so it may take several tries before I go for another other than Casimir (My beloved).
The stories are rich, the writing compelling, and the aesthetic immaculate.
A great book, with a surprising amount of depth and research put into it. And the perfect thing for a chill night in.

[tillie hellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

i technically only went through one storyline but it was decently long… anyways i’ll probs do a few more later too. anywhoo, very different from what i normally read LOL but i loved hari conner’s graphic novel and i guess i thought this was going to be a graphic novel choose your own adventure book?? which now that i’m thinking about it… seems soooo time consuming and hard (but also would be sick asf). anyways lots of commentary on late stage capitalism, hot vampires, and cool plotlines. well done and looking forwards to trying other plotlines!

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time with this. I was drawn in by Casimir and went all in on his storyline. I regret nothing! But also, it was surprisingly deep? I came for a fun time but the level of emotion the story folds around itself and even works towards resolving was a really nice surprise and honestly very touching.

I haven't explored all the other routes yet but if they're all this well considered then they'll be a banger. I might save them for another read through in the future, to keep the magic alive just a little longer.

[Nada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just absolutely gorgeous! Like, wow, the characters are absolutely lovely and (from my perspective) diverse. There is so much detail to every character. Also, the rewards for every story are so much fun. And the illustrations! Omg! Those are fantastic! I just love this book, and I am so impressed by the talent, writing so many different storylines.
I will have much, much fun with this book for a long time.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for all the people who play RPGs for the romance (🙋‍♀️). When I was young, the only Goosebumps books I read were the choose your own adventure ones. I’d sit with a pile of bookmarks next to me, marking every choice so I could go back and see where the other choice led me (my early version of save scumming). Turns out it’s just as fun at age 33. Plus, I couldn’t NOT read the entire book with all endings. Very fun, very queer, and very sexy.

[Gabbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5✨

I have never read a choose your own romance before and was pretty nervous at first but I enjoyed this so much. And I’m already playing another round to get a different outcome and learn more about these characters! This is so creative and fun. And I love the illustrations and all the thought put into this book.

[Stephanie Duron · Rating 5 out of 5]

*possible spoilers ahead*

I'm positive I haven't explored all the storylines, but I don't care. This was so fun! I've died twice, romanced multiple vampires, partied with werewolves (and my gran), was bait to lure out a rogue vamp, moved back to England after a winter in Romania to DIY an old house with my vampire lover. I was laughing, blushing, and all of the above.

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

So im rating it a 3this time because my story ended up boring. So apparently I made poor choices. I am going to read it again though and try to make different, more exciting choices and see if that changes my rating!

[Shandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is sometimes silly, spooky, and always fun!

[Ylenia Damiani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8! A fun book! Choose your own— as a hooman who went to visit his nan in Romania … as some spoooooky things happen as they make their way to the airport in a … car?

[shatterinseconds · Rating 5 out of 5]

First run through I got the romantic ending with Raisa!

After that, I had a lot of fun trying to get through all the other scenarios.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

7 adventures and counting

[Elise Pairon]

read for work

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun! There are so many paths to take. I got through three already, and am excited to go back for more. The plot is fun and exciting, but the execution/writing was mediocre.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be graphic novel format, rather than text with just a few illustrations. Still, good horror twist on the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure genre.

[Cameron Gillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

amazing idea, but I'll have to do more scenarios to give it 5 stars. I did 2 different directions today, and it was fun but I need more answers and fillers in-between scenarios

[Taylor Prigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, technically, I can come back to this whenever I want to find more stories...which I adore!! I loved the two stories I've read already!