The Vampire Diaries and Other Novels by LJ Smith

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13th January 2010 by Vampire Diaries Fan No Comments

In 1997, I picked up  my first LJ Smith novel: It was the Forbidden Game series and it blew my mind. Since then, I have read every novel she has written, and here are my recommendations starting with the hit series which became a TV show. If you would like to order the novel or to view more information, simply click on the links above in the box or on the red titles below.

L.J. Smith started the teen vampire trend, but also she had several books on other dimensions of the paranormal. For example, witches, psychics, werewolves, and so many more things that go bump in the night. If you were disappointed in the Vampire Diaries series, try her other series – they range in taste so that there is something yummy for everybody.

The Vampire Diaries, originally published in 1991, The Return series published 2009:
When Elena meets two vampire brothers, she is torn in the ultimate love triangle.

Dark Visions, originally published 1994 – published in one volume in 2009, which can be purchased here as Dark Visions, Complete Trilogy:
Kaitlyn Fairchild was always considered a witch – but then an eccentric billionaire requests her help in a psychic experiment. She meets Rob and Gabriel, one good, one evil, and falls in love with both. This series presents a new version of vampire.

  • The Strange Power
  • The Possessed
  • The Passion

The Forbidden Game, published in 1994 and currently waiting to be republished, but available for pre-order as The Forbidden Game: Complete Set:
Jenny is your average high school girl with a sweet boyfriend, but then Julian, a demon from another world who looks like Billy Idol, falls in love with her. In order to win her hand and make her his Queen, he abducts Jenny, her boyfriend, and her friends, and takes them into the Shadow Realm, where they are forced to play a deadly game where the only way to keep Jenny safe is for everyone to risk their lives.

  • The Hunter
  • The Chase
  • The Kill

The Night World, began publishing in 1996, republished in 2009, with the final series concluding on July 6, 2010:
The Night World is a place where everything you think is myth is real, but the biggest rule is that you can never tell any human about your existence, and you cannot fall in love with them. But a prophecy is told, where the people of the Night World begin to discover their Soulmates within humans, and the love risks more than just their lives…
Each novel is a new couple and new story, so they can be read out of order, but there are some recurring characters so it would be helpful to read them in order.

The Secret Circle, published in 1992, then in 2002, and again in 2009 as two books instead of three:
Cassie moved to Salem and discovered a group of friends she never expected: witches who descend from the Salem Witch Trials. And the boy she feels a connection with is in love with the nicest girl she has ever met… Plus, something dark, old, and powerful is stirring in their town, and only they can stop it.