Read Stefan's Diaries online for free

A website from Hachette Children's Books, bookswithbite, is offering you the opportunity to read Stefan's Diaries online for free. All you have to do is sign up to the bookswithbite newsletter:

We're releasing the first ten chapters this week and then will be releasing ten chapters a week for the next 3 weeks until you've read it all!

To get your hands on this scorching hot new novel all we ask is that you sign up to our mailing list and then all you have to do is click on the link in the email to start reading the first chapters. See, we told you it was easy!

Don't forget the new sections of the book will be released every FRIDAY @ 12PM

NB. You can save the pdf file to your pc to read at your leisure but I couldn't import it into my Sony e-reader as the file is password protected.


In the first novel of this thrilling new series fans of the hit television show THE VAMPIRE DIARIES will finally find out how a passionate romance with a dangerous girl turned loving brothers into deadly enemies.

Set during the Civil War, against a backdrop of grand estates, unimaginable riches, and deadly secrets, three teenagers in Mystic Falls, Virginia enter a torrid love triangle that will span eternity.

Brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore are inseparable until they meet Katherine, a stunning, mysterious woman who turns their world upside down. Siblings turned rivals, the Salvatores compete for Katherine’s affection, only to discover that her sumptuous silk dresses and glittering gems hide a terrible secret: Katherine is a vampire. And she is intent on turning them into vampires so they can live together—forever.

The Vampire Diaries - DVD release dates

Season 1 of The Vampire Diaries will be available to buy on DVD on 23 August in the UK. The online price is around £27.

The US release date is 31 August.

Will you be buying the DVD?

Review: Vampire Diaries The Return: Nightfall by L J Smith

Vampire Diaries The Return: Nightfall by L J Smith (Mar 2010, Hodder Children's Books, ISBN: 1444900633)

First Lines:
Ste-fan?
Elena was frustrated. She couldn't make the mind-word come out the way she wanted.

Review: My reviews of the first four books in the Vampire Diaries can be found here. This review may contain spoilers of these earlier books.

Though published 18 years after the first book in the series, The Awakening, the events in Nightfall take place a week after the ending of The Reunion. The gang's all here: Stefan and Damon, Elena, Meredith, Bonnie and Matt. Elena is alive again but at least to start with she's not quite human: she cannot speak and floats! Elena's former close friend Caroline is also not quite herself and Elena and Bonnie's psychic tendencies can sense something dark inside and even Damon is not immune and starts acting even more careless of human life than usual.

It seems something awful has been drawn to Fell's Church with the ultimate aim of destroying the town. When Stefan disappears it's up to Elena and her friends to rescue the town (again) - and where does Damon stand - is he friend or foe?

I really enjoyed Nightfall. It's great to have Damon back..I mean Elena. Damon is the character you cannot predict and that's a lot of the excitement. Sensibly, level-headed but not terribly exciting Stefan is written out for half of the book. Elena is a more likeable character than in the first series and Meredith is equally strong as before, though Bonnie is perhaps more of a scaredy-cat than I remembered and it's Elena whose character develops most through this book. The gang has some nasty enemies this time and there are a few scenes of mild torture, which along with more overt sexual references than in the first series, make this possibly aimed at a slightly older audience than before.

Nightfall is set in the current day, with references to mobile phones (no more summoning spells) and the internet. There are a lot of dead signal areas in Fell's Church though. The story feels smoothly continued from before, the writing is better - though there are a few scenes and repeated phrases which are squirm inducing - and I feel it contains a lot more humour in it, especially from Damon. Despite a complicated, sometimes confusing plot, it did seem to drag a little in the middle (it is 471 pages) but has a gripping final fifty pages. I can't wait to read Shadow Souls.

(I am watching the tv series and even though my copy hasn't got the tv actors on the front I couldn't help but picture Damon and Stefan, and Matt as they are in the show. Not so for Elena as she is golden haired in the book and dark on the screen.)

Read The Vampire Diaries - Nightfall - online

HarperTeen are continuing to make L J Smith's The Vampire Diaries books available to read online. So far The Awakening and The Struggle from the original 4 books are up there and they've just added The Return: Nightfall.

Nightfall is the first in a new trilogy, and can be read in full here.

Vampire Diaries - the Prequel(s)

Exciting news from The Bookseller today - more Vampire Diaries books, with a twist:

...Hodder Children’s Books is to publish three new titles in L J Smith’s Vampire Diaries series, which is currently being televised on ITV2 in the UK.

The new books by L J Smith will be prequels to the original books and will be called Vampire Diaries: ­Stefan’s Diaries.

Read the whole article here.

Vampire Diaries on ITV2 - the wait is nearly over

Finally the date is out for the ITV2 showing of The Vampire Diaries. It was suggested it was going to be on in January but episode 1, The Pilot, will be on 2 February at 9pm followed at 10pm by episode 2, The Night of the Comet (and repeated on 5 February at 8pm and 9pm).

My reviews of the first four books can be found in my Vampire Diaries posts as well as links to how to read the first two books online in their entirety.

Here's the ITV2 trailer for The Pilot:

Read The Vampire Diaries - Struggle - online

Recently, Vampire Diaries: The Awakening was made available to be read online and now part two, The Struggle, is also free to read online:

Read, The Struggle, online at the HarperTeen site.

My thoughts on The Struggle can be found here.

Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Reunion by L J Smith

The Vampire Diaries: The Reunion by L J Smith (October 2007, Hodder Children's Books, ISBN: 0340945044)

First Lines:
"Things can be just like they were before," said Caroline warmly, reaching out to squeeze Bonnie's hand.

Review: Bonnie, Meredith and Matt are trying to get their lives back together after the terrible and tragic events recounted in the previous three books. Their friends Elena, Stefan and Damon have left Fell's Church and Matt in particular is not coping well.

Bonnie's psychic gift has gone from strength to strength and in her dream she receives a message from Elena but is unsure what it means. When Caroline tries to recreate their cozy, girl get-togethers it all goes horribly wrong as their party is gate-crashed by evil. One girl is left dead and another traumatised.

Elena sends another message which allows Bonnie to summon Stefan (and Damon) back to town. The five of them have to discover who or what is threatening them and how they can stop it, especially as the enemy is more powerful than they can imagine...

I enjoyed The Reunion very much. The action doesn't let up and makes for a quick read. I liked that it was told more from Bonnie's point of view and we get to see her character mature. Stefan and Damon play a larger role also, though Stefan's plans never go well, leaving the poor boy with tons of guilt to carry. In The Fury, it became clear that Damon is not such a baddie after all and he redeems himself further in this book.

The final battle is won with the assistance from an unexpected source (the baddie made an error in judgement when choosing the time and place of the final confrontation) but the ending is still a bit of a tear-jerker (in a good way).

My only niggle really is that the 'evil one' was said to be dead in an earlier book, but the character who said that must have lied.

The Reunion is the final book in the initial quartet of Vampire Diaries novels however Vampire Diaries, The Return: Nightfall was published earlier this year and I look forward to reading that.

Cover: The candle is very appropriate.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Vampire Diaries: Nightfall

Having just finished the original quartet of Vampire Diaries books, I'm keen to carry on with the series which is continued in 2009's Nightfall. It's currently available in hardback but I'm waiting for the paperback, which is due out in January.

NB. The synopsis below contains spoilers for the earlier books.

When Elena sacrificed herself to save the two vampire brothers who love her - the handsome, brooding Stefan and the sleek and dangerous Damon - she was consigned to a fate beyond death. Until a powerful supernatural force pulled her back.


Now Elena is not just human. She has powers and gifts that were bestowed on her in the afterlife. What's more, her blood pulses with an overwhelming and unique force that makes her irresistible to any vampire.


Stefan wants to find a way to keep Elena safe so that they can make a life together. Damon, however, is driven by an insatiable desire for power, and wants Elena to rule as his princess. When Stefan is lured away from Fell's Church, Damon seizes his chance to convince her that he is the brother she is meant to be with. . . .


But a darkness is infiltrating the town, and Damon, always the hunter, is now the hunted; he becomes the prey of a malevolent creature that can possess him at will, and who desires not just Elena's blood but her death.

Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Fury by L J Smith

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury by L J Smith (October 2007, Hodder Children's Books, ISBN: 0340945036)

First Line:
Elena stepped into the clearing.

Review: The Fury is the third part of the original quartet of Vampire Diaries novels and carries straight on from The Struggle which is exactly what I did; I picked up The Fury as soon as I put down The Struggle, feeling very fortunate not to have to wait months or longer between the books.

Elena is closer than ever to the feuding brothers Stefan and Damon who, though they have not been in her home town of Fell's Church that long, have turned her world upside down.

The three of them form an uneasy alliance and assisted by Elena's closest friends, they set out to track down and destroy the evil 'Power' that is now threatening the inhabitants of Fell's Church. The final showdown between 'good' and 'evil', results in a shocking revelation and tragedy.

The Fury, is the best of the series so far with non-stop tension. Elena has matured from being self-centred to self-less as she works to save her town from evil. The author set up a few traps in the previous books, which I fell into, and now she reveals the truth behind some of the horrific earlier events. There is a finality to the series about The Fury, with all the threads resolved, so it'll be interesting to see where the fourth book, The Reunion, goes.

Cover: I'm so hooked on these now that the cover is irrelevant however the owl on the front should be a barn owl.

Read The Vampire Diaries - Awakening - online

I'm reading and reviewing the first four in L J Smith's Vampire Diaries series, prior to its tv appearance next year (in the UK).

News come via twitter that you can now read the first book, The Awakening, online at the HarperTeen site.

My thoughts on The Awakening can be found here.

Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L J Smith

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L J Smith (July 2007, Hodder Children's Books, ISBN: 9780340945025)

First Lines:
"Damon!"
Icy wind whipped Elena's hair around her face, tearing at her light sweater.

Review: About a month ago I read and reviewed the first book in the series, The Awakening. The Struggle carries straight on from the scene at the end of the first book.

Elena Gilbert, the most popular girl in school in The Awakening has seen her fortunes turn as a result of dating mysterious newcomer Stefan. A series of attacks which began when Stefan arrived are being blamed on him. Elena is shunned by all, with the exception of her best friends Bonnie and Meredith.

Elena's diary was stolen in the previous book and the person who has it, is taunting her and is threatening to provide evidence that could make the police arrest Stefan. Elena has to try and get the diary back, but from whom and how? Equally hard to bear is the fact that Stefan's brother Damon is in town and he wants Elena for himself. He's not above using mind-control and bribery to get Elena's attention. Elena, fearful for Stefan's life, hides the fact that Damon has been seeking her out, an omission which has unforeseen consequences.

After the disappointment of The Awakening, I was pleased to find myself thoroughly enjoying The Struggle. It's well paced and full of tense action pieces. Elena is a more sympathetic lead character, though I'd like to see Stefan come to the fore a bit more. He may be the 'good guy' (relatively speaking) but he's in the background a lot. Damon has the stronger, more dynamic personality but he has no redeeming features (so far). The Struggle ends with a shocking finale which made me begin reading The Fury straightaway.

Cover: The flowers and moon on the cover aren't particularly relevant to the story but the I still like the title font.

Vampire Diaries to be on ITV

Good news: ITV will be showing The Vampire Diaries. Bad News: not until 2010. From today's Bookseller:

ITV has acquired the rights to US series "The Vampire Diaries", which is based on the book series by L J Smith, who is published by Harper Teen in the States.

The series will be the focal point of ITV’s schedule in 2010; Kevin Williamson, who was behind “Scream” and “Dawson’s Creek” will produce. The books follow two vampire brothers—one good, one evil—are at war for the soul of a high school girl and the souls of her friends and family.

I wasn't overly impressed with the first book in the series, The Awakening, but I have now got the next three books to see if my opinion changes. Nonetheless I look forward to the tv series.

Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L J Smith

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L J Smith (July 2007, Hodder Children's Books, ISBN: 034094501X)

First Lines:
4 September
Dear Diary,
Something awful is going to happen today.

Review: The Awakening is the first of a quartet of books originally published in 1991-92. A follow up book, Nightfall, was published in February 2009 in the US.

In The Awakening we are introduced to Elena Gilbert, an orphan who, along with her young sister, is being cared for by her aunt in the family home in the quiet town of Fell's Church.

Elena is beautiful and 'queen' at the Robert E Lee High School. She's gone out with many boys but none has kept her interest and she only feels a deep friendship for her latest boyfriend Matt. But when Stefan Salvatore joins her year she becomes determined to have him. Especially when he shows that he's not interested in her. But Stefan is hiding a big secret and no-one gets close to him.

At the same time that Stefan moves to the area, a series of attacks begins, leading ultimately to a killing. What's the connection between Stefan and the attacks and will Elena get her man? All is revealed before the story is left on a tantalising cliff-hanger.

I was steered towards these books by the trailer for the upcoming tv series and I was looking forward to reading them before the series (hopefully) reaches the UK. An advantage of coming to a series late is that all the books are readily available, without the agonising wait. Unfortunately I was rather disappointed with The Awakening. The main problem being the lead character Elena. I didn't warm to her at all, with her constant comments on how popular she was and how attractive and so on, she came across as shallow. What would the sophisticated Stefan see in her? Her friends, Bonnie (who has psychic tendencies) and Meredith are much nicer, though none of the characters have any real depth. Also, the book is only 230 pages and yet I found it dragged. The saving grace for me was the last 50 pages where Stefan's secret is revealed, another character is introduced and an interesting situation is set up.

I'm probably in the minority of readers who didn't like this book and it has to be said that I'm still intrigued enough to have reserved the next three books: The Struggle, The Fury and The Reunion at the library.

Cover: Accurate cover: a crow and trees feature prominently. Nice font for the title.