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

Eighteen years after Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith returns to Fells Church and her characters to bring us the first in a new trilogy within the original Vampire Diaries saga. The Return: Nightfall continues the story a week after Elena comes back from the dead. She is no longer a spirit, nor a vampire, but not quite human either; with powers unlike anyone or anything has ever seen.

The only thing I can say to describe this book is that it's intense. So many things are happening at once, obviously since it's the first in a new trilogy not everything gets resolved in this book. Which makes Smith a tease. The best kind of tease there is! This book revolves more around Damon and we get to see parts of him that are new to us.

I've been having an ongoing discussion with my roommate about Damon v.s Stefan. The roommate prefers Damon, and she wants Elena to choose him (after I told her she couldn't choose herself). I want Elena to end up with Stefan. That being said, I LOVE Damon. (Something I realized this week: L.J. Smith has this tendency of creating villains that I love and root for, something I usually never do). And I want badly for Damon and Bonnie to get together. Which of course is difficult because this series is supposed to be about two brothers fighting for the same woman...but...I think Smith could slowly move away from that and have Damon fall for Bonnie. Just saying. :D

Sorry Mutt, but you get nobody!

I can't wait to see what happens next. Seeing as (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Elena takes off with Matt and Damon to rescue Stefan from the Shi no Shi. And I really want to know if things between Bonnie and Damon progress because the kiss, and that whole bathtub scene was great! And that free read over on her site, Bonnie and Damon After Hours, didn't help my obsession.

I know this wasn't much of a review, as it was me squealing rather girlishly, but it's hard to talk about this book when I don't want to spoil the first four parts for people that haven't read it yet. I will say that this book has a new villain and many minions. And a lot of twists that will have you second guessing yourself. Oh! and Caroline is a BITCH! Just thought I'd reinforce that statement. You'll know why as soon as you finish reading this book.

The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

Elena Gilbert, Queen of Robert E. Lee High is back from her summer in France. The last year of high school begins and Elena feels a weird energy in the air. Something is going to happen, something bad...but exciting. Maybe it's that elusive thing she's been searching for. Because though Elena has everything, she is not satisfied. She does not feel like the other girls her age, she feels she's meant to do or be something else...

A cryptic premonition from her best friend comes true, and when Elena sees the dark and mysterious Stefan Salvatore, something inside her screams. She needs to have him, he's what she's been looking for and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. She always gets what she wants.

But when the quiet town of Fells Church becomes a dangerous place full of random attacks, mysterious shadows, and weird animals, the people of Fells Church point their fingers at Stefan. Now it's up to Elena and her friends to convince the town of Stefan’s innocence…the problem is, he’s not as innocent as they want him to be…he’s a creature of the night. A vampire. (Dum Dum DUM)

Sorry I had to throw the Dums in there. Moving on…

The Vampire Diaries trilogy is an old read for me. I read the original four books (don't ask me why it's still called a trilogy if it has four books, I'm not smart.) about ten years ago, and even back then they were already a bit old. Lisa Jane Smith is the person responsible for my book obsession and I read this series towards the beginning of said obsession. I think she’s one of the best writers, the best storytellers I have ever read. I have always loved the worlds and the characters she creates. Mainly because she writes real people in paranormal circumstances. Elena Gilbert is not this perfect little high school student. She’s a selfish bitch, using her friends to get what she wants and never appreciating them for anything. At least that’s how she starts. As the series progress, she begins to grow, to see the kind of person she is, and to tweak it. That’s what I like most about her characters, their realness and the different types of personalities she throws together to make and unstoppable team.

I’ve been recommending L.J. Smith’s books to just about everyone I’ve ever met since I read The Forbidden Game trilogy ten years ago, and I’ve never stopped.

I was always disappointed because she seemed to just fall off the face of the earth. She didn’t write anything new, and the book in her Dark World series that was supposed to come out never did. I don’t know how many times I tried searching for her on the internet, and all I found was fan sites with the same information I had, nothing.

But she’s back! She has her own website and even has a myspace page. I couldn’t be happier. And she has returned to this wonderful series. The first book in a new trilogy within the original trilogy (which I will review after this and is the reason why I’m reviewing all four books in this one review) came out this February.

And if that weren’t enough, due to the Twilight phenomena, the CW has picked up The Vampire Diaries and will be a series this coming fall. Thursdays at 8 p.m. from what I hear.

So if you love vampires, romance, sibling rivalry, the paranormal, or if you just like to read good stories, The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith is the series for you!

Book order: The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury, The Dark Reunion.

Five Stars for each book.