Night World

By L. J. Smith

The first book in L.J. Smith’s beloved Night World series is now available as a special collector’s edition!

The pain was something Poppy couldn’t ignore. The diagnosis was death. There was no hope—until James appeared in the darkened hospital room.

James, her best friend and secret love, the most handsome boy in El Camino High. But this was a James she didn’t know, menacing yet irresistible as he offered Poppy the gift of eternal life.

Only he could open the door to the Night World, and spirit her into its lonely, secret universe.

One dizzying kiss and she can see into his soul. She finds that he has always loved her. They’re soul mates—but can she follow him into death and beyond? It’s a desperate choice, and Poppy’s time is running out...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Release date: Dec 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781481479639

L. J. Smith

L. J. Smith has written over two dozen books for young adults, including The Vampire Diaries, now a hit TV show. She has also written the bestselling Night World series and The Forbidden Game, as well as the #1 New York Times bestselling Dark Visions. She loves to walk the trails and beaches in Point Reyes, California, daydreaming about her latest book.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

It was on the first day of summer vacation that Poppy found out she was going to die.

It happened on Monday, the first real day of vacation (the weekend didn’t count). Poppy woke up feeling gloriously weightless and thought, No school. Sunlight was streaming in the window, turning the sheer hangings around her bed filmy gold. Poppy pushed them aside and jumped out of bed—and winced.

Ouch. That pain in her stomach again. Sort of a gnawing, as if something were eating its way toward her back. It helped a little if she bent over.

No, Poppy thought. I refuse to be sick during summer vacation. I refuse. A little power of positive thinking is what’s needed here.

Grimly, doubled over—think positive, idiot!—she made her way down the hall to the turquoise-and-gold-tiled bathroom. At first she thought she was going to throw up, but then the pain eased as suddenly as it had come. Poppy straightened and regarded her tousled reflection triumphantly.

Stick with me, kid, and you’ll be fine, she whispered to it, and gave a conspiratorial wink. Then she leaned forward, seeing her own green eyes narrow in suspicion. There on her nose were four freckles. Four and a half, if she were completely honest, which Poppy North usually was. How childish, how—cute! Poppy stuck her tongue out at herself and then turned away with great dignity, without bothering to comb the wild coppery curls that clustered over her head.

She maintained the dignity until she got to the kitchen, where Phillip, her twin brother, was eating Special K. Then she narrowed her eyes again, this time at him. It was bad enough to be small, slight, and curly-haired—to look, in fact, as much like an elf as anything she’d ever seen sitting on a buttercup in a children’s picture book—but to have a twin who was tall, Viking-blond, and classically handsome . . . well, that just showed a certain deliberate malice in the makeup of the universe, didn’t it?

Hello, Phillip, she said in a voice heavy with menace.

Phillip, who was used to his sister’s moods, was unimpressed. He lifted his gaze from the comic section of the L.A. Times for a moment. Poppy had to admit that he had nice eyes: questing green eyes with very dark lashes. They were the only thing the twins had in common.

Hi, Phillip said flatly, and went back to the comics. Not many kids Poppy knew read the newspaper, but that was Phil all over. Like Poppy, he’d been a junior at El Camino High last year, and unlike Poppy, he’d made straight As while starring on the football team, the hockey team, and the baseball team. Also serving as class president. One of Poppy’s greatest joys in life was teasing him. She thought he was too straitlaced.

Just now she giggled and shrugged, giving up the menacing look. Where’s Cliff and Mom? Cliff Hilgard was their stepfather of three years and even straighter-laced than Phil.

Cliff’s at work. Mom’s getting dressed. You’d better eat something or she’ll get on your case.

Yeah, yeah . . . Poppy went on tiptoe to rummage through a cupboard. Finding a box of Frosted Flakes, she thrust a hand in and delicately pulled out one flake. She ate it dry.

It wasn’t all bad being short and elfin. She did a few dance steps to the refrigerator, shaking the cereal box in rhythm.

I’m a . . . sex pixie! she sang, giving it a foot-stomping rhythm.

No, you’re not, Phillip said with devastating calm. And why don’t you put some clothes on?

Holding the refrigerator door open, Poppy looked down at herself. She was wearing the oversize T-shirt she’d slept in. It covered her like a minidress. "This is clothes," she said serenely, taking a Diet Coke from the fridge.

There was a knock at the kitchen door. Poppy saw who it was through the screen.

Hi, James! C’mon in.

James Rasmussen came in, taking off his wraparound Ray-Bans. Looking at him, Poppy felt a pang—as always. It didn’t matter that she had seen him every day, practically, for the past ten years. She still felt a quick sharp throb in her chest, somewhere between sweetness and pain, when first confronted with him every morning.

It wasn’t just his outlaw good looks, which always reminded her vaguely of James Dean. He had silky light brown hair, a subtle, intelligent face, and gray eyes that were alternately intense and cool. He was the handsomest boy at El Camino High, but that wasn’t it, that wasn’t what Poppy responded to. It was something inside him, something mysterious and compelling and always just out of reach. It made her heart beat fast and her skin tingle.

Phillip felt differently. As soon as James came in, he stiffened and his face went cold. Electric dislike flashed between the two boys.

Then James smiled faintly, as if Phillip’s reaction amused him. Hi.

Hi, Phil said, not thawing in the least. Poppy had the strong sense that he’d like to bundle her up and rush her out of the room. Phillip always overdid the protective-brother bit when James was around. So how’s Jacklyn and Michaela? he added nastily.

James considered. Well, I don’t really know.

"You don’t know? Oh, yeah, you always drop your girlfriends just before summer vacation. Leaves you free to maneuver, right?"

Of course, James said blandly. He smiled.

Phillip glared at him with unabashed hatred.

Poppy, for her part, was seized by joy. Goodbye, Jacklyn; goodbye Michaela. Goodbye to Jacklyn’s elegant long legs and Michaela’s amazing pneumatic chest. This was going to be a wonderful summer.

Many people thought Poppy and James’s relationship platonic. This wasn’t true. Poppy had known for years that she was going to marry him. It was one of her two great ambitions, the other being to see the world. She just hadn’t gotten around to informing James yet. Right now he still thought he liked long-legged girls with salon fingernails and Italian pumps.

Is that a new CD? she said, to distract him from his stare out with his future brother-in-law.

James hefted it. It’s the new Ethnotechno release.

Poppy cheered. "More Tuva throat singers—I can’t wait. Let’s go listen to it." But just then her mother walked in. Poppy’s mother was cool, blond, and perfect, like an Alfred Hitchcock heroine. She normally wore an expression of effortless efficiency. Poppy, heading out of the kitchen, nearly ran into her.

Sorry—morning!

Hold on a minute, Poppy’s mother said, getting hold of Poppy by the back of her T-shirt. Good morning, Phil; good morning, James, she added. Phil said good morning and James nodded, ironically polite.

Has everybody had breakfast? Poppy’s mother asked, and when the boys said they had, she looked at her daughter. And what about you? she asked, gazing into Poppy’s face.

Poppy rattled the Frosted Flakes box and her mother winced. Why don’t you at least put milk on them?

Better this way, Poppy said firmly, but when her mother gave her a little push toward the refrigerator, she went and got a quart carton of lowfat milk.

What are you planning to do with your first day of freedom? her mother said, glancing from James to Poppy.

Oh, I don’t know. Poppy looked at James. Listen to some music; maybe go up to the hills? Or drive to the beach?

Whatever you want, James said. We’ve got all summer.

The summer stretched out in front of Poppy, hot and golden and resplendent. It smelled like pool chlorine and sea salt; it felt like warm grass under her back. Three whole months, she thought. That’s forever. Three months is forever.

It was strange that she was actually thinking this when it happened.

We could check out the new shops at the Village— she was beginning, when suddenly the pain struck and her breath caught in her throat.

It was bad—a deep, twisting burst of agony that made her double over. The milk carton flew from her fingers and everything went gray.

CHAPTER 2

Poppy!" Poppy could hear her mother’s voice, but she couldn’t see anything. The kitchen floor was obscured by dancing black dots.

Poppy, are you all right? Now Poppy felt her mother’s hands grasping her upper arms, holding her anxiously. The pain was easing and her vision was coming back.

As she straightened up, she saw James in front of her. His face was almost expressionless, but Poppy knew him well enough to recognize the worry in his eyes. He was holding the milk carton, she realized. He must have caught it on the fly as she dropped it—amazing reflexes, Poppy thought vaguely. Really amazing.

Phillip was on his feet. Are you okay? What happened?

I—don’t know. Poppy looked around, then shrugged, embarrassed. Now that she felt better she wished they weren’t all staring at her so hard. The way to deal with the pain was to ignore it, to not think about it.

It’s just this stupid pain—I think it’s gastrowhatchmacallit. You know, something I ate.

Poppy’s mother gave her daughter the barest fraction of a shake. Poppy, this is not gastroenteritis. You were having some pain before—nearly a month ago, wasn’t it? Is this the same kind of pain?

Poppy squirmed uncomfortably. As a matter of fact, the pain had never really gone away. Somehow, in the excitement of end-of-the-year activities, she’d managed to disregard it, and by now she was used to working around it.

Sort of, she temporized. But—

That was enough for Poppy’s mother. She gave Poppy a little squeeze and headed for the kitchen telephone. I know you don’t like doctors, but I’m calling Dr. Franklin. I want him to take a look at you. This isn’t something we can ignore.

"Oh, Mom, it’s vacation. . . ."

Her mother covered the mouthpiece of the phone. Poppy, this is nonnegotiable. Go get dressed.

Poppy groaned, but she could see it was no use. She beckoned to James, who was looking thoughtfully into a middle distance.

Let’s at least listen to the CD before I have to go.

He glanced at the CD as if he’d forgotten it, and put down the milk carton. Phillip followed them into the hallway.

Hey, buddy, you wait out here while she gets dressed.

James barely turned. Get a life, Phil, he said almost absently.

Just keep your hands off my sister, you deve.

Poppy just shook her head as she went into her room. As if James cared about seeing her undressed. If only, she thought grimly, pulling a pair of shorts out of a drawer. She stepped into them, still shaking her head. James was her best friend, her very best friend, and she was his. But he’d never shown even the slightest desire to get his hands on her. Sometimes she wondered if he realized she was a girl.

Someday I’m going to make him see, she thought, and shouted out the door for him.

James came in and smiled at her. It was a smile other people rarely saw, not a taunting or ironic grin, but a nice little smile, slightly crooked.

Sorry about the doctor thing, Poppy said.

No. You should go. James gave her a keen glance. Your mom’s right, you know. This has been going on way too long. You’ve lost weight; it’s keeping you up at night—

Poppy looked at him, startled. She hadn’t told anybody about how the pain was worse at night, not even James. But—sometimes James just knew things. As if he could read her mind.

"I just know you, that’s all," he said, and then gave her a mischievous sideways glance as she stared at him. He unwrapped the CD.

Poppy shrugged and flopped on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "Anyway, I wish Mom would let me have one day of vacation, she said. She craned her neck to look at James speculatively. I wish I had a mom like yours. Mine’s always worrying and trying to fix me."

And mine doesn’t really care if I come or go. So which is worse? James said wryly.

"Your parents let you have your own apartment."

In a building they own. Because it’s cheaper than hiring a manager. James shook his head, his eyes on the CD he was putting in the player. Don’t knock your parents, kid. You’re luckier than you know.

Poppy thought about that as the CD started. She and James both liked trance—the underground electronic sound that had come from Europe. James liked the techno beat. Poppy loved it because it was real music, raw and unpasteurized, made by people who believed in it. People who had the passion, not people who had the money.

Besides, world music made her feel a part of other places. She loved the differentness of it, the alienness.

Come to think of it, maybe that was what she liked about James, too. His differentness. She tilted her head to look at him as the strange rhythms of Burundi drumming filled the air.

She knew James better than anyone, but there was always something, something about him that was closed off to her. Something about him that nobody could reach.

Other people took it for arrogance, or coldness, or aloofness, but it wasn’t really any of those things. It was just—differentness. He was more different than any of the exchange students at school. Time after time, Poppy felt she had almost put her finger on the difference, but it always slipped away. And more than once, especially late at night when they were listening to music or watching the ocean, she’d felt he was about to tell her.

And she’d always felt that if he did tell her, it would be something important, something as shocking and lovely as having a stray cat speak to her.

Just now she looked at James, at his clean, carven profile and at the brown waves of hair on his forehead, and thought, He looks sad.

"Jamie, nothing’s wrong, is it? I mean, at home, or anything?" She was the only person on the planet allowed to call him Jamie. Not even Jacklyn or Michaela had ever tried that.

What could be wrong at home? he said, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Then he shook his head dismissively. Don’t worry about it, Poppy. It’s nothing important—just a relative threatening to visit. An unwanted relative. Then the smile did reach his eyes, glinting there. Or maybe I’m just worried about you, he said.

Poppy started to say, "Oh, as if, but instead she found herself saying, oddly, Are you really?"

Her seriousness seemed to strike some chord. His smile disappeared, and Poppy found that they were simply looking at each other, without any insulating humor between them. Just gazing into each other’s eyes. James looked uncertain, almost vulnerable.

Poppy—

Poppy swallowed. Yes?

He opened his mouth—and then he got up abruptly and went to adjust her 170-watt Tall-boy speakers. When he turned back, his gray eyes were dark and fathomless.

Sure, if you were really sick, I’d be worried, he said lightly. That’s what friends are for, right?

Poppy deflated. Right, she said wistfully, and then gave him a determined smile.

But you’re not sick, he said. It’s just something you need to get taken care of. The doctor’ll probably give you some antibiotics or something—with a big needle, he added wickedly.

Oh, shut up, Poppy said. He knew she was terrified of injections. Just the thought of a needle entering her skin . . .

Here comes your mom, James said, glancing at the door, which was ajar. Poppy didn’t see how he could hear anybody coming—the music was loud and the hallway was carpeted. But an instant later her mother pushed the door open.

All right, sweetheart, she said briskly. Dr. Franklin says come right in. I’m sorry, James, but I’m going to have to take Poppy away.

That’s okay. I can come back this afternoon.

Poppy knew when she was defeated. She allowed her mother to tow her to the garage, ignoring James’s miming of someone receiving a large injection.

An hour later she was lying on Dr. Franklin’s examining table, eyes politely averted as his gentle fingers probed her abdomen. Dr. Franklin was tall, lean, and graying, with the air of a country doctor. Somebody you could trust absolutely.

The pain is here? he said.

"Yeah—but it sort of goes into my back. Or maybe I just pulled a

Reviews for Night World

[beyondelsewhere · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

LJ Smith's Secret Circle trilogy is possibly one of my favourite series of books ever. It helped me get through my teen years. I have also read the lesser-known Heart of Valor and Night of the Soulstice books and adored them. Therefore I was very shocked to be as disappointed in this series as I was. I had to put it down and it took me much longer to read through the three books in this volume than it should have. Each story seemed to be exactly the same with only the character's names changed (and of course, each "type" of Night World creature). Very sad. I don't think I will be reading the next volumes of this series.

[mangochris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first read these in middle school, but they've been out of print for the last decade or so and I've missed them. If you're looking for fun ya vampire/supernatural romances, you can't go wrong with L.J. Smith.

[Shirley S. Simon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've read other books by the author and felt this one a bit plain. I guess, this being the first book it sets the baseline for the others to come.

[thebacklistbook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These stories were awesome, the imagery was stunning, the only thing wrong with it was how short they were.

[yonitdm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun story, fluffy read. I tore though it in one sitting and enjoy how the series all connects. Some of the descriptions are great, there are clunky parts and the resolution isn't strong, but still ok.

[brittaniethekid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's no wonder these were re-released with updated covers - they seem to be very modern, for being written so long ago. Some moments were very cheesy but as always, for me, the main vampire character charmed me into liking the book. I probably won't read the entire series, but I would read another one starring Ash or James. :)

[ELI73 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's one of the few books that completely captivated me; I couldn't stop reading it. When I finished, I realized it has a complete collection. (Translated from Spanish)

[kristykhaos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book for the average person who enjoys the whole vampire romance novel. You seem to get a taste of everything in this book. Vampires, Wear wolves, Witches, ghosts. You also get a taste of the human world, human every day issues. If you are not into the whole paranormal romance type then this book is not for you. I have enjoyed this book very much and can't wait to start on reading the other two. I was very excited to read the last of the three included stories of the book, which was a story containing witches. You don't see very many books about witches these days especially ones that are as interesting as this one had turned out to be. (I don't want to give any spoilers.) Overall, this is a very good read and I highly recommend it to all the vampire fans out there!

[entrepaginasylibros · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As always, these books are very quick and easy to read; they grab you from the very first moment. The author's writing remains light and entertaining.

I really enjoyed this story. We start with the protagonist who learns about the Night World and then tries to escape and save those around her, only to realize that her soulmate is a vampire.

I really like the way the author develops the romance between the protagonists, even though the book is short.

Regarding the characters, Maggie is the strong protagonist who does not give up until she achieves her goal, but she is also a kind person who cares for others. On the other hand, Delos is a vampire who was only raised as a weapon and therefore never knew what it was like to be loved until he met Maggie. They are the perfect couple for each other.

I highly recommend these books if you want to read a light and entertaining story. (Translated from Spanish)

[Melmelbookish · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

They brought me memories of the past. This book is the 4th in the saga but the 8th in the series (as there are several that have not yet been translated into Spanish). I fell in love with the characters again, Maggie brave and determined, and Delos serious but vulnerable. I now see that the love was quick, but the pages turn quickly and captures you in every chapter, it made me want to read them again just like the Vampire Diaries saga. Everything has a good explanation and a conclusion to the events, I don't want to give spoilers about it, but if you like magic and the young adult genre, these are for you? (Translated from Spanish)

[Emma Entre Libros · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like the first half, but I did like the second half. Additionally, there were characters that really weren't needed, and the protagonist is good and impressed me at the end (though she was a bit obsessive at the beginning...). In conclusion, it's a very simple vampire book that is part of an incomplete saga. (Translated from Spanish)

[Give me books instead of roses · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Spoiler Alert: "Even when everything seems lost, never stop fighting; you might find a way out of the cart where you've been trapped."

I will be honest, this is the first book I read by the author, although I know her work since who hasn't heard of the Vampire Diaries series and fallen in love with Damon Salvatore? At least I have, but getting back to the point, this is the eighth book of a series of individual books, meaning there’s no problem with the order as each one tells a story of different protagonists. Why did I read #8? Simple, the local bookstore had it for 40 Mexican pesos, and I couldn't resist the temptation.

It's a short book that immerses you fully into the plot right from the beginning, and as it progresses, it explains the situation. What I liked about it is that our protagonist isn't the typical foolish and fearful character who doesn’t know what to do; on the contrary, she is very intelligent, physically skilled, and very human. She is aware of her virtues and flaws and accepts them as they are without having low self-esteem. Unlike what the synopsis suggests, the book doesn’t focus so much on the love development of the protagonists but rather on the significant problem they are facing and how they seek to resolve it. This, in part, I liked a lot. Regarding the book's pacing, at first, I was worried because being very short, I feared it wouldn’t develop the story well, but the author is very good at getting you into context in just 239 pages. I came to like it, and you don’t feel that everything moves too quickly or that it ends abruptly. Another proof that she is a great author is the fact that throughout you feel that tension of being the person being hunted; you can feel that primal urge to survive that exists in all of us, and the creatures in the book are different from what I’ve read so far, and I liked them quite a bit.

What I didn’t like: I feel that with the potential I appreciated in the author throughout the book, if it had been longer, it could have been an incredible book by delving deeper into some aspects of it, although being the eighth book, perhaps she doesn’t go into as many details. I need to read the others to confirm this; still, you don’t get lost while reading it, and you can follow the thread. And despite mentioning earlier that I liked that they didn’t only focus on the love aspect of the protagonists and cared about the problem of the plot, it’s also true that I would have liked for her to delve more into their relationship, since although there were moments between them, none made me feel as excited or raced my heart as a crazy fangirl that I can sometimes be. Yet you don’t feel the relationship is forced because from the beginning, it is made clear that they are soulmates, so you take this for granted and see their romance as natural.

In conclusion: I liked the book, but it’s nothing out of this world; I do recommend it.

Quote: "Sometimes just having fought is important, even if you don’t win." (Translated from Spanish)

[emscape · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A teenaged girl is very suddenly made aware that she has a rare and threatening disease and has about 3 weeks to live. Fortunately for her, her best friend is secretly a vampire and offers to turn her. Poppy initially accepts, but then begins to think more critically about the idea, mostly due to the reaction of her skeptical brother who has never particularly liked that friend. The characters are also in danger from the Night World, an organized group of vampires, werewolves and witches who mostly keep their dealings secret and their membership in check. It's a huge no-no to tell humans about the Night World.

This is a good introductory book into the Night World series, briefly explaining the Night World and introducing some characters who will become more important later. It's a quick read; in fact so quick the reader might marvel at the pace with which these characters make such life-altering decisions. But then...they're teenagers, so I guess that's not so surprising.

[DaniBenitez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am blank...
I don't remember anything about this book, but I will do my best.
After reading the synopsis of the book, I can recall almost every detail of it, a "female vampire" who turns out to be a hunter, which makes it a very interesting story.
I am very happy to have read it, I really like to think that she was in love with Morgead before all of that, and that despite that, she had the courage to do everything she needed to do. (Translated from Spanish)

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Easy read that's vampires for tweens. It seems a number of people have compared it to the twilight series but for the younger crowd. A young girl who learns that she's going to die soon of stage three cancer. She also learns that her best friend since elementary school is a vampire. He offers to change her but there's a problem. He's not supposed to tell about his world nor are they allowed to just change anyone. Now you see the similarities. Was rather more detailed in the death/change part then most vampire stories that mention that. Was good for what it was.

[jerenda-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!!

This book (or these three books, rather) annoyed me. Everyone kept falling in love and finding soulmates, and it seemed really set-up to me, but the glimmerings of an explanation near the end of Spellbinder made me a little happier. I just hope this explanation is developed more, instead of left by the side of the road to rot.

I was also told that the series was really complex, and so far it hasn't been. It's been easy enough to connect the three books, and I really like Ash. In the second book I like him. He and Mary-L made me laugh, especially when you compare them to James and Poppy.

Is it just me, or does this series really remind anyone of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' books? Ash is so similar to Aubrey it kills me. I didn't quite feel satisfied with the endings... I felt like the story wasn't complete enough, or strong enough, or maybe not convincing enough to really reach a definite conclusion. Maybe reading the next volume will heal the dissatisfying gap left in me by this book.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay so these stories are basically occult love stories. The thing is that they are all kind of similar and reading them in groups of three gets kind of repetitive. I still plan on reading at least the next one so I will have to see if the trend continues.

[dukedukegoose · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Laughably, hilariously bad. But entertainingly so.

[msbridgetreads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Skipped a lot. Got to the end. Ended how I expected..how it got there, not all the way sure..but I just had to get to the end..Thats why I dont like 3 in one books. I like mine individual!

SECRET VAMPIRE" 5/5

DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS: 4.5/5

SPELLBOUND: 3.5/5

[katie1802 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good and everything, but is it really anything we haven't seen before? I might read the others, depending on whether or not I'm in the mood for a good cliche.

[obridget1-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Skipped a lot. Got to the end. Ended how I expected..how it got there, not all the way sure..but I just had to get to the end..Thats why I dont like 3 in one books. I like mine individual!

SECRET VAMPIRE" 5/5

DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS: 4.5/5

SPELLBOUND: 3.5/5

[bridgetsbooknook · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Skipped a lot. Got to the end. Ended how I expected..how it got there, not all the way sure..but I just had to get to the end..Thats why I dont like 3 in one books. I like mine individual!

SECRET VAMPIRE" 5/5

DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS: 4.5/5

SPELLBOUND: 3.5/5

[bubblyair-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

my favourite from this one was the ash and mary-lynn one

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first of L.J. Smith's Night World series, in which a hidden society of vampires, witches and shape-shifters struggles to keep the knowledge of their existence from the humans around them, Secret Vampire is essentially a supernatural "Romeo and Juliet" tale. It follows the story of sixteen-year-old Poppy North, who discovers that she is dying of cancer, and her best friend James Rasmussen, who (unbeknownst to her) is a vampire and Night World member, with the ability to "save" her.

Narrative tension abounds, as Poppy struggles with the decision to become a vampire, and James seeks to circumnavigate Night World law, which forbids its members from revealing their existence to humans, or from falling in love with them. Yes, you read that right! This series is all about the redemptive power of (forbidden!) love, and every title focuses on a different Human/Night-Worlder romance...

This series made its debut in 1996, when I was running the children's section of a large bookstore, and I picked up the first title mostly out of curiosity. I had never really read any vampire fiction before, but it was rapidly becoming apparent to me that it was an immensely popular genre with younger readers. I am certainly glad I gave L.J. Smith a chance, because I discovered a series of well-written books, with engaging characters, suspenseful plots, and (ahem!) very romantic sensibilities. Yes, there's quite a bit of teen "cheese," but it's such good fun! I sometimes find it ironic that I was never able to appreciate teen fiction as a teenager, but that's another story altogether.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Summer is usually a time for friends and fun, but for Poppy, this year isn’t shaping up to be quite right. An illness sends her to the hospital and terrifying news has her leaning heavily on her best friend James for support. Fortunately for Poppy, James has some life changing news of his own.

Opening Sentence: It was on the first day of summer vacation that Poppy found out she was going to die.

Review:

The bluntness of this first sentence should have prepared me for a very quick and straight forward story, but since it didn’t, I found myself disappointed by the end of it all. There are not very many characters in this story; Poppy, her parents, her brother Phil, and her best friend James. A short list could have really provided a lot of opportunity for some serious relationship development and character growth, but again I was left disappointed.

From the very beginning we see that Poppy has a happy, healthy relationship with her family. I’m all for representation of good family values since I find the angst ridden teenager struggling with parents that will just never understand their pain, just a bit played out. Poppy and her brother Phillip tease each other gently, but Phil plays the strong, over productive brother role well. His protective side shows most when Poppy’s best friend James wanders into the morning routine. The boys don’t get along and that just doesn’t change, even when James is trying to help save Poppy’s life. I think their dislike for each other is supposed to come from a pretty lame alpha male type battle situation. James and Poppy are the basic, best friends turned secret crushes. Theirs is really the only relationship that develops with the plot as they struggle with their feelings.

This story kept me attentive because I wanted to see how it would all play out. James goes through so much to save his friend, and I just had to know if he could pull it off. However, I can’t stress enough how annoyingly basic this story is. The only real twist is James’s secret but even the title of the book gives that away, so basically we are just reading to find out how Poppy reacts, and how things fall into place. Luckily, this story doesn’t really set the tone for the rest of the series. They are all pretty quick reads, but the character and plot development branch out into a bigger picture that satisfies my need for a certain amount of depth behind the things I read.

Notable Scene:

He’d always been afraid of hurting her. She looked so fragile, and he could hurt somebody much stronger if he wasnt careful. That was one reason he kept a certain distance between them.

One reason. Not the main one.

The other was something he couldn’t put into words, not even to himself. It brought him right up to the edge of the forbidden. To face rules that had been ingrained in him since birth.

None of the Night People could fall in love with a human. The sentence for breaking the law was death.

FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy of Night World, Vol. 1. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[kimcormack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book by L.J Smith I have read and I can tell you I was drawn into the Night World and I am not sure I want t to find my way back out. Volume one has three books in one and incredible deal for the avid reader. It includes Secret Vampire, Daughters of darkness and Spellbinder. The three books in this first volume are a wonderful, magical journey into a secret world called the Night World. I know how awesome the first book is and I can't wait to sit down and lose myself now in the next one. L.J Smith has many other titles and I am content in the knowledge that anytime I need an incredible read I can lose myself in another one of her magical books.

I am hooked on L.J Smith. This First book has made a devoted fan out of me.

Kim Cormack

[elie26reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't put this book down til I devoured every page....Spellbinder & Secret Vampire were my favorites and I liked how Daughters of Darkness gave another realistic ending

[paigeb_41 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've wanted to read The Night World series for the longest time which is why i was really excited when my grandpa surprised me with it. I love bind-ups which is why i wanted to read the bind-ups instead of the single books. So anyways i really liked the plot behind all three books. The first book is about a girl named Poppy and her best friend James. She's just a normal guy and she's a vampire and it's against the rules for a person of the Night World to fall in love with or tell a human about the night world. James never plans to tell Poppy about it but she gets cancer and he's the only one that can save her. Thats all i can about the first book without giving spoilers =) So anyways i really liked Poppy's character because she was strong but she had the right amount of emotion in her. My favorite character in the first book though was Poppy's brother Phil. The reason why i liked him the most is because he was such a caring and loving brother. Most of the time brothers are annoying and rude but Phil was always looking out for her. I sometimes think that he was always watching her over her because they're twins and they have like a twin thing. Overall though the first book was really interesting and i liked reading about Poppy's story i hope that theres more about her in the next book.

The second book is about a character who appears in the first book and his name is Ash. He has three sisters who are vampires just like him. The three girls don't like the place they're living in so they decide to go live with there Aunt in a farm basically in the middle of nowhere. When they get there they find there aunt dead and they decide to bury her so no one will find out. But little do they know while they are burying her they are being watched by someone who is going to cause a lot of problems for them. Mary-Lynnette was watching these three girls from her bedroom window she knew they were burying something but she couldn't figure out what. After that night Mary-Lynnette becomes curious and it all goes down hill from there. In this book my favorite characters were Mark and Ash. Mark because he was so sweet and innocent and he just wanted to be with Jade even if she is a vampire. Ash i liked him because he was a bad guy who thought of humans as vermin until he meets Mary-Lynnette. The second book is really entertaining so i highly suggest it to you =)

The third and final book in the first book of the night word series is about two cousins who are witches named Blaise and Thea who are pretty troubled. They're both orphans and they need to stop getting in trouble because if they don't they'll be shipped off to a place where they don't want to go. Unfortunately though as soon as they get to the new school Thea falls in love which is you know fatal in the night word, and that is the whole problem that goes on in the third book. I love Thea and Eric they're such a good a sweet couple. I really shouldn't say any more then that but the two of them are so sweet together even though they don't acknowledge it at first. I wasn't to fond of Blaise but i did love Thea because she fell and love and she gave into it. I hate the girls that fall in love but they don't do anything about it for many stupid reasons but i can't stand those girls in books because they just make me want to scream =) Anyways i really enjoyed this book and L.J. Smith never fails to amaze me!
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[talksupe3blogspot · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Anyway, I wish the heroines are more fiesty, they're superhuman afterall, and the Night World operates like the jungle, the fittest survives, so if they keep on breeding "weak" females then their kind will be extinct in a couple of years.

[samantha7nop · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a girl Poppy. Poppy figures out she has a disease and the doctors say she has no chance of survival. What Poppy doesn't know is that her best friend James is a vampire. James turns her into a vampire but Poppy becomes an illegal vampire because she is not a part of the Night World. After being threatened and nearly exposed, Poppy finds out she has always been a witch but never knew. Poppy can be a vampire and doesn't need to worry because she's always been a part of the Night World.
I like this book because it shows how much friendship can change you. James and Poppy have been friends since kindergarten and this happens in high school. James was willing to save Poppy even though it was dangerous for him. I really like that and it shows how good of friends they are. Another thing I like about this book is that it shows that no matter how bad the situation is, there will always be something good.