Dark Reunion (Vampire Diaries #4) by L.J. Smith

Title: Dark Reunion
Author: L.J. Smith
Published: first published in 1992
Pages: 312
ISBN: 9780061059926
Source: Library

Description: The Final Conflict...The Last Deadly Kiss
Elena - Now she rises from the dead to recreate the powerful vampire trio.
Stefan - Summoned by Elena, he keeps a promise to her and fights the most terrifying evil he's ever faced.
Damon - Joining the brother he once called enemy, Damon battles this new horror with strength, cunning, and deadly charm.

I Give This Book 3.5 Stars!

I almost wish the series would have stopped at book three.  This book was nothing like the previous.  With Elena gone, the story doesn't have the same pull.  The characters felt forced.  I think it would have worked a little better if it wasn't Elena working her magic from the dead.  And then end was very cheesy.  I'm not sure if I want to read the new series.

The Fury (The Vampire Diaries, #3) by L.J. Smith

Title: The Fury
Author: L.J. Smith
Published: First published in 1991
Pages: 9780061059919
Source: Library Book

Description: Stefan - Tormented after losing Elena, he's determined to end the feud with his brother, Damon--whatever the cost.
Damon - Mocking Stefan and Elena, he laughs in the face of doom.
Elena - Wild with her craving for blood, she confronts the ultimate evil.

I Give This Book 4 Stars.

I liked this book the best so far.  It was dark, dangerous, and left me guessing until the very end.   Elena was interesting as a vampire.  Damon continues to surprise me.  I just wish Stephan would get some life in him.  He's so engrossed in Elena and his past relationship with Catherine, that there doesn't seem much else to his character.  In the show, the choice is obvious, but not so in the books.  I like how all the characters pull together to battle what is controlling the town.  I wonder how they will play this book out in the TV show. 

The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries, #2) by L.J. Smith

Title: The Struggle
Author: L.J. Smith
Published: First published in 1991
Pages: 313
ISBN: 9780061020018

Description: Damon: Determined to make Elena his queen of darkness, he'd kill his own brother to possess her.
Stefan: Desperate for the power to destroy Damon, he succumbs to his thirst for human blood.
Elena: Irresistibly drawn to both brothers, her choice will decide their fate.

I Give This Book 4 Stars!

Well this would be the extremely rare case of the second book in the series was better than the first.  I could actually feel the pull towards Damon in this book.  Yes, he's dark and dangerous.  But, there's something else there as well.  You don't know what it is, you can just feel it.  Stefan is the brooding vampire.  He's the right choice (if a vampire can be a "right" choice).  And Elena loves him, but can't stay away from Damon.  And she was much more likeable in this on.  Funny what love can do (even to people in stories).  The ending wasn't what I was expecting.  I can't wait to get my hands on the next one to see where this story goes!

The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries, #1) by L.J. Smith

Title: The Awakening
Author: L.J. Smith
Published:  1991 by Eos
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780061020001

Description:  Elena: Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.
Stefan: Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.
Damon: Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

I Give This Book 3.5 Stars!

I'll fully admit I wanted to read this series because I got hooked on the TV series.  I'm not sure if I would have preferred knowing that two are very different.  It's one of those cases that if I had read the books first, I would have been extremely disappointed in the series.  It's actually almost the other way around for me.  It's extremely hard to admit that since it is so rare to like the show/movie better than the book.  I did not like Elena at all in this book.  She's snotty, selfish, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.  Stefan is interesting, but it's hard to see at first what draws him to Elena besides the obvious.  I liked Damon, and the book explained his character more than the show does.  The story reminded me a lot of Twilight, but it doesn't have the same intensity as that series does.  I'll continue reading because I'm sure the TV series won't satisfy me.  Plus, the book I read was a double book (book 2 included) and I enjoyed the second book way more. 

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