Before you run away screaming because vampires are so overdone, you hate Twilight and everything it represents, or any other pre-conceptions, just chill, forget what your brain is complaining about, and read this review.
A few months ago, I decided to watch the Vampire Diaries TV show. I did this although I thought it sounded bad, mainly because I wanted some context for the commercials that came on while I would watch Arrow (a good vigilante show if you are interested). My exact thought was "This looks bad. Let me watch the pilot." Anyways, I got hooked.
After my personal success with the show, I thought, "Hey, why not try the books?" To be honest, I found them a little disappointing, though still decent. I just really did not like Elena, and the books were a tad dated (the first came out in 1999). Also, they are not at all like the TV show. The general premise, though not the specifics, were the same... The characters had the same names... And that was about it. I'm sure that if I had read the books first, I would have been outraged by the show but...
Anyways, let's do this book by book. I'm not going to review each one because I did not review them as I read them and I honestly cannot tell the differences between the books in my mind. They all blended together!
General Things to Know:
The Awakening
Here's a classic 90s cover if I've ever seen one.
Official Description:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
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 swear that this book is not quite as cheesy as the description says.
The Struggle
A few months ago, I decided to watch the Vampire Diaries TV show. I did this although I thought it sounded bad, mainly because I wanted some context for the commercials that came on while I would watch Arrow (a good vigilante show if you are interested). My exact thought was "This looks bad. Let me watch the pilot." Anyways, I got hooked.
After my personal success with the show, I thought, "Hey, why not try the books?" To be honest, I found them a little disappointing, though still decent. I just really did not like Elena, and the books were a tad dated (the first came out in 1999). Also, they are not at all like the TV show. The general premise, though not the specifics, were the same... The characters had the same names... And that was about it. I'm sure that if I had read the books first, I would have been outraged by the show but...
Anyways, let's do this book by book. I'm not going to review each one because I did not review them as I read them and I honestly cannot tell the differences between the books in my mind. They all blended together!
General Things to Know:
- Each book is short (in the 200 page range). Some editions combined each set of two into one book. You could read each in one sitting, fairly easily.
- Elena is annoying and the main character. She is manipulative and basically awful in every way possible, but you can enjoy the book even if you hate her.
- The things that it shares with Twilight were not copied. (Look at publishing date above)
- A lot of the books have cliffhangers
- All of the covers are just awful, so please don't judge these books by their covers
- The author uses italics a lot
The Awakening
Official Description:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
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 swear that this book is not quite as cheesy as the description says.
The Struggle
Official Description:
This is the terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them: 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.
Book two was a bit better than book one, but they were very comparable. If you didn't enjoy the first, you probably won't enjoy the second.
The Fury
Official Description:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror... 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.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.
Damon Mocking Stefan and Elena, he laughs in the face of doom.
Elena Wild with her craving for blood, she confronts the ultimate evil.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.
Things get intense in book three. It is by far the best in this series. It's very exciting!
Dark Reunion:
Official Description:
Elena rises from the dead to recreate the powerful vampire trio. Summoned by Elena, Stefan keeps a promise to her and fights the most terrifying evil he's ever faced. Joining the brother he once called enemy, Damon battles this new horror with strength, cunning, and deadly charm.
This book was a bit more strange than the others, but I enjoyed it. It also had very, very little of Elena (who I found incredibly irritating) so I was happy with it!
This is the end of the original Vampire Diaries series. The have a bunch of branch-off series that were written about 12 years after this original series. I'll post my review of the first of these spin-offs soon, but just so that you know, they are much worse than the original series.
In the meantime, Happy Reading!
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