Night World

A great book, though technically it's called a volume since it includes three different stories. Each one connected in one way or another but each one can stand on its own as a novella. So this volume is three novellas, the first one is a basic story of boy and girl falling in love in the most complex way but then realizing that in the way that is no longer complex. Story two is about a group of vampire sisters running away to a simple town but then find out it is no longer simple but in the end make it (the town) and their family (which now includes their brother and two humans) so much better. Story three is a really complex story about two cousins who are closer than sisters. They fight over a boy, make mistakes, do forbidden spells, and save the day but it causes one of them to be cast out forever.

These stories are all connected by distant family ties and by one simple (and yet complex) theme that seems to connect all the stories in all three volumes: the power of true love or to sum it up in one word: SOULMATES.

This collection is quite wonderful and very well-written.

Rating overall: 3.75 stars.

Really good start to this series. I read this series (all but one) as a teenager and I'm doing a reread now.

**Secret Vampire (Night World #1): 4 stars. I love this book, I've read it at least 10 times throughout my life, it's probably a lot more though. It brings back such great memories of my childhood/teenage years.

It's a quick read, it doesn't drag, pretty much every chapter has necessary information. I love that we're introduced to some characters that will have bigger roles in the next two books.

There's one thing (off the top of my head) that annoyed me a little, it took till the end of the book to figure out that Poppy (and Phil) were connected to the Night World. There should have been at least a thought bubble in James's head that maybe they are NW people because of the things that Phil said he heard in his dreams and the fact that James couldn't compel him at all. Since James has known Poppy for ten yrs I would think he'd know about Poppy & Phil's Dad having dreams and seeing things before they happen. Other than that I love this book.

**Daughters of Darkness (NW #2): 4 stars.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. I think I mostly remembered Ash and Mary-Lynette not getting together at the end and being disappointed in that so I completely wrote off the good stuff in this.

The opening was a good way to start, I liked that even while the girls were being threatened they were calm and speaking to each other (through telepathy) and did what they needed to do.

The Jade/Mark romance was cute, as was the Ash/Mary-Lynette romance. I liked Ash/Mary better though. What I didn't like was the part where Mary, after kissing Ash, said she wanted to be a vampire. There was nothing that I read that made me think she'd want to be a vampire, there wasn't a reason given at all, from what I remember anyway. I just remember being extremely shocked when she suddenly said she wanted to be a vampire, it came out of left field.

I liked the mystery of who killed Aunt Opal and who was killing the animals. I completely forgot who it was and still surprised at the end.

**Spellbinder (NW #3): 2.75-3 stars.

This is one of my least favorite of the series. I read it once as a young teen but this is the first time I've read it in almost fifteen years, in contrast to the others of the series that I've read multiple times, and I was surprised that I liked it a little more than my first reading.

Now the first half I was still unimpressed with. I, for some reason, tend to not be as interested in the witch stories as I am with vampires and werewolves and almost any other type of supernatural beings. So it took it me a while to get into it. However the last half was really good, I liked the aspect that Eric couldn't couldn't be affected much or at all by spells, it made for some interesting outcomes when someone tried to use a spell on him.

Also the ending was good, I liked that Thea and Eric wouldn't forget anything and that Blaise was behind them not forgetting. Even though Blaise was kind of the "bad one" she still cared and loved Thea like a sister and showed that.

So in closing, first half is a struggle to get through, the last half though is much better.

Three books in one: Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness and Enchantress. The first book is about Poppy. She's an enthusiastic teenage girl, who finds out she's going to die. She's got cancer. There's no cure. A couple of weeks, months maybe and then death. Her best friend James, though, talks to her about his crazy and unbelievable plan to save her. She thinks he's gone insane, until she realizes that everything he's talking about it's true: The Night World as well as its secrets. She will have to make a choice.
The second book is about three mysterious sisters and Mary Lynette a would-like-to-be astronomer. The sisters are on the run. They fled from home, the Night World with its strict, ancient rules and their brother, Ash. The reader has already met Ash, James's cousin. He's cruel and wants them back or dead. The honour and the family must be protected from shame. But he hasn't met Mary Lynette yet. She and her brother seem to be a huge problem, whish has to be dealt with, but there is even a bigger one lurking in the woods.
The third book is about Blaise and Thea, the descendants of Hellewise and Maya. Theirs is the only witch family related with vampires. That's to say witches with vampire blood. While Blaise is a cruel but extremely beautiful girl playing with human boys and getting in trouble with the Night World laws, Thea, very different but as beautiful as Blaise, is the responsible one trying to avoid getting her reckless cousin and herself killed. She has never broken even one single Night World law, until she meets Eric and starts by breaking one of the most important and deadly of them all: never fall in love with a human.

This book will always have a special place for me. I remember reading it in my early teens multiple times. Over a decade later I'm still as enamored with the paranormal world as ever.

Secret Vampire, the first book of the Night World series centers on Poppy, a 16-year old high schooler who is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her survival is unlikely and James, her best friend since childhood, has a cure but it's a major secret. It turns out James and his family are vampires, and just one part of a secret supernatural society. It's forbidden to inform humans of their existence and to fall in love with them, but James takes the risk, realizing that Poppy is his soulmate. He offers her eternal life if she agrees to let him turn her.

The book centers on Poppy's transformation and how she and James transition from friends to lovers. I enjoyed their dynamic throughout the book as well Poppy's character evolving as she becomes something more. It is certainly Young Adult in writing style and a very short read, but it made an impression on me back then. It made me eager to follow the series because the characters recur in other installments, so there's always a chance to see old plot lines crop up again.

My biggest complaint is that because the books are so short, you want to spend more time reading about the characters, but it's over too soon.

As a reader, I really appreciate omnibus editions of books. It's great to get a lot of content in one purchase, especially when working through a meaty, multi-book series like L.J. Smith's Night World.

However, an omnibus can be problematic to review. Because the novels contained with in can vary greatly in content and quality. This is the problem I had with Night World, No. 1.

The Night World series details the lives of supernatural creatures that live in tandem (if not always in harmony) with humans, keeping their secret lives hidden from their human classmates, friends and in some cases, loves. This first edition highlights vampires, werewolves and witches in a series of three novels.

In the first book, Secret Vampire, heroine Poppy finds out she is dying of terminal cancer, and only joining her best friend James in his life as a vampire will save her. The second book, Daughters of Darkness, follows three sheltered vampire sisters as they try to make a new life for themselves in human society, solve the mystery of a relative's death and find love at the same time. And finally, Spellbinder tells the story of two witches -- cousins, but as close as sisters -- and how magic can complicate romance, friendship and family.

The first book was okay, but kind of lackluster when compared to L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries books. The characters weren't very engaging except for Ash -- the bad-boy vampire that bears a strong similarity to Damon, the bad-boy vampire from Vampire Diaries. Ash makes a reappearance in Daughters of Darkness, where again he is one of the more interesting characters. His three sisters -- Jade, Kestral and Rowan -- take center stage in this book, and while they're all colorful and fun, the humans in the book are shallow and underdeveloped -- so the love stories fell flat for me, too.

I almost didn't finish the last book in the collection -- Spellbinder. I'm glad I did -- it was definitely the best story in the bunch. The main characters -- white witch Thea, and her dark Aphrodite-like cousin, Blaise -- are both well-written and complex. The main love story between Eric and Thea is rich in conflict, but also feels genuine. Unlike the surface romances Smith attempts in the first two books, this love story is compelling and really reeled me in. I loved the details about witchcraft and the history that Smith included in Spellbinder, and would definitely seek out books that continued the story of Thea, Eric and Blaise.

Overall, its important for fans of Smith's Vampire Diaries to understand that these are very different books. The vampire mythology is even different, which struck me as strange. But most importantly, the Night World stories read more like short stories than a continuous series. Characters from previous books make small appearances in other books (i.e., Ash is a minor character in Secret Vampire, but a major one in Daughters of Darkness -- likewise, Thea and Blaise appear briefly in Secret Vampire before their primary roles in Spellbinder) but the stories aren't really interconnected. Overall, though, if you enjoy paranormal romance, Night World is worth a look.

These books fall into the YA paranormal romance category but they're much better than many others that fall into that genre. The paranormal twist in these books is the existence of the Night World- a society of vampires, shapeshifters and witches. The Night World is a secret from humanity, and the two main rules are (1)don't tell humans about it and (2) don't fall in love with humans (for reason 1). Breaking either of these rules means death for both the Night Worlder and the human(s) involved.

Each book is reasonably short and involves a different love story with sometimes only loosely connected characters. L J Smith seems to have a gift for quickly establishing distinct and likeable characters; the lead characters of each book have different personalities which is something of an achievement given the number of stories told (9 to date). So if you like variety you will find it here; from ditzy to down-to-earth heroines, and from dangerous to gentle heroes.

There's also an overall story-arc that develops through the series - change is coming to the Night World and pro and anti human factions form, prophecies are fulfilled and suchlike. Sadly the final showdown is yet to happen as the last book(s?) in the series have yet to be published.

General criticisms:

- Does everyone in these books have to be sixteen or seventeen and at high school? Fortunately a lot of the stories don't focus on the high-school element, but some of them are very much Gossip Girl meets Vampires. I realise that YA usually features YA characters, but surely one or two nineteen year olds who'd left school wouldn't be too much to ask?

- Whilst there is a strong non-vampiric element in the Night World books (shapeshifters, witchers) the vampires do seem to get most of the starring roles (most of the books feature a vampire as a lead character, a couple feature witchers and only 1 features a shapeshifter as the heroine). Which I guess if you love vampires is actually a positive point. I'm a little bit out-vampired now though, so I much preferred the non-vampire stories.

- Lack of consideration of more serious issues that would have added depth to the books- e.g no discussion of what it will be like for one partner to grow old and the other stay young in the stories where one partner chooses not to become a vampire, not being able to have children, the morality of changing children etc.

- The Soulmate Principle. Whilst this is reasonably well used in this series with some lovely 'connecting' scenes between soulmates, I'm always deeply mistrustful of books that use this plot device. Can't people just fall in love the normal way sometimes?

That said, if you're looking for decent YA books with happy endings that you can relax with, look no further. If you've enjoyed the other YA paranormal stuff floating around out there, give these a try, because I really do think they're a better quality brain candy than many of the popular YA titles.

Night world volume one consists of three novels.

The cover caught my eye. It was clear and not busy with too big of a picture. I was intriqued to look some more at this novel. I noticed the first story in this trilogy volume was published in 1996. I guess I missed this book. I'm glad it came back on the market.

The first story Secret Vampire is pretty good. It was an easy read and moved along pretty fast. I liked how L.J. Smith grew her character Poppy all the way to the end of the book. It was also nice to see that vampires can be good guys too.

There was not a lot of emotion with this story. Even though it did have a bit of romance at the end of the book. I would definitely recomend this book to ages 9 -13. Even a slow reader would find this book to hold their attention long enough to finish this book.

I give this part of the trilogy 4 1/2 ****

The next story in the book called Daughters of Darkness is a little bit more fast paced. I liked this part even more. I had a hard time putting the book down after the very first chapter.

This book has a very strong character, Mary-Lynnette. But I am not really clear about this character in the begining of the story, but by the end I do know enough about her to begin to really like her.

This story has some mystery to it. A nice attempt by Smith. Maybe next time she will be able to write a better mystery. It is a pretty good story again for ages 9-13.

I give this part of the trilogy again 4 1/2 ****

The last story in this book is called Spellbinder I really liked this story most of all. It is a story about two teenage witches. I really like the tension she used between the two girls. It was on the idea of sibling rivalry. The plot is very strong in this book. One can almost guess where the story is heading. It is another fast paced story. I like how it was more about witches and less about vampires. But the over all Night World concept is well thought out.

I will be looking forward to reading the next two trilogys in this series of books.

I purchased this book at a local store.

Imagine trying to figure out a mystery, that would lead you to another world located right around and all over the same place you live. Now imagine that your closest friend could have a secret that you could never find out...or if you did discover the secret--the strength of alliances could implicate you and the people you have befriended. Come and join in the adventure with Mary-Lynnette in Daughters of Darkness, book 2, by L.J. Smith. She decides to help some new friends find out who killed their aunt, and if these friends are human or inhuman. Find out what creatures maybe out there, in the world, without you knowing.

I enjoyed the book, Daughters of Darkness , because of the way the author used imagery to describe the characters. He gave me sort of a picture in my head of what the new girls Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade, also the neighborhood boy Jeremy, looked like in their appearances. For example the author describes Rowan:
"The voice was soft and beautiful modulated. The girl was just plain beautiful. What Mary-Lynnette hadn't seen from the top of her hill was that the brown hair was aglow with rich chestnut highlights, the features were classically molded, the tall figure was graceful and willowy." Pg. 289.

The way the book is set up is that there is a lot of suspense, and I liked that. When Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade find their Aunt Opal dead in the basement, they wondered if some one from the Night World stalked their Aunt. Or when suddenly Mary-Lynnette and her brother hear a growling in the bushes, they wonder what it could be...a dog? A mountain lion? A wolf or one of the creatures from the Night World? They have suspicions of who killed one of the goats and placed it on the front porch of Aunt Opal's home. The only thing that I didn't like about the story was how Smith used the same name, Ash, as he did in the first book, so I was confused at first. Was Ash the brother of James? He wasn't the brother of James, he was the brother of Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade But I soon realized that. Other than that I enjoyed the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, romance, mystical creatures, and L.J. Smith. This gets 4 stars. Liz S. RC.

Night World #9: Witchlight, by L. J. Smith

Wow. I couldn't stop turning the pages of this book last night, and ended up staying up late to finish it because I just *had* to know how it was going to end!

Keller is a shapeshifter; "Witchlight" is the only book in the Night World series to be told from a 'shifter's perspective. I wish at least another of the protagonists in the previous books had been a shapeshifter, as I enjoyed Keller's point of view so much.

Like all the girls before her, Keller is a kick ass, take no nonsense kind of main character. She's the boss of a small security team made up of herself, a vampire, and a witch. They belong to Circle Daybreak and have been tasked to protect the most recently identified Wild Power.

Iliana Harman is Keller's opposite in every way. She's soft-hearted, ditzy, immersed in her family, friends, and school life. She's never had to fight. But all that's about to change when Iliana is thought to be the lost Witch Child as well as a Wild Power. And as the Witch Child, she's been prophesied to marry the First Son of the House of Shapeshifters, to cement an alliance between the witches and 'shifters.

There's a lot going on in "Witchlight." The action is jam-packed and pretty nonstop, as Keller and her team try to protect Iliana, figure out how to fight an awakened dragon, and convince Iliana to accept her destiny. There's one big problem with the potential alliance though...Iliana's future husband is actually Keller's soulmate. It's quite a tangle, but provides Smith with opportunities for character growth. I really didn't care for Iliana at all when the novel started, but by the end I liked her.

I enjoyed "Witchlight" quite a bit, and I'm happy that I'm reading it now, when the sequel novel will finally be coming out. In 1998 Smith left her fans with quite a cliffhanger, and left them there for a decade. But "Strange Fate" is finally slated to be published in 2010 and I hope it is because now I'm rather anxious to find out how Smith will tie everything together that she's created over the course of the first 9 books.

4/5.

"Night World" is basically a series of short paranormal romance stories for young adults. The premise here is that there are Night People (vampires, witches, werewolves) who live among regular humans and who are prohibited from disclosing any information about the secret world or fall in love with mortals. Each story in the series is about a supernatural creature falling in love with a regular person.

The first story "Secret Vampire" is centered around Poppy, who just found out she has a terminal form of cancer and has weeks to live. The only way for her to continue her existence is to be turned a vampire, and accidentally her long-time best friend and crush James is a vampire who could help her out. It's a nice story, with quite a morbid air about it due to scenes of death, funeral, grave digging, etc.

"Daughters of Darkness" is a kind of a mystery which follows 3 vampire sisters arriving to a small town. Their vampire aunt is recently killed, and a series of equally disturbing events follows. Human sister and brother Mark and Mary-Lynnette get accidentally involved in the whole ordeal. They discover the true nature of their strange neighbors and to add to it, Mary-Lynnette finds out that she is a soulmate of the sisters' arrogant brother Ash and can't do anything about it. This story is more light-hearted and Ash has some great lines here.

The last story in the book "Spellbinder" is about two witch cousins. When her cousin Blaise, a witch of the black arts, sets her sights on star athlete Eric, white witch Thea casts a spell on the young man to protect him and falls in love despite the rules that forbid their relationship. A lot of witchcraft and spells is in this book which I liked quite a bit.

By current YA standards L.J. Smith's books seem almost juvenile. There is no sex, no drugs, or any gruesome violence, but I like her stories anyway. She knows how to develop her characters, her stories are imaginative and romance scenes are very sweet and touching in an innocent way. I still think that Smith's "Dark Visions" and "The Forbidden Game" trilogies are better, but these "Night World" are nicely done too and I will definitely continue on with the series.

Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance was well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. <b><i>Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!! </i> </b>

The Night World is all around us - a secret society of creatures of darkness. There are only two rules to the Night World - 1) Don't let a human find out about the Night World, 2) Never fall in love with one of them.
RAKSHA KELLER - A tough-as-nails panther shapeshifter whose name means 'demon'. Abandoned by her mother and considered a freak of nature in her foster homes because of her abilities, she is finally adopted by Circle Daybreak where she grows to become the leader of an elite swat team. Her latest mission is to protect the latest identified Wild Power - a clueless, ditzy blonde whom everyone seems to love and has everything Keller never did. And when for the first time she begins to have feelings for someone, she discovers that their love is not only impossible, but could destroy the world.
ILIANA DOMINICK - A descendant of the twin siblings of the Crone of all the Witches; the third discovered Wild Power, and the legendary Witch Child. Needless to say, the big-hearted and immensely popular teenager does not take this too well. Finding out in one day that she is a 'lost witch', has a magical blue fire within her that is required to save the world, and that as the Witch Child she is obligated to marry the heir to the First House of Shapeshifters to form an unbreakable alliance between the two races, she is understandably a little reluctant to furfill her duties.
GALEN DRACHE - the sheltered and naieve heir to the Drache Family - the First House of Shapeshifters, who is required to marry the Witch Child, mets Keller when he mistakenly interrupts her mission in an attempt to save her life. Desparate to do some good in his life, he joins her team, only to find himself falling in love with her. But the alliance of the witches and shapeshifters lies with him - without it the divided races are weakened.
AZHDEHA - the awakened dragon, buried underground in medieval times, who's causing havoc for Circle Daybreak. As an incredibly powerful shapeshifter, he can take any shape he choses, and the Circle has the near-impossible task of figuring out who he is masquerading as. Keller almost manages to kill him in his weakened state, but having twice as many horns as is usual, he is more powerful than any of them can comprehend.
WINFRITH 'WINNIE' ARLIN - the red-haired, sensitive witch member of Keller's team was expecting a bit more from the Witch Child than what she got. She appoints herself as Iliana's mentor anyway, but it will take all her patience to teach the lost witch spells, not to mention tapping into the incredible power of the blue fire in her blood.
NISSA JOHNSON - the final member of Keller's team, a beautiful vampire that is not only an excellent driver, but a formidable fighter.
JAIME ASTON-HUGHES - Iliana's best friend. Not only is she deaf, but has been targetted for a hit-and-run car accident, organised by a group of shapeshifters.
BRETT ASTON-HUGHES - Jaime's obnoxious brother, who Iliana has a crush on, and who is hosting the year's biggest party in Aston-Hughes estate. Going to it would directly jepardise Iliana's safety, but she is determined to go.
ANNA AND ALEX DOMINICK - Iliana's mother and baby brother, who have no idea of their family member's true identity. But as 'lost witches' themselves, they are not totally immune to the forces at work around them.
EDGITH HARMAN - the Crone of all the Witches, and the head of Circle Daybreak. She is an essential member of the group, who controls and organises the fight against evil. Without her they would be lost. And then disaster strikes...
Witchlight: Good Points
-the identity of the dragon came as a real surprise
-Keller, Winnie and Nissa make an interesting and effective team
-the plot is very suspence filled with lots of twists
-it never slows down or drags, something is always going on
-an interesting love triangle
-L.J. Smith is not afraid to kill off an important character
Witchlight: Bad Points
-the prophesy concerning the Witch Child not fully developed
-the fate of the world rests in the hands of seventeen year olds
-the dragon is defeated rather easily for an all-powerful being
-a contrived happy ending that contradicts established plot lines
-Dark Ninjas???!!!
(with thanks to Ravenna for the making of this review)

While not my favorite book in the universe, this is definately my favorite book in the Night World Series. I only just discovered L.J. Smith, and Witchlight was the first of her books that I bought. When I was done with it, I went back and bought every Night World book and read them in order (in one day, my eyes are SO tired) It's good that we are now getting into the heirarchy of the shapeshifters. I was getting sick of the stereotypical beautiful smart vamipires, dumb ugly shifters. However, I noticed that in these Wild Power books, there's no mention of the black flower symbols. It could be because those are Night world symbols, and the Circle Daybreakers don't consider themselves part of that anymore?
I recommend this book, it's definately different enough to be entertaining. Keller, the strong, smart, and short tempered heroine is a strong leader, and her soulmate Galen has to try to keep up!

As for the violet eyes, Iliana was the (I believe) second character to have them? Ash and Maya both had eyes that were changeable. It's interesting that Poppy is the only green eyed character...And Maggie Neely was an ordinary brown hair, brown eyes.

ANYWAY... I can't wait for Strange Fate. I think that the fourth Wild Power would have to be a shifter of some sort....they have a vampire/human, a vampire and a witch.

First published between 1996-1998, Lisa Jane Smith's "Night World" series was released as a ten-book series...only the final book never arrived. Smith took a ten-year hiatus from writing, leaving the final book unwritten and the steadily-building story incomplete. But now, finally, the end is in sight. Simon and Schuster are republishing the series in three-book omnibuses in anticipation for "Strange Fate" the last in the series that has left us hanging for over ten years.

Like so many, I was a teenager when I first began reading her books and it was a certain sense of nostalgia that brought me back again. Although her stories stretch a certain amount of credibility, they are undoubtedly superior to most run-of-the-mill supernatural teen books. The basis premise is a winner: "the Night World" is a secret society made up of vampires, witches and shapeshifters that live in total secrecy among humankind. The superior numbers of humans have driven them into hiding, but they still consider themselves superior to the "vermin" that surround them. As such, there are only two rules regarding their treatment to the human race: that they are never to be told about the Night World, and never to fall in love with one of them.

What follows is a series of somewhat interrelated stories that tell just what happens when (wait for it) these rules get broken. Although the beginning of the series tells more stand-alone stories, later on the series begins to deal with plot-points and characters that cross-over from book to book, including the coming apocalypse and the measures that both good and evil take in order to prepare for it. Although the first four or so books tend to be less exciting than later installments, they do set the ground-work for the series as a whole, introducing us to several concepts and characters, as well as the mythos and history of the Night World that provide background and resonance. One fun aspect is the use of cameos and namedrops of characters that appear in past/future books (Ash pops up frequently), and a surprisingly complex history of the Night World.

"Secret Vampire" deals with life-long friends: vivacious Poppy and stoic James, who reassess their relationship when Poppy is diagnosed with cancer. Since it is terminal, James comes up with a new solution: turn Poppy into a vampire, like himself, despite the fact that such a thing is forbidden by the laws of the Night World.

It is an intriguing premise, but not quite as strong an opening into the series as it could have been. Poppy is a bit of a nitwit, doing something amazingly stupid toward the end of the story, and there's a contrived dues ex machine ending (yes, it's foreshadowed...but still).

"Daughters of Darkness" follows a murder-mystery plotline, as three vampire sisters arrive at Briar Creek only to find that the great-aunt they've arranged to stay with has been staked through the heart. From a nearby hill, astronomer Mary-Lynette watches with astonishment as the girls bury a body-bag in the front garden, and soon has her young brother Mark helping her investigate the three newcomers.

But when the girls' older brother Ash comes to town in order to drag his sisters home, he finds himself caught up in the mysteries that pervade Briar Hollow, particularly his strange connection to Mary-Lynette. Ash is probably one of Smith's most popular characters, and the Ash/Mary-Lynette relationship is the only one in which the destined-soulmates deal actually works for me. Maybe it's because neither character is too keen on the idea, maybe because the story ends a little bittersweetly. Either way, Smith pulls it off.

Finally, in "Spellbinder" Smith turns her attention away from vampires and focuses on witches, namely two witchy cousins: Thea and Blaise Harman. Thea tries to stay out of trouble, whilst Blaise enjoys playing with the human world for fun -- making boys fall in love with her before discarding them. But Thea is the one in deep trouble when she falls in love with a human, something that only endangers him from both Blaise and the Night World.

Once again, this installment is a little weak. The main plot has too many fits and starts, and is littered with numerous subplots. There are several elements that have been borrowed by Smith's previous trilogy "The Secret Circle" (in fact, Thea and Blaise themselves are pretty much carbon-copies of Diana and Faye) and Thea/Eric simply aren't that interesting, especially on the heels of Ash/Mary-Lynette.

If you enjoy teen-supernatural-romance-thriller type books, but find that this particular omnibus is a bit bland, then I'd recommend hanging on for just a bit longer. On the whole, the three stories are interesting and competently told, despite a few shortcuts taken in the narrative (often they rely on someone acting like an idiot, and the concept of "soulmates" is a way of forming insta-couples out of thin air). But they are still entertaining reads, and the series as a whole improves significantly by book five.

Even though this series as a whole is veritably full of good-looking vampires, the female protagonists have more to do with their lives than moon over them incessantly. They have their own friends and family, their hobbies, dreams and ambitions, and more often than not choose humanity over vampirehood. Furthermore, they themselves play essential parts in decision-making, take personal responsibility for their actions, and more often than not, end up saving both their love interests and the day.

Every teenage girl goes through a stage of crushing on a fictional vampire anti-hero and wishing they could be a female protagonist in a book. They could do worse than one of LJ Smith's characters. MUCH worse.

For a trip down memory lane, it was great to catch up with this familiar `world-within-a-world' and the characters that inhabit it. LJ Smith has recently begun a new trilogy that serves as a sequel to her most famous series The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, which sadly has not been well-received by readers. Let's hope things shape up before "Strange Fate."

She can definitely write, this woman. What can I say about the soulmate principle and the fact that someone in the story, who would (obviously) be gorgeous and strong and would find a soulmate who is just completely gorgeous and strong (him/herself) except that this is her book and she can write it anyway she wants to. Hah! At least the storyline changes, there are always some surprises and it's very entertaining. I agree with the reader who said that maybe Lisa is trying to stress a point with that principle. I would like to read something about werewolves though because let's face it, the way she writes about werewolves kind of makes them out to be very stupid. And maybe something more about Ash and Mary-Lynette. Maybe they can meet again sometime soon. I'm also very eager to read about what would happen in the Millenium or after they've found the 4th and last Wild Power. To LJ Smith, I say well done and you ARE the Goddess of horror/romance books.

This is a combination of my individual reviews for Night World 1: Secret Vampire, Night World 2: Daughters of Darkness, and Night World 3: Spellbinder.

I would give this collection overall a 3.5 out of 5. In this first volume, Smith introduces us to the Night World, a secret existence of vampires, werewolves, witches, and more that live on the fringes of our world. They have two rules: do not tell humans about the Night World, and do not fall in love with humans. The Night World books are what happens when those rules are broken.

In Night World 1: Secret Vampire, Poppy is a teenager diagnosed with a deadly disease. Her best friend has the secret that could save her life and end it at the same time. In Night World 2: Daughters of Darkness, Smith considers what could happen if two soulmates dislike each other. In Night World 3: Spellbinder, we get our first taste of witches and the disasters that can come from loving a human.

===

Night World #1: Secret Vampire, by L. J. Smith

I first discovered the Night World series when I was about 10 or 11; I can't remember which. I devoured them then; I've always been fascinated with the supernatural, vampires and werewolves and witches oh my. Now, rereading the series a decade later, I'm happy to find that my nostalgia for the books is valid, as I'm enjoying them this second go around as much as I did the first time.

"Secret Vampire" tells the tale of Poppy, a 16 year old who starts her summer vacation in a rather dismal way: with a diagnosis of incurable pancreatic cancer. A summer that promised to be full of music, hanging out with friends, and just generally having a good time will turn into 3 months or less of pain and agony...but luckily for Poppy, her best
friend James has a secret.

James is a vampire, part of the Night World. The Night World is a secret society of all sorts of supernatural creatures and they have two rules: 1) Never tell humans about the Night World, and 2) Never fall in love with a human. To break these rules is to risk death; but James is more than willing to risk his life, especially after he
discovers Poppy is his soulmate.

All Night World books carry a common theme: the protagonist is always a female teenager, always someone a bit different from all those around her. In each book the protagonist finds her soulmate.

I remember when I was much younger and reading these books. I wanted to *be* the protagonist. I wanted to be a part of the Night World - and who wouldn't want to be? Smith has a gift for writing fiction that speaks to the reader, and makes the reader identify with the main characters. Poppy and James connect in a mental way when he is transforming her into a vampire, a way that makes words seem bulky and useless for real communication. Even though I know life isn't like that, it's still magical to see it done nicely in fiction. And still makes me wish it were possible.

The Night World series has recently been republished in a collection of omnibuses, which makes it a great pickup. The next installment in the series, which I have been waiting for for over a decade, will be published in 2010, which makes this the perfect time to leap into Smith's secret society. "Secret Vampire" is an excellent kickoff to the series, and introduces readers to some of the particulars of the Night World, as well as to two great characters.

My only issues with this book are that it's a little dated, due to being first published in 1996. You don't dial in to the Internet anymore, etc.; but that's just me nitpicking. Also it's a somewhat quick read; I finished the entire book in about 90 minutes or less. But that also makes it a nice diversion that won't take you a week to enjoy.

4/5.

===

Night World #2: Daughters of Darkness, by L. J. Smith

For me, "Daughters of Darkness" is the one sour note in Smith's Night World series. It was the one book in the nine book series that I had to force myself to finish (I am obsessive about finishing everything I read).

The concept is interesting, but I feel it could have used better execution. As with all Night World books, the protagonist is female. Mary-Lynette is a human and unaware of the secret world of vampires, werewolves, and other spooky things that exist around her. She thinks she lives in the quietest, most boring town in the world, but that's all about to change when a series of startling events happens.

When the next door neighbor goes missing just as her three nieces arrive in town, and Mary-Lynette sees them burying something in the backyard, she's immediately suspicious. Unable to leave the mystery alone, she heads next door and meets the new arrivals, who further her apprehension about the disappearance of her neighbor. The girls remind her of predators, which is unsurprising as the girls are lamia, or born vampires.

The mystery of who killed the neighbor takes up a good chunk of the book, and in my opinion, is very over used. It just drags on too long, and every time there was a new twist in the whodunit, I kept thinking, "Okay, that's the end of it now...no, wait...there's more. Sigh."

Ash Redfern also makes an appearance in this book (some readers may remember him from "Night World #1: Secret Vampire," where he waylaid Poppy), and is a starring character along with his sisters. Initially he's on the hunt for the three sisters, who ran away from a vampire enclave. Ash is characterized as the ultimate vampire - humans are vermin and nothing more, to him. Mary-Lynette takes an immediate dislike to him when meeting him for the first time. And here's where the potentially interesting concept comes in - Ash and Mary-Lynette are soulmates, but unlike Smith's other couples, the two can't stand each other.

But something about this book just didn't do it for me. Maybe it was the overly drawn out murder mystery. Or maybe it was that the main character, Mary-Lynette, seemed dry. Or maybe even what seemed interesting - soulmates disliking each other - somehow doesn't fit in a series that's about finding your soulmate.

1/5.

===

Night World #3: Spellbinder, by L. J. Smith

"She knew the drill. Another year of living with them, of walking quietly through the halls knowing that she was different from everybody around her, even while she was carefully, expertly pretending to be the same (p. 4)."

Thea and Blaise are cousins, raised as closely as if they were sisters. They're also both witches, members of the secret Night World. And they are high school students, starting at their fifth high school, having been expelled from four others - mostly because of Blaise. But this time, it's Thea who will jeopardize their future when she breaks the cardinal rules of the Night World; which are 1) Never let humans know about the Night World, and 2) Never fall in love with a human.

On their first day of school, Thea meets Eric, and the two are like swans - they know they are destined for each other immediately. There's only one little problem - Eric's human. Thea tries to push Eric away for his safety, but the two are soulmates and nothing she tries will keep him from her. But will she give up everything for him?

I read "Spellbinder" pretty quickly, in about 90 minutes, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Normally I don't care at all for romances, but mix in some supernatural elements, good writing, and interesting characters, and I'm hooked. I really liked Smith's portrayal of Thea - you start out thinking she's the quiet type, overshadowed by her vivacious cousin, but she develops believably into someone with backbone, someone caught between a rock and a hard place who doesn't know what way to turn, but tries to do the right thing, but sometimes doing it the wrong way. I also rather relished Smith's detail to the spells and especially the components. I had the feeling "Wow this is cool" when reading. The spells also allow for a nice twist at the end.

"Spellbinder" is a great installment in the Night World series, and gives an in-depth look at the witches and their origin in Smith's created world. I for one definitely want to know more about the history of the Night World, and am looking forward to reading more.

4/5.

Collected in this volume are the first three YA paranormal romances of the Night World series. The driving forces for these romances are 1) Night World members cannot reveal themselves or the Night World to humans on pain of death; 2) Night Worlders are forbidden to love humans, on pain of death; 3) Human are 'vermin' or 'food' and therefore inferior. However love triumphs via the instantaneous recognition of a soul mate, which means instant love and instant changes to previously human-loathing types. All the characters are high school age, and struggling to find their place in the world, to determine their own fates for themselves. The stories are engaging and enjoyable as the star-crossed lovers seek ways to be together, seeking their happily ever after.

These stories should appeal to teen fans of YA romance or vampire stories.

If you are suffering from Twilight withdrawls, pick up all three of the Night World books! Each book has 3 stories, some with vampires, some with shapeshifters, werewolves, or witches, some with all of the above. This is marketed as Young Adult fiction, but as with Twilight, a great story has no age limits. The romance is clean and of the type that makes all women's hearts flutter. The Soul Mate principle is as breathless as anyone could hope for! I especially loved Daughters of Darkness in this collection. The three sisters are as interesting in their relationship to each other as the three fates! Not to mention their bad boy brother Ash who comes to take them home and instead meets his match in a girl with her eyes on the stars. I loved it and so did my 14 year old daughter, so great for all ages!

I found this book to be pretty good, although Ms. Smith has written better books. I liked the idea of not having the wild power as the main character of the novel. But I found Iliana to be a flaky ditz. I understand that Ms. Smith was trying to build up her character as a strong female. But in contrast to her description of Iliana, she was a total turn off. All the glowing and radiation made her seem like more of a ditz, if not like she grew up around a nuclear power plant. But nonetheless Ms. Smith manages to deliver. And as for all the people who keep on saying how sappy and unrealistic her novels are - grow up. Most books are only fiction. They are only what you make out of them. And you guys are making too much out of the them. Use a little more imagination and less reality.

I can't believe I have never reviewed these before. First read this back when I was 13. Like a lot of girls wanting the mysterious boyfriend and believed in soul-mates which drug me into these books. Oh yeah and the fact that it was about Vampires, witches and shape-shifters too. Rereading it over time years later still stands the test of time for me. This at the time was the final book (although Strange Fate was originally promised in 1998 or 1999) and it introduces new characters to love, makes you sad at loosing beloved characters and leaves you eagerly awaiting the big battle.

Three spellbinding tales in one volume!

--------

Secret Vampire

Poppy, a sixteen-year-old peppy redhead, is given the death sentence of cancer in the beginning of the novel; her only alternative to a painful death is, in fact, undeath at the fangs of her best friend and crush, James Radmussen. But consequences must follow their desperation, and our quick-decisioned pair is no exception.

"Secret Vampire" has an ethereal quality to it that's somewhat unusual, especially in young adult literature; the only book with similar overtones that I can think of off the top of my head would be the mega-bestseller Twilight, albeit "Vampire" is of a much more abbreviated length.

Smith hits the nail (or stake, as you prefer) on the head with this novel, an excellent pick for younger readers who haven't yet progressed to the full-out selection of heated paranormal romance. But "Vampire" is enjoyable for anyone.

The characters are sympathetic if a bit unexplored -- but that comes with the terrain of short novelettes. It's certainly no slight to James or Poppy -- I just want to learn more about them, as well as James' nefarious cousin, the enigmatic Ash.

Entertaining with a dark taste of romantic flair; a good read.

------
Daughters of Darkness

I continue to be surprised by how overally well-written the "Night World" tales are, collectively. For young people in particular, they are quality fiction.

Three young female vampires come to tiny Briar Creek, Oregon, to live with their also-vampire elderly aunt, but homicide is the word of the day, and curious neighbors Mark and Mary-Lynette quickly find themselves ensconced in the dangerous waters of the Night World -- and the even more unpredictable currents of love.

I didn't quite like "Daughters" as much as "Secret Vampire", the first book in the series. The tale had a bit less... urgency... than its predecessor, and while I did like the redemption of Ash, bad-boy blonde from the first novel, the character development was again a little underexplored. But the world-building is pleasant and well-done, without info-dumping on young readers with potentially short attention spans.

Again I can't help but wonder what a greater length could have done for the series -- "Daughters' "plot is a bit simplistic. The ending felt... unsatisfying.

But without doubt worth a read, as I will wager the entire series will be.

----------

Spellbinder

I always have a bit of trepidation approaching paranormal material not vampire or were- based. They're often a bit inaccessible to me, especially those based on witches, loaded down with spells and difficult-to-follow lore.

But as with the others of Smith's "Night World" I have read thus far, "Spellbinder" is much easier to approach than the norm, written for young inductees into the paranormal phenomenon.

Good witch Thea and dubious cousin witch Blaise are alike and yet quite dissimilar -- Blaise is a virtual goddess of love, while Thea's lie more in the arts of caring for animals. The two have few disagreements in contrary to what one might expect, though they share the mantle of Blaise's ongoing penchant for trouble.

Upon arrival at their new school and last chance, Thea's skills with animals are instantly tested, and resultingly she finds herself drawn to human boy Eric, a veterinarian to be (and one of the most compelling "Night World" heroes).

Things would be hectic enough with Blaise's attempts to claim Eric for herself, but soon even Thea is working forbidden magics of her own, and eventually the full burden of responsibility for their actions comes to bear down on the witch-pair.

While I very much (and surprisingly!) enjoyed this book, there are a few flaws. I found myself questioning a few subplots -- most notably Blaise's former pet and his appearance at the school seemed a bit embryonic and not thoroughly explained, and the book's resolutiooon, while surprising and fulfilling, still leaves one wondering if justice really has been served.

All in all, fun, with good characters.

The stories are fine - entertaining enough I suppose - other reviewers said a lot about that already.. But I have to complain - the romance is pretty.....flat. Non existent. No excitement,no accelerated pulse, no swooning kisses- zip. No real chemistry - the characters just realize the other person feels the same, acknowledge it briefly and then the story just moves on. It's - describe the love of a life time in 3 sentences or less. Oh he does like me after all. Good. I like him too. We'll I'm glad we got that cleared up - next paragraph and that's all folks! Might not have been worth adding romance since it's obviously not the author's passion

Welcome to the Night World, a treacherous and strict society of Earth's darker species--vampires, witches, shape shifters. There are two rules that must never be forgotten...human knowledge of the Night World is strictly forbidden, and a member of the Night World must never fall in love with a human. Both are punishable by death, and both are broken in L.J. Smith's riveting collection of novels.

When Poppy finds that she has pancreatic cancer, she is devastated that her life is coming to such an abrupt end. But then her best friend James reveals that he is a vampire, and he can offer her a chance to live...forever. But the risks are great. If the Night World were to find about her, it'd be certain death. Poppy must choose in Secret Vampire.

Daughters of Darkness takes us to a small village in Oregon, where human Mary-Lynette harbors suspicions about her elderly neighbor's three nieces. Then a string of brutal murders and baffling happenings occur, coinciding with the mysterious girls' appearance. Things only get more complicated when Mary-Lynette meets their brother, and finds out what they truly are.

In Spellbinder, witch cousins Thea and Blaise have one last chance to get their act together at their new school. Thea is determined not to get expelled this time due to Blaise's actions, but when Blaise begins playing with Thea's new crush, Thea can't help but get sucked it. Soon both girls are in over their heads.

These three novels by L.J. Smith that have been combined and put between one knock out of a new cover will captivate, amaze, and entertain. What you think would be cliché and overworked is unique, innovative, and enrapturing in Smith's voice. All three of the stories are cleverly connected, making them that more enjoyable. Smith's characters are wonderfully imagined and presented in such a fashion to make the readers fall for them and become enraptured in their struggles and triumphs. There's a new twist around every corner and surprising depth and compassion on every page. Though each story was originally published separately, they flow together fluidly to present an enticing, dangerous, and highly appealing look at the Night World.

It was interesting. A good story that pulled me right in and big thick books scare me. This has three.
Secret vampire was sweet, inocent, and I personally loved the love story. It's young adult, but I enjoyed it.

daughters of darkness:

spellbinder:

Night World has two laws:

Humans cannot know about Night World.
Don't fall in love with a human.

These three books share what happens when these rules are broken. There is not much of a subplot in Volume 1. I picked up this series without any recommendations from others. I'm glad that I did. The individual stories were interesting and fun. I am now sharing my copies with friends and family.

Welcome to the Night World, a treacherous and strict society of Earth's darker species--vampires, witches, shape shifters. There are two rules that must never be forgotten...human knowledge of the Night World is strictly forbidden, and a member of the Night World must never fall in love with a human. Both are punishable by death, and both are broken in L.J. Smith's riveting collection of novels.

When Poppy finds that she has pancreatic cancer, she is devastated that her life is coming to such an abrupt end. But then her best friend James reveals that he is a vampire, and he can offer her a chance to live...forever. But the risks are great. If the Night World were to find about her, it'd be certain death. Poppy must choose in Secret Vampire.

Daughters of Darkness takes us to a small village in Oregon, where human Mary-Lynette harbors suspicions about her elderly neighbor's three nieces. Then a string of brutal murders and baffling happenings occur, coinciding with the mysterious girls' appearance. Things only get more complicated when Mary-Lynette meets their brother, and finds out what they truly are.

In Spellbinder, witch cousins Thea and Blaise have one last chance to get their act together at their new school. Thea is determined not to get expelled this time due to Blaise's actions, but when Blaise begins playing with Thea's new crush, Thea can't help but get sucked it. Soon both girls are in over their heads.

These three novels by L.J. Smith that have been combined and put between one knock out of a new cover will captivate, amaze, and entertain. What you think would be cliché and overworked is unique, innovative, and enrapturing in Smith's voice. All three of the stories are cleverly connected, making them that more enjoyable. Smith's characters are wonderfully imagined and presented in such a fashion to make the readers fall for them and become enraptured in their struggles and triumphs. There's a new twist around every corner and surprising depth and compassion on every page. Though each story was originally published separately, they flow together fluidly to present an enticing, dangerous, and highly appealing look at the Night World.

It was interesting. A good story that pulled me right in and big thick books scare me. This has three.
Secret vampire was sweet, inocent, and I personally loved the love story. It's young adult, but I enjoyed it.

daughters of darkness:

spellbinder:

Night World has two laws:

Humans cannot know about Night World.
Don't fall in love with a human.

These three books share what happens when these rules are broken. There is not much of a subplot in Volume 1. I picked up this series without any recommendations from others. I'm glad that I did. The individual stories were interesting and fun. I am now sharing my copies with friends and family.

Keller is a shapeshifter that works on one of the most reliable teams for Cirlce Daybreak. When her team is assigned to finding the 3rd Wild Power, who also happens to be the legenday witch child, she shocked to see that she's not what she expected and wants nothing to do with them. Her life giets poured into even more turmoil when she falls for the Witch Child's soulmate. "Love is for the Weak," she always tells her self, but she's finding herself drawn to him each day. This book was a great book and a good improvement to the Night World Series. I wish Strange Fate would come out sometimes soon.

I really liked reading this trilogy...it was fun and entertaining. Each story is interesting and different. I love how each one pretty much wraps up nicely but still leaves you wondering what the future will hold. My favorite story in this book was the second one with Ash and Mary-Lynette. I liked Ash from the first story even though he seemed mean and evil, you could sense there was more to him then just that. I loved how Smith expanded on his personality in the second story. Each story is action packed and suspenseful as well as cute and romantic.

Night World No.1 is actually 3 books originally published in the late nineties. It was rebound in this compilation and reissued last summer.

The first book is called The Secret Vampire. Poppy is diagnosed with a terminal disease. James, her best friend and secret crush is a vampire in the Night World. Of course he wants to save her, but this is against the rules of Night World. This is an average story with predictable outcomes. There is nothing special about it. It's not even that entertaining.

The second book is called Daughters of Darkness. Three vampire fugitives flee from the constrictions of Night World. The sisters leave their isolated home to live with their aunt. Their brother Ash attempts to bring them back, but falls for their human friend. This book wasn't any better. The character Mary-Lynnette annoyed me beyond belief. The story was extremely predictable. It is a "who done it" kind of story where all the answers are given to you near the end of the story.

The third and finale book is Spellbinder. It consists of two cousins that are witches feuding over a human. I found this book the hardest to read because the premise was absolutely stupid. The characters are irritating. I was annoyed with the fact that these witches kept referring to them selves as not human. "Oh no I can't love him he is human" "Humans aren't that smart" Witches as far as I am concerned are humans with powers. They bleed die and eat human food. They are not another species. "I've never danced to human music" is there special witch music. Lol The story was so horribly boring that the littlest things were noticeable and easy to annoy me . I take into account that these book were written 20 years ago, but L.J Smith has written better. Not much better though I'm sad to say. I don't think I will read anything else in the Night World series.

Okay, first I have to say that I absolutely loved the first three books within the first volume but I also have to say that I started to get bord with it. The storyline is basically the same in all of them. The nightworld people (vampires, werewolves, ect ect) are not allowed to fall in love with people that are not nightworld people. The sentance for it is death. . . Well, (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!)something weird is going on and they all fall in love with their "soul mates" (who are not nightworld people btw) and run away together. . . Nobody even dies! WHATS up with THAT?!
The attraction that the supernatural feel with the mortals gets really boring after a while. The only way you'll want to continue reading the series, is if you can stomach a lot of bad romance and repetative plot. Don't waste your money.

Good Lord, nothing like aped tripe to ruin your idealistic view on the "creative" writing industry. Ms. Smith has recycled her Elena character again like Kevin Costner recycled his loner character in a choatic world. Of course she meets her match and her match , of course, are under twenty years of age and of course, they are as good looking as hell. So what's new folks? Her prose is getting more and more lenient towards Harlequin paperbacks. In her effort to appeal to a mass audience, she has failed to write some quality work with soul. People, if you want to find out about the "soulmate principle", then go read "Wuthering Heights," where it probably all started this odd boom. Or some Plato. And the illustrator should stop using the Hanson brothers as his/her model.

I loved all the characters, especially how strong Keller was... I love the Nightworld Series and the Dark Visions Trilogy too, I can't wait until Strange Fate(FINALLY!!!) comes out... i've been waiting for it since last spring... but the timing for it is perfect since it comes out in November '99 it'll be just a couple months before 2000(guess that was planned, huh.) Well, the book was great and ne1 who reads this should read it too.. and all the other nightworld books as well.

Good, a shapeshifter was finally a major character! not that i don't love vampires and witches, but it was getting slightly old.....I'm glad the final Wild Power is going to be revealed in the next book, because much as i agree with the soul mate principle.....ENOUGH ALREADY!!! The Night World is an extremely intriguing idea, but beating anything to death, no matter how good <and i do truly love your books, L.J.> is enough. I wait for Strange Fate with baited breath.....

Reprinted into three story volumes, L.J. Smith's Night World series is back for a new audience of paranormal fantasy fans. The first volume collects the stories Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness and Spellbinder.

[Secret Vampire] is the tale of Poppy, a teen faced with the sudden diagnoses of a terminal illness. With very little time left, her closest friend James reveals the secret of the Night World risking both their lives to possibly save hers. But will Poppy survive the turning and if she does will James be able to protect her from the Night World?

Call me a big sap but I liked the concept for this story. The idea of a terminally ill person offered the chance to die a painful human death or risk everything to become a vampire is a really fun dilemna. What kind of fell flat for me though was the lack of chemistry between James and Poppy. Their friendship and relationship wasn't very well fleshed out and I didn't find their mutual love for one another to be very believable. On the whole though the story would be perfect for a reader looking for a little soapy drama.

[Daughters of Darkness] centers around three sisters, Rowan, Kestrel and Jade, who are briefly mentioned in the previous story. Tired of the archaic ways of the lamia (vampires who are born not made) the trio escape from their Night World sanctuary to rural Oregon to stay with an outcast aunt. What they expect is for their brother to try and hunt them down. What they don't expect is that someone else might be trying to get rid of them... permanently. When a local human brother and sister's fate becomes intertwined with theirs it can only mean trouble.

A little overloaded with characters to keep track of this story was the slower of the three for me as a reader. The three sisters are definitely a bit strange, making their interactions with their human friends a bit weird but they are each likable in their own way. The mystery of who might being trying to get rid of them isn't completely obvious fortunately, which makes the story jump around from supsect to suspect. The romance angles are a little far-fetched but again, young fans will probably really enjoy that aspect.

[Spellbinder] focuses on a pair of cousins, Thea and Blaise, with a track record of getting booted from schools faster than one can bat an eyelash. Sent to spend the school year with their grandmother in Las Vegas the pair of young witches waste no time getting into new trouble. Both vying for the attentions of Eric, the two let their spell casting get out of hand and the results could endanger not just the local humans, but the secrets of the Night World.

Romantically the more believable story of the three I liked how this one ended a lot. The story had a very different feel from the two vampire tales and gives a glimpse into other parts of the Night World. The cousins are very different from one another and their relationship makes no sense at times but watching them use their different magics is very entertaining. Overall probably the more enjoyable tale of the three this one rounds the book out nicely.

As an adult reader I can't give Night World No. 1 more than an overall "It was okay" rating. Would another adult not like them at all? That I can't honestly say. I found them extremely formulaic and thus they just weren't that exciting or interesting. The romances were the lukewarm sort of stories that lack hero to heroine chemistry that adult romances thrive on. BUT I think this is a perfect book for the tween to teen set, this series is definitely written for kids. Parents looking for something without the coarse language and sensuality should be pleased to note the language here is clean and the most that happens in the stories are kisses. These are stories that work well for a young audience with their adventure, romance and continuity.

Witchlight is a good book, but definitely not one of my favourites in the nightworld series. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate them as following:
1. Daughters of Darkness. (If you want to have a great time and laugh your head off at the spunky Mary-linnette, and the downright dangerous Ash 'who are a perfect couple, they just don't know it yet' then feast your mind on this.)
2. Huntress (is awsome. I love both Jez and Morgan. The plot is fast paced, with a wonderful ending.)
I will skip all the rest of the numbering. I'll just mention that the Secret Vamipre is also one of the best and that Dark angel followed closly by Witchlight were my two least favourite. The characters don't seem as well developed in Witchlight as in all the other nightworld books, while Dark Angel focused more on the Angel who wasn't anybody's soulmate. They were not as satisfying as the other Nightworld books.
I have one last question which has been bugging me for 2 years now. Lisa Jane Smith was supposed to write Strange Fate (the tenth and last of the nightworld series) two years ago. It had been postponed and moved to a year later, however now it is even past that time. Does anyone know if she still intends to print it?
By the way, for those who are wondering, the last book is about 2 witches. A witch from the circle twilight, and one from circle midnight (or something like that). If I remember correctly the main character (who's name starts with S (maybe Sarah)) thinks she's in love with some other vampire. Search me but it all sounds confusing. If anyone has any info on Strange Fate, then can they please share it? Thank you.

Okay, first let me say that Witchlight was really awesome. It wasn't as good as Huntress (because that plot was so great), or as The Chosen (because Quinn and Rashel were great fighters), or Daughters of Darkness (because, well.....Ash), but it was sooo worth five stars.
Now here's my Strange Fate news that I'm sure you're all dying to hear: I'm writing this on 9-12-00. Two Saturdays ago, I went to the bookstore and found out that Strange Fate was published only three days before I checked. It's not on the shelves yet, but you can order it at the bookstore chain nearest you. In exactly four more days (it takes 2/3 weeks to ship), I will know who Sarah Strange's soulmate is. I will know who the fourth Wild Power is and what happens. I hope you'll know too with the help of this little note that's totally off the subject of Witchlight. So, get off your computer and run to your car! Order the book! Hurry!

I really loved this book even though I thought it really wasn't on of her best. And for the people who had the low score on her books saying thier getting tired of the soulmate thing. HELLO!! the whole seris is about night people finding thier soulmates Duh!!! but I have to say evryone is intitled to their own opinion I'm glad She used shape shifters this time and can't wait for the next one Cioa All

I purchased all three Night World novels after reading all of the reviews on it. I did not know what to expect with the books. I am in love with the fantasy books and am in constant search of new books to read. This book is actually three novels in one. I have read these types of books before, but none like the Night World series. All of the stories have to do with somebody finding their soulmate. They have action and love all mixed in together. All of the different stories are very different, but are all intertwined in their own way. They all leave you with wanting more and hoping certain characters show up in the next read. Overall, these are great books and if you need a vampire fix, I would defiantly recommend this series.

Witchlight is not the best Night World book, but it is one of the better ones. I preferred Soulmate, but it was interesting to have shapeshifters with fuller roles. Keller, a panther / girl shapeshifter, a vampire girl called Nissa and a witch called Winnie have to find the third wild power and save her from the night world before it's too late. If nothing else, the rapid pace will keep you hooked until the final sentence. I really liked this, but if you haven't read any Night World books before read 1,2,3,(4 is not the best)5,6,7, and 8 before you read this one. It gives away some of the plots of these previous books, and is especially connected to 6, 7, and 8. The Millenium is here, will we really survive it? Love was never so scary as in the Night World...

I stumbled upon these books while browsing through Costco. I bought them all as they showed up and enjoyed them very much. They weren't my most favorite but they were right up there! They are easy to read so go fast and you can pile on the stories. They got me headed toward those big, fat vampire books that I had previously passed up.

All of the Night World books are good and Witchlight is no exception. Keller is a shapeshifter - a panther. She was adopted by Circle Daybreak after she was abandoned by her mother. Now a high school senior, Keller is a special bodyguard, along with Winnie, a witch, and Nissa, a vampire. Her latest assignment: to protect Iliana, a witch who doesn't know she's a witch, Iliana is also one of the four legendary Wild Powers. As Keller and her team begin to protect Iliana, problems occur. The first is Galen, the shapeshifter who is to marry Iliana, and the second is the Night World citizens who want to kill Iliana. As things continue, Keller finds herself falling for Galen- which would destroy the alliance between the witches and the shapeshifters. This book is great and if anyone has any info on the next book, STRANGE FATE, email me b/c I've been waiting for it for a long time.

This is a nice clean book that brings together vampires, werewolves, magic, etc. I found the storyline to be interesting for all three stories and loved how the characters were all tied together in them. Always filling in gaps for the reader. This is a series for young adults and adults as well.

If you like the twilight series for the complex relationship issues youll love this series. I'm not much into the romance side of these stlye books but the story line is gripping. recommend buying all three collections at once cause you wont want to stop. Eagerly awaiting the next book