Product Description

Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

In Secret Vampire, Poppy thought the summer would last forever. Then she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now Poppy's only hope for survival is James, her friend and secret love. A vampire in the Night World, James can make Poppy immortal. But first they both must risk everything to go against the laws of Night World.

Fugitives from Night World, three vampire sisters leave their isolated home to live among humans in Daughters of Darkness. Their brother, Ash, is sent to bring the girls back, but he falls in love with their beautiful friend.

Two witch cousins fight over their high school crush. It's a battle between black magic and white magic in Spellbinder.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4076 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 752 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416974505
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
L.J. Smith is the NYT Bestselling author of the Night World series.  She has written over twenty-five books and lives in California.

Customer Reviews

The Nightworld is a welcome return
This first "Nightworld" release has the first three novels: "Secret Vampire", "Daughters of Darkness", and "Spellbinder". They introduce us to the Nightworld, a secret society of supernaturals who live alongside humans--many harboring the idea of humans as inferior creatures. The Nightworld has 2 rules which, once broken, are a death sentence: never tell a human about the Nightworld, and never fall in love with a human. But the soulmate principle has come into effect and many Nightworld beings are discovering that their destined true loves are humans. These books are about what happens when the rules are broken.

"Secret Vampire" tells the story of James and Poppy, best friends since childhood and partners in crime. Of course, Poppy doesn't know that James is a vampire until she finds out she's dying of terminal cancer and he reveals the only way of saving her is to turn her. Once done, Poppy is thrown into the realm of the Nightworld and understands that James has just sacrificed everything to save her. And now the both of them are in danger of being hunted and killed by Nighworld authorities.

"Daughters of Darkness" is probably my favorite out of the entire series--read and reread more times than I can count. It's about three vampire sisters (The Redferns--Rowan, Kestrel and Jade) who flee the Nightworld to live among humans. Once they reach Briar Creek, Oregon, they discover their aunt has been mysteriously staked by someone who obviously knew she was a vampire. They befriend Mary-Lynnette and her brother Mark, two humans who discover their identities quite by accident. Since Mary-Lynnette and Mark are humans, they are now in danger of being killed by the Nightworld. Of course, the Redfern sisters' brother Ash is hunting down Rowan, Kestrel and Jade with the single minded plan of getting them to return home where "everyone misses them violently". The sisters know that if he discovers Mark and Mary-Lynnette know the truth, he'll kill them on the spot. Ash is notoriously malicious, and as stated by Jade, "He HATES humans." Imagine Mary-Lynnette's surprise (and Ash's too, for that matter) when she discovers she and Ash are soulmates, and despite their differences they can't seem to stay away from each other.

"Spellbinder" is the third book in the edition. Thea and Blaise Harman are sisters and witches. Blaise is a "bad" witch, and--well--imagine a teenager. And then imagine a teenager with enough power to control the people around her with little moral interruption and you have Blaise. She destroys the lives of human men by getting them to fall in love with her through various spells and then tossing them away when she tires of them. Her sister Thea could probably be described as a "not so bad" witch, holding contempt for humans but has a naturally gentle disposition which compels her to help them nonetheless. When helping heal a human from a snake bite, Thea realizes that Eric is her soulmate and tries her damndest to stay away from him. That is, until Blaise becomes determined to control Eric. Thea knows what happens to the men Blaise controls and can't help herself when she decides to throw caution to the wind and fight her own sister to protect her soulmate.

LJ Smith's "Nightworld" series has something indescribably special and unforgettable in terms of its writing and prose that separates it from other books currently in the genre. As shown by the fact that many of the reviewers are old fans who never forgot this wonderful series, it clearly stands the test of time and that is quite an accomplishment for such an underrated teen series. I started reading Smith's books when I was a preteen, and even though her last published novel was in 1998, the "Nightworld" books remain the most cherished in my collection. The covers are bent, the spines broken, the pages dogeared--and despite the fact that I have grown up, I don't think a year passes where I don't drag out my LJ Smith paperbacks and reread them again. Now, after years of being out of print, these books are being rereleased for a new generation and it doesn't hurt that older fans now have the opportunity to buy new copies.

LJ Smith's writing is unique in that I can never decide if its blissfully simple or intricate disguised as simple. Either way, there are complex themes presented in her novels that don't quite get hidden in the occasional teen fluff. Don't let any initial reaction fool you: these books are not throwaway novels and despite the simplified writing, there is a certain amount of sophistication to her storytelling. They're teen love stories, but they don't read like the stereotypical adolescent romances. They're almost adult in their presentation and there is no room for lamenting about the forbidden nature of the soulmate principle. The main characters approach their romances with a realistic sadness upon understanding that once meeting their soulmate, they can never be without them, despite the consequences. Mary-Lynnette once said to Ash, "But we're not kids. We can't...just hold hands and giggle and never think about the future." Smith writes a refreshing outlook on teen paranormal romance that will please parents because it's clean, but that never stops her from presenting it with maturity.

Good to see you back, Ms. Smith, and I look forward to many books to come.

Lukewarm Love Stories for Tween Paranormal Fans
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.

The Compulsive Reader's Reviews
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.