This is the dedicated series reading order page for L. J. Smith’s major young adult arcs. Use it alongside the Books page when you want to match a bookstore SKU to the story sequence Smith used when she first built each world.
Return to the L. J. Smith homepage for featured collections and announcements. For PDF articles, sneak peeks, and the long essay on heroines, open The Rest archive.
The Vampire Diaries (original four)
- The Awakening
- The Struggle
- The Fury
- Dark Reunion
Modern omnibus editions often pair books 1 and 2, then 3 and 4, so the spine count differs from the original 1990s paperbacks. If you only see two thick volumes, check the table of contents: the story order above still holds.
The Vampire Diaries: The Return
- Nightfall
- Shadow Souls
- Midnight
These are the long “Return” novels that continue Elena’s thread after the first quartet. Read them only after Dark Reunion so stakes and character history stay clear.
The Secret Circle
- The Initiation
- The Captive (parts one and two, depending on printing)
- The Power
Some printings split The Captive across two physical books while others bind it with The Initiation. Follow Cassie’s plot line rather than the box title if you get confused.
Night World (first cycle)
If you want the order Smith released the first Night World novels, follow Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness, Spellbinder, Dark Angel, The Chosen, Soulmate, Huntress, Black Dawn, and Witchlight. Omnibus bundles sometimes rename the sets, so match the cover titles instead of the marketing band on the spine.
Standalone duology
Read The Night of the Solstice before Heart of Valor. Those titles sit outside the vampire continuity but reward readers who like the same mix of folklore and family secrets.
Tip: When a cover says “Now a major television series,” the text inside still follows the order above. Television pacing differs, so treat the show as a separate timeline if you want the books to feel coherent.
