Night World # 1 by L.J. Smith

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This is a collection of the first three books in the Night World series. It includes Secret vampire, Daughters of Darkness, and Spellbinder.

The Night World isn't a place, it's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werevolfes and shapeshifters. There is only two rules: never tell a human about the Night World, and never fall in love with a human. Breaking these rules result in deathly consequences. These are the story of what happens when the rules are broken. 

My thoughts 

In Secret vampire Poppy thought the summer would last forever. Then she is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and has only so few days left. Her best friend, James, is the only one who can help her, but to do so he has to break the first rule of the Night World, so he can make Poppy immortal. And he might also just be about to break the second rule.

I really loved this story. It so sweet, and yet a bit sad. Poppy is a strong and wonderful person, who really enjoy and embraces life. She is so happy and cheerful, that it truly makes me smile just reading about her. Then she is diagnosed with cancer and her world is turned upside-down, which isn't all that strange, considering. But I liked her reflections over life and how she handles everything afterward. Even more I liked her reaction when James tells her about what he is. She doesn't just accept it or act like it's the most normal thing in the world.
James is very sweet, and I liked him a lot. It was interesting to watch him come the realization about how he feels about Poppy, and then to how he'd do everything for her.
The soulmate-principle was a nice touch to the story, and I liked that the charaters didn't have to spend a long time figuring out why they love each other - well, they just do (this is more prominent in the following books, though).
The story was good, but I have to admit that I didn't like the middle part of the book very much. It seemed like a lot was happening for no real reason.

In Daughters of Darkness three vampire sisters escapes from their isolated home and moves to a desolate place in Oregon to life with their aunt. Their brother, Ash, is sent off to bring them bring, but when he meets their new human friend, Mary-Lynnette, everything changes.

This is one of my favourites in the series, mostly because I love the aspect of the bad guy becoming good. Yeah, I know, it's kind of cliche and everything, but I can't help it. I loved the interacting and banter between Mary-Lynnette, and how any of them wouldn't just accept their connection.
Mary-Lynnette was a great character in every way, and I liked how she wasn't intimidated by Ash and fought back whatever he said. Ash, on the other hand, was completely changed from when we met him in Secret vampire. But I don't think I'll give too much away other than I liked him way better in DoD.
I wasn't very impressed by the story, not because it was bad or anything, I just think there was too much going on for such a short book, but mainly because there was too little of Ash and Mary-Lynnette.

In Spellbinder Thea and Blaise, two witch cousins, has to start on yet a new high school, because Blaise keeps getting them expelled by using black magic. Thea then meets a human boy, Eric, who she instanly connects to, but who Blaise has also gotten her eyes on. A battle between black and white magic, which only gets worse when Thea accidenly releases and evil spirit. 

This was a great story, but a teeny bit creepy at times, though perhaps I'm just sensitive. Contrary to the two previous books this is only told from Thea's perspective, which I liked.
I loved both Thea and Eric and how they fought to be together against all odds. It was so sweet when they were each other, and the way Eric made Thea feel 'normal', or rather like a human with possibilities outside magic and the Night World. And even though Blaise was a real bitch at times I liked her in the end.

I think L.J. Smith writes very well and all the stories flew easily. They are all quite short, which I think was a bit annoying since I would have loved a bit more of all of them.

☆ ☆ ☆

(Actual rating is 3,5 stars)