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The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #6
The Compelled
The sixth book in the New York Times bestselling series by L.J. Smith.
The Compelled is the sixth and final book in L.J. Smith’s bestselling Stefan’s Diaries series, which reveals the backstory of brothers Stefan and Damon from The Vampire Diaries series. This paperback features cover artwork from the hit CW TV series The Vampire Diaries, starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder.
Stefan Salvatore has always had an uneasy relationship with his brother Damon. But when Damon is taken captive by Samuel—a vampire from Katherine’s past bent on revenge—Stefan is determined to rescue him before it is too late…even if it means seeking help from the most unlikely of places. Stefan forms a tentative alliance with a coven of witches in order to save his brother, only to learn that Samuel’s end game is far more sinister then they could have imagined. With Samuel on the brink of securing unlimited power, the brothers are in for their deadliest battle yet.
Full of dark shadows and surprising twists, the sixth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Stefan’s Diaries series raises the stakes for the Salvatore brothers as they face new loves, old treacheries, and unimaginable threats. Fans of L. J. Smith’s New York Times bestselling Vampire Diaries series as well as the hit television show won’t be able to put the latest Salvatore adventure down.
The Compelled is the sixth and final book in L.J. Smith’s bestselling Stefan’s Diaries series, which reveals the backstory of brothers Stefan and Damon from The Vampire Diaries series. This paperback features cover artwork from the hit CW TV series The Vampire Diaries, starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder.
Stefan Salvatore has always had an uneasy relationship with his brother Damon. But when Damon is taken captive by Samuel—a vampire from Katherine’s past bent on revenge—Stefan is determined to rescue him before it is too late…even if it means seeking help from the most unlikely of places. Stefan forms a tentative alliance with a coven of witches in order to save his brother, only to learn that Samuel’s end game is far more sinister then they could have imagined. With Samuel on the brink of securing unlimited power, the brothers are in for their deadliest battle yet.
Full of dark shadows and surprising twists, the sixth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Stefan’s Diaries series raises the stakes for the Salvatore brothers as they face new loves, old treacheries, and unimaginable threats. Fans of L. J. Smith’s New York Times bestselling Vampire Diaries series as well as the hit television show won’t be able to put the latest Salvatore adventure down.
222 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
L.J. Smith
282 books112k followersI have a new blog about my Vampire Diaries fanfic.
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
L.J. SMITH, Lisa Jane Smith, is the New York Times #1 Bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, The Forbidden Game, Dark Visions, Wildworld and Night World series. She has written over two dozen books for children and young adults, and has enjoyed writing every one of them. She lives in the Bay Area of California, with a backyard that is full of flowers, which she adores, especially with many different shades of roses.
She loves to visit a friend's little cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore area, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike. Once, while hiking, she saw a snow-white buck which allowed her to follow it nearly half a mile. She also likes to collect things: angels (they remind her of her late mother), tiny boxes from different countries or of fanciful shape, nineteenth century children's literature, and books about quantum physics--especially about the mystery of the dark energy in the universe. A militant optimist, she is also part of the Velociraptor Sisterhood (a fancy way of saying that she likes to read, write and discuss books with strong female characters), and she has traveled extensively in Europe and the Far East. The two countries she loves to visit most are Great Britain, with its historic monuments and amazing country landscapes, and Japan, with its bustling urban life and exquisite mountain scenery.
Her favorite current writer is Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld series, for its wild and witty satires on life, death, war, love, assassins, coppers, and Australia. Her favorite classical writer is Jane Austen. Her favorite poets are Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Her favorite movies are The Seven Samurai and Avatar (analyze that!). She doesn't have a favorite TV show, because she doesn't have time to watch TV (and only owns one for playing movies).
Her favorite people are her readers, each of whom she cherishes with deep and lasting affection.
Note: L. J. Smith wrote books 1-7 of The Vampire Diaries series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. wrote books 1-3 of The Secret Circle series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. did not write any of the Originals or Stefan's Diaries. These were written by Kevin Williamson and/or various ghostwritters.
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
L.J. SMITH, Lisa Jane Smith, is the New York Times #1 Bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, The Forbidden Game, Dark Visions, Wildworld and Night World series. She has written over two dozen books for children and young adults, and has enjoyed writing every one of them. She lives in the Bay Area of California, with a backyard that is full of flowers, which she adores, especially with many different shades of roses.
She loves to visit a friend's little cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore area, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike. Once, while hiking, she saw a snow-white buck which allowed her to follow it nearly half a mile. She also likes to collect things: angels (they remind her of her late mother), tiny boxes from different countries or of fanciful shape, nineteenth century children's literature, and books about quantum physics--especially about the mystery of the dark energy in the universe. A militant optimist, she is also part of the Velociraptor Sisterhood (a fancy way of saying that she likes to read, write and discuss books with strong female characters), and she has traveled extensively in Europe and the Far East. The two countries she loves to visit most are Great Britain, with its historic monuments and amazing country landscapes, and Japan, with its bustling urban life and exquisite mountain scenery.
Her favorite current writer is Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld series, for its wild and witty satires on life, death, war, love, assassins, coppers, and Australia. Her favorite classical writer is Jane Austen. Her favorite poets are Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Her favorite movies are The Seven Samurai and Avatar (analyze that!). She doesn't have a favorite TV show, because she doesn't have time to watch TV (and only owns one for playing movies).
Her favorite people are her readers, each of whom she cherishes with deep and lasting affection.
Note: L. J. Smith wrote books 1-7 of The Vampire Diaries series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. wrote books 1-3 of The Secret Circle series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. did not write any of the Originals or Stefan's Diaries. These were written by Kevin Williamson and/or various ghostwritters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
February 7, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great ending to an awesome, adventurous series. Kinda sad that it had to end though to be honest. I want to find out more about what happened in Stefan's and Damon's past. An idea would be to create a series based off of Damon as the main character in the book rather than Stefan. Who knows, maybe he also kept journals to write his memories in?
November 12, 2022
The ending gave me butterflies ❤️
I gave high rating to the whole series not because it was great or mind-blowing but because I'm a biased bitch! I'm a big fan of the show and I'm a sucker for Damon Salvatore ,so I couldn't bring myself to rate any of these books under 4 stars even when they were a bit shitty and the events are non-related to the show.🤦🏽♀️❤️
I gave high rating to the whole series not because it was great or mind-blowing but because I'm a biased bitch! I'm a big fan of the show and I'm a sucker for Damon Salvatore ,so I couldn't bring myself to rate any of these books under 4 stars even when they were a bit shitty and the events are non-related to the show.🤦🏽♀️❤️
September 27, 2013
The name of the book is The Vampire Diaries and I choose to read this book because it is base on the television show and it takes about the past that wasn't mention in the show. The main character is Stefan since this is the Stefan's diaries and it talks about his life in the past. This book is mostly about that Stefan wants to kill a vampire name Samuel and he tries to make a plan to kill him. The author or this book is L.J. Smith who is an American author of young adult literature.
The main character in the story is Stefan. Stefan is a noble gentlemen, he doesn't drink on human blood, he is also a caring person. Then main character doesn't change he stays the same and I feel that Stefan is different from other vampires because he doesn't drink on humans and he intends to care about people.
The theme in this book is that revenge isn't the answer. This is a great theme because when someone does something bad to us we intend to have the desire to do something even worst to them and that is not good. Revenge won't solve anything, it will just make the situation more complicated. Revenge won't change anything so why go make things more difficult.
I recommend this book because if you like fiction books and a little of comedy then this may be a book that you will like. Also if you have since the television show and you like it then you may want to read it to learn more about what happen in the past. I really like this book because there were parts that was funny and it had action in it.
The main character in the story is Stefan. Stefan is a noble gentlemen, he doesn't drink on human blood, he is also a caring person. Then main character doesn't change he stays the same and I feel that Stefan is different from other vampires because he doesn't drink on humans and he intends to care about people.
The theme in this book is that revenge isn't the answer. This is a great theme because when someone does something bad to us we intend to have the desire to do something even worst to them and that is not good. Revenge won't solve anything, it will just make the situation more complicated. Revenge won't change anything so why go make things more difficult.
I recommend this book because if you like fiction books and a little of comedy then this may be a book that you will like. Also if you have since the television show and you like it then you may want to read it to learn more about what happen in the past. I really like this book because there were parts that was funny and it had action in it.
April 4, 2024
Calificación: ⭐(1.1)
Opinión:
📚 Sexto y último libro
The Compelled es el cierre de la serie "Stefan's Diaries".
💔 Promesa no cumplida
La trama prometía emoción y acción, pero en realidad se encuentra con una sucesión de planes fallidos y acción aburrida.
😒 Lucha predecible
La lucha de Stefan con su conciencia se vuelve tediosa y predecible.
❌ Planes sin emoción:
Los intentos de matar a Samuel carecen de emoción y no generan tensión.
😴 Clímax decepcionante:
El clímax, donde Stefan es compelido a matar a Damon, es anticlimático y decepcionante.
🤝 Resolución forzada
La resolución de los conflictos entre los hermanos se siente forzada y poco satisfactoria.
✨ Elementos interesantes no desarrollados
Se introducen elementos interesantes, como el papel de las brujas y el destino de Cora, pero no se desarrollan adecuadamente.
🏁 Final sin impacto
El final, con Stefan alejándose de sus tentaciones, carece de impacto emocional y deja una sensación de vacío.
🤷♂️ Desilusión general
En general, The Compelled no logra cumplir con las expectativas y deja mucho que desear en términos de desarrollo de personajes y resolución de tramas.
Opinión:
📚 Sexto y último libro
The Compelled es el cierre de la serie "Stefan's Diaries".
💔 Promesa no cumplida
La trama prometía emoción y acción, pero en realidad se encuentra con una sucesión de planes fallidos y acción aburrida.
😒 Lucha predecible
La lucha de Stefan con su conciencia se vuelve tediosa y predecible.
❌ Planes sin emoción:
Los intentos de matar a Samuel carecen de emoción y no generan tensión.
😴 Clímax decepcionante:
El clímax, donde Stefan es compelido a matar a Damon, es anticlimático y decepcionante.
🤝 Resolución forzada
La resolución de los conflictos entre los hermanos se siente forzada y poco satisfactoria.
✨ Elementos interesantes no desarrollados
Se introducen elementos interesantes, como el papel de las brujas y el destino de Cora, pero no se desarrollan adecuadamente.
🏁 Final sin impacto
El final, con Stefan alejándose de sus tentaciones, carece de impacto emocional y deja una sensación de vacío.
🤷♂️ Desilusión general
En general, The Compelled no logra cumplir con las expectativas y deja mucho que desear en términos de desarrollo de personajes y resolución de tramas.
July 29, 2012
From the first day I picked up my very first Vampire Diaries book, back before the show was even a thought in anyone's mind, I always wanted to hear more back story on the brothers Salvatore. Within these 6 books, I got a piece of what I was searching for.
Yes, these books are written with more of the show history in mind, but what doesn't change from the original books to the show is the way the brothers interact with one another. Reading these books was like taking a walk through episodes of the show, but it was also like being a fly on the wall and seeing just how much these brother's do love each other, even if they continue to deny it.
It was well written, and quite easy to get lost in, in the manner that I didn't want to put it down for a second. It continues from the 5th book, where the brothers are fighting against the stronger, older vampire of Samuel, Damon still on the hook for the "Ripper" murders and at its conclusion, you feel like cheering. There's a mixture of witches, mortals, and vampires, in just the right dose.
I would recommend reading this book if you are fan of the supernatural. It has every element you can imagine and keeps you hooked the entire time. Not to mention after reading all six of these, I think I'm enjoying seeing Stefan's start and history as a vampire, with Damon along for the ride in true Damon fashion =)
Yes, these books are written with more of the show history in mind, but what doesn't change from the original books to the show is the way the brothers interact with one another. Reading these books was like taking a walk through episodes of the show, but it was also like being a fly on the wall and seeing just how much these brother's do love each other, even if they continue to deny it.
It was well written, and quite easy to get lost in, in the manner that I didn't want to put it down for a second. It continues from the 5th book, where the brothers are fighting against the stronger, older vampire of Samuel, Damon still on the hook for the "Ripper" murders and at its conclusion, you feel like cheering. There's a mixture of witches, mortals, and vampires, in just the right dose.
I would recommend reading this book if you are fan of the supernatural. It has every element you can imagine and keeps you hooked the entire time. Not to mention after reading all six of these, I think I'm enjoying seeing Stefan's start and history as a vampire, with Damon along for the ride in true Damon fashion =)
May 16, 2021
Satisfying ending to the series, although I wish it would have ended with a preface on how he met Elena, so that there would be more of a connection to the "The Vampire Diaries" books. This book ended in the year 1888 or something, so going over a 100 years forward in time would be a little strange maybe, but I think that would bring the books more together.
You can really tell by the writing that this is a book (and series) for teenagers, even with the gory details. I like that all the books are around 200 pages long and that the events happen over a matter of days or weeks, so it's fast paced and very easy to read. There are a lot of repetition of past events (probably to remind the reader of all the things that have happened). The plot is boring at times and not the most exciting, but if you have read the TVD books or seen the series, and you want more of a backstory to why Stefan and Damon hate eachother, these books are entertaining enough. I would give the series something between 3 and 4 stars, all in all. I think I'm a bit too old for these, but I still enjoyed reading all of them.
You can really tell by the writing that this is a book (and series) for teenagers, even with the gory details. I like that all the books are around 200 pages long and that the events happen over a matter of days or weeks, so it's fast paced and very easy to read. There are a lot of repetition of past events (probably to remind the reader of all the things that have happened). The plot is boring at times and not the most exciting, but if you have read the TVD books or seen the series, and you want more of a backstory to why Stefan and Damon hate eachother, these books are entertaining enough. I would give the series something between 3 and 4 stars, all in all. I think I'm a bit too old for these, but I still enjoyed reading all of them.
June 9, 2012
I loved this book, Overall this whole series is a lot better than the original Vampire Diaries Series..Possibly since this series is ALOT newer than the one made in the 1990's. However I wish the ending was a little different. That Stefan would've at least had some type of relationship in this book. Damon & Stefan always fighting, gotta love that.
September 23, 2012
Vol. 1 and 2 were the best.
March 24, 2018
Compelled had a slow start. A bit to slow for me. Untill the end I was waiting for something epic to happen. Not that the ending was fireworks, but definitly the best part of the book.
Damon and Cora were both entertaining. The rest of the charcters not so much.
The witches could have been stronger / more powerfull and awesome.
Henry and Samuel were more of the same.
Stefan is feeling guilty about everything as usual.
Damon is funny and kind of a badass with a small caring heart undernite.
Cora was interesting and did a great job on taking the lead and handeling both of the brothers .
I had hoped for a better plot. It was still a nice read.
I'm glad I've finished Stefan's Diaries as the serie was on my to-read for quit a while.
If you haven't watched the TV show The Vampire Diaries. Go watch! So you'll know how the future of the Salvatore brother will be.
👀 "See you in 1913"
Damon and Cora were both entertaining. The rest of the charcters not so much.
The witches could have been stronger / more powerfull and awesome.
Henry and Samuel were more of the same.
Stefan is feeling guilty about everything as usual.
Damon is funny and kind of a badass with a small caring heart undernite.
Cora was interesting and did a great job on taking the lead and handeling both of the brothers .
I had hoped for a better plot. It was still a nice read.
I'm glad I've finished Stefan's Diaries as the serie was on my to-read for quit a while.
If you haven't watched the TV show The Vampire Diaries. Go watch! So you'll know how the future of the Salvatore brother will be.
👀 "See you in 1913"
April 18, 2017
I enjoyed this and I am happy with it and I am pumped I can start the tv show now yay.
September 27, 2023
The books in the Stefan's Diaries series started out great. I gave the first book 5 stars. But the rest of them just got worse and worse. I wanted more Lexi. Not the Walmart version of Klaus.
March 14, 2023
"Fluch der Finsternis" ist der sechste Band von "Stefans Diaries", welches ich eigentlich nur gelesen habe, um die bisher erschienenen Bücher abzuschließen. Die ersten beiden Bände dieser Reihe waren ziemlich gut, aber danach ging es ein wenig Berg ab. Alles drehte sich immer wieder um das selbe Muster: Ihr Feind Samuel macht den beiden Salvatore-Brüdern Stefan und Damon das Leben schwer und es gibt abwechselnde Schlagabtauschmomente, die immer wieder mit dem selben Szenario enden.
Einzig und allein die Nebencharaktere wie z.B. Cora, die immer an Stefans Seite ist, haben mich ein wenig überraschen können.
Ursprünglich wurde Tagebuch eines Vampirs von Lisa J. Smith geschrieben und ihre Buchreihe wurde als Vorlage für die TV-Serie Vampire Diaries genutzt. Die Buchfans wissen, dass die Autorin aus der Serie gefeuert wurde und dass ihre Buchreihe nach sieben Bänden schließlich von einem Ghostwriter weiter geschrieben wurde. Finde ich immer noch daneben, schließlich war es ihre Idee, aber na ja :x
Das die Produzenten schließlich Stefan's Diaries als Buch rausgebracht haben, welche direkt nach den Verwandlungen der beiden Brüder beginnt, hat mich ein wenig gespalten, aber nicht vom lesen abgehalten - auch wenn Smith nicht mehr selbst schreibt.
Diese Reihe, aus der Sicht von Stefan erzählt, ist eher was für Fans der TV-Serie und man kann die Bücher völlig unabhängig von Tagebuch eines Vampirs lesen.
Band sechs war vielleicht ein kleinen Tick besser als Band fünf, aber auch diesmal konnte mich der Spannungsfaktor nicht packen. Diese Bücher sind dafür viel zu trocken beschrieben, als würden sie lediglich auflisten, was geschieht. Es fehlen spannungsvolle Einleitungen, geheimnisvolle Andeutungen und dramatische Wendepunkte, die man als Leser eigentlich erwartet und die das lesen überhaupt erst zu was besonderem machen. Des weiteren gibt es Szenen, wo von jetzt auf gleich etwas passiert. Zum Beispiel dreht sich Stefan einmal um und in der Zeit geschieht etwas schlimmes. Er sieht es und gibt nur das wieder, was er genau vor sich hat. Der Leser hat dadurch keine wirkliche Chance zu verstehen, was da gerade passiert ist. Das Wieso gibt es jedoch in ziemlich langen Gedankengängen von Stefan umso deutlicher.
Als die neuen Hexencharaktere eingeführt wurden und die aufgebauten Spannungen zwischen den Hexen und Vampiren erklärt wurden, war ich sehr hoffnungsvoll, dass die Geschichte endlich mehr Drama entwickeln würde. Mary Jane ist eine sehr besondere Hexen und sie und ihre Freunde sind Waisen, die ihre Kräfte selbst entwickelt haben - das war mit der beste Teil des Buches, weil das weitere Geschehen nicht vorhersehbar war.
Doch irgendwie endete das, was so vielversprechend aussah, wieder in ziemlich trockenen Beschreibungen.
Vielleicht können Julie Plec und Kevin Williamson gute Texte schreiben, die dann von Regisseuren mit Leben gefüllt werden, aber Bücher, in denen die Leser vom wachsen der Spannung und wandelbaren Charakteren leben, sind weniger ihre Stärke. Da aber auch ein Ghostwriter an dieser Reihe mitgearbeitet hat, scheint das Motto Viele Köche verderben den Brei ganz passend zu sein.
Die Entwicklung, die jegliche Bücher dieser Reihen seit dem Rauswurf von Smith, genommen haben, waren meistens nicht schön, aber auch nicht nur schlecht - also sollte man sich als Fan davon nicht abschrecken oder beeinflussen lassen.
Einzig und allein die Nebencharaktere wie z.B. Cora, die immer an Stefans Seite ist, haben mich ein wenig überraschen können.
Ursprünglich wurde Tagebuch eines Vampirs von Lisa J. Smith geschrieben und ihre Buchreihe wurde als Vorlage für die TV-Serie Vampire Diaries genutzt. Die Buchfans wissen, dass die Autorin aus der Serie gefeuert wurde und dass ihre Buchreihe nach sieben Bänden schließlich von einem Ghostwriter weiter geschrieben wurde. Finde ich immer noch daneben, schließlich war es ihre Idee, aber na ja :x
Das die Produzenten schließlich Stefan's Diaries als Buch rausgebracht haben, welche direkt nach den Verwandlungen der beiden Brüder beginnt, hat mich ein wenig gespalten, aber nicht vom lesen abgehalten - auch wenn Smith nicht mehr selbst schreibt.
Diese Reihe, aus der Sicht von Stefan erzählt, ist eher was für Fans der TV-Serie und man kann die Bücher völlig unabhängig von Tagebuch eines Vampirs lesen.
Band sechs war vielleicht ein kleinen Tick besser als Band fünf, aber auch diesmal konnte mich der Spannungsfaktor nicht packen. Diese Bücher sind dafür viel zu trocken beschrieben, als würden sie lediglich auflisten, was geschieht. Es fehlen spannungsvolle Einleitungen, geheimnisvolle Andeutungen und dramatische Wendepunkte, die man als Leser eigentlich erwartet und die das lesen überhaupt erst zu was besonderem machen. Des weiteren gibt es Szenen, wo von jetzt auf gleich etwas passiert. Zum Beispiel dreht sich Stefan einmal um und in der Zeit geschieht etwas schlimmes. Er sieht es und gibt nur das wieder, was er genau vor sich hat. Der Leser hat dadurch keine wirkliche Chance zu verstehen, was da gerade passiert ist. Das Wieso gibt es jedoch in ziemlich langen Gedankengängen von Stefan umso deutlicher.
Als die neuen Hexencharaktere eingeführt wurden und die aufgebauten Spannungen zwischen den Hexen und Vampiren erklärt wurden, war ich sehr hoffnungsvoll, dass die Geschichte endlich mehr Drama entwickeln würde. Mary Jane ist eine sehr besondere Hexen und sie und ihre Freunde sind Waisen, die ihre Kräfte selbst entwickelt haben - das war mit der beste Teil des Buches, weil das weitere Geschehen nicht vorhersehbar war.
Doch irgendwie endete das, was so vielversprechend aussah, wieder in ziemlich trockenen Beschreibungen.
Vielleicht können Julie Plec und Kevin Williamson gute Texte schreiben, die dann von Regisseuren mit Leben gefüllt werden, aber Bücher, in denen die Leser vom wachsen der Spannung und wandelbaren Charakteren leben, sind weniger ihre Stärke. Da aber auch ein Ghostwriter an dieser Reihe mitgearbeitet hat, scheint das Motto Viele Köche verderben den Brei ganz passend zu sein.
Die Entwicklung, die jegliche Bücher dieser Reihen seit dem Rauswurf von Smith, genommen haben, waren meistens nicht schön, aber auch nicht nur schlecht - also sollte man sich als Fan davon nicht abschrecken oder beeinflussen lassen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2022
As usual, leaving my review of the entire series with the final published work. Of the multiple book series that fall under the heading of Vampire Diaries, this is the only one that takes place in the tv show universe. And, as a woman who spent a few years of my twenties drooling over Ian Somerhalder as Damon, I liked the fact that I could read a book series that was exclusively about Stefan and Damon's relationship.
The downside? It's all from Stefan's POV (which, y'know, is obvious given the title of the series), and I always found Stefan to be self-righteous and boring. Unless he was drinking human blood and went on a Ripper binge, but aside from about 50 pages of the second book, we never get any of that in this series. In fact, there is a given pattern in all of these books. Stefan comes to a city, notices that people -- usually young women -- are starting to die in a gruesome way, suspects that it might be his brother, confirms Damon is in the area, accuses Damon of murdering people, discovers it was never Damon being stupid enough to draw attention to vampires, brothers team up to fight the actual killer vampire, one of them almost dies and the other saves them, brothers split up. That is, quite literally, every book. And while that didn't necessarily bother me (despite being so formulaic I could practically read the books while half asleep after book 2), it did make any issues I had with a particular book EXTREMELY noticeable and annoying.
For the first three books, my only real annoyance was that I was supposed to buy that Stefan had fallen in love with Callie in the second novel. They had maybe ten pages of interaction throughout the whole book, and yet she was supposed to be this great love of Stefan's. As a person who has made sure to make it known numerous times in reviews that instalove is not something I buy very often, this particular relationship obviously didn't do much for me. While it does explain why his emotions for Elena spring forth so quickly in the visual canon -- because it establishes that he is a person who falls in love quickly -- I found it hard to believe that he carried his grief around for twenty years about losing a woman he spoke to for a cumulative hour over weeks' worth of interactions.
There are also huge discrepancies in these books with the visual canon of the show. As a person who reads a lot of tie-in literature, I do make allowances for tie-in backstory that is disputed by a later visual canon reveal. They happen quite often. But what I can't just ignore are discrepancies that exist within a tie-in that are reveals in the show from *before* the book was ever written. That to me just means that whoever wrote the book didn't care enough to closely study the visual canon of the universe they've been asked to write for. I mean, fanfic writers are usually hardcore about getting their canon universe information correct; I expect at least as much from my published fanfic writers.
The hardest books for me to get through were books 4 and 5. I absolutely HATED book 4. Not only because it's become obvious that Stefan seems doomed to be eternally stupid -- granted, he is stuck forever at age 17 -- but because the writer didn't properly research the Ripper Murders. Was I hoping that the title of The Ripper would be a reference to Stefan massacring people? I probably would have been if I hadn't read the description on the back of the book, so I knew it was going to be a Jack the Ripper reference, and if more research had been done, I would have probably really enjoyed books 4 and 5. But...nobody researched the Canonical Five before writing this and I was actually pretty offended by the story. It takes 3 minutes of Googling to know that these women, with the exception of Mary Kelly, were middle aged women -- they were in their mid to late 40s -- and yet Stefan refers to them as young girls multiple times. They would never have been sent to asylum for secretly pregnant unmarried women because all four of them WERE married (at least previously), and were way too old to be suddenly pregnant. And so why would Samuel have ever thought they could possibly be the witch he was searching for when none of them resembled Mary Kelly AT ALL?
I mean, I get it. Who wouldn't want to set a story in Victorian Whitechapel during the Ripper murders when you're telling a story about vampires? The killer slashed the women's throats, so vampire stories mesh good with it. Not to mention, you've got the stories about Springheel Jack leaping over buildings after attacking women, so there's another supernatural element to work in that makes things interesting. It could have been a genuinely good story arc, but there was just not enough research put into it. And the Canonical Five deserve better; their legacy is tarnished enough.
On the plus side, I enjoy the reveal of Mary Kelly being a witch. Book 6 was a huge improvement on the rest of the story arc. I do wonder what good Stefan and Damon did in the grand scheme of things since, in the final battle, the witches defeated Samuel without much help from those two. But...Cora was a great addition to this three book story, and I'm sad to see her go. I would have missed her in future novels if they had gone passed these six. She even managed to make Damon a calm and rational being, and allowed Stefan (and the readers) to see a side of him that I'm guessing Stefan wouldn't see again until Elena worked her magic on him.
The downside? It's all from Stefan's POV (which, y'know, is obvious given the title of the series), and I always found Stefan to be self-righteous and boring. Unless he was drinking human blood and went on a Ripper binge, but aside from about 50 pages of the second book, we never get any of that in this series. In fact, there is a given pattern in all of these books. Stefan comes to a city, notices that people -- usually young women -- are starting to die in a gruesome way, suspects that it might be his brother, confirms Damon is in the area, accuses Damon of murdering people, discovers it was never Damon being stupid enough to draw attention to vampires, brothers team up to fight the actual killer vampire, one of them almost dies and the other saves them, brothers split up. That is, quite literally, every book. And while that didn't necessarily bother me (despite being so formulaic I could practically read the books while half asleep after book 2), it did make any issues I had with a particular book EXTREMELY noticeable and annoying.
For the first three books, my only real annoyance was that I was supposed to buy that Stefan had fallen in love with Callie in the second novel. They had maybe ten pages of interaction throughout the whole book, and yet she was supposed to be this great love of Stefan's. As a person who has made sure to make it known numerous times in reviews that instalove is not something I buy very often, this particular relationship obviously didn't do much for me. While it does explain why his emotions for Elena spring forth so quickly in the visual canon -- because it establishes that he is a person who falls in love quickly -- I found it hard to believe that he carried his grief around for twenty years about losing a woman he spoke to for a cumulative hour over weeks' worth of interactions.
There are also huge discrepancies in these books with the visual canon of the show. As a person who reads a lot of tie-in literature, I do make allowances for tie-in backstory that is disputed by a later visual canon reveal. They happen quite often. But what I can't just ignore are discrepancies that exist within a tie-in that are reveals in the show from *before* the book was ever written. That to me just means that whoever wrote the book didn't care enough to closely study the visual canon of the universe they've been asked to write for. I mean, fanfic writers are usually hardcore about getting their canon universe information correct; I expect at least as much from my published fanfic writers.
The hardest books for me to get through were books 4 and 5. I absolutely HATED book 4. Not only because it's become obvious that Stefan seems doomed to be eternally stupid -- granted, he is stuck forever at age 17 -- but because the writer didn't properly research the Ripper Murders. Was I hoping that the title of The Ripper would be a reference to Stefan massacring people? I probably would have been if I hadn't read the description on the back of the book, so I knew it was going to be a Jack the Ripper reference, and if more research had been done, I would have probably really enjoyed books 4 and 5. But...nobody researched the Canonical Five before writing this and I was actually pretty offended by the story. It takes 3 minutes of Googling to know that these women, with the exception of Mary Kelly, were middle aged women -- they were in their mid to late 40s -- and yet Stefan refers to them as young girls multiple times. They would never have been sent to asylum for secretly pregnant unmarried women because all four of them WERE married (at least previously), and were way too old to be suddenly pregnant. And so why would Samuel have ever thought they could possibly be the witch he was searching for when none of them resembled Mary Kelly AT ALL?
I mean, I get it. Who wouldn't want to set a story in Victorian Whitechapel during the Ripper murders when you're telling a story about vampires? The killer slashed the women's throats, so vampire stories mesh good with it. Not to mention, you've got the stories about Springheel Jack leaping over buildings after attacking women, so there's another supernatural element to work in that makes things interesting. It could have been a genuinely good story arc, but there was just not enough research put into it. And the Canonical Five deserve better; their legacy is tarnished enough.
On the plus side, I enjoy the reveal of Mary Kelly being a witch. Book 6 was a huge improvement on the rest of the story arc. I do wonder what good Stefan and Damon did in the grand scheme of things since, in the final battle, the witches defeated Samuel without much help from those two. But...Cora was a great addition to this three book story, and I'm sad to see her go. I would have missed her in future novels if they had gone passed these six. She even managed to make Damon a calm and rational being, and allowed Stefan (and the readers) to see a side of him that I'm guessing Stefan wouldn't see again until Elena worked her magic on him.
May 15, 2014
the book is in excellent condition! im very happy with my purchase! didnt have any issues! & Damon Salvatore is on the front cover!! the man is gorgeous!! okies but seriously...its a must buy!! every Vampire Diaries fan should own EVERY...SINGLE...BOOK! =)
August 28, 2013
Možno som čakala na záverečný diel trošku viac. Ako páčilo sa mi to ale možno som si myslela, že tam pôjdu aj ďalej, je to trochu blbý koniec ale zároveň aj pekný. No určite by sa v tom dalo pokračovať....
3,5/5
3,5/5
March 12, 2015
Stefan's diaries #6
These books are ok. They follow more of the mythos of the tv show. The writing is so-so. I believe this series is written by someone else (not L.J. Smith) and they are not as good as the original books that she wrote. I would recommend for fans of the show.
These books are ok. They follow more of the mythos of the tv show. The writing is so-so. I believe this series is written by someone else (not L.J. Smith) and they are not as good as the original books that she wrote. I would recommend for fans of the show.
October 26, 2016
Stefan and Damon’s are assisted by local witches in their quest to destroy the vampire Samuel, who has set his sights on conquering all of London. They succeed in killing him, and for the first time in a long while, they are free to just be vampires…and brothers once again.
April 7, 2012
DAMON IS SOOOOOOO HOTT
April 23, 2023
Overall, a fun and quick read but it dragged a bit and it seemed like it was hard to tie up the loose ends and conclude the series. The ending seemed rushed and patched together. Especially after the slow start for the first half of the book.
Stefan has become almost intolerably self loathing and self pitying. He tells himself that his cause is noble and he has pure intentions. However, his victim mentality has gotten out of hand. He actions stem from a need to temper his ego and from a partly selfish place. Even if he refuses to admit it. It’s hard to not roll your eyes by the end at his never ending pity party dialogue.
Damon and Cora provide a refreshing reprieve from Stefan’s moody and brooding demeanour. Damon shows some character development by bonding with his brother and seems to cooperate to work towards their mutual goal. In his own Damon way but none the less Damon was the saving grace of this book.
In fact, I was disappointed that the brothers didn’t stay together at the end. Stefan claimed that it was because he and Damon would never stop bickering and fighting and they’re never be able to coexist. Yet I think the Damon had made his own peace with the situation and it was Stefan’s inner conflict and stubbornness that stood in the way. Even though he would never admit it. Perhaps it was for the best as Stefan still has a lot of inner work to do to come to terms with himself and learn to accept his feelings and urges. Like two friends growing apart or partners with different goals, maybe it was for the best.
Stefan has become almost intolerably self loathing and self pitying. He tells himself that his cause is noble and he has pure intentions. However, his victim mentality has gotten out of hand. He actions stem from a need to temper his ego and from a partly selfish place. Even if he refuses to admit it. It’s hard to not roll your eyes by the end at his never ending pity party dialogue.
Damon and Cora provide a refreshing reprieve from Stefan’s moody and brooding demeanour. Damon shows some character development by bonding with his brother and seems to cooperate to work towards their mutual goal. In his own Damon way but none the less Damon was the saving grace of this book.
In fact, I was disappointed that the brothers didn’t stay together at the end. Stefan claimed that it was because he and Damon would never stop bickering and fighting and they’re never be able to coexist. Yet I think the Damon had made his own peace with the situation and it was Stefan’s inner conflict and stubbornness that stood in the way. Even though he would never admit it. Perhaps it was for the best as Stefan still has a lot of inner work to do to come to terms with himself and learn to accept his feelings and urges. Like two friends growing apart or partners with different goals, maybe it was for the best.
March 17, 2017
Am terminat, din păcate, și ultimul volum din această serie…
Capturarea lui Damon de către Samuel, le-a dat peste cap lumea lui Stefan și Corei. Au încercat să îl omoare pe Samuel, dar l-au omorât pe Henry, fratele acestuia, tocmai de aceea Samuel l-a luat pe Damon prizonier.
Rămași fără Damon, Stefan și Cora se simt mai singuri ca niciodată. Într-una dintre nopțile în care a ieșit să se hrănească, Stefan l-a zărit pe Samuel ducând o fată într-un loc ferit de lume. Auzind-o țipând, Stefan decide să intervină, însă fata se salvează singură făcând un farmec de respingere asupra lui Samuel. După ce pleacă Samuel, Stefan își dorește să o ajute pe Fata-Fără-Nume, însă aceasta, simțind că este vampir, se ferește, inițial, de el, însă, realizând că nu este la fel ce ceilalți, îl lasă să se apropie de ea.
Stefan o duce pe fată în tunelul în care locuia cu prietena lui foarte bună, Cora, lăsând-o să se odihnească. Dimineața, fata le dezvăluie secretul pe care Stefan deja îl ghicise: fata este vrăjitoare (și o cheamă Mary Jane).
În continuare, Mary Jane îi duce pe cei doi în casa în care locuia împreună cu alți 4 orfani-vrăjitori: Vivian, Gus, Jemma și Billy. Fiind cea mai mare dintre cei 5, Jemma nu are încredere deloc în Stefan, însă, la fel ca și în cazul întâlnirii cu Mary Jane, aceasta se înșală. Văzând că este de încredere, Jemma face un farmec în care îi arată lui Stefan și Corei unde se află Damon: legat de un stâlp, lângă o apă.
Cei 7 pleacă în căutarea lui Damon și îl găsesc, însă acolo se afla și Violet. Îl eliberează, în fine, pe Damon, însă cu un preț (pe care nu vi-l voi spune deoarece este un BIG spoiler). Totodată, Samuel scapă…
În ceea ce privește continuare, nu vă pot da niciun fel de detaliu deoarece aș spune cine moare și nu cred că vă doriți asta. Seria este superbă. Recunosc: am visat câteva zile urât din cauza acestei serii, dar și a seriei „Jurnalele Vampirilor”, însă este captivantă.
Personajele devin de ce în ce mai complexe în ultimele două volume ale acestei serii și, mai mult ca sigur, lucrul acesta m-a determinat să îmi placă atât de mult seria.
Capturarea lui Damon de către Samuel, le-a dat peste cap lumea lui Stefan și Corei. Au încercat să îl omoare pe Samuel, dar l-au omorât pe Henry, fratele acestuia, tocmai de aceea Samuel l-a luat pe Damon prizonier.
Rămași fără Damon, Stefan și Cora se simt mai singuri ca niciodată. Într-una dintre nopțile în care a ieșit să se hrănească, Stefan l-a zărit pe Samuel ducând o fată într-un loc ferit de lume. Auzind-o țipând, Stefan decide să intervină, însă fata se salvează singură făcând un farmec de respingere asupra lui Samuel. După ce pleacă Samuel, Stefan își dorește să o ajute pe Fata-Fără-Nume, însă aceasta, simțind că este vampir, se ferește, inițial, de el, însă, realizând că nu este la fel ce ceilalți, îl lasă să se apropie de ea.
Stefan o duce pe fată în tunelul în care locuia cu prietena lui foarte bună, Cora, lăsând-o să se odihnească. Dimineața, fata le dezvăluie secretul pe care Stefan deja îl ghicise: fata este vrăjitoare (și o cheamă Mary Jane).
În continuare, Mary Jane îi duce pe cei doi în casa în care locuia împreună cu alți 4 orfani-vrăjitori: Vivian, Gus, Jemma și Billy. Fiind cea mai mare dintre cei 5, Jemma nu are încredere deloc în Stefan, însă, la fel ca și în cazul întâlnirii cu Mary Jane, aceasta se înșală. Văzând că este de încredere, Jemma face un farmec în care îi arată lui Stefan și Corei unde se află Damon: legat de un stâlp, lângă o apă.
Cei 7 pleacă în căutarea lui Damon și îl găsesc, însă acolo se afla și Violet. Îl eliberează, în fine, pe Damon, însă cu un preț (pe care nu vi-l voi spune deoarece este un BIG spoiler). Totodată, Samuel scapă…
În ceea ce privește continuare, nu vă pot da niciun fel de detaliu deoarece aș spune cine moare și nu cred că vă doriți asta. Seria este superbă. Recunosc: am visat câteva zile urât din cauza acestei serii, dar și a seriei „Jurnalele Vampirilor”, însă este captivantă.
Personajele devin de ce în ce mai complexe în ultimele două volume ale acestei serii și, mai mult ca sigur, lucrul acesta m-a determinat să îmi placă atât de mult seria.
June 13, 2024
it didn't bother me as much in the last book having this guy be jack the ripper but in this one it's like. real people were killed and you're like "they were all killed because he was looking for a purebred witch's heart" hello???
also this whole series is just like damn would stefan get fewer people killed if he weren't trying to be good like i guess a lot of people got killed in the show too but a good number at least got to come back HEY at least cora made it i wasn't expecting that but man it's also just like okay you made up so many characters that stefan cared for yet the only one he has mementos of is katherine like. this is meant to be backstory for the tv show but it doesn't really fit with the tv show imo i guess it has been a long time since i watched but idk
also it didn't make sense to me that samuel can't be hurt by vervain because he's consumed it and made himself immune but it would make him unable to compel people? especially after he basically became all powerful?
anyway. kinda weird that these books didn't even go up to the 20th century but glad i finished them!
also this whole series is just like damn would stefan get fewer people killed if he weren't trying to be good like i guess a lot of people got killed in the show too but a good number at least got to come back HEY at least cora made it i wasn't expecting that but man it's also just like okay you made up so many characters that stefan cared for yet the only one he has mementos of is katherine like. this is meant to be backstory for the tv show but it doesn't really fit with the tv show imo i guess it has been a long time since i watched but idk
also it didn't make sense to me that samuel can't be hurt by vervain because he's consumed it and made himself immune but it would make him unable to compel people? especially after he basically became all powerful?
anyway. kinda weird that these books didn't even go up to the 20th century but glad i finished them!
August 29, 2023
the fact that i managed to read this entire book—and most of the one before it—in, like, six (6) hours is actually mind–blowing to me. crazy what one can achieve when free of any distraction whatsoever. i had such a productive day today!
one of the things i wanted to do this year, more than anything, was putting some order in my tbr—especially when it comes to books, such as these, that i should have read ages ago and procrastined for far too long already. we're in august now, and i can safely say i'm proud of what i accomplished so far. as of today, i'm officially done with my physical tbr, for example!
i still have a lot of loose ends here and there, series i still need to finish and many more that i want to start reading and i'm sure will hinder my plans again and again, but whatever. i'll take this little win and treasure it.
i plan on reading the entire “the vampire diaries” series—i owe it to my inner child. now that i'm done with stefan's diaries, back to the main series we go!
one of the things i wanted to do this year, more than anything, was putting some order in my tbr—especially when it comes to books, such as these, that i should have read ages ago and procrastined for far too long already. we're in august now, and i can safely say i'm proud of what i accomplished so far. as of today, i'm officially done with my physical tbr, for example!
i still have a lot of loose ends here and there, series i still need to finish and many more that i want to start reading and i'm sure will hinder my plans again and again, but whatever. i'll take this little win and treasure it.
i plan on reading the entire “the vampire diaries” series—i owe it to my inner child. now that i'm done with stefan's diaries, back to the main series we go!
March 21, 2022
Overall, the Stefan’s Diaries book series was a nice addition to the original series and the TV show.
I think what really sold it for me was listening to this on audio because the narrator did a great job.
I liked how there seemed to always be some sort of action going on during this book, or some checkpoint to look forward to. This is the first book in which the brothers have direct contact with witches apart from Emily and I love the witch aspect of the Vampire Diaries and of course, they couldn’t do what they did at the end of the book without their help.
The different secondary characters were also very interesting and I found myself looking forward to finding out more about them.
I was really hoping to read about Lexi before this sub series closed since she was such an integral part of the show, but I digress. It’s fine.
Very good.
I think what really sold it for me was listening to this on audio because the narrator did a great job.
I liked how there seemed to always be some sort of action going on during this book, or some checkpoint to look forward to. This is the first book in which the brothers have direct contact with witches apart from Emily and I love the witch aspect of the Vampire Diaries and of course, they couldn’t do what they did at the end of the book without their help.
The different secondary characters were also very interesting and I found myself looking forward to finding out more about them.
I was really hoping to read about Lexi before this sub series closed since she was such an integral part of the show, but I digress. It’s fine.
Very good.
March 29, 2021
There are a few spoilers!
Oh, I love all the attempts that Damon and Stefan go through to try to kill Samuel. Started to get maybe slightly repetitive but it was very entertaining. I'm sad that Violet had to die. I think with the right guidance she would have made a good vampire or just be dead rather than an emotionless, bloodsucking beast (Basically what Samuel is). Does she not remember what Stefan has done for her???
Another thought that just crossed my mind. Whatever happened to Lexi? It might have said in the books but I don't remember.
I like how Cora says Stefan and Damon complete each other. Stefan is cautious and a thinker, while Damon is impulsive, a fighter, and he acts. They sort of balance each other out.
In the end, I really like the series and it ended great.
Oh, I love all the attempts that Damon and Stefan go through to try to kill Samuel. Started to get maybe slightly repetitive but it was very entertaining. I'm sad that Violet had to die. I think with the right guidance she would have made a good vampire or just be dead rather than an emotionless, bloodsucking beast (Basically what Samuel is). Does she not remember what Stefan has done for her???
Another thought that just crossed my mind. Whatever happened to Lexi? It might have said in the books but I don't remember.
I like how Cora says Stefan and Damon complete each other. Stefan is cautious and a thinker, while Damon is impulsive, a fighter, and he acts. They sort of balance each other out.
In the end, I really like the series and it ended great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2018
Vampires and witches work together to fight a common enemy. Stefan and Cora save a young witch from being another victim of "Jack The Ripper", and in return, her coven helps him rescue Damon, prisoner of Samuel. After a risky battle, Stefan gets to save his brother and take him to the witches' home, but Damon is very ill. In his fever dreams (moment when we can see Cora taking care of him as sweetly as a girlfriend would... :) :) ), a phrase slips from his lips: "He needs a heart". Because legend says, if Samuel cosumes a purebred witch's heart, he'll have powers no one has ever seen on a vampire...
Another masterpiece from TVD Universe!!!
Another masterpiece from TVD Universe!!!
July 31, 2020
This book could easily be finished in a single day and though that’s not always a bad thing, in this case it is. The pacing was horribly done and the plot line is very simple, but if you’re looking for a quick beach read, this may just be the thing for you. The other books were short too, but at least they covered a plot line that was meant to be short. This book tries to take on too much for its two hundred some odd pages making it feel over all vapid. It gets three stars for me because it’s not overly problematic, and though it’s short and doesn’t provide much to think about it is still an entertaining read.
July 16, 2019
Finalmente una conclusione degna, e sono contenta per come sono andate le cose, visto che fino a metà libro Damon e Stefan sembravano due fessi che non sapevano fare nulla di buono. Vedo che qui appare un fantomatico libro 7, ma non so bene come cercar notizie. Per quanto mi riguarda spero di no. Mi piacciono come libri, ma già da una trilogia sono diventati 6. Non avrebbe senso farne tanti quanti i Diari del vampiro (per dire).
March 16, 2021
Stefan Salvatore is such a liability! He's given one job to do - kill the witch that's helping Samuel, and he agrees to do it! I thought that was a little strange seeing as he won't even drink human blood, never mind kill them. But he agrees! Multiple times! And then, when the time comes? Did he kill him?
March 30, 2021
The only thing that was good about this was that I have finally finished reading it. Honestly, Stefan's Diaries as a whole was not great - the writing was bland, the characters kind of surface-level and boring, and their relationships and the plots of the novels were both uninteresting and irrelevant to both the wider universe of the show, which it is loosely based off, and the original book series.
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