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The War of Roses
Elena and her friends now have no conscious memories of Stefan—but each is having a difficult time adapting to a world without him. Damon can scarcely put out fires fast enough.
Bonnie feels as if she’s going insane. Her latest oddity is sleepwalking across the Dalcrest campus with only a golden-eyed white “dog” as a companion. This behavior terrifies the others, especially given the recent attacks in neighboring towns that leave girls drained of blood.
More, Bonnie finds herself caught up in her own love triangle with Matt’s shy new roommate, Bastian, and Damon. She realizes that Damon should be completely off limits, but she can’t help feeling there is someone else who is Elena’s perfect partner somewhere.
No one knows much about Bastian, who has white-blond hair and golden eyes, but he doesn’t seem to like Damon. Is Bastian just jealous of Damon’s affection for Bonnie or does he have some darker secret?
Meanwhile, both red roses and black are mysteriously appearing for Bonnie and Elena. Who are they from, and why do they seem so important? The War of Roses has just begun. . . .
Bonnie feels as if she’s going insane. Her latest oddity is sleepwalking across the Dalcrest campus with only a golden-eyed white “dog” as a companion. This behavior terrifies the others, especially given the recent attacks in neighboring towns that leave girls drained of blood.
More, Bonnie finds herself caught up in her own love triangle with Matt’s shy new roommate, Bastian, and Damon. She realizes that Damon should be completely off limits, but she can’t help feeling there is someone else who is Elena’s perfect partner somewhere.
No one knows much about Bastian, who has white-blond hair and golden eyes, but he doesn’t seem to like Damon. Is Bastian just jealous of Damon’s affection for Bonnie or does he have some darker secret?
Meanwhile, both red roses and black are mysteriously appearing for Bonnie and Elena. Who are they from, and why do they seem so important? The War of Roses has just begun. . . .
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2014
30 people are currently reading
1534 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Smith
337 books112k followersSmith was born in Villa Park, Orange County, California. In interviews, she has said she realized she wanted to be a writer sometime between kindergarten and first grade, “when a teacher praised a horrible poem I’d written”, and began writing in earnest in elementary school. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987, followed by teaching credentials in Elementary education and Special education from San Francisco State University.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 1, 2015
I seriously can't stand the thought of Damon ever being with Bonnie it's just not part of what should be
February 18, 2014
Love it! I refuse to read any by the Ghost writers so it is so nice to be able to read her work again even if it is fanfic.
January 23, 2016
Me before reading this:
Me while reading this:
Me after reading this:
Me while reading this:
Me after reading this:
February 1, 2014
Really dispointed, why giving hopes to Delena's fan in all the other books if it is to write about Bamon, why saying that their love is epic and all ? http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/damon-and....
Now Bamon's fan thought that they are soulmate and what about Elena so?
"It was pretty clear that Damon liked Bonnie. A lot. Enough that, in Matt’s opinion, it was fairly insulting to Elena."
-the vampire diaries: evensong:paradise. Now Damon looks like a bastard taking his brother's fiance and leave er for her bestfriend. Really why did Lisa do that ? When I read that she will continue to write i was so happy and now if it is to be Bamon until the end I don't have to buy it. We were waiting for Delena and now it is like over. Why saying :
-"As soon as their minds connected there was something like fireworks. Explosions. Rockets. Stars going nova." for Delena and to write : "She Knew what that had been. That had been a complete, terrible, wonderful meeting of lips and souls. It had been a complete betrayal…"
-the vampire diaries: evensong: the war of roses about Bamon, Bamon's fan thought that they are soulmate but really Lisa you're destroying your own books if you continue writing such a things I prefer reading Aubrey Clark's version
Now Bamon's fan thought that they are soulmate and what about Elena so?
"It was pretty clear that Damon liked Bonnie. A lot. Enough that, in Matt’s opinion, it was fairly insulting to Elena."
-the vampire diaries: evensong:paradise. Now Damon looks like a bastard taking his brother's fiance and leave er for her bestfriend. Really why did Lisa do that ? When I read that she will continue to write i was so happy and now if it is to be Bamon until the end I don't have to buy it. We were waiting for Delena and now it is like over. Why saying :
-"As soon as their minds connected there was something like fireworks. Explosions. Rockets. Stars going nova." for Delena and to write : "She Knew what that had been. That had been a complete, terrible, wonderful meeting of lips and souls. It had been a complete betrayal…"
-the vampire diaries: evensong: the war of roses about Bamon, Bamon's fan thought that they are soulmate but really Lisa you're destroying your own books if you continue writing such a things I prefer reading Aubrey Clark's version
March 24, 2021
3 Stars
Read from 10:00pm-10:39pm (Skipped just a little, I really can't stand Bonnie)
So this is more of a Bonnie Book
After I finished the first book I just kinda sat there for a tiny bit and looked at this book Like
Then decided that there was no way I could just skip an entire book like that, There had to be parts about Damon and Elena in there as well as some back story! And I was right, not about the Elena and Damon part though. More about the back story. So for all Those Delena fans out there, you wont like this book much at all, but it is still a must read.
Just like the first Book I felt the characters were off again, but because of the shortness of the book it wasn't to overwhelming. It was very well written and had a great story, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that the characters were being untrue. Not because of the memory loss. It was more their personalities. I don't know, anyway. I know I wont be rereading this one, but I don't regret reading it and I even liked it :)
I will be waiting and looking out for the next installments, I still have hope for Delena! I hope we see some more books soon, so until then!
MOR DELENA BOOKS PLEASE
Read from 10:00pm-10:39pm (Skipped just a little, I really can't stand Bonnie)
So this is more of a Bonnie Book
After I finished the first book I just kinda sat there for a tiny bit and looked at this book Like
Then decided that there was no way I could just skip an entire book like that, There had to be parts about Damon and Elena in there as well as some back story! And I was right, not about the Elena and Damon part though. More about the back story. So for all Those Delena fans out there, you wont like this book much at all, but it is still a must read.
Just like the first Book I felt the characters were off again, but because of the shortness of the book it wasn't to overwhelming. It was very well written and had a great story, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that the characters were being untrue. Not because of the memory loss. It was more their personalities. I don't know, anyway. I know I wont be rereading this one, but I don't regret reading it and I even liked it :)
I will be waiting and looking out for the next installments, I still have hope for Delena! I hope we see some more books soon, so until then!
MOR DELENA BOOKS PLEASE
November 21, 2016
This book was slightly better than Part 1 of Evensong. This was written mostly from Bonnie's point of view and concentrated on finding out more about the mysterious being, that keeps taking control over Bonnie. This part does not bring the story to a close and just leaves the reader with more unanswered questions than Part one did.
*SPOILER ALERT*
In this part of Evensong everybody except Damon are still under Stefan's influence and don't remember anything supernatural ever existed. Damon is doing his best to keep Elena safe from the supernatural being that threatened her life but at the same time he needs to take care of Bonnie who's been repeatedly taken over by that same supernatural force. On top of that, it seems that Stefan didn't do a perfect job with his influencing because people are starting to vaguely remember things that Stefan made them forget. In addition, we get glimpses of Damon's time in the Netherworld as he relives those days through his dreams.
I found this part better than the first one, mostly because it wasn't so clearly centered on Stefan and his self-blame. I'm quite fed up with Stefan and Elena at this point so it was refreshing to have the story concentrate more on other characters. In addition, this part even had some scenes that were actually funny. As a story, it did continue where part one left off, but it didn't really take the story forward. People are still oblivious when it comes to any supernatural beings and we don't know anything more about the being that's possessing Bonnie. However, this part was very short so I understand why any major revelations were not included in it. Who knows, perhaps one day we'll see more parts to this series. There are certain things I'd like to get answers for.
*SPOILER ALERT*
In this part of Evensong everybody except Damon are still under Stefan's influence and don't remember anything supernatural ever existed. Damon is doing his best to keep Elena safe from the supernatural being that threatened her life but at the same time he needs to take care of Bonnie who's been repeatedly taken over by that same supernatural force. On top of that, it seems that Stefan didn't do a perfect job with his influencing because people are starting to vaguely remember things that Stefan made them forget. In addition, we get glimpses of Damon's time in the Netherworld as he relives those days through his dreams.
I found this part better than the first one, mostly because it wasn't so clearly centered on Stefan and his self-blame. I'm quite fed up with Stefan and Elena at this point so it was refreshing to have the story concentrate more on other characters. In addition, this part even had some scenes that were actually funny. As a story, it did continue where part one left off, but it didn't really take the story forward. People are still oblivious when it comes to any supernatural beings and we don't know anything more about the being that's possessing Bonnie. However, this part was very short so I understand why any major revelations were not included in it. Who knows, perhaps one day we'll see more parts to this series. There are certain things I'd like to get answers for.
July 21, 2018
This was so good--but so short! I'm anxious to read more, how to they get Damon back from the Nether World? Do Elena and her friends get their memories back? What happens?? I loved all the Bamon in this and enjoyed seeing the small Stelena bits too. L.J Smith did a great job of weaving a story together, as always!
November 16, 2017
I LOVE BAMON
September 2, 2014
I enjoyed the book, the Salvatore's memory erasing lane was my main problem with the book, which is why I gave it 4 stars. It just got to the point where I rolled my eyes. It was just too much for me. I can't wait for Elena to find out what is going on, because I don't care if Stefan believes he's "protecting" Elena, he shouldn't really be just carelessly playing with her mind like that.
No one remembering Stefan is just too much, and has gone a bit over the edge. I just missed everybody with their real memories, and let's see how it goes.
The relationship of Damon and Bonnie really grew even more then it already was. I believe Damon loves Bonnie, he just doesn't know how much... or when it happened exactly. It just snuck up on him, for so long, his goal was to get Elena the selfish way while he was falling in love with Bonnie selflessly, and hence why he is now in a triangle.
"You know," he said, very slowly and softly, as if he were puzzling out each word, "there are times when I think I've had enough of adventure, little bird. When I just want to... come home. But... where is home, really? I wonder about that. Don't you think sometimes that it's just nice to just relax... on your nest?"
He's with Elena, Stefan is out of the picture... but there's still something missing and that's his "Little Red Bird" his "home" while although he loves Elena, she was an adventure for him. The relationship of Damon and Bonnie has been building little by higher since book 3 of the LJ Smith VD book 'The Fury'.
I'm happy that we got to see more of them during this book, it's been such a long process and this was something. I enjoyed the story, my main complaint is the memory swiping and I wish it was longer.
No one remembering Stefan is just too much, and has gone a bit over the edge. I just missed everybody with their real memories, and let's see how it goes.
The relationship of Damon and Bonnie really grew even more then it already was. I believe Damon loves Bonnie, he just doesn't know how much... or when it happened exactly. It just snuck up on him, for so long, his goal was to get Elena the selfish way while he was falling in love with Bonnie selflessly, and hence why he is now in a triangle.
"You know," he said, very slowly and softly, as if he were puzzling out each word, "there are times when I think I've had enough of adventure, little bird. When I just want to... come home. But... where is home, really? I wonder about that. Don't you think sometimes that it's just nice to just relax... on your nest?"
He's with Elena, Stefan is out of the picture... but there's still something missing and that's his "Little Red Bird" his "home" while although he loves Elena, she was an adventure for him. The relationship of Damon and Bonnie has been building little by higher since book 3 of the LJ Smith VD book 'The Fury'.
I'm happy that we got to see more of them during this book, it's been such a long process and this was something. I enjoyed the story, my main complaint is the memory swiping and I wish it was longer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2014
This book was OK, but not one for fans of the Damon-Elena dynamic. It does start to explain how Damon returned, but as we already know that he has returned that part of the story kind of lacks suspense. I was a little disappointed.
June 27, 2016
I liked this book way better than Paradise Lost which, in my opinion, was rather boring and pointless. Paradise Lost focused quite heavily on Stefan, who did almost nothing but obsessed over the fact that he's a danger to Elena. Yeah, big surprise. I'm not a biggest fan of Stefan, so maybe that's one of the reasons I didn't like Paradise Lost that much. In contrast to Paradise Lost, The War of Roses mostly follows Bonnie and Damon with Stefan pretty much absent throughout the story.
SPOILER ALERT!
The main idea of this story seems to be Damon and the others struggling to make sense of things after Stefan erased their memories of himself and everything supernatural. The characters try to understand strange thoughts and urges they cannot really explain as well as their lack of memories. Additional excitement is created by Bonnie's sleepwalking and the mysterious dogs/wolves which could be werewolves. I was actually wondering for a while whether Bonnie was really sleepwalking or whether she was being controlled by some other power.
This is a pretty short novella and I think there's supposed to be a third book in the series. There are a couple of things I'd like learn more about, so hopefully there is a third book on the way. First of all, I'd like to know more about the dogs/wolves. I'd like to know whether they are werewolves and what kind of role they're supposed to play in the story. I would also like to know more about the force/creature that's making Bonnie say all those weird things. What is it after and why does it try to control Bonnie? In addition, I'd like to know, how Bonnie and Damon's relationship will develop after the kiss. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if L. J. Smith is still writing this series. The War of Roses was published in 2014 and I haven't heard anything about the third book since then. I hope Smith is still writing and we'll get a third book which will answer all the unanswered questions.
SPOILER ALERT!
The main idea of this story seems to be Damon and the others struggling to make sense of things after Stefan erased their memories of himself and everything supernatural. The characters try to understand strange thoughts and urges they cannot really explain as well as their lack of memories. Additional excitement is created by Bonnie's sleepwalking and the mysterious dogs/wolves which could be werewolves. I was actually wondering for a while whether Bonnie was really sleepwalking or whether she was being controlled by some other power.
This is a pretty short novella and I think there's supposed to be a third book in the series. There are a couple of things I'd like learn more about, so hopefully there is a third book on the way. First of all, I'd like to know more about the dogs/wolves. I'd like to know whether they are werewolves and what kind of role they're supposed to play in the story. I would also like to know more about the force/creature that's making Bonnie say all those weird things. What is it after and why does it try to control Bonnie? In addition, I'd like to know, how Bonnie and Damon's relationship will develop after the kiss. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if L. J. Smith is still writing this series. The War of Roses was published in 2014 and I haven't heard anything about the third book since then. I hope Smith is still writing and we'll get a third book which will answer all the unanswered questions.
September 25, 2014
i'm only going to say this...IF DAMON AND ELENA ARE NOT GOING TO BE TOGETHER AND HAPPILY EVER AFTER...I'LL BE SO ANGRY AND DISSAPOINTED!! what the hell!!!??? i don't know what is happening anymore!! :C I've been a HUGE fan of this series since years!! and i've waited a long time to my DELENA HAPPY ENDING!! i love this series, i really do...but ughhh i'm so frustrated!! Por favor! he esperado años por ver a Elena y Damon juntos, he soportado y esperado mucho...ya no se que pensar :( ellos son la razon por la que veo la serie y he leido cada libro escrito por L.J Smith...no me arruinen eso por favor =/
March 16, 2020
I loved it. As someone who has been reading since they were first printed, I was a bit skeptical about where the storyline was headed. I’m more than thrilled. I have been a huge fan of Bonnie/Damon and I’m glad it’s turning away from Elena/Damon. I don’t believe their love was anything more than a crush or a thrill, (why else would she be against her ‘boyfriend’ sleeping in her bed?). Also, a bad boy like Damon should be tempered by someone who seems frail but has strengths where it counts. I am eager and anxious to read the third of this fan fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2019
Finally got hold of this!! I loved it, shifting the focus from Stefan and Elena and giving space for the other characters to blossom....I wish the trilogy was complete though. I wonder if they will ever be.
Bonnie and Damon....I love it. Something fresh,something natural, not fought over. Not an obsession or a conquest, something not even he is in control of. Something organic, I'm here for it. Hope LJ will complete the trilogy someday.
Bonnie and Damon....I love it. Something fresh,something natural, not fought over. Not an obsession or a conquest, something not even he is in control of. Something organic, I'm here for it. Hope LJ will complete the trilogy someday.
July 25, 2019
Quien odia el libro es porque realmente nunca entendió a Damon.
Todo fue Bamon desde un inicio.
😉
❤️
Todo fue Bamon desde un inicio.
😉
❤️
July 11, 2016
Don't waste your time. It's not a complete story and does not even get past the description of the synopsis. Half of the story is Bonnie waking up and then a long boring conversation and then something interesting happens only for a boring dream flashback. If she wanted to write a story about how Damon got back from the Nether World why didn't she just write that instead of claiming the book was about Stefan making them forget who they are. In 62 pages a author with her experience should have been able to complete this story and give it a conclusion instead of putting her readers to sleep. Quite interesting how the characters are influenced to sleep in the book, her writing influences me to stop reading and go to sleep...
April 2, 2015
*sighs* I love L.J Smith. I really do, even though this "fanfiction" is well written and the author gave us a sort of continuation from Midnight, I can't help but feel the characters are not the same.
Damon is not the bad guy, but a complete soft guy...like, for real?
Elena lacks that tenacity of hers.
Bonnie cries more than not...
Seriously, I'm still grieving the fact that Lisa couldn't continue writing the series and she has to recur to fanfiction, I guess that's better than nothing.
Two stars.
Damon is not the bad guy, but a complete soft guy...like, for real?
Elena lacks that tenacity of hers.
Bonnie cries more than not...
Seriously, I'm still grieving the fact that Lisa couldn't continue writing the series and she has to recur to fanfiction, I guess that's better than nothing.
Two stars.
July 31, 2014
I like the narration of TVD from Bonnie's POV more than Elena or any of the other characters. I feel she's more exciting and the one that holds the most potential of the whole gang (and Mer the second). This one is plot-focused and suspension-filled and i can't wait for the next installments.
And Damon/Bonnie love, when are they gonna end up together, they're super awesome and they complete each other *dreamy eyes* Damon make up your d--m mind please.
And Damon/Bonnie love, when are they gonna end up together, they're super awesome and they complete each other *dreamy eyes* Damon make up your d--m mind please.
February 14, 2021
I was very disapointed after the return series. The writing dropped.. and the books always had bonnie and damon in a connection and stefan and elena in love. So happy things are on track again because elena and damon care for each other a lot but i don't think it is love
February 20, 2022
This particular series in the Vampire Diaries universe is hard to write a review for because, for those who don't know, it's very much incomplete. It's an offshoot alternate universe take on what happens in the book!VD universe post-The Return: Midnight. The final book of The Return trilogy was the final published book in the VD series actually written by L.J. Smith, the creator of the characters and the plot. However, L.J. Smith did not own the characters she created because she had written the original quadrilogy for a book packaging company called Alloy Entertainment and when she submitted her manuscript for what was to be the first book of the Evensong Trilogy, they fired her from writing any more VD for the official series because Smith was more interested in writing about Damon, but Alloy wanted more emphasis on Stefan, who was less morally ambiguous.
However, back when Kindle Worlds was still a thing, L.J. Smith was able to take her outline for her manuscript and publish Evensong as a fanfiction and yet still get paid to do it. Kindle Worlds no longer exists, but a person can still find the first book and a quarter of Evensong that L.J. Smith had gotten around to publishing. The reason the story remains unfinished is that Smith had to give up writing due to numerous personal circumstances, both physical and relational. So, I can't judge the story completely because we don't know exactly how she planned to end it (except that someone was going to get married eventually, but we'll never know who), and I can only judge the trilogy based on about 300 pages.
And that story is...not great? It's not TERRIBLE by any stretch of the imagination, but it's just off(?) somehow. I can't think of another way to describe it. At the end of The Return trilogy, Damon was dead in the Nether World, and in The Hunters Trilogy (written by a still unknown ghostwriter), Damon was brought back and wandered to the physical world by his own hardcore will (and a little help from Sage.) Now, the first two books of The Hunters Trilogy were based on outlines of Smith's plans for Evensong, so there are some similarities into how things play out. For instance, werewolves play into both story ideas (though Evensong has Caroline present where The Hunters wrote her out of the story), and both have Damon coming back to life. The only real difference is in the how of doing that and when Evensong opens up, Damon is just back already and we find out in The War of the Roses *somewhat* how that happened. In truth, we're left with a lot more questions than answers due to Smith intending to give those answers over time, but then never finishing her "official fanfiction" (and, honestly, I've been there. Life gets in the way and if you can't make money off your writing, it has to take a backseat to real life responsibilities.)
But nobody really feels like themselves here and the story feels very disjointed (especially in The War of Roses, which feel more like random scenes thrown together than a cohesive, comprehensive narrative.) Multiple times, I would read something and just feel confused, like I had lost the thread of the conversation. In reading the reviews, I realised I was not alone in that and a lot of these final two "books" just struck readers of this series as odd. The characters all keep quoting poetry at each other for some reason and nothing is really explained as to why. There are multiple times where everyone seems to find themselves in a farce or having a screwball comedy worthy argument and then they just decide to go to bed and not deal with it. Which I can respect, in terms of decision making, but it reads really weird in the narrative, lol.
But, yeah. This could have been going somewhere great and might have gotten to three star worthy story, but we'll never know. I can only judge what is there for consumption and what is there is just...weird. And has a whole lot of ellipses. And I mean a LOT a lot.
However, back when Kindle Worlds was still a thing, L.J. Smith was able to take her outline for her manuscript and publish Evensong as a fanfiction and yet still get paid to do it. Kindle Worlds no longer exists, but a person can still find the first book and a quarter of Evensong that L.J. Smith had gotten around to publishing. The reason the story remains unfinished is that Smith had to give up writing due to numerous personal circumstances, both physical and relational. So, I can't judge the story completely because we don't know exactly how she planned to end it (except that someone was going to get married eventually, but we'll never know who), and I can only judge the trilogy based on about 300 pages.
And that story is...not great? It's not TERRIBLE by any stretch of the imagination, but it's just off(?) somehow. I can't think of another way to describe it. At the end of The Return trilogy, Damon was dead in the Nether World, and in The Hunters Trilogy (written by a still unknown ghostwriter), Damon was brought back and wandered to the physical world by his own hardcore will (and a little help from Sage.) Now, the first two books of The Hunters Trilogy were based on outlines of Smith's plans for Evensong, so there are some similarities into how things play out. For instance, werewolves play into both story ideas (though Evensong has Caroline present where The Hunters wrote her out of the story), and both have Damon coming back to life. The only real difference is in the how of doing that and when Evensong opens up, Damon is just back already and we find out in The War of the Roses *somewhat* how that happened. In truth, we're left with a lot more questions than answers due to Smith intending to give those answers over time, but then never finishing her "official fanfiction" (and, honestly, I've been there. Life gets in the way and if you can't make money off your writing, it has to take a backseat to real life responsibilities.)
But nobody really feels like themselves here and the story feels very disjointed (especially in The War of Roses, which feel more like random scenes thrown together than a cohesive, comprehensive narrative.) Multiple times, I would read something and just feel confused, like I had lost the thread of the conversation. In reading the reviews, I realised I was not alone in that and a lot of these final two "books" just struck readers of this series as odd. The characters all keep quoting poetry at each other for some reason and nothing is really explained as to why. There are multiple times where everyone seems to find themselves in a farce or having a screwball comedy worthy argument and then they just decide to go to bed and not deal with it. Which I can respect, in terms of decision making, but it reads really weird in the narrative, lol.
But, yeah. This could have been going somewhere great and might have gotten to three star worthy story, but we'll never know. I can only judge what is there for consumption and what is there is just...weird. And has a whole lot of ellipses. And I mean a LOT a lot.
October 26, 2014
I don't even know what this was... why exactly is Damon all the sudden excited about Bonnie and ignoring Elena? All the characters just seem to have completely skewed personalities, and it took me about 15 minutes to read this book. I'm actually kind of annoyed I paid to read it :/ I love LJ Smith but this just didn't do it for me.
May 18, 2014
Ok read
Ok read
I love reading the Vampire Diaries but this just didn't have me excited like the originals did. They are dealing with one crisis and yet it goes back to when Damon when Damon died. It wasn't a long book neither. Hopefully it gets better
Ok read
I love reading the Vampire Diaries but this just didn't have me excited like the originals did. They are dealing with one crisis and yet it goes back to when Damon when Damon died. It wasn't a long book neither. Hopefully it gets better
April 22, 2014
Detailed review to come, but basically it sucked. Such complete and utter crap, no wonder L.J. Smith was fired from writing The Vampire Diaries series
March 19, 2017
Good but short
It was a good story, but it was rather too short for my liking. I wish the second book was released.
It was a good story, but it was rather too short for my liking. I wish the second book was released.
May 20, 2022
First and foremost, before I give my thoughts, L.J. Smith calls this an episodic adventure instead of a novel and I can very clearly see why. This is short and without a stand alone arc; deciding to split this part up from the others was very much a personal choice and I wish the two parts had been kept together. Secondly, the back and forth between the current time line and Damon's dreams threw me off somewhat. I wish we could've just seen it in chronological order or with one solid flashback.
I appreciate that Bonnie gets some time in the limelight during this 'episode.' She's showing once again that she's not the pathetic little sister type character that everyone has to look after and we could finally see the end of the sickening "love" mess between Elena, Damon, and Stefan. I really liked the moment where Elena mentions how mature and forgiving Bonnie is - it serves not only Bonnie's character but Elena's as well. I thought it was interesting that the ghost writer and Smith brought werewolves into Bonnie's college life, especially as it seems as if it was going to be a bigger plot point.
One day, may we get to see the end of this series the way L.J. Smith wrote it...
I appreciate that Bonnie gets some time in the limelight during this 'episode.' She's showing once again that she's not the pathetic little sister type character that everyone has to look after and we could finally see the end of the sickening "love" mess between Elena, Damon, and Stefan. I really liked the moment where Elena mentions how mature and forgiving Bonnie is - it serves not only Bonnie's character but Elena's as well. I thought it was interesting that the ghost writer and Smith brought werewolves into Bonnie's college life, especially as it seems as if it was going to be a bigger plot point.
One day, may we get to see the end of this series the way L.J. Smith wrote it...
October 29, 2020
Este libro no es exactamente lo que esperaba, pero estoy satisfecha. Es demasiado corto y pensé que haría que la historia avanzara un poco más, pero en su pagar nos mostró un poco más de lo que pasó tras la supuesta muerte de Damon en Medianoche. Buena parte está narrado desde la perspectiva de Bonnie y hay un par de momentos Bamon de los más tiernos. Los personajes, en el tiempo presente, se sienten un poco distintos, como si hubieran perdido una parte de su esencia, pero creo que tiene sentido teniendo en cuenta todo lo que está ocurriendo. Si bien Stefan logró hacer que lo olvidarán a él y todo lo relacionado con seres sobrenaturales, al ser esto buena parte de la identidad de cada uno no es de extrañar que se sientan extraños, pues, como llega a hacer referencia Damon, el proceso los ha dejado un poco sin personalidad.
Realmente me encantaría saber lo he va a pasar después y espero que L. J. Smith vuelva pronto a continuar no solo con esta historia, sino con otras que tiene pendientes y con suerte varias nuevas.
Realmente me encantaría saber lo he va a pasar después y espero que L. J. Smith vuelva pronto a continuar no solo con esta historia, sino con otras que tiene pendientes y con suerte varias nuevas.
November 21, 2022
Better that the series end here than with the previous book, not because this is a better de facto ending, but simply because the previous book was so bad and this one has a saving grace: after introducing some new plot threads, it jumps back to explain Damon's rescue, which is more satisfying for answering a mystery and which leans into the complicated-but-rewarding mess of relationships.
Insofar as a review of the "final" book is a review of the series entire, nothing has changed. The genesis of these author-written "fan" novels is interesting, but it's not worth reading this far. The first three books are pulpy fun--stop there. I admire the incredible mess of relationships in the sequels, but that way lies batshit and tedious plots; it's just not worth it.
Nonetheless I don't regret my Vampire Diaries adventures--sometimes, a little batshit garbage but also there's vampires and there really should be polyamory is harmless, actually.
Insofar as a review of the "final" book is a review of the series entire, nothing has changed. The genesis of these author-written "fan" novels is interesting, but it's not worth reading this far. The first three books are pulpy fun--stop there. I admire the incredible mess of relationships in the sequels, but that way lies batshit and tedious plots; it's just not worth it.
Nonetheless I don't regret my Vampire Diaries adventures--sometimes, a little batshit garbage but also there's vampires and there really should be polyamory is harmless, actually.
June 29, 2020
I went into this fan fiction as a devoted TVD and L.J. Smith fan, broken-hearted over her being fired and forced to write fan fiction about a series SHE CREATED. I went in with an open mind, excited to see what magical and crazy story she spun for us this time.
I am sad that it is only 62 pages and is unfinished. Why would you do this to me, Lisa? After all the talk of a wedding with a bride in all black? Whyyyy would you leave me to my imagination about that?!?
Ahem.... anyway, back to the content review.
I sadly did not enjoy this one as much as Evensong Part 1, and I felt that there were a few moments (like two) where I was wondering what was going on and was lost as I was trying to follow either the dialogue or the story itself. This was not Lisa’s best, but even her worst is not bad. I still enjoyed it, ate the story up in less than two hours after finishing Part 1, and am perpetually sad it’s unfinished... the cliff hanger ending left me wanting more.
As the pages progressed, I actually felt the story getting better and building up the usual momentum her stories always do as they slowly wind their way to their climax. We did not get a climax or ending for this Evensong series and I am disappointed and left feeling utterly unfulfilled. It seemed like it was going to be a very interesting story as well.
After getting through all of her official books as well as these to be left with a cliff hanger ending and an incomplete book.... I’m sad. I still support Lisa as an author though, and after the Night World Series was left incomplete I am not entirely surprised by this outcome. She is an amazing writer and one of my favorite authors overall, and my life has been enriched by her works. They’ve been entertaining me and tugging on my heart strings for years, and will always be there for me to reread them anytime I wish.
I am sad that it is only 62 pages and is unfinished. Why would you do this to me, Lisa? After all the talk of a wedding with a bride in all black? Whyyyy would you leave me to my imagination about that?!?
Ahem.... anyway, back to the content review.
I sadly did not enjoy this one as much as Evensong Part 1, and I felt that there were a few moments (like two) where I was wondering what was going on and was lost as I was trying to follow either the dialogue or the story itself. This was not Lisa’s best, but even her worst is not bad. I still enjoyed it, ate the story up in less than two hours after finishing Part 1, and am perpetually sad it’s unfinished... the cliff hanger ending left me wanting more.
As the pages progressed, I actually felt the story getting better and building up the usual momentum her stories always do as they slowly wind their way to their climax. We did not get a climax or ending for this Evensong series and I am disappointed and left feeling utterly unfulfilled. It seemed like it was going to be a very interesting story as well.
After getting through all of her official books as well as these to be left with a cliff hanger ending and an incomplete book.... I’m sad. I still support Lisa as an author though, and after the Night World Series was left incomplete I am not entirely surprised by this outcome. She is an amazing writer and one of my favorite authors overall, and my life has been enriched by her works. They’ve been entertaining me and tugging on my heart strings for years, and will always be there for me to reread them anytime I wish.
March 23, 2021
This was pretty silly. Half of it was about Bonnie sleepwalking, and Damon kissing her, and her then going mental 🙄 Then the other half was Damon having a dream about what happened to him and how he spied on Elena when he was dead on that moon under the ash falling from the great tree.
And of course, it seems like we're never going to get the ending to this story either, so thanks L.J. Smith 🙄
And of course, it seems like we're never going to get the ending to this story either, so thanks L.J. Smith 🙄
April 12, 2023
It’s such a shame that L.J. Smith never continued this story. Both this book and the previous one were really only two short installments in a much longer story, and it ends with a cliffhanger. It breaks my heart that we never learn what happens next. . .
(And heads up: most of what’s mentioned in the book blurb hasn’t happened yet.)
(And heads up: most of what’s mentioned in the book blurb hasn’t happened yet.)
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