I reluctantly picked this series up. I really liked House of Night and thought: "What could this series offer that the Casts did not?" I was mistaken. The similarities end at vampires w/ magical abilities and a school housing them. Having read HoN, I guessed that Karp and Lissa had a spirit affinity even though spirit was never mentioned as an element in the series up until that point.

But the story is richer, the characters more complex, and the themes/stories more mature (and I don't mean sexually since Zoey Redbird gets in a lot of raunch now and then). Rosemarie Hathaway probably comes closest to embodying Buffy and Faith combined. She's attractive, popular, strong, yet socially more likely to punch you than pat you on the back. I like her despite some of her boneheaded decisions. Despite it all, she's more mature than Zoey and likely b/c she, as a dhampir w/ lives of Moroi in her hands, has to be that way.

As for the society, I see the Moroi as the regular vampyres, the Strigoi as the Reds, and the dhampirs are more like Renesmee from Twilight than anything. So that's my comparison piece.

You've got a point, but I like this series much, much better than Twilight and HoN combined. xD;

Vampire Academy blows both the Twilight and the House of Night series out of the water when it comes to writing style, plot development and character believeability.

I read Twilight before it became so popular and it was one of my favorite books at the time. The narriator had a strong voice and the plot was intriguing. New Moon...well, as much as I like sequals...the books wasn't very good in my opinion...there was too much moping going on. Eclipe redeemed the series for me...finally there was some action. Breaking Dawn threw a huge shadow on the series for me. It made me not like it as much. It wasn't really realistic and evrything just seemed to work out.

I read the first two books of the House of Night series and couldn't read anymore. The plot and characters seemed underdeveloped. Everything worked out for them. It was thrown into their laps already wraped...no struggle at all. I don't know...seemed too far fetched to me. It wasn't written well either.

Vampire academy contained all of the elements that the previous two series lacked. The characters were strong, the plot well thought out, and the writing style very polished. I am so glad someone was able to do a vampire book justice.

The only series that come close to Vampire Academy is the Den of Shadow's series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. Midnight Preditor is the best of them.

Alight now I will get off my soap box.

I think with the Twilight series, everyone has their favorites. Midnight Sun (what there is of it) is tops for me with Breaking Dawn, New Moon, Twilight and Eclipse in that order. Eclipse was such a filler book...a bridge between the heart (New Moon) and soul (Breaking Dawn) of the series. But she is not Hemingway. You could make a drinking game out of the word "murmur". But she writes addictive longing like no other.

HoN is so fluff. I think Kristin writes it and not P.C. There is no continuity of character or plot at times and Zoey is a heroine you want to toss out a window.

But like I've said before, for me Rosemarie Hathaway is a cross between Buffy and Faith. The series is mature even if YA.

I loved reading these books. I thought they were so good. And I just recently finished the frist 4 HoN books and thought those were good too. Twlight, VA and HoN all have things in common with each other. But I still love each one the same.

I really enjoyed all the Twilight books. New Moon was my least favourite - at times I wanted to throw the book against a wall! I was p-o'ed that Edward was taken away from 'me' (living vicariously through Bella). I suppose I'm a bit of a wuss...I wanted everything to work out for the Cullens in the end of the series.

I agree that VA is written really well. I like the maturity (even for a YA book). I compare it to Vampire Diaries...now the stories were OK but in Vamp Diaries, it wasn't that mature. It was REALLY YA if you know what I mean. And I couldn't get as in touch with those characters as I could with VA and Twilight. I just love Rose. She's fantastic. And Dimitri? Well! What girl wouldn't get a crush on him?

Has anyone else here read Vampire diaries? Just curious.

I haven't read HoN, but having seen what others here have said, I likely won't. 3 series is more than enough to keep up with. Oh yes, I have every faith that Stephenie Meyers WILL finish Midnight Sun! She'd be crazy not to! And yeah, I don't really like leaving series unfinished, so I will be going to my local bookstore and getting the latest installment of Vampire Diaries. I have to see if LJSmith can redeem herself after a weird-o ending to Dark Reunion.

I also love Twilight, VA and HoN.
Yes Twilight to me will always be my favorate, maybe because it was the series that introduced me to this genre of books. Then HoN was the next series i read after Twilight. I do think that HoN if more YA than both the other ones, but i am still looking forward to the next book that is coming out soon!!!
In the beginning of VA i did think it was going to be another HoN, but after finishing the first book and maybe more in the second i found the major differences. It is so much more in depth with the characters and thier stories.
I have read the Vampire Diaries series. I just finished the new one (Nightfall) right before i started on the VA books. It still has a wierdo ending but at least it leaves you with a cliffhanger at the end. I cannot wait for the next one of those to come out.
Overall I have to rate these books as:
1. Twilight
2. VA
3. Vampire Dairies
4. HoN

Don't spoil! Don't spoil!!! I am only about 150 pages into Nightfall. I went to LJ Smith's website and there's like another 2 or 3 books on the horizon. I can't recall WHEN they're due out. I did realize this morning before going to bed (I am on nightshift right now - a bit vampiric, eh?), that Vampire Diaries sorta reminds me of Nancy Drew. At least in the style of the writing and the "all American" kids, well not Stefan and Damon, obviously...and the small town they live in. Matt is a bit like Ned, Bonnie would be Bess and Meredith would be George. LOL!

Oh, I've come across some really horrible reviews about the Host. It's suppose alternate scenes of extreme boredom with scenes that are ridiculously absurd. But if you do read it, tell us what you think of it.
I dunno what's become of me, I've just picked up Bram Stoker's Dracula and I'm looking to find some Anne Rice. Apparently I AM reading ONLY vampires.
About True Blood: I've read the first Sookie book and I liked the movie more (that's a first!). First impressions: although the storyline is entirely different than Twilight, it has a lot of these little details that scream Edward and Bella (and Jacob). I honestly believe that it was a major inspiration for Meyer's books. Meyer kind of softened the plot and made it teen-friendly. Now, why did I like the movie more? Even though it's typical HBO, which means that rivers of blood spill from even the tiniest of wounds and there's tons of sex, (definitely not young adult) it's a lot more bearable than the book (plus, it has a few extra characters that are just brilliant). The movie creates a "special moment" when it's Sookie's turn to get it on with her vampire chosen one. The book is too explicit. Now, I really don't mind it being risqué, which it really is, but there are certain moments when it kind of ruins all of the tension and romance.
Anyways, I have the first season in HDTV, on my computer. If you're interested we could figure out a way to send it to you.

Hmm...I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the offer!

I will also let you guys know what I think of "The Host". I'm still reading Vampire Diaries: Nightfall. I'm about halfway, or a little over halfway through. I'm still wondering how this will work as a TV show. I mean, sure, OK, it's descriptive, I can form pictures. But I dunno...it has the potential to turn soap-opera-ish.

I have tried reading Anne Rice. I couldn't get through a book. I guess I preferred the movies. Do you know that she's writing like religious fiction now. Think of "Bible fanfic". I haven't picked up any of those...it's only what I've heard.

Bible fanfic? Roflmao! That's gotta be entertaining. And it's one hell of a leap from vampires. There's just so much fuss about Anne Rice's vampires that I actually expected to be blown away. I'll still give it a try, at least I'll know I had the best intentions.
I'm halfway through "Dracula" and I must say I love it. It's a totally different story than these love & adventure books we're discussing here, but it manages to give me the creeps and that's pretty hard to do nowadays.
I haven't read Vampire Diaries but I suppose you're forcing me to get a hold of it as well. Hell, what's one more series on top of all the others?

Put that way, I suppose I have no excuse really but to pick up that House of Night thing. Maybe I'll get them from the Library.

www.scribd.com may have them online for free.