BookRank

Reading order

The Vampire Diaries — reading order

L. J. Smith

  1. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening (1991)
  2. The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle (1991)
  3. The Vampire Diaries: The Fury (1991)
  4. The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion (1992)
  5. The Return: Nightfall (2009)
  6. The Return: Shadow Souls (2010)
  7. The Return: Midnight (2011)
  8. The Vampire Diaries. The Hunters: Moonsong (2012)
  9. The Vampire Diaries. The Hunters: Destiny Rising (2012)
  10. The Salvation: Unseen (2013)
  11. The Salvation: Unspoken (2013)
  12. The Salvation: Unmasked (2014)
12 volumes
Volumes
1991–2014
Published
Completed
Status

Quick answer

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
Start withThe Vampire Diaries: The Awakening1991 · Volume 1 of 12
Open the volume →Buy the first volumeListen to the audiobook

Affiliate link: buying through it supports BookRank at no extra cost to you.

Publication order

12 volumes1991–2014Completed

  • L. J. Smith wrote the first four and they close as a whole.
  • The later arcs — The Return and onwards — were written partly without her after a dispute with the publisher, and many readers stop at book four.

Every volume in order

Read: 0 of 12

No volume in this series has enough ratings to enter a ranking yet, so the list carries no scores — the order and the volumes are still complete.

  1. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
    The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening1991Start here
    –Not ranked yet
  2. The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle
    The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle1991
    –Not ranked yet
  3. The Vampire Diaries: The Fury
    The Vampire Diaries: The Fury1991Buy
    –Not ranked yet
  4. The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion
    The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion1992Buy
    –Not ranked yet
  5. The Return: Nightfall
    The Return: Nightfall2009 · 61 ratingsBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  6. The Return: Shadow Souls
    The Return: Shadow Souls2010 · 42 ratings
    –Not ranked yet
  7. The Return: Midnight
    The Return: Midnight2011Buy
    –Not ranked yet
  8. The Vampire Diaries. The Hunters: Moonsong
    The Vampire Diaries. The Hunters: Moonsong2012Buy
    –Not ranked yet
  9. The Vampire Diaries. The Hunters: Destiny Rising
    The Vampire Diaries. The Hunters: Destiny Rising2012Buy
    –Not ranked yet
  10. The Salvation: Unseen
    The Salvation: Unseen2013Buy
    –Not ranked yet
  11. The Salvation: Unspoken
    The Salvation: Unspoken2013Buy
    –Not ranked yet
  12. The Salvation: Unmasked
    The Salvation: Unmasked2014Buy
    –Not ranked yet

Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 21, 2026

Extras, short stories and spin-offs

Not needed to follow the main story — read them after the series or skip them.

  • Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries

Frequently asked questions

What should I read after The Vampire Diaries?

After the main series: Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries.