The Forbidden Game trilogy is the 4th series by L.J. Smith, the original creator of the Vampire Diaries and Secret Circle series. Its three books are:
- #1 – The Hunter
- #2 – The Chase
- #3 – The Kill
Jenny manages to see the good in all people. When she ventures into a magical and mysterious game shop to buy a board game for her boyfriend’s birthday, she finds herself inexplicably attracted to Julian, the shopkeeper.
Later that night, Jenny and her friends play the creepy board game, and all of them are transported to an alternate world where everybody’s worst nightmares come true.
The Forbidden Game trilogy is just like every other YA novel by L.J. Smith—it’s incredibly intriguing, horrifying, and romantic, of course. She creates these make-believe words that are so vivid and immersive, that it’s easy to lose yourself in the fantasy.
This series isn’t nearly as good as her other ones—particularly Vampire Diaries and Secret Circle. However, it’s possible I feel that way because I did not read this trilogy growing up. Maybe it didn’t resonate with me because I’m too old now, and that’s most likely the case.
Anyway, I couldn’t feel intimacy between Jenny and any of her friends, and aside from Jenny and Julian, none of the characters were too colorful or really stuck out. Nonetheless, the Forbidden Game series is scary, creepy, and fun, and it’s a fun adventure.
There are lots of Vampire Diaries spin-off novels labeled with L.J. Smith’s name, but she didn’t write most of them, and so they’re not very good. If you haven’t read the original Vampire Diaries and Secret Circle series, I highly recommend doing so.
What do you think about the Forbidden Game series?
Last Updated on January 27, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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