Shadow Souls (Vampire Diaries)

First off, I will say I was more than a little disappointed with Nightfall. A lot of details from the original series changed, and both story and editing were very choppy. Even LJS has said she's not too pleased with it.
If you're thinking about skipping Shadow Souls because of this, let me give you

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some advice: Don't.
The first chapter is a summation of the entire series until now. I am very very glad LJS did so because I actually knew what was going on before and felt like I had a grasp of what would come to pass.
Now Stefan is locked up in another reality called the Dark Dimension. Elena will do anything to save him, including travel with Damon, whose memory is not quite what it was with some events. They travel into this other reality, always bathed in reddish light from a sun that never truly sets, the girls as slaves and Damon as their master. Trying everything they can to save Stefan, these four, along with some new allies and friends, will make certain the Dark Dimension never forgets their time there. Meanwhile, the kitsune pair are still wreaking havoc in Fell's Church. Caroline is changing into something unimaginable, and Matt has a bounty on his head due to Caroline's allegations.
What's really happening here? Do the fox demons just want control of this town, or is there something more? What has actually happened to Elena now that she is truly back from the dead?

The writing is tighter, I wish I could have had more time sooner to finish the book (it took me a whhole five days to read 600 pages!), and the ending left me chanting "OH MY GODS!" which is all I will say about *that*. Keep reading, we can all venture together to see where this path shall end.

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Ok. Interesting read. The author does a good job with keeping the reader captivated by the story. Nice surprise ending.
HOWEVER, this book in so unlike the first 4 books in the series. The characters, the feel of the story, the plot, everything is different and not in a good way.
While I said the

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ending was a surprise (and interesting), I also had to stifle a groan as I read it, because the ending has left the plot wide open for more books in this series. Geez. I wish she would have left it with the first 4 books and been done with it. Those were great....these new books are just .....weird.
It seems the author is trying to capitolize on the TV series.

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Okay, yet another vampire series that I got totally hooked into, and I have to say that I really loved it. I am a sucker for those broody, moody, handsome, tortured anti-hero-ish vamps. The first four of this series were written almost twenty years ago so the feeling is a little different in them

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than these last two - they are more for a PG audience, and these last two have racheted up the steam factor a bit, as well as updating the fashions and technology.

This book is the second in what the author is calling her Damon story arc, and he definitely plays the predominant role, becoming the focus of Elena's attentions, even while she still staunchly stands by her vamp Stefan. Supposedly she is going to conclude the Damon story in her next novel, Midnight, although she has said that this is not the end of the Vampire Diaries series.

My biggest criticism with this book is that while the author has Elena claiming to be a feminist, she still uses trite romance novel gimmicks like having Elena and her friends becoming literally slaves to Damon as they delve into the Dark Dimension to rescue poor, starving, weakened Stefan. They even dress like harem girls, and there are a couple of torture scenes using whips and chains. Huh? Really? That's one fantasy I can pass on thank you.

But even with those scenes making me uncomfortable, I still liked the book, although someone will have to explain to me how you can grow any sort of produce on a planet that only has a dying red sun and is in perpetual twilight. That sounds too much like a rainy Oregon summer, and trust me, you could not feed a planet on that kind of lack of sun. Although the weeds would probably still be fine.

I really liked the addition of the character Sage, and the cliffhanger ending made my jaw drop. I am so looking forward to the next novel. Who is Elena going to pick?!!!

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I really love Lj Smith books. Almost all of them I would give 5 stars or close to it, I will admit Vampire Diaries isn't my favorite but I did enjoy the earlier books. But these last 2 books she has come out with are just way over the top. I don't want to say anything bad because like I said I love

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Lj but I am just not feeling these books. There is just to much crazyness that is jumbling together and becoming confusing. Also there is so much explaining to that I find myself skipping paragraphs like about clothes. I think when the 3 girls dressed up twice they each had a whole page explaining their clothes. Not really necessary. It made the book longer and more boring. I was excited since I heard you get to see more to Damon but I really don't think I did. Yes he was there the whole book but you didn't find out nothing you didn't know before. Then there are parts that are never explained. There was one part when something happened it a motel room between Elena and Damon and we really never find out what. It is mentioned several times but Elena never reveals it. I think there was a lot of scene describing and things like that, that could have been cut out. But I will most likely read the next one since the biggest scene happened on the very last page and I want to see what happens.

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Great book and interesting characters. Would recommend the series to any YA reader.

Seriously, who is this woman's editor? She is terrible! I found more mistakes than I can count. Obvious, glaring, annoying mistakes. Very frustrating.

I found myself reading this merely to get to the end. It seemed like a chore at times and I felt myself rolling my eyes quite frequently. This book

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is corny, literally. The author seems to be trying too hard to make it interesting and different. At times it gets convoluted and complicated trying to remember everything that is going on everywhere. I understand wanting to make the story unique in a world of millions of vampire stories, movies and tv shows, but this was ridiculous. Quit trying so hard!

I will probably read the next book, just because I want to know how L.J. Smith ends it. Not because I find it enjoyable reading. Excuse me while I go grab my Twilight books...

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Great book! Must read!!! :)

I enjoyed the novel. Haven't read the original series in a long time, and I liked how the character of Damon developed, and also the relationship of Elena and Damon.

This was more enjoyable than some of the others in the series, and admittedly, I found myself having a bit of bloodlust.

I'm not as fond of The Return books as I was of the original series. I was glad to see that Elana saved Stephan and that Damon is acting better.Part of me is hoping that this is the end, as I'm not sure it can get better again.

Better than the last one.

The story follows Elena Gilbert on her quest to rescue her vampire boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, from captivity in the Dark Dimension. She enlists the help of Stefan’s brother, Damon, and her ex-boyfriend Matt in order to break Stefan free of his captors, the kitsune fox twins, Shinici and Misao.

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I believe that this is the darkest Vampire Diaries yet as L.J. Smith takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through the Dark Dimension when Elena searches for Stefan. This book definitely shows the inner workings of Damon’s mind as he helps Elena to rescue his brother. We are shown that Damon is not the bloodthirsty killer and prankster we believed him to be in the first installment of the Vampire Diaries.

Instead we are shown just how much he is willing to give up in order to right the wrongs he has committed against Elena, Matt and Stefan. His sensitive side definitely shows as he sometimes feels helpless when Shinici continually steals his memories and leaves him vulnerable and trying to remember his actions. I find myself enjoying Damon’s point of view and I can’t help but to feel a little sorry that he has endured so much through the years. He punishes himself for things from his past that are sealed in his mind like a crypt. As Elena and Damon grow closer, we are shown the immense attraction that is hovering between the two of them. It keeps you guessing until the end where the author definitely leaves us on the hugest cliff hanger I have ever read. Overall,, I really enjoyed the book. L.J. Smith has a very cunning way of creating an in-depth visual storyline with so many twists it’s hard to know you’ll come out of it alive! Of course, I can’t wait to read the final installment next year.

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Right now, it's good. But I'm only at about 20 pages far so xD... Haha. I'll admit I'm getting a bit *HUGELY* sick and tired of the romantic thingy...RAH! I read this only because Damon is awesome as a vampire...and I love the kistune :D *Mostly Shinichi ^^* But as for the stupid Elena-Stefan

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romance...awww come on -.-!

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More like 2.5 stars. I trudged through this book. I got confused a lot, kept trying to read it as if it was related to the first trilogy then just sort of gave up and started reading it as if it wasn't really a Vampire Diaries novel; that helped a little. I also think this trilogy is WAY longer

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than it should be and could've been condensed into one book.

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