Shadow Souls (The Vampire Diaries: The Return, #2) by L.J. Smith

Jul 27, 2010 Hailee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh my God. I completely loved this book! It was all about Damon and Elena, and that's what I loved about it. It shows a softer, more vulnerable side to Damon he only shows around her, and she begins to realize that maybe Stefan isn't her only world. The Dark Dimension story plot with the kitsune keys was fascinating.

What I do have to complain about is everything that's happening in Fell's Church. The book is mainly about Damon and Elena getting Stefan back from Shi no Shi, right? So why add the...more

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May 20, 2010 Chad rated it 5 of 5 stars

loved it

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Apr 26, 2010 Mell rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, vampires, supernatural-science-fiction-and-fa

Hated Nightfall. (Seriously- have read fan fiction that was better.) But I'm curious to see if the author redeems herself.

And the answer is . . . NO. This book is bad, so very bad.

I'm kicking myself for buying this book and putting the emotional investment into reading it. Shadow Souls is truly awful, and I thought nothing could be worse than Nightfall. I am embarrassed for LJ Smith and all of the readers (including myself) who held out hope that the story of the Vampire Diaries could be redeem...more Hated Nightfall. (Seriously- have read fan fiction that was better.) But I'm curious to see if the author redeems herself.

And the answer is . . . NO. This book is bad, so very bad.

I'm kicking myself for buying this book and putting the emotional investment into reading it. Shadow Souls is truly awful, and I thought nothing could be worse than Nightfall. I am embarrassed for LJ Smith and all of the readers (including myself) who held out hope that the story of the Vampire Diaries could be redeemed after her last mess of a novel.

Much like the previous book, Smith seems determined to cram a bunch of folklore and fairy tales clichés into Shadow Souls, and this time most of them fit into the messily-detailed dark-age other world she creates. She spends so much time on period detail that is unnecessary- do we really need to know the color of the veils that each of the girls wears during their procession though the city? Magical Auras, demon dogs, gate keepers, fierce falcons- ugh. The book meanders all over the place at times, and so slowly that I had to put the book down in frustrated boredom several times.

I thought Damon had lost all of his charm in Nightfall, but again, I underestimated just how bad it could really get. He maintains that he will die for Elena as they make their dangerous quest, yet there is no real spark or chemistry left between them. And LJ Smith can’t seem to make up her mind about the physical capabilities of the vampires. After decreeing that no sex is possible in the last novel, Elena’s not-quite-human aura seems to make Damon capable of feeling for/wanting from a woman something he has not felt in 500 years. Am I the only one getting whiplash trying to keep up?

The last pages and a sudden change for one of the major characters is just unbelievable and very disappointing. (It also foreshadows another tedious quest.) LJ Smith has successfully done one thing for me with this book: after waiting twenty years for more of the VD series, and Damon specifically, I no longer care what happens to these characters. They have little in common with the flawed and intriguing people I met two decades ago.
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May 10, 2010 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Masochists/sadists

Shelves: 2010, loathed

WTF L.J.? Were you high when you wrote this, or do you have so little respect for your devoted fans that you felt you could produce this sack of horse shit and be praised for it? This book read like its inspiration originated from a tree huggers’ acid trip. I have loved you for more than a decade Ms. Smith, but I’m done with you. This book was a travesty.

The first pages set the scene like harbingers of doom, beginning with a cell phone recording/diary entry to bring us up-to-date. This entry ser...more WTF L.J.? Were you high when you wrote this, or do you have so little respect for your devoted fans that you felt you could produce this sack of horse shit and be praised for it? This book read like its inspiration originated from a tree huggers’ acid trip. I have loved you for more than a decade Ms. Smith, but I’m done with you. This book was a travesty.

The first pages set the scene like harbingers of doom, beginning with a cell phone recording/diary entry to bring us up-to-date. This entry serves no other purpose than to prove to readers Ms. Smith has lost her grasp on her characters and reality as well as to inform her readers that the Elena from the previous books truly is dead and gone. In her stead, we get a lobotomized version of Elena who sounds as though she were about 10 years old and obsessed with Sailor Moon. The rest of the book blew just as hard as the start, but like a true schmuck, I finished it. Not even Elena’s lame ass “Wings of Purification” could purge this book of its suckage.

There is no plot, so I can’t recount it for those of you who are contemplating acts of sadism/masochism. However, I hate to see my self-punishment go to waste; therefore, I shall hi-light the basic route markers on this road to literary hell.

1. Elena’s self obsessed, and yet “oh so humble” journal entries that declare her everlasting, undying love for Stefan that casually omit the fact that she has been making out with his brother while also feeding him her blood. Meanwhile Stefan sits in a cold, cruel prison cell, held captive by a very bad bad man. So much for love, huh?

2. The heavy handed metaphors were gag inducing. A little boy chained to the floor…Is it too much to ask for my vampires to not be served with a side of child labor references? Fraggel Rock never included such things.

3. Elena is the “Jewel in the crown of humanity” complete with the ability to weep healing “virgin tears”. Last time I checked L.J.'s universe, blood-letting was the vamp equivalent to sex, and Elena has blood-letted with not one, but two Salvatore brothers. Apparently vampire sex doesn’t count as Elena's virgin tears heal her love dejour, Stefan. Can we say inconsistancy? Or perhaps the real screwing taking place is L.J. Smith's attempts to screw with her readers minds?

4. The inclusion of Lady Ulma and her magical dresses. I lost count to how many pages were devoted to this. Far too many, and naturally, Elena’s is the simplest, but most beautiful of all the dresses.

5. The scene in which everyone ignores an old woman getting beat to death in the dark dimension without anyone batting an eyelash until Elena jumps into the fray. I guess it hardly matters if an ugly old woman is bludgeoned to death, but God forbid and egotistical whench who cries healing virgin tears get bitch slapped. Oh the horror!

If reading wish fulfillment fan fiction written by 12 year old girls is your idea of a good time, by all means, read Shadow Souls. The writing was fraught with flaws, the dialog was unbelievably childish, the characters are cartoonish caricatures of their former selves and for the life of me, and I couldn’t fathom the need for 3/4ths of this book. I would have given it no stars if I could.
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Oct 10, 2010 Audrey rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-should-just-be-burned

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was so horrible that I could not even stomach to finish it. I never really liked Elena in the series(oddly enough I like her on the show though) she was just snotty, vain, and just a plain old Mary-Sue that was mostly putting down her friends that made a blood pledge to help her(and really, come on) win the brooding new guy at her school. I just thought this book was poorly done and L.J. Smith was in a hurry to finish. I wanted to see more of Bonnie and Meredeth, who at least had some...more This book was so horrible that I could not even stomach to finish it. I never really liked Elena in the series(oddly enough I like her on the show though) she was just snotty, vain, and just a plain old Mary-Sue that was mostly putting down her friends that made a blood pledge to help her(and really, come on) win the brooding new guy at her school. I just thought this book was poorly done and L.J. Smith was in a hurry to finish. I wanted to see more of Bonnie and Meredeth, who at least had some redeeming quality's, I was hoping there would be some development between Damon and Bonnie. In my opinion, Bonnie is more of an angel than Elena. She is innocent and sensitive, while Elena is thought to be strong but really she can't do anything by her self. And what was with Damon and Elena making out while the Elena's "true love" Stefan lies in a cold, dark, and moldy cell. Yes, definitely that's true love right there. I always thought Elena was a bit of a slut, granted that we now find out that Elena is a virgin. I don't see why all the male characters(and female characters in this book) love Elena. Of course, Elena has to be the one to save Lady Ulma or whatever her name was. After she is worshiped by just about everyone, because you know she's a human with angel powers and she's beautiful, kind, and just wonderful. Please realize that last sentence is filled with sarcasm. Many people prefer the books to the show, but I disagree, at least in the show it build the relationship between the characters. The show is more practical too(well as practical as a show with vampires and werewolves can be). But anyway, Elena just ticked me off, she was a perfect Mary-Sue(well she always has been in my opinion) for reasons already mentioned. Stefan reminded me a lot of Eward Cullen, with the controlling quality, the brooding quality, and the Oh-woe-is-me-my-life-sucks-I'll-kill-my-girlfriend quality. No, just no. I can't really say anything more about this book, it was atrocious, rushed, and basically pathetic. I only know that because I read the last few pages to see if it was worth the pain of finishing it. It wasn't, the ending was even worse than the beginning. Damon as a human, and somehow I have a feeling that Elena and he will be even "closer" and who's knows maybe they will fall in love and live happily ever after. Yeah, right. (less)

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Dec 13, 2010 Savannah Garcia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fan-fic lovers

Recommended to Savannah by: My friend Emily, who wanted me to see for myslef how bad it was.

If it weren't for the fact that this book was much much better than 'Nightfall', then I would've given it only one star. However, there were parts of this book which were mildly interesting and I did not feel the need to slit my wrists just to have something to occupy myself with as much as I felt the need to in the last one.

What has happened to you, L.J? I used to love your books with the unsociable, unfathomable Stefan and the totally badass sexy Damon, but all that has happened now is that St...more If it weren't for the fact that this book was much much better than 'Nightfall', then I would've given it only one star. However, there were parts of this book which were mildly interesting and I did not feel the need to slit my wrists just to have something to occupy myself with as much as I felt the need to in the last one.

What has happened to you, L.J? I used to love your books with the unsociable, unfathomable Stefan and the totally badass sexy Damon, but all that has happened now is that Stefan is some love-sick puppy dog where the only coherent sentences he can manage to put together is "Elena, I love you" and "Lovely little love." And as for Damon, his personality seems to be one written by a lame fan-fic writer who 'just wants everyone to be nice and get along'. Where is Damon's hatred for Stefan due to the fact that because of him, he never had Katherine to himself? Or is Katherine completly forgotten now? I don't know, but all the characters personalities have been totally changed and not in a good way.

Bonnie, for instance, if she faints one more time, I am going to scream! Sure, she's always been the cute little one of the group, but she can still manage to stand on her own two feet for more than five minutes I'm sure.

And don't even get me started on Elena! You'd think that after coming back from the afterlife she would have grown up just a little bit, but no. Elena is even more self-obsessed, arrogant and vain than she has ever been portrayed as before. I've never liked Elena, she annoys me and I do not see a point in a main character who has no likeable qualities.

Half of this book seemed to be taken up with descriptions of the girl's dresses and hair and jewellery at various different parties and venues. I don't know about you, but if it were me, I don't think I'd be wasting anytime admiring myself and my dress if the supposed love of my life was locked away in a prison being starved and tortured.

To be honest, 90% percent of the book was totally ridiculous and had no elements of realism included. The dialogue was childish and the description was incoherent. The sentence "Elena pulled away from Damon entirely,staring at her arms which were red and with something that wasn't paint" actually made me laugh out loud.

I'm pretty sure that many of the ideas and things mentioned in this book, like Damon promising Elena that he would go back to the Dark Dimension with her to abolish slavery will never actually happen. Smith really needs to get herself an editor because there are at least 100 pages of garbage needed to be cleared out of this book.

And one last thing. Can somebody please explain what the hell velociraptor sisterhood is? (less)

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Apr 13, 2010 Marija rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-mg, fantasy-sci-fi

In the months preceding the release of Shadow Souls, I read the teasers that were available online and was excited by the tension and angst in the interplay between Damon and Elena. In my anticipation, I started creating scenarios in my head of what could possibly happen, so you could say that I had high expectations prior to reading this novel. When I finally got the book and read it, I must admit that I was a bit underwhelmed.

I think the book was better than its predecessor, Nightfall; there...more In the months preceding the release of Shadow Souls, I read the teasers that were available online and was excited by the tension and angst in the interplay between Damon and Elena. In my anticipation, I started creating scenarios in my head of what could possibly happen, so you could say that I had high expectations prior to reading this novel. When I finally got the book and read it, I must admit that I was a bit underwhelmed.

I think the book was better than its predecessor, Nightfall; there weren’t as many Stephen King-like gruesome moments, but they weren’t entirely eradicated. Shadow Souls begins with Damon, Matt and Elena on the road sparring with each other, while back in Fell’s Church, Bonnie and Meredith reluctantly make a visit to Caroline’s bedroom/den. Caroline’s description is so otherworldly that I don’t know what to make of it, and neither do Bonnie and Meredith. There’s an eventual partner switch: Matt returns home, while Bonnie and Meredith join Damon and Elena on their trek to the dark dimension to rescue Stefan.

I had a hard time dealing with the pacing of the story: Some moments were dragged out by the description, while other key moments in the storyline flew by. Also, I think LJ could have used a better editor. For instance, I had to reread Chapter 13, which starts with Damon driving, Elena riding shotgun, and Bonnie and Meredith in the back seat. Damon tells Elena that he can show her how to manipulate her aura/powers, and he does. The chapter ends with Damon telling Elena that they should get back to Bonnie and Meredith. Where/when did they leave Meredith and Bonnie, and when did Damon stop driving? This info was glossed over.

Some new characters are introduced: Lady Ulma and Lucien, two former slaves who are rescued by Elena and freed by Damon, and the Adonis, Sage, who comes onto the scene bronze haired and bare chest with a hellhound and hawk in tow. With this initial introduction of Sage, I was immediately taken in and wanted to read more about him, but then after rescuing Damon et.al., he promptly disappears, only reappearing when the others need his aid. Bonnie and Meredith are also for the most part relegated to the background, contributing nothing really significant in the form of dialogue or action to the plot. The same can basically be said regarding the Fell’s Church/Matt/Mrs. Flowers/Caroline storyline.

As for Damon, I wanted more scenes of tension and angst, as well as more moments of his dry wit, which I had enjoyed reading about in the original series. In this book, I expected to learn more about him, but he is still shrouded in mystery. All I’m really sure of is his inherent love for his brother, which I already knew from reading the previous books. So far for me, he’s still the little boy tied to the rock blocking his soul; his true potential as a character is yet to be realized.

That said this is the second book to a trilogy, and it’s expected that some of the plot points should yet be unresolved. I wish I could admit that I truly loved this book and that it met my expectations, but in the end I can only say that liked it—sort of.
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Jan 01, 2011 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any one who likes love triangles, roots for the underdog and like the bite of a vamp.

Recommended to Hannah by: Asda.

If you have read the previous Vampire Diaries and have for some unknown reason not completly been swoon by the charming rogue that is Damon Salvatore, then by the end of Shadow Souls, i grantee you will be. As I turned the last page, i was left completely shocked and laughing in a goofy way. Im not going to give a spoiler but the expected twist in L.J's books, is one that you would of never imagined.

From this book, I have learnt that a good book, is cunning but has sublte clues towards the twis...more

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Sep 17, 2010 Nan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: never-again, young-adult, urban-fantasy, vampires

I couldn't make it past page 283. There's nothing significantly bad about page 283, in case you're worried about spoilers, but I realized after reading 17 chapters that I simply couldn't take it anymore.

I'm too old for this series.

I bought the original series--the trilogy--when they were first published. I love them still, even though my tastes have gotten much more demanding as I've grown. Reading the Return series for the first time as an adult, I don't have that rosy affection for it that I h...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Olivia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish

I feel so awful that I didn't finish this book. I love "The Vampire Diaries" TV Show. I love it so much and the other books before this one aren't that bad. So, like I said, I feel awful that I couldn't finish it.

I just got so confused. I couldn't understand what was going on and got lost in so many parts. I loved that Damon was the main focus on this and the beginning is pretty good. It's when they go to that place with Bonnie and Meredith that I get lost. I went ahead and skipped to the end a...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think its REALLY good so far :) I just wonder if they are going to find Stefan in this book because i currently found out that there is another book after this one and im eager to finish it so i can move on to the next one. I think this book is thrilling just like the series and if you are a Twillight fan i think you might enjoy this book also because its like Twillight just not really :) Well i can't really explain it that good so just read it and find out yourself :) Again, this book so far...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Rebecca Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

these books are getting crazy! other dimensions and such, but each book does have me wondering, how are they going to get out of it this time.

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Feb 01, 2011 Josie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay I'll admit I started these books because I'm addicted to the show. The first book was alright a bit different from the show and I almost didn't continue with the series. So glad I did! Over all they're pretty good! Can't wait for the new one to come out.

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Nov 26, 2011 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

Dear L.J.:

Here's how this should work. Elena and Meredith stay in Fells Church to battle Caroline and the increasingly creepy Exorcist remake going on there. (Meredith so we can get a little more of her and Alaric, Elena because - well - her story's freaking over, and you just need to damn well accept that.) Bonnie and Matt travel with Damon to a hellish underworld, with Bonnie narrating and increasing tension building amongst the three as they try to stay alive long enough to free Stefan. Vie...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: never-read-again, vampires

I was sooooo excited about L.J's Vampire Diaries comeback, after being bitterly disappointed by the TV show as I loved the first four books and have read them over and over again through the years since I first discovered them.

But Nightfall was just as disappointing as the show, but I managed to read it all in case it got better. I then got this book, Shadow Souls, hoping it would improve as the author went along because I'm sure it is hard to get back into the mindset of characters that were c...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Giota Papadimakopoulou rated it 4 of 5 stars

Η αλήθεια, να λέγεται... Διαβάζοντας το 5ο βιβλίο της σειράς, "Vampire Diaries" με τίτλο, "Η Επιστροφή 1: Το Σούρουπο", ένιωσα μεγάλη απογοήτευση. Μπορεί τα προηγούμενα τέσσερα βιβλία της σειράς, να μην χαρακτηρίζονταν αριστουργηματικά ωστόσο, αποτελούσαν ένα ενδιαφέρον, ευχάριστο, ανατρεπτικό ανάγνωσμα για νέους, που παρά που γράφτηκε τη δεκαετία του '90, έμοιαζε φρέσκο και σύγχρονο, σαν να γράφτηκε σήμερα. Γιατί λοιπόν η σειρά της "Επιστροφής", ξεκίνησε τόσο λάθος; Ο λόγος ένας και πολύ ξεκάθα...more Η αλήθεια, να λέγεται... Διαβάζοντας το 5ο βιβλίο της σειράς, "Vampire Diaries" με τίτλο, "Η Επιστροφή 1: Το Σούρουπο", ένιωσα μεγάλη απογοήτευση. Μπορεί τα προηγούμενα τέσσερα βιβλία της σειράς, να μην χαρακτηρίζονταν αριστουργηματικά ωστόσο, αποτελούσαν ένα ενδιαφέρον, ευχάριστο, ανατρεπτικό ανάγνωσμα για νέους, που παρά που γράφτηκε τη δεκαετία του '90, έμοιαζε φρέσκο και σύγχρονο, σαν να γράφτηκε σήμερα. Γιατί λοιπόν η σειρά της "Επιστροφής", ξεκίνησε τόσο λάθος; Ο λόγος ένας και πολύ ξεκάθαρος! Γιατί η Smith, θέλοντας να ακολουθήσει ένα πιο μοντέρνο αν το θέλετε ρεύμα, προσπάθησε να χώσει πολλά καρπούζια κάτω από την ίδια μασχάλη με αποτέλεσμα, να της πέσουν όλα. Ευτυχώς, στο δεύτερο βιβλίο της "Επιστροφής", "Ψυχές Στο Σκοτάδι", φροντίζει να διορθώσει τα λάθη της προσφέροντάς μας ένα βιβλίο, σχεδόν εκρηκτικό.

Τα σατανικά κιτσούνε, Σινίτσι και Μισάο, έχουν αιχμαλωτίσει τον Στέφαν στην Σκοτεινή Διάσταση, έχοντας κρύψει δε δύο διαφορετικά μέρη, τα δύο μισά ενός κλειδιού που αποτελούν το μοναδικό πράγμα που μπορεί να τον οδηγήσει στην ελευθερία. Η Έλενα, έχει δώσει όρκο στον εαυτό της να κάνει ό,τι περνάει από το χέρι της, ρισκάροντας και την ζωή της αν χρειαστεί, προκειμένου να ελευθερώσει τον αγαπημένο της Στέφαν και χωρίς να χάσει χρόνο, οδεύει προς την πύλη που θα της επιτρέψει να εισέλθει στην Σκοτεινή Διάσταση. Όμως στον αγώνα αυτό, δεν είναι μόνη της. Οι φίλες της βρίσκονται στο πλευρό της όπως και ο Ντέιμον, που κυριευμένος από το πάθος του για εκείνη και τις τύψεις απέναντι στον αδερφό του, έχει ορκιστεί με την σειρά του να την προστατέψει ανεξάρτητα το κόστος. Όλοι μαζί, ξεκινάνε ένα μεγάλο κι επικίνδυνο ταξίδι, που κρύβει πολλές δυσάρεστες εκπλήξεις στην πορεία του, την ίδια ώρα που στο Φελς Τσερτς, το κακό, μοιάζει να έχει ξεφύγει από τον έλεγχο.

Τα θετικά, ειδικά αν μπούμε στη διαδικασία να συγκρίνουμε το εν λόγω βιβλίο με το προηγούμενο, που ουσιαστικά αποτελούσε μια λανθασμένη εισαγωγή σε ένα νέο κεφάλαιο της ιστορίας, είναι πολλά. Πρώτα απ' όλα, η Smith, φαίνεται να έχει καταλάβει πως, δεν μπορείς να μιλάς για πολλά πράγματα ταυτόχρονα, ειδικά αν δεν μπορείς να τα εξηγήσεις όπως ακριβώς πρέπει, δίνοντας στον αναγνώστη να καταλάβει επακριβώς, για ποιο πράγμα τους μιλάς. Δεύτερον, τοποθετεί την δράση της ιστορίας σε έναν νέο κόσμο, σκοτεινό και άγνωστο, που ο ήλιος ουσιαστικά, δεν αναστέλλει ποτέ και που η βία και η οργή, μοιάζουν να έχουν πρωταρχική θέση σε μια κοινωνία σκοτεινών πλασμάτων, που έχουν επιλέξει να μην ζουν στο ανθρώπινο επίπεδο αλλά, μονάχα να το εκμεταλλεύονται, όπως και όποτε θέλουν. Τρίτον, επικεντρώνεται σε σημαντικό βαθμό στα συναισθήματα των χαρακτήρων που και να θέλουν, δεν μπορούν να μείνουν ανεπηρέαστα απ' όλα όσα συμβαίνουν γύρω τους. Έχουμε με άλλα λόγια, ένα ουσιαστικό ψυχογράφημα που οδηγεί τελικά, σε δικαιολογημένες και ουσιαστικές αποφάσεις, που δεν κατευθύνονται από τον παρορμητισμό.

Το μοναδικό αρνητικό χαρακτηριστικό που μπορώ να εντοπίσω στο βιβλίο, έχει να κάνει με τα γεγονότα που λαμβάνουν χώρα στο Φελς Τσερτς κατά την διάρκεια της απουσίας των βασικών χαρακτήρων σε μια άλλη διάσταση. Θα ήθελα η Smith, να δώσει λίγο μεγαλύτερη βάση σε αυτό ωστόσο, θέλω να πιστεύω πως θα επανορθώσει στο επόμενο βιβλίο. Από 'κει κι έπειτα, υπάρχουν ορισμένες φλυαρίες σε κάποια σημεία οι οποίες όμως, τελικά, δεν ενοχλούν καθώς, η γραφή της Smith, είναι λιγότερο απλοϊκή απ' ότι στο παρελθόν, πιο λογοτεχνική, λυρική και συναισθηματική. Απολαμβάνεις τη ροή των γεγονότων και η ιστορία, συνολικά, έχει αρκετές δυνατές στιγμές, τόσο σε συναισθηματικό, όσο και σε επίπεδο δράσης. Δεν υπάρχει μονοτονία, δεν υπάρχουν άνευ λόγου επαναλήψεις καταστάσεων και το μεταφυσικό με το ανθρώπινο στοιχείο, συνυπάρχουν αρμονικά σε μια ιστορία που τελικά, και να μην θέλουμε, σχετίζεται και με δύο και γι' αυτό, έχει στην πραγματικότητα, τόσο μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον.

Με τις "Ψυχές Στο Σκοτάδι", η Smith, μας προσφέρει απλόχερα, όλα όσα μας στέρησε άδικα, στο προηγούμενο βιβλίο της, καλύπτοντας τα κενά που μας δημιούργησε, αναζωπυρώνοντας το ενδιαφέρον μας ως αναγνώστες. Περιμένοντας λοιπόν το 7ο και τελευταίο βιβλίο της σειράς, που αναμένεται να κυκλοφορήσει τον προσεχή Μάρτιο από τις εκδόσεις Ψυχογιός, δεν μπορούμε παρά να αγωνιούμε να ανακαλύψουμε, πως πρόκειται να πέσει η αυλαία αυτής της τόσο περίπλοκης ιστορίας. Οι ήρωές μας, έχουν να αντιμετωπίσουν μια ήδη υπάρχουσα κρίση αλλά, και πολλές νέες, τις οποίες η συγγραφέας φρόντισε να αφήσει μετέωρες, θέλοντας προφανώς να τσιτώσει τα νεύρα μας, πράγμα το οποίο πέτυχε και ως fan της σειράς, μπορώ να πω ότι χαίρομαι γι' αυτό καθώς, σβήνει σε έναν βαθμό τα μελανά σημεία που δημιούργησε μερικούς μήνες νωρίτερα. Πολύ σύντομα λοιπόν θα ανακαλύψουμε τι θα συμβεί και ποιες θα είναι οι τελικές αποφάσεις και επιλογές των ηρώων, που μπορούν με την ίδια ευκολία να οδηγήσουν στη λύτρωση, όσο και την καταστροφή.(less)

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Oct 20, 2012 Georgiana Derwent rated it 3 of 5 stars

Most of what I said in my review of the previous book in this series (Nightfall) also applies here - in essence, this is nowhere near as good as the original Vampire Diaries books and is in many ways very different, but is still entertaining and shouldn't be too much of an affront to old fans.

That said, I thought this book was rather better than its immediate predecessor. A large proportion of it is set in the Dark Dimension, a world full of demons, vampires and kitsune who keep humans as slaves...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Eugenie Chung rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the new series of Vampire Diaries and continues right after Nightfall. With Damon as their guide, Elena sets off to the Dark Dimension with Matt. However, half way through the journey, they have to split up to create a diversion. And Matt secretly goes back to Fells Church. To her surprise, Bonnie and Meredith turn up.
They enter the Dark Dimension via one of the gates and end up in a savage world. The Dark Dimension is a world where vampire and demons roam free and hu...more This is the second book of the new series of Vampire Diaries and continues right after Nightfall. With Damon as their guide, Elena sets off to the Dark Dimension with Matt. However, half way through the journey, they have to split up to create a diversion. And Matt secretly goes back to Fells Church. To her surprise, Bonnie and Meredith turn up.
They enter the Dark Dimension via one of the gates and end up in a savage world. The Dark Dimension is a world where vampire and demons roam free and humans are slave. To free Stefan, they have to look for 2 halves of a key to Stefan’s cell. As disguise, the girls become Damon’s slave. They pretend to “settle down” into the society of the Dark Dimension while beginning their mission. After a lot of effort, they finally manage to rescue Stefan.
On the other hand, back in Fells Church, Matt joins forces with Mrs Flower to investigate the strange events happening in Fells Church and try to find out the plan of the kitsune twins who are behind that.
When the gang return to Fells Church, Stefan receives a gift from the good kitsune who shared the cell with him in the Dark Dimension. However, Damon’s curiosity seals his fate. When he opens the package, he is turned into human.
It’s a good but long read. This book explores more on the kitsune legend as the gang have to understand what kind of creatures the kitsunes are, in order to solve the riddle given by the kitsune twins which gives the location of the keys to Stefan’s cell. Being an Asian myself, kitsune legends are not new stuff to me but it’s interesting to hear about the legend from the Japanese approach. We are also introduced to the new world of Dark Dimension and its inhabitants as previous books focus on Fells Church.
On the other hand, there is further development between Elena and Damon. They put more trust on each other and get closer. They even exchange blood a few times throughout the story and this deepens their connection. This is going to give interesting dynamics to the love triangle as the story moves on. I quite like the way the author describes Damon’s inner conscious as a little boy after Elena exchanges blood with him, how he buried his deepest feelings. Elena being able to leave her body and meet Stefan in her dream is also a good creation.
However, I do feel like the author put too much emphasis or effort on the Dark Dimension adventure, rather than balance out on accounting what’s going on in Dark Dimension and Fells Church. We only get a glimpse on what Matt is doing on the outside world. And I am not sure if I want to know every single detail of the girls getting ready for party and the design of their dresses!!I do feel a bit bored during middle of the story until the climax in the end and the pace of the story picks up again.

Last, but not the least, the biggest shock comes in the end of the story when Damon becomes human again. This is such as big cliffhanger. Obviously the gift is intended for Stefan as he wants to become human again to be with Elena. I guess we will find out in the next book.
(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Amina rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. his is the second book of the new series of Vampire Diaries and continues right after Nightfall. With Damon as their guide, Elena sets off to the Dark Dimension with Matt. However, half way through the journey, they have to split up to create a diversion. And Matt secretly goes back to Fells Church. To her surprise, Bonnie and Meredith turn up.

They enter the Dark Dimension via one of the gates and end up in a savage world. The Dark Dimension is a world where vampire and demons roam free and huma...more his is the second book of the new series of Vampire Diaries and continues right after Nightfall. With Damon as their guide, Elena sets off to the Dark Dimension with Matt. However, half way through the journey, they have to split up to create a diversion. And Matt secretly goes back to Fells Church. To her surprise, Bonnie and Meredith turn up.

They enter the Dark Dimension via one of the gates and end up in a savage world. The Dark Dimension is a world where vampire and demons roam free and humans are slave. To free Stefan, they have to look for 2 halves of a key to Stefan's cell. As disguise, the girls become Damon's slave. They pretend to "settle down" into the society of the Dark Dimension while beginning their mission. After a lot of effort, they finally manage to rescue Stefan.

On the other hand, back in Fells Church, Matt joins forces with Mrs Flower to investigate the strange events happening in Fells Church and try to find out the plan of the kitsune twins who are behind that.

When the gang return to Fells Church, Stefan receives a gift from the good kitsune who shared the cell with him in the Dark Dimension. However, Damon's curiosity seals his fate. When he opens the package, he is turned into human.

It's a good but long read. This book explores more on the kitsune legend as the gang have to understand what kind of creatures the kitsunes are, in order to solve the riddle given by the kitsune twins which gives the location of the keys to Stefan's cell, and it was interesting to hear about the legend from the Japanese approach. We are also introduced to the new world of Dark Dimension and its inhabitants as previous books focus on Fells Church.

moreover,here is further development between Elena and Damon.They put more trust on each other and get closer. They even exchange blood a few times throughout the story and this deepens their connection. This is going to give interesting dynamics to the love triangle as the story moves on. I quite like the way the author describes Damon's inner conscious as a little boy after Elena exchanges blood with him, how he buried his deepest feelings. Elena being able to leave her body and meet Stefan in her dream is also a good creation.

However, I do feel like the author put too much emphasis or effort on the Dark Dimension adventure, rather than balance out on accounting what's going on in Dark Dimension and Fells Church. We only get a glimpse on what Matt is doing on the outside world. And I am not sure if I want to know every single detail of the girls getting ready for party and the design of their dresses!!I do feel a bit bored during middle of the story until the climax in the end and the pace of the story picks up again.

Last, but not the least, the biggest shock comes in the end of the story when Damon becomes human again. This is such as big cliffhanger. Obviously the gift is intended for Stefan as he wants to become human again to be with Elena I guess we will find out what happens in the next book.(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 Lily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://eldesvandelosuenos.blogspot.co...

El libro me ha encantado. Desde luego me está gustando mucho más la trilogía de Damon de lo que me gustó la tetralogía de Crónicas Vampíricas.

En esta entrega, Damon está magnífico. La transformación que va sufriendo experimentando a lo largo de la novela es espectacular y sobrecogedora. En las páginas de este ejemplar vamos profundizando en el personaje, su complejidad, sus dobleces, su historia y la eterna lucha entre la bondad y la maldad que se libra en...more http://eldesvandelosuenos.blogspot.co...

El libro me ha encantado. Desde luego me está gustando mucho más la trilogía de Damon de lo que me gustó la tetralogía de Crónicas Vampíricas.

En esta entrega, Damon está magnífico. La transformación que va sufriendo experimentando a lo largo de la novela es espectacular y sobrecogedora. En las páginas de este ejemplar vamos profundizando en el personaje, su complejidad, sus dobleces, su historia y la eterna lucha entre la bondad y la maldad que se libra en su interior. La descripción de su mente como una roca a la que está encadenada un niño es estupenda. Ha tenido 500 años para construirse una sólida coraza debido a las decepciones y a la falta de amor, pero la calidez de Elena empieza a hacer mella poco a poco en sus defensas. Y lo mejor de todo es que la autora sabe mantener la progresión, el proceso, con avances y retrocesos. Vemos el debate interno de Damon y cómo, a pesar de su crueldad, es un vampiro con un alto sentido del honor porque «Damon siempre cumple su palabra». El hombre de acero que se niega constantemente a sentir debilidad y bloquea todo el dolor encerrándose aún más en sí mismo. Se niega a sentir, a tener temores, pese a que no puede evitarlo y eso le provoca grandes quebraderos de cabeza y mucho sufrimiento.
Además, como Stefan está desaparecido en combate (desde buena parte del libro anterior), Damon y Elena están teniendo mucho tiempo a solas para conocerse a fondo. Me fascina la atracción que tiene el vampiro sobre ella y cómo influye la chica en los sentimientos y pensamientos de él. Es una tensión constante, un tira y afloja permanente que te deja con ganas de más aún. Sin embargo, aquí viene uno de los peros de la historia. El eterno, incomprensible e intangible amor de Elena hacia Stefan. Ella jura y perjura durante todo el libro que lo ama, que lo adora, que daría su vida por él y que haría cualquier cosa por él, como embarcarse en una misión suicida para rescatarlo. Eso está muy bien, pero en ocasiones se me hace repetitivo, insulso y hasta carente de sentido: palabras vacías cuando está al lado de Damon. En mi opinión la autora quiere demasiado a este personaje e intenta que sea siempre el colmo de la perfección. Y a veces es excesivo. También Stefan es demasiado perfecto, demasiado comedido y caballeroso, llega a crispar el control que intenta tener de la situación. Se nota por quién tengo debilidad, ¿eh?

En cuanto a la historia me parece ágil, llena de ritmo e intriga. También es muy original y desborda nuevos elementos y personajes. Sin embargo, en algunos puntos me dejó la sensación de inconsistencia: la trama se veía poco clara y determinadas situaciones se resuelven de forma un poco opaca. Crea un mundo demasiado complejo y peligroso y a la hora de desarrollar la vida de los personajes allí, no lo parece tanto en algunas ocasiones. Además el final se precipita un poco y escapan por los pelos en una sucesión de hechos poco claros, en mi opinión. Eso le hizo perder una mariposa en mi valoración personal. Sin embargo, la autora ha sabido cómo mantener el interés y la emoción, preparándonos para el siguiente libro, dejando algunos cabos sueltos y misterios que obviamente queremos que se resuelvan. Estoy deseando empezar el último libro de la trilogía de Damon.(less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Wanda Panda Hartzenberg rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shadow Souls, the one too many a book in the Vampire Diaries.
Where to start with this book and this review, maybe at the end. By far the best part of the book, not the ending itself, the fact that it ends. I've heard many things regarding ghost writers in this series. And this is most assuredly what was going on here. Why, this author had an idea about pacing, about building plot, and suspense. But, yes the inevitable but, but the plot fell flat, like grand ma's cake if you open the over door,...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Over a year ago, I wrote my first book review on this blog, and it was for Nightfall, the first book in this latest Vampire Diaries series by L. J. Smith. That book garnered a rather average rating, and sadly, this second installment will receive the same from me. I am still thrilled to see Smith writing again and anxiously await the concluding book in her Nightworld series, Strange Fate, due out later this year. However, I just don't feel that she is doing her original Vampire Diaries series ju...more Over a year ago, I wrote my first book review on this blog, and it was for Nightfall, the first book in this latest Vampire Diaries series by L. J. Smith. That book garnered a rather average rating, and sadly, this second installment will receive the same from me. I am still thrilled to see Smith writing again and anxiously await the concluding book in her Nightworld series, Strange Fate, due out later this year. However, I just don't feel that she is doing her original Vampire Diaries series justice with these latest books. (And yes, part of me wishes the series had been left as is.)

So many of the main characters are mere shells of their former selves--in some cases, they are nearly entirely different people. Elena has become almost wishy-washy and silly--not the strong-willed, sharp girl I remember from the original series. In these books, sometimes she is strong, and then other times she comes across as weak and almost helpless. And I'd better not get started on Stefan--suffice it to say he makes me want to gag when he calls Elena his "lovely love." Honestly? So cheesy. He almost seems pathetic to me. Bonnie and Meredith don't seem to have quite the prominent roles they did in the first books, but they may be the characters who have stayed the closest to their original forms--along with Damon. Damon is a character that I enjoyed in the first Vampire Diaries books, and I believe he is far and away my favorite in this latest trilogy, which indeed, Smith was writing to give him a more prominent role.

While this story did at times keep me on the edge of my seat and turning pages to find out what would happen next, I also felt like it was all over the place and often incoherent. Many times I found myself wondering what exactly was going on, the plot was so tangled. It is almost as if Smith has so many ideas for her story that she is trying desperately to get them all into these books in some way. I would say that it was helpful of her to include a summary of the previous book in the beginning, but it was so obvious that was what she was doing that it was rather annoying. (It reminded me of the ridiculous summaries in the Baby-Sitters Club books--each one had a chapter about how the BSC came into existence and described all its members, etc.)

I hate that this review sounds so negative, because I definitely liked this book better than Nightfall. Right now it seems like Smith is just a shadow of her former self but I will stick with her to see if the books improve. Admittedly, as I was reading Shadow Souls, I caught glimmers of the L. J. Smith I know and love. Truthfully I can't see where there would be much to write about in a third book in this series, but I hope that everything will become clearer in that last book. I've been a loyal reader of Smith's books since I read her first Vampire Diaries series back in 1991--I've waited years and years for the finale of the Nightworld books--and more than anything I would like to see her come into her own in today's YA world.(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Cece rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really, really tried to finish this series. I don't usually like to rate books unless I've read the rest of the series. But after this book I just CAN NOT subject myself to this kind of torture again!! I really can't. I think the only characters I still like are Bonnie and whatever character(s) is/are trying to kill them all.

No one can say I didn't try but these books are just too horrible to continue. What is/was L.J Smith thinking?? Was she thinking?? Seriously?? Vampires and werewolves I u...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Lucy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: burn-every-copy-of-this-book, i-barely-survived-the-crappiness

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 17, 2012 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is part of the Return Trilogy of the Vampire Diaries Series. What I didn't mention before in the last book is that because Fell's Church, Virginia is a site of enormous supernatural, magical power, with ley lines all over it, it has attracted eldritch/supernatural creatures to the town. And among these creatures were two kitsune. Kitsune are Japanese Fox spirits. They are magical foxes that can shapeshift into humans and have tremendous magical power. They are like vampires in the sens...more This book is part of the Return Trilogy of the Vampire Diaries Series. What I didn't mention before in the last book is that because Fell's Church, Virginia is a site of enormous supernatural, magical power, with ley lines all over it, it has attracted eldritch/supernatural creatures to the town. And among these creatures were two kitsune. Kitsune are Japanese Fox spirits. They are magical foxes that can shapeshift into humans and have tremendous magical power. They are like vampires in the sense that they feed off a human's chi/life force, but not blood. The two kitsune that came to Fell's Church wreaked havoc on the town and tricked and imprisoned Stefan in the last book. This second book in the trilogy is all about the main characters trying to save Stefan from the evil clutches of the Kitsune. In order to do that they have to enter the Dark Dimension with Damon, Stefan's brother. And they only have two clues given by one of the Kitsune as to how to find him. Stefan is languishing in a prison in the Dark Dimension. The book is nearly 600 pages long. The book before that was just about as long. So the story talks about the trials and tribulations the main characters have to endure to rescue Stefan in the Dark Dimension. The Dark Dimension is literally another Dimension that only Eldritch/supernatural creatures can enter at portal gates around the world. Humans can enter in the company of such creatures, but only as slaves. While the main characters are trying to save Stefan, Fell's Church is under supernatural attack by the two same Kitsune from the last book. They are very bad kitsune, but some kitsune are good. I can't really go in depth about the main characters because I don't want to give away plot spoilers. Because in past books a character or two died. And if I reveal too much it would ruin the series for you. And I want you to be as surprised and entertained as I was when I read the books. This book is very well-written. Many SAT words. I highly recommend this series to High School students. There are also characters there that speak French and Italian. The book is highly imaginative and you have to do some detective work. Suspenseful and thrilling for a young reader. Quite a few new characters are introduced in this series, secrets are revealed, temptations are in the air. In other words, the plot thickens. I'm ready to read the last book of this trilogy. The ending of the second book was a good one, but not without some surprises. Anyway, if you like fantasy, the supernatural, vampires...especially fantasy, you'll enjoy these books.(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Brandon Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hi Guys,
This weeks book review will be a continuation of The Vampire Diaries Book Review... Saga? ... any way I hope you guys like this one. I'm sorry that this week I will not be degrading a book, this book was better than Nightfall, but not by too much. Here is the summary from the front flap of The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls:

Elena Gilbert's love, the vampire Stefan Salvatore, has been captured and imprisoned by demonic spirits who are wreaking havoc in Fell's Church. While he...more Hi Guys,
This weeks book review will be a continuation of The Vampire Diaries Book Review... Saga? ... any way I hope you guys like this one. I'm sorry that this week I will not be degrading a book, this book was better than Nightfall, but not by too much. Here is the summary from the front flap of The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls:

Elena Gilbert's love, the vampire Stefan Salvatore, has been captured and imprisoned by demonic spirits who are wreaking havoc in Fell's Church. While her friends Bonnie and Meredith explore the evil that has taken over their town, Elena goes in search of Stefan.

In order to find him, she entrusts her life to Stefan's brother, Damon Salvatore, the handsome but deadly vampire who wants Elena, body and soul. Along with her childhood friend Matt, they set out for the slums of the Dark Dimension, where Stefan is being held captive. It is rumored to be a world where vampires and demons roam free, but humans must live enslaved to their supernatural masters. . . .

Elena will stop at nothing to free Stefan. Yet with each passing day the tension between Elena and Damon grows, and she is faced with a terrible decision: Which brother does she really want?

Back in Fell's Church, Bonnie and Meredith have made some dire discoveries. They hastily try to follow Elena and warn her—only to be caught up in Elena's most dangerous adventure yet.

My first impression of this book was pretty good. I liked it because, it had Damon on the cover, and showing him on the cover I somehow knew he must play a very large part in this book. I was correct, he does play a very large part, which I didn't like. I never really liked Damon, mostly because he changed his ways for Elena. My friend Brittany, had loved Damon in the first two books, but by Nighfall she felt like the author had turned Damon "fluffy". I believe this, and think it's hilarious. I like Stefan in all the books, I feel like I can relate to him in some ways, and I liked how he loved Elena from the jump. I can't share a lot about this book besides the fact that Damon is in it a lot and Stefan is not. I liked this book enough to give it 3/5 stars, but that is about the MAXIMUM I will give it. I didn't like it that much because over half the book was in the Underworld, where it was Dark, Nasty, and Sorrowful the whole time. I did like the next book in the series though, which is The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Midnight, which I will be reviewing next week, so be sure to check it out. (less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Truly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dear Diary,

Betapa cepatnya waktu berlalu.
Kemarin aku hanya seorang Elena Gilbert, gadis biasa. Banyak cewok yang menyatakan aku cewek yang paling mirip bidadari di dunia ini. Aku memanfaatkan mereka-untuk popularitas, untuk kesenangan, untuk apa pun. Aku mau jujur sekarang. AKu menganggap mereka itu mainan atau piala.

Tapi, ada sesuatu yang lain. Seumur hidupku, aku tahu hal itu akan datang-tapi aku tidak tahu apa itu, Aku merasa seakan-akan aku mencari sesuatu yang tidak bisa kutemukan dalam cow...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Bianca added it

I think at this point, it's obvious that the author neither cares about her readers or, perhaps more importantly, her characters. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept waiting for it to get better or at least start to make sense. Elena is laughable in this book, she's nothing like she was in the original four books. She's a whiny, giggling wreck. Her only purpose seems to be to stand around and make men fight over her. She spends most of the book lusting after Damon, but rather than mak...more I think at this point, it's obvious that the author neither cares about her readers or, perhaps more importantly, her characters. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept waiting for it to get better or at least start to make sense. Elena is laughable in this book, she's nothing like she was in the original four books. She's a whiny, giggling wreck. Her only purpose seems to be to stand around and make men fight over her. She spends most of the book lusting after Damon, but rather than make it believable, Damon stalks around like a cartoon character - I was expecting him to start twirling his mustache and squinting through a monocle. Poor Bonnie and Meredith are relegated to supporting characters. In the original books, they were part of the team, even if they weren't main characters. Here they only serve to point out how wonderful Elena is. Stefan finally show up 400 or so pages in, babbling like a moron. He practically throws himself at Elena's feet, crying, "Darling! Angel!" How this Stefan managed to live for 500+ years without getting a stake through his heart is beyond me. Matt is once again reduced to a minor role and Damon still refers to him as "Mutt". They didn't get along in the original books, but at least Damon was civil to him - the way you would think a gentleman of Renaissance Italy would be. Instead, he acts like a six-year-old boy.

There's a vague sadomasochism vibe in the middle section - Damon, Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith have to enter the Dark Dimension, but only if Damon takes the humans as slaves. A particularly insulting part is the way Elena rescues an old slave woman. The old woman is being beaten in the middle of the street, but no one pays any notice. That is, until Elena risks life and death to go to her rescue. Then, suddenly the crowd comes alive and surges to her defense - "[I]t was one thing to see a merchant beating his worn out drab. . . [b]ut to see this beautiful new girl having her clothes slashed away. . . that was quite another thing" (pg 220). I get it, really, I do. The ugly should be made to suffer, after all, they're ugly and worn out, hardly worth notice. But if a beautiful girl decides to get a little dirty and actually might (*gasp*) get hurt in the process, well, we can't have that!

The last chapter, where our heroes should be discussing what they are going to do next, is instead a slapstick comedy affair. One of the characters goes through a very important change, but it's mentioned in a kind of off-hand way, and then it's nearly lost in the author's eagerness to return to "comedy". I had to go back and reread it to make sure I had actually read it correctly. (less)

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Mar 17, 2011 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shadow Souls is the second book in L.J. Smith's ever-popular Vampire Diaries Return series.

Picking up immediately after Vampire Diaries Return: Nightfall ends, Elena Gilbert and gang travel to another dimension -- the Dark Dimension -- in an effort to save Stefan Salvatore from his imprisonment. Elena must find two halves of a magic key that will unlock Stefan's cell but in the process, she must pose as a slave to Damon Salvatore in the Dark Dimension, where supernatural leaders rule. As Damon t...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Majanka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal, paranormal-romance, vampires, young-adult

I’m feeling very confused over what I should rate this novel. On the hand, Shadow Souls is all about Damon and Elena, which makes me jump from happiness and be extraordinary pleased as their relationship evolves, on the other hand, this book reads like it was written by a very girly twelve-year-old fanfiction writer. But you know, writing style, plot and page-longth descriptions of dresses put aside, I did enjoy reading about Damon and Elena. And although the author beats Damon down until he’s j...more I’m feeling very confused over what I should rate this novel. On the hand, Shadow Souls is all about Damon and Elena, which makes me jump from happiness and be extraordinary pleased as their relationship evolves, on the other hand, this book reads like it was written by a very girly twelve-year-old fanfiction writer. But you know, writing style, plot and page-longth descriptions of dresses put aside, I did enjoy reading about Damon and Elena. And although the author beats Damon down until he’s just ‘a small little boy trapped in his own mind by none other than himself’ and Elena is clearly out of her mind with the ‘I love Stefan but you know, he’ll understand when I’m making out and sharing blood with his brother, right?’ crap. As far as humor goes, this novel is definately my top ten ever. I laughed from start to end. And I did enjoy myself more than I did when reading the previous novels in the series, plus Damon makes an interesting protagonist, even if he seems a bit out-of-character himself. So, that said, I decided on a 3,5. At least I didn’t feel like bashing Elena’s head in with an two-handed axe anymore, and although I still felt like staking Stefan over and over again, it could have been worse.

The story starts exactly where Nightfall left off, with Matt, Damon and Elena looking for poor little Stefan, who’s still tied in a cage, courtesy of the Kitsune. Because everyone thinks it’s terribly wrong to leave the Veggie Vamp (yes, that’s my pet name for Stefan) like that, they all go searching for him. Well not everyone, because at first Meredith and Bonnie stay behind. Good. For all I care, it was just Damon and Elena on a roadtrip, Veggie Vamp still tied safely to his prison house, and Mutt – excuse me, Matt – can do whatever he wants, as long as he’s not interfering with the Damon/Elena love scenes that are practically dripping from this novel. Matt, being the good little boy he is, does exactly that after he sees Elena and bad-boy-vampire Damon in a rather comprimising position. He returns to Fell’s Church, and all I could say was: good riddance: that menas more Damon/Elena love scenes coming my way. Unfortunately, Elena keeps reminiscing about the Veggie Vamp, and occasionally wonders if he could really forgive her for doing all those nasty, crazy and kissy things with his brother. But, confident as she is that Stefan really loves her, she is absolutely sure that he will. Because that’s what every normal boyfriend does when the girl who is supposedly the love of his life turns all snuggly with his brother.

Their roadtrip brings Damon and Elena to the Dark Dimension but – surprise, surprise – somehow Meredith and Bonnie manage to tag along. Once again, I had to surpress the emotion to grab a giant wooden stick and beat them all the way back to Fell’s Church. Add the fact that they always knock on the door at the wrong moments (especially Meredith…) and actually manage to say or do nothing significantly important or even remotely interesting, and you can understand why I was frustrated that they had to turn up as well. And all of that for Veggie Vamp.

Now, there’s a thing or two I ought to tell you about the Dark Dimension. First of all, humans are slaves there, meaning that Elena, Bonnie and Meredith have to be tied up to get in and pretend to be Damon’s slaves. If you thought this would lead to some witty comments from Damon, or sly remarks about their current position, think again. Unfortunately for us, Damon has lost a lot of his carefree humor and wit already. Secondly, somehow along the way Elena mistakingly thinks she’s still on Earth – where she can get away with absolutely everything – and does something that goes against all the rules of the Dark Dimension. Then there’s a fuss about that which lasts practically 100 pages, and is absolutely boring, uninteresting and unnecessary to the plot. Except that it introduces this woman – Lady Ulma – whose sole purpose in this novel, is to create dresses for the girls.

Trust me when I say that L.J. Smith actually spends about 20 pages describing how these dresses look like, what color they have, etc. Naturally, Elena’s dress is the simplest, but the most gorgeous one as well. I honestly felt like puking. For starters, I’m here for the action, the fights, the dialogue and character interaction. If you give me a wonderful description of something even remotely interesting, I will enjoy reading it. If you give me a 20-page-long description of what dress Elena and her sidekicks are going to were to some dance party, then I will feel the uncontrollable urge to grab the novel and pull those pages out. I’m sorry, but really? Maybe L.J. Smith has missed her career as a possible dress designer but I, along with at least 50% of her readers, couldn’t give a damn. If Elena wears a red dress, a blue one or a green one, she’s still going to look gorgeous. We know already. Get over it.

Then we get introduced to this new character, Sage. I think he’s a vampire, but I’m not sure since I completely missed when and how he even got introduced to the rest of our cast. I vaguely remember when Damon first spoke to him, but that just wasn’t interesting enough to actually register. But anyway, everyone say hello to Sage. He only shows up when everyone needs him the most, accompanied by a fox and a hawk – or two other pet animals, I don’t know, I don’t even know when they were first mentioned, where they come from or what their exact purpose is, and I was genuinely surprised to suddenly read about Sage and his pet animals. When the trouble is over, he dissapears again, only to reappear when he is needed. My mind was practically screaming Deus Ex Machina, except that somehow the other characters, in particularly Damon, would have managed just fine without Sage’s assistance, in my opinion. Maybe I’m just giving Damon too much credit. Oh well, you know, fangirlness and all.

Lets talk storyline and writing. The plot is practically non-existent. This book reads like the author had a faint idea of where she wanted to end up, then sat down and started writing, without stopping once in a while and wondering if the novel actually made sense. There are so many random events that seem useless, some even contradictory, and everything is all over the place. With everything, I literally mean everything. Some of the characters seem to have undergone complete personality changes: Bonnie being even more scared than I had thought possible, and uncapable of standing on her own two feet for even a mere five minutes – while I had great hopes for her after reading The Struggle, Meredith seeming as distant, unreachable and annoying as ever, and Matt turning into a noble hero who is doing just fine saving Fell’s church on his own. But that’s not where it gets really bad. What is really bad, is Damon and Elena. Sure, there’s tension and chemistry and love sparkles all over the place, but the Damon we see portrayed in this novel is so unlike the Damon we are used to, that I felt like I was being cheated. I wanted witty, snarky, interesting Damon back, who couldn’t care less about the fate of Bonnie, Meredith and the other tag-alongs. I wanted the fierce, powerful, headstrong Damon back. Instead, I got another lovesick puppy. Surely he plays the part a lot better than Stefan ever could, but that’s beside the point. Damon is turning more and more into his brother with every page you skip – and trust me when I say that’s a bad thing.

Not only were the characters all over the place, but so was the writing. It felt like somehow three different writers had each taken turns to write sentences or paragraphs, and now those snippets were all thrown together. Some of the scenes were simply ridiculous and made no sense whatsoever, and some of the descriptions were so bad they brought me closer to crying than to laughing. What this book really needed, in all honesty, was an editor. I don’t know who edited it, or how many people edited it, but it desperately screamed for a professional editor to browse through the pages, fill in the missing gaps, tell the author what could be improved, etc. I somehow had the feeling that everything, from the writing process to the actual editing, was rushed. You can’t rush things like writing, or the result will be less than satisfactory.

Even though Damon may not have been the Damon I grew to love and adore anymore, he was still the most interesting character by far. And Elena was a tad less spoiled, annoying and childish than she was in the other novels. Stefan was great where he was – out of the way, and although his speech was reduced to a minimum, only being able to say ‘Elena, I love you’ and things like ‘lovely little love’ (anyone else felt like they were slowly dieing when reading the last sentence?), it was a nice improvement from the other novels. Alright fine, let’s face it – I just don’t like Stefan. The other characters contributed little or nothing to the story, and the book could use with some more character interactions, editing and a 100 or so pages less. Putting that aside, I did enjoy reading the novel, and at least I didn’t feel like throwing it at my wall, or burning it anymore. Damon, even with his changed personality, makes a nice suitor, an interesting opponent in the game of love, and Elena is an all-too-willing victim. I loved how they were drawn to each other on all levels, physically and emotionally, in this novel, and how Damon finally got what he wanted. Or well, partly, but in any case, he did get plenty of hugs and kisses. Hopefully, in Midnight, Elena will realise the one she was meant to be with from the start, wasn’t Mr. Veggie Vamp, but the great, magnificent and utterly charming Damon Salvatore.

SPOILER: The ending. Can you say, oh my god? Does anyone else feel like lighting torches, joining a mob, and going after L.J. Smith? Did she really have to do that to the only interesting character she had left? She can do whatever the heck she wants to Stefan, Matt, Bonnie, Meredith and Caroline – even kill one, for all I care. That said, isn’t it odd that in about six novels, she hasn’t killed anyone yet? At least not anyone who didn’t return from the death (Go Elena….sarcasm, much.). But anyway, she can burn Fell’s Church to the ground for all I care, but stay the heck away from Damon. Not even that, she could torture Damon if she wanted, or hand him over to the Kitsune, or whatever. But making him human? Do you know how much that is torturing me? I mean: why? He was her last chance, and somehow I have the feeling she just threw it away.

I can sit here and go on and on about how bad Shadow Souls was, when truthfully, I did enjoy it more than the previous novels in the series. All that is courtesy of Damon though, and his undeniable chemistry with Elena. I may not be L.J. Smith’s number one fan, but I had fun reading this novel. Sometimes I laughed at the stupidity of hte characters, but that’s having fun too, I guess. But I tell you, when you want some mindless entertainment, or you want to spend some hours tucked behind a blanket reading something light and amusing, then Shadow Souls really is an excellent option. It’s like watching TV and suddenly stumbling upon an episode of Hannah Montana. Sure, it might not be your number one choice in the world, and it’s not the most-educated entertainment ever, but at the end, you’ll realise you’ve had fun and you actually enjoyed yourself. That is what Shadow Souls gives you.(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The love triagle	11	43	Apr 12, 2013 07:23am
Stefan Or Damon Salvator ?	32	80	Apr 12, 2013 07:21am
Word Game #3	3	8	Feb 28, 2012 02:42pm
Where's meridieth in the show???	28	36	Jan 10, 2012 10:41am
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vampire diaries new season	7	6	Jan 08, 2012 12:19pm
Where's meridieth in the show???	4	14	Dec 30, 2011 01:22am

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Shadow Souls (The Vampire Diaries: The Return #2)

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