Shadow Souls is the 2nd book in the Vampire Diaries Return series inspired by L.J. Smith. It was NOT written by Smith, but by one or more ghostwriters. This one picks up right after the ending of Vampire Diaries Return: Nightfall.
Elena Gilbert and gang travel to another dimension—the Dark Dimension—to save Stefan Salvatore from imprisonment. Elena must find two halves of a magic key that will unlock Stefan’s cell, but first, she must serve as Damon Salvatore’s slave in the Dark Dimension, where supernatural leaders rule.
As Damon teaches Elena how to control and exercise her newfound magic powers, she is once again torn between choosing which Salvatore brother she wants to end up with.
This book sucks, because it wasn’t written by L.J. Smith. Both the story and the writing are utter crap.
Shadow Souls is twice as long as it should be. It’s like the author was trying to mirror one of those Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. Also, new plots and story lines are introduced but not fully developed, making Shadow Souls look like the product of amateur writing hour.
The concept of Elena constantly going back and forth between both Salvatore brothers is long overdone. The book loses its charm even more when Smith takes the characters out of Fells Church, Virginia.
I don’t recommend Shadow Souls to anyone, especially not fans of the original series written by L.J. Smith in the early 90s. Don’t even subject yourself to it. It’s not worth it.
The final book in this Return series is Vampire Diaries Return: Midnight. The good news is, this one is written entirely by the real L.J. Smith.
What are your thoughts about these ghostwritten continuations of the series? Do you love ’em or hate ’em?
Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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