Shadow Souls

Shadow Souls is a 2010 young adult novel by L. J. Smith, published by HarperCollins. The book continues the story after the town of Fell's Church has been overrun.

The plot is a rescue with an unreliable escort. Elena's friends Bonnie and Meredith remain behind to deal with what has taken over their town, while Elena travels to the Dark Dimension with Damon, Stefan's brother, and their friend Matt. The place is described as one where vampires and demons move freely and humans live in service to them, which makes the journey a matter of crossing into a society with different rules. Stefan has been captured and imprisoned by the spirits that have taken over the town, which is what makes the rescue a necessity rather than a choice.

The complication is the relationship. Damon wants Elena for himself, the tension between them increases as the journey continues, and the book sets up a choice between two brothers that is carried into the following volume. Matt travels with them as well, which keeps one ordinary human in a party made up of people with their own reasons for making the crossing.