It's difficult for me to review this book, because I've been waiting for more books in this series since high school, and there's an odd emotional attachment to books that were such a prominent part of my teen years.
That said- I think that L.J. Smith did a remarkable job picking up the series again. Throughout the Vampire Diaries, Smith has woven in various supernatural mythologies; not limiting herself to vampires, she has incorporated werewolves, witches, ghosts, and even angels. In this new installment, she takes on demons- specifically the Japanese fox spirit, kitsune. Two kitsune are the main antagonists, infecting our anti-hero Damon, and wreaking chaos in the small town of Fell's Church.
Smith provides a two-fold explanation for why yet another supernatural creature has shown up in Fell's Church. One reason is that the town has many ley lines, which attract the supes. The second is, of course, Elena, whose miraculous story draws paranormal curiosity.
Interestingly enough, Stefan, the hero of the previous four books, is taken offscreen for the majority of this novel. Instead, we get a deeper glimpse into Damon, seeing how the kitsune are twisting his natural chaotic tendencies and his jealousy into something truly horrifying. The reader also gets to see more from Matt Honeycutt's perspective, and poor, previously cardboard Matt, who is so dull that Damon requires an acronym to remember his name, becomes much more interesting as a result. There is also the requisite amount of Elena, and quite a bit from Bonnie, which carries over from the fourth book.
Smith doesn't shy away from gore and disturbing images in this book. The female kitsune creates chaos by infecting young girls with overly sexualized behavior, trying to build a case against Matt as a rapist; one of these girls acts out by piercing herself repeatedly, and the reader is subjected to graphic descriptions of this. Another character chews his own fingers off. Damon nearly forces Matt and Elena to act out a rape, Meredith is nearly made to fork her own tongue, and Bonnie is attacked by returning antagonist Caroline Forbes doing her best impersonation of Regan from The Exorcist.
But there is also a lot of beauty in this book, particularly in a scene with Damon and Elena in Honoria Fell's tomb, in Stefan's pure love for Elena, and in the strong friendship between Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith. The book is not perfect- I, for one, would like to see Damon redeemed without it being a result of something Elena did, and for him to remember it, and I'd like Elena to be a little more flawed, although since she is practically an angel at this point, I doubt that will happen. I did see glimpses of potential between Bonnie and Damon also, which intrigues me, but there were equal hints of Bonnie/Matt. So we'll see, I suppose.
Overall, this book is kicking off a new arc in the story of these characters. I'm very glad to have Damon, Bonnie, and the rest back in my life.