Review: The Hunters: Phanton

Goodreads Description:

The past is never far. . . .

Elena Gilbert and her friends saved Fell’s Church from evil spirits bent on destroying it, but the town’s freedom came at a price: Damon Salvatore’s life.

Damon’s death changes everything. He and his vampire brother, Stefan, had been locked in a vicious battle for Elena’s heart. Now that he’s gone, Elena and Stefan can finally be together. So why can’t Elena stop dreaming of Damon? As Elena’s feelings for Damon grow, a new darkness is brewing in Fell’s Church. Elena has been to hell and back, but this demon is like nothing she’s ever seen. Its only goal is to kill Elena and everyone she loves.

Review:
Phantom is the first book in The Hunters trilogy which continues where The Return trilogy left off. It is difficult to review this book without spoiling it and even the previous book, so I will do my best not to go into too much detail. In the slight chance of spoilers, I suggest you read The Return: Midnight first.

After the major trauma of the last trilogy, Fell's Church was completely turned on its head. There was death, action and your typical Stefan, Elena, Damon love triangle. Elena and the gang did their best to protect the town, to restore it back to how it used to be before the Kitsune came in town. Thankfully, things get back to normal... for now. We have now been thrown forward into the future where summer is coming to an end and the gang are getting ready for college.... the odd thing is, none of them recall their last year at highschool, graduating, the summer or where they are going to study... what is even more shocking is when people they knew who passed away have magically reappeared. They have some catching up to do as their lives went on without them even being there.

While it was great to continue on with my favourite series, I felt this book was a great let down. It was rather slow and I found myself wanting to skip pages just to finish it. In the beginning, I had forgotten that L.J.Smith was no longer writing the series so I didn't approach it with a negative opinion. However, it is easy to notice this book is different. Characters have new personalities and Stefan is no longer the loving and kind vampire, instead he appears to be the annoying rude Stefan who is controlled by Klaus in the tv series.

Final Comments:
In comparison to the entire Vampire Diaries series, this book is a let down. There are some enjoyable parts of the book and a bit of action from supernatural beings, but it is not a page turner. It is interesting to see the relationship between some characters progress, such as with Meredith and Alaric, and even the introduction of new characters. If however you are a big fan of the series, I do suggest you give it a shot to see how it turns out.

Release Date: November 2011
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Author: Ghostwriter (L.J Smith)

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