Shan, Darren

Algebra class, two old friends, and a creature with deadly hands test Darren's determination as he travels to Mr. Crepsley's home town to search for the murderous vampaneze.

Two boys who are best friends visit an illeagl freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices.

Mr. Crepsley leads Darren Shan on a dangerous trek to Vampire Mountain, the very heart of the vampire world, to be presented to the Council, but an encounter with the Vampanese along the way means trouble.

In a nation of warriors where weakness is shunned and all crimes, no matter how minor, are punishable by beheading, young Jebel Rum, along with a slave who is fated to be sacrificed, sets forth on a quest to petition the Fire God for invincibility, but when the long and arduous journey is over, Jebel has learned much about fairness and the value of life.

Darren begins the Trials of Initiation to prove himself worthy of being a half-vampire, even as the clan's blood foes, the vampaneze, gather near Vampire Mountain.

After traveling with Mr. Crepsley, the vampire who made him into a half-vampire, Darren returns to the freak show known as the Cirque du Freak and continues to fight his need to drink human blood.

Having received a sign that he is not meant to die, young vampire Larten tries to live in the human world, raising the infant who survived his vengeful killing of a ship's crew and falling in love with a human girl, but the darkness inside him forces him back to Vampire Mountain.

The Disciples are being controlled by dark forces and only Kernel Fleck can save them.

Grubbs Grady leads his team in pursuit of the Lambs, demonic sheep that may have information about the Shadow's army, and battle other demonic beings along the way.

As Bec's relationship with Dervish improves, werewolves and demons attack and she sends Shark and Meera through a window to another universe to seek Beranabus, and soon all must face an even greater force of evil, the Shadow.