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.
As Darren faces the final showdown with his archenemy, Steve Leopard, he seeks a way to trick destiny and avoid the requirement that one of them die and the other become Lord of the Shadows, fated to destroy the world.
When Darren Shan returns home, he is met by old enemies and scores to be settled, and with destiny certain to destroy him, the world seems doomed to fall to the Ruler of the Night.
In order to save his friend Steve from a Cirque du Freak vampire named Mr. Crepsley and his deadly spider, Darren must agree to become the monster's assistant.
After agreeing to be Mr. Crepsley's assistant, Darren becomes a half-vampire and begins making friends at the Cirque du Freak, but struggles with his urges to drink human blood.
A manga adaptation of the fifth book in the Cirque du Freak series in which 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.
Darren finally faces his nemesis, Steve Leopard, in the battle that will kill one of them and make the other Lord of the Shadows, the destroyer of the world.
Along with two other members of the Cirque du Freak, Darren and Mr. Crepsley travel to Vampire Mountain, where they meet evil vampaneze and the boy's fate is decided after he faces the council.
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.
