https://culturedvultures.com/the-fair-botanists-sara-sheridan-review/

There was an article on the Culture Vulture site a few months back, entitled 10 Best Horror Books For Teens, which listed... well, I think you can work that out yourself without any long explanation from me! :-)

It featured an interesting mix of novels, going back as far as Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, and I was very pleased to see Cirque Du Freak nestled in the #3 spot. It did, however, set me wondering again -- it's something I've wondered about for more than 20 years now -- IS Cirque Du Freak actually a horror series?!? Oh, it's been sold in most countries as a horror series (though some marketed it as a fantasy series), and of course it's about vampires, and yes it can get quite grisly in parts, BUT...

I dunno. Like all my series, it's a real mix of genres, with some strong elements drawn from the fantasy and sci-fi fields, but if I had to describe it briefly, I'd have to say that overall I consider it a very dark action/adventure series. It's full of twists and turns, and there are definitely plenty of horrific scenes laced throughout, but I don't think it hits the horror notes full-on, in the same way that The Demonata or Zom-B did. I'm not saying by any stretch that I think it's out of place on a list like this, and as a lifelong horror fan I'm delighted that it's become such a prominent part of the horror canon. I just... yeah... every time I ask myself the question, I have to scratch my head and wonder...

But hey, what do I know? I'm just the author!!! :-)

You can check out the full list, and see what they had to say about each book, by clicking here: https://culturedvultures.com/the-fair-botanists-sara-sheridan-review/

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If you haven't yet read my seasonal SHANTA CLAUS short story, you'll need to do so pretty swiftly, as I'll be taking it down for another year a day or two after Christmas Day. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a FREE short story, which I post every year around this time, and it features Shanta going about his annual rounds, and bumping into a surprising number of characters from my books... as well as ME, as I break the fourth wall and chat about what I've been up to recently, and some things that might be coming in the near future! Click on the following link to go on the journey of a lifetime with SHANTA: https://darrenshan.com/extras/feature/short-stories-shanta-claus-only-available-at-christmas-yuletide-favourite2