As a child laborer many centuries ago, Larten Crepsley did his job well and without complaint, until the day the foreman killed his brother as an example to the other children.

In that moment, young Larten flies into a rage that the foreman wouldn’t survive. Forced on the run, he sleeps in crypts and eats cobwebs to get by. And when a vampire named Seba offers him protection and training as a vampire’s assistant, Larten takes it.

This is his story.

Birth of a Killer is the first of four book in a prequel series to the awesome Cirque Du Freak. And it’s all about Larten Crepsley. Many centuries ago, he worked as a child laborer with a dozen or so of his brothers and sisters. But his best friend was his orphan cousin, Vur Horston. After Vur does something wrong in the factory they work at, the boss kills him as an example of what not to do. Larten then picks up a knife and kills the boss. Scared of what will happen next, he flees the city and finds an old graveyard to spend the night in. There, he finds Seba Nile, who is a vampire. And offers Larten to become his assistaint. When he accepts, he has no idea what he is in for.

I LOVED this book. It brought back some of my favorite characters from Cirque Du Freak, like Vancha, Paris, Evanna Seba and Mr. Tall. It also brought back some of my least favorite characters, like Mr. Tiny and Murlough. The addition of Wester to the book made it interesting. He is probably my favorite character now. I also liked how the Cirque Du Freak itself was actually included in the book.

I am interested to find out more of Lartens story, such as how he got the scar, how he found Madame Octa, and how he met Arra Sails. The next in the series, Ocean of Blood does not come out until April