[*This is part of a longer review feature of fantasy and horror books. The first book reviewed was "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini. The reviewer, Sarah Crompton, also gave the book to 9 year old Arthur Morgan, to get his views on it. He liked it, she didn't. Next up was "Lord Loss" ...][The] trouble with [fantasy] epics [is that] you have to enter their imaginative universes with enthusiasm or they seem simply tiring, and the appeal of any individual volume depends entirely on how enticing that world is. In this context, Arthur was forced to admit that his true current passion is the vampire author Darren Shan, who has just launched a new horror series with the chilling "Lord Loss". This tale of the attractively named Grubbs Grady, whose parents and sister are slaughtered in grisly detail by the evil demon of the title, is full of blood and gore. But it also has a satisfyingly twisting plot and a fresh, knowing style that makes it a gripping read.