WARNING: This review gives away plot points from previous books in the series. You should probably read those books before reading this review.This installment picks up mere moments after the cliffhanger ending of Book 11. The confrontation inside the old movie house is over, and the evil Steve Leonard, Lord of the Vampaneze (cousins to the more well-known vampires) fled with his remaining minions. Vampire Prince Darren Shan is left to contemplate, however briefly, the aftermath of their meeting. Part of the group breaks off to return to the Cirque Du Freak. Darren, his fellow Prince, Vancha, and the strange with, Evenna, have other work to do.The odd trio makes its way to Darren’s childhood home, which is now occupied by his adult sister Annie and her son. Somehow, they have to convince Annie that vampires really exist and that her son is in terrible danger. During this tense conversation, news reaches the group that police have surrounded the campsite of the Cirque Du Freak. The police believe that dangerous individuals are inside the site (if they only knew!) and are ready to storm the place, using lethal force. Darren and his friends have no choice. It’s clear that the endgame will begin in the middle of the Cirque Du Freak campsite.This is the final installment of this series. You might think that, at this point, there’s nothing new to find out about the various characters. You would be very wrong! The finale is just as exciting and unexpected as everything that went before it. For new readers, or readers who just need a bit of a refresher after eleven books, the Prologue perfectly sums up what has gone on in previous novels. I won’t give anything away about the ending, but I will say that it was not at all what I expected; but it was very interesting and, thinking back, it seems like the right way to end things. Not for very young readers or readers who scare easily, this novel contains violence and gore. For young adult readers (and plain old adult readers) who enjoy horror, this is an exceptional series and a great addition to vampire literature.