This second installment in the Cirque du Freak saga of Darren Shan picks up soon after Darren has been turned into a half-vampire by his master, Mr. Crepsley. Darren is sworn to a life of servitude to Crepsley. He must drink blood to survive now. He steadfastly refuses, however, to drink the blood of humans despite Crepsley's warning that he will die without it. Darren must cling to that part of himself that is still human. Drinking human blood, he fears, will erase all traces of the boy he used to be. Crepsley and Darren rejoin Cirque du Freak. There Darren makes two new friends: Evra, the snake boy, and a local boy named Sam. At first, life back at the freak show is a happy one for Darren. An unfortunate set of circumstances, though, causes the death of one of Darren's friends and an irrevocable change in him. Readers again will be drawn to this story of a young boy trying to find friendship and family despite his unusual circumstances. The novel provides the requisite chills and suspense and ends with a teaser from book three, Tunnels of Blood. Middle school and junior high students might enjoy this novel as a read-aloud. Fans of the genre will definitely enjoy meeting Darren again after reading A Living Nightmare. Moreover, this book stands on its own, offering readers enough background of Darren's past to appreciate fully the story.