Book one of this series introduced Darren Shan, an ordinary boy until he and his friend visited a freak show. To save his friend, Darren agreed to became an assistant to the Vampire, Mr. Crepsley, and in the process, became a half-vampire. In book two of the series, Darren and Mr. Crepsley traveled with the Cirque Du Freak, and a whole batch of weird characters were introduced, and now, in the third book of the series, Darren and the Vampire Crepsley go to the city where Larten Crepsley was born to try to destroy a great evil. Evra, the Snake Boy accompanies them.Mr. Crepsley is behaving in a very mysterious manner and the boys suspect that he is responsible for a series of killings where the victims are drained of blood. They set out to determine if he is the culprit, and to destroy him if he is. Instead, they are captured by a dreadful "Vampaneze," a creature from a separate, more homicidal race of vampires.A very exciting adventure, with twists and turns in the plot, and heart-pounding action that only a master of the genre could accomplish. Shan comes up with all new ideas to horrify and astonish his fans in every book, with all the vivid, gory details that horror fans want and expect. The main characters are believable and likable. Shan's writing will encourage even the most reluctant of readers to beg for the next installment of this series. Darren has given his main character his own name, and the stories are written very convincingly from Darren Shan's viewpoint, with each book a bit more mature than the last one.