The Darren Shan saga will never outsell Harry Potter, but the Limerick writer provides macabre thrills aplenty here for younger readers. The Vampire's Assistant takes up where Cirque Du Freak left off, as Darren -- the youngest half-vampire in existence -- sets off with bloodsucker Mr Crepsley. As Darren battles the evil Mr Des Tiny and the Wolf Man, he fights the greatest temptation of all -- to keep himself from drinking human blood.

Creepy and dark as it all sounds, the climax was powerful enough to move our nine-year-old reader to an emotional state he last encountered when E.T. temporarily shuffled off his mortal coil.