The Lake of Souls is the tenth book in the fast-paced, violent vampire series by Darren Shan. After Book 9, this one moves at a slightly more sedate speed, though the plot still storms along with plenty of action. In this book, half-vampire Darren Shan (yes, the main character and author have the same name), joins his friend Harkat (a "little person," which seems to be a short Frankenstein-esque creature) in search of Harkat's original identity. It's not an idle search; if Harkat doesn't learn his true identity and accept it, he'll go mad from the nightmares that plague him. Naturally, the journey cannot be easy, and we meet plenty of really disgusting monsters (and one equally disgusting human) along the way. Although filled with gross-out, there is less of the gory violence found in Book 9. I still feel the books are a little dark and violent for kids under 10, but I can see how they would be extremely appealing to male reluctant readers. The characters are loyal, fierce, and resourceful. The book is sprinkled with little puzzles to keep the reader eager for Book 11 when it comes along, but the plot does come to a full and satisfying conclusion for this segment of Darren's journey to who-knows-what horrifying destiny. If you like your horror stories a little on the gross side, you'll love it.

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