Cirque du Freak: The Lake of Souls

 

Level: Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

Shan takes a step back from the War of Scars and focuses on a character that we all have come to know and love: Harkat Mulds.  Harkat's nightmares have returned, and Mr. Tiny shows up to transport Darren and the Little Person to another world so that the latter can figure out who he was in his past life.

Rating: 9/10

Well, this book has definitely taken a different path from the rest of the series, and I must admit I very much enjoyed it. It was like a nice vacation, only not so relaxing. Darren and Harkat must come across a series of trials so that they may reach the lake of souls. Shan did a wonderful job at creating action in this book. It was definitely a page turner. His monstrous creatures were extremely vivid as well, such as the giant (and I mean GIANT) toad. I especially liked the Grotesque. It was completely unique and revolting. In this book, we are also introduced to the Kulashkas, which seem to be kinsfolk of the Guardians of Blood that we witnessed in the Vampire Mountain trilogy. I still wish we could have learned more about the Kulashkas/Guardians of Blood and their culture. Why do they milk the Grotesque? Why do they eat the dead? Hell, how did the Grotesque even come into being?

Then, once more, Shan continues to drop surprises and twists. I was especially shocked when I found out where they were and who Harkat was. Now, with the hint Mr. Tiny leaves, you may be able to figure it out on your own though it seems to have surprised a good chunk of people. This was definitely my favourite of the series so far, and I cannot wait to read the final two.

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Cirque du Freak: Killers of the Dawn

 

Level: Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

When we last left Darren and the others, they were being arrested for the murders the vampaneze had committed. Now, they need to figure a way out and stop the Vampaneze Lord. 

Rating:  8/10

Maybe it's just me, but this particular trilogy felt more drawn out than the others. It was still an enoyable read however. It was especially interesting to see how our heroes dealt with the human police force. Now, even though Killers of the Dawn kept a fast and intriguing pace, I still had issues with some of the characters. Steve's path continued to be obvious (to me, at least), and Debbie continued to be a victim. We are also reintroduced to Chief Inspector Alice Burgess who, like Debbie, seems to take the whole vampires are real thing too well. Besides the characters, the only thing I had a problem with was when Shan was describing the pit the vampires had to cross. My only issue with this was that it was confusing. I was completely unable to envision it my mind's eye.

On the other hand, Shan continued to create remarkable surprises. Yes, I figured out one or two, but another completely caught me off guard. I could go into it more, but that would unnecessary spoilers. I must say Shan continues to write an interesting story. After all, I still wanted to continue even though I clearly had issues with this trilogy.

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Cirque du Freak: Allies of the Night

 

Level: Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

One opportunity has passed for Darren, Crepsley, and Vancha to be rid of the Vampaneze Lord. After this, Vancha has returned to Vampire Mountain to relay the news while Darren and Mr. Crepsley return to Crepsley's birth town. The murders have returned once more, and both Crepsley and Darren are determined to stop it, but someone seems to know about them and their prior encounter with the mad vampaneze, Murlough, and this mysterious stranger is also forcing Darren to attend school, where he runs into his old girlfriend, Debbie. Meanwhile, a man with hooks for hands is running around, along with another old friend: Steve Leonard!

Rating: 8/10

The series and trilogy continue with another interesting tale. Although this trilogy seems to be a bit drawn out, I did not find it overly so. I was quite interested in who the hook man was (and when I found out, I was amazed). Yes, you could probably easily figure it out who it was of you put your mind to it, but if you're mainly along for the ride, like me, you will be astounded. Now, while Hooky's reveal was a surprise for me, Steve's path was not. Maybe it is because I have seen the movie (though that is very loosely based), but I still believe that it would be fairly obvious, which kind of lessened the suspense for me. 

Now, even though I saw where Steve's character was heading, Shan was still able to keep a good amount of suspense and action throughout the book. Actually, the only thing I really disliked was Debbie. It seemed as if the only reason she was placed in this book (so far. I hope she will very useful later in the series) was to be a victim. She also seemed to believe in vampires way too easily, and then she forces herself upon Darren and company, where she ends up being more of a liability than a help, which anyone ought to have seen coming. Honestly, I think I would have liked her more if she had stayed out of the tunnels. Even with these annoyances though, Shan still manages to pen an interesting tale that I cannot wait to finish.

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Cirque du Freak: Hunters of the Dusk

 

Level: Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

It has been another six years since we last saw Darren, and the war between the vampires and vampaneze is still going strong. The Vampaneze Lord has not only risen, but is now a half vampire. However, a visit from Mr. Tiny reveals several factors. One: the vampires can still win the war if the Vampaneze Lord is stopped before he is fully blooded. Two: there will only be four chances to do this. Three: this will only occur if three vampires (and only three) try to stop it, and those three are the other vampire prince, Vancha Marsh, Mr. Crepsley, and Darren himself.

Rating: 7/10

 Shan starts off another trilogy in the series, and much like the rest, it is slower paced. However, if you keep in mind that is basically the beginning of a novel, it makes it seem less terrible. Although it will not be my favourite of the series, it was still fairly enjoyable. I especially liked when Mr. Crepsley and Darren returned to the Cirque du Freak. The books always seemed more enjoyable when they take place at the Cirque. Plus, it is nice to see old faces and see how they have progressed through the years. Evanna was also interesting. Although the witch type lady living in the middle of the woods/swamp is overdone, I found myself easily overlooking this dislike because of Evanna's origins. Shrouded in mystery and myth, it is believed Evanna is part wolf and part vampire, something that could have been laughable or worthy of a disheartening sigh. Shan managed to write her story off quite well though.

On the other hand, the one character I really could not stand was Vancha Marsh. Like many other vampires we met, he stupidly runs into danger to defeat his enemies. He even goes so far as to fight the sun. Perhaps Shan was trying to portray him as strong willed, but I simply found him to be a crass and stubborn fool. Besides Vancha, the only other thing I strongly disliked in this book was the purge. This is where the vampire blood tries to take over the human blood in a half vampire. Now, the basic concept I have no qualms with. It was the change that transitioned. In this story, Darren partly goes through the purge, which causes his hair to grow back and an extreme growth spurt to occur so that he looks like an older teen when it's complete. . I really felt like this was just an excuse to age Darren. Although he is still a lot older than he looks after the purge, according to the years based and the rules placed in Shan's world, Darren should only look two years older than when he was initially changed, but thanks to the purge, he know looks another five years older. I'm sorry, but that feels like cheating to me.

Overall though, I still found the book enjoyable, holding familiar faces and new characters, both interesting and irksome, but I felt like it was a book worth reading.

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Cirque du Freak: The Vampire Prince

 

Level: Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

At the end of Trials of Death, Darren was left zooming down a raging stream to almost certain death. Obviously, he survives. Now he must return to Vampire Mountain again, where he has a sentence to be driven upon a pit of stakes, but he must face them anyway so that he can reveal to them that there is a traitor in their midst who is about to let a good chunk of vampaneze take over.

Rating: 9/10

Wow! Just wow! I seriously could not put this book down and ended up finishing it in four hours. Now that the ball is rolling, Shan has me hooked. Even though I knew Darren was going to survive, I kept turning the page to see how. Plus, Darren still needs to get into Vampire Mountain and tell the Princes what is going on before he is killed. It was a thrilling suspense throughout. Shan also manages to keep up the surprises. I know I was in complete shock at the ending.

I also think Shan did an excellent job at portraying how someone can do a bad thing but still be a good person. The way he puts it out there has many of the vampires (and the reader) wondering whether the traitor is really a hero or a villain. Shan also portrayed killing quite well. I noticed that in a lot of youth and teen books I read, I feel like the protagonist is simply sparing the bad guy's life (or feeling guilty about killing him/her) simply because he/she is the good guy and that is what the good guy is supposed to do/feel. In this story however, I felt that Darren came across this on his own through his trying and emotional journey. It was believable to me that Darren felt guilty about killing a vampaneze and not just because he is the acclaimed good guy.

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Cirque du Freak: Trials of Death

 

Level: Youth to Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

When we last left Darren, he was told that he would have to complete five deadly trials to prove himself a worthy vampire. Not only are the trials themselves deadly, but if Darren fails in any way besides death, he will be executed. It is actually after one of these trials that Darren learns about a treacherous plot that involves the vampaneze.

Rating: 9/10

This book was filled with action and kept me turning the page (especially near the end). Darren's trials were interesting and even though you knew he wouldn't die (he is the main character and there is seven more books after all), Shan still managed to throw some curve balls at you. Although there were parts I didn't enjoy immensely (such as the Festival of the Undead), I still didn't really hate any part of the book this time. Besides, I appreciated getting to see Darren in more than his role as a half-vampire. It is always a plus when the author lets the every day and little affairs pop through into a book as well. It always makes it seem more real, and I didn't feel like I was bogged down with these kind of details either.

My favourite part was definitely the climax of this book, and I found myself unable to put it down and wondering how Darren would put a stop to it. Not only is he in a fix with the vampaneze at this point, but he is also in a bit of a pickle with the vampires, which may also limit his options.

I do wish that Shan went into more details about the Guardians of the Blood and their beliefs more. Although they may not be the most imaginative creature, they are still quite striking to the imagination and Shan could have introduced another culture more thoroughly into his world. All in all though, I really enjoyed this book and started the next one right away (the cliff hanger is a suspense like no other). It may have taken a while, but this series is definitely starting to take off.

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Cirque du Freak : Vampire Mountain

 

Level: Youth to Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book: 

Six years later (eight years since the initial change), we return to Darren Shan's adventure. This time Crepsley plans on bringing Darren before the Council to see what verdict will be placed due to a child being blooded. Before that though, they have to worry about making their way up the snowy mountain with no help but their own skin (and barefoot). Along the way will prove dangerous, of course, as they run into rabid bears, wolves, and even vampenze!

Rating: 7/10

Research! As a writer, you need to do research! Shan has been notorious for having flaws in this series so far (for example, in The Vampire's Assistant, Shan describes Evra's snake as slimy). Although this bothered me before, it was always simply a sentence here or there. Yes, it was jarring and brought me out of the story. It caused my suspension of disbelief to snap, and I found it so much worse in this book because it was staring me in the face for a good quarter of it. It was because of this that I actually rated this book a seven instead of an eight. The issue I have with Shan's lack  of research was that a simple Google search could have provided the answer. So what bugged me so much in this book? While trekking to Vampire Mountain, Darren  a pack of wolves. First off, they tended to act more like dogs than wolves, such as the male rolling on his back to get his belly rubbed. Granted, wolves and vampires are supposed to get along extremely well in this world. Even though this bugged me, if it was the only issue, I might have been able to ignore it. However, Shan was also constantly calling the wolf pup a cub, and at one point the pup actually manages to climb a tree, but the attacking bear cannot. I'm sorry, but even children know it's a wolf pup and that wolves don't climb trees. I can understand not getting everything right, but these are facts that even kids know.

Other than the obvious lack of research, I found myself enjoying the book. Even though some of the things seemed odd to me (like bat broth), I really appreciated that Shan's vampires are not your typical vampires. We learned early in the series that Shan's vampires actually age, but in Vampire Mountain, we learn more about them as a group. Instead of your typical aristocratic type, Shan's vampires are more "masculine." They are constantly having physical challenges, and their highest leaders are apt to be quite brawny. Shan's vampires actually reminds me of barbarians of sorts, and even though their ways had a familiar feel about them, it was interesting to view their traditions (even if I didn't always agree with them).

Shan also managed to hit me with a good amount of surprises throughout this tale, such as when one of the Little People started talking or when you learn what they are. Shan also continues to let Darren make mistakes and be flawed, which I always appreciate, and Shan's fast paced writing and story telling keeps me more (especially with the cliff hanger he leaves us on). Cirque du Freak is definitely getting more interesting as the story unfolds. It really is a tale of its own caliber, an original piece. I just hope that the rest of the series isn't so poor in its facts so that it can be even more enjoyable and more believable.

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Cirque du Freak: Tunnels of Blood

 

Level: Youth to Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

About a year and a half has passed since Darren's last adventure. This time a Vampire General has made contact with Mr. Crepsley. After the meeting, Crepsley, Darren, and Evra leave the Cirque. In the city they inhabit, Crepsley ends up going off by himself at night without explanation. Evra and Darren think nothing of this until they see the news: six bodies have been found drained of their blood. So the two boys start to follow Crepsley to whether he is the villain.

Rating: 7/10

I honestly wasn't all to thrilled with this installment. Granted, I didn't dislike it either. The plot itself wasn't terrible, and the villain was nice and grotesque, which ought to appeal to young boys. The main issue I had with this particular book was when they were following Crepsley. It just seemed way to drawn out when it was obvious that

SPOILERS!

Crepsley was not the one killing the humans. I had no problem with this obvious deterrent being placed in the story. My issue was that it dragged on for chapters. Maybe it would be less obvious to a twelve year old (or they would have at least found it more interesting), but for me it was a draaaaaaaaaaaaag.

END SPOILERS     

Beside that major issue, I felt about the same with this book as with the others in the series thus far. It is an original idea and a fast paced read, which I think the youth will enjoy. So far however, I would not suggest this as an all ages type book. Still, it is an interesting and fairly entertaining series, and I still plan on reading the rest.

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Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

 

Level: Youth to Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

After witnessing a freak show, Darren Shan meets Mr. Crepsley, a vampire, and Madam Octa, Crepsley's performing spider. Shan ends up stealing Madam Octa, but when something goes wrong, he has to return to Crepsley for help. However, there is a condition and now Darren is Mr. Crepsley's half-vampire assistant. Of course, becoming a half-vampire has its disadvantages. Darren has to leave behind his family and friends, it's impossible for him to make new ones, and there is also the fact that he will die if he refuses to drink human blood. Now, there is nothing that can be done with the first problem, but Crepsley decides to help with the second by taking him back to the Cirque so that he can make some new friends that will prove tougher than humans. Unfortunately, other problems are still bound to arise...

Rating: 8/10

This book was much more enjoyable to me than its prior counterpart. Although I am still unable to decipher Darren's age (I'm guessing twelve) and the dialogue is still flimsy, I found myself easily overlooking these faults and enjoying the story and adventure. It was really nice to see Darren interacting with more people his age, and his new friend, Evra Von, the snake boy, seems like he could be a pretty interesting guy. We are also introduced to Mr. Tiny in this book, who manages to be almost too weird to be frightening yet at the same time manages it quite well and has you wondering what sort of part he will play in the series. Granted, some of the characters are stereotypical, something that I have always disliked in a good portion of youth books. For example, Darren and his friends meet R.V., who is a vegetarian fighting against roads being built to help save the environment. Of course, he is an extremest, does drugs, smells bad, and says "man" a lot. I find it really disheartening when cliches like this are written, especially in books geared toward a younger audience. After all, shouldn't we be showing them that people aren't always the cliche? That aside though, I found this book an enjoyable read and have already opened up the next one. It's fast paced with a good macabre twists and originality.

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Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

 

Level: Youth to Teen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

Darren Shan had a normal life until a fateful night. He and his friend, Steve, end up visiting a freak show that has come to town, but the truly freaky things happen after the show. First, Steve confronts one of the performers, a man known as Mr. Crepsley. However, Crepsley is not a man at all, but a vampire, and Steve wants Crepsley to turn him into a vampire. Much to his dismay, Steve is refused due to having "bad blood." Later, Darren returns to the theatre and ends up stealing something of Mr. Crepsley's: a highly venomous, performing spider. Eventually, he shows Steve the stolen spider, and they end up playing with her. Of course, something goes wrong and Steve gets bitten. Darren returns to Mr. Crepsley for help, but there will be a price. Crepsley will only give up the antidote if Darren becomes his half-human,half-vampire assistant and leave the world he knows behind.

Rating: 7/10

I originally came across this series after watching the movie, The Vampire's Assistant. I had also heard that a good portion of my friends had really liked these books. So far though, I have no been so impressed. Granted, it is only the first book, and there have been many great series that didn't have the best opening. The writing for this book hadn't sucked me in and wish Shan had written in a little more details. Now, we are not supposed to know where the story is taken place since it is supposed to be a true tale. I had no problem with that. The problem I had was that I had such trouble envisioning what was happening, because none of the characters were ever really described (except the freaks and the spider). I didn't even know what age they were supposed to be, and the dialogue didn't help me to decipher it either. In fact, the dialogue wasn't all together great, but I wasn't expecting something fabulous either. However, half the time it seemed like they were really young kids (twelve at the oldest) while other times I thought maybe he was supposed to be fourteen

The writing aside, I did find the plot to be quite interesting. Being the first book, there was a lot of introductory elements so that did slow the book down tremendously. In fact, a good chunk of the action didn't start picking up until the end of the tale. However, it was a take I hadn't read before, and the freak show was really interesting to read about. It also looks like the next book ought to have a lot more meat to it. I'll definitely keep reading ahead to see where this goes. So far, though, I would say that it is just mediocre for anyone over fourteen. However, I think children (especially boys) between the ages of nine to twelve would find it quite enjoyable, and I would easily recommend it to them. I know I may see if my cousin would be interested.

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Of Saints and Shadows

 

Level: Explicit

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires

Obtained: Borrowed from a friend

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

The Church is not what it seems. Lying within its folds is a sect of sorcerers and priests whose sole purpose is to rid the world of The Defiant Ones, or what would be commonly seen as vampires.  Peter Octavian is one of these vampires, but unlike the others of his kind, he is able to walk in sunlight and touch religious items. The reason for this isn't because he was born to be special or anything like that. No, he simply disbelieves that crosses and sunlight will not hurt him therefore they don't. Granted, the only reason it hurts the other Defiant Ones is because the Church brainwashed them into thinking it would. Peter needs to convince the other Defiant Ones otherwise however, or the Church will come and wipe them out.

Rating: 2/10 Stars

Christopher Golden has come up with an original and intriguing plot. Evil runs amok in both the Church and the vampires, but one seems much more so. He brings forth elements that I hadn't seen before such as brainwashed vampires, but even with this fabulous idea, this book was a wreck. I enjoyed Twilight better than this. The writing was so horrible that I debated putting it down for good several times a day (I have only not finished two books thus far). His writing style was very similar to what you may find in a Dungeons and Dragons type novel. If that is your preference, go ahead and read this. As for me, I could not stand the stagnant and repetitive writing style that constantly told me things instead of showing me. The latter also lessened the characters immensely, making them seem flat so that I could care less what happened to them. 

Speaking of the characters, my god, they nearly all seemed like Mary Sues and Gary Stus. Peter, the main character,  certainly was one. He's supposedly handsome and good with the ladies. Check. He has special abilities that others of his type don't have. Check. He is connected to royalty (bastard son of the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire) . Check. Then, there is his love interest, Meaghan. It seems everyone is intrigued with her, and when she is

turned into a vampire, she is able to shift into anything and has instant control over her powers.

END SPOILERS

 Plus, Meaghan, well, I wanted to smack her. Where Golden was trying to make her assertive, I found her to be something of an idiot when she just starts going off with her temper, but of course, it's "sexy." Ugh. I seriously cannot see how anyone can stand these characters. The only one I could stand was Liam, the main priest, and that was when he was out murdering people. He still remains and two dimensional character.

Golden also seemed to have this notion that since he was writing a book for adults that he should add as much gore and sex as possible. Now, I did enjoy some of the grotesque scenes; they were disturbing in a good way and Golden sure had a knack for coming up with some unsettling creatures, even if they got old after a while. As for the sex, it just seemed put in there most of the time because it could be. While that is bad enough, the sex scenes weren't even arousing. No, it's not the worst I have ever read, but it was still boring. Then, of course, since a man wrote this, there had to be a fair amount of random lesbian scenes for extra sexiness.

Finally, the dialogue seemed forced and unrealistic such as "Girl, get in the gondola and we will leave the trouble behind. Your tears and those things you fear." or my personal favourite, "My name is Robert Montesi. For the murder of my father, I must kill you." Yes, Golden tried to pull a Princess Bride and failed miserably.

So why did this book got so many good reviews? I could not tell you. To me, it only had one thing going for it: originality, but that simply doesn't cut it. You still need a good storyteller to really make the story come alive, and Christopher Golden missed that mark completely. Maybe one day they will make it into a movie. I think it would make an excellent movie. However, as a book, this one would go straight to the bin for me. If you do want a vampire book that has more monster type vampires and originality, I would suggest Brian Lumley's Necroscope series instead. A much better read.

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