Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices.

At head of title: Cirque du freak. Sequel to: The vampire's assistant. Sequel: Vampire Mountain. Darren, Evra, and Mr. Crepsley leave the Cirque Du Freak and get a taste of the city, but when corpses drained of blood are discovered, Darren and Evra must confront a dangerous creature of the night.

At head of title: Cirque du freak. Sequel to: Vampire Mountain. Darren begins the Trials of Initiation to prove himself worthy of being a half-vampire, even as the the clan's blood foes, the vampaneze, gather near Vampire Mountain.

Darren Shan leaves Vampire Mountain as part of an elite force on a life-and-death mission to find the newly-risen Vampaneze Lord, who is set to lead the vampaneze into war against the vampires.

As his battles against the vampaneze continue, Darren Shan is framed as public enemy number one.

When Darren Shan returns home, he is met by old enemies and scores to be settled, and with destiny certain to destroy him, the world seems doomed to fall to the Ruler of the Night.