Now in paperback--the gut-wrenching first book in The Vampire Mountain trilogy.

In this fourth book in the bestselling Saga of Darren Shan, Darren Shan and Mr. Crepsley embark on a dangerous trek to the very heart of the vampire world. But they face more than the cold on Vampire Mountain? The vampaneze have been there before them. Will a meeting with the Vampire Princes restore Darren's human side, or turn him further toward the darkness? Only one thing is certain? Darren's initiation into the vampire clan is more deadly than he can ever have imagined.

Darren Shan, the vampire's assistant, must clear his name and avenge the death of Gavner Purl. Can a half-vampire outwit a Vampire Prince? Betrayed by Kurda and reeling from the brutal slaying of Gavner, the vampire's assistant, Darren Shan, finds himself branded a traitor and hunted by the vampire clan. Will Darren's failure to complete the Trials mean banishment for Mr Crepsley and execution for himself? Or can Darren return to the home of the damned and exact revenge? But Darren comes to realise that there is more than revenge at stake - the vampire clan must combat the rise of the Vampaneze Lord, or see his ascension mark the end of thousands of years of vampire rule...

From the Master of Horror comes the first gripping book in the twelve book New York Times bestselling Saga of Darren Shan. Start the tale from the beginning in the book that inspired the feature film The Vampire's Assistant and petrified devoted fans worldwide. A young boy named Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers-- Mr. Crepsley-- is a vampire! Stever remains after the show finishes to confront the vampire-- but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires. This is the beginning of Darren's story.

In a kingdom of merciless tyrants, Jebel Rum's family is honored as royalty because his father is the executioner. But Rashed Rum is near retirement. And when he goes, there will be a contest to determine his successor. It is a contest that thin, puny Jebel has no chance of winning. Humiliated and ashamed, Jebel sets out on a quest to the faraway home of a legendary fire god to beg for inhuman powers so that he can become the most lethal of men. He must take with him a slave, named Tel Hesani, to be sacrificed to the god. It will be a dark and brutal journey filled with lynch mobs, suicide cults, terrible monsters, and worse, monstrous men. But to Jebel, the risk is worth it. To retrieve his honor . . . To wield unimaginable power . . . To become . . . The thin executioner Inspired by theAdventures of Huckleberry Finn, international bestselling master of horror Darren Shan takes readers on a thrilling, fast-paced journey into a nightmarish world where compassion and kindness are the greatest crimes of all.

Darren Shan and Mr. Crepsley embark on a dangerous trek to the heart of the vampire world. Will a meeting with the Vampire Princes restore Darren's human side or turn him further toward darkness?

The nightmare begins... Vampire Blood trilogy comprising: Cirque Du Freak, The Vampire’s Assistant and Tunnels of Blood. Join Darren Shan’s descent into the darkness.