Trials of Death - The Saga of Darren Shan No. 5

Format:	Paperback 176 pages

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Synopsis

TRIALS OF DEATH -- the fifth title in the compelling and chilling saga of Darren Shan -- but the second part in a new TRILOGY, following Darren's initiation into the vampire clan. THE SAGA OF DARREN SHAN BOOK 5 Compelled by his loyalty to Mr Crepsley, Darren Shan, the vampire's assistant, agrees to prove his worthiness to the vampire clan by undertaking a series of trials. Each Trial is set by the Vampire Princes to test agility, cunning and intelligence. Failure means death. Whilst their attention is focused on Darren, the vampire clan fail to notice that the vampaneze have infiltrated their mountain stronghold. Who is the traitor helping the vampaneze, and will Darren survive the trials to oust the vampire's greatest foes? Another atmospheric and terrifying tale from the author of Cirque Du Freak.

Book details

Published
01/10/2001

Publisher
HarperCollins Children's Books

ISBN
9780007114405

Publisher and industry reviews

Jacket review

Cirque Du Freak "!fast-paced and compelling book which leaves the reader hungry for more." JK Rowling 'Brilliant, macabre tale.' Guardian "I read Cirque Du Freak last week. I loved it. I love the way you manage to juggle the funny with the unpleasant, the affection with the hurt. It's great story-telling." Roddy Doyle The Vampire's Assistant "The Vampire's Assistant blazes a thrilling, gruesome trail through a fascinating plot." The Good Book Guide Vampire Mountain "Get your teeth into it!" Funday Times

UK Kirkus review

It's time for the Trials at Vampire Mountain, in this fifth book in the Saga of Darren Shan. Half-vampire Darren Shan must complete the Trials successfully to prove his worth and clear the name of his mentor, Mr Crepsley. Things don't look hopeful. The Trials themselves have claimed many Vampires and the penalty for non-completion is death. The Trials are horribly imaginative - witness the Aquatic Maze, which fills with water while Darren searches for a way out, lugging a huge rock behind him. The Path of Needles, the Hall of Flames and the Blooded Boars make for nail-biting reading too. The rest and training days between the Trials allow us to catch up with Mr Crepsley and the other vampires introduced in book 4, and to follow the talk of a deadly battle between the Vampires and their murderous cousins, the Vampaneze. The story takes a sudden turn in another direction at the end, and the plot gets back on track. Trials of Death is the second book in a three-part adventure in the Saga of Darren Shan, and therefore readers have to wait for the following novel (Vampire Prince) for the story to come to fruition. The trials are vividly conjured and the emphasis on action makes the book appealing for reluctant readers. (Kirkus UK)

About the author

Darren Shan

Born in London in 1972, Darren O'Shaughnessy [ writing as Darren Shan] moved to Limerick with his parents and younger brother. Darren returned to London to study Sociology and English then worked for a TV cable company. His first adult novel Ayumarca has been published by Orion and his writing has been likened to Clive Barker and Iain Banks. He is now a full-time writer of TV scripts and novels. The Trials of Darren Shan is his fifth title for children.