Gr 5-8-The young half-vampire Prince is on a quest with his guardian, a Vampire General, and a Little Person (a creature who had once been human and works for the vampires) to defeat the Lord of the Vampaneze. While on their action-packed journey, the unlikely quartet meets a sorceress who tells them that they will have four opportunities to kill their enemy, and that if they fail, only one of them will remain alive to witness the fall of the vampire clan. Following this dark prophesy, Darren and his group come in contact with the Cirque du Freak and a group of vampaneze and encounter the villain himself. Character development is evident in Darren, but less so in more minor characters. A few explanations of earlier events will help readers who have not read the earlier titles. Incidents of intoxication and graphic depictions of violence, along with a few obscenities, are vital to the story. Simple language, a fast pace, humor, and a suspenseful plot are the hallmarks of this seventh entry in the series.-Jessi Platt, Auburn Public Library, AL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Responding to a prophecy by the mysterious Mr. Tiny, half-vampire Darren Shan and his teacher, Mr. Crepsley, leave Vampire Mountain to try to assassinate the Vampaneze Lord and save their people. Here in the seventh book in his series, author Shan slaps together gothic portentousness with clichéd comedic shtick, macho combat posturing, and vapid sentimentality, with the usual unconvincing results.