In the tradition of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Stephen King's Salem's Lot, New York Times bestseller Cirque du Freak is the first title in the popular Saga of Darren Shan.

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

...

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.

Mr. Crepsley leads Darren Shan on a dangerous trek to Vampire Mountain, the very heart of the vampire world, to be presented to the Council, but an encounter with the Vampanese along the way means trouble.

The lives of Darren and Harkat are at risk as they face monstrous obstacles on a desperate quest to the Lake of Souls.

Algebra class, two old friends, and a creature with deadly hands test Darren's determination as he travels to Mr. Crepsley's home town to search for the murderous vampaneze.

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.

Darren Shan is just an ordinary schoolboy who enjoys hanging out with his three best friends. Then one day they stumble across as invitation to visit the Cirque du Freak, a mysterious freak show. Only two tickets are available, so they draw straws to see who will go. As if by destiny, Darren wins one, and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.

"Darren and Mr. Crepsley embark on a dangerous trek to the very heart of the vampire world. 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 ever could have imagined"--Publisher's web site.

"Darren Shan's days as an ordinary schoolboy are over, and his life as the vampire's assistant has begun! With his mentor, Lartan Crepsley, Darren joins the Cirque Du Freak and slowly begins settling into his new role there, an adjustment made simpler when he makes a couple of new friends. But life as a half-vampire can never be easy or ordinary -- as Darren learns only too well when tragedy strikes!"--p. [4] of cover.

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.