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.
After traveling with Mr. Crepsley, the vampire who made him into a half-vampire, Darren returns to the freak show known as the Cirque du Freak and continues to fight his need to drink human blood.
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.
Darren begins the Trials of Initiation to prove himself worthy of being a half-vampire, even as 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.
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.
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.
