Cirque Du Freak: The Manga Series by Darren Shan, Takahiro Arai

The world of internationally acclaimed author Darren Shan's Cirque Du Freak brought to life as you've never seen it before!Darren Shan was an average kid until destiny brought him to the Cirque Du Freak. Now Darren's been immersed into a shadowy world inhabited by vampires, werewolves and strange creatures the likes of which he's never imagined, and his life will be changed forever!

The Barnes & Noble ReviewDarren Shan continues the saga of a teenage boy who gets unwittingly drawn into a world of vampires, werewolves, and other freaky creatures with this second installment in his innovative Cirque Du Freak series... moreThe Barnes & Noble ReviewDarren Shan continues the saga of a teenage boy who gets unwittingly drawn into a world of vampires, werewolves, and other freaky creatures with this second installment in his innovative Cirque Du Freak series. Shan's protagonist, who bears the same name as the author, is one of the most complex and innovative characters ever to see the light of day -- a freedom he may soon lose if he gives in to his craving for human blood and becomes a full vampire rather than a mere half-blood. Darren's dilemma is a tough one: Drink the blood of a fellow human -- an act that will cost him the few remaining shreds of his humanity -- or die.Feeling lost, lonely, and at odds with himself, Darren is delighted when his vampiric mentor, Mr. Crepsley, makes the decision to rejoin the traveling freak show. Among the oddball characters who comprise the show's performers, Darren finally makes some friends, most of whom are as weird or weirder than he is. In an effort to regain some semblance of his old life, Darren also befriends two outsiders, normal human beings whose well-intentioned actions will eventually lead to tragic results. As events unfold with the same sense of inevitability as the rising and setting sun, Darren is once again torn between his own needs and those of the others around him. His heroism and self-sacrifice -- all done in the name of friendship -- garner results that are both tragic and rewarding. It's to the author's credit that despite their deformities, strange abilities, and offbeat appearances, most of the oddball characters who populate the Cirque Du Freak come across as refreshingly self-reliant, confident, and...well...normal. This tight-knit community of outcasts, with their strong sense of family and friendship, make for an intriguing supporting cast. And while most YA readers may not be able to relate personally to Darren's moral and ethical struggles with his vampirism, they will undoubtedly connect with his overwhelming desire to fit in somewhere and belong. (Beth Amos) less

Accompanying his master, Mr. Crepsley, on a trip to the city, half-vampire Darren Shan is ready to enjoy a pleasant holiday away from the Cirque du Freak with his friend Evra. But when he learns of a string of grisly murders whose victims have been drained of blood, Darren begins to suspect that his mentor may be involved. Has Mr. Crepsley crossed the line, or could it be that some creature more fearsome than a vampire haunts the city's streets?

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!

In agreeing to undergo the Trials of Initiation in order to restore Mr. Crepsley's honor, Darren may have bitten off more than a half-vampire can chew. Each trial is taxing than the last, and despite his resolve, Darren simply may not be up to the task! In the depths of Vampire Mountain, though, a threat even deadlier than the Trials is stirring...

Darren Shan, the vampire's assistant, faces certain death. Branded a traitor, betrayed by a friend, hunted by the vampire clan - can Darren reverse the odds and outwit a Vampire Prince and scores of murderous vampanese, or is this the end of thousands of years of vampire rule?

Setting out from Vampire Mountain, Darren embarks on a mission as part of an elite quartet sent to find the Vampanese Lord. Along their journey, though, they are imparted an ominous prophecy: "...If you have face the Vampaneze Lord four times and fail to kill him, only one of you will live to witness the fall of the vampire clan."

Vampire prince and "vampaneze" killer Darren Shan faces his worst nightmare yet - school. But homework is the least of Darren's problems. Bodies are piling up, time is running out, and the past is catching up with the hunters fast!

Outnumbered, outsmarted, and desperate, the hunters are on the run, pursued by the vampaneze, the police, and an angry mob. With their enemies clamoring for blood, the vampires prepare for a deadly battle. Is this the end for Darren and his allies?

Darren and Harkat face monstrous obstacles on their desperate quest to the Lake of Souls. Will they survive the savage journey? And what awaits them in the murky waters of the dead?

Darren Shan is going home - and his world is going to hell. Old enemies await. Scores must be settled. Destiny looks certain to destroy him, and the world is doomed to fall to the Ruler of the Night...

Dead if he loses - damned if he wins. The time has finally come for Darren to face his archenemy, Steve Leopard. One of them will die. The other will become the Lord of the Shadows - and destroy the world.