1. BibliographyShan, Darren. 2003. Cirque du Freak: Trials of Death. Little Brown and Company: New York. ISBN 0-316-60367-8.
2. Summary
Darren is a vampire's assistant. He is really only considered a half vampire, but in order to be accepted into the vampire family, Darren must travel to Vampire Mountain and endure the Trials of Death. This is 5 tests that he must either pass or die. While many are in his favor, there are some who do not want Darren to pass the trials. One by one, Darren goes through the trials until something goes terribly wrong. Then Darren uncovers a deception that could be the demise of the vampires.
3. Impressions
I am a fan of vampires. I love to read the books by Anne Rice and I like to watch movies about vampires. However, I was not pleased with this book. This book is the fifth book of the series and I was very confused when I started reading it. There were so many characters introduced in the first two chapters that the reader has a hard time keeping them straight. I almost didn't finish after reading the first few pages. But I muddled through and actually became interested in the story. Darren's tests that he must pass were painted in vivid detail. However, the author tried to put too much in this book. At the end, there were so many questions that I had, like what about the spiders that they found deep within the cave? How did those ever come into play? And what about the strange humans who are the keepers of the dead?
I think that young adult males would enjoy these stories. However, I feel like you must start with the first book in the series. Starting with the fifth book left me not understanding much of what was happening in the story. I plan to go back and read the first book to see if I get a better understanding of what was happening in this story. I think that might make me enjoy this book more.
4. Reviews
Reviews taken from http://www.amazon.com/Cirque-Du-Freak-Trials-Darren/dp/0316000957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228190128&sr=1-1
From School Library Journal Grade 4-7-This is the fifth novel in the continuing saga of the youthful half-vampire assistant to Larten Crepsley, a full vampire. Crepsley has brought Darren to Vampire Mountain to undergo the Trials of Death, an elective ritual periodically undergone by vampires in order to bond with the clan and prove their worth. As a half-vampire, Darren is in more danger of failing the trials than the others who usually participate, but he is determined to go ahead. The penalty for failing without dying is execution. In the background a new conflict looms, involving the vampaneze, purple-skinned killers who resemble vampires but who are nothing like the beings whom Darren has come to respect and admire. When it appears that he will not survive the trials, his vampire friends urge him to escape. Escorting him out through the mountain's underground tunnels, they run smack into an incoming vampaneze invasion. In the final pages, the plot and action finally pick up to fever pace as Darren is caught between invaders, defenders, and possibly a traitor in the ranks of the faithful. Characters are mostly one-dimensional, and the plot plods along until the final conflict heats up the action. Although the story stands on its own, there isn't much reason to read this one aside from following the series. Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
