Customer Reviews

Cirque Du Freak #4: Vampire Mountain: Book 4 in the Saga of Darren Shan (Cirque Du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this book because I love reading about vampirers.Darren Shan is a thirteen year old boy even though he doesn't look thirteen he is the reason why he doesn't look his thirteen is because he is half vampire it doesn't let look like he is his age because he is growing slower than the normal humen would.

In this book, Crepsley and Darren embark on a journey to meet the Vampire Princes at Vampire Mountain. The new characters are thankfully more developed than perhaps even Darren was in the first book. We learn more about Crepsley which was a highlight in the book, as was the overall suspense and drama of the book. I love Harkat--probably the most intriguing character besides the even more elusive Mr. Tiny.

I have enjoyed this series so far, but this book was incomplete. The first three books were complete self-contained stories. This book setup the story, but then came to a cliffhanger ending. You need to buy the next book to read the complete story. Essentially, I had to pay full price for a half-book.

I bought the first three books for my son at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year for class. He love them so much he read them two and three times. The stories are a little gory for younger children but for the older kids that's part of the draw.

Love love love this vampire-based book series. I am a 58 year old female, however, I have always enjoyed "boy" type, action based fiction books as a reader. What I found about the entire Cirque Du Freak series, however, was that it was not JUST about being a vampire, or a member of a Freak Show. It teaches about loyalty and friendship; what a real 'family' is, even without the blood-relation.

In fact, I was so smitten with this series (Mr Shan, are listening?), that I made a gift of all my books to a then 11-year-old friend, because I was confident there was little to no swearing of any consequence, no real sexual content, but a good wholesome and fun teaching story definitely well-worth my time and my young friend's.

Hours and hours of good reading fun and miles of smiles afterward. I cannot wait to read more from Darren Shan.

Unlike volumes 1-3, in which the story concludes at the end of the book, Vampire Mountain leaves you hanging with the mystery unsolved, the story only partially complete. Now I have to wait until Book 5 arrives! If I had known, I would have purchased both at once. Other than that complaint, this book contains the same pleasures as the first three (fast read, interesting mythology of this world, not too dark). Several years in the life of Darren Shan have gone by since volume 3 concluded. Bonus! We finally learn more about Mr. Des Tiny, the little people, and the vampire princes.

I just wanted to go on to the next book to find out what happened. I wish there were more.

Cirque Du Freak is the forth book in the series. Although i have not read the other books i was able to keep up with the story very well. This book is a stroy about a thirteen year old vampire, Darran Shan, who works at the Cirque Du Freak, a Circus of Terror. One day Mr. Creapsly, Darran's mentor says to Darran that they are going to Vampire Mountain. It is a place where all the Vampires meet every twelve years. Darran, being a young Vampire, is still unaware of the Vampire customs and is shocked to hear of the jouney's difficulty. It is said the journey tests to see who is worry of the council. If you make it you are worry but if you don't you die trying. Before leaving a man by the name Mr. Tiny, who helped create Vampire Mountian hundreds of years ago, talks to Mr. Creapsly and Darran. He says he is sending three little people to escort them. The Vampires make the journey with great difficultly but eventually get there. When there one of the little people, Harkut Mulds sends a letter to the Vampire Princes saying the Vampanaze Lord is rising. Panic spreads around the mountain. What will happen? That is for u to find out.

I really like Vampire Mountain. I have read evey book in the Cirque Du Freak series. In this book Darren gets blooded to the stone of blood through a sharp needle. Every vampire has to get blooded or they are sentenced to the Hall of Death. It is amazing he has the guts to go up to Seba, a champion fighter. This book is good for people with the thirst for blood and gor. Darren is very gutsy and never gives up somthing he believes in. Would you do what Darren does? I would not do anything like him.

The first three Cirque books were awesome! The series started out spectacular. It should have had that quality, and be great from beginning to end.
So what happened????
Darren Shans writing style and voice seem to have changed. It's been eight years, now, and Darren and Mr. Crepsley are off to vampire mountain. And, um, that's about it. Call me ignorant, but that's all I could see. Some parts on the way there were great, but the rest went way downhill. To me, the rest of the book compiled of Mr. Crepsley's friends, and how Vampire Mountain works. A plot only comes near the end, with a cliffhanger. I definately did not enjoy this as much as I did with Tunnels of Blood. I liked seeing Darren interact with the "normal" world and Evra Von. Things change, but something about this book doesnt seem right. I do hope things shape up soon.