Finished reading: Cirque Du Freak #5: Trials of Death: Book 5 in the Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan 📚 ★★★★

The action really picks up here in Book 5! We see Darren with a thirst to prove himself and then have to hold his own in the Trials. I enjoyed the background and traditions during the festival and how Harkat became a more well-rounded character. The ending leaves me hungry for more and to see how Darren will fare beaten, betrayed, and on his own.

Finished reading: Cirque Du Freak #4: Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan 📚★★★☆

This felt like a setup book, with Darren getting to know more about vampire culture than ever before. The time jump (8 years!) was a little jarring, and though Darren doesn’t seem that much more mature, I appreciated the development of trust between him and Mr. Crepsely. As I recall, with things established nicely in this book, the story gets more exciting in the next ones.

Finished reading: Cirque Du Freak #3: Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan 📚 ★★★☆

On this re-read, I was struck by how enthralled I get in the story, despite it being written for teens and already knowing the plot. In this installment, Darren learns of the Vampaneeze, explores his boundaries for interacting with humans, and his relationship with Mr. Crepsley is tested in new ways.

I liked it, but it’s short and doesn’t push the overall story forward too much. I rate it 3 stars not because it was bad writing, but because it feels like it served as an explainer book more than anything.