Darren Shan

I couldn't believe this was a debut when I first read it (and by an author who was only in his twenties, at the time.) The setting is brilliantly original, well ahead of the urban fantasy curve when it was published. The pacing is breakneck, with a perfect balance between unfolding the world while quietly obscuring the plot.

In particular (MINOR SPOILERS) the author does a good job of relying on the reader's expectation that back story will be filled in slowly to exploit the fact that the MC show more is themselves unaware of the backstory, and therefore learns about it at the same speed as we do. The revelation that the MC doesn't know his own past is skillfully handled, with big and little surprises at every turn.

Sometimes, you read a book and have a pretty idea of how things are going to pan out. I can safely say that for Ayuamarca, I did not see that coming (the ending, that is) and was pretty blown away by the creativity of the underlying concepts.

I wasn't that keen on the sequels (I won't say too much on that though, or it's off topic) but it doesn't matter much. The book is absolutely solid as a standalone, if you choose to read it that way.

Nota bene: this book has been rereleased under a different title more recently but I love the original title more, and that's the copy I own, so that's what I've chosen to review under. show less

I loved Darren Shan's Cirque Du Freak series (I mean, seriously, almost literally drooled over waiting for each edition of those books...) so set myself the goal of reading his other series as well. This sounded the more interesting, so this is the one I've started with.

Definitely dark, definitely morbid, it's a young adult for older teens, despite how it's marketed. Just as enjoyable for adults, at least this one. The main character encounters a tragic, violent loss as he finds his family show more destroyed and faces the villains who did it (brutal stuff). When he mentally heals enough to cope, he finds himself sheltered by his long-lost uncle, a man who knows more than he's telling, but who is willing to tell it as soon as Grubbs wants to listen.

I can tell there are complicated intricacies waiting in further sequels. This one kept it a little simple for effect and establishing structure. There were twists and surprises as they are slowly unveiled, but nothing too stunning. I finally figured out where the chess came into play - interesting stuff. I dug the idea of the family curse, the magic use, and the ties with the demon master Lord Loss.

Grubbs is a worthy main young adult protagonist. He's not obnoxious, he's realistic, and I especially thought Shan wrote his madness well. Almost a poetic bend to tell that part of the story. The uncle is easy to fall in love with and I hope he sticks around. The new best friend, Bill-E, is adorably likeable. As far as villains go, Lord Loss is evil through and through, creepy, and even I wanted him to leave.

There's violence and gore - from someone dead being used as a finger puppet, to beheadings, and even a bizarre story about the original owner of the house getting rid of a baby he didn't want by feeding it to his pet piranhas. It's not continuous, but it's brutal in the scenes which are meant to be horrifying. Of course these scenes hold up strong in their tensions. You never know what the author will pull out of his hat, after all.

I rated three rather than five as the story didn't addict or fully captivate me yet. It has the potential to and I'll definitely keep reading.

The ending is kind of a calm before the storm - a relieved sigh that things are surprisingly okay. This never stays, as I've found - especially considering there are at least ten more of these books to go. show less

So....ridiculously.....sad. The ending of this book packs a wallop of emotional punch. So....sad. The books won't be quite the same now (again, SO SAD.)

The way it went down, though? Brilliant, epic in scope.

All the three hunters have grown on me more. The assistance of two humans was a fun touch as they added to the storyline.

The twist turned my head around at the end, making me circle around previous assumptions that actually have turned out true. Red herring alert that was massacred. show more Such a brutal ending to bring this book to a darker level, as some of the others have been, but not all, making it a fantastic young adult book that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Such a bitter feeling with a certain turnout, especially considering how more bitter it is since the author slipped in a sweet chapter in the middle that gave false hope. Almost mean to do but this only emphasized the tragedy much more and was a brilliant, unusual move; I applaud.

Again intense in action, firm with pacing, characters hold up strong and become more likeable (in some cases before they meet tragic fates.) The world only continues to become more complex and layered.

Shan definitely has a talent with writing emotionally wrenching, tragic scenes. Ugh. Second time in a row with this series that I’ve sobbed as a child would. show less

Years ago I watched the film and fell in love with this series. It was a shame the movies never continued because I was enchanted and adored it. I had a Harry Potter-mania type love for it. Why wouldn't I? I'm a girl obsessed with Halloween and all things spooky!

As an adult, it's weird picking this book up. I can totally tell I'd be obsessed with this book series as a middle grader. It's a real shame I never grabbed it back then. It would have totally fit on my shelves next to my Goosebumps show more and Bunnicula!

Darren Shan being the author and main protagonist is interesting. I did read this series out of order, so it was weird knowing what happens next, but it was still good! I can totally see why middle graders loved this series and I can see why it was so popular. I want to keep reading its because it's fun, mysterious and full of frights. It has a male lead, which is different from what I normally get, so it also made reading it a bit more interesting. A vampire tale told by a male becoming a vampire and not a girl chasing after them? Not my norm! Oh, and it's dark. I love that!

Overall, I really liked this book. It's got a whimsical tale with lots of spooky lore and mysteries that will surely be expanded upon. I want to see how the world of Cirque Du Freak works and what will become of Steve.

Four out of five stars. show less