Lord of the Shadows
Lord Of The Shadows is the eleventh book in The Saga of Darren Shan series by the author Darren Shan. It is also the second book in the Vampire Destiny trilogy.
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Darren Shan |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Saga of Darren Shan |
| Genre | Young adult, Horror novel |
| Publisher | Collins |
Publication date |
2004 (UK) 9 May 2006 (US) |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 185 |
| ISBN | 0-00-715920-X |
| Preceded by | The Lake of Souls |
| Followed by | Sons of Destiny |
Blurb
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...The Lord of The Shadows!
Plot summary
Along with the Cirque Du Freak, Darren Shan returns to his home town, the place where it all began. He was still having nightmares about the Lord of the shadows. While the Cirque Du Freak rests at an old abandoned football stadium, Darren walks through his old home. After spotting his sister, Annie Shan, living a happy life with her son at their old house, Darren decides not to disturb them. One night before the freak show starts a boy shows up hoping to get a ticket to attend the freak show. The boy, Darius, asks many questions and acts strangely, leaving Harkat and Darren curious. The freak show starts, Darren and Harkat wait for Darius but he doesn't attend, instead, he sees his old friend Tommy Jones. Jekkus Flangs, a performer of Cirque Du Freak, introduces him to Tommy Jones who is now a famous footballer. Tommy is shocked that Darren was alive after he was proclaimed dead eighteen years ago when he became a vampire assistant, Darren tells him that he had a rare disease that prevented him from aging normally and they had to fake his death to leave home and travel with a physician so he could be helped.
Tommy gives Darren a ticket to the semi final. After the soccer match ends, Darren witnesses RV and Morgan James kill Tommy. Thus, he goes on a hunt for them. He finds them in an old dark-end alley and edges out to the road where Gannen Harst and Steve Leonard had been waiting for him too. Darren also finds out that Darius is Steve's son and that Steve has blooded him. Trained by Steve, Darius shoots Darren using his father's arrow-gun where it strikes him high in his right shoulder. By luck, Darren manages to flee to safety even though he is badly hurt. Later, he is found by two homeless people who take him to their leaders who turn out to be Debbie and Alice, recruiting for the vampire version of the Vampets called Vampirites. Reuniting with Vancha March, Debbie, Evra, and Alice, the group go ahead on their final hunt for the Vampaneze Lord, Steve Leonard. Darren finds Steve at the abandoned cinema theatre. They plan to make a trade between Shancus, Evra's son, who Steve had captured earlier and Darius.
However, before the trading proceeds, Steve breaks Shancus' neck, killing him, and challenging Darren to do the same with Darius. Darren thinks it over and accepts the challenge, but it doesn't end there. Darren was going to stab Darius in the heart but Steve told him that he didn't know who he was killing. Sensing something dark and secret in Steve's tone, Darren hesitates. When Steve asks Darius to tell Darren his mother's name, Darius gaps at his father. Infuriated, Steve asks him to say his mother's name again. He tells him: Annie Leopard, Darren's younger sister, is the mother of Darius, staying Darren's hand.