Trials of Death

Product Description [MP3-CD audiobook format in Vinyl case. NOTE: The MP3-CD format requires a compatible audio CD player.] [*Young Adult Fiction] [Read by Ralph Lister] Trials of Death is the fifth book in the Cirque du Freak series -- and it is the second book of a grueling, three-part Darren Shan adventure (The Vampire Rites Trilogy). The trials: seventeen ways to die unless the luck of the vampire is with you. Darren Shan must pass five of these fearsome trials to prove himself to the vampire clan -- or face the stakes of the Hall of Death. But Vampire Mountain holds hidden threats. Sinister, potent forces are gathering in the darkness. In this nightmarish world of bloodshed and betrayal, death may be a blessing. -- Author Darren Shan's vivid detail and original voice will continue to have young readers glued to their seats in horror. Review ''Fans of the series will again line up to devour this latest installment of Darren's story. Loads of action and gruesome adventures cram the story of a young man coming to terms with his vampiric nature. Darren begins to grow a bit as a person, a rarity in most serialized characters, making this book as interesting to read as the first installment in the story. Of course, there is plenty of gore to satisfy the bloodthirsty, with the promise of much more to come. There are far too few horror stories to offer middle school and junior high students. This series, although grisly in detail, is still appropriate for the younger fans of the vampire genre. Any chapter would make a riveting read-aloud as they end leaving the reader wondering what will happen next.'' -- VOYA''Compulsively readable.'' --School Library Journal''With loads of bone-chilling action and near-death battles, Shan takes Cirque du Freak to an even scarier level in this fifth book. Scenes of Darren being gashed with stalactites and savagely burned are gruesome and cool, while the story provides surprises that will make your jaw drop. Trials of Death will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.'' --Barnes & Noble, editorial review''Fast-paced and full of macabre touches.'' --J. K. Rowling About the Author DARREN SHAN is the bestselling author of the young adult series Cirque Du Freak, The Demonata, and The Saga of Larten Crepsley, as well as the stand-alone novel The Thin Executioner. Shan's books are sold on every continent and in thirty-one languages, and have been bestsellers in countries including the US, Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Hungary, Japan, Taiwan, and the UAE. In total, they have sold over twenty-five million copies worldwide. Shan divides his time between his homes in Ireland and London.