Darren and Larten Crepsley went to Mr. Crepsley's hometown to investigate if Vampaneze had set up territories there. Darren was discovered by the police and forced to attend school. People were killed at night and Crepsley and Darren investigated. Darren's English teacher at school is Debbie, his old girlfriend from Tunnels of Blood. Larten Crepsley had to go back to Vampire Mountain again for Paris's funeral. Darren encounters a Vampaneze with a hook and unknown mask wrapped around his face. Darren was attacked by Vampaneze and was saved by Steve. Steve joins Darren for the hunt of the Vampaneze. Darren later reveals himself as a vampire to Debbie. Debbie joins Darren and Steve for the fight. Crepsley comes back later and help Darren pursue the Vampaneze but doesn't trust Steve with him. Vancha also joins again later. They chased the hook Vampaneze to the sewers at night. The Vampaneze led them to a trap. The Vampaneze Lord shows up and Darren and his team were to kill him as their objective. Steve show his true side later betraying Darren and his friends. The hooked Vampaneze was revealed to be RV (Reggie Veggie). Steve joined the Vampaneze as revealed.A fight begins between the Hunters and the Vampaneze. Vancha charges through the Vampets, scattering them and Mr. Crepsley follows, slicing with his nails to bring down many Vampaneze. Darren soon beats Steve and is about to finish him off, but RV uses Debbie as a hostage, so Darren Shan does not kill Steve. RV, Gannen Harst and the Lord soon leave. Darren and his friends took a Vampet and Steve as their hostage and was given a warning by Gannen to leave the tunnels immediately or he'll send Vampaneze to finish them off.

Higher rating for this one for the surprise at the end. I was not expecting Steve like that though I didn't trust him.
Darren needs to listen. Mr Crepsley tried to tell him. But Darren is starting to get arrogant, I think.

Somehow, I didn't remember a single thing that happened in this book from the first time I read it. The only thing that didn't surprise me was a certain character turning out to be evil, and I actually remembered that from the (badly done) movie version, not the book. Many of the characters are annoying by how childish they are after reading about them for 8 books, and several are so overly-animated as to be caricatures. I suppose that's not to be entirely unexpected given the intended audience for this series, but it makes for a cringier reading experience as an adult. This book in particular felt very different from the previous ones in tone, and also more like Shan just went with whatever plot event crossed his mind as he was writing, no matter how logical it might be for the universe or characters. (Have to bring in school somehow, right?)

Zase super díl!!! Moje teorie se sice s tímhle dílem rozplynula, ale nevadí, jdeme dál...

ngl like my least favorite of these purely because i find the story line of darren being forced back into school so cringe

This one definitely made twist and turns I was not prepared for!
But Darren went back to being the idiot that he is! Excuse me they should have INSTANTLY left as soon as that man came to them about him having to go to school but of course Darren would pull his rank of Prince (that imo doesn't deserve) and they had to stay. It was cool that he got to see Debbie again but the fact that he was pushing so hard for a relationship with her made me not comfy. Yes, technically, they are the same age but it he didn't respect that fact that she was a TEACHER and their relationship would not look right. Him confessing his love to her like that wasn't fair at all. AND THEN WITH STEVE! Him trusting him so easily, nah. He kept saying Steve is my friend, Steve is my friend, excuse me sir you BARELY know him now, it's been years! And just...I was so annoyed that he completely disregarded Mr. Cresply. And when he told Debbie the truth, got her involved, ugh. Just so many bad deciosions were made in this book by Darren that it makes me hate him all over again. My theory about who is the Vampaneze Lord is shot because I thought it was Steve but it doesn't look that way so I have no idea who the hell the Vampaneze Lord is.

2/5 ...

If you've been following along with my reviews, you would know how much I ADORE this series. But this book was a let down

Great book. Great character. Great villain. Great plot twist. Dam that vegetarian turn meat eating vamapaneze wannabe Reggie Veggie! BTW, cover scares the crap out of me.

Absolutely awful, just why! It was fucking Debbie, I hate Debbie and Darren for making such an awful decision. I don’t give a shit for any love interest you have, he was right there, and you let him escape. To say I’m frustrated is an understatement. I knew Steve was still a bitch, R.V. Was a shock, but Debbie could of stayed in the past. I was hoping this book would just be a nice filler and that would of been fine, I needed it after the last 4 books, but guess not. Off to another night of yelling at fictional characters. Absolutely AWFUL.

So many plot holes.
But then again, the saga has not ended yet so I can not adress my through opinion.
But as for what we have figured out by now, I think R.V.'s story is a bit crazy. You deddicate your whole life to fight for the ecosystem, name yourself accordingly (Reggie VEGGIE), then open a wild fucking wolf's cage and after losing two hands!!! You run off, going mad, running into vampenize? Or Idk Steve? I mean I get it Darren Shan, you like to link up history to present to amuse your readers but you're doing a weak job of it I'm afraid.
Why did Mr Crepsley leave Darren and Harkat, his important mission, just for a funeral? Isn't that too humane? I thought vampires weren't supposed to be that much grieving for their dead!
Also why did Vancha left? Bloody hell don't you see what an important of a mission you're on?
Also, Steve's long-remaining grudge is beyond comprehension. Why would someone hold a grudge for 15 years, dedicating your whole life to that? Isn't that straight up lunacy? For only a 12 year old boy!
And even if that made sense, why did he chose this long comprehensive plot to avenge Larten and Darren? Why go through all this trouble when you can straight up go to their place and kill them? Or easier, wait for them to show up and strike!
How the fuck did he know about Debbie anyway? Did Murlough's gost stuck around and told steve about it? I think not!
Don't even let me begin with the tunnels. 29 men against 5? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
They would be dead in matter of seconds if they wished to. But someone didn't want them dead. I am waiting for the next books to reveal the mystery.
Luck!

This is my least favorite. I dont like alot of the unexpected and new appearances of old characters. The ending is ok but the next one best be better than this

Prompts this fits for reading challenges: red cover, character with a visible/physical disability, a found family, dedication, body part on the cover. Stars with "A". Has a "q" in the title. Green cover. Takes place in a school. Mentions another book. Has a movie based on it ("Vampire's Assistant").

Someone, maybe Mr. Tiny, is playing games, and Darren finds himself enrolled in high school. Mind you, he'd be in his thirties by now, if he wasn't a half-vampire. Not only does that sound especially torturous, but by separating Darren from Harkat and Mr. Crepsley, Mr. Tiny, or whoever is up to tricks, has put the three of them in extra danger by keeping them separated during the school day. It was an interesting plot ploy -- not only is there the predictable judgment and mocking from other students, but Darren is twice their age. So not only is he expected to perform school work he never learned because he was a half-vampire when he would have learned it, but he also doesn't understand the slang or cultural references of his "peers".

And . . . OMG, BIGGER plot twist! I love it. This is one of the better books in the series, and they're all pretty good. And then, another one.

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Okay so that second plot twist? That was Steve showing back up for the first time since the first book. He claims to be hunting vampaneze, but can he be trusted? Between the plot they adapted for the movie, and the general vibe of the books so far, and Steve's place in them (or lack thereof), I have to be suspicious as he "befriends" Darren again, so many years later.