The lives of Darren and Harkat are at risk as they face monstrous obstacles on a desperate quest to the Lake of Souls.

Darren begins the Trials of Initiation to prove himself worthy of being a half-vampire, even as the clan's blood foes, the vampaneze, gather near Vampire Mountain.

When Darren Shan returns home, he is met by old enemies and scores to be settled, and with destiny certain to destroy him, the world seems doomed to fall to the Ruler of the Night.

As his battles against the vampaneze continue, Darren Shan is framed as public enemy number one.

When his cousin is murdered at the factory where they both work as child laborers, young Larten Crepsley commits a horrific act and must live on the run until he meets a vampire named Seba Nile who offers him protection and training as a vampire's assistant.

Having received a sign that he is not meant to die, young vampire Larten tries to live in the human world, raising the infant who survived his vengeful killing of a ship's crew and falling in love with a human girl, but the darkness inside him forces him back to Vampire Mountain.

Darren Shan leaves Vampire Mountain as part of an elite force on a life-and-death mission to find the newly-risen Vampaneze Lord, who is set to lead the vampaneze into war against the vampires.

Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices.