Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 1

By: Darren Shan

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

In the tradition of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes and Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, New York Times best-seller Cirque du Freak is the first title in the popular Saga of Darren Shan series.

Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers - Mr. Crepsley - is a vampire!

Steve confronts the vampire after the show finishes - but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.

This is Darren’s story.

©2013 Darren Shan (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

Amazing book, different Narrator.

I love this book, ever since the first time I read it. I just wished it was recorded by a young kid of like 15 rather than an older man. The voice did not fit the story.

Good but not great.

I think the book would have been better had the writer not made the MC change his personality constantly. One minute he is very selfish, the next very brave and the next a whinny brat. That said, the world creation was well done and the narrator was fabulous.

Amazing series

One of my favorite series of all time and I always come back to read it, and this is the first time I’ve listened to it and I greatly enjoyed it!!!

quite nice

enjoyable and well done. far different than the film. may try some more of these.

The reader gave me chills!

The story was pretty good. The reader was absolutely excellent. His portrayal was very theatrical.