The Saga of Darren Shan
Encyclopedia
The Saga of Darren Shan is a young adult 12 part book series written by Darren Shan
(his real name, Darren O'Shaughnessy) about the struggle of a boy who has become involved in the world of vampires. As of October 2008, the book is published in 37 countries around the world, in 30 different languages. A movie
based on the first three books in the series was released in theaters October 23, 2009. Harper Collins Audio have also released CD recordings of the first three books, read by Rupert Degas
.
bought the movie rights in a seven figure deal prior to publication, though the film was never made and the film rights returned to Shan after three years. Now, Universal Pictures
own the movie rights and a feature film was released in theaters October 23, 2009.
Larten Crepsley into becoming his assistant and a half-vampire.
s in the Saga are different from the standard vampires found in popular culture. They are truly alive, can be killed by several means—including, but not limited to, decapitation or piercing of the heart—and are not inherently evil. Vampires do not drink from the neck, but cut a vein
of a victim, drinking small amounts of blood from the vein, and then healing it with their saliva
; a breakaway group called the "vampaneze" insist on killing their victims and draining all their blood. Doing this, the "Vampaneze need to feed less often. The problem with this is, the "vampaneze" can become stronger by doing so. Draining all of a human's blood would have a vampire or vampaneze absorb part of the spirit of the human, allowing the vampire or vampaneze to see into their memories (Darren does this in The Vampire's Assistant, to save the spirit of a dying friend). Neither vampires nor vampaneze have fangs, but instead use their hard, sharp nails to cut into their prey. These nails can also be used to scale walls in a spider-like manner. Vampires do not combust when exposed to sunlight, but it will burn them easily and extended exposure will kill them. They can, however, remain active during the day (provided they remain in the shade) and are not bothered by garlic, silver, or holy objects (such as crosses and holy water). Fresh human blood is the most nutritious for vampires, but they can feed on preserved human blood or the blood of certain animals when necessary. Some animals' blood, however, is toxic to vampires. Vampires cannot reproduce; further vampires are created by blood-to-blood contact with humans, traditionally through the fingertips, but if any creature, human or animal, were to orally ingest vampire blood, it would be driven into a murderous frenzy and then die (similar to rabies
). Vampires are not immortal either; they age at one-tenth the human rate (half-vampires one-fifth). This comes into play in the series when Darren meets an old girlfriend he had; now they are adults but Darren still looks about the same as he did when they first met. The oldest vampire in the series is Paris Skyle (claimed to have inspired the popular vampire folklore entity, Dracula
), who was "blooded" at age two and lived for over 800 years. Vampires cast reflections and shadows but cannot be photographed due a particular vibration of "vampire atoms."
Vampires are strong, fit, and can run at a very high speed, called "flitting". Flitting causes a static charge to build up in a vampire's body, which Mr. Crepsley learned to use to force open locks. A vampire's senses are all superhuman. They can endure incredible amounts of physical trauma, are resistant to most chemicals and diseases, and heal quickly. A vampire's healing factor
is not as effective as in most fiction, and, unlike the beautiful vampires of Anne Rice
, most of Shan's vampires are heavily scarred and unattractive. More abilities include breathing an invisible gas that renders a human unconscious, telepathically communicating with other vampires and humans (three vampires could also mentally command spiders), and locating vampires and humans whose thought patterns they have learned to recognize. Vampires cannot dematerialize into a mist, nor can they transform into bats, rats, or wolves. On the other hand, these animals are friendly to vampires, although cats and dogs hate them.
Vampire society is ruled by honor, personal pride, and tradition. They have a strict hierarchy with higher ranking vampires having absolute rule over lower ranking ones, though they exercise their powers in moderation and are respectful of those beneath them. There are far fewer female vampires than male ones. Vampire matings last only ten or fifteen years with the couple then choosing to re-mate or go their separate ways. Vampires are forbidden to use projectile weapons like guns, bows, and crossbows as they view these as dishonorable, preferring hand-to-hand fighting with swords
, axe
s, etc., or throwing weapons such as a shuriken
; the vampaneze are forbidden from using any form of throwing weapons. Vampires live old fashion lives: no vampire is shown making references to pop culture, driving a car, or using computers. Vampires see humans as a chaotic and slightly inferior race, but most value human lives. Some vampires form friendships with humans and many fall in love with humans.
Darren Shan's vampires do not follow the religions they did as humans, but worship an unidentified pantheon. They believe that the souls of good vampires are reborn as wolves in the eternal nights of a distant world called Paradise, while evil vampire souls remain bound to the Earth for eternity. Vampires believe they are descended from wolves, just as humans are believed to have evolved from primates. Wolves are held as the cousins of vampires. Wolves like vampires, especially since they have a scent that means no harm to them.
The Vampaneze are first mentioned in Tunnels of Blood
and become a main part of the plot throughout the rest of the series. Examples of Vampeneze include Murlough and Gannen Harst.
based on the Darren Shan novels was published in the Shogakukan
anthology Shonen Sunday
by Takahiro Arai in a weekly serialization. The volumes are being published in the UK and USA by HarperCollins
and Yen Press
respectively.
The Sam Grest stories have been included in the Midnight Feast collection. Sam Grest was only significant in The Vampire's Assistant.
Darren Shan
Darren O'Shaughnessy , who commonly writes under the pen name Darren Shan, is an Irish author. Darren Shan is also the main character in Shan's The Saga of Darren Shan young-adult fiction series. He also wrote The Demonata series as well as the stand-alone books, Koyasan and The Thin Executioner...
(his real name, Darren O'Shaughnessy) about the struggle of a boy who has become involved in the world of vampires. As of October 2008, the book is published in 37 countries around the world, in 30 different languages. A movie
Cirque du Freak (film)
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is the 2009 American film adaptation of the Vampire Blood trilogy of the book series The Saga of Darren Shan by author Darren Shan.-Plot:...
based on the first three books in the series was released in theaters October 23, 2009. Harper Collins Audio have also released CD recordings of the first three books, read by Rupert Degas
Rupert Degas
Rupert Joel Degas is an English actor and voice artist.- Early life:Degas was born in London, the son of screenwriter Brian Degas and television presenter Maggie Clews, whose marriage ended in divorce when he was eight...
.
Background
Darren Shan, whose real name is Darren O'Shaughnessy, wrote and published the first book of the series, Cirque du Freak, as a side project between two adult books. Cirque du Freak received good reviews and Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
bought the movie rights in a seven figure deal prior to publication, though the film was never made and the film rights returned to Shan after three years. Now, Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
own the movie rights and a feature film was released in theaters October 23, 2009.
Plot outline
The Saga of Darren Shan follows the story of Darren Shan, a normal human boy who is coerced by the vampireVampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
Larten Crepsley into becoming his assistant and a half-vampire.
- In the first trilogy, known as Vampire BloodVampire BloodVampire Blood is the first trilogy in The Saga of Darren Shan by the author Darren Shan. It contains the books Cirque Du Freak, The Vampire's Assistant and Tunnels of Blood. These starting books explore how Darren must adapt to his new life, and what that entails...
, Darren learns about and comes to accept his vampirism.- In Book One, Cirque du Freak, Mr. Crepsley makes Darren a half-vampire in return for saving the life of one of Darren's best friends called Steve Leonard.
- In Book Two, The Vampire's Assistant, Crepsley notes that Darren is quite lonely and brings him back to the freak show, where he befriends a snake-boy, Evra Von, and a human, Sam Grest.
- In Book Three, Tunnels of BloodTunnels of BloodTunnels of Blood is the third novel of twelve in the The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan .-Plot summary:...
, Crepsley goes back to his hometown, where one of the vampires' enemies, a Vampaneze named Murlough, is murdering innocent people.
- In the second trilogy, known as Vampire RitesVampire RitesVampire Rites is the second trilogy in The Saga of Darren Shan by author Darren Shan. It contains the books Vampire Mountain, Trials of Death and The Vampire Prince...
, Darren learns about the vampire clan and seeks their acceptance.- In Book Four, Vampire MountainVampire MountainVampire Mountain is the fourth book in The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan . It is part of the Vampire Rites Trilogy, which consists of books four to six in the 12 book saga. It was first puplished by Collins in 2001 in the Great Britain in 2001.-Summary:Eight years have passed since Darren...
, Mr. Crepsley and Darren make their ascent up Vampire Mountain and learn about the rites of the vampires. - In Book Five, Trials of DeathTrials of DeathTrials of Death is the fifth book in The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan . It is part of the Vampire Rites Trilogy, which consists of books four to six in the 12 book saga...
, Darren faces the Trials of Initiation, nicknamed Trials of Death, to gain the recognition of other vampires as one of the youngest vampire to be recruited in decades. - In Book Six, The Vampire PrinceThe Vampire PrinceThe Vampire Prince is the sixth book in The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan. It is also the third and final book of the Vampire Rites trilogy.-Plot summary:...
, Darren finds out about a traitor among them and tries to stop plans to destroy the vampire clan. He himself becomes a Vampire Prince, in this book.
- In Book Four, Vampire Mountain
- In the third trilogy, known as Vampire WarVampire WarVampire War is the third trilogy in The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan. It contains the novels Hunters of the Dusk, Allies of the Night and Killers of the Dawn. This trilogy continues the war between vampires and vampaneze...
, Darren learns he may have a larger role to play in the fate of the vampires (and of the world) than he had ever thought.- In Book Seven, Hunters of the DuskHunters of the DuskHunters of the Dusk is the seventh novel in The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan . It is part of the "Vampire War Trilogy", which comprises the seventh-ninth novels of the 12 book saga.-Plot summary:...
, the hunt for the Lord of the Vampaneze, who is destined to destroy the vampire clan, begins. - In Book Eight, Allies of the NightAllies of the NightAllies of the Night is the eighth book of The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan . It is part of the Vampire War Trilogy, which comprises three books: Hunters of the Dusk, Allies of the Night and Killers of the Dawn. Allies of the Night was first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins in 2002...
, Darren meets some of his past friends who now fit into his quest. - In Book Nine, Killers of the DawnKillers of the DawnKillers of the Dawn is the ninth book in The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan . It is also the third book in the Vampire War trilogy....
, Darren faces the Lord of the Vampaneze for the second time.
- In Book Seven, Hunters of the Dusk
- In the fourth trilogy, known as Vampire DestinyVampire DestinyVampire Destiny is the fourth and final trilogy in The Saga of Darren Shan by author Darren Shan. The trilogy included The Lake of Souls, Lord of the Shadows and Sons of Destiny. This series goes more in depth on the Lord of Shadows and the future where he rules.Darrren embarks with a Little Person...
, Darren is forced to make some difficult decisions, finally taking his destiny into his own hands and dealing with the consequences.- In Book Ten, The Lake of SoulsThe Lake of SoulsThe Lake of Souls is the 10th book in The Saga of Darren Shan and is also the first in the 4th and final trilogy in 'The Saga' called The Vampire Destiny Trilogy. It reveals a lot about the character of Harkat Mulds mainly and introduces a new character called Spits Abrams. This book also adds many...
, Darren travels to an unfamiliar land to find out who his best friend, Harkat Mulds, used to be; as a "Little Person", Harkat's mind sans memories was placed into a new body after his death. - In Book Eleven, Lord of the ShadowsLord of the ShadowsLord Of The Shadows is the eleveth book in The Saga of Darren Shan series by the author Darren Shan. It is also the second book in the Vampire Destiny trilogy.-Blurb:...
, Darren finds out more about the Lord of the Shadows and gets closer to his last confrontation with the Lord of the Vampaneze. - Book Twelve, Sons of DestinySons of DestinySons of Destiny is the twelfth and final book in The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan. It was published as the third book of the Vampire Destiny trilogy by Little Brown and Company.-Synopsis:...
, Darren faces the Lord of the Vampaneze for a final fight, and learns the truth about his parentage.
- In Book Ten, The Lake of Souls
Darren Shan's vampires
The vampireVampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s in the Saga are different from the standard vampires found in popular culture. They are truly alive, can be killed by several means—including, but not limited to, decapitation or piercing of the heart—and are not inherently evil. Vampires do not drink from the neck, but cut a vein
Vein
In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood to the heart...
of a victim, drinking small amounts of blood from the vein, and then healing it with their saliva
Saliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
; a breakaway group called the "vampaneze" insist on killing their victims and draining all their blood. Doing this, the "Vampaneze need to feed less often. The problem with this is, the "vampaneze" can become stronger by doing so. Draining all of a human's blood would have a vampire or vampaneze absorb part of the spirit of the human, allowing the vampire or vampaneze to see into their memories (Darren does this in The Vampire's Assistant, to save the spirit of a dying friend). Neither vampires nor vampaneze have fangs, but instead use their hard, sharp nails to cut into their prey. These nails can also be used to scale walls in a spider-like manner. Vampires do not combust when exposed to sunlight, but it will burn them easily and extended exposure will kill them. They can, however, remain active during the day (provided they remain in the shade) and are not bothered by garlic, silver, or holy objects (such as crosses and holy water). Fresh human blood is the most nutritious for vampires, but they can feed on preserved human blood or the blood of certain animals when necessary. Some animals' blood, however, is toxic to vampires. Vampires cannot reproduce; further vampires are created by blood-to-blood contact with humans, traditionally through the fingertips, but if any creature, human or animal, were to orally ingest vampire blood, it would be driven into a murderous frenzy and then die (similar to rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
). Vampires are not immortal either; they age at one-tenth the human rate (half-vampires one-fifth). This comes into play in the series when Darren meets an old girlfriend he had; now they are adults but Darren still looks about the same as he did when they first met. The oldest vampire in the series is Paris Skyle (claimed to have inspired the popular vampire folklore entity, Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
), who was "blooded" at age two and lived for over 800 years. Vampires cast reflections and shadows but cannot be photographed due a particular vibration of "vampire atoms."
Vampires are strong, fit, and can run at a very high speed, called "flitting". Flitting causes a static charge to build up in a vampire's body, which Mr. Crepsley learned to use to force open locks. A vampire's senses are all superhuman. They can endure incredible amounts of physical trauma, are resistant to most chemicals and diseases, and heal quickly. A vampire's healing factor
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
is not as effective as in most fiction, and, unlike the beautiful vampires of Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
, most of Shan's vampires are heavily scarred and unattractive. More abilities include breathing an invisible gas that renders a human unconscious, telepathically communicating with other vampires and humans (three vampires could also mentally command spiders), and locating vampires and humans whose thought patterns they have learned to recognize. Vampires cannot dematerialize into a mist, nor can they transform into bats, rats, or wolves. On the other hand, these animals are friendly to vampires, although cats and dogs hate them.
Vampire society is ruled by honor, personal pride, and tradition. They have a strict hierarchy with higher ranking vampires having absolute rule over lower ranking ones, though they exercise their powers in moderation and are respectful of those beneath them. There are far fewer female vampires than male ones. Vampire matings last only ten or fifteen years with the couple then choosing to re-mate or go their separate ways. Vampires are forbidden to use projectile weapons like guns, bows, and crossbows as they view these as dishonorable, preferring hand-to-hand fighting with swords
Swords
A sword is a cutting/thrusting weapon made of metal. Sword or swords may also refer to:* Swords, County Dublin, Ireland* Suit of swords, a suit in Latin-suited playing cards and Tarot decks* SWORDS, a ground-based military robot...
, axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s, etc., or throwing weapons such as a shuriken
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
; the vampaneze are forbidden from using any form of throwing weapons. Vampires live old fashion lives: no vampire is shown making references to pop culture, driving a car, or using computers. Vampires see humans as a chaotic and slightly inferior race, but most value human lives. Some vampires form friendships with humans and many fall in love with humans.
Darren Shan's vampires do not follow the religions they did as humans, but worship an unidentified pantheon. They believe that the souls of good vampires are reborn as wolves in the eternal nights of a distant world called Paradise, while evil vampire souls remain bound to the Earth for eternity. Vampires believe they are descended from wolves, just as humans are believed to have evolved from primates. Wolves are held as the cousins of vampires. Wolves like vampires, especially since they have a scent that means no harm to them.
Vampaneze
In The Saga of Darren Shan the Vampaneze are sworn enemies to the vampires, believing that there is honour is killing their victims and claiming their souls. They were vampires who broke away from the clan (600 years before the third book) and claimed themselves a new race (Vampaneze) because of the different customs they held. The Vampaneze are considered the antagonists, though they only appear that way due to the misleading image of Murlough (a mad Vampaneze), The Vampaneze Lord and the War of the Scars; Mr Crepsley himself noted that vampaneze had some positive traditions such as their refusal to lie and their sense of honour. The Vampaneze have purple skin and red hair, eyes, lips, and fingernails though it takes a couple of decades for this colouring to set in. This is a side effect due to drinking a lot of blood: They must kill when they drink blood. Many Vampaneze do not want to fight the vampires.The Vampaneze are first mentioned in Tunnels of Blood
Tunnels of Blood
Tunnels of Blood is the third novel of twelve in the The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan .-Plot summary:...
and become a main part of the plot throughout the rest of the series. Examples of Vampeneze include Murlough and Gannen Harst.
Manga
A manga series called Cirque du FreakCirque du Freak (manga)
, known as The Saga of Darren Shan in the United Kingdom, is a Japanese manga series illustrated by Takahiro Arai and based on the book series The Saga of Darren Shan by author Darren Shan. Arai won a contest in which the winning manga artist would be allowed to draw the series in a manga medium....
based on the Darren Shan novels was published in the Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
anthology Shonen Sunday
Shonen Sunday
, first published on March 17, 1959, is a weekly shōnen manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan. Contrary to its title, Weekly Shōnen Sunday issues are released on Wednesdays.- History :...
by Takahiro Arai in a weekly serialization. The volumes are being published in the UK and USA by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
and Yen Press
Yen Press
Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...
respectively.
Short stories
Darren Shan has released numerous short stories on his website, all of which tie into the saga.- "An Essay on Vampires" "by" Steve Leopard - book 1 tie-in story. The essay was written sometime before Cirque Du Freak.
- "Annie's Diary" - Based on Darren's sister's diary during the events of Cirque Du Freak.
- "Tiny Terrors" - Takes place during The Vampire's Assistant. It centres around the mysterious Desmond Tiny.
- "Transylvania Trek" - a short story "written" by Sam Grest, a character from book 2.
- "Shanta Claus" (only available at Christmas). A special story that follows Shanta Clause as he visits the homes of many characters in the series.
- "Lonely Lefty" - A story centering around Harkat Mulds that takes place during the events of Tunnels of Blood.
- "Bride of Sam Grest" - another short story "written" by Sam Grest, a character from book 2.
- "An Affair of the Night" - A story centering around Gavner Purl, before his untimely death. Ties in with Trials of Death.
The Sam Grest stories have been included in the Midnight Feast collection. Sam Grest was only significant in The Vampire's Assistant.