Branded a traitor,
betrayed by a friend, hunted by the vampire clan-Darren Shan, the
Vampire's Assistant, faces certain death. Can Darren reverse the odds
and outwit a Vampire Prince? Darren's initiation on Vampire Mountain
draws to a stunning, bloody conclusion-but the Saga continues ...
|
The Vampire Prince is a step in the right direction for continued improvement. While the decisions of the council irritated me in the fifth book, and Darren’s adherence to the ridiculous trials, the plot is picking up from that cliffhanger to go in directions I like again.
Graphic and depressingly grim with some of the fight scenes, I'm glad Darren redeemed himself more in my eyes with his thoughts towards some actions that had to happen. Crepsley finally grew more courageous in the face of common sense, and I loved seeing the wolves again, this time with a much larger role.
The punishment for the vampires is pretty brutal stuff – a strange contraption where they’re dropped on a bed of stakes and don’t always die instantly. Not fun.
The beginning was interesting with how he recovered, to the reactions of the vampires and the revelation of the traitor at hand. The ending - well, I kind of expected something like that to occur - although I wasn't sure how it would come about. It's a little outlandish and silly but I think it's to tie up with the prophecy. Have a feeling, thanks mainly to the movie, who his arch-nemesis will be.
I was kind of hoping to leave Vampire Mountain for a bit but don't see that happening anytime soon. Darren is such a likeable character that I'm glad the vampires in this book held more common sense than before.
Shan is leaving the black-and-white behind, redeeming the characters a little as their world opens and the opinions start to stretch out, seeking that there may be valid points even in the actions of traitors. Darren’s turning an eye toward the possibilities of the vampineze – the big, bad enemy of them all – may have started with the same good intentions the vampires did. They could be cut from the same cloth after all.
Book Quotes:
“They forget that the vampaneze were once our brothers, that by destroying them, we destroy a part of ourselves. Most vampire never realize how pointless and savage war truly is. You were smart enough to see through the truth. Don't ever forget it.”
Author Extras:
DELETED SCENES: Darren and the Wolves
Similar Reviews:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
