Birth of a Killer

Fans of the ‘Saga of Darren Shan’ will instantly recognise the protagonist of this new series, Larten Crepsley, as the vampire who blooded Darren Shan. This new series allows us insight into Crepsley’s own immersion into the clan. It’s a well chosen topic as Larten was always a fascinatingly enigmatic character. We discover more about his humble upbringing and learn of the eventual, horrifying yet quite transfixing reason behind his being ostracised by his family. There’s more than a hint of Dickensian gothic with the workhouse and graveyard scenes. This is an exuberant, lively, engaging tome by a storyteller who has the art of keeping his readers mesmerised from the first page until the last. A terrific start to the new series and one told with considerable aplomb and emotional range.