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.

Darren goes to a freak show with his friend. It's the gothic Cirque du Freak where weird, half human/half animals appear and interact with the audience. Darren falls in love with a spider and tries to steal it so that he can teach it to perform.

Darren Shan, the vampire's assistant, is forced to march to Vampire Mountain where he will be judged by the vampire princes. Darren Shan and Mr Crepsley make a long and dangerous trek to the vampire's stronghold in the mountains. The trek is a test of skill and endurance - one which sees Darren's vampire nature develop, and a new understanding of the mysterious blue-robed servants of the sinister Mr Tiny. Gavner Purl makes a welcome return when he joins Darren and Mr Crepsley, but they face more than the cold on their way to the vampire princes - the vampaneze have been there before them... Will Darren's meeting with the Vampire Princes restore his human nature, or turn him further towards the darkness...

The trials: seventeen ways to die unless the luck of the vampire is with you. Darren Shan must pass five fearsome Trials to prove himself to the vampire clan ? or face the stakes of the Hall of Death. But Vampire Mountain holds hidden threats. Sinister, potent forces are gathering in the darkness. In this nightmarish world of bloodshed and betrayal, death may be a blessing...

The middle segment of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy by Darren Shan, the New York Times bestselling YA author of Cirque Du Freak. "Archibald Lox is sure to ensnare, mesmerize, and astound readers of all ages." The Literary Connoisseur. When a couple of assassins catch up with Archie, he's forced to flee to the Merge in search of friendship and safety. In a city of ice, the greatest grop players of the six realms have assembled for a legendary Tourney, and Archie ends up with a ticket to every match. But plans have been drawn up to kidnap a prince, and Archie soon finds himself fighting for his freedom and his sanity. Having become a pawn in a cunning game of political chess, he must travel to the heart of an enemy empire, but it's a dark, menacing place from which he might never return... This is the Complete Volume Two of the Archibald Lox series, bringing together the first three novels, Archibald Lox and the Forgotten Crypt, Archibald Lox and the Slides of Bon Repell, and Archibald Lox and the Rubicon Dictate. "Easy, fun read with lots of surprises. We were on the edge of our seats!" The Bookbag. "I devoured this book in a day and I am still smiling and eager for more." The Word Cubby. "Shan has built an ambitiously original fantasy world populated with fully rounded characters who take us on unforgettably compelling journeys." Books, Films & Random Lunacy. "The first three books were unlike anything I'd read before, and book 4 truly proves that Shan is a master storyteller." Kelly Smith Reviews. "With every page, author Darren Shan weaves a richer and more colourful world." Addicted To Media. "Full of adventure and intrigue. I've really enjoyed how this has blended the familiar with the fantastical to craft a captivating world." T. Higgs Reviews. "Tension! Drama! Badassery! Volume two of Archibald Lox has it all." Rachel Hobbs, author of Shadow-Stained.

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

Betrayed by Kurda and reeling from the brutal slaying of Gavner, the vampire's assistant, Darren Shan, finds himself branded a traitor and hunted by the vampire clan.