[Recensione] Ocean of Blood - Darren Shan (The Saga of Larten Crepsley #2)

Hello, everyone! I'm finally back after what seemed like a terrible reading slump.
Just as I did for the first book in this series (Birth of a Killer), I'll write the review in English.

Have you read any book by Darren Shan? Which ones?


Title: The Saga of Larten Crepsley #2: Ocean of Blood

Author: Darren Shan

Genre: Horror 

Publishing House: Harper Collins UK

N. of pages: 256

Price: €5,75 (Kindle) / €8,75 (Paperback)

Link: Amazon (Kindle) / Amazon (Paperback)

The epic tale of the vampire Larten Crepsley continues. The question is – how far can Larten go… alone?
Free from their mentor Seba Nile, Larten Crepsley and Wester Flack join the Cubs – wild young vampires with little respect for human life, and a taste for mindless enjoyment.
For the Cubs, everything is easy. But nothing has ever been easy for Larten, and soon fate throws his life into another spin. With dark paths to travel, Larten finds himself far from the Vampire Mountain and its rules. A long way from home, sick and alone, he must decide what kind of vampire he will be. Whether he will stand firm, be true to his master and his principles – or whether he will lose himself in blood…

In this second book, we see Larten and Wester staying with the Cubs, living life to the fullest before having to be part of the Clan and leave every human trait behind. We see Larten struggling with his life, a young Vampire who is not yet the Mr. Crepsley we met in the Cirque du Freak series.

And we see him trying to keep at bay his mixed blood, his evil and terrible side.

The reading slump got me right when I was reading this book, and it was hell because I REALLY love what I read so far by Darren Shan. I finally forced myself to continue, and I did not regret it.

I admit that the first few chapters were a bit slow, and nothing much happened action-wise. But it does get better from Part Two on.
In this book, we meet characters that are present in the Cirque du Freak series as their younger selves, and yet we see what they'll become and how.

I think the keyword of this book is "struggle", in particular Larten's. He's still young, still not sure of what he really wants, wandering like a lost puppy with a terrible temper. Really, he seems like such a different character than Darren's teacher. And yet, I found it quite interesting. The growth I saw and I expect in the next two books is immense, and I do not think I will be disappointed. It'll probably be sad, though. I'll get the tissues ready.
In this second installment, Larten meets characters we know from the Saga of Darren Shan, some for the first time. I'm speaking mostly about Evanna and Arra, and, well, Vancha.
I keep disliking Evanna, honestly. She's just... I don't know how to describe her. I can see there is some good in her, but, in this book, Evanna is even more strict and annoying than when I read of her in the Cirque du Freak!
What REALLY surprised me in this book was Arra! We never knew her backstory in the original series, and when she appeared for the first time I couldn't believe it. She's a long way from becoming the Vampiress I love and revere, and I really did not expect to meet her in those circumstances. I don't really know what to expect... Maybe a story similar to Larten's, maybe something different. But not what I was given. Not that it is bad, just unexpected.
And Vancha! Well... Apart from being a General and not a Prince, he's just his disgusting, handsome self. I love him so much and I am sorry for what the future has in store for him.
I do wish we knew more about Malora, even though her feelings for Larten were a bit.... meh. She was so young, how could she know that love truly is? How could she sacrifice her life to stay with and protect a man that clearly didn't see her in such a light? I'm sorry for how her story ended, it was gruesome and unfair, but her name in Italian is a bit telling, and even if I knew Darren Shan couldn't have thought of that, I expected her story to end badly.
Also, we get a baby. I suspect who he is because of some spoilers I got, and I cannot wait for him to be all grown up! Especially because he's, if spoilers are correct, my favourite character from the Cirque du Freak series.

In matters of style, the Saga of Larten Crepsley is written in a more "serious" and grown-up way, and it's clearly aimed at older readers. Even the language is at a higher level, and I think at least a B1 is required.

As a matter of fact, I'm overall liking this series a bit more than the Cirque du Freak books, and I can't wait to know what DesTiny (eheh) has in store for our young Vampire!

Buy it here: