Book Review - Ocean of Blood

Ocean of Blood

Author: Darren Shan

Series: The Saga of Larten Crepsley #2

Genres: Paranormal, Vampires | Young Adult

Release Date: April 28th 2011

Publishers: Harper Collins

No. Pages: 232

Source: Borrowed

Rating: 

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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 princples – or whether he will lose himself in blood…

The following review may contain spoilers concerning earlier books in the series.
If you have not read the previous installments, please proceed with caution.

I'm not sure how to start this review. I finished the book last night and was fighting the urge to pick the next one up and read straight away, but had planned to watch a film with the other half so didn't. I still haven't as I wanted to write this review first, only problem is I don't know where to start. I've been a fan of Darren Shan for about 8 to 10 years now, I've read just about everything he's written, with the exception of a few books, and he still never ceases to amaze me.

The book starts of with Larten and Wester leaving Seba to go explore the world before returning to their studies. On their travels they come across other vampires with the same interests, drinking and gambling, and soon take up home with them (where that may be). Even though Larten is surrounded by beautiful women, money and good company he is never happy, and it takes a encounter with a vampaneze for him to come to his senses and set off on a different path with Wester returning to Seba.

The story skips forward a few years to find a still unsure Larten on his way to see Lady Evanna, the Lady of the Wilds and Desmond Tiny's daughter, for the second time with her new assistant Malora. After a bit too much to drink and a bit of an misunderstanding Larten fleas from Evanna with a young Malora following ( I love how he got his scar. I've waited a long time to find out and now I have, well done Mr Shan. Well done haha ) I also love how the first time we see Lady Evanna in the book is when Wester, Latern, Seba & Vancha stumble upon her and we meet her assistant Arra Sails, a lady we first came across in The Saga of Darren Shan, but as a vampire. I found this bit of the story very interesting, short but interesting.

In the last section of the book Larten is ill with vampire flu. He's been ill for a few months and when he seems to be getting better Paris finds him with news from vampire mountain and to try and persuade him to continue his studies to become a vampire general, something he wanted from the moment he knew about them. Something that tickled me more than it should do about their encounter was the mention of a little author that had been fallowing Paris around for 3 years who was later reviled to be Bram Stoker haha. That and the little mention of Interview with a Vampire..

After rejecting Paris's offer, Lartens illness worsens and he becomes very paranoid , believing there are vampire hunters at land trying to get him, so to the displeasure of Malora they board and ship set to sail to Greenland. After a while a crew member gets suspicious and upon realising what he is the crew members turn and a fight starts.

This books was amazing. I loved every bit of it. I was surprised to see Arra and I'm really looking forward to reading what happens with her. Not only was the book funny but it tugged at your heart strings too.