Cirque Du Freak: Lord of the Shadows, Vol. 11

Cirque Du Freak: The Manga #11

by Darren Shan, Takahiro Arai

Darren Shan is going home - and his world is going to hell. Old enemies await. Scores must be settled. Destiny looks certain to destroy him, and the world is doomed to fall to the Ruler of the Night...

Genres: Manga, Vampires, Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Supernatural

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2011

About the author

Librarian's note: Also writes books for adults under the name Darren Dash. And in the past he has released books for adults under the names D.B. Shan and Darren O'Shaughnessy.

Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of the series The Demonata, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B. He has also released the stand-alone novel, The Thin Executioner, and the stand-alone short novels, Koyasan, and Hagurosan. Plus, for adults, he released The City Trilogy (originally under the name of D.B. Shan), and Lady of the Shades..

Reviews

[Taneka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darren was really starting to annoy me. His innocence got in the way of his reasoning, but he needs that innocence so that he does not turn into a monster.

[edel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by this. There's actually lot to be surprised by. In a way, I dread everything that happened but at the same time, it was SUCH an awesome volume. But really disheartening. It's a nice lead up to the finale.

I find Steve kinda hot hahahahhahahahahahah feel free to no longer take me seriously. Kudos to you if you never have.

[Brittany Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 11 of the Cirque du Freak manga, adapting Lord of the Shadows, delivers a dark, intense, and emotionally charged continuation to Darren Shan’s supernatural saga. Illustrated with exquisite detail by Takahiro Arai, this volume plunges readers into a world fraught with shadowy conflicts, moral ambiguity, and the relentless pursuit of power.

Arai’s artwork is exceptional in capturing the eerie and ominous atmosphere that defines the story’s central themes. The detailed illustrations bring to life the menacing presence of the eponymous Lord of the Shadows, evoking a chilling sense of dread and suspense. The characters are rendered with remarkable emotional depth, their expressions and body language vividly conveying the turmoil, determination, and desperation that drive their actions.

Narratively, Lord of the Shadows explores themes of destiny, corruption, and sacrifice, weaving a complex tapestry of alliances and betrayals. The manga’s pacing expertly balances adrenaline-fueled action sequences with moments of introspection and character development, allowing readers to fully engage with the psychological and moral dilemmas faced by Darren and his allies.

The volume’s panel layouts are dynamic and fluid, heightening the tension during battles while providing clarity and emotional impact during quieter scenes. The use of shadow and contrast further enhances the mood, immersing readers in the dark fantasy world and heightening the stakes of the unfolding conflict.

In conclusion, Volume 11 of the Cirque du Freak manga—Lord of the Shadows—is a masterful and compelling instalment that solidifies the series’ reputation for combining thrilling supernatural action with profound emotional resonance. It is an essential read for fans of dark fantasy, offering a gripping chapter filled with suspense, depth, and unforgettable imagery.

[Carter W · Rating 5 out of 5]

CIRQUE DU FREAK
Book 11: Lord of The Shadows

The title of this book is CIRQUE DU FREAK, Lord of The Shadows. The author of the book is Darren Shan, he is a Irish author. The lexile level of this book is 730L. Darren and Harkat take a journey to “the lost world”. This is where Harket, the green eyed little person, figures out who he really was before he died.
This book has characters that have propelled the series into a award winning series. The three main characters are Darren Shan, Harkat Mulds and Mr. Crepsley. Darren Shan is the half vampire who has been blooded, but near the end of the book he has had his second stage of becoming a vampire, Harkat Mulds, is a little person that feels no pain except emotional, and he has big round green eyes, Mr. Crepsley, is a full vampire that blooded Darren Shan, he is a full vampire, but near the middle of the book he falls into a pit full of sharp needle stakes that are made by the vampaneze, the vampaneze are vampires except that they kill when they drink blood.
The reason I recommend this book to other readers is because it wants you to read more, I love reading these books. Another reason I like these books is because the lexile level is not that high, however it is challenging to young readers.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darren is faced with the cruel truth about the future. He and Steve will fight to the death and the victor will become the Lord of the Shadows and will rule over the nightmare world he and Harkat saw at the lake of souls.

Meanwhile, the Cirque du Freak is headed to Darren’s hometown where the final battle is sure to take place. Darren sees an old friend, his sister, and his nephew.

But of course the peace doesn’t last and the Vampaneze attack, drawing Darren away from his allies where he learns that Steve has a shocking newcomer in his ranks.

Lastly, Steve sinks about as low as I can possibly imagine, opening the way for a grand climax. He’s still my second favorite though.

Officially, I can’t fault Darren for not realizing who Darius is because remember this was originally a novel, not a graphic. So what’s painfully obvious to us might not have been in the original format.

This series has 12 volumes and is based on the Darren Shan novel series Cirque du Freak.

[Makaylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, my, god! This book has so many suprises and that ending, aaa! I can't believe a series could make so many plot twist! Betryal, death, suprises, and more is what this series has in store for you! Cirque Du Freak was the first book to make me shed a tear. This book in the series is the second to last book in the series and oh my gosh, I can't wait to read the 12th(Final) book in this amazing series. To sum up the main idea of the series is about an half vampire trying to save his kingdom from the bad vampires, Vampeneze, with some humans getting tricked to think he is bad, but one person will always be after the half vampire. I know, it sounds awesome and is awesome! So, check it out if you are into that kind of stuff, I know I am! Thank you for reading.

[J Jahir · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Otro libro fantástico. En él, será el momento de que darren regrese al hogar del cual tuvo que marcharse hacía ya varios años, desde que por crepsley se le arrebató la posibilidad de haber vivido una vida normal. Ahí se encuentra con uno de quienes habían sido sus amigos, y por si fuera poco, los vampaneces dominan y tratan de asediar la ciudad. Podría dar más detalles del libro pero no quiero spoilearlos, sólo darles una idea general del mismo para que se animen a leerlo, aunque tendrían que empezar desde el libro 1. su final es explosivo, y siguen descubriéndose secretos, en especial uno que tiene que ver con el hijo de Steve...

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the final battle looming on the horizon and enemies preparing to have an epic clash against our heroes, Darren finds the world around him falling apart as he searches for the secrets of a deadly powerful title: Lord of the Shadows. Shan and Akai bring some of the best suspense and delivery yet in this electrifying penultimate to the beloved "Cirque Du Freak" series. Get ready for a blast of grand action!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

It didn't

[Meri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved everything about this one - fantastic adaptation!

[Susan]

Darren is learning about about life with a vampire 🧛‍♂️ and working with the spider

[Nightshade · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is interesting to see lots of old characters returning as the stories finale draws near. I especially like seeing the way that Arai has drawn the adult versions of Darren’s childhood friends and sister.
Awww, I love Shancus and even Darius is cute. Once again I loved the little family scenes with Evra’s family, but it made me want Shancus to live even though I already knew that Steve kills him. I did however think that the manga makes Mr. Tall’s death very impersonal and a bit brief, whereas I remember it being really shocking and a big thing when I read the novel.
It is interesting the way that some of the scenes have been drawn. In particular when the destiny of Darren and the others is coming to its tipping point, Arai has added in images of skeletal hands reaching out towards the characters.
Arai has done a really good job of making a manga out of Shan’s books and I cannot wait to read the final manga in the series.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the final battle is among us... I wonder if Darren will actually turn out evil or not. I really liked that aspect that promised a horrible ending, even I Darren wins. No happy endings are my fave... but I'm still doubting. Darren will probably find a way to overcome it.

Once again, the big shocker tho volume at the end was once again no shock. It was pretty obvious when Darius first showed up who both of his parents were.

I am happy the story has come full circle and they're back at the Cirque du Freak. I can sort of forgive the series being called Cirque du Freak, but I still feel like this series was mistitled.

One more volume to go. Let's see he makes it through the battle

[707Jabril · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this book. they need to hurry up and make a 12th book because this one is the best out of all of them. this one has a ton of action and its more detailed and more exciting then the others. this book has a few things that arent good though. it still is kind of confusing about the different characters. also i dont really understand the roles that some of the background characters play.

[Ash Ebrahim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well The story starts with Darren going back to his hometown then he falls in deep shit after he meets the people who knew in his childhood and I really predicted the shocking truth in the end of the volume.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Darren finding Steve, the vampaneze lord. The bad thing though is that the person that wins the battle (ether Darren or Steve) will become the Lord of Shadows!!!! I would recommend this book to all boys and girls that like vampires and heart racing action!!!

[Hannah Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beyond cool! Secrets will be revealed as nears the approach of facing Steve!

[Lissibith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong story, though a lot of elements seem to be focused toward the next and final issue. Definitely full of surprise turns

[Brandon Fazendeiro]

Awesome book in the beggining but it does get a little boring in the last 4th of the book unlike all of the other cirque du freak books

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy eyes going on, on the cover. Anyway, series is still good, whether in book form, or manga form. One of my favorites. The manga, you might like, but if you like the books, give this a read.

[Bobby Hougen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[David]

This book in my opinion was good it shows many surprising things that you'll not expect I enjoyed reading this book.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book, It was interesting and I recommend it to the people that like these kinds of books.

[HK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this series but ending left me hanging. I know it was a beautiful way to end but i felt like it made all the books almost useless. Still amazing art, cool story line and i love Darren.

[Joshua Molock]

loved it

[Sidney]

i dont know i havnt read it yet because its not working

[Anna]

This book was amazing!! It ends in a total cliff hanger... Can't wait to read 12

[Diana Gonzalez]

really googd book so omg cant wait for volume 12

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book lord the shadows it leaves you exited until you read the last book

[Caty]

sad.very sad