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The Demonata #6

Demon Apocalypse

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One boy's life ripped to shreds before his eyes...

One wrathful demon master hell-bent on revenge...

An army of grisly Demonata on the rampage...



It's the end of the world as we know it.



The sixth novel in the chilling Demonata series by Darren Shan, author of the New York Times bestselling Cirque Du Freak series, will terrify readers long after the last page.

200 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2008

166 people are currently reading
3637 people want to read

About the author

Darren Shan

243 books8,264 followers
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..

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5 stars
5,861 (48%)
4 stars
4,003 (33%)
3 stars
1,817 (15%)
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1 star
76 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews
Profile Image for Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*.
2,959 reviews1,192 followers
February 13, 2017
The series continues strong. Again through the point of view of my favorite, Grubbs, it shows the continuation from the cliffhanger left from Blood Beast, where all seems lost as Grubbs discovers a huge betrayal and finds himself with no escape on a plane with Lord Loss and his hellious sidekicks. These monsters bring the stories up to adult level when it comes to violence, gore, and shock effect - from the opening paragraph where the scorpion familiar dives into a person's face to pop out their eyes with it's tail and then implant maggots to eat through the brain (yes, really), the another familiar turning around and killing a baby - these young adults are not for the light at heart of the young.

This is the book that serves as a bridgeway to finally connect so many stray characters. Kernel from the second book, Demon Thief, makes several appearances and we see what's happened with him. Dervish, a series regular, stays around with the beloved Bill-E from previous books. Bec, the random girl set back in time for book four, gets a strong mention and nod. We also see random, stray Demonata that joined before with a certain leader. This is a book fans of the series definitely shouldn't miss since it ties so many dangling threads together.

There is a sad ending in this one, which Shan doesn't shy from - I still remembering sobbing at a major character death in his Cirque Du Freak series. I had a spoiler about this death coming, so it softened the blow a bit, but the way it was handled made sense and a type of peace even though it was tragic and that character will remain missed.

The stakes in this book are literally apocalyptic, and the story not only remains tense and interesting, but makes a big step in the future of Grubbs and the rest of the gang. We learn a few secrets about familiar characters as well.

With creative plot maneuvering, tense action scenes, and a return to all the series favorites, this may be the best of the bunch so far. Here's hoping that it just keeps getting stronger.
Profile Image for Fatima difarko.
127 reviews
July 31, 2021
تا اينجا براي من بهترين جلد مجموعه بود:)
هيجاني و دردناك ..
Profile Image for ❄️ Propertea Of Frostea ❄️ Bitter SnoBerry ❄.
297 reviews113 followers
May 3, 2013
Grubbs Grady


Bec MacConn


Kernel Fleck


Beranabus


Dervish Grady


Bill-E Spleen




The book continues where Blood Beast left it...in the plane. People being eaten and stuff. The usual. With our wonderful Lord Loss there to guide his familiars. Both demon and human. Grubbs is almost gone... but then help on the way!
Not 25% in and Grubbs and Beranabus are flying~


Then the magician takes him to his cave, where Grubbs meets Kernel.
Beranabus starts explaining stuff to Grubbs, but Grubbs' not ready to listen. He's being his own coward self. He proved he was a chicken too -_- Kinda annoying...

Soon, Sharmila comes...bringing news that the tunnel has been opened...hell's on loose. They gather all the Disciples, to fight against the demon master...

And then Beranabus is like...


Who is eventually found out.
And then...Bec is back! After so many centuries.. she's back... magic in the air, powerful magic, immense forces. The impossible happens! And the world is saved! But at the expense of a sacrifice... a tragedy :(

I like this series. Never hated it, inspite of it being the genre to make imagining a little hard, but all's fine with me. What I found unsatisfactory was about Grubbs and Dervish's character in this book, they are broken -_- So finally in this 6th book... everyone meets. All main characters. Is there anyone missing? No. A sweet reunion. Let them all whoever died in future, or died nevertheless R.I.-bloody.P.
That's it, end of tale. Just that Dervish's home is safe, I'm glad about that ^.^

The beginning was fast paced, had me gripped, but later, like in the demonata universe, time seemed to go slow... More gore, more horror. More demons, more magic.

The end.


A fond memory...
Bill-E and Grubbs
Profile Image for Melika Gohari.
135 reviews31 followers
September 14, 2025
این جلد واقعا هیجان انگیز بود. تند تند برگه هارو ورق میزدم تا برسم به آخرش. :))
دارن شان عزیز خودشو یبار دیگه تو دل من جا کرد.
Profile Image for Ali Ebrahimi.
169 reviews
September 17, 2023
یکی از لذت بخش ترین جلد های این مجموعه بود با کلی فراز نشیب لذت‌بخش و دردناک بود. به حدی خوب بود ‌ه با سرعت وحشتناکی خوندمش.
Profile Image for Jason.
1,179 reviews288 followers
April 5, 2015
5 Stars

Demon Apocalypse is one of the best novels in Darren Shan's awesome Demonata series. Let me clarify that the last book Blood Beast and this one should have been released as one book, not two. I was not happy with the first book ending in the middle of a massive action scene and pivotal point in the story line. I especially hated my least favorite words...To Be Continued.

In this book Shan masterfully brings together all of the story lines of the Demonata. In this one, Grubbs meets Beranabus and Kernel and Shark. Dervish and Bill-E and a bunch of Disciples are all present as well. There are others I could mention but I don't want to spoil the fun. Of course Lord Loss and his familiars are at the center of the mayhem. The coming together of all of our past heroes is what makes this book special. The action and the carnage are pretty fun too.

Demon Apocalypse starts right where Blood Beast leaves us hanging. As the fate of the world is at stake Grubbs and his new found friends must find a way to stop Lord Loss once again. This is a book filled with twists, betrayals, and unexpected friends. I have grown to really appreciate this world that Shan has built and his writing style is the perfect way to tell it.

I give this book and this series my highest recommendations to those that love urban fantasy and books about demons and monsters.

A great conclusion to the duology and a keystone book in the series.
Profile Image for Marie.
273 reviews31 followers
February 7, 2012
I didn't think that the series could get any better - but it just did!

I honestly can't tell which book in the series is my favorite anymore, they have all meshed together in a ecstatic, wonderful, collision of a master tale that I hope never ends (even though it must).

This story was amazing, beautiful, and sad. It was heartfelt, the heartbreak was deeply felt. The story was everything that can move someone to tears. This story had none of the things that the other books had - except perhaps the first one, Lord Loss, when Grubb' parents were killed. This book was different to the others and impacted strongly on me, the betrayal, loss, and grief were strongly executed throughout the story.

Blood Beast leaves off with Juni Swan betraying Grubbs and finding out that Juni is with Lord Loss. That was just the beginning to the whole twist ans turn of the great disater that befalls their world. The struggle was hard, and the outcome of that will leave Grubbs and Dervish with emotional scars that they will take to the grave...

Profile Image for Kimia.
68 reviews4 followers
March 17, 2023
جلد مورد علاقه ام از این مجموعه
Profile Image for Chandler.
65 reviews7 followers
March 19, 2022
Loooved it! Shan has never disappointed!
Profile Image for Chappy.
452 reviews19 followers
July 9, 2017
even better than the last book, so intense it has you right on the edge of your seat till that very last page. must fight the urge to pick up the next book and keep going.

this book only stays quiet for a few chapters before shit hits the fan, then its a non stop roller coaster till the end. the few battle scenes are the most intense of the series and for those who have read this book they will know what i mean when i say all looks lost.

for anyone who reads these i have also put a short video on youtube of my top 5 moments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBmb5...

up to book 6 and there are still 4 to go, cant wait. i know i'm in for even more heartache and worry but think its a brilliant concept for a novel and the characters are fantastic, from the lowest demon to the most powerful entities.

fan of this book? i recommend the bartimaeus series or the inheritance cycle
Profile Image for Chloe.
667 reviews101 followers
January 28, 2020
I love how vividly gory the descriptions are, these books might be meant for kids but there's some serious body horror going on in this book. This series is so fast and fun to read, I'll finish the rest of the books very soon!
Profile Image for Nancy.
473 reviews10 followers
June 20, 2008
Like the lame How does Cheez-It do it commercial, I’m wondering How does Darren do it—except for the fact that lame and Darren Shan should never be strung together in a sentence. Yes, he’s that good a storyteller. He’s the kind of author that can re-use ideas but turn them into something more original and creative. It’s simply astounding. I can consume anything by Darren Shan.

Demon Apocalypse begins with where its previous book left off, when Grubbs is getting attacked by Lord Loss and finds out he’s been betrayed by Juni. Just when he thinks he’s about to be killed, the previously known as a “bum” saves him with magic. He is Beranabus—otherwise known as Bran from Bec, which isn’t revealed till the end of the book—one of the true magicians whose destiny is to fight demons in their world. Together with Kernel (from book 2, I think), Bran and Grubbs attempt to fight demons in other time zones, but Grubbs can’t deal. In a surprising turn, they discover that they are too late to save mankind from the demons that have and will keep continuing to escape into the real world through a magically opened tunnel. With yet another twist—and this one involves a certain character from Bec—they get sent back in time to try to change things.

I love how the little details are adding up now. Before, I wasn’t really fond of the changing perspectives with each book that follows, but I really see the sense in that now. Things from book two are appearing in book six, and people from book four are appearing as main characters now. More secrets are revealed and ideas are forming together to really strengthen the demon story. I love it!
Profile Image for Claire Chibi.
604 reviews93 followers
December 17, 2019
Rating: 4.5

I sort of wish that this book and the previous one were just one book instead of two, since book 5 ends on a huge cliffhanger, and this one immediately resolves it. Good for marketing I guess? Plus, younger readers are probably not gonna want to pick up a 500+ page book.

The pacing of the first 1/3 (other than the first chapter) was a bit slow for my taste, with lots of exposition, but once it picks up, it really picks up! This series has some of the most intense twists I've ever read, it does not hold back just because it's for younger readers.



Another thing I really love is that even though this series came out over a decade ago, it is very open about boys and men showing their emotions and not having to always put on a brave face, I love it!

So that's my rereads over finally with, now onto the unfamiliar territory of books 7-10! This is such a fantastic series, despite the gore and extremely dark subject matter, I think it's very good for younger (but not too young) readers, and I'm so glad that I picked this up as a young t(w)een because I know that I probably would never have picked it up if I didn't encounter it until later in life.
Profile Image for Siobhan.
5,014 reviews597 followers
October 17, 2014
Continuing where Blood Beast left off this book is action packed from the very start.

This book continues along with the story of Grubbs but also includes other important characters, giving us information on how all the main characters are linked together and suggesting what their purpose is. As entertaining as the other books in the series this one really helps the reader to see the bigger picture in the series.
Profile Image for Ingunn Bache.
41 reviews10 followers
April 15, 2020
Denne synes jeg er en av de mer spennende i serien! Elsker Grubbs mer og mer som karakter jo mer jeg leser, og får veldig vondt av hans kamp både mot det onde og den indre kampen han kjemper mot sin egen feighet. Selv om han er ekstremt redd og har et konstant ønske om å flykte fra problemene sine, er han modig nok til å hele tiden komme seg gjennom alt som møter ham. Dette gir mye trist indre dialog som hele tiden konkluderer med at han ikke har noe annet valg enn å møte den skjebnen som har blitt valgt for ham. Han får virkelig ingen pause fra grusomhetene, og jeg setter stor pris på at han likevel står i og kjemper videre. Han er nok mye modigere enn han tror. Veldig kjekt at de tre hovedpersonene endelig møtes i denne boken, og setter ekstra pris på båndet som sakte vokser mellom Grubbs og Kernel. Gjenforeningen mellom Bec og Bran er også veldig koselig. Føles ut som om serien når et høydepunkt i denne boka, og er spent på hvordan det går videre ettersom jeg ikke husker spesielt mye av de fire siste bøkene i serien da jeg leste disse som tenåring. Gleder meg!
Profile Image for Samantha Rendle.
Author 3 books14 followers
October 4, 2020
Action-packed, butt-kicking fun! Even after finding this book in a charity shop and coming into the story halfway through I enjoyed Demon Apocalypse and found it easy enough to follow. I liked the main character and how believable his motives were, and I loved the world Darren Shan created.

Some of the characters felt a bit weak and lacked dimension, and the writing style was a bit basic, but all in all I enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading the next book.
Profile Image for Milad.
144 reviews22 followers
March 24, 2021
"تا جایی که به دنیا مربوط می شود، چه برای خیر چه برای شر هیچ وقت راحتی وجود ندارد. حتی شک دارم که مفهوم این چیزها را بداند"

هر قدر با دیو همخون نتونستم ارتباط برقرار کنم، در عوض همونقدر از اسرار هیولایی خوشم اومد. وجود شخصیت های مورد علاقه ام، داستان جذاب تر و برگشت از طوفان تو این قضيه بی تاثیر نبودن:)) به نظرم جالب تر می شد اگه کتاب قبلی با این کتاب ادغام می شد.
Profile Image for Emma Stewart.
47 reviews
November 2, 2025
2.5⭐️
-tbf it's my fault for only getting 3 books out of the demonata series that do not follow one after another, so it was safe to say I was thoroughly confused when reading the beginning.
-however, it does kind of give u a recap at the start which was well needed.
-I thought the gruesome detail and the action of the demon apocalypse was really good.
-but the explanations for everything were really out of the blue and unhinged, like if I couldn't understand it, idk how a teen could make sense of it.
-some shocking twists tho.
Profile Image for Carien.
1,291 reviews31 followers
December 21, 2017
This is yet another entertaining read.

Shan pulls a stunt he also used in the Cirque du Freak series and which isn't something I particularly like. Still it's not as big a cop out as it is in Cirque du Freak, so I let it pass with only a little bit of grumbling.

All in all an entertaining read with one very interesting development. On to the next book.
Profile Image for Jennifer Wardrip.
Author 5 books518 followers
August 5, 2008
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Grubbs Grady is back, and he wishes he wasn't.

There are two things that Grubbs regrets the most: letting his transformation take away the lives of the ones he loved, and trusting Juni. When we last left him, Grubbs was on a plane ride with Juni, who promised to take care of him and love him. But while on board, Juni's true colors appeared, and they weren't so pretty.

Turns out she had been working for Lord Loss and had used Grubbs' secrets and trust against him, lying to not only him but also to Dervish, who had fallen for her as well.

Now Grubbs is trying to fend for himself, which isn't looking so bright since Lord Loss' little helpers are happily feeding on the passengers on the plane, while Lord Loss himself is trying to take Grubbs into his realm. Of course, Grubbs would rather die than to have to go with Lord Loss. But there isn't much he can do since no one is there to help him fight off all of the demons.

Then an unlikely hero comes and saves Grubbs. Yet Grubbs knows that this isn't the end of Lord Loss, who is furious at him for ruining his game of chess. He knows that Lord Loss will not let anything stand in his way while trying to take revenge, but Grubbs isn't giving up without a fight. He survived more than once. He can surely survive again, right?

Edgy, intense, and more gruesome than the other novels in THE DEMONATA series, Darren Shan does it again with DEMON APOCALYPSE, creating a captivating novel that will leave you speechless. Darker than ever, we are just glad to see Grubbs be the one to save the world, because without him, who can?

Profile Image for Sita.
108 reviews56 followers
October 23, 2011
Demon Apocalypse is the sixth book in the Demonata series. As we know the series has and is being told from three different peoples point of views. Grubbs, Bec and Kernal's. This one is told from Grubbs's point of view.

I have loved the series so far. I have loved the concept, the characters, the writing, I have loved the series in general. So was this book as good as the rest? The answer to that is yes. Yes it did match up to my high expectations.

In Demon Apocalypse, Grubbs finally meets Beranabus and Kernal. He also finally and for the first time ventures into the demon realm. And the way Kernal and Grubbs treat each other. Hilarious.

This a good sixth book in the series and I am looking forward to the next one. I am liking where the story is going. In a way the series is sort of turning dystopian. But I'll have to keep reading to know for sure. If you have not read the other five preceding this one I recommend doing so, start with the first one Lord Loss. But if you have read the other five, I recommend continuing on this series. Because like I said earlier, Demon Apocalypse does not disappoint.
Profile Image for Ariya.
590 reviews72 followers
May 28, 2015
After reading book 5 which is the worst volume in the series, this one is the best so far (oh I haven't even finished the whole Demonata series yet, still the best.)

This book keeps me going even I don't want to read for more goring and most heart-breaking scene I have to come across. I blame Shan's writing when he writes in his finest competency to reel the reader into his story. As I claims before, he sucks at writing ordinary scenes but about demons eating a human's face? he can work like a craft man.

Besides Shan getting on his track, he keeps up make the book more important than any other when he chooses to craft on such a delicate issue in teenagers and the loss of most beloved character (for me, at least. I cry so fucking hard.) and how the characters cope with death in a tactical way that is how can you be stay sane after all these things happen? and life is unfair and we have no choice, even we pretend we can have it but we gets angry because there isn't. Demon Apocalypse can be viewed as Young Adult genre when it conveys the real cruelty in teenagers; bullying and being bullied in tragic and realistic aspect that you can believe that even an innocent character can do such a horrible and the consequences can't be the blame on him alone.
Profile Image for Mel.
33 reviews
July 3, 2022
I did not remember a lot about this book besides the end going into this re-read. Enjoyed it a lot more than Blood Beast, probably because this is where we’re starting to see Grubs have to grow up a bit more and as an older reader now that appeals to me a lot more than when he was running around making dumb teenager brain decisions. Probably a testament to Darren’s characterisation that he does read so much like teenager (and I would know, I work with them on a daily basis).

The bigger story is starting to come together now that we have Grubbs, Kernel, and Bec in the one place, so to speak, and I’m interested to see the role the three of them are going to play in the future of the human and Demonata universes. Also looking forward to reading from Bec’s point of view again in the next book with my older perspective now.
Profile Image for Violet Nightfall.
Author 33 books36 followers
February 12, 2016
La crudeltà che sfodera Darren Shan nell'uccidere i propri personaggi è seconda solo a quella di Martin. Nonostante ciò ho apprezzato il libro fino in fondo, gustandomi i vari colpi di scena intavolati dall'autore! Fantastico volume, peccato solo che in Italia abbiano stoppato la serie... nn mi resta che acquistare i volumi in inglese!
Profile Image for Saman.
25 reviews24 followers
December 4, 2016
بالاخره سه شخصیت اصلی داستان و کلی از نام هایه آشنایه دیگر بهم میرسند . تمام اون داستان هایه پیشین گفته شده تو این قسمت بهم گره میخورند و نتیجه کار جالبه.
این قسمت داستان سریع ترین روایت ماجرایی رو داشت همچنین بسیار پر خشونت تر از سری هایه قبل بود نویسنده جزئیات دریده شدن رو به خوبی شرح داده بود.
Profile Image for Zahra Rhm.
131 reviews95 followers
March 2, 2016
نویسنده حتی جزئیات دریده شدن رو شرح داده بود. داستان به قدری خشن بود که نتونستم تمومش کنم و کلا از خیر ادامه ی مجموعه دموناتا گذشتم.
Profile Image for EvilSwiss.
51 reviews
August 14, 2025
They saved the world but at what fucking costs....



Spoilers ahead:


Profile Image for Nate.
358 reviews6 followers
May 31, 2022
Demon Apocalypse continues immediately after Blood Beast - these two feel like two parts of the same book. It improves on the former, but makes itself feel a little incomplete. Nonetheless, quite enjoyable!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews

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