Fans of Darren Shan’s heroics in Years 5 and 6 will welcome the sixth book, The Vampire Prince (Collins pound;3.99), which concludes a mini-saga set in an underworld kingdom (there are more books to come about vampire assistant Shan). Having abandoned the Trials of Death in Book 5, Shan is unable to establish his vampire credentials with the Clan (good vampires who drink blood but do not kill humans) and falls into the clutches of Kurda, who is in league with the human-slaying vampaneze. Plenty of dicing with death and struggles between good and evil, and indisputable boy appeal.