Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

  • The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 1
  • By: Darren Shan
  • Narrated by: Ralph Lister
  • Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (739 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare cover art

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

By: Darren Shan
Narrated by: Ralph Lister
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Kiera Hudson: Dead Flesh & Dead Night cover art
The Outsiders cover art
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cover art
The Vampire Blog cover art
Perchance to Dream cover art
Conrad Edison Box Set: Books 1-3 cover art
Stonebird cover art
Bite the Big One! cover art
The Bad Beginning cover art
51 Sleepless Nights: Collection of Horror Stories cover art
Keeper of the Lost Cities cover art
One Word Kill cover art
Middle Falls Time Travel Omnibus cover art
War and Peace cover art
Dragonwatch cover art
Magyk cover art

Summary

In the tradition of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes and Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, New York Times best-seller Cirque du Freak is the first title in the popular Saga of Darren Shan series.

Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers - Mr. Crepsley - is a vampire!

Steve confronts the vampire after the show finishes - but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.

This is Darren’s story.

©2013 Darren Shan (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

What listeners say about Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    534
  • 4 Stars
    143
  • 3 Stars
    48
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    8
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    467
  • 4 Stars
    120
  • 3 Stars
    51
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    488
  • 4 Stars
    113
  • 3 Stars
    46
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Stephen King meets Harry Potter

I am so excited to continue this series after this book. The story could trim a little fat and unessesery suspense slows down a otherwise fast paced and refreshing story. I can't say now, but it looks like this is a series I'll be reading for my kids one day, along with lotr and hp series. Give it a go!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Must read!

It really is a great book, readed it as a child and now listening to it again brings back so many good memories back. If you are in to fantasy stuff, this book is right for you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fangtastic!

Excellent reading and an even better story. I get to enjoy my beloved childhood again!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

I love this book, I mean really love it, it is well read and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Series

While I love both the saga of Darren Shan and the demonata books I felt the americanisation too jarring .
pounds changed to dollars .. football changed to soccer.
but would still recommend that you give the audiobooks a try.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

exellent

loved it
great book and the narrator was fantastic throughout, cant wait to listen to the rest of them.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love these books

av got all the books but better listing to it good job voice is great

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!

loved these books as a kid and as an adult they are still just as enjoyable :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

came higly recommended

im a hufe vampire fan and this book came recomended from several friends. however ther is little original thoght to be found and almost nothing happens. every book i though ok next book stuff is going down but each finale was more disapointing tyan the one before

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very well performed!

I have always taken a liking to darren shan from the demon saga. This book is definiatly the best so far, truely brilliant.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful