So, today I finished Darren Shan’s epic, Cirque du Freak. The first eleven books were riveting, the typical type of book that you just can’t put down. I love them without a doubt, they paint a perfect picture of our protagonist who really does go through a lot more hell than he deserves.
What I don’t like is how the series ends. Not at all. I felt – and after reading some other reviews – feel extremely cheated by how he just wiped everything out, so that it doesn’t matter at all.
I won’t go into too much detail in case people haven’t read them yet… but if you do, I would almost suggest stopping after you read Part 1 of book 12. It ends on a sad note, but it’s much better than what you get if you continue to read.
Why? Because it doesn’t make sense. Darren Shan’s entire view of fate/destiny (Des Tiny hehe) gets completely and utterly warped and it loses it’s entire connection… I can’t believe it happens, to be honest.
2 comments
Darren Shan
July 21, 2010 at 8:19 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You might want to have another look at book 12 and what it says. Actions DO matter. No event has been eradicated. While Darren has removed himself from the story of his life, that story still exists and always will — he has changed the world and offered the clan hope through his actions, and his “removal” at the end is his reward, an escape from the damnation of the Lake of Souls which would otherwise have been unavoidable. You might still not like the ending, but at the moment you’ve misunderstood it. I hope you’ll give it another chance.
Greg
July 25, 2010 at 11:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I don’t mean to insult the series, and I did say it was a Quickview. :)
It just seemed like the reading was for naught. Yes, Darren wrote himself out (and another person gets to do his stuff) but it felt like a “wake up from the dream” type ending, where the past has been changed, and it doesn’t happen the way we read it. At least at a first read, it’s such a let down, because we become so invested in a character that ends up ceasing to exist.
I should also note that when I finished the series, I was crying. I didn’t want Darren to die :(
Thanks for the comment tho :) Made my day.