SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Chapters Read: 1-5

Well, this book started off in an unexpected way. It feels a lot like deja vu at this point, and the pivot is pretty unexpected to say the least.

They're back in Mr. Crepsley's hometown, once again hunting vampaneze who are terrorizing his hometown. Basically they are just following their hearts as Mr. Tiny instructed them.

But everything about this situation is a lot more eerie than when Murlough was the one causing trouble all those years ago. Darren, Mr. Crepsley, and Harkat can't detect a whisper or a clue regarding the vampaneze. The vampaneze are putting their murders on display as well and the whole city is on edge.

Then, out of left field, a school official arrives at their hotel, basically claiming Darren needs to go to school which is nuts. Documents were generated and everything claiming that Mr. Crepsley enrolled Darren. This obviously did not happen and someone is clearly plotting shenanigans of some sort, they suspect Mr. Tiny but nobody really knows. It seems logical it's Mr. Tiny because he's the only one who knows about what happened with Murlough, and in the paperwork it alludes to the slaughterhouse where they first encounter Murlough, which I believe the faked documents say Mr. Crepsley works. Frankly, if it's not Mr. Tiny, it's possibly more alarming because that means the vampaneze knows they're in the city, but the trio can't detect the vampaneze. Also, it's just a pretty elaborate tactic by them that actually does a good job at unsettling them.

After everything Darren has been through, accomplished, and became this just feels strange and kinda insulting. The guy is grown, and a Prince. But hey, whoever did this to Darren, it may be brilliant for that exact reason. It's weird, random, demoralizing and it separates the trio as they search for the vampaneze. I mean, I don't see why else he was sent to school.

To make matters more absurd, he runs into Debbie, from book three! She's his flipping teacher....

This all feels backwards, and strange. The series has shown Darren accomplish so much, and everything is seemingly on the line. The very city they're in is gripped with terror, and all of a sudden he's thrust into this weird scenario, seeing a woman that was his first girlfriend for the first time in thirteen years. None of this makes sense. This might be the strangest chunk of the series yet.

I'm thinking the guy who showed up saying that Darren needs to go to school is a vampet.

I don't remember much of what happens in this book, so I will be curious to see how this all plays out. Debbie probably thinks she saw a ghost HA.

This is clearly a trap of some sort but, how whoever is plotting this plans to utilize this situation is beyond me for now.

The vampaneze were clever enough to hide the Vampaneze Lord in plain sight, and they were clever enough to create vampets as well. Maybe they do have a trick up their sleeve...