The Vampire Prince



 is the sixth book in The Saga of Darren Shan and the third book in the Vampire Rites Trilogy.

Synopsis
Darren Shan was getting washed down the river leading from Vampire Mountain. After jumping in to escape dying at the hands of the vampire traitor Kurda Smahlt, he got washed down and bruised and battered against the walls of the mountain. He soon finds himself in a cave where he takes a breath. The river was originally used to wash away dead vampires but was long since stopped. Darren found a skeleton in the cave that was a dead vampire. He saw bats too and found where they came in from but it was too high for Darren to get to in his weakened state and even then, the hole was probably too small. Darren decided to keep going down the river.

Darren eventually stopped to find himself not badly injured. His thumb was bent back at an awkward angle but he only had a few bruises and scratches. He took all of his clothes off as it was cold and they were wet. He then lay in the snow recovering. Later, a wolf turns up. Darren thinks that he is going to eat him until he licks him. It was Streak, the male wolf he met on the way to Vampire Mountain. Streak took him to the rest of the pack where Darren also met Rudi and the two she wolves he met as well.

Darren lives with the wolves for many months regaining both his health and strength he helps the wolf pack by hunting and killing food. When he is up to full health he leaves the wolves and returns to Vampire Mountain, hoping to save the vampire comminuty from the soon-to-be Prince Kurda.

While the Princes are both stunned and relieved at Darren's reapperance and the news he brings, he still failed the Trials and ran away-both crimes are spat at by the vampire comminuty. As they debate Darren's future, Darren himself faces an agonizing wait. Because the only people that can fail the Trials and live are Princes, Darren is made a Vampire Prince.

First Appearances
Various Young Vampires Later Known to be Part of Kurda's Traitors

She Wolf who leads Darren Shan to the Hall of Princes.