2004 First Edition of Hunters of the Dusk by Darren Shan — Cirque Du Freak

Title: Hunters of the Dusk (Cirque Du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 7)
Author: Darren Shan (Darren O'Shaughnessy, 1972 – Present) — Master Irish Dark Fantasy Novelist
Illustrator/Artist: Cliff Nielson
Genre: Young Adult Horror / Vampire Lore / Dark Gothic Adventure Series
Edition: True First US Edition, First Printing (2004)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group), New York

"It was an age of tragic mistakes. For me the tragedy began fourteen years earlier when, mesmerized by a vampire's amazing performing tarantula, I stole it from him. After an initially successful theft, everything went to hell, and I paid for my crime with my humanity. Faking my own death, I left my family and home, and traveled the world with the Cirque du Freak, as the assistant to a blood-drinking creature of the night."

A high-stakes, suspenseful milestone within the early-2000s young adult horror renaissance, Hunters of the Dusk serves as the critical, action-packed seventh installment in the internationally bestselling Saga of Darren Shan series. The narrative pivots into a breathless, globe-trotting hunt after a dark prophecy foretold by the enigmatic Mr. Tiny reveals that the vampires have only three specific chances to assassinate the Vampaneze Lord. Left with no choice but to hunt their mortal enemy or face absolute annihilation, Darren Shan leaves the safety of Vampire Mountain. Accompanied by his veteran mentor Larten Crepsley and the mysterious Little Person Harkat Mulds, Darren must venture back into the human world to track a monster—unwittingly stepping into a complex maze of shifting loyalties and deep moral dilemmas.

The book's narrative energy reflects Shan's hallmark ability to blend classic gothic atmosphere with rapid-fire, modern survival thriller structures. He masterfully crafts a complex, honorable vampire society governed by strict laws and ancient codes of warrior respect.

Darren Shan (Darren O'Shaughnessy, 1972 – Present): Born in London, he moved to Limerick, Ireland, at a young age, where he developed a fascination with dark folklore, horror movies, and literary world-building. He achieved literary success with his twelve-book epic Cirque du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan, which has sold over twenty-five million copies worldwide and been adapted into both a major motion picture and a manga series. Celebrated for his ability to seamlessly blend stomach-churning thrills with deeply emotional, character-driven storytelling, his other prominent multivolume universes include The Demonata, Zom-B, Archibald Lox, and The Saga of Larten Crepsley. He splits his time writing between his homes in Ireland and London.

Cliff Nielson is a distinguished American illustrator and concept artist known for crafting the visual landscapes of some of the most influential fantasy and science fiction franchises in modern publishing. His digital painterly style fuses traditional fine art textures with surreal, dark imagery. Nielson provided the evocative dust jacket illustrations for the American editions of the Cirque du Freak saga. His ability to capture ghoulish, atmospheric tension through stylized character art framed the macabre essence of Darren Shan's writing. Nielson also illustrated the covers of Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series, alongside projects for major comic houses, magazines, and film studios.

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Condition: Fine/Near Fine. Dust jacket: Light shelf wear. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.