2006 First Edition of The Demonata: Slawter by Darren Shan – Hardcover with Dust Jacket

Title: The Demonata: Slawter (Book 3)
Author: Darren Shan (Pen name of Darren O'Shaughnessy)
Illustrator/Artist: Melvyn Grant (Dust jacket art)
Genre: YA Horror / Dark Fantasy / Occult Fiction
Edition: First American Edition, First Printing (November 2006)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

"There's a genetic flaw in my family. Lots of my ancestors have turned into werewolves. It hits in your teens, if you're one of the unlucky ones. You lost your mind. Your body alters. You become a blood-crazed beast. And spend the rest of your life locked up in a cage - unless your relatives kill you. There's no cure. Except one. But that can be even worse than the curse."

In Slawter, the third spine-chilling installment of the bestselling Demonata series, author Darren Shan pivots from traditional gothic folklore to deliver a fast-paced, Hollywood-infused nightmare. The narrative reconnects with Grubbs Grady, a teenage boy cursed by a devastating family secret—a hereditary genetic flaw that alters the mind, warps the flesh, and turns his ancestors into blood-crazed, caged werewolves. Still processing the psychological scars of his past encounters with Lord Loss, Grubbs and his half-brother Bill-E are desperate for a normal, demon-free escape.

Opportunity strikes when their eccentric magician uncle, Dervish, is hired as an on-set consultant for an ambitious new feature film by cult horror producer David A. Hayms. The entire production takes place inside an isolated, abandoned town specifically remodeled and renamed "Slawter" to serve as a hyper-realistic, demon-themed set. Thrilled by the movie magic, the boys quickly realize that the mechanical monsters and makeup effects are far too convincing. As bizarre, gruesome accidents disrupt the film crew and the borders of reality begin to tear, Grubbs starts to suspect that the director isn't just shooting a movie—he is staging a literal massacre to summon the forces of the underworld.

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.

Melvyn Grant is a distinguished British digital painter, traditional artist, and book illustrator. Known for a masterful handling of texture, shadow, and monstrous anatomy, Grant created the definitive visual covers for Darren Shan's The Demonata series. His evocative, disturbing dust jacket art captures the visceral tone of the prose, making the books immediately recognizable on crowded shelves. Beyond his stellar contribution to dark fantasy, Grant is internationally known for iconic cover designs for the heavy metal band Iron Maiden, as well as high-profile advertising campaigns and speculative fiction book designs.

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Condition: Fine/Near Fine. Dust jacket: Light wear to the tail of the spine. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.