The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 2

Mochizuki, Jun. The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 2. 2017. 239. ISBN 978-0-316-47168-8. Available in the Graphic Novels section of the library.

Noé and Vanitas are now guests of Count Orlok after proving to him the power that the Book of the Vanitas grants Vanitas to remove the curse that afflict vampires. During a meeting with the Count, Noé tells the assemble individuals that he’s an archivist, a vampire with the ability to remember memories of other people simply by drinking their blood. He drinks Amelia’s blood and reveals that the Charlatan, the leader of a masked group resembling a carnival troupe, is behind the curse.

Dominique, the granddaughter of Noé’s teacher, interrupts the proceedings and informs Noé he needs to travel with her back to the Paris of vampires, across the Babel border. The vampires are holding a masquerade, and Dominique hopes to connect with Lord Ruthven, who is also investigating the curse-bearers. Vanitas follows, though he is only human. He reveals himself in front of the assembled participants, who promptly decide to bring him down for his impertinence. Amid the turmoil, however, several curse bearers manifest themselves, and even the Charlatan appears on the scene.

With the vampires in disarray and violence everywhere, will Noé manage to save Vanitas, or is Vanitas strong enough to protect himself?

The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1

Mochizuki, Jun. The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1. 2016. 240p. ISBN 978-0-316-55281-3. Available in the Graphic Novels section of the library.

Noe has departed from the forests of Averoigne for the first time, traveling aboard a majestic airship named La Baleine on his way to a steampunk Paris. A young vampire, he seeks to find the Book of Vanitas, supposedly written by Vanitas, a vampire not born during a crimson full moon, but rather during a blue full moon. He wishes to learn more about the book and its power. That vampire wrote the Book of Vanitas as a way to punish and slay the other vampires. Now Noe’s teacher reports that the book has been found in Paris.

While on board La Baleine, Noe meets Amelia, a vampire who has been warped by the maladies that affect those whose vampires whose true name has been discovered. Their meeting is interrupted by Vanitas himself, or, at least, the heir to Vanitas, who has in fact inherited the Book of Vanitas and is now using it to heal rather than the kill vampires.

Unfortunately, others are not convinced that this is what Vanitas is doing. Vampires who seek to capture the book begin to lurk, while others continue to suffer from the maladies. Can Noe and Vanitas form an alliance and learn to work together to avoid falling prey to their mutual enemies?

The Vampire Prince

Shan, Darren. The Vampire Prince. Book 6 of the Cirque du Freak series. 2004. 197p. ISBN 9780316602747. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

In Trials of Death, Darren barely escaped with his life down the underground river where the vampire bodies are disposed of after their death. He had witnessed the death of a good friend, betrayed by another friend. Now, washed ashore after being battered during his river ride, Darren must rest and regain his strength. Saved by the wolves he met on his way to Vampire Mountain, he is nursed back to life by a she-wolf.

The Vampaneze still dwell in the heart of Vampire Mountain, however, and soon Darren must decide what to do. Does he return to the vampires and let them know about the traitor in their midst and the threat posed by their enemy, or does he save himself? When he spots Mr. Crepsley searching for him, he is overjoyed, only to realize that the elder vampire is accompanied by the traitor and his acolytes.

Then and there Darren makes his decision. He will head back to the mountain and warn them, to the peril of his own life. Faced with certain death, will Darren conduct himself with honor?

Vampire Mountain

Shan, Darren. Vampire Mountain. Book 4 of the Cirque du Freak series. 2002. 199p. ISBN 9780316605427. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

Six years after the death of Murlough in Tunnels of Blood, a Vampaneze who had been sucking dry humans, Darren hasn’t shown much aging. As a vampire he ages very slowly so he still very much looks like a teenager even though Evra, the snake boy and Darren’s best friend, is now in his early twenties and more interested in women than hanging out with someone who still looks like a teen.

When Mr. Crepsley announces that they are setting off to Vampire Mountain so that Darren can be introduced to the Vampire Princes, Darren is not surprised. Vampires gather in the mountain once every twelve years, and Mr. Crepsley does not want to wait another twelve years before he faces his peers and account for what he did to Darren. Mr. Tiny, however, tells Mr. Crepsley that he is to take two of his little men with him, as they are to deliver a message to the Vampire Princes.

Vampires maintain old traditions, and one of them is that they must walk to Vampire Mountain. Thus, a trip to the wilderness that would have taken less than a week stretches out for a month. Along the way Darren encounters wolves and an angry bear he must fight, and they meet an old friend of Mr. Crepsley. They also discover that the vampaneze are lurking around the mountain. Once inside, Darren feels much better, and he finally encounters the pomp and tradition of vampire life. That is, until he appears in front of the Princes. Their decision on Darren’s status will literally mean his life, or his death ...

This story continues in book 5, the Trials of Death.

Blizzard of Glass

Walker, Sally M. Blizzard of Glass. 2011. 160p. ISBN 0805089454. Available at 971.6 WAL on the library shelves.

The massive war effort during the First World War meant that thousands of ships were needed to transport soldiers, horses, equipment, and munitions from North America to Europe. Atlantic harbors were very busy, and the presence of German submarines forced those harbors to take defensive measures and to keep ships protected within their confines.

Thus, it would have seemed absolutely normal for residents of Halifax to see  a large number of ships moving in and out of the harbor. But on December 6, 1917, one of those ships carried a full cargo of explosives, explosive powders, and explosive chemicals. Heavily laden, the Mont Blanc was entering the harbor when it collided with the Imo, a Belgian Relief ship carrying supplies and food to Europe. Fire ignited aboard the Mont Blanc, and knowing the ship lost, the crew fled. The drifting and burning ship hit a pier and, as people tried to put out the fire and as many onlookers watched, exploded, resulting in the largest man-made explosion until the atomic bomb.

The Richmond neighborhood was completely destroyed, and over 1,500 people were killed and 9,000 injured. All buildings within a twelve mile radius lost their windows, leading to, as a witness reported, “a blizzard of glass.” Rescue efforts ensued, but the next day another blizzard, this time of snow, dropped more than 12 inches of snow, hampering relief.

This book describes the disaster, from the ships and the crew involved to the heroic efforts at putting the fire and the deaths and reconstruction that resulted. Weaved through are the accounts of several survivors and how this explosion affected their lives.

For another example of man-made catastrophe, take a look at The Great Fire, the history of the Chicago fire of 1871 that destroyed most of the city.

Tunnels of Blood

Shan, Darren. Tunnels of Blood. Book 3 of the Cirque du Freak Series. 2000. 224p. ISBN 978-0-316-60608-0. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

When a vampire general brings unsettling news to Mr. Crepsley, Darren’s life changes for the worse. On the move again, Darren is thankfully joined by Evra Von, the Snake Boy, and they find lodging in a small hotel on a city square. Mr. Crepsley disappears for nights at a time, so the two boys are left alone to explore the city.

At first, Evra and Darren enjoy being outside and watching television. Evra had never before seen a television, much less a program on one, so the novelty is exciting. But as life becomes routine, Darren wants more. He meets Debbie, who also lives on the square, and suddenly the two of them are in love.

Eventually the boys decide to follow Mr. Crepsley to discover what he is up to. That’s when they encounter Murlough, a blood-thirsty vampanese who has been hunting humans in Crepsley’s city. And now, Darren and Evra become Murlough’s targets. Can they save themselves and their loved ones from the vampanese’s clutches?

The story continues in book 4, Vampire Mountain.