Palace of the Damned

Before Madame Octa, before the Cirque, before Darren Shan, Larten Crepsley was a young man. After failing his mentor and killing the entire crew of a ship in a bout of revenge for the death of his assistant, Larten is bereft with guilt. He no longer has the drive to live the vampiric life, and hides out in Paris, masquerading as a human.