Vladimir Tod has a secret. His mother was human, but his father was a vampire...

With no idea of the extent of his prowess and no one to teach him,thirteen-year-old Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and enlarged fangs. And when a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown.

But then he realises he has a much bigger problem. He?s being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in . . . fast!