"Circus of the Damned" by Laurell K. Hamilton is a work of fiction. The book is comprised of 329 pages, broken down into 49 chapters. "Circus of the Damned" is one of Hamilton's series on Anita Blake, vampire hunter.

Anita Blake is a 24-year-old animator, necromancer, and vampire executioner. Anita has the ability to raise the dead and is the official vampire executioner for the state of Missouri. Anita has had a great deal of involvement with vampires, good and bad, as well as shapeshifters, lycanthropes, and other "monsters." Anita's boss is a self-serving man who would sell his own mother for a buck.

In Circus of the Damned, Anita is assisting in an investigation of a series of vampire-related murders. Five vampires have attacked and killed two people. This is uncommon behavior for vampires as they are solitary hunters. Anita must confer with Jean-Claude, the Master of the City of St. Louis. Anita and Jean-Claude have a strange relationship. Jean-Claude wants Anita to be his human servant for eternity; Anita wants nothing to do with any sort of relationship with Jean-Claude. However, the two have worked together before to slay the previous Master of the City, and it appears that they will have to work together once again to solve the murders.

While Anita is working on the murder investigation, she must also deal with Edward, a good friend known as "Death." Edward is also an executioner but is extremely cold-blooded. Edward has been hired to kill the Master of the City but cannot get Anita to give up the Master's name or location. Edward will follow Anita throughout the story, save her, and work with her in the end to protect the Master in order to defeat a one-million-year-old vampire.

Anita is attacked by a master vampire that is unknown to her. This vampire is at least a thousand years old and has the intention of overthrowing Jean-Claude to take control of the city. Additionally, this vampire works for Mr. Oliver, the world's oldest living vampire. Anita must find a way to protect the city from the new rogue vampires without getting herself killed.

Anita must also worry about Larry Kirkland, a new animator who wants to become a vampire hunter. Anita tries her best to dissuade Larry because he is only 20 years old and incredibly naïve.

One of the things Anita is most worried about is receiving the third and fourth marks from Jean-Claude, an act that would bind her to the master vampire for all eternity. Anita clearly states on several occasions that her soul is not up for grabs and that she would rather die than receive the marks. Anita does become a human servant to the 1,000 year old vampire through force and nearly dies when she rips out his heart.

There are continued conflicts between Anita and Jean-Claude. Anita must also deal with a new man, Richard Zeeman. Anita begins to date Richard although she is not the most willing participant. Anita is even more confused when she learns that Richard is a lycanthrope.

Anita succeeds and kills the rogue vampires, although she almost dies three times throughout the story.