- Hardcover: 328 pages
- Publisher: Gollancz; 1st edition (5 Nov 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0575066768
- ISBN-13: 978-0575066762
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 910,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
If, next door to our ordinary world, there existed a world full of magic, wouldn't you want to visit it? That's the situation that Diana Wynne Jones explores in Dark Lord of Derkholm, and she makes an effective and comical tale of it.
Groups of tourists, called Pilgrim Parties and organised by the cold- hearted profiteer Mr. Chesney, take a portal to the magical realm, where they are shepherded about the countryside by a wizard guide. Mr. Chesney sets the rules, such as that all wizard guides must have long white beards--even 14-year-old Blade--and every Party gets to "slay" the Dark Lord. No wizard wants to be chosen as the year's Dark Lord, because Mr. Chesney demands large battles that cause great devastation in the local villages and farms, and he doesn't pay very well, but he does have a captive demon to enforce his will. This year, things are going especially badly for the chosen Dark Lord, Derk. He can't seem to keep his evil forces on the right track, despite help from his son Blade, his daughter Shona the bard, and his griffin sons and daughters. His chief aide, Barnabas, is drinking heavily and muddling his spells. And the dwarfs are taking their baskets of gold as tribute to the one they say is the real Dark Lord--Mr. Chesney.
Jones spoofs many of the trappings of fantasy epics, while at the same time portraying a family, with its surface squabbles and underlying love, through a rollicking and somewhat unwieldy story. Her messages about exploitation and responsibility come through clearly. Although not as tightly focused as some of her earlier novels, the galloping pace makes Dark Lord of Derkholm a quick, fun read for her numerous fans. --Blaise Selby, Amazon.com
Book Description
Can the Wizard Derk and his family of human and griffin children save the world from the depradations of the evil Mr Chesney?
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I actually read "Year of the Griffin" first and although I still enjoyed it, I did get a bit confused! So when I found out it was actually a sequal I jumped at the first opportunity to buy the "Dark Lord of Derkholm". After reading the second book, I had very high expectations - and not only where they met, they were surpassed! This is a marvellous take on a fantasy novel, with many twists and turns and a truly original story line. You never know where it is going and some characters just make you want to kill them!
One of the things I like most about Dianne Wynne Jones is how she always manages to put a little bit of the 'real' world into all her stories, no matter the situation. I think this story comicly parodies our own typical expectations of what we assume about a fantasy novel and clearly shows that's not always the case. The characters are funny, well thought through and a delight to read it.
What? You're still here? READ IT ALREADY!
One of the things I like most about Dianne Wynne Jones is how she always manages to put a little bit of the 'real' world into all her stories, no matter the situation. I think this story comicly parodies our own typical expectations of what we assume about a fantasy novel and clearly shows that's not always the case. The characters are funny, well thought through and a delight to read it.
What? You're still here? READ IT ALREADY!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Sits in the 'cheerful' camp with the Chrestomanci stories (as opposed to Time of the Ghost, Fire & Hemlock, etc). It does start a bit slowly, but builds up to an impressive climax. The central concept is very funny, with a whole world full of people having to organise 'fantasy tours' for offworld tourists, and is cleverly put together. I really enjoyed it, and Year of the Griffin which follows on from it is also very good.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Diana Wynne Jones is my favorite author, and Dark Lord of Derkholm is one of my favorite books.
Addressing Dark Lord, I would have to say that it is enjoyable because of how well Jones manages to take all of the subplots, which are interesting on their own, and explain how they're related to the whole.
I'd also like to mention, as a major fantasy fan(atic), that an aspect of this book that appeals to me is also that Jones is, in some aspects, commenting on her craft. Especially relevant with the dragons, you can see some of the 'rules' that she has set up for her magical world. Any budding teenage authors should find this, and the continuance of it in Deep Secret, amazingly interesting.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliantly twists the knife in post-Tolkein fantasy tropes
The Tough Guide To Fantasyland was created when Diana, confined to hospital, read an outline for The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and decided that a satire was in order. Read more
Published on 27 May 2001
Great book!
I'm a bit surprised by the bad reviews on this website - I thought that this book was wonderful! The craziness in the castle was wonderful, and I thought the griffins were great. Read more
Published on 1 April 2001
A magical world used as a tourist attraction+ angry citizens
In a magical world the citizens are being used by a person with a demon to run an amusement park. The peope of this town have to work for months every year just to have their homes... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2001
Loved it.
Having read all the other reviews, particularly the adverse ones...I am at a loss...I loved the book. I just wallowed in it. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2001
Not great but not terrible either.
Compared with some of her other books, this was pretty mediocre. I sympathise with the reader who found that they couldn't tell one Griffin from the other. Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2001
A big disappointment from a usually great author
Can someone who liked this book please explain to me why? I keep thinking there must be something I'm missing, because usually Diana Wynne Jones is so good. Read more
Published on 27 Dec 2000
Horribly Disappointing
Awful. Trite, twee, irritating and not funny. Even the plot is entirely linear and dull. By the end I still hadn't a clue which Griffin was which, because their characters were so... Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2000
Fantasy meets political awareness.
She's done it again. DWJ has created another world that is vividly alive, a reworking of our own ideas of medieval life and fiction with cunning and hilarious twists, from the... Read more
Published on 10 July 2000
A Greatly Underrated Author
Diana Wynne Jones really deserves to be better known, considering the success of authors like Terry Pratchett. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2000 by katcarter4@hotmail.com
Good-But not her best.
I am a dedicated Jones fan and I enjoyed this book. It has the usual great Jones characters and creatures.However Jones actually seems to pilfer her demon characters from J. Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2000 by anneliese@anneliese.fsnet.co.uk
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