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The Dark Lord of Derkholm (Gollancz S.F.)
 
 

The Dark Lord of Derkholm (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)

by Diana Wynne Jones (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz; New edition edition (14 Aug 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0575075368
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575075368
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 519,035 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #81 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators > J > Jones, Diana Wynne

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



Product Description

Everyone - wizards, soldiers, farmers, elves, dragons, kings and queens alike - is fed up with Mr Chesney's Pilgrim Parties: groups of tourists from the next-door world who descend en masse every year to take the Grand Tour. What they expect are all the trappings of a grand fantasy adventure, including the Evil Enchantress, Wizard Guides, the Dark Lord, Winged Minions, and all. And every year different people are chosen to play these parts. But now they've had enough: Mr Chesney may be backed by a very powerful demon, but the Oracles have spoken. Nw it's up to the Wizard Derk and his son Blade, this year's Dark Lord and Wizard Guide, not to mention Blade's griffin brothers and sisters, to save the world from Mr Chesney's depredations.

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A FANTASTIC book and not at all what you'd expect, 22 May 2004
By Hannanora (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
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!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An American take, 3 Oct 2003
By Ellie Fullerton (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars DWJ's usual high standards, 10 April 2001
By A Customer
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 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

5.0 out of 5 stars 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

5.0 out of 5 stars 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... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars 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

3.0 out of 5 stars 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

2.0 out of 5 stars 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

1.0 out of 5 stars 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... Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars 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 Jul 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars 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

4.0 out of 5 stars 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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