false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170347858m/47573.jpg 47573 10 In the very strange Pilgrim Parties of Diana Wynne Jones's <I>Dark Lord of Derkholm</I>, tourists from the next universe would come to wizards' lands expecting to have exciting battles with dwarfs, dragons, and the powers of darkness. Sadly, wizards were forced to host these hokey yet horrific pseudoadventures, and in the process, laid waste to their lands. But as its sequel <I>Year of the Griffin</I> begins, we learn with some relief that the mercenary Mr. Chesney's magic tours had ended eight years previous. While that is excellent news, the Wizards' University is now decidedly short of funds.<p> Wavy-blond-haired Professor Corkoran has plenty of schemes for extracting money from his students' families. But he always has plenty of ideas, and none of them work. Besides, he is too busy researching how to be the first man to walk on the moon to do much of anything else. As his new crop of students shows up, Corkoran is in for a surprise. Not only do none of them have any money, but one is a huge griffin, "brightly golden in fur and crest and feathers, so sharply curved of beak, and so fiercely alert in her round orange eyes that at first sight she seemed to fill a room." (Meet Elda, softhearted yet gigantic daughter of Wizard Derk.) <p> The hilarious goings-on begin when Corkoran's moneymaking schemes backfire horribly, and the motley crew of would-be wizards begin their studies. Comical tableaux involving spells that create deep pits and smelly winged monkeys alternate with suspenseful (yet always amusing) scenes involving tiny assassins who mean business. Jones's satirical pokes at academia, racial intolerance (the greenish and jinxed Claudia has mixed blood), and hierarchical societies (Ruskin is bucking the tyranny of the forgemasters to become the first dwarf wizard) keep the story lively, as do the realistic portrayals of her very odd and endearing cast of characters. You definitely don't have to have read <I>Dark Lord</I> to enjoy this wonderful sequel, but you may not be able to resist going back to it. (Ages 12 and older) <I>--Karin Snelson</I> 1121912 2000 The Year of the Griffin (Derkholm, #2) total:671|5:217|4:239|3:174|2:34|1:7| 671 2638 881 41 3 1 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 25 06:57:55 -0700 2008 Tue May 13 09:14:01 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Thu Oct 18 17:41:16 -0700 2007 Thu Oct 18 17:50:59 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Dec 26 20:27:37 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 30 14:18:19 -0800 2007 The Dark Lord of Derkholm is a wonderful fantasy novel. Elda, Derk's griffin daughter, attends the University, and becomes mixed up in assasination plots, and a trip to the moon. Elda is a terribly sweet character, and all the friends she makes at ...more...]]> 4 0 false true Sat Jul 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 13:35:54 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 14:06:44 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Apr 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 10 15:45:50 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 15 13:10:11 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 2 false false Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 07:18:52 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 04:55:48 -0700 2009 The Dark Lord of Derkholm, one of the wittiest, funniest book I'd ever read. And as a sequel, this book does not disappoint.

This time Elda, one of Wizard Derk's griffin-child, decided to go the University, although her father did not like the place at all. Since Mr ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun May 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 10:29:56 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 10:33:30 -0700 2009
Fun, very quirky, and rather Shakespearian in its ending. She does an good job telling serious coming-of-age stories in the context of a rather silly, yet very well thought-out f...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Tue Jun 26 23:23:56 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 26 23:29:36 -0700 2007 Dark Lord of Derkholm and after a long wait, Derk's youngest daughter-griffin is finally attending the Wizards' University. But after decades of existing only to support the exploitive Pilgrim Parties, the school's in a lot of trouble and Elda and her...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Apr 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 18:54:47 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 18:58:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Aug 09 18:21:57 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 05 06:19:37 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 09 18:21:57 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Dec 08 13:32:46 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 08 13:34:36 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Aug 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 19:39:57 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 20:20:43 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Apr 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 29 13:25:39 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 29 13:34:22 -0700 2009 It might be said that the ending is a bit too pretty. Never the less I am considering reading it again today. =)]]> 3 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Fri Sep 18 23:01:10 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 18 23:04:01 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Wed Feb 18 14:12:16 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 15:11:10 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 08:40:27 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 08:42:55 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Feb 15 11:44:15 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 15 11:46:53 -0800 2009 You got to read it!But read the 1st book first or you'll be kinda lost.]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jun 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 01 12:05:23 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 03 10:47:03 -0700 2009 4 ]]> 0 0 false false Thu Jun 11 22:22:52 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 22:22:52 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Wed Oct 07 11:30:45 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 11:31:17 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=47573