Dark Lord of Derkholm
Mr. Chesney's Pilgrim Parties have been wreaking havoc
for some 40 years, and the University Emergency Committee has convened
to try to find a way to put an end to the incursions. After all, the
kings, lords, wizards, and other inhabitants of the land are weary of
being forced to serve as the army of the Dark Lord or the Forces of
Good and tired of letting kingdoms be ravaged as entertainment for the
annual Pilgrim Parties. This year, they seek the advice of both the
White Oracle and the Black Oracle and end up with the unconventional
Wizard Derk as the Dark Lord and his son Blade as the Wizard Guide to
the tour. There is a sense of the absurd to the story as Derk and his
family work to turn their house into "a black castle with a labyrinthine
interior lit by baleful fires" and to cast an illusion rendering a prosperous
village into a grouping of squalid hovels. Add the tour groups, hardened
criminals playing soldiers, dwarfs, elves, griffins, dragons, flying
pigs, and a big, blue demon, among other characters, and you get a side-splitting,
sometimes scary tale that will intrigue readers of the very fantasies
being spoofed here. A true delight.
Year of the Griffin
The sequel to Dark Lord of Derkholm (1998) retains
the goofiness of its predecessor, continuing Jones' spoof of traditional
fantasy conventions. Set at the poorly managed Wizard's University,
the story follows the exploits of a select set of students, who manage
to create enough havoc with the magic to ensure that the problems at
the school are eventually on the way to being straightened out. The
main characters are the griffin Elda, daughter of the great human wizard
Derk; Lukin, crown prince of Luteria; Claudia, half-sister of the Emperor
of the South; Olga, daughter of a former pirate-turned-gangster; Felim,
brother of the Emir; and Ruskin, a dwarf revolutionary. Throw in, among
other things, assassins hunting Felim, rogue griffins, magic jinxes,
dwarf forgemasters, and senators of the Empire determined to execute
Claudia, and there's mayhem and mirth aplenty. References to Dark Lord
may entice readers to seek out that book, but the detailed characters
and situations allow this novel to stand on its own. There's also a
chance for yet another sequel. With instructors and antics to rival
those in the Harry Potter books, this book may help impatient Potter
fans cope with the wait for Harry's next adventure.
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland
Suffering from a bit of deja vu after reading your
umpteenth fantasy trilogy? Seen too many magic swords, musical elves
and warring wizards? Then you're ready for the funniest and most complete
"tourist's" guide to Fantasyland's standard character types, plot elements,
and settings ever devised.
This authoritative A-Z guide constitutes an essential source of information
for all who dare to venture into the imaginative hinterlands, providing
acute insights into such subjects as: the varying types of virgin, why
High Priests are invariably evil, how Dark Lords always have minions,
and why Cooks all have filthy tempers. Whether you're a first-time visitor
or a veteran Fantasyland traveler, The Tough Guide To Fantasyland has
everything you need to get the most from your Tour, including: what
to do when you're captured by a Goblin, where to find a Healer when
you're stricken with the dreaded plague, and how to obtain the magic
sword which will protect you from those pesky Barbarian Hordes.
thanx again to Meilin Wong for this delovley picture. I think it's my fav one. Go see her site... now!
