ISBN: 0-06-447336-8 Order from: Amazon.com
An entertaining, sometimes touching but overly elaborate fantasy with an interesting twist and an uneasy mixture of humor and darkness.
Reviewed by David on November 10, 2002
Genre: Fantasy (Sword and Sorcery, Multiple Worlds, Humor, Juvenile, Dragons, Demons)
Synopsis: As a student, Wizard Derk has not impressed his teachers. Too unreliable to benefit from his strong talent, he ended up in the province, where his talents with shaping life and his enormous heart have earned him satisfaction with his wizardly wife and his large and unconventional family. Alas, Mr. Chesney, who holds the power in Derk's world has chosen Derk to be the Dark Lord for the next season of Chesney's Pilgrim Parties. The invasion of sightseers from more mundane lands periodically invade seeking adevnture, quests, ominous threats, and, of course, victory.
Derk is perhaps the worst candidate to play the Dark Lord—but there is little he can do against the might of Mr. Chesney. But Derk, and Derk's family may have no choice.
Full Review: This novel is built on an interesting premise, taking a mostly humorous aim at all the quest adventures, particularly the formulaic fantasies frequently featuring people from our world transported into a magical one. Most of these quests end up with the visitors being the heroes of their adventures—but what about the inhabitants?
The world is fairly sketchy, but the characters, and especially the unconventional members of Derk's family are engaging and sympathetic. Unfortunately, what starts off as a humorous adventure has a number of darker, poignant moments, and moves between silly but amuzing humor and sadness all too frequently, as well as being burdened by occasional preaching.
Multiple viewpoints, with frequent switches serve as distraction, and the plot is complex—overly so.
In the end, one cannot help but be captivated by the caharacters, but the cumbersome plot and uneven tone detract from the impact of this lengthy book.
Copyright: 1998
type: mass-market
Overall: 4.5; Plot: 4; Characters: 6; Style: 5; World-building: 4; Originality: 6;
HarperCollins (HarperTrophy), 2001, 517 pages
ISBN: 0-06-447336-8 Order from: Amazon.com