Rating: 
Summary: Great!
Review: For forty years Mr. Chesney has cotroled a world in a scheem to make money. The scheem is ruining the world, and it seems like know one can stop him. In this world everyone hates Mr. Chesney and his Pilgrim Parties. Mr. Chesney's Pilgrim Parties are tour groups from another world. Mr. Chesney has people create a evil world that he thinks will entertain the tourists. This creates problems for the world, and Mr. Cheney doasen't care, so long as he gets his money.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: From the moment I picked up this book I absolutely loved it! As I continued reading, it just kept getting better and better.The plot is fast paced, and the characters are quirky and unforgetable - there are so many unexpected situations and funny characters that it is not possible to be bored while reading this book. The entire story simply sparkles with humour and adventure, I recommend it to anyone and EVERYONE.
Rating:
Summary: Take a Tour of Fantasyland!
Review: Have you ever wanted to explore a fantasy world? Well, you can by joining a tour that takes people from our world to a totally different world where fantasy is reality. Or is it? A struggling fantasy world supplements its income by offering tours to offworlders, but they have to follow strict guidelines--evil (the Dark Lord) must wear black and live in a ruined town, he must ride a dark steed, enchantresses must be sexy and wear revealing gowns, etc, etc. When Derk is chosen to be this year's Dark Lord, he turns the world upside down as he and his family struggle to meet the standards of the tour without ruining their home, and the results are amusing and chaotic.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad grammar
Review: I happened to glance at the book and the first thing I see is the first line of the blurb on the back cover says the dragon is "wronger" or "worser" (I can't remember now exactly)... how terrible!
Rating:
Summary: This is a hysterical book! Very well written, great action!
Review: I just finished this book and it's wonderful! I love Diana Wynne Jones novels, I started with the Chronicles of Chrestomanci long ago and just got around to this series. The Dark Lord of Derkholm is a fantastic story, it's really funny, too. It starts off with our two heroes, Derk and his son Blade, being introduced; arguing with each other as they will from time to time throughout the book. This is a fun story about a world of people who have been made to turn their country into a theme park for the tourists from another world. These "Pilgrim Parties" come through once a year to be guided through on tours through this magical world. The Pilgrims come from a world not too much unlike our own. But the Pilgrim Parties destroy much of the world on their way through each year. So this year, the rulers of this world decide that they have to put a stop to it... thus Derk is made the "Dark Lord" this year, and the chaos ensues...
Overall this is a story about a very interesting and loving family and the trials that they must endure to save their own world... all the while, not really having any idea what they're doing. It's incredibly funny and it's a very touching family story underneath. I loved it!
Rating: 
Summary: a wide range of reactions
Review: I just finished this book last night (stayed up past my bedtime again), and I had to look and see what other people thought about it. I was surprised by the different reactions. If you like Diana Wynne Jones, you'll probably enjoy this one (my husband, while reading it, said, "She's brilliant!") but if you don't like involved, complicated (at times confusing) plots, then you might want to stay away from it. I did enjoy it a lot, but not so much that I'm going to give it a blanket recommendation. It's not for everyone. I was especially intrigued by the idea of a human family with griffin children. I think that was my favorite thing about the book. I also enjoyed the sarcastic geese and the Friendly Cows, and all the other animals. The whole exploitation thing was well done. When I was reading about how everyone had to change their lives around and knock down towns and things for the tours, I said to my husband, "This reminds me of the Olympics!" (We just drove through Salt Lake City recently and didn't enjoy the experience). I didn't think the gang rape scene was too bad--you get that idea, but it doesn't actually SAY that Shona was raped (Shona, not Sukey). The whole business with the soldiers was all very creepy and unpleasant. I gave this book 4 stars because it is a bit disjointed and hard to follow at times, and ends with a pretty serious deus-ex-machina. Jones has a tendency to end her books (from what I've read so far) with great earth-shattering changes that happen all at once. At least the demons and the gods had been established earlier in the story, so they didn't just come out of nowhere.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite
Review: I loved this book! Diana Wynne Jones is a master of fantasy and this shows it. The book's creative setting and original plot really draw the reader in. The characters are well developed and show Jones's quirky sense of humor. The whole notion of having a parallel universe in which magic exists and we exploit for tours is genius and the book is NEVER dull. I've read many of her books and this one has got to be my favorite. I'd reccommend this to everyone who enjoys fantasy and to all fans of Diana.
Rating:
Summary: Dark Lord Of Darkholm
Review: I read Dark Lord Of Derkholm for a project in the Library at Waukazoo Elementary. I thought it was a very good book because there was a guy that loved animals like a griffin and other fairy tales creatures. He met a girl named Querida. She is the most powerful wizard in the world. They had an adventure that you want to read. I would suggest this book for ages 8- to adults.
Rating:
Summary: Three cheers for the Dark Lord!
Review: I read this book on a recomendation from a friend. When I saw that it was marked young adult I was a little skeptical, as I haven't read young adult books in a long while now, but I read it anyway.
I must say, I was very plesantly surprised. The reading is easy, and light, but tremendous fun. I enjoyed all the characters, from the hapless Dark Lord Derk, to his rebelious son Blade, and all of his griffin sons and daughters.
As you follow them through one disaster after another, watching them cope with insane, incredibly funny trials, you really get to know the whole family, and love them as well.
This book throws a twist on every seeming straight-forward situation of good verses evil, and gives us a look at what happens when there are more than two sides to the story.
The plot was interesting without being over-complicated, and the action was fast-paced enough for readers of any age.
The writing was funny, and touching, and entertaining in every way. And where else can you find a herd of carnivorous sheep, a flock of sarcastic geese, friendly cows, winged horses, flying pigs, and who knows what else, all in the same place?
This was just an all-around good book, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
I recomend it to readers of all ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Umm...
Review: I really wish I could give this book a higher rating than three stars. It was somehow bland and confusing, and there wasn't much depth to the book. It is still a good book for a quick read, with many ironic twists and fantasy stereotypes, but I would not recommned buying this book. And Sukey wasn't raped, she was kidnapped to be returned to Mr. Chesney.
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