Dark Lord of Derkholm

Derkholm Series, Book 1

By: Diana Wynne Jones

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

Mr. Chesney operates Pilgrim Parties, a tour group that takes paying participants into an outer realm where the inhabitants play frightening and foreboding roles. The time has come to end the staged madness...but can it really be stopped?   

Master storyteller Diana Wynne Jones serves up twists and turns, introduces Querida, Derk, Blade, and Shona and a remarkable cast of wizards, soldiers, kings, dragons, and griffins, and mixes in a lively dash of humor. With all the ingredients of high fantasy, this unforgettable novel will delight fans old and new.

©1998 Diana Wynne Jones (P)2018 Tantor

Diana Wynn’s Jones is the master storyteller

And this is one of her best. As Robin McKinley said once on a book jacket:: read them all! So glad to see Dark Lord in audio— do the rest!!

One of my Favorite Fantasy Books

I wish there was more to this series beyond the 2 books she wrote. This was one of my favorite books as a teenager so I decided to re read it. The narration was excellent and I like how the narrator was able to distinguish each voice of each character to give them each a unique feel. If you like books of this genre this one is a must, in my opinion.

Just wonderful

Diana Wynne Jones has a knack for stories that are both fresh and comfortingly homey. Dark Lord of Derkholm is no exception. And if I could give the narrator 6 stars, I would! He did a fantastic job of characterizing each individual with their own personality and delivery that really enhanced the story.

great!

this has been one of my favorite books for years, and now having it on audio with a really great performance is so awesome. I love having it on in the background when I go to sleep.

Wonderful

This is such a terrific book - so well told with a story that is quite well thought-out and so so funny. DWJ takes many of the tropes of fantasy and incorporates them in the most inventive and humorous way. Truly a masterpiece.

A long-awaited audiobook that doesn't dissappoint.

I was delighted to see this finally available on audiobook! if you're unfamiliar with the story, it would pair very nicely with the Discworld series. Nothing short of adorable- it is stuffed with cleverness and reverted fantasy tropes while avoiding cynicism. Utterly charming. I didn't have an issue with the reader, but people should absolutely listen to a preview first- some of his voices are peculiar but I think they are well suited to the subject and genre.

Love the book, not a fan of the voice acting

This is a great series that is pretty hard to find. I had read it before and was very excited to listen to the audiobook. However, 5 of the main characters are gryphons and the choice to give them all ear grating, awful, parrot voices even through emotionally charged scenes made it very very hard to listen to.

take down the corporate demon

Another brilliant cast of characters from the creative mind of Diana Wynne Jones. If you forgotten what happy families are like, then Ms Jones is the antidote. Dragons and elves and griffins & gods and goddesses rather in the vein of Terry Pratchett.

Rather sly indictment of current affairs, although written two decades ago. The more things change...

this narrator is FABULOUS!!!

love this book from when I was a kid, and the story only got better read by this narrator.

Ambitious and mostly pleasurable from DWJ

This is a book I've read numerous times. In my opinion, it's DWJ's most successful novel in terms of size, scope, and resolution. I say it's her most successful but I don't think it's her most enjoyable. For me, that title must always go to Howl's Moving Castle. Dark Lord(...) is fun too -- don't get me wrong. It's clever. It keeps your interest. But whereas HMC keeps your interest with whimsy, lighthearted mishaps, hilarious characters, and a sweet love story, this novel drives you by a desire to see the infuriating antagonist, the insensitive wife, the thoughtless elves, the aggravating dragon and the army of convicted murderers all get their comeuppance, or at least hear them explain themselves. Everybody is so grouchy toward one another. It gets a bit old but not so old that I can't recommend this book to everyone. There is humor. There is parody. There is excitement and fun characters and magic. There is, unfortunately, a resolution to one of the plot threads which amounts to, "oh I was actually enchanted but I'm alright now," but otherwise the ending delivers a good payoff. Glidart Jackson was an unfortunate choice for narrator. I like him. I enjoyed his reading of the Black Arrow. But I think I'd have preferred someone with more of a playful quality to their voice. I think I'd recommend the hard copy before the audible download, but heck its Diana Wynne Jones. You really can't go wrong either way. Just buy it and enjoy.