| $@%&! level: Low “Bedroom” level: Low (although the “Evil Enchantress” might be a bit suggestive) Violence level: Medium Back Cover: “For forty years, Wizard Derk's world has been devastated by Mr. Chesney's Pilgrim Parties—packaged excursions for tourists from the next universe in search of adventure. When mild-mannered Derk is chosen to play the role of this year's Dark Lord, he is forced by the sinister Mr. Chesney to turn his bucolic country estate into a labyrinthine castle lit by baleful fires, manifest himself as a nine-foot-tall shadow with flaming red eyes, and lead his minions in a climactic battle against the Forces of Good. Can Derk find a way to put an end to the evil Mr. Chesney and his Pilgrim Parties—once and for all?” |
It starts out with a simple question posed to an oracle: “How do we get rid of Mr. Chesney?” After forty years of slavery to the cliches of fantasyland, the people are ready to rise up and take their world back. Except that they don't know how to do it. Their best and brightest, their most powerful wizards can't think of a single path to freedom. So when the oracle tells them to appoint Derk as the next year's official Dark Lord, they think the oracle must be busted, because Derk just isn't that good as a wizard. But the truth is that Derk is quite a good wizard, just not in a Dark Lord sort of way. He's kind to children and small animals, enjoys farming, and can't control a demon to save his life. In fact, he's never been forced to play the Dark Lord before simply because everyone knows he'd be a complete failure at it. And he is. Utterly incapable of giving a convincing Dark Lordship. Which is kind of the point. Add in the conniving of his children (human and gryphon children both, which is pretty cool), and his wife, and things turn into a wonderful disaster.
I really love the way the story mocks itself and the fantasy genre. It points out things that are just silly about the typical fantasy world, like the fact that while everyone is battling the Dark Lord, no one is getting on with things like planting and harvesting crops; that the supply of gold would soon run out if you give so much in tribute to the dragons; and that there is a limit to how many horses you can lose in wars before they become an endangered species. It's just great to have something that asks you to really stop and think about what you're reading. Also, it makes the point very firmly that war is not a game, which is something I always like to see reiterated. And I do love that it's mostly Derk's basic goodness and lack of evil ability that eventually solves everything. That, and his deep, deep love for his family, which is something else that I always like to see reiterated.