Editorial Reviews:
It is eight years after the tours from offworld have stopped. High Chancellor Querida has retired, leaving Wizard Corkoran in charge of the Wizards' University. Although Wizard Corkoran's obsession is to be the first man on the moon, and most of his time is devoted to this project, he decides he will teach the new first years himself in hopes of currying the favor of the new students' families--for surely they must all come from wealth, important families--and obtaining money for the University (which it so desperately needs). But Wizard Corkoran is dismayed to discover that one of those students--indeed, one he had such high hopes for, Wizard Derk's own daughter Elda--is a hugh golden griffin, and that none of the others has any money at all. Wizard Corkoran's money-making scheme backfires, and when Elda and her new friends start working magic on their own, the schemes go wronger still. And when, at length, Elda ropes in her brothers Kit and Blade to send Corkoran to the moon...well...life at the Wizards' University spins magically and magnificently out of control. This breathtakingly brilliant sequel to Dark Lord of Derkholm is all one would expect from this master of genre. Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL) andBest Children's Books 2000 (PW)
In the very strange Pilgrim Parties of Diana Wynne Jones's Dark Lord of Derkholm, tourists from the next universe would come to wizards' lands expecting to have exciting battles with dwarfs, dragons, and the powers of darkness. Sadly, wizards were forced to host these hokey yet horrific pseudoadventures, and in the process, laid waste to their lands. But as its sequel Year of the Griffin begins, we learn with some relief that the mercenary Mr. Chesney's magic tours had ended eight years previous. While that is excellent news, the Wizards' University is now decidedly short of funds. Wavy-blond-haired Professor Corkoran has plenty of schemes for extracting money from his students' families. But he always has plenty of ideas, and none of them work. Besides, he is too busy researching how to be the first man to walk on the moon to do much of anything else. As his new crop of students shows up, Corkoran is in for a surprise. Not only do none of them have any money, but one is a huge griffin, "brightly golden in fur and crest and feathers, so sharply curved of beak, and so fiercely alert in her round orange eyes that at first sight she seemed to fill a room." (Meet Elda, softhearted yet gigantic daughter of Wizard Derk.) The hilarious goings-on begin when Corkoran's moneymaking schemes backfire horribly, and the motley crew of would-be wizards begin their studies. Comical tableaux involving spells that create deep pits and smelly winged monkeys alternate with suspenseful (yet always amusing) scenes involving tiny assassins who mean business. Jones's satirical pokes at academia, racial intolerance (the greenish and jinxed Claudia has mixed blood), and hierarchical societies (Ruskin is bucking the tyranny of the forgemasters to become the first dwarf wizard) keep the story lively, as do the realistic portrayals of her very odd and endearing cast of characters. You definitely don't have to have read Dark Lord to enjoy this wonderful sequel, but you may not be able to resist going back to it. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 5 of 30 total reviews (Page 1 of 7):
 perhaps a great book for all time
this book is amazing in how it intertwines comedy into drama that could be boring. one of my favorite comedic moments is the hive of books that Lukin gets encased in.
but in honestly, this book is a fun, but memorable read that is enjoyable for everyone. Easily the funniest of DWJ's books
I've been rereading most of Ms. Jones' books in order to find a phrase I remember but can't place. In the last week I've read Deep Secret, The Merlin Conspiracy, Archer's Goon, Mixed Magics, the second Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and now Year of the Griffin. While all these books are entertaining and fun, Year of the Griffin is the one that is consistently amusing to the laugh-out-loud point. I think this may be because so many of the 'main' characters have such sarcastic attitudes. Everyone has a quip for the occasion.  A worthy sequel. Too bad the storyline wasn't as good as some books I've read.
This is indeed a good book. I especially like the griffins. They're cool & cool looking and they contribute a lot to this book. My favorite is Elsa because she is cute and brave enough to do the right thing no matter how dangerous it may be. Next is Callette-she's a gruff girl who won't take s**t from nobody and is very big, strong, fast and beautiful. But that's enough of that, even though there are more characters I like, including more griffins. I must tell you the storyline, and I told you the top 2 anyway. The characters from Dark Lord Of Derkholm are trying to attend college but there is a problem: A band of assassins are after them and they're teachers & friends and won't stop until all of them are dead. On top of that, there are some evil griffins coming along, intent on being as sadistically cruel as possible(Crap, you'd think the lot of them were trying to top the evil monster people in "House Of 1,000 Corpses! No, I didn't see it, but I know what it's about)Soon there is a lot of mayhem as well as brutal fighting, and throughout the book you will wonder if the evil can be put to an end. It's a great book, and I like it, but since the storyline is decent but doesn't come anywhere near other storylines I've found in books/comicbooks/movies/video games/ancient mythology, minus one star. Nevertheless, if you need a book to read then buy this one. It is, as seen in the title, a worthy sequel. 'Specially since the cool griffins are part lion(my favorite animal)and part eagle(my 3nd favorite bird next to the falcon & the hawk)Anyway I enjoyed this novel & so will you if in the right mood. Wow!
I really enjoyed this book. Whilst I do think that the end of the book was rather sketchy...literally, in that the author didn't wrap things up properly, I really enjoyed the rest of the book. I've read this book a couple of times through the years, and I find it really worth reading, even for adults. I like the way the story makes you think about more than just getting through the average fluff novel. DWJ almost always manages to tuck in a bit of philosophy and a bit of satire which makes her books really enjoyable. Non-stop action and hilarity
The Wizards' University is short of money. Now that Mr Chesney's offworld tours have stopped, money from tourism has dried up. Eight years after Mr Chesney's departure, High Chancellor Querida has left Wizard Derk and his family to run the world and the good-looking Wizard Corkoran to run the University. Having chosen for himself the students whom he thinks are the richest, Corkoran sends begging letters to their parents. But he is in for a shock, for he discovers, after the letters have been sent, that Wizard Derk's daughter Elda is a huge golden griffin, King Luther's son is penniless, the Emperor's sister has been disowned by the Senate, while the dwarf, far from being in possession of a treasure hoard, is a runaway slave.
An even worse shock comes with the first reply from a student's family--in the form of assassins. The situation quickly hurtles out of control.
Year of the Griffin is a sequel to the award-winning The Dark Lord of Derkholm and is every bit as hilarious, with non-stop action that keeps the reader turning the pages, eager to know what happens next. While it isn't necessary to have read The Dark Lord of Derkholm first, I think it's a good idea.
Elda is just as she appears in the first book and has to be one of the most lovable non-human characters Diana Wynne Jones has created--and she is a master at creating such characters. Like all of DWJ's books, Year of the Griffin makes a great read for adults as well as young people. A quote from the Independent appears on the front cover: "Knocks all rivals into a witch's cocked hat." While this is arguable, there are definitely not many writers of fantasy for young people who can match DWJ. More Customer Reviews:
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