School's Out

December 15, 2013
While the Dark Lord's away, everyone begins living in peace and harmony, much to the chagrin of the White Wizard, Hasdruban. Dirk Lloyd, or the Dark Lord, the Nameless One, the World Burner, the Sorcerer Supreme, etc., is still in exile on Earth in the body of a 12-year-old boy who lives with Christopher and his parents. Their friend Sooz (short for Susan) was accidentally sent to the Dark Lands, Dirk's world of origin, when the trio attempted to magically send Dirk home. Now the boys have the added task of rescuing Sooz and a new impediment, in the form of a nanny who has a secret identity and is likely trying to kill Dirk. Since he's no longer evil incarnate, her attempts fail miserably. Meanwhile, goth girl Sooz has befriended the Dark Lord's minions (all that black!) and brought peace to his lands, much to the disbelief of Hasdruban (who's probably actually more evil than the Dark Lord). Can Dirk and Christopher save Sooz? Does she want to be saved? Would Dirk really sacrifice his friends to become Dark Lord once more? Here's hoping Thomson's second Dark Lord title is not the last given the open ending. It is sarcastic British fantasy in the Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams vein; it is a bit long and can tend toward silly, but it will satisfy fans of tongue-in-cheek. Best read with its companion tome...let's just say best read; wouldn't want to anger the Dark Lord. (Humorous fantasy. 10-14)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 4-8-This humorous fantasy is the second entry in a series about an evil Dark Lord who finds himself trapped in the body of a human boy, "Dirk Lloyd." Beginning with the embarrassing derivative of his real name, the Dark Lord suffers the humiliations of being treated like a mere boy and determinedly discovers a way back to his world. The experiment goes awry and his friend, Sooz, is transported to Darklands instead of Dirk. While Dirk plots her rescue and his return, Sooz manages to befriend snot-dripping orcs and warty goblins and establish herself as the new Dark Queen. The narrative alternates between Sooz's adventures in Darklands and Dirk's return to power, with occasional first-person commentary from Dirk, printed as if handwritten. These diarylike entries and the Dahlesque illustrations add to the fast-moving fun. Sooz's plight and march to power show her mettle, and when Dirk's not being impossibly fiendish, there's a little chemistry between the two. Like any good villain, Dirk has two sides and when Chris, his "brother" from home, gives up on him, Sooz continues to appeal to his humanity. Dirk Lloyd and his pals' story is reminiscent of the zany, action-packed adventures in "Artemis Fowl" (Hyperion), served up with sly commentary on the powerlessness of being a child. Packed with tween-appeal.-Martha Baden, Prescott Public Library, AZ

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