Dark Lord: The Early Years

Gr. 6–8—The Dark Lord, ruler of the Iron Tower of Despair, has just awakened in the body of a 12-year-old boy lying in the parking lot of Savemart Supermarket. His powers have left him, his command of the legions of the Darklands is no more, and the police have mistakenly called him, horror of horrors, Dirk Lloyd. Worse still, he learns that he will be placed with a foster family and sent to school. There he is forced to contend with tyrannical Principal Grousammer, shrill English teacher Mrs. Batelakes, and a host of bullies, all while trying to discover a way to return to the Darklands and to defeat Hasdruban the Pure. Unfortunately for Dirk, just about everyone thinks he's insane. Despite these perceptions, he manages to gather an inner circle around him, including his foster brother Christopher, Goth-girl Sooz, and "Sports Lord" Sal. Dirk's continual attempts to maintain his evil persona are extremely funny, but the story loses some of its humor as Dirk begins to think that he really might be delusional. Scratchy, funny illustrations appear throughout, visualizing Dirk's thoughts of the world around him, and journal entries give insight into his thoughts and feelings. This delightful book will hook even a reluctant reader or two.—Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Lib., Houston, TX