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Dark Lord: The Early Years | February 20, 2013

by Jamie Thomson (Walker Children’s/Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Oct. 2012)

The Dark Lord is the supreme ruler of the Darklands, commander of Orc hordes, master of the Nightgaunts, and destroyer of all things good. Or at least he was until his foe, the White Wizard, transported him to the human world and into the body of a twelve-year-old boy. Now the Dark lord finds himself trapped without his strength or magic, and even his Ring of Power won’t work. And why do the puny humans insist on calling him Dirk Lloyd? If Dark Lord is ever to return home, he must figure out the rules to this world and rely on a new set of minions —or as they prefer to be called, his friends.

The Dark Lord’s unique voice infuses the page, turning mundane schooldays into roiling evil monologues and imprecations at the constant slights to his unrecognized supremacy. The book is interspersed with the Dark Lord’s diary entries and goofy sketches, giving further insight into a mind that is at once diabolical yet endearing. If you’re looking for ‘Wimpy Kid’ with a side of ‘Lord of the Rings’, or if you’re just looking for a laugh, this is one series you shouldn’t be in the dark about.

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