Winner of the 2012 Roald Dahl Funny Prize!

Thirteen-year-old schoolboy, Dirk Lloyd, has a dark secret - in fact he is a dark secret. Dirk - according to his own account - is the earthly incarnation of a Dark Lord, supreme ruler of the Darklands and leader of great armies of orcs and warriors, intent on destruction and bloody devastation. Following a colossal final battle between the forces of good and evil, the Dark Lord was defeated and hurled by his arch-foe's spells into the Pit of Uttermost Despair. At the bottom of the Pit lies...a supermarket car park in the municipal town of Whiteshields, somewhere in modern day England. And when he is found, and tries to explain that he is the Dark Lord, people think he means Dirk Lloyd. The fact that he's trapped in the puny body of a schoolboy doesn't help.
And so begins Dirk's battle to recover his dignity, his power, and his lands... Along the way he faces the inconvenience of being fostered by a do-gooding family, the Purejoies; the torture of endless hours of drudgery at the Whiteshields Brainwashing Centre (aka school); a vengeful Headmaster; two interfering Psychotic Persecutors (psychotherapists); and constant laughter and disrespect when he attempts to marshall his lackeys and lickspittles (friends) to do what he wants them to.

Dirk makes friends with the son of his foster family, Christopher, and the local Goth Girl, Sooz, and together they attempt to cast a spell that will transport Dirk back to his homeland. Inevitably, not everything goes to plan... But that's for book 2

Roald Dahl Prize winner, 2012.

Winner of the 2012 Roald Dahl Funny Prize! "I will tell you all my secrets. But then of course I'm going to have to kill you..."

About the Author
Jamie Thomson is a British writer, editor and game developer. He is the author of numerous 'choose-your-own-adventure' gamebooks, and he also co-wrote three books for the Fighting Fantasy series.

Reviews
A parody of fantasy media that will appeal to anyone who likes a laugh. (The Sunday Times' 100 Best Children's Books) * The Sunday Times *
A parody of fantasy media that will appeal to anyone who likes a laugh. (The Sunday Times' 100 Best Children's Books) * The Sunday Times *
Dark Lord is a wonderfully absurd take on beings from another planet * Michael Rosen, Roald Dahl Funny Prize judge *
Very funny, very silly... brilliant concept. * Bookseller *
One of the most original children's books of the year. * Daily Express *
"CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK" This funny book in the Fabled Lands series is based on an ingenious idea. * Sunday Times *
Funny, utterly silly and enjoyable book, which lots of young readers will love. * Bookbag *
Wonderfully original, completely mad. * Lovereading *
It's funny-clever as well as funny-silly * Mel Giedroyc, Roald Dahl Funny Prize Judge 2012 *
A perfect novel for computer games-obsessed boys. * Sunday Telegraph *
Laugh-out-loud funny and often touching. * Queens Park Books *
Amazing, fantastic... great to read. * Skye Turnbull- 9 year old reviewer *
Hilarious. * Chicklish *
This is hilarious, and is set to have us inferior puny humans laughing out loud... It really is a work of 'evil genius'. * LiteraryLoves.com *
Perfect deadpan humor... wickedly funny, brilliantly told stuff, and you'll never have more fun cheering for evil. * BoingBoing.net *
Comic fantasy which won this year's Roald Dahl Funny Prize. * Sunday Express *
There are lashings of fantasy and adventure but what makes Dark Lord tick is the humour. * * * * * Daily Telegraph *
A funny, whacky, page-turning tale. * Good Book Guide *
Laugh out loud funny and entertaining, with a surprisingly endearing central character: great fun. * East Anglian Daily Times *


Awards
Winner of Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2012 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781408315118
Author Jamie Thomson
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Orchard Books
Publisher Hachette Children's Group
Weight(grams) 265g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 26mm