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This spoof of fantasy tropes defies every genre convention and turns the familiar story of a magic school (Harry Potter, anyone?) upside down. Laughter is a gift of this tale, where every dangerous situation has its farcical silver lining.
The action takes place in a magic university, where six first year students study magic and have adventures and help each other deal with their deadly families. Most of them are deadly anyhow.
There are assassins shrunk to the size of rats, pirates turned into mice, a walking cloakrack and a trip to Mars – by accident. There are incompetent teachers and inedible food in the cafeteria. There are spells for every occasion, and of course, there are griffins: a magical mix between a lion, an eagle, a human and a cat. Charming!
I won’t talk about the plot of this novel, except that it’s so full of buffoonery you have to read it for yourself. Humor sparkles now and again, as the author follows her chosen group of students through their college escapades, all of them ridiculous but exciting.
The protagonists are a diverse bunch: one dwarf, one griffin, one green girl from the marches, and three humans. Their friendship blooms despite their diversity, as all of them are united in one fact: they are all at the university in secret, studying magic against the express wishes of their families or their masters. Except the griffin Elda, of course. Her family is the best, with lots of love for all its human and griffin members. Whenever the others’ families manifest as an invasion of senators or an influx of assassins or a pirate raid, Elda’s numerous relatives are there to assist.
The characters are all cartoonish, more suitable to an anime caper or a comic video game than a dramatic feature. They are sympathetic but not alive, more avatars than living souls. The fact doesn’t diminish their attraction to the reader, which was a surprise for me. Unlike a serious fantasy story, where my emotional core is usually involved, this book captivated my brain with its wit and engaged my laughing buds with its absurdities.
The only irritating detail was the author’s head-hopping. There are too many points of view in this novel, but I enjoyed reading it all the same.
Recommended to anyone who loves fantasy.
Footnote: Some time ago, I tried to read the first book of this series – The Dark Lord of Derkholm – but I couldn’t finish it. This one I loved. Perhaps I should try to read the first one again, to get the background for this one.
Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books Year of the Griffin (not 'The' Year of the Griffin, by the way) is set in the same universe as The Dark Lord of Derkholm and their common source The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, but, bar a few cross references, works equally well as a standalone. Set eight years after Dark Lord, the story is centred on the young griffin Elda who is in her first year of University. Yes, a student griffin. At a university for wizards. You just know that things aren't going to be straightforward. And so it proves: one cohort of student freshers find that their expectations of university are disappointed, their families or communities back home are, to say the least, unsupportive; and yet, despite all the obstacles and challenges (and there are many) they – Felim, Ruskin, Claudia, Olga, and Lukin, as well as Elda – start to grow and develop both as magic-users and as individuals.
There are lots of images of circularity and sphericity here, compounded by the fact that none of the images are perfect. Take the Year of the title: we never actually witness the end of the year as most of the action is set in the autumn term. There are lots of references to oranges, but mostly always to mention the fact that they come apart in segments. One of the students frequently becomes protected by an accidental spell taking the form of a barrel made up of books, appropriately enough for a learning institution, which only evaporates when the danger has passed. A group of students, along with Professor Corkoran (the name no doubt inspired by the unfortunate captain of HMS Pinafore), heads off in a spherical space vehicle for the moon (though they inexplicably find themselves on Mars); sadly, they haven't thought things through and the lunar module, designed to be life-sustaining, threatens to end their existence. The circular theme is reinforced by David Wyatt's splendid but initially enigmatic cover illustration for the original Gollancz paperback: it shows a golden griffin through a round window (one of her feathers is in the foreground), which we eventually realise is part of a barrel viewed from above (or below, it's ambiguous, despite the darts sticking in its side); there's also a visual example of a wizard's attempt to enclose oranges in a metal shell (don't ask why) that effectively renders them cannonballs, unfit for their original purpose. Why the recurrent fallible examples? Maybe because nothing ever turns out perfect in this story. (Except the ending, perhaps.)
Then there is the young griffin, Elda, who contrary to the sound of her name is the youngest in a family of humans and test-tube beings. Part-lion, part-eagle, part-human, Elda pitches in with a bunch of other misfit students who are all also escaping from the expectations of their families or communities. In fact, Year of the Griffin is, underneath the joyous storytelling, inventive fantasy and punning witticisms, a critique of a number of social institutions in this, our own world. Foremost of the critiques is that reserved for the corrosive effects of conformity, whether imposed by traditions, laws or sheer ignorance. Typical is the attitude of academia at the university, which suppresses creative thinking and practical magic in favour of dry rote-learning and limited outcomes. A graduate of Oxford University, with a partner who is Emeritus Professor of English at Bristol University, Jones will have been well aware of the politicking that goes on in academia the world over, the inevitable conflicts between research and teaching needs, the financial considerations that underpin every decision and policy, and the human weaknesses to which all scholarship is prey. No surprise then that the Wizard University is riddled with accidents waiting to happen. And that they do.
Bar a couple of excursions, pretty much all the action takes place within the confines of the campus. At times this can be claustrophobic, but the students are often able to escape to the world of books or seek companionship amongst like-minded magic-users. In fact, Year of the Griffin is an almost Shakespearean comedy ('comedy' in all senses of the word) which, barring the calls of Morpheus, I could hardly put down over the period of just a few days. Why Shakespearean? Well, typically for Shakespeare, young male and female protagonists frequently get hitched by the end of the action (as in 'Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Much Ado' and so on), frequently with multiple pairings on the cards. Secondly, things don't start to go right till at the end, when often a ruler steps in to call a halt to the mayhem and gives a judgement (Wizard Policant, aided by Chancellor Querida, fulfills this role). And thirdly, magic, or the pagan past, often is a crucial part of the story to emphasise that this is hyper-reality.
No apologies are needed, I believe, for such an extended (if obviously incomplete) commentary on what some might argue is just a children's fantasy novel. But Diana Wynne Jones hardly ever wrote a straightforward story in her preferred genre: her young adult fantasies nearly always work on several levels rather than just as a superficial narrative. As the mythical griffin was regarded as the guardian of gold, so Year of the Griffin conceals real treasures between its covers. Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books Cute and sweet. Sort of “Harry Potterish,” only with lots more “main” characters and with the Danger to be Met replaced by Individual Challenges Which Really Only Affect Our Protagonists. By which I mean that there were too many characters for me to really care about any of them, and too many little story arcs to maintain any sort of narrative tension. For me. Plus, the villains all felt like caricatures and the romantic pairings off were rather predictable.
Not that I didn't enjoy the story! While this is nothing like as good as Howl's Moving Castle, or some of the better Chrestomancis, Year of the Griffin has some really fun characters and clever set-ups. I got a kick out to the university politicking, and the spirit of camaraderie among the students is really nicely done.
I've read that Dark Lord of Derkholm isn't tightly tied to this book, but I suspect that if I had read that first I'd have enjoyed this one more. Several of the characters whom we meet only in passing here, such as the wizard Derk, his wife, Mara, Kit, Blade, Querida, seemed intriguing, and I wanted more on them. Brief references to “the tours,” “Mr. Chesney,” and “the gods” felt like teases, though I realize that I set myself up by reading the books out of order. Last time I make that mistake for a while! Anyway, this is light and fun, but I think I recommend reading Dark Lord before you read this one. I'm adding it to my list now! Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books This is the sequel to a book I liked very much, The Dark Lord of Derkholm.
Many of the youngsters we met in The Dark Lord of Derkholm are Now in their first year of wizarding school. They discover that the many long years of serfdom giving tourist tours have given the existing wizards an extremely narrow view of magic use. They see it in strictly practical, stream-lined terms, with none of the potential for creativity, experimentation, and joy that is possible. Prompted by the last of the Dark Lords into expanding their magical horizons, the youngsters are creating chaos in their experimentation, but also proving surprisingly effective. Each person's storyline begins inadvertently edging the wizards' thinking about magic in new directions.
Overall, not one of the best Diana Wynne Jones but still quite enjoyable and fun in its own way as a coming of age/wizarding adventure. Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books Oh she is so funny! Why did it take me ages to try her books! So far they have all been great fun.
This one takes on the whole wizard boarding school trope and it is hilarious. The University is run down and out of money. After Chesney they have barely any wizards who know real magic. Instead they teach basics that give you nothing.
To this glorious institution comes Elda, Derk's griffin daughter (yes you should read book 1 before, and no you do not have to read it before cos this stands well on its own, but you should still read it.)
She quickly becomes friends with a Dwarf revolutionary, a jinxed princess, a mysterious rich young woman, a crown prince with the worst talent and a man hiding from assassins. Let the good time begin!
They are all hiding from something, and all those things will show up and wreak havoc. There is a professor who knows nothing, another one that is trying to build a ship to get to the moon. There is never a dull moment at school from now on.
We meet old favorites from book 1, and it makes me wish there were more books in this serious. But then again, maybe I should just read more Wynne Jones books instead and hope they are fun too.
Fun. Humour. Crazy hi jinks.
Narrator
Oh she was perfect and I really felt I was in this world. She had a great range and I was swept in by her.
Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books
Funny! I really loved this one. A griffin named Elda is starting her first year at the struggling Wizard's University. She makes friends with an assortment of misfits who, for various reasons, want to keep their presence at the University secret. Unfortunately for them, the University sends out letters to all their families in a fund-raising attempt that blows their cover.
This results in ninja attacks, armed forces arriving at the gates to demand the return of certain students, angry royal parents, and other mayhem. The misfits band together to deal with the various attacks with magic and creativity.
Griffin is the sequel to Dark Lord of Derkholm but can stand on its own. Another winner by Jones.
Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books I really love this book. It's funny, sweet, and really ties up the story well. Maybe Jones did a little bit too much pairing off, but it's so cute that I don't mind. I also love the moon shot more than I can say, as well as the anti-assassin spells, food spells, and pretty much every other episode in the story. Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books A perfect book. Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books I really liked the narrator of Dark Lord of Derkholm, and I was a little sad that he didn't do this one, but since the narrator is the splendidly lovely Gemma Dawson, I wasn't too sad.
I think I've read this one other time, and that when it was published. So...nearly twenty years ago, and yet I remembered quite a lot of the story. I did not remember the beautiful but dim Melissa--are there any Melissas in books that are admirable? There's one in Anne Tyler's The Clock Winder and she's appalling. Anyway, it was disconcerting every time DWJ's Melissa did something dim-witted.
This book is yet another example of DWJ refusing to accept genre limitations. Technically I suppose it's YA, but the kids are all at least 18 and in college. So either it's defying convention, or the definition of YA should be reevaluated, or both, or neither...I don't know. It is, however, something I feel confident recommending to adult readers who aren't blinkered by notions of their own dignity. (I remember the Look I received from a sister-in-law when I handed her Howl's Moving Castle with the hideous cartoony cover, like she'd asked to pet a cat and I'd handed her a scabby mouse or something. Times have changed, and YA is acceptable to many adult readers, but we still have progress to make.)
I enjoyed the friendships that sprang up within the little group of misfit students. It reminded me of my own university days, though my friends and I didn't share enough classes to have that unified feeling of despair or anger over a particular professor. I also liked the return of characters from Dark Lord of Derkholm and getting to see them all grown up, especially Kit and Blade. And the secondary characters are a delight. My favorites are the tiny assassins and the mouse pirates and their continual appearances as forces of destruction.
One thing I did not like was the explosion of romances in the final chapter. I love romance in stories. But what I love about it is seeing it grow. In the final chapter there are at least five romances, and most of them are the spontaneous I'm in love even though I barely know you type. I can buy but even that wasn't very satisfying. So the ending fell flat for me. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the audio presentation was excellent.
A long time ago, I was reading all of DWJ's books in published order. This made me think it might be fun to pick up that challenge again. Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books
Every now and then I have the urge for a comforting re-read, a diverting read that will be unlike real life enough to hold back the flood for a couple of hours. Year of the Griffin is one of those books for me, a lovely, reliable read about a group of young adults (both human and otherwise) at a school for wizards. Predating Harry Potter by three years, Diana Wynne Jones made her own foray into the traditional field of English magical schools and succeeds in marvelous, whimsical fashion.
Elda, the youngest griffin daughter of the famous wizard Derk, has enrolled at the nearly broke Wizards’ University without her father’s knowledge. It isn’t long before she meets a like-minded and curious group of friends: Ruskin, a revolutionary dwarf; Olga, a mysteriously wealthy and beautiful woman; Claudia, the outcast half-Marshwoman sister of the Emperor of the South; Lukin, the heir of the Kingdom of Luteria, and Felim, incognito from the country of the Emir to prevent assassins from learning his location. During introductions on the first day, Wizard Corkoran realizes his plan to solicit their families for more money won’t work since the students are either poor or in hiding. Unfortunately, he’s rapidly distracted by his project to be the first man to land on the moon and forgets to pass the word on to the administrative team, thus setting a wild chain of events in motion. Subsequent events include a flying horse, a bushel of oranges, a trip to the library, assassins, pirates, more griffins, a statue, twue love and cats.
Characterization is fun; all are reasonably developed and their bonding over shared academic and family frustrations seem entirely natural. In the long tradition of magical schools, it is refreshing to have a griffin and dwarf be part of the student mix, along with a few other representatives of countries/kingdoms in this world. It creates an interesting sense of diversity within the group. When their families come into play, each student gains a little more focus and detail. There is also an innocence and ingeniousness about the students that makes their efforts toward improvement quite sweet and not at all malicious. Eventually, a few members of the group and incoming supporting cast end up pairing off, but any romance is gentle and exists mostly in the area of hand-holding and shared company. The setting feels like a typical medieval fantasy setting, with carts and horses, fires for warmth and the like. It isn’t too fleshed out, but allows Jones to concentrate on characterization and action.
Plotting is fun. Driven initially by the disclosure that the six are currently students at the university, the converging families and chaos propel the action forward. When the six students realize trouble is headed their way, they band together. The spell-traps they create to protect one of their members are priceless fun. Corkoran’s focus on the moon shoot is especially entertaining from a real-world point of view.
I actually read this long before Dark Lord of Derkholm, so although it says “sequel,” don’t be put off. Most of the main characters from Dark Lord are only peripheral, and the preceding events are only responsible for the ruins of the college, not really what is happening to it now. The prior parallel worlds do help explain away some of the similarities and the stereotypes, quite clever on the part of Jones. However, the tone and conflicts of the two books are different enough that I wouldn’t call them a duology at all. Consider the second an insightful “whatever happened to –” installment.
Though the characters are young adult and the resolutions of issues neat, it is not a simple book by any means in concepts or language. Overall, it is very light in tone, the perfect kind of read when one needs a happy ending.
Highly recommended.
Re-read and updated 8/14 Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens Books
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. Year of the Griffin (Derkholm, #2)