Children's Books: Dark Lord: A Fiend In Need by Jamie Thomson

Wow. Just wow. When you thought it couldn’t get any better, Jamie Thomson’s sequel to his hugely praised novel, Dark Lord: The Early Years, is even better than its predecessor. Dark Lord: A Fiend in Need (Walker Childrens) exceeds the original by pumping up the action, danger, comedy, and cleverness.

This time, our main protagonist (or antagonist, for that matter), Dirk Lloyd, a Dark Lord from another dimension, must join forces with his foster brother to return to his homeworld of the Darklands to save his friend Sooz, who was accidently sent there in the previous installment. Meanwhile, Sooz must navigate her way through the treacherous land by befriending Dirk’s former warriors and becoming her own queen. Shenanigans ensue involving a White Witch, dimension jumping, and a whole lot of betrayal. By the end of this book, you’ll cheer with joy to see that we have been set up for a third book.

After reading the book, a great depression fell over me, as I realized that I would have to wait a whole year until the next book. Left off of on a massive cliffhanger, I must wait for a year, until another BEA.

Jamie Thomson was one of the biggest names in writing during the 1980s and 90s. After going into the videogame business, he returned to writing to make the Dark Lord novels, which have won him many awards and much praise. He lives in Great Britain, writing novels for kids, editing, and making video games. ◊


Ian Buchsbaum is a kid who loves to read. In fact, the only thing he loves more than reading is writing. He loves writing about books -- and he’s already writing one of his own.