Year of the Griffin

Description: Eight years after the end of Mr. Chesney's offworld Pilgrim Parties, as seen in "Dark Lord of Derkholm", Wizards University is in a shambles. Wizard Derk's griffin daughter Elda and her fellow first-year students encounter tyrannical tutors, boring lectures, and terrible rectory food. But things get even worse when the University sends a letter to each of their families begging for funds.

Brief description:

In a career spanning four decades, award-winning author Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) wrote more than forty books of fantasy for young readers. Characterized by magic, multiple universes, witches, and wizards--and a charismatic nine-lived enchanter--her books are filled with unlimited imagination, dazzling plots, and an effervescent sense of humor that earned her legendary status in the world of fantasy. Her books, published to international acclaim, have earned a wide array of honors, including two Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honors and the British Fantasy Society's Karl Edward Wagner Award for having made a significant impact on fantasy. Acclaimed director and animator Hayao Miyazaki adapted Howl's Moving Castle into a major motion picture, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

Review Quotes: "I found "Year of the Griffin" filled with splendors and delights, sparkling plays of wit, and high flights of fancy -- in short, Diana Wynne Jones at her best."-- Lloyd Alexander"Diana Wynne Jones chooses the most outlandish subjects and treats them with such aplomb that the reader never blinks. She always gives you characters you believe in from top to bottom and a world whose details you recognize inside and out. Her prose is transparent without ever being ordinary. Her humor is deft. All the worlds that Jones creates have her trademark integrity."-- Megan Whalen Turner"I "love" Diana Wynne Jones. Read this book. Read all the other ones, too."-- Robin McKinley"Readers who want more substance in character and plot of fantasy novels are advised to turn to the underrated novelist Diana Wynne Jones."-- Andrew Ogus, Letter to the Editor, "New York Times"