Preview of Dark Lord of Derkholm Summary:

In Dark Lord of Derkholm, Diana Wynne Jones sets up the premise that people from a world like ours can sign up to take an adventure tour in a magical otherworld— but she tells the story from the point of view of the otherworld's inhabitants. The result is what might be termed a living enactment of a fantasy role-playing game. The world's inhabitants would like to put a stop to the tours, but Mr. Chesney, the all-powerful tour manager, is under the protection of a demon and cannot be gotten rid of.

For each annual tour, natives of the otherworld are forced to take on fantasy roles such as the Evil King and the Dark Lord for the pleasure of the tourists. In the process, they might have to engage in battles with dragons or have their lands despoiled by rival armies. Being chosen Dark Lord for...