Year of the Griffin (HarperCollins Publishers)

A hilarious fantasy sequel to The Dark Lord of Derkholm, set at the Wizard University, and centred around six fantastical students. From the 'Godmother of Fantasy', Diana Wynne Jones. The Year of the Griffin is the sequel to the Dark Lord of Derkholm, set in the same world several years after the abolition of commercial 'fantasy world' tourism from our world. Running a University for Wizards was never going to be easy. And with no money, no staff and no idea what he's doing, Wizard Corkoran is struggling. Especially when his students, handpicked from the wealthiest families around, turn out to be rather different than expected. The daughter of the world's Ruling Wizard is an enormous Griffin; King Luther's son is penniless. The emperor's sister is a jinxed exile, and the dwarf is a runaway slave. And that's all before the assassins start arriving...