Year of the Griffin
Front cover of the U.S. first edition
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| Author | Diana Wynne Jones |
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| Cover artist | John Sullivan (UK) Joseph A. Smith (depicted) |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Derkholm |
| Genre | Fantasy novel, parody |
| Published | 2000 (Gollancz/UK, William Morrow/US) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 218 pp (UK) 267 pp (US) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 42726020 |
| LC Class | PZ7.J684 Yc 2000 |
| Preceded by | Dark Lord of Derkholm |
Year of the Griffin, later The Year of the Griffin in the U.K., is a fantasy novel by the British author Diana Wynne Jones, published 2000 simultaneously in the U.K. and the U.S. It is the sequel to The Dark Lord of Derkholm, set primarily at the University several years after that novel's radical conclusion.
Year is centred on six first-year students of magic, in relation to the administration and teachers, their families and studies, and each other. A review in Publishers Weekly called it a "boisterous spoof of the campus novel"; another in Booklist said that it continues "Jones' spoof of traditional fantasy conventions".
The Year is set in a fantasy world several years after the end of its domination by commercial tourism from our world. The University formerly produced large numbers of competent wizards who served as tour guides; current staff aims to produce competent wizards who gradually repair the damage caused by tours. It suffers financially because tuition demand is down, which greatly concerns the faculty, and educationally from its long practical focus, which barely concerns the few who have noticed. The head, wizard Corkoran, is obsessed with becoming the first man to visit the moon and devotes much time to that, but there is little research or innovation generally. The senior wizards have all retired; the middle-age and young know of no other way.
Wizard Corkoran has selected children from wealthy families to fill his own first-year tutorial, hoping that a current appeal for donations will be fruitful. His class turns out to be unusual in other respects too. All six are talented, some in ways they do not yet understand, some encumbered by jinxes. Not one of the families is likely to donate because they have status rather than money, or their fortunes have recently slumped, or their children are here with grudging permission or none. Prince Lukin's father has not permitted him to be at the University, and his kingdom is also very poor; Ruskin is an escaped artisan dwarf, which is the third lowest and here to receive an education so the unjust ranking system can be overthrown; Felim ben Felim is a member of the royal family of Ampersand, whose Emir has vowed to send assassins if he is to attend; and Claudia, the half-sister of Emperor Titus, is here partially hiding from the Senate, who despise her for being half Marsh. Evidently, only one is personally wealthy, the beautiful Olga who does not divulge her name or even her region. Elda is the youngest daughter of Derk, the final Dark Lord before the revolution and head of a most important family now. But she is a griffin, appearing at first glance to be frightening and inscrutable, and her father does not approve of university education.
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