Since Jones intends to use the conventions of fantasy, she has set Dark Lord of Derkholm on a "typical," almost generic fantasy world, with many of the features familiar to readers of fantasy: a thinly populated landscape containing villages, inns, temples, castles, and such. But Jones always adds her own touches. For example, she does not depict a purely medieval-style culture. One of Derk's human children plays the piano, and one of the griffin children designs "gizmos" that use electronics. The result is a world that is at once familiar and unpredictable.

The family's sprawling residence, Derkholm, is far more individual than the standard fantasy castle. More than merely giving expression to Jones's own inventiveness, Derkholm also serves to reflect the ingenuity, eccentricity, and diversity of the family who lives there. Moreover, the way in which Derk, his wife Mara, and the rest of the family must use...