Lord Loss (book)

Lord Loss is the first novel in The Demonata series by best-selling teenage horror author Darren Shan. It was originally published in the UK on June 6, 2005. Soon after, it appeared in Japan and America, where Shan's previous series, The Saga of Darren Shan, had sold especially well. Set in Ireland. It is told in first person through Grubbs Grady, and in present tense.

Plot Summary
Lord Loss follows Grubbs Grady, a child whose family are all heavy chess players.

After his parents and sister begin to talk behind his back and treat him differently, Grubbs starts to suspect that something is wrong. When his family decide to spend an evening at the ballet, Grubbs is dropped off at his aunt's house to stay the night, but decides to sneak out. He goes back to his own house to witness his parents and sister being murdered by the Demonata, Lord Loss and his familiars, Artery and Vein. After fighting the Demonata to escape, Grubbs is admitted to a mental hospital and treated for hallucinations. Despite the efforts of the doctors, Grubbs sticks to his story that demons killed his family. After a few months, his uncle - Dervish Grady - visits him at the institute and invites him back to his home, assuring him that what he saw was real, and that he can explain the truth of it all.

After being given permission by the hospital staff, Grubbs goes to live with his Uncle in Carcery Vale, where he befriends a child called Bill-E Spleen who often spends time with Dervish. Bill-E (who was later found out to be Grub's brother) explains his theory that he is actually Dervish's son and Grubbs' cousin, although he has never asked Dervish about this.

After the two boys find Dervish gathering up slaughtered animals in the woods near his house, Bill-E shares his theory with Grubbs that Dervish is a werewolf. He says this explains why the carcasses in the woods do not look like they have been killed by animals - they have been ripped down the middle and have human tooth marks. He speculates that lycanthropy is a disease which runs in Grubbs' family, and this is why Dervish's hall is lined with pictures of family members who died when they were quite young. At first, Grubbs doesn't believe it, but is gradually convinced as he notices Dervish leaving the house at night on multiple occasions.

While Dervish is out, Grubbs discovers a secret tunnel and room underneath the house. Inside the room, he finds a cage with a deer, books on lycanthropy, and a picture of Lord Loss that comes to life and speaks to him. Terrified, Grubbs calls Bill-E the next morning, who hypothesizes that the cage is for Dervish to lock himself up in, and agrees to stay the night with Grubbs. Once Dervish leaves for the night, Grubbs and Bill-E (who is vomiting) decide to follow him. They track Dervish to Bill-E's house, where Bill-E collapses and Grubbs realizes that the real werewolf is Bill-E, not Dervish.

Dervish takes the boys back to his house, puts Bill-E (who is beginning to transform) in the cage, and explains that Bill-E is actually Grubbs' brother, not his cousin. Dervish tells Grubbs that the Gradys have always been cursed with lycanthropy, and that if a child begins to change, the only one who can reverse it is the demon master Lord Loss. The only way other than this method to get rid of the up-and-coming werewolf is to kill it, or call in the Lambs, a group of family executioners, who are mentioned in this book, as well as various others in the series. Most demon masters are violent and brutal like other demons, but Lord Loss is different, because he feeds on the suffering of humans and also has an affinity for chess. Hundreds of years ago, Bartholomew Garadex - a family ancestor - struck a deal with Lord Loss: he would play chess with him on the condition that for every game Bartholomew won, Lord Loss would lift the curse from one family member. If Bartholemew lost, Lord Loss would take his soul. After a fifty-nine game winning streak, Bartholomew died. Over the following centuries, various other family members challenged Lord Loss, but the demon master was wary, and set new rules. Two family members would be chosen to face Lord Loss at a midway point between the human and demon universes. One would fight Lord Loss' familiars while the other would play five simultaneous games of chess against Lord Loss. If they failed to win three games, or if the other family member was overcome before the games were over, all three family members would be killed. If they succeeded, the chess-player would travel to the demon universe to battle Lord Loss. If Lord Loss won the battle, then he would take the chess-player's soul.

Dervish summons Lord Loss, and Grubbs agrees to fight Vein and Artery while Dervish plays chess. After a few minutes, however, Dervish sees that Grubbs is not coping, and Lord Loss allows the two to change places after Dervish had interfered with Grubbs' battle to save his life. Grubbs loses at first, but eventually wins by adopting a jovial, optimistic attitude, depriving Lord Loss of the sorrow he needs to concentrate. Dervish travels to the demon universe to fight Lord Loss, and Grubbs is returned to Dervish's house. With its soul gone, Dervish's body continues to function unresponsively. Grubbs tells Bill-E that Dervish was indeed the werewolf, but he himself put a spell on him to calm him; The calming spell as Grubbs called it would make Dervish unable to turn in to a werewolf, but in doing so it will take away his soul. Also, Grubbs falsely verifies that Dervish is Bill-E's actual father because he doesn't want Bill-E to know and be depressed over the face that he is an orphan. Before Dervish left to battle Lord Loss, he told Grubbs that if he was sure that he was turning into a werewolf to call the group called the Lambs to come dispose of him. After fourteen months, Grubbs wakes up and smudges blood on his face. He has dirt under his fingernails and fur in his mouth. He decides that he is turning in to a werewolf, so he goes to call the Lambs. Before he does he turns around hearing his name to see his uncle holding a can of red paint, dirt, and something torn apart to be used as the fake fur. Dervish's soul had returned which means he must have won the battle with Lord Loss. The last thing that is said in the book is by Dervish referring to his prank on Grubbs, "You should have seen the look on your face"

The poem

 * Lord Loss sows all the sorrows of the world
 * Lord Loss seeds the grief-starched trees
 * In the center of the web, lowly Lord Loss bows his head
 * Mangled hands, naked eyes
 * Fangled snaked his soul line
 * Curled inside like textured sin
 * Bloody, curdled sheets for skin
 * In the center of the web, vile Lord Loss torments the dead
 * Over strands of red, Lord Loss crawls
 * Dispensing pain, despising all
 * Shuns friends, nurtures foes
 * Ravages hope, breeds woe
 * Drinks moons, devours suns
 * Twirls his thumb till the reaper comes
 * In the center of the web, lush Lord Loss is all that's left