The Illmoor Chronicles is a series of fantasy books for children written by English author David Lee Stone.
The series consists of six books: The Ratastrophe Catastrophe,[1] The Yowler Fowl-Up (2004),[2] The Shadewell Shenanigans (2005),[3] The Dwellings Debacle (2006), The Vanquish Vendetta (2006), and The Coldstone Conflict (2007).
In the book, a simple young boy named Diek Wustapha, who becomes possessed by dark magic early in the story and finds that he has the power to charm people and animals alike with the tune of his flute.
One of the heralds, young Jimmy Quickstint, grandson of Tambor, who only works as a herald part-time; he is actually a trainee member of the Rooftop Runners, a group of organised thieves in Dullitch, finds the barbarian mercenaries Groan Teethgrit, the giant, bald mountain of muscle, and Gordo Goldeaxe, a one-eyed dwarf equipped with a lethal axe and an even deadlier supply of sarcasm.
After being informed that all the other mercenaries on the list are dead or dismembered, Jimmy heads back to Dullitch with the intrepid barbarian pair, who completely fail to solve the rat problem.
Meanwhile, another herald stumbles upon Diek in the town of Crust, and promptly puts his name on the list and brings him back to Dullitch.
"sublime humour...wonderfully tongue in cheek..." (Manchester Evening News) The Shadewell Shenanigans was released on 5 June 2005.
King Phew of Phlegm then publicly announces that he will be holding a tournament to choose a husband for Susti, who is far from happy about the role she is playing in Modeset's scheme.
Eventually, Princess Susti makes a speech, stating that the brothers must prove their devotion to her by obtaining four priceless items, namely, the Idol of Needs on Kazbrack, an island off the east coast of Illmoor inhabited by fire demons, Ezra's Opal, which belongs to Lady Khan, wife of Mad Count Craven, the zombie ruler of Wemeru the undead city in the voodoo jungles of Rintintetly, Pagoda's Box, a treasure chest in the Finion Finger Mountains guarded day and night by harpies, and the jewelled eyes of Torche, a giant dragon in the Fastrush Pass.
They arrive at an inn, where they try to rent a carriage and end up fighting and knocking out a gangster named Loogie Lambontroff, who is the nephew of Count Craven.
Meanwhile, Princess Susti has discovered Modeset's dastardly plot to trap and kill the Teethgrit brothers and sets out to warn them of their impending doom.
Modeset doesn't realise that Stump, a character from the first Illmoor book, has been eavesdropping on the whole situation and has left to tell Groan and Gape.
Nevertheless, they storm the city of Wemeru and fend off the zombie hordes while Loogie, angered at the sight of his uncle, transforms into the twinling, and strangles the Count.
As Groan, Gordo and Gape attack the doors of Phlegm, Stump, who has recovered from his shoulder wound, helps out from afar as he is good with a bow and arrow, with Loogie acting as his second pair of eyes.
On the wall of the Keep, Susti suggests a way to end the conflict without any other blood being spilled and offers to make Groan the King of Phlegm.
King Groan and Pegrand, the new Duke of Fogrise, meet up with the other lords of Illmoor and state that Phlegm is withdrawing from the Great Assembly.
The story ends mysteriously as Modeset's body is not found in the moat, and he previously mentions to Pegrand having swum in his father's shark-infested lagoon as a boy without being attacked by the creatures.
A plan to flog an ancient hammer leads him, his brother and Gordo Goldaxe back to Dullitch, where once again, they help make a bad situation so much worse.
With two of the continent's other greatest heroes dead and only a pitiful band of crusaders fighting for freedom Hope is fading fast... And yet there is one - ancient and powerful enough to challenge the dark god - who might step up to the task.