Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
HMH Books for Young Readers (2013), Edition: 6.2.2013, 306 pages
Description
Fantasy. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: In the good old days, magic was indispensable�it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians�but it's hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world's last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam�and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as . . . Big Magic..
User reviews
LibraryThing member foggidawn
The Last Dragonslayer is an interesting book -- and, like most of Fforde's books, problematic to categorize. Though definitely written for a younger audience than his Thursday Next books, it's hard to say exactly who the ideal reader of this book might be.
Teenager Jennifer Strange is not a magic
Like all of Fforde's books, there's a lot of fun humor and wacky chains of circumstance and coincidence that all come together to form the plot. If anything, this book is slightly more straightforward than Fforde's other works, but it's still weird and wacky and magical. I enjoyed it, though frankly I'd rather have had the sequel to Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron instead. Jennifer reminded me, perhaps a little too strongly, of a young Thursday Next, and though the characters were all interesting and distinct, I didn't form much of an attachment to any of them (though the Quarkbeast was rather endearing in its own deadly way). I might read on in the series, or I might not -- the book was fun, but not Fforde at his best.
Teenager Jennifer Strange is not a magic
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user herself, but she is the acting manager of a magical agency. In a Britain where magic is slowly waning and being replaced by technology, the magicians are reduced to taking on tasks like plumbing repair and pizza delivery. Then their most reliable psychic predicts the death of the last dragon in the world -- an event that will almost certainly have a powerful effect on the flow of magic in the world, as well as freeing up an extremely valuable parcel of land. Through a series of events, Jennifer gets caught up in the drama of the dragon's impending death, and finds that she does not want the dragon to die, after all . . . which is problematic, because she's just inherited the title of the Last Dragonslayer.Like all of Fforde's books, there's a lot of fun humor and wacky chains of circumstance and coincidence that all come together to form the plot. If anything, this book is slightly more straightforward than Fforde's other works, but it's still weird and wacky and magical. I enjoyed it, though frankly I'd rather have had the sequel to Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron instead. Jennifer reminded me, perhaps a little too strongly, of a young Thursday Next, and though the characters were all interesting and distinct, I didn't form much of an attachment to any of them (though the Quarkbeast was rather endearing in its own deadly way). I might read on in the series, or I might not -- the book was fun, but not Fforde at his best.
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LibraryThing member flissp
Jenny Strange is a foundling, working out her indenture at Kazam Mystical Arts Management in Hereford. With the decline, worldwide, in magical potency, the business has hit hard times - former Sorcerers to Royalty are reduced to installing fuss & damage free new plumbing and wiring; flying carpets
But Big Magic is on the way and it seems to coincide with the prediction of the death of the Last Dragon at the hands of the Last Dragonslayer.
This is Jasper Fforde's first children's book, but really, I would say that this is only because the main protagonist is not yet 16.
The unUnited Kingdom in which the book is set, while not exactly the same, is very recognisable from his previous series - particularly Thursday Next. Set in an altered version of the UK, in this case made up of small kingdoms, in which the big corporations have controlling interests in every little thing. His novels are always exuberantly fast paced and imaginative, full of tiny silly quips. This is no different, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a point to make. It's interesting that he's returned to a female viewpoint too, told in the first person and convincingly - plenty of people do very badly when writing as the opposite sex.
A very enjoyable read. I've never been carried away by the Nursery Rhyme books for some reason and, while I loved The Eyre Affaire, I think it's time for him to leave Thursday Next alone too - the more recent books just don't live up to the first. But both Shades of Grey and The Last Dragonslayer have felt like a return to form - I'm looking forward to sequels for both (if not for ages)...
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to delivering pizza.But Big Magic is on the way and it seems to coincide with the prediction of the death of the Last Dragon at the hands of the Last Dragonslayer.
This is Jasper Fforde's first children's book, but really, I would say that this is only because the main protagonist is not yet 16.
The unUnited Kingdom in which the book is set, while not exactly the same, is very recognisable from his previous series - particularly Thursday Next. Set in an altered version of the UK, in this case made up of small kingdoms, in which the big corporations have controlling interests in every little thing. His novels are always exuberantly fast paced and imaginative, full of tiny silly quips. This is no different, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a point to make. It's interesting that he's returned to a female viewpoint too, told in the first person and convincingly - plenty of people do very badly when writing as the opposite sex.
A very enjoyable read. I've never been carried away by the Nursery Rhyme books for some reason and, while I loved The Eyre Affaire, I think it's time for him to leave Thursday Next alone too - the more recent books just don't live up to the first. But both Shades of Grey and The Last Dragonslayer have felt like a return to form - I'm looking forward to sequels for both (if not for ages)...
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
I really enjoyed this young adult book from Jasper Fforde. It has all the Fford's trademarks, an alternative universe - the Ununited Kingdoms this time - where magic is so diluted that wizards rewire houses - characters with silly names, Tiger Prawns and Half-Price and, most excitingly for this
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reader there is a perpetual tea-pot. As this is for young adults the universe is not as darkly dystopian as Fforde's other novels, but he still gets in some digs at the media, greedy companies and rulers. It's a fast, entertaining and fun read and there's a Quarkbeast. What more could you ask? Show Less
LibraryThing member karieh
I love, love, love Jasper Fforde books. I love the fact that when I am reading his words and enjoying the story immensely, I can feel smart for picking up some of his literary references even when I know I am probably missing 90% of them. I love that he is incredibly creative…but not to the point
SO. When I saw that he was starting to write for the young set, I got my hands on “The Last Dragonslayer” as soon as I could.
And it contained much of the Fforde magic of his previous books. Who can resist passage such as, “…money was short and he was forced to do the one thing that sorcerers should never do. An act of such gross betrayal to his art that if it were made common knowledge, his reputation would be destroyed forever, and he would die a broken man, humiliated and shunned by his peers.” “You mean -- ?” “Right. He did children’s parties.”
Or, “The footman looked at me coldly. “The king doesn’t make jokes, Miss strange. On the rare occasion that he does, he circulates a memo beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings.”
“The Last Dragonslayer” introduces us to Jennifer Strange…a character who could easily grow up into the next Tuesday Next. The reader is immediately drawn into her world where magic exists but has become passé thanks to the advancements in technology. A world where there are still dragons…who are only cared about as they near death, and only then for the development value of their land.
As an adult reader, I enjoyed this new (and yet familiar feeling) world, but I did find myself wondering how younger readers would like it. Would they feel the same delight that I did in Fforde’s expert weaving of the whimsical, fantastical…and insightful?
“King Snodd and the Duke of Brecon are powerful, Miss Strange. They have the power, as you have seen, to change the law at a whim and outlaw their citizens at their command. But even they are merely transient when it comes to the might of commerce. Governments may come and go; wars will reshape the Ununited Kingdom many times. But companies will stay and flourish.”
I don’t yet know the answer to my question – I think I will see what my son and daughter think of this book. What I do know is that I am thrilled that Jasper Fforde continues to write, continues to enchant me, and continues enrich the world with his words.
“Explaining magic is like explaining lightning or rainbows a thousand years ago, inexplicable and wonderful but seemingly impossible. Today they are little more than equations in a science textbook. Magic is the fifth fundamental force and is even more mysterious than gravity, which is really saying something. Magic is a power lurking in all of us, an emotional energy that cane be used to move objects and manipulate matter. But it doesn’t follow any physical laws that we can, as yet, understand; it exists only in our hearts and minds.”
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of being ridiculous.SO. When I saw that he was starting to write for the young set, I got my hands on “The Last Dragonslayer” as soon as I could.
And it contained much of the Fforde magic of his previous books. Who can resist passage such as, “…money was short and he was forced to do the one thing that sorcerers should never do. An act of such gross betrayal to his art that if it were made common knowledge, his reputation would be destroyed forever, and he would die a broken man, humiliated and shunned by his peers.” “You mean -- ?” “Right. He did children’s parties.”
Or, “The footman looked at me coldly. “The king doesn’t make jokes, Miss strange. On the rare occasion that he does, he circulates a memo beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings.”
“The Last Dragonslayer” introduces us to Jennifer Strange…a character who could easily grow up into the next Tuesday Next. The reader is immediately drawn into her world where magic exists but has become passé thanks to the advancements in technology. A world where there are still dragons…who are only cared about as they near death, and only then for the development value of their land.
As an adult reader, I enjoyed this new (and yet familiar feeling) world, but I did find myself wondering how younger readers would like it. Would they feel the same delight that I did in Fforde’s expert weaving of the whimsical, fantastical…and insightful?
“King Snodd and the Duke of Brecon are powerful, Miss Strange. They have the power, as you have seen, to change the law at a whim and outlaw their citizens at their command. But even they are merely transient when it comes to the might of commerce. Governments may come and go; wars will reshape the Ununited Kingdom many times. But companies will stay and flourish.”
I don’t yet know the answer to my question – I think I will see what my son and daughter think of this book. What I do know is that I am thrilled that Jasper Fforde continues to write, continues to enchant me, and continues enrich the world with his words.
“Explaining magic is like explaining lightning or rainbows a thousand years ago, inexplicable and wonderful but seemingly impossible. Today they are little more than equations in a science textbook. Magic is the fifth fundamental force and is even more mysterious than gravity, which is really saying something. Magic is a power lurking in all of us, an emotional energy that cane be used to move objects and manipulate matter. But it doesn’t follow any physical laws that we can, as yet, understand; it exists only in our hearts and minds.”
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LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
A lovely entry into YA Literature - Jennifer Strange is an intriguing character, an orphan, indentured to a magic shop in a world where magic is dying and the most powerful magicians can only do minor spells.
Its an odd world, slightly based on the United Kingdom but is its own world entirely. In
I love this book. We get a ferocious Heroine, who does what she needs to survive. Add in a bunch of quirky magicians, a missing manager, and Jennifer really is spectacular. The language in this book while snarky, is always written with an eye toward the story. The supporting characters are big, extravagant, but they tend to float around Jennifer who keeps them grounded. This is a great book for those older kids who have gone through Harry Potter and need something that is different to read. Also, adults will love this story too.
Its an odd world, slightly based on the United Kingdom but is its own world entirely. In
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this world, there are many kingdoms ruled by many people. Jennifer lives in the Kingdom of Hereford. Next, door, is the Duchy of Brecon. They live in an uneasy friendship... Now add on a dragon land, a place where The Dragons are given sanctuary from Humans, and Humans are free from Dragons... Only the dragon slayer can enter the Dragonlands... and Jennifer is now the new Dragonslayer. When a prophesy enters of the death of the last dragon, everyone wants a piece. From land developers, to the Kingdoms wanting to add land... Jennifer needs to figure out who to trust, and do it without dying.I love this book. We get a ferocious Heroine, who does what she needs to survive. Add in a bunch of quirky magicians, a missing manager, and Jennifer really is spectacular. The language in this book while snarky, is always written with an eye toward the story. The supporting characters are big, extravagant, but they tend to float around Jennifer who keeps them grounded. This is a great book for those older kids who have gone through Harry Potter and need something that is different to read. Also, adults will love this story too.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
I am going to admit to something. I picked this book to read because it looked cute - but that was almost its death sentence. Almost. When looking at The Last Dragonslayer on my iPad screen I sat for almost five minutes debating before finally just opening it up and diving in. I was worried, you
Then this book reached up and smacked me in the face.
I found myself laughing out loud by the end of page one, people. Laughing for real out loud. I was reminded of the fun I'd had when I picked up the first Harry Potter book, of the magic I'd felt when reading Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and immediately I began to devour the story here.
I raced through this book in a single evening/night. I had to know what was happening - it had all the right elements for a fantasy that is light-hearted and fun: quirky characters, interesting magic, a quest, a sword, and dragons. Oh.. and a VW Beetle.
This book is going on the list for Christmas - I have a feeling I'll be giving away a few copies of it. It's perfect for those kids (and adults) who are looking for something light, magical, and a way to fill in the gap until the next "Harry Potter" comes around.
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see - worried that it'd be boring, that it wouldn't live up to its cute little cover, and that everything fantastic I'd heard about Jasper Fforde would all turn out to be little lies.Then this book reached up and smacked me in the face.
I found myself laughing out loud by the end of page one, people. Laughing for real out loud. I was reminded of the fun I'd had when I picked up the first Harry Potter book, of the magic I'd felt when reading Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and immediately I began to devour the story here.
I raced through this book in a single evening/night. I had to know what was happening - it had all the right elements for a fantasy that is light-hearted and fun: quirky characters, interesting magic, a quest, a sword, and dragons. Oh.. and a VW Beetle.
This book is going on the list for Christmas - I have a feeling I'll be giving away a few copies of it. It's perfect for those kids (and adults) who are looking for something light, magical, and a way to fill in the gap until the next "Harry Potter" comes around.
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LibraryThing member carolvanbrocklin
A young adult Jasper Fforde! I am so HAPPY!
I love the wit and wisdom of this book and it really does have a powerful heroine who in spite of all that are around her trying to tell her that she should just sell out, she stands by her convictions and refuses to slay the last true dragon.
Magic, yes,
Villians--oh yeah and while some of them are charming, some are smarmy and the ultimate one really does get his just reward in the end.
And the Quark....
All in all, yet another fun read and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of book 2 in my next shipment.
I love the wit and wisdom of this book and it really does have a powerful heroine who in spite of all that are around her trying to tell her that she should just sell out, she stands by her convictions and refuses to slay the last true dragon.
Magic, yes,
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but in a fun way. Villians--oh yeah and while some of them are charming, some are smarmy and the ultimate one really does get his just reward in the end.
And the Quark....
All in all, yet another fun read and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of book 2 in my next shipment.
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LibraryThing member horomnizon
I haven't read a Fforde book yet that didn't make me laugh out loud. This new series is aimed at a younger audience than his others (Thursday Next, Nursery Crime, and Shades of Grey) and is suitable for YA shelves. The story is a little slow at the start, but as you get to know the characters and
Jennifer Strange is a strong female character who is wise enough to listen to her heart while weighing the advice from those around her. Her high moral standards seem the most fictitious thing in the story - even next to the dragon, war machines, and marzipan addicts. Hopefully she doesn't come off as a goody-two-shoes and young readers can still relate to her choices. (She does compromise a bit, but always for the 'greater good'.) In fact, I think she's a great role model and I hope that most readers believe they would do the same things for the same noble reasons.
I'll definitely pick up the books that follow this series and will recommend it to tween and early teen readers who enjoy this type of fantasy.
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the situation moves toward its climax, it became a page-turner for me. Jennifer Strange is a strong female character who is wise enough to listen to her heart while weighing the advice from those around her. Her high moral standards seem the most fictitious thing in the story - even next to the dragon, war machines, and marzipan addicts. Hopefully she doesn't come off as a goody-two-shoes and young readers can still relate to her choices. (She does compromise a bit, but always for the 'greater good'.) In fact, I think she's a great role model and I hope that most readers believe they would do the same things for the same noble reasons.
I'll definitely pick up the books that follow this series and will recommend it to tween and early teen readers who enjoy this type of fantasy.
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LibraryThing member bragan
In this kids' novel (or maybe it's YA?), set in a world where magic isn't what it used to be, young Jennifer Strange acts as a manager for a group of once-powerful sorcerers who now use what's left of their power to do stuff like unclogging drains. Then she's told that she is actually the Last
I liked the story here, even if it does end a bit abruptly with a lot of exposition. But I found the world annoyingly hard to suspend my disbelief for, since it features a Great Britain composed of tiny independent kingdoms and an alternate magical history, but also things like modern real-world car models and trivia questions about General Patton. And the humor sits, I think, right on the borderline between amusingly quirky and slightly too silly, coming down a little too often on the "slightly too silly" side of the line for my taste. Although that might not be entirely the book's fault. I think maybe I just wasn't in quite the right mood for that particular brand of comedy. Or maybe not quite the right age for it, as I suspect I would have enjoyed this at least twice as much when I was twelve.
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Dragonslayer, and has a predetermined appointment to kill the last dragon, something that might have an effect, good or bad, on the state of magic. But she really doesn't want to do it.I liked the story here, even if it does end a bit abruptly with a lot of exposition. But I found the world annoyingly hard to suspend my disbelief for, since it features a Great Britain composed of tiny independent kingdoms and an alternate magical history, but also things like modern real-world car models and trivia questions about General Patton. And the humor sits, I think, right on the borderline between amusingly quirky and slightly too silly, coming down a little too often on the "slightly too silly" side of the line for my taste. Although that might not be entirely the book's fault. I think maybe I just wasn't in quite the right mood for that particular brand of comedy. Or maybe not quite the right age for it, as I suspect I would have enjoyed this at least twice as much when I was twelve.
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LibraryThing member mamzel
Thursday Next has a younger sister-in-spirit in Jennifer Strange. A foundling, Jennifer is serving out her indentured servitude as manager of Kazam Mystical Arts Management who schedules jobs for a diverse group of magicians. The levels of available magic has been slowly ebbing but there are signs
Jennifer finds herself in the middle of a possible war between two neighboring kingdoms over the piece of land inhabited by the last living dragon. A prophecy says that the last dragon will be killed next Sunday at noon and thousands of people are waiting at the border of its lands to stake claims. When she inherits the position of Dragonslayer she struggles to find the best solution to an untenable problem.
I could not help but draw parallels between the unique abilities shown by Thursday and Jennifer in their equally unique worlds full of corporate bad guys and fascinating characters. This book is unlike anything available for younger readers around these days.
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that will change soon. She has a sidekick like Thursday, but instead of a dodo, it is a Quarkbeast, a loyal and scary looking pet.Jennifer finds herself in the middle of a possible war between two neighboring kingdoms over the piece of land inhabited by the last living dragon. A prophecy says that the last dragon will be killed next Sunday at noon and thousands of people are waiting at the border of its lands to stake claims. When she inherits the position of Dragonslayer she struggles to find the best solution to an untenable problem.
I could not help but draw parallels between the unique abilities shown by Thursday and Jennifer in their equally unique worlds full of corporate bad guys and fascinating characters. This book is unlike anything available for younger readers around these days.
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LibraryThing member SandDune
Jennifer Strange is a foundling and the acting manager of Kazam, one of the few remaining Houses of Enchantment in the UnUnited Kingdoms. But magic is not what is was, the powers of wizards and soothsayers are fading, and the House of Kazam is reduced to the provision of mundane services such as
It's not a great book but it was good fun. I think that this is the first book that Jasper Fforde has written for a YA audience. I've tried some of his stuff for adults before - well when I say I've tried it I've picked up a book, read the first few pages and put it down again - but they haven't really appealed. But based on this I might give him another go.
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organ delivery by magic carpet or the magical rewiring of houses. But then a soothsayer has a premonition that the last dragon will be killed by a Dragonslayer on the following Sunday, which means that the dragonlands, protected for centuries, can be claimed by whoever gets there first after the dragon's death. Followed by the fearsome but loyal quarkbeast, nine-tents velociraptor and one tenth Labrador, Jennifer's life gets very complicated.It's not a great book but it was good fun. I think that this is the first book that Jasper Fforde has written for a YA audience. I've tried some of his stuff for adults before - well when I say I've tried it I've picked up a book, read the first few pages and put it down again - but they haven't really appealed. But based on this I might give him another go.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
A bit below average from Jasper really. Definetly aimed more at a younger audience I think. There isn't any of the social commentary that makes his other books so funny. This is also a much more streamlined plot, that doesn't really suit his sense of humour. In tone it is close to the Thursday next
Jennifer Strange is an orphan serving out her indentitude to a magical School in Hereford. One of the last in the country, the fading powers of magicians and witches are deeply bemoaned by the practitioners, and Jennifer's job is to help pay the bills by scheduling their modern day activities - finding lost items, rewiring houses and the like. Between Hereford and Brecon lie the Dragonlands - excluded territory set aside for a dragon (the Last) to roam free, without causing harm to people. A very contrived destiny plot and some tedious exposition see Jenny on her way to put an end to this menace for once and all. This will help the good people of Hereford (and the King, and the local corporation - whos name Stuff is very TN), by providing them with some more lviing space. Jenny doesn't want to do sucha cruel thing, and finds the local pressure can be applied. A very duex et machina ending is contrived to prepare the way for the sequel.
Just didn't work for me.
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books, but much more fantasy based than TN was. Jennifer Strange is an orphan serving out her indentitude to a magical School in Hereford. One of the last in the country, the fading powers of magicians and witches are deeply bemoaned by the practitioners, and Jennifer's job is to help pay the bills by scheduling their modern day activities - finding lost items, rewiring houses and the like. Between Hereford and Brecon lie the Dragonlands - excluded territory set aside for a dragon (the Last) to roam free, without causing harm to people. A very contrived destiny plot and some tedious exposition see Jenny on her way to put an end to this menace for once and all. This will help the good people of Hereford (and the King, and the local corporation - whos name Stuff is very TN), by providing them with some more lviing space. Jenny doesn't want to do sucha cruel thing, and finds the local pressure can be applied. A very duex et machina ending is contrived to prepare the way for the sequel.
Just didn't work for me.
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LibraryThing member Gwendydd
Yet another fun, and very Ffordian, adventure. This book has a more straightforward plot structure than most of Jasper Fforde's books, but it's still an unpredictable, fast-paced roller coaster.
Jennifer Strange is a teenage foundling who manages an institution of wizards. The wizards are all
Of course, with any Jasper Fforde plot, it's hard to actually explain what's going on. Only Fforde can really do that.
The book is funny, suspenseful, and exciting, and the alternate reality Fforde has created is ridiculous yet believable. There is also some biting satire of megacorps and greed. Highly enjoyable!
Jennifer Strange is a teenage foundling who manages an institution of wizards. The wizards are all
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pretty crazy, and need Jennifer's organizational skills to keep their business running. Business isn't going so well, though, because magical power is waning, and these days the magicians do little more than rewire houses and other mundane tasks. However, one day the wizards notice a surge in wizidrical power, and many people start having premonitions that Maltcassion, the last dragon, is about to die. Maltcassion lives on protected land, and upon his death people want to claim all of his lands: individuals, corporations, and kings brace themselves for a massive land-grab.Of course, with any Jasper Fforde plot, it's hard to actually explain what's going on. Only Fforde can really do that.
The book is funny, suspenseful, and exciting, and the alternate reality Fforde has created is ridiculous yet believable. There is also some biting satire of megacorps and greed. Highly enjoyable!
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LibraryThing member ethel55
Jennifer Strange, sixth in a line of foundlings to come to the Kazam Agency for sorcerers and other magical types, has been running the show ever since the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Zambini. The mystical arts have been in a downturn, both in power and jobs. When a pre-cog reports a vision of
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the death of the last dragon, ripples in magic start to occur. As the Ununited Kingdom starts to salivate at the economic possibilites of the dragonless Dragonlands, Jenny finds herself in yet another new role. There are new animals called Quarkbeasts, tattered flying carpets and menial electrical jobs for wizards in the new series by Fforde. He has created another world where I want to spend a lot more time. Show Less
LibraryThing member SimoneA
Enjoyable book by Jasper Fforde, whose adult books I really like. This is more of a young adult book, but quite funny and well written. There is magic, a dragon, a small company that needs to be run, and a young girl who is in the midst of this all. A nice and quick in between read for fans of
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funny fantasy and Jasper Fforde. Show Less
LibraryThing member djfiander
Much better than his previous book, "Shades of Grey", which was marred by far too much world-building and not enough story. While this is the beginning of another series, it does conclude solidly, without the far too common "trailer" style ending that demands you buy the next book to see what
The book develops an interesting model for how magic works, and spends some time creating a culture for the magicians, which has some interesting features.
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happens.The book develops an interesting model for how magic works, and spends some time creating a culture for the magicians, which has some interesting features.
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LibraryThing member HiramHolliday
The fanttasy is less speculative as in his other books, and it is not quite so complex but that could be expected. Still it is typical Jasper Fforde and I looking forward for the next book in the series as the magic is saved for th coming time as well as the dragons
LibraryThing member jfoster_sf
I loved the premise of this book and was so excited to read it, but once I started reading it my excitement lessened more and more after each sitting. I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters! I did enjoy some of the author's ideas in the book-the magic in the world is dwindling
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and once great wonders such as flying carpets are now being demoted to take-out service. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaneLiterati
Really liked this book. Fifteen year old Jennifer Strange runs an employment agency for magicians in a time when Magic is drying up and disappearing in the world. The death of the last dragon has been foretold, something is about to happen that will bring big changes for Jennifer and the entire
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magical world. Show Less
LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite
I liked it. Not as much as most of the other Fforde books I've read, but it was a pleasant enough read, with some hefty digs at the television industry and the corporate world in general.
LibraryThing member skyebadger
I received an arc of this book from Harcourt and here is my honest review.
This is the first time I've ready a book by Jasper Fforde but it will most definitely not be the last! Fforde has a witty, tongue-in-cheek writing style akin to classic writers like Terry Pratchett and Piers Anthony but with
The Last Dragonslayer is set in the UK in a time where magic is slowly waning from the world. Teenage foundling Jennifer Strange manages a magical agency that has been reduced to taking commonplace jobs like pizza delivery and plumbing work in order to make ends meet. When all the psychics in the Un-united Kingdoms gets a premonition that the world's last dragon will be slain, thus freeing up his very valuable parcel of land to anyone who can claim it, an uproar occurs. Somehow, Jennifer finds herself in the center of the storm when she is declared the Last Dragonslayer. The trouble is, she doesn't want the dragon to die. To complicate things even further, the King wants to assassinate her and appoint his own Dragonslayer, her wizard friends believe that the dragon's death may result in all the magic going out of the world, and Fizzy Pop and Yummy Flakes declare a bidding war for Jennifer's product endorsement.
The book is utterly charming and wickedly smart. I absolutely adored it!
This is the first time I've ready a book by Jasper Fforde but it will most definitely not be the last! Fforde has a witty, tongue-in-cheek writing style akin to classic writers like Terry Pratchett and Piers Anthony but with
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a fresh approach that's all his own. I laughed out loud a lot while reading.The Last Dragonslayer is set in the UK in a time where magic is slowly waning from the world. Teenage foundling Jennifer Strange manages a magical agency that has been reduced to taking commonplace jobs like pizza delivery and plumbing work in order to make ends meet. When all the psychics in the Un-united Kingdoms gets a premonition that the world's last dragon will be slain, thus freeing up his very valuable parcel of land to anyone who can claim it, an uproar occurs. Somehow, Jennifer finds herself in the center of the storm when she is declared the Last Dragonslayer. The trouble is, she doesn't want the dragon to die. To complicate things even further, the King wants to assassinate her and appoint his own Dragonslayer, her wizard friends believe that the dragon's death may result in all the magic going out of the world, and Fizzy Pop and Yummy Flakes declare a bidding war for Jennifer's product endorsement.
The book is utterly charming and wickedly smart. I absolutely adored it!
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LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Jennifer Strange is a foundling, but she is in charge of a house of magic in England ever since the proprietor disappeared. When the seers start predicting the death of the last dragon, magic starts increasing, and she finds herself named the Dragonslayer.
LibraryThing member bookwren
With a name like Jennifer Strange, could your life be anything but unusual? At 15, she has two years left in her indentured servitude to Kazam, where she manages a motley crew of magicians and sorcerers in the Ununited Kingdoms. Things are going as well as expected until BIG MAGIC appears with a
I love Fforde's tongue-in-cheek satire within his intelligent story. He pokes fun at politics and greedy businessmen, but also addresses the sad state of affairs in the environment and economy. Jennifer is a confident, brave and moral young woman. Not even the King can make her back down from her duty to what is right and good. The supporting characters are equally well-drawn, though the Quarkbeast almost steals the show with his single utterance ("Quark") and his loyalty. Maltcassion the dragon is both wise and wry (see chapter 15). I can't wait to read the sequel, Song of the Quarkbeast.
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bang and a rumor starts round that the last dragon is going to be killed. Jennifer is intrigued, but not involved. She knows she has no magic - or does she?I love Fforde's tongue-in-cheek satire within his intelligent story. He pokes fun at politics and greedy businessmen, but also addresses the sad state of affairs in the environment and economy. Jennifer is a confident, brave and moral young woman. Not even the King can make her back down from her duty to what is right and good. The supporting characters are equally well-drawn, though the Quarkbeast almost steals the show with his single utterance ("Quark") and his loyalty. Maltcassion the dragon is both wise and wry (see chapter 15). I can't wait to read the sequel, Song of the Quarkbeast.
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LibraryThing member 4leschats
Jennifer Strange, foundling, indentured servant, and current manager of Kazaam, begins to notice strange magical properties. Then, a rumor that the last dragon will be killed sets off a frenzied push to claim the dragon lands. Learning that she is to be the last dragonslayer, Jennifer finds herself
A fun YA read peppered with Fforde's usual language play and wit.
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in a morally difficult situation.A fun YA read peppered with Fforde's usual language play and wit.
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LibraryThing member WickedWoWestwood
This book started out... in a style I had to get used to. It kind of reminded me a bit of Terry Pratchett or Patricia C Wrede. It's a fantasy world, with kingdoms and (waning) magic, but there's cars, and airplanes taking over the jobs that magic used to take care of. But keep reading, it really is
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a wonderful little story. I thoroughly enjoyed it (plus there's talking dragons, that's always a plus)! Show Less
Awards
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Teen — 2015)
Thumbs Up! Award (Honor — 2013)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — 2015)
E.B. White Read-Aloud Award (Honor Book — 2013)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2013)
The Best Children's Books of the Year (Nine to Twelve — 2013)
Tome Society It List (2014)
Texas Lone Star Reading List (2014)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-11-04
Physical description
306 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
0544104714 / 9780544104716