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    Last Dragonslayer
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    Last Dragonslayer
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    Last Dragonslayer
    Ebook330 pages4 hours

    Last Dragonslayer

    By Jasper Fforde

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In the good old days, magic was powerful, unregulated by government, and even the largest spell could be woven without filling in magic release form B1-7g. Then the magic started fading away.

    Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for soothsayers and sorcerers. But work is drying up. Drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and even magic carpets are reduced to pizza delivery.

    So it’s a surprise when the visions start. Not only do they predict the death of the Last Dragon at the hands of a dragonslayer, they also point to Jennifer and say something is coming. Big Magic . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 25, 2011
    ISBN9781443407502
    Unavailable
    Last Dragonslayer
    Author

    Jasper Fforde

    Jasper Fforde is the internationally best-selling author of the Chronicles of Kazam, the Thursday Next mysteries, and the Nursery Crime books. He lives in Wales. www.jasperfforde.com Twitter: @jasperfforde Instagram: @jasperfforde  

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    Reviews for Last Dragonslayer

    4/5

    53 ratings82 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Jasper Fforde's new YA series, about a 16 year old girl who runs a magical business/hotel for magicians, soothsayers, and other magical folk, is fantastic. What makes this story even more glorious is Fforde's ability to pitch perfect catch a 16 year old and make her a strong protagonist without resorting to cliches or tropes.

    • 3/5
      'Mr Digby? My name is Jennifer Strange of Kazam, acting manager for Mr Zambini. We spoke on the phone.'He looked me up and down.'You seem a bit young to be running an agency.''Indentured servitude,' I answered brightly, trying to sidestep the contempt that most free citizens had for people like me.Jennifer is barely sixteen, a foundling destined to play a pivotal part in the history of a corner of England that is nearly Wales. Sensitives all over the Kingdom of Hereford and beyond are getting premonitions that the demise of the last ever dragon Maltcassion is imminent, and citizens and mega-corporations alike (Consolidated Useful Stuff in particular) are planning to stake claims in the deceased dragon's land. As it turns out Jennifer is predisposed to take the side of the dragon, which is rather awkward: she is the one chosen to succeed the official dragon-slayer when all she wants to be is a dragon-sayer.As much as any genre but possibly more so, comic fantasy is a troublesome literature. Humour being what it is--highly personal but liable to be hit-and-miss--not every exponent of comic fantasy is going to tickle the funny-bone of each and every reader. Even fans of the genre can get very picky as to what works and what doesn't in the latest offering from their favourite author. The Last Dragonslayer is principally aimed at a young adult comic fantasy readership, so does it meet the criteria and merit high approval?I've sampled famous authors like Tom Holt and less well-known writers such as Stefan Jakubowski; I've given established authors like Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones a fair crack of the whip. And here's what I've concluded: comic fantasy titles that rely almost entirely on whimsy (funny names, convoluted logic that is anything but logical, knowing nods to and send-ups of current events and personalities that may soon leave the collective memory) are instantly forgettable and frequently tedious in the reading; however, novels that show a deep and admiring understanding of the tropes chosen, combined with an equally deep and emotional connection with the main protagonists, are the ones that I fondly recall and that create a lingering satisfied glow.The Last Dragonslayer at times veers towards pure whimsy. Powerful magic-users incline towards adopting names, such as The Mighty Shandar, more suitable for stage conjurers. The Mollusc on Sunday newspaper is a weak pun on the reactionary Mail on Sunday of our world, while The Yogi Baird Show is a play on television pioneer John Logie Baird and a 20th-century cartoon character (the name Yogi Bear was itself inspired by baseball player Yogi Berra). These plays on words could prove either cheap laughs or deep groans. My hopes for the novel looked to be foundering on the sandbanks. But then, once I'd pushed the craft of expectations into mid-stream (a good quarter of the way through the book) powerful currents emerged from the depths to push the plot along and strengthen my confidence in Jennifer Strange being a worthwhile creation.Enough of riparian metaphors. Jennifer may not use magic herself but makes up for it in sheer guts and maturity of thought. Used to being proactive -- as already mentioned, she runs the Kazam Magic Agency in the mysterious absence of Mr Zambini -- she is therefore puzzled by the slow decline of magic in the world, and especially when it suddenly seems to pass its nadir with a rapid upswing. Is this linked to the prophesied death of the last dragon?In her investigations she finds herself first becoming apprentice to the official dragonslayer and then (not a spoiler, as it's clearly signposted on the cover of the first edition) the very last dragonslayer. Racing to profit from Maltcassion's decease are competing forces: the Kingdom of Hereford, the Duchy of Brecon and Consolidated Useful Stuff Land Development Corporation, not to forget millions of ordinary citizenry massing on the borders of the dragon's land. (This region seems to stretch north from the Black Mountains along part of the Welsh Marches. )Greed and avarice, corruption and duplicity, all seem to conspire against Jennifer's desire to find a way around the extirpation of the last of a highly endangered species, especially one which is so well-spoken and wise. Fforde resolves the crazy mixed-up scenario is an entirely appropriate and ingenious way, at the same time as setting matters up for, at the last count, three sequels.Despite my reservations about whimsical fantasy I do very much want to read more about Jennifer and her friends--the new boy Tiger and the wonderful Quarkbeast--and even about the polities of the Ununited Kingdom which, in this alternative world, seem now to be a forewarning of what may come in our own world (and, sadly, in our world there is no Big Magic to counteract evil). If Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines sequence can introduce corporate brand names as character handles and yet instil pathos and gravitas in his storytelling then so yet may Fforde's Chronicles of Kazam. The sequels beckon.
    • 4/5
      Jennifer Strange is an non-magical foundling doing whatever needs doing at one of the last agencies for magicians in a world where magic has been fading away for centuries. When everyone with a hint of precognition starts predicting the death of the last dragon, precipitating a land rush toward the shielded lands reserved for that dragon into which only dragon slayers can go, it turns out that Jennifer has a special roll to play. This is a fun, sprightly read, the characters are made for the plot, not bad, but not for investing in.
    • 4/5
      Magic is slowly dying out and there is only one dragon left. And one dragonslayer. A widespread vision proclaims the dragon's death, and if he dies, who will be first to stake a claim on the land he inhabited? Jennifer Strange, our heroine, an almost-sixteen-year-old in charge of Kazam Mystical Arts Management, is quickly drawn into the center of things. Loved the sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor of this one! Big Magic is coming....
    • 4/5
      I loved Jasper Fforde's other literate and quirky series, so, while waiting for the latest Thursday Next novel to be available on audio for commuting, I tried this one. It starts a little slow, as Fforde takes his time establishing characters and setting. But by 30 pages in or so, it's becoming another funny, rollicking good time in the Fforde tradition, with literary allusion more appropriate to the younger audience, plenty of sarcasm and lots of quirky magic. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy/magical novels that don't take themselves too seriously.
    • 4/5
      Love love love Jasper Fforde!! His writing makes me happy. So clever, smart, and funny, his quirky storytelling and world building knows no equal.
    • 4/5
      Very fun, a bit simpler Jasper Fforde than the Thursday next series, but still very fun!
    • 5/5
      Jasper Fforde's new YA series, about a 16 year old girl who runs a magical business/hotel for magicians, soothsayers, and other magical folk, is fantastic. What makes this story even more glorious is Fforde's ability to pitch perfect catch a 16 year old and make her a strong protagonist without resorting to cliches or tropes.

    • 4/5
      Synopsis: Jenifer Strange is the manager of a group of wizards who use their magic to do practical things, such as rewire houses and move cars. She is also the last dragonslayer, and there is a dragon that supposed to be slain. However, her good sense and honor tell her not to do it. She puts her life in danger and her wizards in peril to do what's right rather than what the King wants.Review: As always, a well written story with a twisted plot and a surprise ending. Good fun.
    • 3/5
      I'm afraid I tend to be very scathing about adults reading children's books, so I'm not very used to doing so myself.... I'd only do so for Jasper ;-) Not sure if I will again or not as I did quite enjoy this book.

      The story is fairly typical of him. Lots of humour, lots of wierd & wonderful names and puns, but as you'd expect from a children's book, the language and plot are a lot simpler. Again, a very Fforde-esque set up: the story is based in the Kingdom of Hereford where magic is waning and there is only one dragon left and he is living in the Dragonlands as defined by the dragonpact - all very like the Danelaw etc. Our heroine is Jennifer Strange, a foundling just short of her 16th birthday who is managing the Kazam Magic Agency. Not going to go into too much detail from here as it will spoil the book, but unsurprisingly she's involved in various magic/dragon related adventure with her faithful quarkbeast (I really liked him!) by her side. There were a few other characters that I wished were developed further, like Tiger Prawns, so am fully expecting them to feature more heavily in the follow up books.

      Like I said, a great book for the Harry Potter generation, but not sure that I'll bother when there are so many other books out there that are actually intended to appeal to me.
    • 4/5
      A slightly silly book with a great message. It's a little simple for adult reading but a wholesome book to read with or by kids.
    • 4/5
      If you liked Fforde's quirky characters and surrealistic settings in his Thursday Next novels, you'll like this. It has more of a YA character, but his unique style is evident. If you haven't read Fforde's books before, they're...well...different in a charming and escapist sort of way. Some people compare him to Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, but his writing reminds me more of Roald Dahl, especially in this book, and I'd compare it favorably to Dahl's works Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach.
    • 4/5
      loved it. it was funny and a lot easier to understand and follow than his books normally are. the magic in the land was so practical, and they had kings and emperors and of course a dragon and a quest of sorts. the place where she works is pretty cool and i can see may funny characters and strange happenings taking place there.

      it said it was book one in the land of Kazam. i hope it really is going to be more than one.
    • 3/5
      Just another fun, fantasy book by Jasper Fforde. First book in the series; light, easy read.
    • 5/5
      Loved it, as I loved all the Jasper Fforde novels I've read. not as clever as some of the others, but wonderful and playful.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      Something new for Jasper Fforde, a YA novel. This one does have the same feel as his other books but is firmly set in its own universe. Jennifer Strange is a super capable 15 year old trying to keep a company running and hiding the fact the the owner of said company has run off. The adult wizards that are the employees of the company seem just fine with this arrangement. Turns out though that she has a destiny awaiting her as the last dragonslayer and she doesn't even know it. There is big money to be made when the last dragon dies and everyone wants as much of that as possible. A good fun read and I'm sure I'll pick up the other ones and maybe gift them to younger family members during the holidays.
    • 3/5
      Jenny Strange is the manager of Kazam, a pseudo-company pseudo-family where magicians and wizards are hired out for odd jobs to get enough income to stay afloat. In a world where magic is slowly decaying to trickles of power and there is only one last dragon in the world, change is coming. And at the heart of it all, Jenny Strange will be catalyst as she strives to keep everyone in her responsibility afloat, but also to do the right thing.

      I loved this book. It reads almost like a children's book or a fairy tale, but with a very down-to-earth modern feel. And it is not childish at all. I loved the nods to fairy tales and old myths and punny twists on those references. I loved the strong protagonist, the way the plot progressed, and the world building. That's basically everything a book needs to succeed.

      Jenny Strange is a great protagonist to follow. She is strong enough to rely on her wits, but have enough support from friends and pets to not be a completely arrogant heroine. She's witty and clever without being obnoxious or perfect. The supporting cast is all quite interesting as well. I suppose one quibble I had was with the villains for just being too much of a stereotype: but that resolved itself near the end of the book and I am left with an overall very positive impression of all the characters.

      The plot progressed nicely - it was engaging, gave information in a way that wasn't condescending or a info-dump. Everything flowed. Well done.

      The world. It was believable. I loved it, this modern yet archaic Earth that has magic, but is still concerned about drain pipes. Magic carpets, but used for delivering pizza or organs. A king to rule, but companies lobbying for a celebrity face. It's lovely and wonderful, with a touch of whimsy.

      I just want to say... I love the ending. Beautiful. A little short, a little abrupt, but everything I would hope an ending is.

      Three and a half stars because I really did like it and it's better than the average fiction book. But rounded down because I probably won't reread it again. It's not really a re-readable book because a lot of engaging moments hinges on the way information is presented and the plot twists that happen.
      Recommended for people who like a bit of whimsy in their books, or for those that want something light and fun to read. Also definitely recommended for people who like fairy tales and a touch of magic. Ah, I'd probably recommend it for anyone who really enjoyed Ella Enchanted and grew up somewhat (just a little more adult). Worth reading. Really.
    • 4/5
      The Last Dragonslayer is slightly less Ffordesque than his other books--not quite as zany, not quite as quippy. That makes it an easier read than Shades of Gray, but it's no less satisfying. The denouement doesn't quite hold together on closer inspection, but the characters are charming and the world they inhabit begs for another visit.
    • 4/5
      This is the first in a series of books for young adults by the ever-so-brilliant Welsh author Jasper Fforde. He sets his books in an alternate universe, this time a balkanized Britain the Ununited Kingdom, specifically the Kingdom of Snodd lead by a cruel despot of a king. In this world, magic is real with physical properties, but it has faded leaving many sorcerers near-powerless and only able to perform simple tasks or tricks. Teenage orphan Jennifer Strange is tasked with finding work for a house of sorcerers called Kazam. As the novel develops, it is revealed that Jennifer is destined to be The Last Dragonslayer, although she is not magical herself. The problem is, she does not want to kill the dragons. A brilliant and creative book from the mind of Fforde, it is a recommended read for teens and adults alike.
    • 4/5
      Fun book with a female main character that gets away with being female without anyone much commenting on it. She's sadly one of few, though she does encounter one or two other interesting female characters in the book. The whimsical nature of the humour is a bit clunky at times and reminds me very, very much of the Thursday Next novels, but since I enjoyed those just as much, I didn't mind so much, even though don't see a lot of difference between Jenny's voice and Thursday's, though Jenny is not romantically involved and does not have a child, of course. Nor a dodo, though she does have a quarkbeast.
    • 2/5
      If you're familiar with the Thursday Next series then I don't have to say anything more because you've probably already read this series as well. For those just hearing the name of Jasper Fforde, my advice is skip this one and go straight to The Eyre Affair. Jasper's quirky style is redone as a light, young adult story of a modern setting where magic remained somewhat and enters a quest of whodunnit as a dragonslayer. Personally, I found it too light drifting into the shallow and extremely predictable in several places. The author can do so much better than this.
    • 4/5
      Fforde novels are so wildly inventive--convoluted plot lines, literary jokes, plot twists galore. I found The Last Dragonslayer harder to get into than some of his other novels, but part of that was not knowing what to expect from a Fforde YA novel. Just what would make this a "teen" book? Fewer literary references? Internet meme jokes? I had nothing to fear. There was enough literary allusion, invented pop culture, and nonsense to gladden the most ardent Fforde fan's heart.

      I'll admit I wasn't convinced that the main character, Jennifer Strange, rang true as an authentic 16 year-old. (For example, the mother in me cringed when she hires a 40 year-old male assistant, and blithely goes off alone with him. I was really, really glad this was Jasper Fforde and not a creepy murder mystery author.) I ended up deciding I should just think of Jennifer as a sort of younger sibling of Thursday Next, and just enjoy the ride in the Slayermobile with a quarkbeast at my side, on the way to a rendezvous with a dragon.
    • 5/5
      What I like best about this book is that the narrator, a fifteen-year-old named Jennifer Strange, pretty much assumes that the reader won't be terribly surprised by anything that happens in her world. Magic is used to fix electrical problems, flying carpets are used for pizza deliveries, and foundlings are put into indentured servitude until their eighteenth birthdays all of which is perfectly normal--taken for granted in the Ununited Kingdom. So when the prophesied death of the last remaining dragon puts that into jeopardy, Jennifer has to figure out how to fix it before Sunday at noon.I love the world that Fford has built with this book. It's a fun ride.
    • 4/5
      Jennifer Strange is the acting manager of Kazam, an employment agency for wizards. The whole thing takes place in an alternate England, where magic exists alongside cars and televisions. The land is still divided up into kingdoms and duchies and such, and one last dragon still lives in a land walled off from humans. This is a silly book. I love quirky fantasy and this is a fun one. Not too deep but quite a few laughs. And apparently it's a series. I guess I need to track down the other books now.
    • 4/5
      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, 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.
    • 4/5
      Not a book I would typically find myself reading but I'm quite glad I did. This book was witty, creative, unique and surprising. Every character was fun to get to know and the book unraveled such interesting plot points.
    • 4/5
      A destined dragonslayer--who doesn't want to slay the dragon? What kind of fairy tale are you running, here?!Though not quite as funny as Fforde's Thursday Next books, this young-adult novel is full of clever worldbuilding and great details, taking a sharp look at what the world of a dragonslayer might look like, in a time endorsement deals and 24-hour TV news. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      While definitely easier reading than Mr. Fforde's adult books, this story still has much of his trademark absurdity and funny details. I loved the world that was evoked in the story and hope this is the beginning of more stories about Jennifer Strange.
    • 4/5
      A good, fun read, with Fforde's trademark blend of silliness and seriousness. If you know Fforde's other series, I'd say this feels more in the Nursery Crimes style than Thursday Next. Like Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books, this is a much lite-er read, and is easy to devour in one or two sittings. But also like Pratchett's Tiffany books, it's something I imagine adults enjoying every bit as much as children. The plot is fairly straightforward (although there are twists, and some satirical points being made about geopolitical and social tendencies), and leaves the potential for many more books to come. I look forward to reading the next one!