The Last Dragonslayer (The Last Dragonslayer, #1)

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The Last Dragonslayer (The Last Dragonslayer #1)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 4,183 ratings · 850 reviews

Foundling Jennifer Strange 15 is an indentured manager for Kazam, a house of sorcerers. As magic dwindles, so do their jobs. Drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets deliver pizzas. But the Last Dragon is set to die this week, and Big Magic is coming.

Hardcover, 283 pages

Published November 4th 2010 by Hodder & Stoughton

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Jan 15, 2013 Fiona rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lsg-book-club, kindle-books, read-in-2013, enjoyable-fluff, warning-magic-ahead, young-adult

LSG Book Club read, January 2013. If this is relevant to you, the appropriate thread is here. We're not spoiler-free any more (although this review, I hope, is), so be warned. Go forth.

In The Last Dragonslayer, Jennifer Strange (if you can picture Thursday Next without quite as much cynicism, and with a way better pet) is a foundling who looks after wizards in an alternative Herefordshire that borders on the lands of a dragon. By the end of the book, that dragon is going to die. The title knows...more LSG Book Club read, January 2013. If this is relevant to you, the appropriate thread is here. We're not spoiler-free any more (although this review, I hope, is), so be warned. Go forth.

In The Last Dragonslayer, Jennifer Strange (if you can picture Thursday Next without quite as much cynicism, and with a way better pet) is a foundling who looks after wizards in an alternative Herefordshire that borders on the lands of a dragon. By the end of the book, that dragon is going to die. The title knows it, I know it, basically the entire cast except Jennifer Strange knows it, and when that dragon dies, his lands will go to the first person who claims them. The premise of this book is a land war. Amazing! I love books with land wars in them, and also dragons. This dragon is an excellent dragon. Anyway, it's up to Jennifer Strange, for reasons that make themselves apparently slowly and steadily, to prevent the war, and hopefully also to protect the dragon. She fails at at least one of these.

And that was a thing that I really liked about this book. In a world where not many people can do magic, and all of them are pretty cool, the main character can't do magic. She's not special. She gets stuff right, but some of that is by accident, and she gets other stuff wrong, but for rational reasons, and that's a genuine spanner in the works. Jennifer Strange is a really good protagonist, and an excellent YA protagonist. Another thing I liked was that the country she comes from is not the underdog - it is the biggest nation around, and if there's a war, It Will Win. That, I thought, was dealt with really well. From reading other Fforde books, he has a very characteristic flavour of worldbuilding - quirky, idealist, with a lot to say about bureaucracy, the distribution of power and big business. This book fits very well into that kind of world, and although the world itself is something I can tire of easily, I can see that it's a good place to put this particular story. Having said that, the best thing about the worldbuilding for me was Fforde's system of magic - I'm a sucker for a good magic system, especially if it's explained well, with great lashings of plausible pseudoscience. This was marvellous and I loved it. And if you get thirty pages into this book without thinking, "I need a Quarkbeast in my life," then it's entirely possible that you have no soul.

The trouble is, ah... look, it was perfectly serviceable. I enjoyed reading it. There were just no sparks. As usual with these things, I thought the ending was dealt with too quickly. Will somebody please give me a book with good set-up and actual war-related wranglings? If you do I will love you forever. But that's not even the trouble. That's - partly, at least - me wanting to read a different book. The main trouble I had with The Last Dragonslayer was stylistic.

Jasper Fforde, as I believe I've mentioned before, is a very deliberate writer. He does things on purpose. He tries very hard. I've only ever read The Eyre Affair by him before, and just like that, I found the humour in The Last Dragonslayer a bit heavygoing. It wasn't that it was difficult, or that it was confusing, but he quite obviously puts it there on purpose, and invites you to comment on having noticed it. It doesn't feel light, or spontaneous - it took an embarassing amount of time for me to stop thinking, "Yes, well done, I see what you did there," and actually get around to enjoying it. And when I did that, the whole thing bloomed. There was not a lot of subtlety, which was a shame, because there was an awful lot of room for subtlety. Occasionally, there'd be a bit - the scene between Jennifer and Maltcassion the dragon made me happy. It was so promising! But not promising enough, or consistent enough, for me to grin broadly and bump this up a star. I liked it, it was good fun, but it didn't feel smooth. It grated just a little too much.

I'd still recommend this to a lot of people, and if I ever find myself babysitting again, this is going right up the top of my list of books to read with anyone over the age of nine or ten. I can see why people can love this book, and I do like it. Just... not quite enough, I'm afraid.(less)

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Mar 16, 2011 Lorenzio Phillibuster Fireworks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was first attracted to this book by the cover with such amazing colours and illustrations. My favourite chapter is Maltcassion, where Jennifer Strange talks to the dragon Maltcassion. This is where the Jasper Fforde humour really shines. If I could I would quote the entire chapter. Maltcassion and Jennifer discuss the human race and its many failures, like the failure to discover the 600 varieties of floon beetle, one of which turns itself inside out for fun.

Maltcassion also tells Jennifer th...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-contemporary-urban, favorites, young-adult, read-in-2011, fantasy-fairytale-and-myth, read-in-2012

Simply put, Jasper Fforde is brilliant. He has yet again created a wondrous, magical story right amid the everyday mundane. This is a quick and entertaining read with the perfect mix of adventure, humor, and feeling.

I'm a big fan of the Thursday Next novels but admit they aren't the most accessible books and they are not everyone's "cup of tea." However, The Last Dragonslayer can be enjoyed by anyone!

Mr. Fforde takes the average "orphan with destiny" plot and turns it on its head. Here is the Am...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Becky B rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragon-stories, fantasy, young-adult

Warning, this book may possibly garner you strange looks if you decide to read it on a bus, a subway, or a coffee shop due to random bouts of sniggering, chuckling, and outright guffawing. There is usually fair warning, though. If the Quarkbeast enters the scene, make a hasty exit and read it where out loud laughter is ok.

Seriously, I can only think of two others who have been able to make me laugh quite as hard with descriptions. 1) Douglas Adams with his Hitchhiker's Guide books, and 2) Brando...more Warning, this book may possibly garner you strange looks if you decide to read it on a bus, a subway, or a coffee shop due to random bouts of sniggering, chuckling, and outright guffawing. There is usually fair warning, though. If the Quarkbeast enters the scene, make a hasty exit and read it where out loud laughter is ok.

Seriously, I can only think of two others who have been able to make me laugh quite as hard with descriptions. 1) Douglas Adams with his Hitchhiker's Guide books, and 2) Brandon Sanderson with his Alcatraz books. Welcome to the club, Fforde.

Jennifer Strange has the daunting task of keeping a gaggle of waning wizards and magicians gainfully employed and out of trouble in a world where magic is on the downswing. Jennifer herself is only 15 (16 in two weeks), but is exceptionally mature for her age. That's a really good thing too, because things get a little extra complicated when some of the pre-cogs start getting visions about the death of the last dragon on Sunday at noon. So what you might ask. Well, when the dragon dies then a huge chunk of land inbetween two uneasy nations goes up for grabs and whoever can grab it first gets it. People from around the country and globe start lining up on the borders ready to pounce. Things then snowball when Jennifer finds herself to be the last dragonslayer, and suddenly in the middle of global attention, trying to prevent wars, outmanouver greedy businesses and kings, prevent the death of magic and understand dragons. Thankfully, Jennifer has Tiger Prawns, a fellow foundling just assigned to help manage the magicians, and her faithful Quarkbeast to help. What is a Quarkbeast you may ask? Well, I could tell you but that would ruin some of the best lines in the book, so you'll just have to read for yourself. I'll just say that the Quarkbeast is awesome and I want one.

Notes on content: Unlike some of his books for adults, Fforde has proved that he can write clean for the younger crowd in this book. There is only one mild swear word. There is no sexual content of any kind. There is very little violence at all, too. There is one shooting (without any description) and one stabbing (again, without description). A couple people get vaporized when they touch the Dragonland forcefield, but no description. The last half of the book is pretty tense as some of the people wanting the land get pretty ruthless in trying to manipulate Jennifer, but all does turn out well. (And she handles it with a mostly cool head and tact.)

(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Sara M. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

OMG I love Jasper Fforde! He is one of those authors that I know I will enjoy, but for some crazy reason, do not ravenously consume when he has a new book. When I walked the isle's of BEA I paused when I saw his name. Honestly, bless the Welsh for their odd looking names. It never fails to grab my attention. This book is full of whimsy. That's the best way to describe Fforde's work: whimsical. He uses fantasy and whimsy to show the world and mock it. The world of The Last Dragon Slayer is 2011 i...more OMG I love Jasper Fforde! He is one of those authors that I know I will enjoy, but for some crazy reason, do not ravenously consume when he has a new book. When I walked the isle's of BEA I paused when I saw his name. Honestly, bless the Welsh for their odd looking names. It never fails to grab my attention. This book is full of whimsy. That's the best way to describe Fforde's work: whimsical. He uses fantasy and whimsy to show the world and mock it. The world of The Last Dragon Slayer is 2011 in the sense of technology, politics, corporate manipulations, people's entitlement, etc. The only difference is that it isn't our world. There is magic, Dragons, Quarkbeasts, Trolls and more. Fforde does not take his magic out of the world, he blends it together.
I flew through this book. I picked it up on night before going to bed and then finished it the next night. I only stopped reading because I had to sleep, go to work and meet people for dinner. This book is an easy read because it is a young adult book and because Fforde is easy to read. He can be wordy, but it's in the whimsical way. Sometimes I would read a few lines and think about how I would do that if I were writing for National Novel Writing Month. For example: Gordon can Gordon Gordonson ap Gordon-Gordon of Gordon is totally a name I would use to extend my word count. That's not why Fforde did it, but still, he did it.
There were things I wish I understood better during the reading of this book. There are characters call Berzerkers that play an important role, but are never really explained in the novel. For all the history we get of magic, dragons and other creatures that aren't as important, Fforde fails to explains some important things adequately. I understand this is a series and something he will hopefully address later, but I am not sure how long it will be before i pick up that sequel.
Who will enjoy this: people who enjoy fantasy, whimsey and Fforde's fans. This is something adults can read with teens and enjoy.(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Daniel Shellenbarger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Daniel by: Becky B

Last night, as I was preparing to head out, my sister came up to me and put this book in my hands. I had not heard of it before and the author (Jasper Fforde) was one I'd never read, but the reviews looked fairly positive and YA fantasy is almost always a blast (especially after a December chock full of weighty epic fantasy from Brent Weeks, Robert Jordan, and others), so I thought, "why not?"

I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. The book is told from the perspective of Jennifer Stra...more Last night, as I was preparing to head out, my sister came up to me and put this book in my hands. I had not heard of it before and the author (Jasper Fforde) was one I'd never read, but the reviews looked fairly positive and YA fantasy is almost always a blast (especially after a December chock full of weighty epic fantasy from Brent Weeks, Robert Jordan, and others), so I thought, "why not?"

I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. The book is told from the perspective of Jennifer Strange, nearly 16 year old orphan and assistant manager Kazam, a magicians' agency. Kazam is one of only two such agencies remaining in the UnUnited Kingdoms. The UnUK is (as one would guess) an alternate version of the UK where things never got much more organized than the Heptarchy and the islands are divided into dozens of small squabling kingdoms that can only agree on three things: trolls belong on the other side of the troll walls, the only good dragon is a dead dragon, and that it's simply marvelous that magic seems to be dying off. As it happens the Kingdom of Hereford happens to be home to both Kazam and sits on the border of the last Dragonland, preserves set aside centuries ago to keep humans and dragons apart to keep the latter from eating the former.

Anyway, Jennifer is doing her best to get work for her dysfunctional (and increasingly powerless) magicians doing odd jobs (flying carpet organ delivery, magical plumbing and rewiring, etc.) in the face of the shrinking pool of magic and the widespread distrust of magic in the extremely commercialized 21st century UnUK. Then one day her life takes an abrupt turn for the disastrous when a prophecy reveals that at the end of the week, at noon on Sunday, the last dragon will be slain by a Dragonslayer. This news sets off a flurry of activity as real estate developers and rival kingdoms all look to make the most of the soon-to-be-vacant Dragonland, egged on by the press and sinister corporate forces. In order to sort out what exactly is happening, Jennifer takes it upon herself to seek out the unknown dragonslayer and resolve the situation, and ends up finding an unexpected destiny.

The book worked for me for two primary reasons. First, Jennifer is an extremely likeable protagonist: capable, intelligent, kind-hearted, but tough enough to do what needs to be done. More than anything though, Fforde gives her a humorous narrative voice which makes the book an easy and amusing read. In many ways she reminded me of some of Diana Wynne Jones' characters, such as Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle. The other thing I really liked (which, by the way, also reminded me of DWJ, in a good way, must be the Welsh connection) was the world development. The UnUK is thoroughly modern but it's also surprisingly medieval and has things, both nasty and fantastic, lurking round its edges. There weren't any real issues I had with the book, it gets a little preachy about conservation, but what YA fantasy book doesn't?

In short, this was a bolt-from-the-blue winner, well worth the read, and I'm eager to see what Fforde has in store for Jennifer Strange and friends next.(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Allyson added it · review of another edition

Think Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Harry Potter. I've never read Jasper Fforde, so I'm glad that my first experience with him involved this quirky, magical, adventure-filled, little book. The characters, world, and language were fun to read, and I often found myself laughing out loud.

My only complaint with this book is that it felt so rushed! There's really no time for the reader to become intimately acquainted with the characters or their feelings, which is an unfortunate thing because ther...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just read this book a second time, forgetting that I had reviewed it after the first time. So here are both reviews :)

20 Jan 2011
I love Jasper Fforde's books and his style. The Last Dragonslayer is different to his previous books. It is more of a straight-forward narrative without the in-jokes and puns associated with both the Thursday next and Nursery Crimes series.

The world of the Last Dragonslayer is different to our world, but people like terry Pratchett's Discword, the author shows that p...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Melissa Biszak rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforcle is written in the first person. It is about a young sixteen year old girl. Her name is Jennifer Stranger. She is a fouldings; she is living in a place named Zambini’s towers. This is where she works as well. Everyone who works there is very special. They are foulding, witches, wizards, and quackbeast. This group uses there powers or ability to help people with housework. If something was broken they would call them, they could be able to fix it within a c...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jennifer Strange is the fifteen-year-old acting manager of Kazam, an employment agency for magicians. Though once a noble calling, magic has gradually been fading from the Ununited Kingdoms and its practitioners are now reduced to delivering pizza and unblocking drains. Life is not easy for Jennifer: the use of magic is heavily regulated, sorcerers are a volatile lot and work is hard to come by. But it's only when a sudden resurgence of magic coincides with a prophecy of the death of the last dr...more Jennifer Strange is the fifteen-year-old acting manager of Kazam, an employment agency for magicians. Though once a noble calling, magic has gradually been fading from the Ununited Kingdoms and its practitioners are now reduced to delivering pizza and unblocking drains. Life is not easy for Jennifer: the use of magic is heavily regulated, sorcerers are a volatile lot and work is hard to come by. But it's only when a sudden resurgence of magic coincides with a prophecy of the death of the last dragon that the trouble really starts.

The Last Dragonslayer is a delightful read; it's fun, fast and doesn't take itself too seriously. There is a generous dose of humour throughout the book and I found myself rereading sentences at times out of pure glee. Literary and scientific allusions fly thick and fast and modern life is satirised, including big business and the cult of celebrity. For this reason, adults can find much to enjoy in this book, despite it being written to a younger audience. Fforde's brand of funny may be a bit “cute” for some, but I found it right up my alley.

The world is like an alternative version of ours and its history and magic system are quite detailed and interesting. Unfortunately, this results in a few info-dump/talking heads scenarios, in which things that you might have guessed are explained quite thoroughly and the action is slowed right down (hopefully, this means that sequels The Song of the Quarkbeast and The Return of Shandar will reap the benefits of past exposition). And yet despite this extensive world-building, I found that there were sometimes gaps in the descriptions – for example, in one scene, I had assumed the only people present were Jennifer and the King's men until a lady suddenly faints; in another I spent most of the time wondering where the Quarkbeast had got to. These are very minor complaints though, quite possibly caused by my own lack of imagination.

Given how early the dragon stuff is mentioned, I was impatient for the plot to progress more quickly than it did. Can't say I really minded though, since I enjoyed it the whole way through. For some reason, I had expected something a bit more epic, which this really isn't. It's more of a light-hearted adventure, best read for its prose and its quirks, rather than the plot as such.

Needless to say, I really liked this book; the world and its magic were peculiar in a clever yet mundane way and I thought it was really quite funny (though of course, humour is subjective and Fforde's may just be the sort to set your teeth on edge). It's easy to read and accessible to anyone. Recommended for fans of Harry Potter and Terry Pratchett and anyone looking for a light and witty read.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Libby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-my-boys, girl-power, young-adult-fiction

For lovers of quirky British comic fantasy and fans of Douglas Adams, Jasper Fforde’s new young adult series is a perfect fit. Jennifer Strange lives in the alternate present of the Ununited Kingdom. In her world, magic and sorcerers used to rule, but magic is fading. Now those same sorcerers are pressed to find jobs magically rewiring houses or, worse yet, performing at children’s birthday parties. However, with flares in magic and strange predictions of the death of the final dragon, it feels...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, dragons, dragon-slaying, young-adult-fiction, tween, juvenile-fiction, gutsy-girls, mages-wizards, magic, orphans, quirky, funny, series, actually-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jennifer Strange is a foundling who has 2 more years of service left in her contract with Kazam – a wizarding conglomerate that she’s been running since her boss mysteriously disappeared. She’s training their newest addition, Tiger Prawns, to help her when she learns through a pre-cognitive connection that the last dragon is scheduled to die on Sunday next. Which means the Dragonlands will be up for grabs. Which means there are millions of people camped outside of its borders waiting to take adv...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Nathan Dehoff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first volume of Fforde’s newest series, geared toward a young adult audience and featuring such fantasy tropes as dragons and magic. Like Fforde’s other series, it takes place in another alternate world, this time one in which Britain was never united and magic is real, but weakened to the point where sorcerers are now delivering pizzas and fixing plumbing. The main protagonist, Jennifer Strange, runs an employment agency for magicians, which is home to some odd characters. Through a...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Beverly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: 11-14 year olds

Recommended to Beverly by: Indie Next List/indiebound.org

The Last Dragonslayer is a good YA novel with a simplistic plot best suited for younger teens, but a whimsical style and satirical humor that is probably way over their heads. Like many novels that are the first in a series, The Last Dragonslayer suffers from way too much attention spent on introducing a huge cast of characters most of whom play little or no part in the events of the rising action. All of the characters are original, comical and interesting, but the reader learns little about th...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Anne-Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, dragons, 2013, source-public-library

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'...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Melissa Proffitt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fantasy, young-adult, humor, action-adventure, alternate-history

Jasper Fforde's first young adult novel has all the hallmarks of his books for adults while still being aimed at a younger audience; the story is shorter and more focused, the main characters are teens, and you will find no Jack Schitts here. 15-year-old Jennifer Strange runs a magicians' employment agency called Kazam in a time when magic is at the ebb and people are turning more to technology to solve their problems. Jennifer's problems are more complex; her boss has disappeared, her employees...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Kelsey Nakano rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british-humour, fantasy, humor, magic, quirky, ya-novels

What a delightfully charming book of utter nonsense and quirk! Jasper Fforde is a master of tongue-in-cheek humor, skillfully weaving together a seamless tapestry of the mundane and the extraordinary.

Jennifer Strange, the very-mature-for-her-age 16-year old manager of Kazam, a House of Magic that sends out its sorcerers around the country to rewire the electricity and make pizza deliveries, among other quotidian deeds, has found out that she is much more special than she thinks.

This isn't one of...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Cleo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, review-copy

Much like The Eyre Affair, The Last Dragonslayer is set in alternate England- this time in the twenty-first century. Magic has long been useful for everything from rewiring the house to larger, grander tasks. But it's fading. Fifteen year old (sixteen in two weeks) Jennifer Strange runs the Kazam Mystical Arts Management, an employment agency for magicians, but since magic is drying up, business is slowing down. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world's last dragon at the h...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Shelf Talkers Anonymous rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Last Dragonslayer is a delightful adventure in a world not far from our own...but with magic and dragons. Jasper Fforde proves once again that it doesn't take literary characters for him to tell a fantastic story, and his first foray into children's literature is a stunning success.

Jennifer Strange is a Foundling, an orphan. She was left on the doorstep of the Sisterhood of the Lobster in a VW beetle with nothing more to her name. When she was twelve she was indentured to Kazam Magical Agenc...more The Last Dragonslayer is a delightful adventure in a world not far from our own...but with magic and dragons. Jasper Fforde proves once again that it doesn't take literary characters for him to tell a fantastic story, and his first foray into children's literature is a stunning success.

Jennifer Strange is a Foundling, an orphan. She was left on the doorstep of the Sisterhood of the Lobster in a VW beetle with nothing more to her name. When she was twelve she was indentured to Kazam Magical Agency, working for the Great Zambini. Now she's 16, Zambini is missing, and she's running the business on her own. Then one day a precog working for Kazam foretells that the last dragon will be slain on Sunday next...by Jennifer. Thrust into a destiny that's tied into Big Magic, Jennifer learns how to use a sword, talks with a dragon, deals with a tyrannical king, and beats off reporters and advertising agencies with a stick (not literally). And every minute that ticks by brings her closer to doing the one thing she refuses to do: kill the last dragon.

Jennifer Strange is almost like a young Thursday Next: she's brave, snarky, honest, and always doing the right thing even if it means more work and trouble for her. She's caring of those in her employ, even the ones that aren't very nice to her, and when she's given another Foundling as an assistant--Tiger Prawns--she takes him in like a little brother. In her fierce determination to not become a dragon killer (she has no choice about being a dragon slayer), Jennifer shows the colors of a true heroine and the best kind of narrator you can find.

Though barely 300 pages, Fforde doesn't slack on building his world, his characters, and his conflict. There's no slow lyrical build-up: you're thrown in head first, falling into Jennifer's run-down beetle with a bump and then sucked along for the ride. You quickly learn about magic and the oncoming crisis: the potential end of magic as the magical energies fade from the world; and then soon after realize that Jennifer and her dragon-killing destiny could possibly save her whole world.

A wonderful start to a new series, funny, sad, and touching, Jasper Fforde shows again that he can tug at the heart strings and make you laugh all in the same moment.(less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Kathy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: king-s-korner

The Last Dragonslayer
reviewed by Brody Menzies

The main character of the story The Last Dragonslayer is a orphan from the Sisterhood who is working at the Kazam Mystical Arts Management, her name is Jennifer Strange. Another important character would be Tiger Prawns who is the newest orphan at Kazam.
Just after Tiger arrives Kevin Zipp predicts that the last dragon Maltcassion will die on the coming Sunday. She then decides to go to the- know- it -all William of Anorak to ask questions about Mal...more The Last Dragonslayer
reviewed by Brody Menzies

The main character of the story The Last Dragonslayer is a orphan from the Sisterhood who is working at the Kazam Mystical Arts Management, her name is Jennifer Strange. Another important character would be Tiger Prawns who is the newest orphan at Kazam.
Just after Tiger arrives Kevin Zipp predicts that the last dragon Maltcassion will die on the coming Sunday. She then decides to go to the- know- it -all William of Anorak to ask questions about Maltcassion. He then directs her to Brian Spalding if she wants more answers.
When Jennifer arrives Brian says that he’s been waiting for and that she is the last dragonslayer. He then shows her the Dragonstation; a place where the dragonslayers stay. Brian shows her the Dragonmobile which is an armored Rolls Royce. Once she has been informed about her duties Brian says she has little time to learn so he puts all the information she needs in magically. He then vanishes and is gone. After her meeting with Brian she goes into the Dragonlands to learn more about dragons straight from Maltcassion himself.

About two days later there is the sound of an explosion and Jennifer runs straight down to the area she heard the sound. It turns out to be Wizard Moobin trying to make a lead figure into solid gold which he succeeded in doing. He points out that this might be a sign of Big Magic which means that there is a ton of magic in the air.

On the day of the Dragondeath she goes to the Dragonlands where she find Maltcassion. He tells her to slay him but she does not wish to, finally she gives in and slays him. She blacks out for a couple of hours and when she wakes up she finds two dragons looking at her. Apparently when one dragon is slayed another one takes its place. So she might not be the last dragonslayer.

I thought this story was great because I love fantasy but if the story is all serious I probably won’t like it. I also thought it was good because I feel that is very well written and keeps you on your feet. It was almost never boring but exciting throughout.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Shravni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jennifer, an ambitious young woman, was chosen by the Mighty Shandar himself to be the last dragonslayer. The monotony of her daily life has fluctuated from being the acting manager of a depleted magic business to a notorious celebrity. Her duty as the last dragonslayer is to kill the last dragon, Maltcassion. After the dragon is murdered the lands to which the dragon and previous dragons have occupied will be open to public usage, or so was predicted. Jennifer wakes up to two new dragons after...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Audrey Wilkerson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read, books-reviewed

Rating: 3.5

The Low Down: Jennifer Strange is a foundling brought up by the Blessed Ladies of the Lobster. Being a foundling, at age 12 she was assigned to the Great Zambini as an indentured servant until she turns 18. Ever since Zambini disappeared, she has been running the business of Kazam Mystical Arts Management in his place. These days, magic is heavily regulated, which includes licenses and lots of paperwork. They stay afloat while their employees earn their keep by rewiring houses, delive...more Rating: 3.5

The Low Down: Jennifer Strange is a foundling brought up by the Blessed Ladies of the Lobster. Being a foundling, at age 12 she was assigned to the Great Zambini as an indentured servant until she turns 18. Ever since Zambini disappeared, she has been running the business of Kazam Mystical Arts Management in his place. These days, magic is heavily regulated, which includes licenses and lots of paperwork. They stay afloat while their employees earn their keep by rewiring houses, delivering pizza and removal of garden gnomes - all by magic, of course.

Then Kevin Zipp, one of the sorcerers who works at Kazam, has a premonition that the last remaining dragon, Maltcassion, will die most certainly at the hands of the Dragonslayer. Dragons have lived in peace alongside humans for the last 400 years due to the Dragonpact, a document that decreed that dragons could remain in the various Dragonlands locations. The dragons would be supplied with cows and sheep for eating, but in return, they would promise to stay on the lands and leave people alone.

Each time the last dragon dies in an area, the land is open for anyone to claim. This causes a certain level of hysteria and land-grabbing, as you may imagine. The area where Maltcassion the dragon lives is the last remaining parcel, so ever since the death prediction, people have been camping out near the boundary, waiting for his death. The only humans that can pass the boundary without being eliminated in a puff of smoke are the Dragonslayer and his assistant. When Jennifer goes looking for the Last Dragonslayer, what she finds surprises her: he has been waiting for many years so he can hand over the mantle...to Jennifer.

After meeting with the dragon, getting an apprentice to train, fielding proposals of marriage, dealing with various companies who want her to shill for their products and having a showdown with King Snodd, Jennifer knows what she has to do. But does she have the time and support?

Best Thang ‘Bout It: For those of you who have read Jasper Fforde’s adult Thursday Next series, you will undoubtedly recognize the silliness that inhabit his books. He loves to rewrite history, make up goofy names and abilities, funny backstories and fantastical beasts.

I’m Cranky Because: While the absurdity certainly makes for wonderfully entertaining books, it does keep you from having a deep attachment to the characters. For me, that may have worked better in the Thursday Next series than in this book. This is not to say that the characters, especially the main ones, aren’t completely likable or worthy of your reading time and attention, not at all. I just wish there had been a little more to the story than I was given. It sounds like this is going to be a series, so maybe that will help us get to know the characters better.

Should You?: King Snood commands you to read it, though you should make up your own mind about it. Just don’t tell him.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde was published on October 2, 2012 by Harcourt Childrens’ Books.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction Fantasy
Ages: 12 and up(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 H D Elliott added it · review of another edition

I read several of Fforde's Thursday Next books as well as the Nursery Crimes series a few years back, but hadn't read anything more recent. But I got the chance to meet Fforde in a Q&A a few weeks back, and found him so delightful--matter-of-fact about his own success without either false modesty or obnoxious arrogance-- that i delved back into his stuff. I'm glad I did. The Last Dragonslayer offers everything that adult Fforde novels do, but I think Fforde's particularly quirky style works...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, children, fantasy, humor

In an alternate-world 21st century with waning magic, England is broken up into small kingdoms, more ruled by commerce than anything else. Wizards are reduced to hiring themselves out for small home repairs, and only one dragon still lives. Foundling Jennifer Strange, who acts as agent for some of the few remaining wizards, finds herself suddenly tangled up in world politics and Big Magic when she gets drafted as the Last Dragonslayer, bound to slay the last dragon and open up his lands to devel...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up The Last Dragonslayer in an airport, since my other book was running out, and I recognized Fforde's name. This book is a bit silly, but enjoyable all the same. It touches lightly on politics, greed, and corporatism, letting none of those things seem heavy handed. It starts off with some enjoyable silliness, which left me wishing for a more direct conflict, and in the second half discards most of that silliness and fun for conflict, making for a slightly inconsistent feel. It does rem...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Jaylia3 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jasper Fforde can always be counted on for witty world building and The Last Dragon Slayer is no exception. Featuring Fford’s first teenage heroine, fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange, the story is set in the Hereford section of the Ununited Kingdoms, a fragmented alternate universe Great Britain with dragons, though there is only one left, and magic, though its strength has been declining. Until recently. With magical abilities unexpectedly spiking, even the least capable magicians are...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Elli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

– Quark – disse la Quarkbestia
Avevo sentito parlare molto bene di Jasper Fforde a proposito del suo libro d’esordio, il best seller Il caso Jane Eyre, e degli altri romanzi a esso correlati. Così mi sono avvicinata a L’ultimo drago con grandi aspettative, soddisfatte solo in parte.
Con questo romanzo Fforde si inserisce nel florido solco di quegli scrittori britannici (da Diana Wynne Jones a Stroud) che si sono divertiti a costruire una sorta di realtà alternativa alla nostra, simile al nostro m...more – Quark – disse la Quarkbestia
Avevo sentito parlare molto bene di Jasper Fforde a proposito del suo libro d’esordio, il best seller Il caso Jane Eyre, e degli altri romanzi a esso correlati. Così mi sono avvicinata a L’ultimo drago con grandi aspettative, soddisfatte solo in parte.
Con questo romanzo Fforde si inserisce nel florido solco di quegli scrittori britannici (da Diana Wynne Jones a Stroud) che si sono divertiti a costruire una sorta di realtà alternativa alla nostra, simile al nostro mondo per alcuni versi ma molto più “magica” per altri. La Gran Bretagna di Fforde si ritrova nel ventunesimo secolo a essere formata da ventotto staterelli chiamati i Regni Disuniti (e già il nome la dice lunga), dove la magia affianca la tecnologia a noi conosciuta ma si ritrova a vivere un momento di grande crisi a causa del graduale ma inesorabile calo di potere degli stregoni. Nel regno di Hereford, confinante con l’ultima Terra di Drago esistente, l’unica agenzia magica rimasta è la Casa d’Incanti Kazam, diretta momentaneamente (a causa della misteriosa sparizione del fondatore) dalla quindicenne Jennifer Strange, un’orfana legata all’agenzia dalla pratica della servitù a contratto (che in pratica obbliga gli orfani a servire per diversi anni nel luogo di destinazione prima di poter essere considerati dei liberi cittadini). Quello che Jennifer non sa è che la sua vita, scandita da incarichi di normale amministrazione e moduli da riempire, sta per subire un drastico cambiamento.
Il romanzo si muove fin dall’inizio sul confine fra il serio e il faceto, ma con il piede quasi costantemente sul pedale del faceto. L’idea è quella di una grande farsa dove fra le righe, fra una risata e l’altra, filtrano però messaggi più seri e una severa critica alla società dei consumi e dei mass media. Le invenzioni narrative si sprecano, susseguendosi a un ritmo fin troppo frenetico, e questo probabilmente è il grande limite del libro. La sensazione è che quest’ambientazione e questi personaggi – a partire dal variegato e folle universo che popola la Casa d’Incanti passando per l’adorabile Quarkbestia (ne voglio una anch’io) per arrivare infine alla coraggiosa ed efficiente Jennifer e al simpaticissimo Gamberetto – avrebbero meritato più spazio e un maggiore approfondimento. Invece la storia scivola verso il finale in maniera fin troppo frettolosa, senza dare il tempo al lettore di affezionarsi davvero ai protagonisti e di “entrare” del tutto nel divertente mondo di Fforde. Un centinaio di pagine in più avrebbero potuto, credo, fare la differenza.
Assegno comunque quattro stelle perché ho apprezzato moltissimo l’arguzia dell’autore e il suo irresistibile humour. Consigliato se avete voglia di trascorrere qualche ora divertente.
Recensione pubblicata anche su: http://dustypagesinwonderland.blogspo...(less)

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Jun 24, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jessica Strange is very busy running Kazam, an agency that uses magicians to do all sorts of odd jobs in the Kingdom of Hereford. Magic is dwindling, and since the disappearance of Mr. Zambini, who ran the agency, Jessica has been running it herself. Luckily, she has a lot of maturity and skill as an indentured orphan, and she wants to keep the agency running. She gets a new apprentice, Tiger Prawns, at about the time she is given a very lucrative opportunity-- if she will predict the date that...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Janet Sketchley rated it 5 of 5 stars

In a world where magic is real—but heavily regulated and used for such mundane tasks as drain clearing, removal of illegally-parked cars, and pizza delivery—we meet Jennifer Strange, acting manager of Kazam, an agency that hires out wizarding services. She’s non-magical, level-headed, and almost 16 years old.

The novel is set in an alternate version of the UK: the Ununited Kingdoms, to be exact (unUK for short). It’s as off-the-wall-brilliant as you’d expect from Jasper Fforde and made me laugh o...more In a world where magic is real—but heavily regulated and used for such mundane tasks as drain clearing, removal of illegally-parked cars, and pizza delivery—we meet Jennifer Strange, acting manager of Kazam, an agency that hires out wizarding services. She’s non-magical, level-headed, and almost 16 years old.

The novel is set in an alternate version of the UK: the Ununited Kingdoms, to be exact (unUK for short). It’s as off-the-wall-brilliant as you’d expect from Jasper Fforde and made me laugh out loud a few times and chortle several more. Thank you, Mr. Fforde!

As if managing a horde of self-focused, absent-minded and quasi-sane wizards wasn’t enough of a challenge for our young heroine, Big Magic is in the air: once-fading magic powers are on the rise, and it’s somehow linked to the foretold and imminent death of the last dragon.

In all the speculation and excitement about the dragon’s upcoming demise, Jennifer discovers she’s the Last Dragonslayer. Problem is, she’d rather not kill him, despite the crowd waiting to claim his land.

The Last Dragonslayer> is a fun, light-hearted read that gets in a few good shots at private and corporate greed, politicians and humanity in general. I’ll leave that analysis to other reviewers so-inclined. It doesn’t come naturally to me and it spoils my fun (and brings back bad memories from grade school).

I’m pleased to see the sequel, Song of the Quarkbeast, has already released in the UK and will be available in Canada in 2012. (The Last Dragonslayer introduces quarkbeasts, which it defines as “nine tenths velociraptor and kitchen blender and one tenth Labrador” p.99) Serious Fforde fans in North America can order copies of the UK release now through our local Amazons, but I think I have enough reading material to last me until the lower-priced Canadian version comes out in May.

Jasper Fforde is the acclaimed author of the Thursday Next series, the Nursery Crimes series, and Shades of Grey. You can find all manner of cool stuff at his website.

[Review copy from my personal library.](less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Alytha rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Ununited Kingdoms, ca 2007. Magic is slowly disapearing from the world, and this is thought to be caused by the deaths of the last dragons (hmm...that sounds familiar somehow...can't remember where from...), and Scotland is populated by Trolls.
In the Kingdom of Hereford, 14-year old Jennifer Strange, a foundling, is working off her indenture as manager of the Kazam House of Enchantment, a kind of agency that hires out magicians to do useful stuff like unclog drains ecologically, and rewire h...more The Ununited Kingdoms, ca 2007. Magic is slowly disapearing from the world, and this is thought to be caused by the deaths of the last dragons (hmm...that sounds familiar somehow...can't remember where from...), and Scotland is populated by Trolls.
In the Kingdom of Hereford, 14-year old Jennifer Strange, a foundling, is working off her indenture as manager of the Kazam House of Enchantment, a kind of agency that hires out magicians to do useful stuff like unclog drains ecologically, and rewire houses without ripping the walls open.

One day, every pre-cog in the country has a premonition that the last living dragon, Maltcassion, is going to die by the hand of the last Dragonslayer, on Sunday at noon. Immediately, thousands of people congregate outside the boundaries to the Dragonland.
(400 years ago, a pact was made between the dragons and a magician: the dragons would stay inside Dragonlands surrounded by magical forcefields, and not eat people, and in return they would be allowed to live out their lives in peace. So there's thousands of acres of prime, untouched land becoming available to the first claimant when the dragon dies).

Jennifer doesn't want the dragon to die, and so sets out to find out more about him. She meets the current dragonslayer, who is an ancient man, and finds out that she is fated to become the Last Dragonslayer. Somewhat without being asked, she is sworn in and gets the magic sword and the armored Rolls that come with the job.

As the Dragonland is quite coveted, both the King of Hereford and the Duke of the Duchy of Brecon on the other side of the Dragonland are assembling their armies at the borders, and Jennifer is threatened that war will break out if she doesn't follow the King's wishes.

Assisted only by her loyal Quarkbeast (the unholy lovechild of a labrador, a velociraptor and a knife drawer, although it hardly ever eats cats, or small children, and is extremely loyal), Jennifer sets out to save the dragon and prevent war...

This is the first book by Fforde oriented towards the YA market, but it is still quite readable for grown-ups (if I may count myself as such). The protagonist is the typical Ffordian cheeky, quickwitted (and mouthed) heroine, but not as annoying as one of these could become. The style is quickpaced and easy, with the usual Ffordian humour, if a bit tuned down, and the story has a couple of interesting turns in it.

Negative points: the ecological aspect of the story is a bit too heavyhanded, and a lot of the characters introduced never get to actually do anything, they're mostly quirky window-dressing.

In general, I liked it as a quick,easy read :) 7/10

(if you google images of the Quarkbeast, you get pictures of Johnny Depp and Gwyneth Paltrow...I dunno why...)(less)

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About Jasper Fforde

Jasper Fforde is a novelist living in Wales. He is the son of John Standish Fforde, the 24th Chief Cashier for the Bank of England, whose signature used to appear on sterling banknotes, and is cousin of Desmond Fforde, married with the author Katie Fforde. His early career was spent as a focus puller in the film industry, where he worked on a number of films including Quills, GoldenEye, and Entrap...more

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“Don't let anyone tell you the future is already written. The best any prophet can do is to give you the most likely version of future events. It is up to us to accept the future for what it is, or change it. It is easy to go with the flow; it takes a person of singular courage to go against it.” — 20 people liked it

“That's the thing about destiny: It can't be predicted, and it's usually pretty odd.” — 8 people liked it

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