The Great Troll War

The Last Dragonslayer #4

by Jasper Fforde

Sixteen-year-old Jennifer Strange and her sidekick and fellow Orphan Tiger Prawns have been driven to the tip of the UnUnited Kingdoms - Cornwall - by the invasion of the Trolls. Their one defense is a six-foot-wide trench full of buttons, something which the Trolls find unaccountably terrifying (it's their clickiness).

Worse than being eaten by Trolls is the prospect of the Mighty Shandar requisitioning the Quarkbeast and using him to achieve supreme power and domination - an ambition that has been four hundred years in the planning and which will ultimately leave the Earth a cold cinder, devoid of all life.

Nothing has ever looked so bleak, but Jennifer, assisted by a renegade vegan Troll, a bunch of misfit sorcerers, the Princess (or is she now the ruler?) of the UnUnited (or are they now United?) Kingdoms, and Tiger, must find a way to vanquish the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, and along the way discover the truth about her parents, herself, and what is in the locked glovebox of her VW Beetle . .

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Humor, Dragons, Science Fiction Fantasy, Middle Grade

368 pages, ebook

First published September 9, 2021

About the author

Fforde began his career in the film industry, and for nineteen years held a variety of posts on such movies as Goldeneye, The Mask of Zorro and Entrapment. Secretly harbouring a desire to tell his own stories rather than help other people tell their's, Jasper started writing in 1988, and spent eleven years secretly writing novel after novel as he strove to find a style of his own that was a no-mans-land somewhere between the warring factions of Literary and Absurd.

After receiving 76 rejection letters from publishers, Jasper's first novel The Eyre Affair was taken on by Hodder & Stoughton and published in July 2001. Set in 1985 in a world that is similar to our own, but with a few crucial - and bizarre - differences (Wales is a socialist republic, the Crimean War is still ongoing and the most popular pets are home-cloned dodos), The Eyre Affair introduces literary detective named 'Thursday Next'. Thursday's job includes spotting forgeries of Shakespeare's lost plays, mending holes in narrative plot lines, and rescuing characters who have been kidnapped from literary masterpieces.

Luckily for Jasper, the novel garnered dozens of effusive reviews, and received high praise from the press, from booksellers and readers throughout the UK. In the US The Eyre Affair was also an instant hit, entering the New York Times Bestseller List in its first week of publication.

Since then, Jasper has added another six to the Thursday Next series and has also begun a second series that he calls 'Nursery Crime', featuring Jack Spratt of The Nursery Crime Division. In the first book, 'The Big Over Easy', Humpty Dumpty is the victim in a whodunnit, and in the second, 'The Fourth Bear', the Three Bear's connection to Goldilocks disappearance can finally be revealed.

In January 2010 Fforde published 'Shades of Grey', in which a fragmented society struggle to survive in a colour-obsessed post-apocalyptic landscape.

His latest series is for Young Adults and include 'The Last Dragonslayer' (2010), 'Song of the Quarkbeast' (2011) and 'The Eye of Zoltar' (2013). All the books centre around Jennifer Strange, who manages a company of magicians named 'Kazam', and her attempts to keep the noble arts from the clutches of big business and property tycoons.

Jasper's 14th Book, 'Early Riser', a thriller set in a world in which humans have always hibernated, is due out in the UK in August 2018, and in the US in 2019.

Fforde failed his Welsh Nationality Test by erroneously identifying Gavin Henson as a TV chef, but continues to live and work in his adopted nation despite this setback. He has a Welsh wife, two welsh daughters and a welsh dog, who is mad but not because he's Welsh. He has a passion for movies, photographs, and aviation. (Jasper, not the dog)

Series:
* Thursday Next
* Nursery Crime
* Shades of Grey

Reviews

[Sarah Brehm]

March 29, 2017: I just finished reading The Eye of Zoltar and so now, the waiting game begins for the fourth book in the Chronicles of Kazam.



April 16, 2018: Actual footage of me waiting for this book.


October 1, 2019: Forever waiting.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Troll War is the fourth (and final) book in the Last Dragonslayer series by Welsh author Jasper Fforde. Aimed at the Young Adult reader, the heroine is a 16-year-old foundling raised by the Blessed Ladies of the Lobster, Jennifer Strange. This book is set just days after the events of The Eye of Zoltar, and while it is not essential to have read earlier books, it does help with understanding this one, and they, too, are brilliant reads.

At this stage, the Troll have conquered most of the island of UnUnited Kingdoms, and either enslaved or eaten the inhabitants. They are held back from a tiny corner of Cornwall by the Button Trench, constructed at the cost of a wizard life. Jennifer Strange, Last Dragonslayer, and Court Mystician to the Kingdom of Snodd, gathers with survivors and escapees from what is now Trollvania, including her Quarkbeast, Tiger Prawns, Princess Shazine, the Once Magnificent Boo, and young dragons Colin and Feldspar, for a Sorcerer’s Conclave.

In league with the Troll, the planet’s most powerful wizard, the Mighty Shandar has set up a HENRY (Hex Energy Neutralising Reversal Yieldiser) which is a spell sucker, rendering their remaining two sorcerers powerless, and reducing communications to old telephones and two-way homing snails.

They will require physical force to take the HENRY out. However, thanks to the ambiguity and homophones that plague the English language, their two-thousand-strong fighting force of Fencers, Marksmen and Warriors is not at all what they had hoped for, but might ultimately be exactly what they need...

It would appear that Shandar has a plan to increase his power exponentially, that it will likely result in the destruction of human life on Earth, and it seems that Jenny is the only one who can stop him. But first they need to deal with the Troll invasion, and a mere forty-eight hours in which to do it. If they can manage to utilise buttons and a certain shade of cerulean blue, they might succeed.

Another entertaining dose of Jasper Fforde offering a very satisfying resolution. As well as featuring a replica of New York’s Chrysler Building, a sub-terranean ship, and a fake princess, there is lots of loyalty and bravery and self-sacrifice. Jenny finally gets a key to the glovebox of the Volkswagen, and learns more about her family and her destiny.

The author makes a very amusing, sort of anonymous, cameo appearance, there are many handy and often humorous footnotes, and it is all contained within some marvellous cover art by Jo Wilson. What an excellent conclusion to this incredibly imaginative series!

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jasper Forde is one of the Most Scrumptiously Creative and Ridiculously Clever Authors in the history of Most Scrumptiously Creative and Ridiculously Clever Authors. And that is a scientifically proven fact.



Also, what the world needs right now is a Fforde/T. Kingfisher collab. It is guaranteed to end world hunger, put an immediate stop to all violent and armed conflicts on the planet, and lower global cholesterol levels. (It might also be somewhat enjoyable to read.)



The end.

· Book 1: The Last Dragonslayer ★★★★
· Book 2: The Song of the Quarkbeast ★★★★
· Book 3: The Eye of Zoltar ★★★★★

[Rachel]

Update: I just so happened to check on this again and I'm so excited to see that he's writing it right now and expects publication in 2021! I thought it would never happen.

I am SO excited to read this book! I just finished the first 3 books and I can easily say this is one of my favorite series ever. Jasper Fforde is a freaking genius and I will most certainly be preordering The Strange and the Wizard.

[The Cookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.7/5

It has been a long wait, but finally, after seven years, here is the final instalment in Jasper Fforde's "The Last Dragonslayer" series. Teenage orphan, Jennifer Strange is back to lead the fight against the magical despot, Shandar.

Firstly, I would have to advise anyone new to the series that you really should go back to the beginning and read the three books preceding this one first. This isn't one of those occasions where you can just pick up the backstory as you go along. There would be certain elements that you could piece together, but there would be so much that you miss out on that would detract from your full enjoyment of "The Great Troll War".

Secondly, you may have seen that this series is often described as being aimed at young adult readers. Whilst it is certainly true that these books make a better entry point into the world of Jasper Fforde for younger readers, there is absolutely no reason why older adults shouldn't find them equally enjoyable.

Not every reader will enjoy Jasper Fforde's work - but those that do tend to become totally smitten. My first experience of his writing was a police procedural about Humpty Dumpty and I was hooked from that point on. In other novels he has made George Formby the president-for-life of Great Britain; he has written a book about social order based on a individual's colour vision; a thriller based in a world where humans hibernate; and a wonderful allegorical satire to rival Orwell's "Animal Farm" featuring anthropomorphised rabbits. These are all part of the rich tapestry that Jasper Fforde has described as being "impossible worlds made real".

For the sake of remaining as spoiler-free as possible I don't want to go into too much about the specifics of "The Great Troll War". Fforde's chracteristic wit (often satirical) is once again evident throughout and, as regular readers have come to expect, there are plenty of clever literary and socio-political references as the narrative progresses. However, I sensed a difference in the tone compared with the three previous books in the series. On occasion "The Great Troll War" seemed a little more sombre, maybe a little more muted and there were elements of poignancy too. Perhaps it is a simple consequence of the long gap since the previous publication and the fact that the author is that many years older. I was aware of a similar feeling when I read his standalone novel, "The Constant Rabbit" last year, so maybe this is the emergence of a slightly different outlook and approach by Jasper Fforde.

Overall, although I am not sure that this one is my favourite, "The Great Troll War" nonetheless provides a fitting close to this series and should keep most admirers of Jasper Fforde's work contented.

[Matt Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing final chapter to what has been an enjoyable series. Jasper has never been a plot oriented writer but has always made up for it with very inventive set pieces and large quantities of humour, however here both were lacking. There also seemed to be a strong focus towards the end on a type of meta narrative (mainly focused on the fantasy author character) that felt totally out of place in the world he had established in prior books with jokes specifically designed for his most ardent fans that would be lost on a wider audience.

[Jeremy Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's my rankings of the Last Dragonslayer books:

1. The Eye of Zoltar
1. The Last Dragonslayer
1. The Song of the Quarkbeast
1. The Great Troll War

(the way I see it, there's only 1 story - one over there, one over there, one over there, and one over there.
1 x 1 x 1 x 1 = 1)

[Kereesa]

I'm kind of glad I got into this series so late as if I had been waiting till 2014 for this book I may have gone mad..

[PRL · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting end to the Jennifer Strange story. I don't think this can be described as a happy book, but it is full of the customary wit and charm that we've come to expect from Jasper Fforde.

The ending made me cry so that's an automatic five stars from me.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was kind of a cop out. I really wanted to find out what happened, because after the last 3 books I really cared about the characters. But Jennifer got shafted and nobody else got much resolution, plus the ending was really weird. This didn't feel like the right ending at all.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've followed Jasper Fforde ever since reading The Eyre Affair, and I usually bump any of his new books to the top of my reading list. The Great Troll War sat a little longer on my Kindle than I expected, though it wasn't through any fault of Fforde's; even though Early Riser was somewhat disappointing, I still felt like Fforde would get there, and I thought maybe this would be the book to do it.

For the most part, it is. It has the usual witty, clever bits, along with a strong female lead and a decent plot, but the events never fell together quite as well as they have in his other books. I understand he went through some writer's block for a while before getting back in the fold with Early Riser, but man, The Great Troll War just felt like Fforde was going through the motions, without the OOMPH that made his previous books so, so good.

(And, truth be told, Fforde inserting himself into the narrative was okay at first, since it was just for the sake of a joke, but when he decided to wrap the entire book in that little device, I wanted to chuck it across the room.)

If I'd read this book without having read his other ones, I would have felt differently about this one, but this is another case where I know he can do better than this, and I'm burned by familiarity. I've read articles about how readers should read every book as if they'd never read anything by a particular author before, so as to remove those expectations, but I don't know how to do that. This won't stop me from reading The Constant Rabbit, and as soon as the sequel to Shades of Grey hits print, I'll be among the first to read it, but I hope those are more like a return to Fforde than The Great Troll War was.

[Mora]

well this was a horrible ending of the series lmao. i wasn't expecting a lot since the author'd been away from this series for ages and it felt more like wrapping up loose ends than because he actually wanted to continue (which to be fair is why i'm reading it), but i was somehow also expecting better than this. it didn't have most of that charm and voice of the past ones (especially the first two; i didn't like the third one much) and the actual ending was like,, really. you went with that. (honestly that was my reaction to most things that happened in the entire book)

so yeah, i can forget about this series now, this loose end in my reading life has finally been resolved


---pre-read
i cannot believe this book actually finally exists

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would get more than 3 stars, but the ending annoyed me too much. I felt cheated.

[Shriya Uday]

I don't know how to rate this book. On its own it's great! Compelling story, emotional arcs, and characters that make you care about them while still remaining quirky and odd. However as the end to this series I feel weird about it.

The first two books and parts of the third is about a rag tag orphan trying to keep the magic business running while larger quests and machinations keep interfering. This books suddenly makes the consequences cosmically dire and everything bittersweet with a lot of character deaths. I suppose I wish this was its own thing and not part of this series

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jasper Fforde is one of very few authors who is able to always blend the perfect mix of wit, humor and important life lessons. I don't know anyone else who would be able to come up with trolls using a spreadsheet to determine how long to cook humans based on BMI.

Side note: I am very proud of him for finishing a series, it's a big accomplishment.

[Helen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final adventure of Jenny, Tiger, the Quarkbeast and the Princess. Together can they defeat the trolls who have invaded? Why have the trolls decided to invade now? Why are trolls scared of buttons? No spoilers here. The fact that Jasper Fforde is in this book as the author of the book is brilliant. A very fitting end to the adventures.

[Cailean McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Jasper Fforde, or at least of the Thursday Next novels, but for some reason I’ve not paid any attention to The Last Dragonslayer novels. Or at least until now. I don’t think it’s because they’re pitched more at a slightly different (and younger) readership but more because I’ve always had a slightly ambivalent relationship to fantasy as a genre. It’s a decision that The Great Troll War has made me regret.

Certainly, there’s much in the basic set-up that is extremely familiar, particularly if you think of a certain boy wizard, although the absurdist, bordering on surreal, tone of the novel itself might be more reminiscent of Terry Pratchett at his best. Jennifer Strange is an orphan who finds herself being schooled in magic before discovering that she has a destiny where the fate of the entire universe hangs in the balance. So far, so hokey, you might say.

And yet, the story rattles along at a cracking pace and is never anything less than manicly diverting. This is largely down to the characters. Jennifer and her various sidekicks and friends are nicely drawn and, if we didn’t know it already, Fforde has a definite knack for quirky and evocative names. And even coming into this series at the denouement I did feel quite bereft at the surprisingly large number of character fatalities in the book. Heaven knows, what I’d have been like if I’d followed them throughout the other three novels.

If there’s a weak link character-wise, it’s maybe in Jennifer herself. Not that she’s ever any less than a personable and utterly likeable protagonist. It’s just that there’s points where she felt a little like a slightly less overbearing version of Thursday Next. And as faults go, that’s one I’m more than happy to live with.

But where this, for me, rises above the aforementioned Certain Boy Wizard is in the Ffordian flourishes and flight of fancy. Not all of the jokes and set pieces quite work but most of them do and Fforde does dial back greatly on the metatextual play that defines the Thursday Next books, although he does allow himself one significant cameo, and I’m sure John Nettles will be delighted at his apparent deification in this world. And the ultimate solution to the conundrum of the Troll onslaught at the heart of the book has to count as one of the most ingenious examples of Ffordian cleverness.

The plot certainly rattles along at breakneck speed, particularly in the second half of the book and it’s possibly too breathless for some. There is a feeling that this could have been a longer book that would have given some of the twists, plot thread payoffs and character sacrifices a little more room to breathe but I personally enjoyed the speed of the narrative and was glad that Fforde resisted the temptation to finish his fantasy sage with a doorstopping tome.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this and definitely feel inclined to seek out the other volumes in this series and am actually surprised that these books are not far more of a mega-hit than they seem to be. All the elements appear to be there. They strike me as the perfect introduction to Fforde’s oeuvre, which can admittedly sometimes be a little dense and multi-referential for some. But it has also left me feeling impatient for some new adventures from Thursday Next herself.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished it. I was not expecting the ending, but was delighted by how it finished up. It is one of the most original and fitting YA endings for a series I have read in the past decade. It might also be one Fforde’s best conclusions to a story. I have read all his books and this was truly great.

The book itself has its own issues which others reviewing have identified, so I will not go into them here.

As a Teacher, what I will say is this volume of the Chronicles is great for teaching mathematics, vocabulary, and a little politics. It’s a great book to recommend to any student who needs a reason to be interested in any of those subjects.

Despite the 7 year wait this ending was worth it, and the series is certainly one I will recommend in the future.

[mybluesunset · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Another enjoyable book. I found it a little jarring that some major characters from prior books died onscreen, and a little disappointing that others like Zambini never came back, and Tiger and the Princess aren't major players . A lot of clever ideas, but the pacing is somewhat disjointed e.g. ( the trolls matter and then suddenly really don't with the pivot to the Shandar space plot ). Again no punches are pulled, which is honestly a bit much for me bc I wanted a happy ending for Jennifer and both dragons! . It's a bit much that he gave himself a cameo lol.

[Marie limousin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jasper Fforde doesn't disappoint. Satisfying closure of the 4 book series including some fun winks winks for fan club members and followers of Jasper's other books and style.
Now looking forward to reading the next shades of grey book!!

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny as always, but not quite as good as others in the series

[Gretchen Bernet-Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The literary equivalent of a supernova, sheer plotting brilliance, mind blown! The Trolls are looking hungry and humans are on the menu. In besieged Cornwall, unhealthy scenarios are playing out and Jennifer Strange, Court Mystician to the Kingdom of Snodd, does not like it one bit. Jennifer is always cool under pressure and prepares to take action, indeed it is her destiny. She is joined by her best friend Tiger, the sword Exhorbitus, a VW Beetle with links to her past, and a Quarkbeast. Meanwhile megolomaniac Mighty Shandar is a sorcerer out to conquer the world and needs another Quarkbeast to do it. Jennifer hopes the Button Trench will hold back the ravenous hordes and that Mighty Shandar will back off. He ain’t gettin’ her Quarkbeast that’s for sure.

Unfortunately even regular characters Lady Mawgon and sorceress Once Magnificent Boo are floundering to find ways to thwart the ever-expanding evil. Drooling Trolls are multiplying daily and Mighty Shandar’s over-inflated ego expands by the minute. In the mix are—Royal Princess Shazine Snodd in a commoner’s body whom glamour boy Sir Matt Grifflon is keen to marry; Mighty Shandar’s obsequious assistant Miss D’Argento; the two delightful reconnaissance dragons Feldspar and Colin (I learned how dragons make flames) plus integral quirky characters you may recognise if you've read the other books. As the footnotes hint, read the other books! Jennifer plans a reconnoitre, she and the dragons set off on a dangerous mission with devastating results.

This story has it all, from subtle throwbacks, movie references, intertextuality, the Chrysler Building, to a very different type of submarine Bellerophon. I was surprised by an unexpected, unnamed Special Guest appearance—breaking the fourth wall—I would love to say who and why but in respect to spoilers I will abstain. Find out the truth about the orphanage and Jennifer’s absentee parents, what role buttons play, and how not to recruit warriors. Oh, yes, stay away from creepy Hollow Men. I loved the chunks of humour and lightbulb moments as strategies are worked out amid the ever-present whiff of disaster and universal annihilation. The wizard Great Zambini says “Bigger and bolder than anything you can imagine” and he’s right.

The Great Troll War is the ingenious fourth and final book in The Last Dragonslayer series promoted at young adult readers but I believe it sits nicely in that unique niche reserved for novels devoured by all age groups and those interested in a retro-present-day twist on believability, tweaking the norm and perhaps even glimpsing into the future while grounded in the everyday. The unscheduled appearance of Molly the Troll is a zany twist. At the heart of The Great Troll War Jasper Fforde has written a relatable fantasy sci-fi story about the power of friendship and trust, with strong messages on clear-thinking and using available knowledge to work out the best and kindest way to end a war before it starts. Jennifer certainly has a tough job.

Continued my blog https://thoughtsbecomewords.com/2022/...

[Simon Wigzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars are somewhat harsh, I'd like to give it 3.5, but I also want to indicate that this final book is definitely the weakest entry in the series. As I understand it Fforde was the victim of writer's block for a few years, thus the long interval between this and the previous book, and he is not as in control of the writing here. Things which feel off are references to New York, actual TV series, London; not that he didn't reference things from our own world in the previous books, but now there seems to be no twist to what he's referencing: The Chrysler building in the book is exactly the same as the one in our New York, instead of there being something weird and fascinatingly different which is how the references used to be, and the same goes for much of the other references as well.

There's also a feeling that the main reason this novel exists is to have an ending to the series. But honestly, I'm happy he did tie it all up in the end, even if the book isn't as good as the others. What does succeed here is the emotional parts, and he actually puts a lot more emphasis on those rather than the comedy this time (which is smart since the comedy as mentioned feels a bit off).

I actually reread all the earlier novels before getting down to reading this one, and I'm very glad I did since in total, this is a wonderful series well worth reading. And be warned: Fforde is not a writer who ends his books with everyone being perfectly happy, far from it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not joking: Spoiler of all spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

I really need to give The Constant Rabbit another go. I failed the first time I tried to read it, even though Fforde is near the tippy-top of my favorite author list. I despair that he writes (or at least publishes) so slowly, and skipping TCR means that I haven't read a new Fforde since 2019, and that's far too long.

Speaking of long waits, this book was announced in 2014. The first volume in the series came out in 2010. I think everyone who has hung in for 12 years to find out what happens deserves recognition-- then again, this novel is a reward in and of itself. I had lukewarm reactions to most of the earlier titles in this series. This one just happens to be perfect. At the midway point, I consciously slowed my consumption (of the audiobook) because I did not want it to end.

I'm even going to overlook the clunky epilogue that attempts to explain how the series could have been told in the first person when the main character dies at the end. I would have preferred a magical explanation, and it seems one could have been whipped up rather easily.

Fforde's prose is a marvel. So clever, so whimsical. Serious without taking itself too seriously. No one writes like he does, which is why my fantasy reading is at an all time low. No new Fforde or Stroud? Sigh. Guess I'll go see if Scalzi has anything new over in SF.

[Steph De Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fforde is one of my all-time favourite writers, and I'd waited many years for this final instalment in his "The Last Dragonslayer" series (which is classified as young adult fiction, but I consider to be middle-grade). "The Great Troll War" has Fforde's trademark humour and zany world-building, but it lacks that spark of magic and creativity that characterises his best work. The writing feels rather laboured, and the plot lacks verve. There are a few inspired moments that remind me why I love Fforde's books, such as the plot twist about troll population figures, but everything else is just adequate. In particular, Jennifer Strange, the protagonist is oddly under-developed in this book: despite the first-person narration, she never feels like a real person. This may have something to do with a final plot-twist at the end, which makes me think this may be intentional on Fforde's part but, regardless, it had a negative impact on my reading experience.

Despite these shortcomings, I enjoyed the book, partly because I adore Fforde's humour, and partly because it wraps up a series that, on the whole, I've found pleasure in. This is, however, probably my least favourite Fforde series, so I wouldn't advise new readers to start here.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to get back to Jennifer Strange's world. Fforde writes with his usual sideways-to-everything-else-ever wit. The characters, both new and old, act in their usual odd ways, and the plot progresses at just the right pace and the right amount of weirdness. Jennifer even finds out more about her origin. Unfortunately, large numbers of people and other creature die, both before the book's action and during it, and (as usual) it doesn't seem to have all that much emotional impact.

Maybe I've been waiting too long for the conclusion to this story, or really anything by Fforde. But I almost felt he was phoning it in, coming back to a series after quite a few years and deciding to finish it up, but not really still in that headspace. He even inserts himself (as the unnamed writer) into the book; the characters decide that they need a new approach, so the writer brings in a major plot twist.

Of course, being that it's Jasper Fforde, the book's still very good. But not as good as the earlier books in the series, where Jennifer, the others, and the whole concept was fresh.

[XOX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Troll wants to eat humans. And they are going to invade the humans soon. 

Shandar is an evil, violent, megalomanical idiot, aka a powerful man without empathy. 

Jennifer is now working with the princess to find a way to fight the trolls first, and then defeat the evil wizard Shandar later. 

The good about the story is that the princess now learn from Jennifer and acts like a leader instead of a typical airhead princess. Other princesses are still acting like spoiled brats with a lot of undeserved entitlement. The knight acts like self self-important, selfish twat who thought he would marry a princess to win a kingdom. 

The stuff I dislike most about fantasy or romance fantasy is the underlying sexism. The women are always stupid and either need rescue or, without much reason, fall for the most disgusting, shallow, sexist men. 

I enjoyed reading this as it deals with shallow, egotistic, sexist men, as it should be, with laughter. 

There are dragons who play important roles in this story. They are good and realistic. 

5 stars read. 

[Charlie Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason that I had to give 4 instead of 5 stars is that I cried so much reading this book that I cannot possibly read it again for another few years. That being said, it's not because it was poorly written, though there were a few pitfalls of the genre included in this last instalment of the Dragonslayer series. No, on the contrary, it was so well written that I found myself emotional all the way through. I was so connected to these characters from the previous books that I couldn't help myself but feel what happened to them all, and imagine if it had happened to me. (Not as hard as you'd think considering this is a book about a troll war.) 100% recommend to read, but make sure you bring a box of tissues!

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Dragonslayer series concludes rather sombrely, following on very soon after the downbeat cliffhanger from The Eye Of Zoltar: Trolls have invaded Britain and killed hundreds of thousands of people. Since then, a few recurring characters have died too. The Mighty Shandar is behind it all and as usual, Jennifer Strange will need to sort it out.

There’s a peculiar muted quality to all the horrible stuff that happens here, including several more deaths along the way. No one really gnashes and wails about how awful it is, which perhaps makes it less upsetting to read, but still. Odd. I’d gnash and wail about it.

The actual book is very readable and well plotted; it brings together the hanging mysteries of the series very well. It doesn’t get as many opportunities to be funny as prior books - there’s too much doom in the air - but Fforde keeps his usual lightness of touch. The only thing I really wasn’t sure about was the decision to go meta, introducing a certain (unnamed but obvious) fantasy author into the plot. Did we need that? Doesn’t it smack a little of desperation? It left a funny taste in the mouth.

Overall though, it’s a good finale to a series that was perhaps strongest in the beginning.

3.5

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed and devoured everything by Jasper Fforde. Favorite author. This fourth installment of the Jennifer Strange series and conclusion of the Last Dragon Slayer Chronicles was just or more enjoyable then what he had written previously.

Start at the beginning is my only advice and don't read unless you enjoy British humor.

This series is what I would consider middle-grade or YA Fantasy. His other books are all adult Fantasy.