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The Last Dragonslayer

The Last Dragonslayer is the first book in Jasper Fforde’s YA fantasy series The Chronicles of Kazam.

And it’s awesome.

Soon-to-be-sixteen Jennifer Strange is acting manager of Kazam Mystical Arts Management – an employment agency for magicians – since the true owner disappeared, literally.

Keeping a handle on a bunch of childish, bickering wizards may not sound like many folks cup of tea, but Jennifer enjoys it. It’s far better than living at the foundling orphanage – and she’s good at it.

But magic is fading and the modern technologies of life have led people to prefer drain cleaner to spells. Plus, the regulations placed on magic carpets have made using them as taxis impossible.

When a mass-vision predicts the death of the last dragon in the world at the hands of the last dragonslayer, politics, business and greed become the order of the day as people begin streaming toward the boundary of the Dragonlands – eager to stake some new land as soon as the dragon is dead.

The idea of it sickens Jennifer – and she doesn’t even realize yet just how much she will be involved and how it encompasses Big Magic…

The Last Dragonslayer was a ton of fun – and very quickly shaped up to be an awesome fantasy world mixed in with a modern sensibility. These people have televisions and electricity and everything – and magicians are rather “outdated”. Pretty hilarious.

Jasper Fforde has a cleverness that is infectious – and now having read both The Eyre Affair and The Last Dragonslayer I have to say I am happier than ever that I purchased more books from him, both adult and YA.

Here we get a quick, exuberant, bright plot with likable characters and humorous environment. There are some moments of gravity, of saddening sacrifice and a heroine that is principled, strong and full of integrity.

The Last Dragonslayer is a fun, fresh book that is tremendously delightful!

I will DEFINITELY be continuing with this series!!!

Comments

Anonymous said…
This series I bet will be fantastic. I love a good series. I am currently reading The Red Sun by Alane Adams. I tend to read the YA books before my kids do just to be sure, most the time I just skim but once in a while a good one comes along that I read. alaneadams.com is her site. I recommend.

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