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kat7890erina's review against another edition
4.0
I love the way that Jasper Fforde's worlds spring into existence in my mind and then grow. Thank goodness this is the first in a series, as I haven't nearly had long enough to get lost yet.
eggjen's review against another edition
4.0
I continue to love Fforde's world building. This was a fast paced beginning to a new series, this time geared towards a more Middle Reader / YA crowd - but he's not dumbing it down for the kiddos. I really enjoyed it and plan to read the next one.
librarygurl's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
x_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
I love the worlds Jasper Fforde creates. There's always enough strangeness to take everything in the direction of the absurd. This book is no different and the reader, Elizabeth Jasicki, does a wonderful job bringing all the characters to life.
maddie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
3.0
A foundling who manages magic users finds herself at the center of Big Magic and the prophesized death of the last dragon.
Very British parody of the fantasy genre and heroic tropes.
Very British parody of the fantasy genre and heroic tropes.
dylan_tomorrow's review against another edition
5.0
Perfect YA urban fantasy. Jennifer is a fantastic brave heroine and the orohan boy whose name escapes me right now is loyalty incarnate. Nice twist and witty every page. Highest recommendations!
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audiobook performed by Elizabeth Jasicki
From the dust jacket - In the good old days, magic was indispensable; it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading. Drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets have been reduced to pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam Mystical Arts Management, an employment agency for magicians – but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If that’s true, everything will change for Kazam – and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as … Big Magic.
My reaction
This was a quick, entertaining young person’s fantasy read. My library shelves it in the Young Adult section, but like the Harry Potter books, I think this will appeal to children ages 9 and up. As he does in his adult series, Fforde uses interesting puns and slight twists on real history that older readers will appreciate. He also takes on big business, the advertising/marketing industry, and real estate developers. But it’s the silliness and the fantasy that are the focus of this book.
I did think that the plot was a tad too simplistic. There was at least one character that did a complete turnaround without any explanation. And I thought the ending was too fantastical – as if Fforde had written himself into a corner and just invented a secret passageway that mysteriously opens and gives him a way out. On the other hand, I liked that the heroine of this novel is a young girl who is intelligent, steadfast, caring, compassionate, strong and resourceful. I also loved the Quarkbeast, who is described as “nine-tenths velociraptor and kitchen blender and one-tenth Labrador.” For the genre and intended audience, I think it was a fine read.
Elizabeth Jasicki does a fine job on the audio book. I really like her voices for the Dragon Maltcassion, and for Jennifer. And I loved her Quarkbeast! (Though it did remind me of Thursday Next’s dodo, Pickwick.)
From the dust jacket - In the good old days, magic was indispensable; it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading. Drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets have been reduced to pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam Mystical Arts Management, an employment agency for magicians – but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If that’s true, everything will change for Kazam – and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as … Big Magic.
My reaction
This was a quick, entertaining young person’s fantasy read. My library shelves it in the Young Adult section, but like the Harry Potter books, I think this will appeal to children ages 9 and up. As he does in his adult series, Fforde uses interesting puns and slight twists on real history that older readers will appreciate. He also takes on big business, the advertising/marketing industry, and real estate developers. But it’s the silliness and the fantasy that are the focus of this book.
I did think that the plot was a tad too simplistic. There was at least one character that did a complete turnaround without any explanation. And I thought the ending was too fantastical – as if Fforde had written himself into a corner and just invented a secret passageway that mysteriously opens and gives him a way out. On the other hand, I liked that the heroine of this novel is a young girl who is intelligent, steadfast, caring, compassionate, strong and resourceful. I also loved the Quarkbeast, who is described as “nine-tenths velociraptor and kitchen blender and one-tenth Labrador.” For the genre and intended audience, I think it was a fine read.
Elizabeth Jasicki does a fine job on the audio book. I really like her voices for the Dragon Maltcassion, and for Jennifer. And I loved her Quarkbeast! (Though it did remind me of Thursday Next’s dodo, Pickwick.)
tarawe's review
4.0
If you have read any of Jasper Fforde's other series you will enjoy this one as well. His writing style is whimsical and funny and I can't wait to read more about Jennifer Strange.
shareen17's review against another edition
4.0
I'm on a kick of reading all the books I recommend to my children that they refuse to read. If you enjoy Jasper Fforde's unique sort of humor - a la The Eyre Affair, etc. - you would enjoy this also, although the plot is a little less complex.
franny2111's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75