The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde ★★★★☆

Delightfully Absurd and Absurdly Delightful!

Ficition – YA – Urban Fantasy

Reading level: Ages 12 and up

287 pages

US Publication Date:  October 2nd 2012

The Last Dragonslayer #1 (UK) or The Chronicles of Kazam Book 1 (US)

Magic has lost it strength and grandeur and has been downgraded to use for household repair and pizza delivery.  Jennifer Strange, the fifteen-year-old foundling in servitude to Kazam, still tries her best to remember the old days and take care of the magicians in Kazam’s employment, but business is drying up just as fast as magic.  But when a vision of the last dragon dying at the hands of a Dragonslayer is broadcasted, things in the Kingdom Hereford and the surrounding lands are thrown into chaos.  With a war at hand and change sharply in the air Jennifer must quickly reinterpret her destiny and hopefully spark the revival of Big Magic.

In an effort to have full disclosure and airing of my decidedly strong prejudices I just want to say Jasper Fforde is my favorite author.  Both our girls have book names and if we had had a boy - like we originally thought- Alexander Fforde was definitely in the running as a name (Sorry Jasper, I don’t know what it’s like on the other side of the Pond, but around here Jasper as a first name would be clearly asking for trouble and/or an ass kicking).

This book wasn’t my favorite by Fforde – that glorious honor goes to the Well of Lost Plots and the estimable character Miss Havisham.  While not quite the crown jewel of his body of work it is still better than 78.6% of the best other authors have to offer and thus quite good.  I have waited for the US debut of this book for a few years and I am so grateful to my library for stocking it(trust me when the bond measure in my state came up for putting more money into our public library systems I was all for it!  “MORE BOOKS FOR EVERYONE!” the masses cheer.)

I quickly fell under the spell of this book.  On the surface the story is fun and light and absurd, but as with all of Fforde’s writing there are layers.  He builds a very rich and detailed world in the Ununited Kingdoms, creating an interesting well-constructed mythology, along with the creation of a quirky mundane world.  Other reviewers have said this is one of his more accessible books and I have to agree.  While I adore his writing, I have to concede- though it makes me a little ill to do so- it isn’t for everyone, but The Lastdragon Slayer does have a more universal appeal, while not losing its Ffordeness.  So I say give it a try and let loose your own inner Ffordeness.

Side note:  Also for all of you aspiring authors if you ever get down about those pesky query letters, just read Thursday Next: The Eyre Affair and try to imagine what it took Fford to sell that work of genius!

ISBN  0547738471 (ISBN13: 9780547738475)