The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde ★★★★☆

Another master piece.

Fiction – YA – Urban Fantasy

289 pages

Age Level: 10 - 14 | Grade Level: 5 - 9

Publication Date: 2013 (in the US)

The Last Dragonslayer #2

Two months after the initial magic power surge magic is slowly rising and Jennifer Strange is trying stave off a takeover of Kazam Mystical Arts Management from a rival magic company.  A contest between the two rivals is set to take place, but with the other side cheating and backed by King Snodd IV the chances of Kazam winning is looking iffy at best.

This story is a quick, nontaxing read with a high level of silliness.  Again Mr. Fforde proves himself a master wordsmith with colorful writing and an imagination that knows no bounds.  He weaves his stories together so they are never straight forward or entirely predictable, keeping the attention of his readers.  I particularly liked his bit about some wizards having the ability to make remote suggestion or sending ideas and that it was banned once it was found out they used it to promote talentless boy bands.  As usual, his characters are well rounded, the world is fleshed out and quirky and everything is up to the high level I have come to expect from Mr. Fforde.

The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde ★★★★☆

A hero down, but not out.

Fiction – Urban Fantasy - Mystery

366 pages

US Publication Date: October 9th 2012 (first published July 12th 2012)

Thursday Next #7

After an assassination attempt, Thursday Next is in need of some recovery time at her body’s and Landen’s insistence.  She takes a supposedly more sedate job as Chief Librarian back in Swindon.  Though, with Goliath up to their old tricks, Swindon facing a smiting and Tuesday unable to make the Anti-Smote shield work, Friday still caught up in a future that will never be and the un-existence of Jenny life isn’t very restful.

Okay, so this book was way better than One of our Thurdays is Missing(#6)- which was more like a book set in the TNS world but not really about Thursday Next- but I wouldn’t say quite as good as First Among Sequels(#5).  Fforde’s writing is still deliciously absurd, but particularly poignant at highlighting human foibles, with eloquence and humor.  This book was – like the others- fun, exciting, quick paced, witty and clever (have I used enough adjectives yet?).  The ridiculously well-developed mythology continues to progress and evolve at an exciting rate (I heart you Jasper and your amazingly flexible imagination) deeply entrenching the reader in Thurday’s world. A word of caution, though, this book is definitely not a one off and I strongly recommend making your way through the other books before trying to tackle this one, otherwise you will be really lost.  Also, I always love the blurbs at the start of the chapters – a staple of the series. 

I was a little sad to see the wear and tear book life takes on our hero – as highlighted in this edition of her exploits – but Thursday is still Thursday if not a bit more cautious and less impulsive with age and experience.  On the down side the plot seemed even more unfocused than usual and it got to be a little bit of an over load.  In TNS there is always a lot going on- which as a fan I totally expected- but I think some stream lining, like losing the Aornis Hades plot line, would have helped.  In an effort to wind up some plot points I think Fforde was bit over ambitious.  In the end, though, everything was brought back into focus and in true TN fashion the ending was unexpected.

ISBN  067002502X (ISBN13: 9780670025022)

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)

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde ★★★★☆

A Rolling Good Time

Fiction – Fantasy - Mystery

383 pages

U.S. Publication Date: July 25th 2006

Nursery Crime #1 

When ex-con and ladies’ egg Humpty Dumpty is found shattered next to a brick wall the only man for the job is Jack Spratt, the head of Reading’s Nursery Crime Division, and his new partner, Detective Sergeant Mary Mary.  Looking into Humpty Dumpty’s many semi-legal money deals and even more love affairs Spratt and Mary are pulled into a homicide investigation that reaches into all levels of Reading’s society and business.  A peculiar case even by Nursery Crimes standards, Spratt is in a race to find the culprit before being forced to give the case up to his old partner, the renowned and slimy DCI Friedland Chymes.  With Chymes breathing down his neck, not sure whether Sergeant Mary is a friend or foe, and the Most Worshipful Guild of Detectives observer sent to evaluate him for entry, DI Spratt must use all of his Nursery Crime knowledge to find the answers, but the answers are nothing like even he expected.

First mentioned in The Well of Lost Plots from his Thursday Next Series Fforde masterfully uses wit and clever writing to tell a strange, fun, sordid tale of the death of Humpty Dumpty.  With characters ranging from Prometheus to Rapunzel, any one, including aliens, can and do pop up in this story.  Fforde has a very rich and textured writing style giving his stories both the absurd and ironic edge he loves.  Prime examples in this book include things like Spratt’s lime green Austin Allegro which is more aerodynamic going in reverse, or the Déjà vu Ballroom where Reading’s D-Class celebrities get together to mingle and be seen.

I adore Jasper Fforde and always have high expectations whenever I read something from him and this book in no way disappointed me.  A fun, quick and easy read, it will have you laughing out loud.

http://www.jasperfforde.com

ISBN13: 9780143037231