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Thursday, 1 December 2011

THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER by Jasper Fforde

In the good old days, magic was powerful, unregulated by government, and even the largest spell could be woven without filling in magic release form B1-7g.

Then the magic started fading away.

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange runs Kazam!, an employment agency for soothsayers and sorcerers. But work is drying up. Drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and even magic carpets are reduced to pizza delivery.

So it's a surprise when the visions start. Not only do they predict the death of the Last Dragon at the hands of a dragonslayer, they also point to Jennifer, and say something is coming. Big Magic . . .


When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued. I love dragons, so I wanted to know more...

Jennifer Strange is fifteen years old and is a foundling in the Ununited Kingdoms. She also runs Kazam, which is an agency for those who can perform magic to help others. However, magic isn't as powerful as it used to be and a lot of places are ending their contracts with the company. Not to mention that the boss is missing and no one knows where he is, which leaves her alone to take care of things. Luckily, The Blessed Ladies of the Lobster have sent an orphan to help her out.

However, when pre-cogs start having visions of the last dragon dying at the hands of a dragonslayer, things get interesting and confusing for Jennifer. Because she just happens to be in the middle of everything and soon finds herself in an unexpected situation.

The Last Dragonslayer is a quirky story filled with strange and colourful characters. It's also set in a world much like ours, but completely different. It was quite an experience. Although I did enjoy it, I often felt a little disconnected from what was going on. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because things moved a little too fast sometimes, or it could just be because Jennifer and the Quarkbeast were the only characters I really found myself caring about...

Still, it's a fun read!

The Last Dragonslayer, September 2011, ISBN 9781444707205,  Hodder Paperbacks

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