Fforde,
Jasper. The
Last Dragonslayer. Houghton Mifflin/ Harcourt Brace 287p $16.99 978-0-547-73847-5 2012 ms/hs
E-BN Fantasy
In Fforde’s newest universe, Hereford
in the Ununited Kingdoms, magic is slowly but surely slipping away. Where magical ability once ruled the world,
it is now good for little more than odd jobs.
Pizzas are delivered by magic carpets, pre-cogs predict the colors of
floral blooms, and plumbing and wiring are repaired by magical groups. One of the last repositories for those still
holding some skills is the Kazam Mystical Arts Management. This magical employment agency/boarding house
is managed by foundling and indentured servant Jennifer Strange. Not yet sixteen, she has been in charge since
her mentor, the Great Zambini, disappeared. Jennifer must
make sure that her magic makers get their work done properly to keep the
institution going and themselves fed.
But, in the course of one week, everything changes. Jennifer is declared the Last Dragonslayer
upon the premonition that Maltcassion, the last dragon, will die at Sunday noon surfaces.
Requests for product endorsements and television interviews come pouring
in, kingdom wars are about to begin over land grabs, and Jennifer must temper
the ongoing chaos with her common sense and good nature. This twist on fairy tales provides a
wonderfully funny book. As in all good
tales, however, there are questions of morality and philosophy to discuss and
evil and greed to overcome. Fforde holds
the reader entranced throughout this engaging and suspenseful fantasy. It is thoughtful, thought provoking, and
wonderfully funny, all at the same time.
Jennifer is a worthy soul sister to Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching. The next two volumes in the series will be
breathlessly awaited.
Dragons-Fiction, Magic-Fiction --Susan Ogintz
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