- H&S Fiction
- 9781444707182
- $22.99
- Paperback
- December 2010
- 304 pages
- Fantasy & magical realism (Children's/Teenage)
Scan Codes
If your phone can scan barcodes or QR codes with its camera, you can quickly store information about this title.
The Last Dragonslayer
Jasper Fforde's first work for a younger generation of readers: hilarious, offbeat and bewitching, this is the start of a Dragonslayer trilogy.
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 . . .
Staff Review
Jasper has long been one of my favourite storytellers. His first effort at more ‘junior’ fiction is no less a brilliant story. Following the story of tenacious Jennifer Strange as she struggles to come to terms with a prophecy of doom and what could potentially end life as she knows it, is gripping and hilarious and so damn good. I cannot wait for more in this genre from a true, true genius. Anyone from 12 up will ADORE this.
Robert Watkins, Account Manager – Sydney
The Last Dragonslayer is set in a world not unlike our own, but with a few key differences (for example, the UK is the ‘UnUnited Kingdom’) and many kooky quirks that are typical of Jasper Fforde’s genius. In this world dragons exist and magic exists, but both are on the brink of extinction… The main character, 15-year-old Jennifer Strange, is appalled when she discovers it is her destiny to be The Last Dragonslayer – the problem is that Jennifer has no desire to kill the dragon, because he seems really, really nice! – but what can she do when even the dragon himself insists that the prophecy must be fulfilled.
This book is aimed at teen readers but Jasper Fforde’s adult fans will also love the clever humour and fast-paced plot, and there are some important hidden messages in here, particularly about the price of greed, the irony of war, and the importance of staying true to yourself.
The Last Dragonslayer is an absolute delight, with a laugh on every page. I enjoyed it immensely.
Sonia Palmisano, Hachette Special Sales Manager
