The Last Dragonslayer
, by Jasper Fforde
, by Jasper Fforde
I first read The Eyre Affair
- Ffords's most famous book - about ten years ago, but at the time I'd never read most of the classical works Fforde riffs on - not even Jane Eyre! - so I spent most of the book in a vague state of confusion. I tried one of his Nursery Crimes books next, but again felt like there was something I just wasn't "getting."
Enter my friend Sharyn, who recommended Fforde's first YA effort, The Last Dragonslayer. And, a-ha! PAYDIRT.
- Ffords's most famous book - about ten years ago, but at the time I'd never read most of the classical works Fforde riffs on - not even Jane Eyre! - so I spent most of the book in a vague state of confusion. I tried one of his Nursery Crimes books next, but again felt like there was something I just wasn't "getting."Enter my friend Sharyn, who recommended Fforde's first YA effort, The Last Dragonslayer. And, a-ha! PAYDIRT.
Fforde has a superb Terry Pratchett zaniness going for him; mundane details in his world are side-splitting eccentricities in ours. Phantom moose, corporate-sponsored Dragon Slayers, magicians who unclog drains; it's all completely ridiculous, and that's what makes it fabulous.
The silliness does keep you at arm's length, though, making it impossible to really connect with any of the characters or care overly much what happens to them. This is exacerbated by little-to-no character descriptions, to the point that I found myself wondering what kind of clothes people were wearing (I think it's set in modern times, but the fantasy twist makes it hard to tell) and what the main characters looked like in even the most general terms.
The first half of Dragonslayer is pure fun and games, with a healthy dollop of quirk. I loved it.
By the second half, though, the laughs give way to teeth-gritting frustration and dismay, since, to put it bluntly, the world of heroine Jennifer Strange sucks. She battles against her own nation of greedy, corrupt, back-stabbing citizenry to save the last dragon in the world, and it's made clear that she really is the sole example of human decency left in the land - a pretty grim picture. With no allies on hand save a younger foundling she's been made responsible for, it really is Jennifer vs The World.
I found the ending a little puzzling. Without spoiling anything, the big finale SEEMS like a big deal, but then it's explained that very little actually changes afterward. Which felt... empty. Like I'd been cheated out of my big finish.
Upon looking up the book's cover for this post I uncovered the reason: there is, of course, a sequel. (Dragonslayer is book one in "The Chronicles of Kazam.") [eye roll] Still, at least Dragonslayer gives us an ending; we all know plenty of YA series that just string us along with cliff-hangers, am I right? (I'm looking at you, Enclave!)
So even with a less-than-wholly-satisfying ending and a frustrating second half, I'd call The Last Dragonslayer a good read. The first half is perfection, and the characters and whimsical madness of Jennifer Strange's world will most likely have me coming back for more.
*****
Next week I'll review the most deceptively marketed book I've ever read: The Raven Boys. And oh yes, I HAVE THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER. [decisive nod]
If you're looking for more, check out my Book Review Page! I've starred my top favorite titles, so you can easily scan the list for my recommend reads. Also, don't see your favorite on there? Then suggest it in the comments!
I liked Ffords Thursday next series (starting with the Eyere Affair) but yes it helps if you are familiar with the classics he is refering to. I found the series got a little repetitive eventually. I really liked the 2 Nursery Crime novels but you'd need to be a fan of police procedurals (particularly British ones) to really enjoy them. In both cases your complaints about this book would still be valid. I think Mr. Fforde gets a little carried away with making things wacky and forgets he may not be serving the plot. I think to enjoy his work you have to be prepared to just say "okaaaaaay" and except the weirdness.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love Jasper Fforde! His books are always quirky and usually contain an Easter Egg or two for avid fans. I have yet to read this one, though.
ReplyDeleteLast night, I finished Ransom Riggs' latest book The Hollow City. It's the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It, too, suffers from "cliffhangeritis" but I still enjoyed it. I think it's because I like to look at the weird pictures in the books.
Next up on my reading list is Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.
I've read a few of JF's Thursday Next series. I liked them a lot but yes, some of the references just went over my head. I would have been totally excited to discover he wrote a YA book, but I have the same "eye roll" response now when I learn something is a series. It makes me really question whether I want to spend my time on it. Can't anything be a standalone these days?! Ain't nobody got time to get involved with all these trilogies and series!
ReplyDeleteI actually deleted a bit of a rant from this review saying exactly this, so, YES. Preach it, sistah!! ;) If we wanted never-ending stories with cliffhanger endings, we'd be reading comic books instead of novels. At the very least, I think authors should be required to tell us up front if we're getting one complete story or not; otherwise, it's like buying a puzzle with 10% of the pieces missing. Harumph. (But again, Dragonslayer *does* have an ending, at least, so my rant more applies to the current trend than just this one book. Heh.)
DeleteI'm so excited for your review of The Raven Boys! It was not at ALL what I was expecting it to be, and I absolutely loved it! Although it did have a little bit of the creep factor. Don't know if you've read any of Maggie Stiefvater's books, but I absolutely LOVED the Shiver trilogy and her standalone YA title, The Scorpio Races.
ReplyDeleteThe Shiver trilogy is one of my absolute faves! So beautifully written, so melancholic.
DeleteI love that it doesn't have a happy end for everyone. This sounds weird nur I am so fed up with Twilight-y books.
I also think the first book works really well as a standalone if you're not into series..
Jen, have you read The Magicians by Lev Grossman? I don't know anyone else who has and can't decide whether to read the next book in the series or not. It is playing with both Harry Potter's world and C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, two of my all time fav magic series. I can't decide whether I like it, or whether it is closer to mediocre fan fic (I know, it seems like this line should be clear!!). But something about it is very disturbing. Thoughts, anyone??
ReplyDeleteEmilie, I've read both and completely agree with your unclear-line comment. I felt the same way after the second book but also really enjoyed it. I'm sure it says a lot about my feelings about the books that I can't actually remember what happened in the second book (i.e., not incredibly memorable), but I *do* remember highly recommending them both to my best friend after finishing the second. So, it was at least as good as the first. And I believe the third is due out sometime in the next few months. I'd say, "Go for it." I realize this is very non-specific, and I'm sure someone else will chime in with a better answer, but I wanted to add my $0.02.
DeleteI read most of The Magicians, but about halfway through Part 2, I gave up. It was miserably depressing and I don't read to be depressed. I can't even imagine reading the sequel!
Deleteit gets better! it really does. at least the second one does. I know the book seems depressing (it's a very adult version of cs lewis) but the impression I got from the book was that magic isn't the easy answer that a lot of fantasy makes it out to be. even the ones who impose limits on their magic seem to forget this at times. I loved the series, can't wait for the final book in the trilogy, but I'm the kind of person who read old medical texts as a kid just for something, *anything* new to read...
Delete~erin kristine
**raises hand *** I used to read the phone book & look for funny & famous names when I was bored. :P
DeleteSuper late on this comment, but The Magician and The Magician King are my favorite books! The second book definitely has aspects to it that more somber, but its a great story. Part of what I like about these books is the conflict I feel while reading them! They are challenging on an emotional level and an intellectual level - including questions that come up about what the books are trying to be. Third one comes out very very soon! Can't wait :)
DeleteAlso by Jasper Fforde is Shades of Grey. Its a bit zany and really fantastic. After reading SoG, I've been stalking his site waiting for news of the sequel.
ReplyDeleteI also recommend his Shades of Grey. More world-building, more connecting. Less silliness. But plenty of irreverence.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Eyre Affair series although it gets wackier as it goes and the first book is definitely my favorite of the series. I'm an English major so references were not going over my head--they were what made the book so good for me. It made me cry with laughter, from Austen's use of the piano in Emma to, well, everything.
ReplyDeleteNursery Crime was amusing but lukewarm for me, although I am a fan of the type of mysteries he is parodying.
However, I really, really WANTED to like Dragonslayer and felt like it was a book that failed to live up to its potential. Fascinating concept/world. No heart. I couldn't feel for any of the characters and I agree the last half was frustrating. So many interesting details, but it was all show and glitter, with no substance. So disappointing for me.
YES!! my life has been a litle less delighful without Mr. Fforde in it. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books, and the title of the Eyre Affair is why I picked the book up in the first place. I'm excited to go read something new!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your Raven Boys review, I've been on the fence about reading it although I loved the Scorpio Races.
ReplyDelete@Emilie, I read The Magicians and really liked the *idea* of it, but found the characters to be increasingly sad and depressing the further along the book went. By the end of it I was just sort of bummed out and not interested in a sequel.
I'm going to triple the recommendation (is that a correct way to say that, prob not, but I'm going to go with it) for Jasper Fforde's Shades of Gray, really my favorite of his books and one of the few dystopias I really enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Fforde's "Shades of Grey?" Not to be confused with "Fifty Shades of Gray," thankfully. I really like the Next series, but "Grey" was even better.
ReplyDeleteI saw Jasper Fforde at a book-signing, and he joked he was trying to get the book company to bill his book with a tagline that said something like "Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde...now with 49 fewer shades."
DeleteI'm reading the most current Thursday Next novel now, and just finished Last Dragonslayer. We found as we were reading through the Next novels that Wikipedia was our friend if we didn't get a reference. We learned a lot! I will add my voice in support of Shades of Grey though. By far my favorite Fforde book. Really interesting idea, well thought out and implemented, with a healthy dose of the bizarre. I used the chapter intro quotes as my Facebook status updates while I was reading it, because they were just so quirky and funny. Wish he'd get on with that sequel! Fforde is actually the only author I ever went to see besides you Jen in the 20 years I lived in Austin! He is hilarious. My favorite story is how he named a character in the Next series with an unpronounceable mix of random letters, just to mess with the eventual audio book reader!
ReplyDeleteHave you ready Playing Tyler, by T.L. Costa? It is a stand alone (at least so far ;) and I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDoh! I'll try again! Long time reader, frist time commenter! I've read a lot of the books you've recommended and thoroughly enjoyed them. From the description of this book I think you might enjoy an author i've read a lot from, Tom Holt. British, slightly more zany thanTerry Pratchett and most of his books are stand alone. Anyhoo, just thought I'd add my tuppence (2 cents?) worth to the literary contribution!
ReplyDeleteif you're looking for zany-ness, then you need to check out christopher moore... he's my current favorite. I recommend starting with sacre bleu (especially if you love impressionist artists - it's a fanatsy set in France during that time period, and several of the characters are the artists themselves). his writing is a bit more on the adult side but he has this completely off the wall way of writing that just clicks for some reason.
ReplyDelete~erin kristine
ooohhh I can't wait until you review The Raven Boys! I thought I would at least enjoy reading it when I picked it up, but man! I loved it! And the sequel is equally great, but be warned - cliff hanger NATION!
ReplyDeleteI adore Jasper Fforde. Actually, I tried to convince my husband that our second son should be named "Ford" because I was reading "Shades of Grey" while having the fertility treatments that led to his birth…as it is, I settled for reading the most recent "Thursday Next" after delivery.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that I'm most annoyed with Robin McKinley's Pegasus…I read it two years ago, it came to an abrupt end, and the sequel STILL isn't out. I think there should be rules about not publishing series books if you don't have the next one ready. *grrrr*
Add me to the pile of Fforde fans (ffans?) I actually liked the Eyre Affair less than The Well of Lost Plots, which is my favorite. I got my husband, an English teacher, hooked into it because I kept wandering in and interrupting his hockey game to ask him about references to some of the books he's taught. The books are so packed with meta-commentary about the form of fiction that he kept reading.
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to pick up Shades of Grey, so maybe that will be my next bookstore quest.
~Esselyn
I always love your book reviews, so I can't believe I've never recommended you anything before! If you're looking for a good standalone, I'd suggest Doll Bones by Holly Black. It's definitely on the younger end of YA fiction (there are even pictures!) and a really quick read, but very thought-provoking with this creepy undertone that keeps you guessing. Or on the MUCH more mature side, Holly Black's Tithe is excellent as well. Fascinating take on a very dark, gritty faery world, but fair warning for anyone who might be bothered by it: definitely R-rated in every way imaginable. It technically has a sequel (Ironside) but it actually works perfectly well on its own.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Jasper Fforde! He is my favorite author with The Fourth Bear being my favorite of his. My second favorite series of books after his would be the Peter Pan books that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson cowrote, starting with Peter and the Starcatchers. Every chapter is a cliffhanger.
ReplyDeleteSquee! I'm so excited to hear about what you think of "The Raven Boys." Wait until you read "The Dream Thieves!" Things. Get. So. Much. Better. Maggie Stiefvater is one amazing writer.
ReplyDeleteAnother one that absolutely loves the Thursday Next series--as an English lit grad/future librarian, all the literary references were like a gift for sitting through endless English classes all those years. I think his nursery rhymes series is the only one I didn't really care for. I will add a small caveat about the Shades of Grey series, it is fantastic and inventive and funny without being so zany; however if you thought the world in Last Dragonslayer was awful, Shades of Grey is definitely worse, being a very oppressive dystopia along the lines of 1984. It's probably his most cynical and sarcastic/darkly humorous work. Not to put you off it at all, just don't go into it expecting a light-hearted romp.
ReplyDeleteTry The True Meaning of Smekday if you haven't yet. The heroine is wonderful. Also, DO NOT MISS the Flavia DeLuce mystery series. And don't get it on audiobook - you'll miss hearing the wonderful prose in your own imagination.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to recommend the book "Only A Dream (Koluratura)" to you. A friend of mine wrote it, but it is really really fun. Its the first in a series, but the ending is not a terrible cliffhanger, just enough to make you want to read the next book.
ReplyDeleteYou should give Patrick Ness' "Chaos Walking Trilogy" a go! It needs its three books to span the entirety of the story and is heart-rending, engaging, deeply disturbing and encouraging at the same time. I was almost put-off by first-person narration and weird typefaces, but it makes sense and heightens the story after a short time. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was not happy with the ending of "The Last Dragon Slayer" either, but I picked up the sequel anyway, and I liked it so much better. I felt like he abandoned the plot points that frustrated me in the last book and the story was more interesting and less confusing for it. It's called "Song of the Quarkbeast." I'd be interested to hear what you think if you get around to it.
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