Fifteen year old Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for a varied collection of magical practitioners. Unfortunately finding work is getting more difficult and with the reduction in the amount of available magic, things do not look good for Kazam. One of the soothsayers predicts the death of the last dragon and Jennifer finds herself centre stage when she is declared the Dragonslayer. Can she kill the dragon when the time comes? Should she agree to endorse a particular product for financial gain? She also has to deal with the complex politics that comes with a king who holds complete power and is willing to go to war to claim the dragon’s lands. A brilliantly funny book that takes a satirical swipe at powerful multinational companies, trashy media and self-serving politicians.

It's immediately obvious that this book has been written by the brilliant Jasper Fforde as his style is so distinctive. It is random and provides his usual twists on reality that make the setting something recognisable yet different, bringing his humour shining through. However, it pains me to say that unfortunately The Last Dragonslayer isn't as good as his adult novels. Perhaps this is because he is too aware that he is writing for a younger audience and so holds back a little too much. It takes a while to get going and then suddenly rushes around from one scene to the next, never really giving the reader a decent feel for the world, characters or situation and then suddenly it's over. It's pretty obvious early on what Jennifer's role is going to be although I wasn't entirely sure about the fate of the dragon until the end. She's your typical underdog rising up to be something great even though it's not a position she sought. For me, the best character is the fearsome Quarkbeast who is simply superb! It is a loyal pet that has a taste for metal and is incredibly intimidating but who's "quarks!" make it rather likeable. The supporting cast are some of Fforde's usual comical creations, both likeable and infuriating. Fforde also brings a humourous look at politics, transnational companies and the media by making them comically extreme, although it is easy to see the similarities found in today's world. Overall, The Last Dragonslayer was enjoyable but too rushed. However, it has set the scene for a series that has potential and I look forward to reading the sequel (The Song of the Quarkbeast) later on in the year.