The Last Dragonslayer. Jasper Fforde. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 296 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I liked The Last Dragonslayer. It definitely wasn't love, love, love.
Jennifer Strange is the heroine of this playful fantasy novel. This foundling may not want the job ahead of her, to fulfill her destiny that has been decreed for her for hundreds of years, but she may be the best chance for the world.
The Last Dragonslayer is peopled with some quirky characters. The writing was light and playful, the pacing tended to be just right as well. If I could have finished it in just one sitting, perhaps, I might not have realized the lack of connection I had with the characters and the story.
The characters were just substantive enough to be quirky and interesting at least from a distance. But I didn't feel there was much depth and substance to them beneath the surface. The exception probably being Jennifer Strange, our heroine.
Fantasies depend on world-building, great premises, and good storytelling. Characters are crucial as well. As is pacing. The Last Dragonslayer was entertaining and pleasant but it didn't really make itself unforgettable or memorable.
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