The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde is probably the best piece of middle grade fantasy I have read in a long time. Fforde plunges the reader into a world very similar to our own, but filled with magic, kingdoms, and, of course, dragons,–along with the normal corporate greed and political problems. An extremely amusing novel, The Last Dragonslayer manages to balance humor, plot, and tugging the heartstrings effectively to create an absorbing blend. In addition to this, The Last Dragonslayer also has one of my favorite covers of all time: an orange VW Bug and a dragon’s tail! It’s hard not to like this novel, and adults will enjoy it, too, because of the interesting politics, the issues faced by the main character, Fforde’s fantasy world that parallels our own, and its ecological message. An exciting book–I cannot wait for the next one!
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 1 mild obscenity.
Violence/Gore: A character threatens to kill another; 2 reports of violence; 1 instance of destruction of property without casulties; 2 non-detailed scenes of violent death.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Life, Death, Orphans, War, Corrupt Governments, Ecological Issues, Fame.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
