Dragonslayers and Quarkbeasts

Jasper Fforde is, in my opinion, an author for which rereads are pretty much a prerequisite before moving on in a series when it has been a while since the last read. His complex worlds can always reveal more on a reread and there is no exception for this series, Fforde's first middle grade/YA outing. I first read The Last Dragonslayer in 2011 and thought it was very good but maybe not quite as satisfying as his adult novels, mainly due to the lack of complex wordplay and historical reference. But this didn't mean that it was not still a smart story and that's what I found again this time through. From the brave and imaginative Jennifer Strange to her unique Quarkbeast to the enigmatic dragon Maltcassion, there were a lot of fantastic characters that I remembered and was happy to meet again. But the parts I didn't remember as well--governmental corruption, rival wizards and the Transient Moose--ended up being both amusing and essential bits that tied nicely into ...

The Song of the Quarkbeast (out in September in the U.S.). This story picks up right after the first, weeks after Jennifer Strange has played her role as the Last Dragonslayer. Things aren't all magically rosy in Hereford even though magic is slowly gaining in strength again. But with rival factions of wizards fighting for government contracts and the same ridiculously corrupt king in power, Jennifer is going to have to do a lot more than just fulfill her destiny to save her friends (and even her enemies).

This is such an incredibly fun and unique series. Like I said after I read the first book, this isn't necessarily a youth series except for the age of the protagonist. The story is pretty complex, as are the personal relationships. I have yet to dislike a Fforde series (as you may have noticed) but this is probably my second favorite after the Thursday Next books. They stretch my imagination and have a plethora of moral and physical conundrums that have me already awaiting the third book -- and the requisite rereads of these two!

Feeling the magic,
K