Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde starting on February 15, 2025.


Happy Reading!

1. The Last Dragonslayer (Feb 15)
2. The Song of the Quarkbeast (Mar 30) [link]
3. The Eye of Zoltar (May 15) [link]
4. The Great Troll War (June 30) [link]

Started this one and I have mixed feelings about it. I really like the fact that there is a sort of wizard agency where a group of people live together and are hired out to do jobs.

Up to Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[ I am kind of dreading the possible death of a dragon. For some reason I am feeling a bit sensitive to a creature we haven't even met yet, if it even exists. I think it's the fact that the majority of people seem to want the dragon to die. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16: I feel like I missed a critical step. (view spoiler)[ It seems like meeting the dragon should have been more drawn out. It was like, okay I walk into the field and oh, there's a dragon. Then they have a nice talk and it's back to the other side of the parking lot or something. (hide spoiler)]

I'm a fan of Jasper Fforde, but mostly his Thursday Next series...

The Eyre Affair
Lost in a Good Book
The Well of Lost Plots
Something Rotten
First Among Sequels
One of Our Thursdays Is Missing
The Woman Who Died a Lot
Dark Reading Matter -- November 2025, maybe...

I also liked Nursery Crimes:

The Big Over Easy
The Fourth Bear
The Last Great Tortoise Race -- maybe someday

I read Shades of Grey & The Last Dragonslayer, too, but remember basically nothing...

Red Side Story took forever to release, and is a good excuse to re-read Shades of Grey...

I really enjoyed the Nursery Crimes but still haven't been in the mood for Thursday Next. I'm not a huge fan of time travel, which is why I haven't stuck with The Eyre Affair.

Is there time travel?... I don't remember... it's mostly a matter that it's possible to enter books and fiddle with the plots...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Is there time travel?... I don't remember... it's mostly a matter that it's possible to enter books and fiddle with the plots..."

Maybe the time travel is just something that is a technology in that world but doesn't have anything to do with the story. I just know that when I had to choose a time travel book for another challenge The Eyre Affair was on the list, but I haven't read the book more than the first 2 pages.

Finished The Last Dragonslayer and this is not a cozy book. There is a quote in the second to last chapter that sums it up very well: (view spoiler)[ "Greed is all powerful; greed conquers all." (hide spoiler)]

Final thoughts: (view spoiler)[ I was upset that the Quarkbeast died and that the dragon died. There were places that I felt needed more info to make it a better story. I do not plan to continue this series. (hide spoiler)]

I think 1-2 characters are constantly time traveling around, but are more a side plot/joke/punchline, as opposed to the main plot…

I'm still waiting on my copy from the library. I ordered it last week...

I don't remember much from this series... or most of his series at this point, honestly... all I know is he hasn't published much the past decade or so, so when he does release something in an ongoing series, it usually ends up being the first release in 7-10 years...

Thursday Next released 2001/2002/2003/2004/2007/2011/2012, and it hoping to release again here in 2025...

Nursery Crimes released in 2005/2006, and has a title for an unreleased 3rd book, 19 years later and counting...

Shades of Grey released in 2009/2024, and hopes to write a 3rd one for 2026 or 2027, after the next Thursday Next book... he might write this announced standalone book, tho, instead...

The Last Dragonslayer released in 2010/2011/2014/2021...

The only other things he's written in the last decade are 2 standalones...

Feels like another Jim Butcher Situation, where 2000-2014 were some of their best writing years, and now they're sporadic at best...

Started this. I'm getting Terry Pratchett-esque absurdist vibes. Through Chapter 9 (view spoiler)[The narrator, indentured servitude, magic--I was a bit surprised when electric wiring and a Volkswagon were mentioned. So it's modern tech with magic, eh?

There seems to be an awful lot of foundlings, and all in indentured servitude. Which is being portrayed as much more positive than I would have thought. Names like "Great Zambini" add more quirky (quarky?) humor.

Enjoying the humor, mostly, at snort level. Like: "never seen so many zeroes without an "overdrawn" next to them." (hide spoiler)]

The king is an asshole. Punch him in his oversized nose.

Fforde definitely writes satirical fantasy…

Finished last night--I agree with Tammie about that quote. (view spoiler)[The theme of greed was very strongly lathered on. Definitely not an easy story to read, as Jennifer faced off against the most powerful person in the land... Every time she'd find a place to stand, it felt like the king wrenched the rug out from under her...

If it weren't for Morgan hiding her from the king's stooges, I would have thought there were no good people left around, especially after her apprentice turned out to be a plant. It felt like we didn't see her people--like Morgan, and the foundling-whose-name-I-forgot--after she took on the role of Dragonslayer. Definitely felt like a Part I/Part II split, before and after that moment.

I was also really sad the Quarkbeast died, but I felt like the Dragon's death was inevitable... and it ended with bringing his species back, so less of a tragedy. The Dragon's death hanging over the whole book created a feeling of dread though, and melancholy,.. but when we meet him, and his teeth are rotting, his old scars are hurting, and finally finding he was trapped in his lands... he was ready to die.

I don't really get how Jennifer being a berserker fits into it. If there was information given on berserkers at the beginning, I'd forgotten by the end.

But I'm definitely curious to see how having dragons back--and hopefully not caged in anymore?--will change the social structures in the world...

I'd also really really like to see Jennifer berserk out and punch the king in the nose. (hide spoiler)]

I do want to continue. We haven't scheduled any more yet. This was @Saar's request, so probably wait until your copy comes in to schedule? If you don't like it maybe Iain would be willing to continue just with me...

I definitely plan to continue, hopefully monthly, and then maybe even convince you/others to try Thursday Next in June++ once we read all 4 of these...

Not sure if we need to wait for Saar or not... they DID indicate in the Gobbelino London thread last week that Gobbelino London is gonna be the first series they successfully Buddy Read beginning to end, in nearly 8 years as a member...

I'll wait for them to say whether to wait or not, tho...

Just started... the narrator feels very British historical and/or Chronicles of St. Mary's-esque... I barely remember my first readthrough of this...

On some level, I swear this reminds me of The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex: The Self-Proclaimed Greatest Dragon in the Multiverse... something about the TV bits and stuff...

I can see that--and some Dragon Heist with the quirky humor...

I'd at least like to wait until Saar weighs on on the date--maybe she'll want to go month-and-a-half or wait a bit until the library hold comes in...

I've received my copy today, so will start in a couple of hours.

I've finished the first chapter 'Practical Magic':
So far I like the light tone and Jennifer. Seems that she has an interesting job.

I would like to continue the series, though. Maybe every month and a half?

I read this yesterday (view spoiler)[I thought it was lovely until the Quarkbeast died! What the shit was that????? I see the next book has Quarkbeast in the title so maybe/hopefully either he is resurrected or Jennifer gets another one? I was okay the dragon died, I think he was going to anyway and this way there are new dragons now :) Overall I found this charming and lovely, Quarkbeast aside and I look forward to reading the next. (hide spoiler)]

March 30 then for next book? Month and a half would look like:

1. The Last Dragonslayer (Feb 15)
2. The Song of the Quarkbeast (Mar 30)
3. The Eye of Zoltar (May 15)
4. The Great Troll War (June 30)

Ann-Marie wrote: "I read this yesterday [spoilers removed]"

Yeah, the (view spoiler)[title of the next book gives me hope... the Quarkbeast was such a sweetie... (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "March 30 then for next book? Month and a half would look like:

1. The Last Dragonslayer (Feb 15)
2. The Song of the Quarkbeast (Mar 30)
3. The Eye of Zoltar (May 15)
4. The Great Troll War (June 30)"

Yes, please :) Can you put in the requests? Thanks!

I'm currently at page 113: Mutiny: I like the writing style. It reminds me a lot of the Pratchett - books. I think it was mentioned here.
(view spoiler)[Favorite character so far is the Quarkbeast. I try to imagine how he looks. From the story it seems he's 9 10th velociraptor kitchen blender and a 1 part Labrador. He likes eating alluminium? The Zambini Towers seems like a challenge to live in with the weird elevator. Also the magic system is quiet interesting: it's a combination of magic and electricity? I wonder where Mr. Zambini is. Tiger seems like the right sidekick for Jennifer.
When the last dragon will die, there will be a rush to take new ground. That made me think a lot of what happened in certain periodes of history: ground that was released and that wasn't worthy for farming, but that you could race to it and put your wooden stakes in it to mark your territory. I thibnk that was called 'pegging'. (hide spoiler)]

RachelG. wrote: "Started this one and I have mixed feelings about it. I really like the fact that there is a sort of wizard agency where a group of people live together and are hired out to do jobs.

Up to Chapter ..."

Yes, I've got the same feeling about that. (view spoiler)[The dragons seems interesting. It's funny how they got described as a bit weird and drinking tea and then on the sidenote, they eat humans. The Dragonlands seems to be a 'national park' for dragons. (hide spoiler)]

I think it's just a giraffe ;)

Misunderstandings of giraffes appear all over ancient mythology/cryptids...

Serpopard, Camelopard, Questing Beast... basically anything descriped as the head of a camel/snake (long neck) and body of a leopard (spots on body)...

Not that this fits those descriptive features, just that Quarkbeast feels like a play on Questing Beast...

With very sharp teeth!
Well, if I would chose, it can look like a Camelopard. Mini - sized...

And also: has anyone a bit of steampunk - vibe in the story? Or is it just me?

Camels do have some chompers on them

Yeah, I know, you can't underestimate them...

Saar The Book owl wrote: "And also: has anyone a bit of steampunk - vibe in the story? Or is it just me?"

I can see a steampunky-vibe... it's the foundling aspect that gives me that...

LOL Camels with sharp teeth...

Will get those requests in this week.

EDIT: requested!

Thanks, Nirkatze!

I'm currently wrapping up the chapter 'Gordon van Gordon':
(view spoiler)[So, as a bit expected Jennifer is the new (and last?) Dragonslayer. I wonder how she'll handle that as she won't kill Maltcassion (and she's right about that). He seems to me a very interesting dragon. His conversation about mammals was interesting. Also, he (or others?) were expecting Jennifer? The Dragonstation made me think of the house of the Ghostbusters with the Ghostbusters car. It must be very tiring to be William of Anorak. All these knowledge that he needs to share in order not to forget. I can imagine that someone has enough of him after 12 min. The reproduction of the Quarkbeast is fascinating. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Yogi Baird:
(view spoiler)[Jennifer was totally right on reacting like that on TV. It's becoming a huge mega circus everywhere! (hide spoiler)]

Top post updated with links for next few!

Thanks!

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I'm currently wrapping up the chapter 'Gordon van Gordon':
[spoilers removed]"

I had similar thoughts when this happened--(view spoiler)[For all that it's the title of the book, it felt like a right turn from what we'd had so far! And the previous dragonslayer was quite a character... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Dragon Attack:
(view spoiler)[Everyone is giving Jennifer such a hard time! Can the Duke of Brecon be trusted or has he a hidden agenda? His playing the victim, I think. And the assumed dragon attack is a set - up to get Maltcassion killed, I'm sure of it. (hide spoiler)]

I've finished this morning, but will post my final thoughts tomorrow.

I liked reading the story, but I felt that some points needed to be worked out more, like: (view spoiler)[What did Jennifer learn to become the Last Dragonslayer? It would be interesting to read more about her knowledge. I thought her training would be more intense. And okay, the death of Maltcassion was his own plan to break the spell of Shandar, but I thought the dragon's role would be bigger in the story. (hide spoiler)]

The unwrapping of the story:
(view spoiler)[That it was all based on greed, was a tiny bit moralistic, but not to much. It was interesting to read that Maltcassion's death evolved in new dragons being 'born' and it also showed the true nature of King Snodd, the Duke of Brecon, even Gordon (I knew there was something off about him!). I didn't see it coming that Jennifer is a Berserkir. That was an interesting twist. (hide spoiler)]

About Quark, the Quarkbeast:
(view spoiler)[He was the most heroic character of the story and we all think the same about his death, but he got a huge statue in his remembrance. (hide spoiler)]

I'm looking forward to the second book!

So agree on (view spoiler)[the Quarkbeast! True hero of the story. Better be more Quarkbeasts in the next one.

Agree on Jennifer as well--exactly what qualified her to be the next (and Last) Dragonslayer? Besides a prophecy and her inherent moral compass? More questions. (hide spoiler)]

I hope the next book/books will give us an answer to that.