The Eye of Zoltar

Description: Although she’s an orphan in indentured servitude, sixteen-year-old Jennifer Strange is pretty good at her job of managing the unpredictable crew at Kazam Mystical Arts Management. She already solved the Dragon Problem, avoided mass destruction by Quarkbeast, and helped save magic in the Ununited Kingdoms. Yet even Jennifer may be defeated when the long-absent Mighty Shandar makes an astonishing appearance and commands her to find the Eye of Zoltar—proclaiming that if she fails, he will eliminate the only two dragons left on earth.
　　　　　　　　　　
How can a teenage non-magician outdo the greatest sorcerer the world has ever known? But failure is unacceptable, so Jennifer must set off for the mysterious Cadir show more Idris in the deadly Cambrian Empire—a destination with a fatality index of fifty percent. With the odds against them, will Jennifer and her traveling companions ever return to the Kingdom of Snodd?

Thoughts: YAY! More Fforde! While I will remain painfully disappointed each time Jasper releases another book that ISN'T the follow up to Shades of Grey I'm dying to read, I'm still very excited by each of his books. They are always delightfully weird and clever.

So, Jennifer and the crew at Kazam are back for more adventures. This one is a bit different since Jennifer and some friends have to leave Snodd (and the rest of the familiar characters) on a search for the eponymous Eye of Zoltar to save the dragons, Feldspar Axiom Firebreath IV and Colin. New, quite delightful characters join our hero and Ffordish shenanigans ensue.

I quite liked most of this book. It was interesting to see another kingdom and get more insight into The Mighty Shandar. I LOVED seeing the character development of the princess and can't wait to see how she fares in the next book. Ultimately, the book was less about the plot and more about the dynamics that make up a team/family. These characters rallied together through trust and honor to survive against incredible odds and still be funny along the way.

BUT HOW COULD PERKINS BE GONE? I don't accept it. I kept thinking the next page would be a big "JUST KIDDING" or "We know how to bring him back," but NOOOO. Just gone. So not ok. I'm glad he and Jennifer got that kiss but it's just not fair. I'm so sad.

I was under the impression going into this book that it was meant to be the last in the series. I was reading and the pages were getting fewer and fewer and there wasn't a conclusion and I was so confused. And then it became apparent that this is NOT the end. Certainly not. Big things getting shaken up at the end. The next book, currently called Strange and the Wizard, should be very interesting. Can't wait.

But I'm still totally pissed that Perkins is dead.

Rating: 3.75

Liked: 3.75
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4
Auden scale: 3

https://www.librarything.com/topic/180103#4880353 show less

This is the third book in Fforde's young adult series The Chronicles of Kazam, and the best installment so far. Jennifer Strange, the teenage orphan tasked with managing an employment agency for sorcerers, is tasked with crossing the border out of the Kingdom of Snodd into the Cambrian Empire, a nation known for entertaining daredevil tourists (and leaving many of them dead). Accompanying her are a ragtag bunch including a rapidly-aging wizard, a princess magically body-swapped with a handmaid, a rubberized dragon, an Australopithecus, and a ten-year old tour guide. This book is an adventure filled with Fforde's trademark clever wit that also works as a satire on both sword & sorcery tropes and our modern society.

It is always with mixed emotions that I finish reading a Jasper Fforde book, and this is no exception. Another wild romp through the unUnited Kingdoms with Jennifer Strange and her assorted band of misfits is ultimately delightful and satisfying, a perfect way to finish my 2015 reading list. Fforde's imagination seems to know no bounds, as every possible creature comes to life in his pages, somehow couched within a recognizable political paradigm that, not unlike a Pixar film, contains enough adventure to entertain the young and a healthy dose of farcical realism to tickle the more sophisticated reader. Bravo, I'm already anticipating the next Kazam adventure.

I do, I'll admit, miss the adult humor of Fforde's other novels - his wit, while still completely applicable to the younger set, is too good to get full enjoyment from seeing it with a tip on the blade. But he is perhaps the most consistently dazzling writer of intelligent humorous metanarrative fiction - a rapidly growing subset of authors, I assure you. More than anything, he brings heart to his stories and the Chronicles of Kazam, while they don't have the brio of the Thursday Next books, might inspire kids to read and write more inventively. I hope that they do - and I can't wait for the next one (although I can't wait for Dark Reading Matter more).

More at RB:

Jennifer Strange goes on a search for the fabled jewel of Zoltar in a neighboring kingdom known for it's dangers. Please note- this is NOT a quest. A quest would mean more paperwork and who has the time for that?

Jennifer Strange is back. And she’s on a search. A mission. Oh, what the heck, let’s just agree that she’s on a quest (but don’t tell the International Questing Federation because she doesn’t have a licence). Jennifer, still a teen orphan, still the manager of the Kazam house of enchantment, still hoping the young wizard, Perkins, will work up the courage to ask her on a date, still protecting the dragons, and still saving the day regardless of the Fatality Index for whichever search, or mission, or, yes, quest, on which she is engaged. Jennifer and her intrepid companions must find the legendary graveyard of the flying leviathans, track down the flying Pirate Wolff, procure the Eye of Zoltar (a huge ruby with dramatic magical show more power), and negotiate the release of the Once Magnificent Boo, all while guarding a spoilt princess and fighting an army of empty suits. And there she was pretending it wasn’t a quest!

Jasper Fforde is fully on form in this third novel of The Last Dragonslayer Series. The pace is frenetic, the puns are preposterous, the losses are huge (well, what do you expect with a 50% Fatality Index), but Jennifer is never less than up to the task. Admittedly there are times when she begins to sound a bit Thursday Next-ish, and, yes, what with the wizarding and strange lands and weird stuff, Terry Practhett would do well to eye Fforde nervously, but in the end it’s really all just about fun. Feel free to join the ride, but only if you take full responsibility given the advance warning of the Fatality Index. Oh, and it ends with no doubt whatsoever that there will be another novel in the series coming along soon. Well, there’s got to be.

Gently recommended for fun if you’ve previously enjoyed other Jasper Fforde titles. show less

This is the third book in this series for younger readers by Fforde. According to his website there’s a fourth book planned but probably not until 2021.

Jennifer Strange is 16 years old and an orphan. She’s under an indentured servitude contract to manage the Kazam House of Enchantment. In the Ununited Kingdoms, magic exists but is mostly used for things like house renovations and construction projects. Magical creatures also exist but some are better managed than others.

This one was my favorite of the three books so far. The wit and humor are delightful. Even though these are intended for young readers they are delightful for adults too.

This time around the Mighty Shandar has come out of his life extending stone state to make a show more demand of Jennifer. Bring him the Eye of Zoltar (a jewel) or he will eliminate the dragons forever.

This leads to a journey (not a quest! – that would involve much more paperwork) through the dangerous kingdom adjacent to the Kingdom of Snodd with an entertaining and sometimes shady cast of new characters.

This was just a hoot and all three books are well worth your time. Trust me. show less