Review - The Great Troll War (The Last Dragonslayer, #4) by Jasper Fforde

 

 

 Title: The Great Troll War (The Last Dragonslayer, #4)

Author: Jasper Fforde

Pages: 368

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Release Date: 9th September 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads: 

The final instalment of the Last Dragonslayer Chronicles, demonstrating that with a small band of committed followers, a large tin of resolve and steely determination, almost anything can be achieved . . .

Sixteen-year-old Jennifer Strange and her sidekick and fellow Orphan Tiger Prawns have been driven to the tip of the UnUnited Kingdoms - Cornwall - by the invasion of the Trolls. Their one defence is a six-foot-wide trench full of buttons, something which the Trolls find unaccountably terrifying (it's their clickiness).

Worse than being eaten by Trolls is the prospect of the Mighty Shandar requisitioning the Quarkbeast and using him to achieve supreme power and domination - an ambition that has been four hundred years in the planning and which will ultimately leave the Earth a cold cinder, devoid of all life.

Nothing has ever looked so bleak, but Jennifer, assisted by a renegade vegan Troll, a bunch of misfit sorcerers, the Princess (or is she now the ruler?) of the UnUnited (or are they now United?) Kingdoms, and Tiger, must find a way to vanquish the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, and along the way discover the truth about her parents, herself, and what is in the locked glovebox of her VW Beetle . . .

 

 

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My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley*

The UnUnited Kingdom has been invaded by Trolls, and Jennifer Strange finds herself in Cornwall with only a trench filled with buttons (Trolls can't stand them) preventing her and her friends from being eaten.

But the Trolls aren't the only problem - the Mighty Shandar, the most powerful sorcerer ever to exist, has a sinister plan that only Jennifer can foil.

Can Jennifer stop the Trolls from completing their invasion as well as the Mighty Shandar from enacting his plan?

Will she finally discover the truth about her parents?

Having very much enjoyed the previous book in the series, I was looking forward to seeing how the series would end.

I really liked Jennifer as a protagonist. Even though she was only sixteen-years-old, she had been through a lot and had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Jennifer had a strong moral compass and cared a lot about other people.

As well as Jennifer, Tiger was one of my favourite characters. He was witty and sarcastic and was always ready to help Jennifer.

The Princess was an interesting character whose development over the series I really liked.

The plot was enjoyable overall, but there were scenes that felt rushed, and so they didn't have as much impact as they perhaps should have. Some of the plot also felt a bit random - even for a Jasper Fforde book - and out of place, so this instalment almost felt like it didn't belong in the series.

However, as I have come to expect from the author's books, it was witty and fun (even if it did feel a little forced at times).

I have to admit that I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would, and that it was a bit of a disappointing end to the series, but the author is still one of my favourites.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

Review - The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

Title: The Constant Rabbit

Author: Jasper Fforde

Pages: 320

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Release Date: 2nd July 2020

Blurb from Goodreads:

Peter Knox lives quietly in one of those small country villages that's up for the Village Garden of the Year award. Until Doc and Constance Rabbit move in next door, upsetting the locals (many of them members of governing political party United Kingdom Against Rabbit Population), complicating Peter's job as a Rabbit Spotter, and forcing him to take a stand, moving from unconscious leporiphobe to active supporter of the UK's amiable and peaceful population of anthropomorphised rabbits.

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley*

Peter Knox lives in a world where the Event resulted in rabbits becoming anthropomorphised - they are now over six-feet-tall and like to duel with pistols. 

Most rabbits live in colonies, but some are permitted to live outside the colonies, like Doc and Constance Rabbit, Peter's new neighbours who have the quiet village of Much Hemlock in uproar.

The government sees the rabbits as pests, and Peter himself works as a Rabbit Spotter, using his talent to differentiate rabbits to catch those pretending to be someone else.

Peter has never thought of himself as leporiphobic (anti-rabbit), but he has never really done anything to aid the rabbit cause. Until now.

Peter finds himself caught between the rabbits and his employer.

Will Peter take a stand?

When reading the blurb for The Constant Rabbit I was most definitely intrigued, but I also wondered if this might be the one Jasper Fforde book that I might not enjoy - talking rabbits living in the UK seemed a bit of a stretch even with the author's genius imagination. However, I ended up really enjoying this and am very glad that I read it.

The protagonist, Peter Knox, lived a pretty mundane life until his new neighbours arrive. I couldn't help but like Peter and I felt a bit sorry for him when he was thrown in the deep-end and into crazy situations.

I wasn't sure I would be able to picture the rabbits as the author intended, but I did and I loved their traditions and how much the author had developed their culture.

While the plot did take a little while to get going, I enjoyed it and the storyline held my attention. I loved how the author always drops in the odd bit of foreshadowing here and there to keep you intrigued. I was surprised how invested I felt in what was happening. I found myself smiling a lot and laughed out loud several times.

The themes in The Constant Rabbit are very relevant right now and I found it very interesting how they were explored.

Jasper Fforde's books are always incredibly intelligent, witty and unique, and this was no different. The Constant Rabbit has firmly cemented Fforde's place as my favourite author. Only he could have come up with an idea as unlikely as this and make it work.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend.

 

Review - Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

Title: Early Riser

Author: Jasper Fforde

Pages: 402

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Release Date: 2nd August 2018

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Every Winter, the human population hibernates.

During those bitterly cold four months, the nation is a snow-draped landscape of desolate loneliness, and devoid of human activity.

Well, not quite.

Your name is Charlie Worthing and it's your first season with the Winter Consuls, the committed but mildly unhinged group of misfits who are responsible for ensuring the hibernatory safe passage of the sleeping masses.

You are investigating an outbreak of viral dreams which you dismiss as nonsense; nothing more than a quirky artefact borne of the sleeping mind.

When the dreams start to kill people, it's unsettling.

When you get the dreams too, it's weird.

When they start to come true, you begin to doubt your sanity.

But teasing truth from Winter is never easy: You have to avoid the Villains and their penchant for murder, kidnapping and stamp collecting, ensure you aren't eaten by Nightwalkers whose thirst for human flesh can only be satisfied by comfort food, and sidestep the increasingly less-than-mythical WinterVolk.

But so long as you remember to wrap up warmly, you'll be fine.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley*

Every Winter humans hibernate to escape the freezing temperatures. Those that can take the drug Morphenox which stops them dreaming, saving them precious calories.

Charlie "Wonky" Worthing is preparing for his first Winter working at the Winter Consul.

When things don't go to plan, Charlie finds himself investigating a viral dream.

But the weather isn't the only danger that Winter brings as Charlie soon discovers.

Is there more to Morphenox than meets the eye?

Why are people dreaming about hands and a blue Buick?

Jasper Fforde is my favourite author so I couldn't wait to read Early Riser.

I thought Charlie was a good protagonist and it was different that he had a congenital bone deformity, meaning that one eye was lower than the other (hence the nickname). He was thrown in the deep end but I thought he coped very well given the circumstances.

There were several other characters that I liked as well.

The plot was interesting and held my attention. The idea of humans hibernating through the winter was very intriguing. I liked the idea of a viral dream.

It did take me a while to get into the story but then I was hooked and didn't want to stop reading.

As usual Jasper Fforde has created a world that is detailed and unique. I love his writing style and can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Overall this was a very enjoyable read set in an interesting, unique world.