Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2012
296 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
In the good old days, magic was indispensable - it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians - but it's hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world's last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam - and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as ... Big Magic.
"Fantasy readers with a taste for the silly should appreciate the subverted tropes. Ages 12+" - Kirkus Reviews
"Thoroughly entertaining ... readers will easily sit back and enjoy the fun." - Booklist
"Fforde's fantasy is smart, funny, and abundantly imaginative in its critique of commercial culture." - Horn Book
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jasper Fforde was born in London on January 11, 1961. His father was a prominent economist, while his mother did charity work and was a passionate reader. Fforde and his four siblings were raised in London and Wales. At the age of twelve Fforde was sent to Dartington Hall School, a progressive coeducational boarding school near Totnes, Devon, which he attended until his graduation in 1979.
As a child, he shared his mother's love of reading, and by the age of eleven, had become quite interested in film and television. While the young Fforde liked to watch Monty Python, he was particularly influenced by a commercial he saw for milk starring actor Roger Moore. It showed what happened behind the scenes on a production set, and this commercial inspired Fforde's aspirations as a movie ...
... Full Biography
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Link to Jasper Fforde's Website
Name Pronunciation
Jasper Fforde: Ford
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