Yvette - Bookworlder

Wizards, waning magic, spoiled Princess Shazza, sky pirates, dragons, other magical beasties, and jeopardy tourism.  All in a day's work for 16 year old Jennifer Strange, manager of Kazam - a wizidrical employment agency.

It is mere hours since the conclusion of the adventures in The Song of the Quarkbeast, Jennifer and Perkins are supposed to be going on their first date, but then this thing happens and off they go.  No, they aren't on a quest (that would mean bureaucracy, a party of unnecessary but required companions, and lots of moolah), they are just looking for answers about the whereabouts of the (probably real) Eye of Zoltar and rescuing Once Magnificent Boo (still the best wizard name of the series).  

As an unabashed Jasper Fforde fan-girl, I find my lack of enthusiasm for this series a disappointment.  I began to read The Eye of Zoltar merely because it was the third (but not the last) in a series by a favorite author.  It wasn't until about 100 pages from the end of the book that I started to enjoy the story, though retrospectively, the groundwork of the first 300ish pages was absolutely necessary.  

Fforde's quirkiness, inventiveness and humor are all present.  I think this is a case of a series that just isn't for me.  I will, however, read the fourth book when it is released, if only to be able to continue my claim to having read all of Jasper Fforde's books.  Now if he would just get to that second Shades of Grey book...