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The Eye of Zoltar: The Chronicles of Kazam, Book 3
Common Sense says
- Jasper Fforde
- Fantasy
- 2014
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Eye of Zoltar is a clever follow-up to The Last Dragonslayer and The Song of the Quarkbeast. The pace is a bit more frenetic and the tone a lot darker this time around. The novel contains little violence until the climax and denouement, when there's a deadly battle and some supporting characters die or are seriously injured. "Arse," "hell," and "pissed" are used a few times each. Sexual content's limited to a crush and some flirting between two teens.
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What's the story?
Still overseeing the crew at Kazam Mystical Arts Management, 16-year-old Jennifer Strange is surprised when the Mighty Shandar, her wizardly nemesis, commands her to find the Eye of Zoltar, a powerful magical relic. If she doesn't succeed in her mission, Shandar will kill the only two dragons left in existence, so Jennifer and a few of her associates set off for the sinister Cambrian Empire, where survival is only a 50/50 shot. There she will face off against wild Tralfamosaurs, a Sky Leviathan, and the empty-suited assassins known as the Hollow Men.
Is it any good?
THE EYE OF ZOLTAR serves up the kinds of clever magical hijinks that distinguished the previous volumes in this series. The plot cuts Jennifer off from many of the familiar characters from the first two books and introduces a handful of new members to the supporting cast. Which is a good way to prevent story stagnation.
Some readers may be disturbed by the violent, open-ended denouement, which takes a darker turn than most will expect, More installments in this series are on their way, as this volume ends with a cliffhanger.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about different approaches to magic and wizardry in literature and popular culture. What sets the system of magic in The Eye of Zoltar apart from that in the Harry Potter books, for example, or Ursula K. LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea?
Why do some people like to travel to dangerous locations or participate in leisure activities with a high risk of injury?
Under what circumstances might someone think about sacrificing his or her own life to protect another?
Book details
- Author: Jasper Fforde
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Dinosaurs, Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: October 7, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 416
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.