The Song of the Quarkbeast is the second book in the Chronicles of Kazam series by Welsh author Jasper Fforde. Aimed at the Young Adult reader, the heroine is a 16-year-old foundling raised by the Blessed Ladies of the Lobster, Jennifer Strange. This book is set some two months after the events of The Last Dragonslayer, and while it is not essential to have read that book, it does help with understanding this one, and anyway, its a brilliant read. Jennifer is still managing the Kazam agency, and as the ambient level of magic builds, competition with iMagic hots up. iMagics manager, Conrad Blix (the Amazing), grandson of Blix the Hideously Barbarous, is up to no good: he gets himself appointed as Court Mystician to King Snodd and issues a challenge to Kazam that may shift the power of magic into the wrong hands. There are signs that another Quarkbeast is around, and precog Kevin Zipp predicts a reappearance of the Great Zambini (but where?). This instalment has flying carpets, trolls, Quarkbeasts and teleportation. The Youthful Perkins attempts his Magic Licence and sends Jenny a txt msg via suggestion. Tiger Prawns ends up down a well upside down with only sarcoluminescence to light his way. Lady Mawgon and Monty Vanguard are turned to stone. The importance of a sorcerers index fingers is established. Jennifer is asked on a date, enlists the help of the retired sorcerers in the challenge, discovers the secret of sorcerers seemingly long lives, is kidnapped, imprisoned and rescued, punches Perkins in the face, gets a vote of confidence from the residents of Zambini Towers and chats with Hector, the Transient Moose. Fforde gives the reader a language for the Upper Classes (Longspeak), plenty of hilarious names (Jimmy Nuttjob the daredevil, Col. Bloch-Draine, sorcerer Tchango Muttney and the Royals: The Kings Useless Brother, His Royal Petulantness Crown Prince Steve, Her Royal Odiousness Princess Shazza and the Duck-Faced Dowager Duchess of Dimsmore), and there is a bridge contest without playing cards. Fforde confirms what many people have suspected about mobile phones, and in this book the reader will discover what toddlers shoes, conch shells and giant clams have in common. Readers will look forward to the third instalment, The Return of Shandar. Brilliant, as always.