The Last Dragonslayer
I just love Jasper Fforde, his humor and his creativity. I'm always jealous of his world-building and wordplay. I wish I could be this clever.This is slightly more accessible than his Thursday Next books (which I love, but which always make me feel a little stupid because I don't catch all of the literary references.
It's clearly the first in a series, but it's a complete story, thankfully. I look forward to reading more.