I just finished The Ege of Zoltar and I looooooved it.  (Except it's a cliffhanger.) Jennifer Strange is not a magician. She's an orphan sold into indentured servitude to Kazam, a magician's employment agency, and there's a lot going on in her world where magic seems to be running out.  For me, these books are the perfect combo between funny and exciting. VERY funny and VERY page turning.  

And more importantly: No dragons die during the writing of this book. At least, not slain as such... it's complicated.