1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A fantastic book, August 8, 1997
Reviewer: A reader
I cannot wait to read more of Elizabeth Scarborough's work after finishing "Bronwyn's Bane" a few days ago. "Bronwyn's Bane" is a delightful story of a princess' curse, told with a mesmerizing tongue-in-cheek style, reminiscent of the "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. What makes Scarborough's characters so fascinating is their dry, quirky wit, and their talent for stumbling into one troublesome situation after another. Scarborough's royalty, rather than being elegant, sage and lofty, is verbose, well-meaning but clumsy. All of her characters -- mermaids, gypsies, princess swans, ogre sorceresses -- are endearing, charming characters, and have great hearts -- despite the fact that they often get on each other's nerves. Scarborough also has one of the best and most foresightful imaginations I have encountered. Scarborough, for example, connects omnivorous sea-monsters that come ashore in the dark (terrorizing the islanders) with the islander's toxic contamination of the waters, which in fact created the giantic horrors. Ms. Scarborough has an excellent hand at very effective and thought-provoking irony, as well as an understanding of wit and human nature. "Bronwyn's Bane" is an ingenious,tongue-in-cheek tapestry of imagination, and I am delighted to have found Ms. Scarborough's work. I look forward to reading as many of her other works that I can find.
Reviewer: A reader
I cannot wait to read more of Elizabeth Scarborough's work after finishing "Bronwyn's Bane" a few days ago. "Bronwyn's Bane" is a delightful story of a princess' curse, told with a mesmerizing tongue-in-cheek style, reminiscent of the "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. What makes Scarborough's characters so fascinating is their dry, quirky wit, and their talent for stumbling into one troublesome situation after another. Scarborough's royalty, rather than being elegant, sage and lofty, is verbose, well-meaning but clumsy. All of her characters -- mermaids, gypsies, princess swans, ogre sorceresses -- are endearing, charming characters, and have great hearts -- despite the fact that they often get on each other's nerves. Scarborough also has one of the best and most foresightful imaginations I have encountered. Scarborough, for example, connects omnivorous sea-monsters that come ashore in the dark (terrorizing the islanders) with the islander's toxic contamination of the waters, which in fact created the giantic horrors. Ms. Scarborough has an excellent hand at very effective and thought-provoking irony, as well as an understanding of wit and human nature. "Bronwyn's Bane" is an ingenious,tongue-in-cheek tapestry of imagination, and I am delighted to have found Ms. Scarborough's work. I look forward to reading as many of her other works that I can find.
From the back cover: "Bronwyn, Crown Princess of Argonia, was born under an unlucky star. Not only was she a strapping, awkward, hot-tempered girl ill-suited to palace life, but she'd been cursed at birth wtih a spell that made her tell nothing but lies! ...where Bronwyn went, trouble followed, and soon they were hip-deep in sorcerers, sirens, sea serpents, mercenary mages and malevolent monsters...off on an adventure-filled quest to end the war, heal a blighted land, and lift Bronwyn's Bane once and for all."