This book was fast paced and very well written. Numerous characters yet all individual and very real. Really enjoyed learning about Tibet and some of its fables and history. A good story, you won't want to put the book down!! I'm so glad there is a sequel "Last Refuge" so I can continue reading more about this facinating culture!

THE PHANTOM BANJO ---------------------Vol 1 in the "Songkiller Saga" Elizabeth Scarborough; Bantam-Spectra Books, ISBN 0-553-28761-3

This book made me laugh. It also, more often, made me cry, rage, and chilled me to the bone. It is fantasy-fiction, but some of the passages, and some of the plot-line, hits far too close to reality to make it a nice, casual and inoffensive read for me. You see, I am a professional singer and collector of folksongs. I was raised singing the songs of the Appalachian Mountains, discovered Mexican music, and then went nuts with the rest of the wonderful ethnic musics we have in America and Great Britain and Ireland....and this book tells all about the plot of the Devil to steal our -real- music from us; to take the one source of fun and comfort for the poor and hungry away.. ..and substitute the homogenized "corporate-pop" ("corporate-PAP!") culture...Sound familiar? Devil does it in little things...killing off the center of the folk revival, a tall, skinny, leftish banjo player that likes to lead his audiences in singing.....keeping foreign singers of folk music out of the country by pressures from the Unions (THAT is happening FOR REAL RIGHT NOW with the Dept. of Immigration!!!!).....making the Music Police get tough about royalty payments and Union membership (THAT is also happening for real right now in many places, and driving the small clubs out of the entertainment side of the business!!!!)....making the Music Police get overly tight-a**ed about copyrights....and taking away the memories of the words of the songs....destroying the collections in the Library of Congress and destroying personal collections too....many, many little things that (in the real world) are -really- happening.....scares me to death! But....see, that banjo player's banjo was made by a little old man in Appalachia who had "power," and he put that power into the banjo and all that singing for years and years put power into that banjo....and another folksinger has it now....and he, and several others, are fighting back! Fighting back against the Chairdevil, and the Bureaucrats and Buisnesspersons, and all the others that want to Take Control over something that can't really be "owned" by anybody because -everybody- owns it. So maybe all is not lost...the next book will take them to the British Isles; to the source of the music...where the devils haven't really touched....yet. There, they must re-live the old ballads, and bring them back! Supposedly, there will be a third book. I already have number two and three reserved at my local bookdealer! And if they ever come out in hardback, I intend to make them a permanent part of my library, right up there with Manly Wade Wellmann and Alan Lomax! GOOD STUFF, Maynard. And, as an absolute banjomaniac myself.... GREAT BOOK! And damn sobering in spots.

Elizabeth Scarborough is one of my favorite authors, and Bronwyn's Bane and the other books in the Seashell series are especially good.The non-stop adventure will have your hands glued to the paper, and Scarborough's wonderful humor will make you wish it'd last forever. The story starts when the Crown Princess Bronwyn is cursed at birth to never speak anything but lies. She sets off with her whistling cousin and an animal-friendly gypsy to reverse the curse. On the way she meets mermaids, battles worms and beasts, and crosses the desert in seven-league boots. Scarboroughs fantasy world is delightful and unlike any other. I will read anything that she writes.

I highly recommend this series by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. I do not have my copies to hand, as I just moved, BUT I wanted to correct the review which is showing for this book. It is for some other book and should be removed. For a good review, please see the full review of the first book in her Songkiller Series, that is THE PHANTOM BANJO. That will give one a good idea of what the series is about. In this day and age, the books are not only highly entertaining, they also offer a commentary on contemporary music, mass marketing, and popular culture which is spot on and chilling in its implications and reflection of the "real" world.

Cleverly weaving in lots of familiar fairy tales, the author also reminds the reader that life in the 90s is NOT a fairy tale, and, often, not even fair! But Felicity to the rescue -- a Godmother with just enough powers to make all the interwoven stories in this wonderful book have happy endings. I hope that Ms. Scarborough keeps writing more and more books in this series -- I'm reading "The Godmother's Apprentice" now and can't wait to get into "The Godmother's Web," the third in the series. I can't put them down, but I don't want to read them because then they'll be all gone!!

The first book in a wonderful series.. Imagine you get one wish.. and your a social worker in Seattle... I read this book and then closed it and started right over again.. read this modern adaptation of several fairy tales.. it's heartwarming, occasionally terrifying.. and it does have a happily ever after!

I don't know how she does it...but she does! This book brings old favorites into a modern setting without pushing the line. This book gets better with every reading! I keep noticing something that didn't quite "hit" the time before...The same runs true to with "The Godmother's Apprentice" and "The Godmother's Web."

Two gripes about _The Godmother's Web_:

(1) Cindy must be the dimmest heroine I've seen in a long time. First of all, what on earth does she see in Raydir? He only appreciates her when she's gone. Second, and more importantly, why must she spend chapters upon chapters upon chapters NOT realizing that Grandma Webster is supernatural? Cindy has met a real-life fairy godmother; it's not like she's never seen magic before. And here she is, traveling with a little old lady who nonetheless has boundless energy and physical fitness, whom everyone in the entire Southwest seems to know personally, and who has food that regenerates itself. After a hundred pages of this, you'd think it would have dawned on Cindy that Grandma is a little bit more than the average nursing-home escapee.

(2)...In _The Godmother_, though the characters frequently break into political rants, the speeches take a back seat to the story, but this book seems to be one long political speech about the plight of the Hopi and the Navajo. It doesn't matter how worthy the cause is; it doesn't matter whether you agree with her views or not. I agree with almost everything she says, and yet I don't appreciate being sledgehammered with a moral when I sit down in my chair looking for a good story. There are shining moments of good story--my favorite is the weaving scene, where Grandma manages to get a feuding family to see each other's worth again--but overall this reads more like a political tract. Gimme a break.

"The Godmother's Web" is the third in a series of godmother novels penned by Elizabeth Scarborough. Cindy Ellis, who appeared in the original "Godmother", has become a bit disenchanted with her relationship to Raydir Quantrill, the king of Alloy Rock. When Raydir leaves for a road trip Cindy decides she needs some time to think things out and tacks a job training a trail horse by riding it through the wilder parts of Arizona.

Cindy's first indication that the trip was not going to go according to plan was when she picked up an older American Indian woman whom everyone called Grandmother. Shortly thereafter, Cindy discovers that her hitchhiker had a slightly different voyage in mind and had no intention of letting Cindy get rid of her easily. Grandmother seems to be concerned about the pain and anger caused among the Hopi and Navaho by a recent land partition. By no means a political activist, Grandmother is intent on providing wisdom to her many grandchildren.

Among her extended family we will find Carl Loloma, a drug counselor, his daughter Sela, and her boyfriend Wiley Smiley. Also playing major parts are Michael Blackgoat, on a quest for a horse, Dr. Maria Chee, who has come back to the reservation to help her people, and Alice and Martha Tsosie, two sisters who are split over how to deal with land partition.

I shouldn't leave out an ill-intentioned Navaho witch, several representatives of a power company who intend to take advantage of the political situation to advance their own cause, and some other unpleasant 'bad guys.' Confronted with inter-tribal anger and misunderstanding, horse theft, witchcraft and assassination, Grandmother has her work cut out for her.

Not only does Scarborough write one of her best tales ever; she shows a grasp of Hopi and Navaho culture that is truly astounding. She weaves legend, myth, culture and politics into the story without missing a step and never lets the story get bogged down by all the details. I learnt as much about these to American Indian cultures in a book intended for entertainment as I have reading books on the same subject. Because of this excellent mix of story and cross-cultural information I would recommend "The Godmother's Web" for everyone, young and old, short and tall.

this book was a wonderful way to escape into the world of the native americans and they problems they have faced in the past and are facing now in the present and future. The langauge mrs. scarborough uses is very humouristic and keeps your hooked. I can certainly recommmend this book. For the absolute experience you should really read the other 2 books about the fairy godmothers.

I've enjoyed Scarborough's previous fantasy works. They're always quite readable and did a fine job portraying ordinary people put into extraordinary circumstances. However, I found this novella particularly predictable. It's not just that the identity of the villain is handed to the reader in the first chapters of the book (no, it doesn't pretend to be a mystery novel), but also all the plot twists and complications are very straightforward and usually loudly heralded before Scarborough brings the reader to their advent. On the positive side, the depictions of Edinburgh are vivid and plentiful, and will strike a chord with anyone who has trod the Royal Mile or gazed on the Salisbury Crags. And, as ever, Scarborough provides likable, lively characters with wit.

THE LADY IN THE LOCH, by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, takes us to early nineteenth century Edinburgh, where new construction and medical science battle with superstition and magic. Sir Walter Scott is the newly appointed sheriff of the city, a position more of esteem than actually responsibility. His vivid imagination leads him to believe the tales of the clever, vivacious gypsy, Midge Margret. She informs him of the disappearances of two other gypsy girls and of her fear that her "ain folk" are being murdered so their bodies could be sold to the University of Edinburgh medical school for research. What neither realizes is that something even darker than they could ever imagine is taking place, and that they will both be drawn into the middle of the horrifying nightmare.

Scarborough's novel blends history, folklore, and fantasy with touches of Frankenstein thrown in for good measure. The brogue can make reading slow going in places, especially when the dialect of the gypsies is represented. (It is easier to take in all of the phrases at once than to stop and guess at the meaning of each of the words.) The identity of the madman becomes evident fairly early in the book. But the author has drawn such vivid characters that concern and interest in them drive the reader rapidly to the conclusion. Also, the historically factual information about Edinburgh is fascinating. As Midge Margret's people are forced to take shelter in the city from the bitterly cold winter, she is appalled at the stench emanating from the town. Slops were tossed into the streets every night at 10:00 p.m.; overcrowding and lack of proper drainage meant that Edinburgh could be smelled by visitors eight miles away, prompting Midge Margret to exclaim at one point: "And they ca' us dirty."

Imaginative plot, an atmosphere so vivid you can smell it, clever humor, and characters that leave you anxious for a sequel. As with all of Ms. Scarborough's books, open the cover and you fall into another universe...whether you love mysteries or science fiction or historical fiction, you'll be glad you tried The Lady in the Loch!

I enjoyed this book with its twists on the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol. I liked the fact that Scrooge came to the 20th century to rescue a person very much like himself before the ghosts' visits. Ms.monica banks was a great character and fun to listen to. A very worthy christmas novel.

Over the years, I have read and seen enough takes on Dickens' masterwork to make one say "What the Dickens?" over and over again. So I came upon this on a bargain table at my local Waldenbooks and decided I'd at least see what it said. Now at least bringing Scrooge back to help someone else in his situation was a new idea. Ms. Scarborough turned it into a real holiday ride with enjoyable characters and making them all her own and not just modern carbon copies of the originals. By the end, it would have been worth even paying the retail price. Hey,folks, this at least deserves a paperback reissue. In fact, this should even be sent to Patrick Stewart--maybe he'd like to do a follow-up to his marvelous performances on stage,audio, and film. And I know Ms. Scarborough is no unknown writer. This is a "Carol" for the Present and Future.

Fresh and inventive, this book kept me reading as if I hadn't ever read the original on which it's based. I thought I knew what was going to happen, but in Scarborough's hands, the retelling of the familiar tale is brand-new and wonderfully funny and touching. Definitely a fable for the computer age! Ms. Scarborough is a fabulous writer and I plan to read a lot more of her books!

Acorna's People is my favorite in the Acorna series. It is action-packed and romantic. Acorna is basically a full-grown Linyarii by this time and is prepared to choose a life mate. The one she chooses could have a book of his own, he has been through so much. This novel takes place on the new Linyarii home world and it is fascinating how Acorna has been introduced to her people and how she is coping with them on their planet. It is evident that Acorna has a little bit of the "barbaric" humans in her and it takes her awhile to get used to some of her people's customs. This novel is fast-paced and exciting. It is one of my new favorite books. There is deffinetely room for a sequel. I thought that a lot of things were left out of this trilogy. For example, we never found out if Acorna's body will stabilize or if in a few years she will be old. Overall, this book had a strong hold on me and I found it hard to put down. I give it five stars.

I thought Acorna's People was an excellent book. It has a good plot to it. The descriptions of the characters were very descriptive, and I thought the way she made the Linyaari so human, and yet not human, was fascinating. Acorna herself was a startling combination of human characteristics in an alien atmosphere. My favorite part of the book was definately the ending. It left you hanging, and I can't wait for the next book to come out in August so that I can read it. Anne McCaffrey is one of the best authors whose works I've read. This book certainly lives lives up to my standards of her. In my opinion, this is as good as her Pern series.

This third novel in the Acorna series has seen a change in co-author, but the storyline is as strong as it was in Acorna, and improves on Acorna's Quest. Acorna has finally been reunited with her own race, and she has made some startling discoveries about them, including the fact that they come in different colours!!. As with other books by McCaffrey, three main storylines come rushing towards a dramatic climax that will take you on a ride that leaves you breathless and fully sated. There is room for another novel easily, as Acorna and her chosen male companion head off into the stars with two new friends who are as unique as Acorna's collection of Uncle's from the first two novels. Plenty of old friends abound in this novel, but Scarborough and McCaffrey have introduced new friends that will no doubt appear in future Acorna novels by this compelling team of authors.

I have enjoyed McCaffrey's Acorna series but was alittle disapointed with the third book of the series. Acorna's World drew me back into the story with lively, lovable charaters and a exciting plot full of dangers. New characters such as Maati become much more then the two-diminsional characters they started out to be. A good relaxing read.

Acorna's World leads you into areas unexplored about the whole system Ms. McCaffrey has set Acorna in in the first place. It was very fascinating to this avid S.F. & F. reader. As Acorna learns about her real world and people, we are treated to analogies that pertain to our own real world, and how we treat people, that are not really noticed until after you read it. As usual, the characters were realistic, the background/scenery descriptions were captivating. All in all, a fun jaunt through Acorna's world, with some twists to keep the reader intrigued.

We finally get to see Acorna grown up and dealing with her own people, in a culture that she has little understanding of. As often happens, others try to govern her life and actions based upon what they are used to. She manages to retain some control of herself and her own choices.

I'll read anything Anne McCaffrey writes, and this book was certainly up to her usual excellent standards.