A BAROQUE FABLE

BY

CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO

a Berkley Book:  1st edition, 1st printing (July 1986)

CONDITION:  GOOD paperback book with shelfwear at edges and corners.

Deep in the Woebegone Wood, there lurks a rather pathetic dragon. She’s really not a dragon at all. But Princes are inclined to slay first, ask questions later…

Commentaries on line:

A light, humorous fantasy…

A genius wizard that can’t finish a single thought, an ennui-suffering princess, an anxious queen, a knitting king, a meek dragon—that’s the vibe of A Baroque Fable.

Far-off places, (somewhat) daring sword fights and a prince (and a bored princess) in disguise?! I'm a fan of Yarbro's Saint-Germain works and was excited to pick up this vampire-less novel of hers. It was a delight to read and, I think, would be great for anyone who loves fairytales and has a sense of humor about it.  Yarbro's prose is dexterous yet whimsical and the curious cast of characters is wonderfully entertaining.

The characters lack the dreary realism too many writers of fairy-stories try to impart these days, and instead are (slightly wonky) caricatures of something other than what you might expect.

Oh. And they sing occasionally. There's even music to the songs in the back of the book. Indeed, it apparently started life as a musical, and Yarbro made a book of it, for which I am truly pleased.

It's out of print, but available…

Nice story with a lot of humor that makes a good quick read. Perfect for kids and adults alike. Try it out.

SO GOOD. It was hilarious, fun, and quirky. And it had songs! Good stuff!

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