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simsbrarian 's review for:
Princess Ben
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
This was an unfortunately written disappointment of a book. I wanted to love a book that had a non-thin main character: and a princess to boot! But this was slow, dragging, written almost entirely as a "tell you" rather than a "show you" description-filled book.
There were many elements I wanted to enjoy (learning magic in a secret wizard's room, drudging away as a captive, working healing magics with herbs, learning the ropes as a head of royal house) but the very slow and bad writing killed it for me.
Some of the most promising parts the author waved away as inconsequential or yadda-yadda'ed them so we don't really get to read about Ben's trials learning to fly or the mistakes she makes as she first takes over running household duties. It felt sloppy and (of course) had the obligatory bit about how the princess loses weight and feels more confident. The author does remind us Ben is still by no means Willowy and encouraged her fellow folks to look upon a person's qualities before their appearance but by this point I was so bored with the book I was skimming just to get to the end.
There were many elements I wanted to enjoy (learning magic in a secret wizard's room, drudging away as a captive, working healing magics with herbs, learning the ropes as a head of royal house) but the very slow and bad writing killed it for me.
Some of the most promising parts the author waved away as inconsequential or yadda-yadda'ed them so we don't really get to read about Ben's trials learning to fly or the mistakes she makes as she first takes over running household duties. It felt sloppy and (of course) had the obligatory bit about how the princess loses weight and feels more confident. The author does remind us Ben is still by no means Willowy and encouraged her fellow folks to look upon a person's qualities before their appearance but by this point I was so bored with the book I was skimming just to get to the end.