Product Description
After Widdershins, I thought I wouldn't write at length about Jilly again. I'd promised one more short story about her for Bill at Subterranean Press, but that would be it. Having left her in a good place at the end of Widdershins, I didn't want to complicate her life yet again, so I planned to set the story earlier in her life, during her first year as a student at Butler University.Except the story grew. I was having too much fun visiting with this younger Jilly, so I asked Bill if I could expand it to a short novel. He agreed, so now I m busily working away on this as-yet-untitled novella.It takes place in 1972 and begins with Jilly getting a surprise visit from an old friend--her only friend--from her runaway days. Interspersed with the main story that leads off from that meeting are flashbacks to pivotal moments in her life: time spent in the Home for Wayward Girls, her life on the street, meeting and working with the Grasso Street Angel, the first time she meets various familiar faces (Geordie, Sophie, etc.), and chronicles how the messed-up street kid she was grew a social conscience, and became the cheerful character we know from later stories.Although the book does deal with some serious subjects, the tone isn't all doom and gloom. And while I hope that those of you familiar with these characters will enjoy this visit with their younger selves, I'm also trying to make it a friendly entry into Newford for new readers.Lastly, I'm delighted to say that Mike Dringenberg--an artist I ve wanted to work with for ages--will be doing the cover.- Charles de Lint ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Promises Kept
If you're considering this book, then you're probably already familiar with Jilly Coppercorn. This is a great way to delve into her past.
If you've never read a Charles de Lint book then you're in for a treat, though earlier books would be better to begin with. de Lint does his magic like no other writer. A mixture of Modern urban, Celtic & Indian myth/folklore, served with a side of human catalyst.

Wonderful read, worth the wait
This weekend, my copy of Promises to Keep arrived. I had intended to let it sit until I had finished some of the work that I had do, but then it's hard to focus on preparing a talk when there is a bright shiny new Charles de Lint book sitting there looking at you. I swear, the book had little glistening eyes that watched everything I did and then suddenly looked away whenever I checked to see what it was doing. But I digress...

As stated in the "story about the book" on the inside cover, this was the book that grew from a short story that was to be put into a collection of stories that were never collected. It's about Jilly's early years in Newford, as Charles de Lint doesn't want to write more about her after Widdershins (Newford). It's a fine story which takes its time popping between Jilly's early life and "present day", which is when Jilly is in college. I won't spoil any of the plot points, but to say that it is fully consistent with the mythologies around Newford.

To digress a bit, the best thing about the first Alien movie was that no one really knew what the alien was. There was a sense of mystery and discovery there that wasn't possible to achieve in later films until AVP came along and reset the story. In many ways, this book does that for Newford. In fact, Charles de Lint states that he hopes that this book can become a good entry point for new readers. However, much like I wouldn't want a viewer to start with AVP, I wouldn't want a reader to start here.

There is as great a joy in rediscovery as there is in the initial discovery. If someone reads this book first, the later books will feel like review. However, if you start at the beginning with Dreams Underfoot and meander slowly through the rest of Newford, this book will feel like what it truly is. A sweet little bonus to Jilly's story; one that I'm happy to have. ... Read more

Book Description
When fourteen-year-old TJ and her family are forced to move from their farm to the suburbs, she has to give up her beloved horse, Red—but she makes a surprising new friend. Elizabeth is a “Little,” a six-inch-high punked-out teen with an attitude, who has run away from home to make her way in the world. TJ and Elizabeth—the Big and the Little—soon become friends, but each quickly finds herself in a truly life-threatening situation, and they are unable to help each other. Little (Grrl) Lost is a delightful combination of realism, magic, humor, and hope, and is sure to win Charles de Lint many new teen and adult fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Fun romp in a Littles world
Who hasn't wondered if others live among us? I know when I was a child I fantasized about fairies, elves, and other creatures living close by. Okay, I admit, I always had a very vivid imagination. But what would you do if you actually did see one?

One such girl does in the book LITTLE (GRRL) LOST.

T.J.'s family has to relocate to the suburbs after a recent stock market crash. T.J. hates her new home. She's lonely for her friends and especially her horse Red, who she had to leave behind.

After hearing noises in the wall of her new home, out pops Elizabeth a 'little' who's 6 inches tall. But don't let Elizabeth's size fool you. She's packed with mega 'tude.

Both T.J. and Elizabeth forge a friendship. Everything is okay, in a rocky sort of way. Elizabeth's family has moved on but T.J. finds an author who has written stories about 'littles' that are uncannily real. Both agree to go to a booksigning in order to ask the author if she can help Elizabeth know where her parents have gone. While on the way, T.J. is bullied by a group of boys who steal her backpack, where Elizabeth is hiding.

Elizabeth is not so tough when she finds herself out in the open where things like cats can prove deadly. She runs into a 'Ranger' who shares secrets of her family. Elizabeth goes out searching for the truth.

T.J. in the meantime is sick with worrying about Elizabeth. She ends up looking for the author who has written stories about littles, hoping she might be able to help her find Elizabeth.

Once again Charles De Lint doesn't disappoint. I enjoyed following T.J.'s adventures trying to find Elizabeth. At first T.J. is timid but later she learns to trust her instincts on who to trust and what to do in order to help her 'little' friend. Elizabeth also learns along her own path in our world. This tale has a little bit of something for everyone. The reality of our world seen through the eyes of a 'little' is believable. Also I liked how T.J.'s character grew throughout the story.

Great CdL book for Middle School readers
I've been reading Charles de Lint novels and short stories for nearly as long as he's been writing them. And in that time I've recommended various books to people of a variety of ages. However, as fun as his books can be, not nearly enough of them were appropriate for younger readers.

I was very excited to see this title added to his small, but growing list of books geared towards younger readers. I think that this book is the first that would be appropriate for upper middle school readers.

Some of the complaints of one of the other reviewers are, to me, some of the strengths of this book for a younger audience. The narration stays fairly tightly focused on the two main characters: TJ & Elizabeth. The secondary characters are developed based on the amount of interaction TJ and Elizabeth have with them. And while both girls do change to varying degrees within the short time period of the book, the changes do not seem entirely implausible if you consider all that happens in that time.

This is a fine tale of how friends can change your life and yourself when you let them. And it is a fun entry into the rather large fantasy world of Charles de Lint.

vivid and magical
"Little (Grrl) Lost" is Charles De Lint's latest novel set in the fictitious city of Newford, the setting for much of De Lint's work that helped to establish the urban fantasy genre. "The Blue Girl" from 2006 is another novel set in Newford (Cliff note plot to that book: Punky teen Imogen wants to start fresh, and mistake-free, when her family moves to Newford. She makes friends with Maxine, straight-laced girl with an overprotective mother. As time passes the girls observe strange happenings at their school and wind up matching wits with some very mean fairies among other things.)

The story in "Little (Grrl) Lost" is refreshingly straightforward for a fantasy: Fourteen-year-old T.J. is furious when her family has to leave their farm and move to Newford. To makes matter worse, T.J. has to leave behind her horse, Red, and her best friend. T.J. has a hard time adjusting to city life and making new friends--until she meets Elizabeth: a punky teenager who lives with her family in the walls of T.J.'s house. Elizabeth is a Little by name. And literally, standing only six inches tall.

As time passes, the girls form an unlikely friendship and begin an even more surprising adventure as they navigate their way through Little-lore and the urban streets of Newford as T.J. tries to help Elizabeth find her way in the Big world (and maybe find her own place in Newford at the same time).

This novel is extremely complicated stylistically. The story is told in multiple points-of-view with varying narration styles. The amazing thing about this technique is that De Lint still manages to create a seamless narration. He transitions between sections easily without being redundant or leaving the reader at a loss.

In order to better establish the difference between the narrations, De Lint writes T.J.'s section using the traditional third-person, past tense narration ("Jane walked to the store.") incorporating periods from Geoff or Jaime's perspective to flesh out certain events. Elizabeth's sections, on the other hand, are written in the first-person, present tense ("I walk to the store."), a style that is becoming very common in contemporary novels. (This style is also what makes Elizabeth's sections of the narration sound more like De Lint's other YA Newford novel, "The Blue Girl.")

Most of the novel is set in the course of two very eventful days for the girls. Nonetheless, the narrative feels expansive. De Lint takes his time, fleshing out the details of T.J. and Elizabeth's adventures. The story is also fairly light, maintaining a generally upbeat feel.

The important thing to remember about the story is that T.J. is fourteen while Elizabeth is sixteen or seventeen. For this reason, T.J.'s sections of the story read younger than the rest. And rightly so. In addition to creating very individual "voices" for the protagonist's, De Lint also makes their age difference (and personality differences) clear with the divergent focuses of their narrative segments. That's really hard to do without making the characters seem exaggerated or flat.

Unfortunately, for prolific authors like De Lint comparisons become inevitable. The most obvious one being between "Little (Grrl) Lost" and "The Blue Girl" because the novels are both YA and close together in terms of publications. To be clear, this is not a fair comparison. "The Blue Girl" is longer which means it has more space to deal with plot issues, and the characters are older which means they are not going to sound like T.J. In fact, beyond being set in Newford, the books have nothing in common.

"Little (Grrl) Lost" does, however, have the same character types as "The Blue Girl": punk "bad" girl (Elizabeth/Imogen) and normal "goody-two-shoes" girl (T.J./Maxine). The difference is that the "good girl" gets a chance to voice her own opinions instead of leaving all of the narration to her best friend. This narrative split does, of course, create a different kind of novel but it is used here to good effect.

Despite it's relatively short length, "Little (Grrl) Lost" is rich with detail, but the narrative is never over the top with description or explanation. Even with its numerous narrative voices, the story is never redundant. Basically, "Little (Grrl) Lost" gets everything right in terms of writing conventions. De Lint once again brings Newford and his characters (Big or Little) to life in this vivid and magical novel.

Disappointing Installment in the Newford Saga
I have been an avid fan of Mr. De Lint, ever since I picked up a copy of Waifs and Strays.Waifs and Strays showed me that Charles De Lint was a writer capable of taking youth seriously-of not attempting to be 'edgy,' of not pretending to be someone he wasn't.I felt like he wasn't making some sort of leap and bound to get into our heads, he was just using teenagers as characters, playing off their hopes, dreams, and insecurities the same as any other types of characters.When I read his 2004 novel, The Blue Girl, I was reaffirmed.Maxine was a believable teenager, struggling to live up to the pressures mounted upon her by her mother, while Imogen was a teenager who was wise beyond her years, simply from having made almost every possible mistake at a young age.These characters never seemed like they were written for teenagers, simply that they were written.Sadly, this sets them apart from Charles De Lint's newest YA novel, Little (Grrl) Lost.The title itself is rather annoying, using a cutesy phrase, and adding a rather mundane piece of teen slang smack dab in the middle, while at the same time making a quite obvious pun on the word, "Little."However, I'm not here to talk about the title.I'm here to talk about the work.While I must say that I found it enjoyable, I can't say that I thought it was good.To say that the two are the same is to place Meg Cabot and Charles Dickens on nearly the same literary tier.Little (Grrl) Lost is an easy read.If I thought that anything Charles De Lint wrote was meant to be 'easy,' than I would simply give him a pat on the head for this book.To be completely honest, I don't understand where Charles De Lint was trying to go with this book.It's almost as if he tried, quite desperately, to cram several dozen concepts into two-hundred and sixty eight pages, and managed only to get the basic levels of each of them.So many wonderful characters are overlooked, and several actions go unexplained.For example, why did Geoff act in such an abrasive manner towards TJ?It's quite obvious that he isn't actually that bad of a guy.Also, what do we really know about Jaime?Or Red?Or Derek?What about Jan, Hadley, or Mina? So many side characters, that if they were fleshed out, could easily make the book good, all on their own, are completely overlooked.Why?To be honest, this book never really seemed to be a story.It seemed to be the groundwork for a story-but not one in and of itself.Yes, certain aspects were good in their own right, for instance, the scene with the Goblin Market, or the experience with Sheri.Now, I know that Charles De Lint tries to limit his adult characters to mere cameos during YA books, but it really seemed like Sheri was propped up as some sort of goal in order to make the story progress.As for the two main characters, Elizabeth and TJ, I came out of it knowing next to nothing about them.Elizabeth simply seems rather flat, and her personality seems to suddenly change.Three weeks of friendship and one day as a baker do not a selfless person make.And TJ?I couldn't tell what to make of TJ.To be honest, her seeming to be a normal kid, and then being played off as being inexplicably 'wise beyond her years' kind of bothered me.I think that there should have been more expanding on those weeks that TJ and Elizabeth spent together, as it felt rather annoying, having those weeks suddenly jerked out from under me.To conclude this review, I'd simply like to say that I think this is a great story-one I'd very much like to read, and that I certainly haven't.What I've read, what this book is, is the bottom layer.I have the basics of many personalities, and I have the setup of a story-but I want to know more.Who was the girl with the mohawk hats?Why is Red such a nice guy?Why is Geoff a jerk?And what about Elizabeth's parents?The off-screen way in which they were played reminded me of the adults in the Peanuts cartoons, which are voiced only with a trumpet.All in all, this could be a great story-but this book isn't.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Charles de Lint once said, "The fey wonders of the world only exist while there are those with the sight to see them."

Magical Folk are very particular who they appear to and not every Tom, Dick, or Mary can see them.

T.J., in LITTLE (GRRL) LOST, has the sight.

Scritch, scritch, scritch.....

T.J. has been hearing that sound for days now as she lay in her bed at night. Each time she turns on her light to investigate, the noises stop. She hopes its not mice making the racket. It didn't sound like mice and when she leaned her ear up against the baseboard she thought she actually heard....voices. Crazy, huh?

But then the impossible happened -- a door in the wall suddenly opened, splashing a stream of light, and out walked a little girl with bright blue hair and a dufflebag slung over her shoulder. She looked to be about six inches tall. Her parents were demanding that she come back this instant.

T.J. thought she was dreaming, but yet she was wide awake and this little girl was talking to her. She had a huge attitude, making her seem much taller than her six inches. It turned out that they had a lot in common and that night was the start of a friendship.

With two plots running, the main lesson learned from this story is that it doesn't matter if you are a Little or a Big, learning about yourself is a growing process that at times takes you on journeys you never would have imagined.

I didn't read much fantasy until a student put one of Charles de Lint's books in my hand - from that moment on I was hooked. His work (at least the ones I have read) I find to be engaging and easy to read. LITTLE (GRRL) LOST, his newest offering, is no exception. I finished it within a couple of hours. I think what I like most about his work is that it is not hardcore dark fantasy. Instead, it is contemporary fiction with all of the fantastical elements needed to be considered a fantasy selection - fairies, gnomes, goblins, and other magical creatures.

Reviewed by: coollibrarianchick ... Read more

Amazon.com
Tapping the Dream Tree collects 18 stories by bestselling contemporary fantasy master Charles de Lint. One story, "The Witching Hour," is original to this volume, with a few others taken from limited-edition chapbooks; the remaining tales have been drawn from an impressive diversity of magazines and anthologies. The stories are set in and around de Lint's mythic, haunted American city of Newford, and fans will recognize several characters from de Lint's popular series.

The powerful story "Ten for The Devil" is a superb choice for an opener: it showcases de Lint's literary strengths and treats of his recurring themes of magic, music, creativity, and human worth. Musician Staley Cross's grandmother has always warned her to be careful when she plays her blue fiddle. But Staley never quite believed that her music could rouse dangerous magic... until one night, playing in a faraway field, she discovers the Devil doesn't only go down to Georgia. First published before the filming of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, "Ten for the Devil" draws upon the same crossroads myth as does the movie, but takes a very different road as it follows Staley's search for her only hope of soul survival: a mysterious bluesman known as Robert. --Cynthia WardBook Description
Now in softcover, a brand new installment in the Newford saga, the World Fantasy Award-winning series of urban fantasy fiction by one of the most popular writers working today. Charles de Lint's urban fantasies, including Moon-heart, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl, have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary magical fiction. At the heart of his work is the ongoing 'Newford' series, of which this is the latest volume. Here we meet a bluesman hiding from the devil; a Buffalo Man at the edge of death, a murderous ghost looking for revenge, a wolf man on his first blind date, and many more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Dreams Are Important
"Tapping the Dream Tree" is a weighty collection of Newford stories by Charles De Lint, revisiting some of his favoriate characters such as Jilly, Sophie and the Crow Girls.It does include a novelette --'Seven Wild Sisters'.For those of us who have had to search for vanished magazine copies of the stories, this anthology is a wonderful find. His characters are real, in some universe, and it's great to know more about them and their lives. Any De Lint reader needs to have this volume in their collection.

A Former Non-Fan of De Lint
After reading the reviews posted here I realize that I have missed out on quite a lot of excellent reading material over the years. The only three de Lint books I have ever come into contact with are The Onion Girl, Tapping the Dream Tree, and Spirits in the Wires.Some die-hard fans will therefore, I am sure, immediately discount my disagreement with the seemingly negative opinion of this book shown by the majority of the reviewers here.In particular, I strongly disagree with the review that states, "This one is for the fans... only" because this is the first De Lint book I ever read.

I will freely admit that I am a sucker for a good short story.I must also say that, if the first de Lint I had read was a continuous novel, I might not have gone around town recommending it to everyone I knew, as I did with Tapping the Dream Tree.This might not be as deep or as emotional or as detailed as some of de Lint's other work, but, from my reading of the stories, de Lint writes into these stories as much detail and emotional description as a short story can possibly contain.

As a short-story writer, one of the most difficult things to do well is to leave out parts that you could write in.If you choose well, these left out pieces add to your characters and stories more effectively than their inclusion.de Lint is excellent in this respect.Some of these characters are so well written that you want to step into their world and find out what they are like on a normal day and if they've ever had a normal day and what they like in their coffee or if they like coffee at all.They are characters that have deep wells of untouchably fascinating personality.

In summary... I loved this book.I loved these characters.This is the first De Lint book I ever read.This is still my favorite De Lint book. If you have never read de Lint, and if you like short stories from Bradbury (all of his shorts, not just his Martian Chronicles), and you would like to find a book of fantasy that captures the same feelings of making all things strange and, in strangeness, strangely beautiful, read de Lint's Tapping the Dream Tree.It is good enough to be worth reading.

People don't understand these stories are not new.....
All of these stories are from previous rare Chap books and other small press printings from many many years of Mr. De Lint's body of work.
So some of the stories aren't as well told because well they were written 10-15 years ago.....also this clearly states it is full of SHORT stories..short stories can't go into the kind of detail several folks seem to be demanding from De Lint. If you want more details of some of these characters by the OTHER anthologies of Newford as well as the full length novels. Don't whine and complain because you feel like you got dropped into the middle when the books clearly says it is MORE tales from Newford..not ALL the tales from Newford....sigh.
Beautiful collection lovely lyrical quality and and engaging characters. I have only a few De lints I have not enjoyed and this certianly not one of them.

Sadly, de Lint and Newford stumble -
I'm a fan of Charles de Lint, and I love Newford, the city he's created and in which he's set so many good tales.I was eager to get to this fourth volume of Newford stories.

I confess that I'm one of a billion fans silently pressuring de Lint to tell me more about all my favorite characters, and here they are - the Riddels, the Kelledys, the crow girls.Well, mother always said to be careful what you wish for.

These stories are just so disappointing.The characters you love... just coasting, covering no new ground, sad shadows of themselves.Here, for example, is Jilly Coppercorn - mouthing catchphrases and jerking around like an automaton.Christy Riddel meats a ghost - who has a hell of a lot more life than he does.Suddenly the conflicted, intelligent writer is a cardboard cut-out, as deep and nuanced as a french fry. And here's Sophie, on another magical adventure - having the same tired argument with herself about whether the magic is real.

Yes, there are new characters.In one excruciatingly badly written tale, told entirely in dialogue, two young men discover magic power and Learn About Themselves.Bleh.A man and woman save a stranger from getting killed and discover he was being hunted by fallen angels.How to keep the "freaks" (a word he uses WAY too often, here and elsewhere) from coming for revenge?

"Live a good life. Be good people.Keep hateful thoughts out of your heart and mind."This theme is repeated throughout the anthology, over and over and over, just this clumsily.Every tale a morality tale, everywhere a Message.

Really, some of these stories are so bad, one wonders why people published them in their anthologies and magazines and such. I guess because they say "Charles de Lint" on them.Maybe nobody wants to hurt his feelings. And maybe that's a problem.The Onion Girl, and now Tapping the Dream Tree, suggest that maybe de Lint doesn't have anything more to say about our beloved characters, or even magical Newford.Somebody, something, needs to push him to use his powerful, wonderful imagination again.Hey, I know, nobody's perfect. But the time period covered by these stories... that's a long time stumbling.

Fans may want to grit through this collection, despite the flaws and disappointments."Ten for the Devil," "Pixel Pixies," and "Big City Littles" are worth reading, and harken back to the GOOD collections of Newford tales, in spirit.

Honestly, though, it's a waste of time, money, and hope.And a sorry waste of Charles de Lint.

Charming modern folk tales--convincing and emotional
A killer who reads minds, a group of young women who find pixies coming from their computers, hobs in their bookstores, and lovers in their dreams, people who sell their souls to the devil, and seven red-haired sisters who live in the forest and discover the war between the sang fairies and the bee fairies. Author Charles de Lint provides a delightful assortment of modern fairy tales. De Lint's stories are charming and fresh, dealing with authentic people rather than shallow fairy-tale heros--and with real magic.

TAPPING THE DREAM TREE is a wonderful collection of stand-alone stories, connected stories about the dream tree and a dream city, and a short novel of the seven sisters. This isn't a dark cyber-punk return-of-magic story, but a modern version of folk stories where fairie creatures may be powerful and beautiful, but are frequently indifferent to humans. Most of the stories are set in the countryside rather than in the city and reflect a peaceful pacing.

De Lint's writing paints pictures for his stories, compelling the reader without any sense of hurry. I found myself savoring the stories even though a part of me wanted to plunge on and find out what happens next. If you've read de Lint before, you know what to expect and you'll be delighted to find it. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. De Lint is a winner and TAPPING THE DREAM TREE is a powerful collection of stories that needs to be added to your must-read pile. ... Read more

Book Description
High school senior Miguel’s life is turned upside down when he meets new girl Lainey, whose family has just moved from Australia. With her tumbled red-gold hair, her instant understanding of who he is, and her unusual dog—a real Australian dingo—she’s unforgettable. And, as he quickly learns, she is on the run from an ancient bargain made by her ancestors. There’s no question that Miguel will do whatever he can to help her—but what price will each of them have to pay? Dingo is quintessential Charles de Lint, set close to his beloved, invented city of Newford—a mixture of darkness and hope, humor and mystery, and the friendship within love. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Nobody does urban fantasy better than Charles de Lint. He has a gift for creating engaging, fully realized characters, totally believable dialogue, and a feeling that magic is just around the corner.

Someplace to Be Flying is set in Newford, a town familiar to readers of de Lint. (He set two prior novels (Memory and Dream and Trader) and two anthologies (Dreams Underfoot and The Ivory and the Horn) in Newford.) One late night, as Hank drives his gypsy cab, his reliable though perilous city is transformed. He encounters the mythical "animal people," and the experience leaves him--and the reader--questioning accepted reality.

"Hank just wanted away from here. He'd sampled some hallucinogens when he was a kid and the feeling he had now was a lot like coming down from an acid high. Everything slightly askew, illogical things that somehow made sense, everything too sharp and clear when you looked at it but fading fast in your peripheral vision, blurred, like it didn't really exist." Fans of Emma Bull and Terri Windling (as both an editor and an author) will enjoy de Lint. He can make you believe "as many as six impossible things before breakfast." --Nona VeroBook Description
Now in trade paperback,one of the classics of Charles de Lint's 'Newford'sequence L ily is a photojournalist in search of the 'animal people' who supposedly haunt the city's darkest slums. Hank is a slumdweller who knows the bad streets all too well. One night, in a brutal incident, their two lives collide-uptown Lily and downtown Hank, each with a quest and a role to play in the secret drama of the city's oldest inhabitants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

A Magical Urban Animal-People Mystery
This wonderful novel takes place in a city, but on the fringes of that urban environment live people who are part animal and can change forms. Based on Native American mythology, De Lint has constructed a wonderful world of colorful characters (one man lives in an old bus at a dump, another drives an armor-plated taxi for gangsters).

I got lost in this remarkable fantasy--highly recommended.
Also read "The Trader" (a man wakes up in another man's body--a page turner), by De Lint.

Someplace To Be Flying
Wonderful Urban Myth that touches the heart deeply.I recommend this book to everyone.

Plotless
After buying this book on the recommendation of a bookstore owner, I read the first 5 pages with interest and delight. Although Lily seemed way overdressedto be going off looking for the animal people in a bad part of town, the opening scenes held enough promise to put that aside and move on. However, from that scene to about p100, the plot basically stopped as de Lint introduced character after character who basically did nothing except talk, introduce themselves, tell a story or two and talk to other people about tattoos, their parents, jazz, furniture, music, food and other interesting things. However, I wanted a story to permeate all this, and there was really nothing. A lot of description of people's histories, more furniture, more jazz, natural scenes, birds, houses etc. Lots of posturing, breaking of pool cues, talking, meandering, talking, meandering.

After four attempts to complete the novel, I put it down at p148, thoroughly disappointed. Lots of promise, no STORY.

I won't be reading any more de Lint.

One of his best!
This novel is Charles de Lint at his finest.This novel has it all-spiritualism, love, and...the crow girls.

One of the Best Books I've Ever Read!!!
I'm not sure what book some other reviewers read who posted less than favorable comments, but this book was easily one of the top 5 books I've ever read.Given that I have multiple large containers of books, you will understand that I've read quite a lot.With this book, I never wanted to set it down, but I started reading on a business trip and unfortunately work kept interfering with my reading!I did; however, recommend it to some of the people I was working with while only part way through the book. I was ready to read it again as soon as I finished!The characters De Lint develops are extremely engaging as is the storyline he pursues.As someone who is interested in Native American folklore, as well as mythology and folklore in general, the ideas presented in this book were very intriguing.I found this book genuine enough, and realistic enough, that I was ready to start looking for animal people around me. The story may have shifted to different viewpoints throughout, but I had no trouble keeping up and had no confusion as to view or place while reading.My only disappointment is that I do not believe that there are any additional books with these characters as I would love to read more about their lives and their adventures. As it is, I went out and bought 4 or 5 more De Lint books to read. Enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description
A young woman locked in rage yet seeking magic, Ash is drawn into a wondrous Otherworld of totems and dryads, living tarots and mystic charms. At the same time, Ash's cousin Nina is stalked by an Otherworld demon-a manitou who can force her mind and soul into the bodies of beasts. Ash must find the strength to overcome her own anger, learn the full power of magic, and save Nina before she becomes the manitou's weapon, turning the faerie realm into an arctic wasteland. De Lint fans will relish this urban and otherworldly fantasy, partially set in the author's trademark Newford.

"One of the most original fantasy writers currently working." (Booklist) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Nina discovers her true totem
Author, Charles De Lint says, "I was a little nervous when I started my first book written specifically for a teen audience, not being sure how to approach the actual writing.Do I make the language simpler?Do I tone down the intensity of the story?"

What he actually did was write a rather static story where the characters are very much into navel-gazing and long, dull speeches.

For instance, as the bad guy has his knife poised, ready to skewer one of the heroines, he says:"There is a spirit living in that tower; her name is Ya-wau-tse.She once lived free as the Manitou always have, but then she tasted worship and stepped from the turning of her Wheel.The worship sustained her, raised this tower for her, changed her perceptions of her place in the natural order of the world"...blah, blah, blah.

The really strange thing about this speech is that the reader already learned these details earlier in the book.

The heroines are also a bit too passive and introspective for my taste.I guess I'm used to the British 'get on with it' spirit in children's books.The Boxcar Children make a home for themselves in an abandoned railcar.Harry Potter wins the Triwizard Tournament.Lassie comes home.That sort of thing.

The supernatural themes in this book are handled with De Lint's usual deftness.I particularly like the tarot reading scene where Ashley begins to discover a purpose to her life, and the scene where Nina discovers her true totem.

The primeval forests of Otherworld, peopled with Manitou and other strange spirits are standard De Lint, but always worth a visit.

A sweet look into a Charles de Lint world
Normally, reading a Charles de Lint novel pulls you into an entirely new world, showing vivid landscapes (and dreamscapes), fascinating characters and twisting and twining plots."The Dreaming Place" is like a junior Charles de Lint novel, just a peek into what he tends to give a reader.For a first timer, don't judge this as his best work.It's not.But it is a sweet story.It does lay the morality on a bit thickly, but for a young adult, it's a great little book.I enjoyed this short visit into the typical de Lint landscape.Don't take it too seriously, sit back, and enjoy it.

My opinion:Meh
The Dreaming Place is a YA urban fantasy novel about two cousins, sixteen year old girls, who get tangled up in a magical tug-of-war with a Native American spirit of winter.The story is a sweet one, but I felt just a little too heavy-handed with the moral.It did touch me in some spots, but in others I felt it was being too obvious.

The main characters, Nina and Ash, are so typical they verge on being stereotypes.The book ends up being Caitlin's Way crossed with Sabrina the Teenaged Witch...

I ended up liking Ash more than Nina mainly because I could identify with her pain (she lost her mother).And because, despite her predictability, she showed more personality than her cousin.I kept being annoyed by the book because Nina was acting rather vapid and whiny through most of it, and I could feel the author's preference for her on every page.

De Lint, I think, thought more people (or kids) would identify with Nina, who is smart and thinks math is interesting and worries about boys and complexions and reads Sassy magazine.Ash is the bad one--the girl who skips class and doesn't care about things, and walls off her emotions, and can't deal with the world.But Ash, who often sits in the park and has actual conversations with homeless people (oh my!) is a far more complex character in my view.She has bravery and skill as well as brains.This all comes into play when the conflict rears its ugly head, but the end message seems to be "Only when Ash learns that it's better to be more like her cousin than like herself can she save the day and be happy."I'm not down with that.

The idea for this book is a good one.But I think length worked against de Lint in that some areas of the otherworld and Nina's personal power (not to mention Ash's) and what forces led to this confrontation were not as fleshed out as they could have been.This felt like it should have been a longer book but just... wasn't.

The secondary characters need a lot of help themselves.Nina's parents are doing well in their roles until the end, where they come face to face with the weirdness going on in their daughter and niece's lives.However, at that point they become highly unbelievable and one wonders if things might have gone better had they not ever gotten involved.Better for the reader, anyway, not to have to deal with the thin or unbelievable characterization going on.

The most interesting person in the book is a secondary character:Cassie.At one point Ash realizes that she doesn't know much about this woman she calls friend and regrets it.I regret it, too, because I'm far more interested in her role in this and her past than I am in anyone else in the book.

Once we get beyond Ash and Nina, everyone else starts to take on the veneer of Plot Device.

There is a lot of bandying about with different kinds of magic and belief systems.Native American shamans (or, juju men...) hanging out with women who deal magical tarot cards.Then there is the Dreaming Place itself, which is supposed to be faerie or the dreamtime or any quasi-magical not the real world place in mythology.But it's mostly populated by Native American spirits and creatures.There's also something about a Cornish spirit that didn't come through clear to me.

Basically, de Lint is trying to weave several different systems here to create a mysterious, yet coherent, whole.It's not quite working, in my opinion.

Despite all my grousing, I enjoyed most of the book.It wasn't until the end that things started falling apart and losing steam.The premise is good, the execution not so.A good read for the Tween set, as it isn't truly bad, and may teach them a thing or two.

Simply Beautiful
I loved the intermingling of spirituality and fantasy within the pages of this Charles De Lint novella. I am beginning to seriously wonder if De Lint is pagan or not. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Lammas Eve

This is a SHORT story people
This is a delightful SHORT story by CDL. Full of interesting characters with the same sort of style we expect of CDL.
This book, originally printed in 1990 with Brian Froud's illustrations, was part of a special project I beleive conceived by Froud and CDL with others. I am very fond of this book and do not agree with folks that this isn't as good as his later work.
CDL had already written many novels by the time this book was released it was never intended to be a novel but just a short excusion into the world of Newford.
In all honesty I have been more disapointed with his more recent work, it all seems rushed contrived and almost boring in some cases. In fact, much of his new writing is too predictable now whereas this and his other older work is still amazing and new something to truly savor and enjoy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Worth Reading
I find myself striking a balance between wanting to say, "This is not one of de Lint's best works," and "This is a thoughtful and interesting to his novel Moonheart."I found the initial structure of the book to be a bit off-setting; the book is more like three interconnected novellas instead of a solid single novel.However, by the end of the book I was emotionally vested in the characters, to the point of blurting out, "She did WHAT?" in the laundromat in the final chapter.So while not as moving nor as fantastic as Moonheart, Spiritwalk is a thought-provoking collection on life, love, relationships with the divine, and relationships with people - including ourselves.

Not De Lint's best
I was expecting a fine read when I began this book, since the writer is such a good one, a master of both short stories and novels.This book was, to put it briefly, a major letdown. The pagan characters are of course onehundred percent virtuous and always manage to save the day, an example ofperfect propoganda.If an author had attempted similar characters, onlymaking them Christian or Jewish, they would be condemned for preaching, butI guess it's okay if they're Wiccan.While De Lint condemns New Agetheology in this book, he presents quite a bit of it.The attempt to mixtogether several plots is also a failure - the first story is extremelydry, the second moderately interesting and the third average at best. Overall the attempt to mix them into one coherent book does not work andthe whole comes across as very convoluted (sp?).I'd recommend Trader foranyone who wants a real taste of De Lint's writing - even fans of hisshould skip over this.

An interesting new kind of fantasy
Spiritwalk is a sequel to Moonheart.I accidently read this book before Moonheart, but I have since corrected that error.It makes much more sense when you know who the characters are ;)

I think that de Lint'swriting is decent, and his stories are good.They are a different kind offantasy, pulling the otherworld into our world, an occurance that surprisesthe characters as much as the reader.They are perhaps gothic, having adark tone to them, but good still triumphs over evil.

Moonheart isdefinately a better book, but those who liked it would be interested in thestories in this one.Other reviewers have compared de Lint to Tolkien andCS Lewis, but I think they were misguided.The fantasy of Tolkien andLewis is of a different brand.For one thing, they are Christian, and thisis clearly reflected in the organization of their secondary worlds.DeLint's writing is based on a different, polytheistic tradition, and thisalso is apparent in his writing.[In Moonheart, it is mainly Celtic w/some Native American, in Spiritwalk it focuses more on the Native American,and in later works such as Svaha, it is a blend of Native American andEastern mysticism].Not that you can't like all three of these authors [Ido], but I do not think that they are similar enough to be compared.Iappreciate each for his merits.I would consider de Lint to be modern inhis themes, and his writing to be exclusively for teenagers and adults [NOTchildren!]My reason for this would most likely be sex scenes, which,while I'm on the topic, tend be described in rather ridiculous terms, butthen, I am no fan of romance novels.These stories are an interestingrendition of ancient rituals of magic crossing into modern Canada. ... Read more

Book Description
A young artist returns to her cabin in the deep woods of Canada to concentrate on her illustrations. But somehow, strange and beau-tiful creatures are slipping into her drawings and sketches. The world of Faerie is reaching out to her for help-and she may be its last chance for survival. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Wild Wood
This is a reporint of the very best of the early works by Charles De Lint.The character is Eithnie, an artist trapped by family patterns, afraid to trust, who becomes involved with Coyote Joe, the Trickster.An allegory about the 'butterfly effect', this small book is sheer magic and love upon the pages. ... Read more

Book Description
Lillian is an orphan who lives with her aunt on a homestead miles from anyone, surrounded by uncharted forest. She wanders the woods, chasing squirrels and rabbits and climbing trees. Free-spirited and independent Lillian is a kindred spirit to the many wild cats who gather around the ancient beech tree. One day, while she is under the beech, Lillian is bitten by a poisonous snake. The cats refuse to let her die, and use their magic to turn her into one of their own. How she becomes a girl again is a lyrical, original folktale.

Set in the countryside north of de Lint's fictional Newford, with some of the same characters as the duo's recent, acclaimed Seven Wild Sisters, A Circle of Cats is the long-awaited first picture book by long-time friends Charles de Lint and Charles Vess, whose masterful art is as magical as the story.

Illustrations by Charles Vess. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Charles De Lint Original Faery Tale/Folk Tale
This book is a prequel to "Seven Wild Sisters", and focuses on the character of Lillian, a free-spirited orphan, who lives with her aunt, miles away from others. She is an independent and free spirit who leaves food for wild cats and seeks fairies in the wild forest and countryside. This is a magical, lyrical, and original fairytale written by Charles de Lint. Charles Vess' illustrations, in color throughout the book, are superb! Today it is rare to find an original faerytale that isn't a retelling of a classic tale. I recommend this book to all age groups, and most especially to those who love cats and faerytales. I predict that this book, along with the others in the series, will be cherished and read for years to come!

A wonderful story with great illustrations...good for all ages.
Lillian is an orphan who lives with her aunt on a homestead miles from anyone, surrounded by forests. She wanders around the woods, chasing squirrels and rabbits and climbing trees. Free-spirited and independent Lillian is a friend to the many wild cats who gather around the ancient beech tree. One day, while she is under the beech, Lillian is bitten by a poisonous snake. The cats refuse to let her die, and use their magic to turn her into one of their own. I absolutely LOVED this book, and the illustrations are gorgeous!My daughter and I both enjoyed reading this book together.One of our absolute favorites.

A new North American fable
Charles de Lint has long been creating a new North American mythology through his Newford (and pre-Newford, for that matter) stories of magical realities in a modern world, where Celtic, Native American, cyberspatial and other mysteries combine into a fresh tapestry of lore. Now, de Lint and artist Charles Vess have created a modern folk tale in which a young girl and the spirits of trees interact with the innate magic of cats.

The story is written for children, but adults -- particularly those who have been steeped in de Lint's lore in the past -- will still find this tale absorbing. It's perfect to read aloud to a child or for an intermediate reader to enjoy alone. The artwork, too, is an integral part of the story; Vess supplies us with a very vivid, spindly limbed and red-haired young heroine, brimming with sparkle and delight, seeing the world through deep, thoughtful eyes.

And the cats? Don't be surprised if one pads its way from the pages to curl up on your lap for a scratch and snooze.

Wonderful book!!
I rarely write reviews but this book is a fascinating read for adults and children alike.The illustrations are superb.Well worth buying.

An original childrens' story
This is an excellent, 44 page book for younger children, filled with full color illustrations.The type style and formatting make it easily readable.It is the story of a young girl, Lillian, who lives with her aunt at the edge of the forest, far from the nearest neighbors.She spends her free time wandering in the woods looking for fairies.When disaster strikes, she is saved by cat magic.This is an original fairy tale, and seems a mixture of folklore and magic.It can be read to younger children, or read by slightly older children.I would put the age level at 4 to 12, although I am 67 and thought it was an interesting tale (I actually bought it to use as a gift for a young child). ... Read more

Book Description
Not far from the city there is an ancient wood, forgotten by the modern world, where Mystery walks in the moonlight. He wears the shape of a stag, or a goat, or a horned man wearing a cloak of leaves. He is summoned by the music of the pipes or a fire of bones on Midsummer's Evening. He is chased by the hunt and shadowed by the wild girl. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Fun & Easy Read
I chose Greenmantle solely because I read that it was a good start to reading anything by de Lint.His style of Urban Fantasy is unique because it combines both the aspects of traditional fiction with aspects of fantasy.This undoubtedly gets many true Fantasy aficionados upset that his work should be considered Fantasy at all but I now tend to disagree with these beliefs since reading this novel.

Greenmantle on the whole is just a simple, yet good, story.There's nothing in the way of true discussion upon society or politics.His development of friendship between adults and children was very good I thought and his style of writing is very peaceful and easy to follow.This novel is easily just as accessible for teenagers as it is for adults and I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good novel to read.It is especially adequate for those who dislike reading true Fantasy novels because of their inherent 'far out' nature but who still wish to read a novel with a bit of the mystic and mysterious.

A Wonderful Surprise
Greenmantle is a beautiful story, a hidden story. It is a story of love, murder, revenge, loss, past mysteries, resolution, friendship and the fantastic. This is the first work of Charles De Lint's that I have read, and I must say that he will be put on my list of must read author's after this wonderful book.

Greenmantle is the tale of "a mystery," a being that exist in our world, yet lives in a parallel version of that same world. He is a stag, a greenman, Pan, a goat, etc. Alice Treasure and her mother, Frankie, move to a very small country town out in the woods after winning the lottery. Ali discovers the sound of pipes playing in the woods and is changed by the sound.

Mix this story with a mafia story and what you have is Greenmantle. I never thought that I would be a fan of any story about the mafia. Just never been in to that genre, but De Lint works the mafia into a work of fantasy and it really works! What you get is a wonderful story with a strong human touch and beautiful, well developed characters, set in the real world, yet a fantasy world at the same time.

De Lint's writing style reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman's. Common themes can be drawn between the two writers. Both are able to create a totally believable fantasy world within the modern world in which we live. Both focus on relationships between people and the power that is in those relationships. Both take ordinary people and make them into their own kind of heroes. Gaiman has a slight edge over De Lint, but that should not take anything away from De Lint. De Lint knows how to write a page turner that doesn't just have a driving plot (numerous plots at that), but he knows how to write well. He always chooses the right words and really makes this book an enjoyable and moving experience.


The cover art is wonderful and is done by David Bergen. Nice stuff.

Favorite line of the book: "I've been all the way there and back again - just like Bilbo."

Perfect for a Charles de Lint beginner...
...well, this and Yarrow, really.While de Lint's Newford books are BY FAR his best, they are a little confusing to jump into headfirst.Greenmantle and Yarrow provide the reader with a great way to understand the modern master of urban fantasy.The characters are warm, vivid, and funny.The settings are lush, and eerily familiar at times (as though you really LIVE the tale).

The order that I would personally recommend reading de Lint books:Yarrow, Greenmantle, Memory and Dream, Dreams Underfoot, Trader (this one is a little hard to find, but it's totally worth it) , The Ivory and The Horn, Someplace to be Flying (my own favorite), Moonlight and Vines, Forests of the Heart, anf finally The Onion Girl (which is basically the all-star Newford book, so make sure you read the others first, or you won't know ANY of the characters).There are other books of his, that I have never been so enamored of; The Moonheart books, Svaha, The Little Country, etc.

If you are an aspiring writer, and are prepared to drop a few bucks, get Triskell Tales.It's a wonderful way to see the way a witer can develop in terms of style and story.Also, check out his new collaboration with Charles Vess, Seven Wild Sisters.

Quick and complex
The Story: Frankie Treasure wins the Wintario lottery, packs up her daughter, Alice ("Ali"), and moves into the home where she grew up, after renovating it, even though her deceased father made her childhood there miserable. Everything seems good, for a while. Unfortunately, Frankie's ex-husband, Earl, hears about Frankie's good fortune. Earl has developed into a first-class thug, with mob connections, and he decides that he can kidnap his daughter and get the lottery money from his ex-wife. Karl can then use to finance a big-time drug deal. Meanwhile, Tony Valenti, a fratellanza (Mafia) hit-man, ends up on the wrong side of an internal power struggle in his Family, and goes into hiding, one block away from the old/new home of Frankie and Ali Treasure. What none of them knows is that, not far away, back in the woods, there is a hidden village of people who reject the modern world and modern religions, in favor of a worship of nature and the Horned God of the Forest.

Technical: This is one of de Lint's earlier novels, and it's the fastest-paced one of his that I've read so far. De Lint novels are often slow, especially in the beginning, as the author introduces a cast of diverse characters and sets up the tale. That pattern is still here, but in high-speed mode. It still features the de Lint trademark of introducing a diverse cast of characters, rich with cultural elements, and bringing them together so that beliefs and cultures clash and mesh. There are a few more typographical errors than one expects in a novel of this caliber, but not enough to detract from the story.

First Commentary: Charles de Lint likes to study different cultures and introduce them into his stories. In Greenmantle, we have the Mafia, we have Celtic nature-worshippers, and we have a Horned God who is a modern-day version of the Roman god Pan. The clash of cultures often highlights belief systems; in this story, concepts like honor, violence as a means, exploitation, and self-image get put in the spotlight. The book has good character development, a coherent, fast-paced story, and intriguing ideas.

Second Commentary: Some might think that a story featuring a Mafia element is outdated. The story was written in 1984, I believe, which puts it before many of the Mafia movies made since then. That also puts it before the government did much to disable the Mafia in North America.

Warning: This is an R-rated book, with sexual scenes, profanity, and considerable violence (more than usual, of all three, for a de Lint book).

When worlds collide...
One of the things de Lint does best is dealing with what happens when the everyday (ordinary) meets the magic (extraordinary).In this case, the everyday is Ali, her mom, and Tony.The magic is, of course, Mally, the village, and the mystery - the green man.What happens next is pure de Lint magic.

This was the second de Lint book I read after I discovered him, the first being "Yarrow", and it's still one of my favorites.I come back to it again and again when I feel the need for a little magic in my life... something de Lint does extraordinarily well! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

This is the book
This is the book that made me fall in love with the Newford characters. I picked it up as an advanced reader's copy at work (I of course work at a bookstore). I didn't think i'd like it to be honest but the cover art drew me in. I was bored one night and started reading it, before I knew it I had read a hundred some pages and it was 2 in the morning! If you're in the market to start reading Charles De Lint. Start with this one. It's entertaining and even though it's not suspense it keeps you on the edge of your seat just waiting what will happen next. It's extremely well paced - no dry spots. Even though this is actually the sequel to Onion Girl I would suggest reading this one first, it explains the reader's digest version of what happened in Onion Girl without making you feel as though you're missing anything. Then go back and read Onion Girl. I suggest this because Onion Girl has the most characters in any book i've ever seen and if you're already familiar with just a few of those characters it makes it so much easier. Jilly (the main character) is so easy to connect with, you'll love her. ;)

My wonderous entry into the world of Charles de Lint!
My first de Lint book.What a rush!I immediately wanted to read everything he's every written ... and I am well on my way.I want to live in this world.Inspirational urban mythology at it's best.I highly recommend it.

another great one
As always Charles de Lint delivers an engrossing story with so many mythic undertones that you really feel that you are there.I have been reading his books for a very long time now and I have managed to introduce my duaghter to his books and she is as avid a fan as I am.Truely a writer worth reading and a genre that has grown immensely in the decades I have been reading this author.

read it
besides onion girl, this is De Lint's most realistic work, also the most moving. Don't miss any of his Newford series.

I have 'discovered' Charles De Lint and I will never be the same
If the name Charles de Lint sounds familiar to you and yet you haven't read any of his work it may be for a number of reasons. You may have seen the many striking book covers graced by the work of John Jude Palencar as you walk down the fantasy aisles. Or it may be because Charles de Lint has written over 40 novels, has numerous short story collections, writes poetry, and is a Celtic folk musician. Whatever the reason, the name Charles de Lint should be familiar to you. If it is not, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to remedy that situation as quick as possible.

Widdershins is a novel set in de Lint's Newford series. Charles de Lint has set almost 20 novels in the fictional North American city of Newford, a place with a cast of human characters that intersect with people of the faerie realm and Native American spirits. I picked up Widdershins as my first de Lint novel because the hints that it was a love story intrigued me. I like a bit of romance with my science fiction and fantasy. It was also advertised as a book that one could read without having read any of the other Newford books: a fact that I can wholeheartedly attest to.

A varying cast of characters inhabit de Lint's Newford books, so not each book is about the same people. Some of the characters in Widdershins have no doubt had a presence in some of the other books, but he does such a fantastic job of introducing the reader to the characters in a way that does not feel awkward, does not feel like a recap of other stories, that you begin to know the characters very intimately right from the start.

Two of the principal characters of Widdershins are Jilly and Geordie, characters that have had a presence in other Charles de Lint books, most notably the book The Onion Girl. In an author's note at the beginning of the book, Charles de Lint states that Widdershins arose out of numerous fan requests to find out what happened to Jilly and Geordie after the events of The Onion Girl. Eventhough Widdershins can be read as a stand alone book, if you have any desire to read The Onion Girl without having the ending spoiled for you, you should probably read that one first. I have a feeling that I know a lot about that book from reading Widdershins (and yet I loved the characters so much I still feel compelled to go read The Onion Girl...that alone should tell you how much I loved de Lint's writing).

So after all that introduction, what is the book about? Well, it is about a group of young adult celtic musicians and how a seemingly innocent decision sets in motion circumstances that will involve humans, faerie, Native American mythological creatures, and other old, folkloric characters...circumstances that will build towards a war that could have devastating effects on members of each race. In addition to that it is a story about healing from abuse, a story of self-examination, a story of life examination. Mix in an appreciation for Celtic music, deep characterization, a writing style that builds and builds upon itself, pulling the reader right into that world, and you have Widdershins. And, I suspect, any of Charles de Lint's novels.

Charles de Lint's work has been called "fantasy for people who don't read fantasy" and this is a pretty accurate definition. While de Lint certainly treats many of the typical fantasy/fairy tale subjects, he does so in such a serious, fluid manner that it never feels silly. It rarely even feels like fantasy in the way some other books do. There is such a strong folklore and mythology element to his work that it feels as if you are reading a story rich with historical spiritual and cultural elements. In Widdershins it is all very real, and very fascinating. Each relatively short chapter in Widdershins is about a specific character, told from their point of view. The effect of this is that you get to know each character very intimately, and the suspense of the various threads of the tale builds and builds as they are woven together towards the climax. I literally found myself reading faster and faster as events began to get more and more intense. It is a very good book.

Widdershins reminded me of two other stories: American Gods and Lord of the Rings. Widdershins shares a very strong bond with American Gods in its treatment of how gods, faerie, mythological creatures, etc. followed the humans, particularly the Europeans, as they migrated to North America. The effect that this has on the spirits already present in North America is treated similarly in both books. If you liked one, I guarantee you'll like the other. Both books are cut from the same rich, cultural/mythological cloth. It reminded me of Lord of the Rings in that a significant amount of time was spent with each character after the grand climax, allowing the reader to see resolution of the various issues and allowing a glimpse into where each character would go from here. I really enjoyed that as I became so strongly attached to so many of the characters that it gave me time to gently let them all go. It is a very effective writing style.

And finally, I mentioned something about abuse. If you work in the mental health field in any capacity then I highly recommend this book. Its treatment of the healing of abuse is so profound that I was deeply moved by that plot line alone, not to mention the many other wonderful things Widdershins has to offer. Charles de Lint has some wonderful insight into the healing of the human soul.

Widdershins is a fantastic, rich, complex and wonderful book. I give it my highest of recommendations and count myself as a new fan of Charles de Lint.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Road to Lisdoonvarna
As a longtime fan of de Lint's books I was a little wary of his change in focus from mythic tales to a "hard boiled" detective story (in Charles' own words "a mystery novel with a PI as a lead character").But I quickly changed my mind as I read this in less than a day and found myself not willing to put it down (as I really wanted to know what happened to the characters).And, since I took time to read the introduction, I knew that Charles de Lint himself found that he too became caught up in the story and wanted to find out "what happens!" (he originally wrote this story in 1984/85 and re-wrote it for this edition).He has again proven himself to be a master story teller of many genre and he has created a cast of characters that would fit in almost any of his current urban mythic stories (and I hope he makes sure to fit them in sometime in the future).He makes reference to some very well known mystery authors (Mickey Spillane, Andrew Vachss, and Dennis Lehane) as being some of HIS favorite authors and you can clearly see the similarities in the story. Yet, it remains a true Charles de Lint book in the way he makes the characters come alive.My only real complaints about this book would have to be its' title (which is a bit on the long side albeit totally appropriate to the story) and the fact that I think the book is too darn short (and I do acknowledge the fact that it is as long as was needed to get the story told).I was just hoping to enjoy it for a few more days.Luckily, I can just go to my overstuffed bookshelves and pull out one of his older books and enjoy more of his fine writing. ... Read more

Book Description
Now in softcover, Charles de Lints stunning new novel of magic and danger in the modern worldIn novel after novel, and story after story, Charles de Lint has brought an entire imaginary North American city to vivid life. Newford: where magic lights dark streets; where myths walk clothed in modern shapes; where a broad cast of extraordinary and affecting people work to keep the whole world turning.At the center of all the entwined lives of Newford stands a young artist named Jilly Coppercorn, with her tangled hair, her paint-splattered jeans, a smile perpetually on her lipsJilly, whose paintings capture the hidden beings that dwell in the citys shadows. Now, at last, de Lint tells Jillys own story . . . for behind the painters fey charm lies a dark secret and a past shes labored to forget. And that past is coming to claim her now. Im the onion girl, Jilly Coppercorn says. Pull back the layers of my life, and you wont find anything at the core. Just a broken child. A hollow girl. Shes very, very good at running. But life has just forced Jilly to stop.Download Description
A new "Newford" novel, perfectly poised to build on the success of Forests of the Heart. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

There is a reason you can find this at Half-price books
Another reviewer stated:

"DeLint's earlier books had a sense of wonder and delicacy both in his writing and in his portrayals of characters and Dreamlands/Otherlands. As you read, it felt as if the magical place he was talking about was not only real but that it could be fragile as well; it *was* real but only as long as you believed and DeLint was very good at making us believe. With this book, however, I didn't feel drawn in - more like bludgeoned."

In many ways, that is true.In this book deLint gives you a lot of pages (some of his books are rather slender), he writes about one of his core characters, but he seems intent on proving that his world is solid, that the bad side of things is real and can be encountered.

/Sigh

I've been an ad litem for Child Protective Services.I've served on the board of a rape crisis center.I know that there is ugliness in the world.Heck, I've worked around cess pools, I know that at times the world is not only ugly, it can stink.

But that isn't why I read deLint.It isn't why I read at all.

I consider this book as tainted by the trends of the 80s and 90s, though not broken by them.deLint has grown out of them (though consider The Little Country with its complete mainstream, down to the fan service bizarre sex scene -- like Gaimon, he couldn't avoid the trends).

I own a copy, I didn't throw it away or sell it back.But I'd read other deLints first -- perhaps "Promises to keep" or a similar book.

Another wonderful DeLint adventure
I have many books by Charles DeLint - this one is longer than most but enjoyable all the way through.As with all his books, there is action and adventure, but also psychology - insight into the characters thoughts and mind.Plus of course a good dollop of the spiritual and magical.One of few hard covers that has survived my last house move (when I had to halve my library) and I am unlikely to ever part with it.

"If Jilly ever got access to fairyland..."
A friend once remarked that it was a fairly bad idea to read too many Charles de Lint books in a short period of time. This is true. However, it had been quite a while since my last book by de Lint, so I generally enjoyed The Onion Girl.

It is not my favorite book by de Lint, despite the general enjoyment factor. Some of the book was just a little too much of the same old same old urban fae routine. I think that this is a general issue with the Newford books and it goes to the point of not reading too many de Lint books in a short period of time.

In contrast, other elements of the book felt a little too far out of his comfort zone. Vacchs does the "children of the secret" much more believably than The Onion Girl ever manages. It may be that hard boiled detective novels are simply a better vehicle for this kind of subject matter. For me, the best de Lint characters are more worn down by life than really wounded like Jilly and Raylene. Not because the wounded aren't interesting, but because these particular characters do not ring quite as true as de Lint characters often can.

Jilly in particular lacks spark. It is difficult to read either how she engages so well with some people or how she is unable to engage with others. Raylene is ultimately quite a bit more complex, and I generally found her story to be the most compelling.

All in all, I am not sorry that I read The Onion Girl. For people who like de Lint already, it should be a good (if not great) entry in the Newford group. Enjoyable, even if nothing really special. If you do not have a strong stomach for urban fae, this will probably not be your cup of tea. Three-and-a-half stars.

Can De Lint truly do wrong?
Let me just start by saying that I LOVE this author; he is one of very few that I read simply because he wrote it.
Saying that, although this is not my absolute favorite book of his I have ever read, it is one that I will recommend to every one who likes De Lint.
This book is entirely about Jilly who has to be one of the most likable characters ever created. Almost from the first page you are thrust into a heart breaking story that even threw it's moments of predictability is extremely entertaining none the less.
Even the best books aren't with out their problems;
The story jumps through various times through history which can get very confusing if you aren't paying attention and you could easily find yourself going back to the beginning of the chapter to find out who you are talking to and what year it is.
And I don't like the timing in the book, there are places where I don't want to wait two or three chapters to find out what happens and I had a really hard time not skipping ahead and missing some of the book.

Please don't let me stop you from buying it, this book really was wonderful, he has a way of telling stories that really makes you want to be a part of them. I promise you, this book is worth your money.

My Favorite Author
Charles De Lint makes me believe his stories are real.He's that amazing of a writer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Part of a good series
I'm surprised to find that this book is out of print.If you can track down the books of this series, I definitely recommend buying them.Each book is written by a different author, but there is good consistency among them.I'm normally a science fiction fan, and this series provides a great combination of science fiction, aliens, time travel, historical themes, and even throws in a bit of Dante's Inferno.Definitely worth the time to read.

Excellent Series!A must read for true sci-fi fans!
An excellent addition to the Dungeon series.This group of characters is unforgettable!The battles within the characters and the battles that they face as a team are awesome.Don't miss this series! ... Read more