Product Description
Charles de Lint's remarkable novels and shorter fiction are, in a very real sense, coming of age stories.Here, for the first time, is a collection of his stories about teenagers&150a collection for teen and adult readers alike.From the streets of his famed Newford to the alleys of Bordertown to the realms of Faerie, this is storytelling that will transfix and delight, with characters who will linger in the mind&150many of them from his novels. Featuring an illuminating preface by acclaimed author, anthologist, and critic Terri Windling, Waifs and Strays is a must-own for de Lint fans, and an ideal introduction to his work for newcomers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

deLint short stories geared towards teens
A collection of various short stories from the different worlds that the author writes in- Bordertown, Newford, and a few others. Sometimes the magic is obvious- sometimes it's in the subtle connection between friends... but the magic is always there. I love the way that the stories transport me from our solid reality into a more fluid dream- just the way a fantasy should.

Waifs and Strays
Charles DeLint is probably one of the best modern day writers and this book is wonderful. Charles DeLint never disappoints.

don't stray from this title
Charles DeLint is my favorite author and I've read almost everything I have found that he has written.I was excited with 'Waifs and Strays' since all but 3 of the included stories were new to me.I really enjoyed the introduction to each story as he explains when each was written and for which publication; and I was especially impressed with his introduction to "May This Be Your Last Sorrow".You gotta read this, especially if you are a fan of DeLint's.

Waifs and Strays
"This is one of the writers (Charles De Lint) who wrote in the Borderland Series, so I thought I would round up his books too.I was glad I did as I enjoyed his other stories as well.A good writer who can you Young Adult as well as Adult Fiction."

Waifs and Strays
Targeted for young adults, great stories for adults as well. Stories are from various sources, but all from the same magical author. De Lint's stories are wonderfully creative, and inspiring, with uniques perspectives on unusual situations. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (22)

disappointing
Until now, I have loved everything I've read from Charles de Lint.This one was a big disappointment.The characters and the situations were strained and hard to believe - both left me with a feeling of being contrived.This is in stark contrast to my impressions from other novels that I've read.This one seemed like he was trying to be 'hip' using technical lingo (why he would do this, I have no idea!), but instead it just sounded dated (the lingo is indeed all out of date) and unnaturally stilted.
Definitely would not recommend.

Are there spirits in my wires?
Despite not having read about many of the Newford gang (except Jilly in The Onion Girl), I really enjoyed this book and didn't feel lost among the references to the past that the characters have shared. As usual, when I read a de Lint book, I want to believe that there is more to life than just "The World As It Is," and that there's some secret magic waiting just beyond what I can see.
I enjoyed de Lint's take on the internet being a place inside the spirit world, and that it's inhabited by spirits that seek to gain what they can in the form of devotions from people who use certain sites. The mainline of the story follows Christy Riddle and his shadow Christiana as they quest to find Saskia, Christy's girlfriend, who was sucked into cyberspace when a virus hit a site she was visiting. The point of view varies each chapter, following a different character, and I really enjoyed that. I enjoyed the action, though at times I think the real sense of urgency was lacking. As usual I enjoyed de Lint's descriptions and his refrences to a mix of folklore. The idea that characters of books can come to life in the spirit world is especially appealing.

Not De Lint's best
Charles De Lint has always been one of my favorite authors, and I have more of his books in my library than any other author. But the last couple of books I've read of his feel like faded copies of his earlier, more dynamic novels. It's like the bright colors have now faded into sepia tones. Although he adds the elements of computer technology and the Internet with Spirits in the Wires, he doesn't seem to do anything really original with them. The computer interface is just a MacGuffin to get us into the Otherworld. Instead of computers, he could have substituted a magical mirror, wardrobe, or manhole cover without anything being lost. It's frustrating. I keep wanting to read a new book of his that brings back the old magic, and I keep getting disappointed. Suggestion for new De Lint fans: read Memory and Dream. That novel was definitely one of his best.

Disappointing
I'm generally a fan of Charles de Lint's Newford stories.This book started our promisingly, but it seemed to get dragged down under its own weight, and I had to force myself to finish it. There were too many point of view characters, some in first person present, some in third person past. I don't necessarily object to this kind of structure if it's pulled off, but in this case it made it difficult to follow the narrative line in places. Also, Mr. De Lint kept reiterating in dialogue scenes we'd just read, and drifting off into philosophy in what should have been taut action scenes. There was at least one apparently miraculous change of character because it happened without much impetus or motivation. After the climactic ending the book went on for about thirty pages catching up on all those POV characters, so it petered out more than concluded. I had the same problem with this book as I had with Widdershins: it read like a less-than-polished draft. The language is nicely done, great imaginative images and setting, but the structure, plot, and--in one case, anyway--characterizations could have used at least one more good scrubbing.

Very enjoyable.
I had a hard time deciding whether to give this 4 or 5 stars.It's probably a solid 4-1/2, for me.I would agree that this book was enjoyable largely because I'm already a Charles de Lint fan, and I'm familiar with most of the characters.While not my absolute favorite of his, I really enjoyed it.I love the idea of a website becoming something more than its creaters had envisioned.I love the idea of cyberspace being more than just a compilation of information.I also found myself contemplating just what makes a being "real" or valuable, as Saskia and Christiana struggled with that question themselves. ... Read more

Product Description
In the early 1990s, Charles de Lint wrote and published three dark fantasies under the name "Samuel M. Key." Now, beginning with Angel of Darkness, Orb presents them for the first time under de Lint's own name.

When ex-cop Jack Keller finds the mutilated body of a runaway girl in the ashes of a bizarre house fire, he opens the door to a nightmare. For a sadistic experiment in terror has unleashed a dark avenging angel forged from the agonies of countless dying victims....
Amazon.com Review
Chad Baker was a rock star once, a real '60s hitmaker. Now he serves as benevolent angel of the Ottawa music scene, helping new bands make demos--and sometimes, secretly, helping a young beauty into his second, hidden recording studio. This is where Baker, a serial killer, records his victims' dying screams. When he combines the agonized vocalizations, he creates a hellish new music. Music that summons a different sort of angel--an unearthly and brutally vengeful Angel of Darkness.

Originally published in 1990 under the pen name Samuel M. Key, fantasy master Charles de Lint's Angel of Darkness betrays its early-novel status. The pacing is uneven. The Stephen King influence is occasionally too strong. And there are more characters involved than the younger, less experienced author was capable of juggling. --Cynthia Ward ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Angel of Darkness
A good Dark Twisted Scifi Novel, Not for the timid. Suggested as an adult Read (Rated R).

Different Kind Of Charles de Lint
After purchasing and collecting so many of Charles De Lint's urban fantasy books, reading Angel Of Darkness and From A Whisper To A Scream, it was hard for me to imagine Charles De Lint writing these books, so different where they, but don't get me wrong, I LOVED them! It's just that it didn't seem like him. Really good and exciting books. I'm glad I read them!

A Different Kind of De Lint
When I picked up this book I already knew that this was a project De Lint had used to convey a 'darker side' of his fantasy endeavors. While its the first of his books that I've read under the pen name Samuel M. Key, it didn't seem unlike many of De Lint's other novels in his writing style.

With his descriptive scenes and character development, it was easy to see that this was, without a doubt, CdL at his finest. The story throws you quickly into the gut-wrenching myriad of details of murder, fear, peril and distinct sorrow. While the book, itself, is fantasy, the real life issues that this book is based on are far from fiction. CdL never fails to bring the issues he feels important right to your nose by exposing the gruesome truth of child abduction, abuse and survival.

The story was compelling and I held on right to the very end, however, I had very little time to get emotionally attached to any of the characters because of the length of the book and its fast-paced style. As stated before, the author's ability to weave a tale of fantasy into the believable is uncanny and he has a way with getting down to the nitty-gritty details that just might make you a bit uncomfortable if you've got a weak stomach and a strong imagination. The imagery is haunting and the book is a definite page-turner.

My complaint is in the length of the book and the ending that appeared to fizzle out. It was almost as though the author had gotten his point across and therefore felt it unnecessary to continue on with the aftermath of the thriller he had written. It left something to be desired but it was no less a good read because of it. With De Lint's incredible ability to bring Urban Fantasy that 'real world possibility' feel, I felt it worth the lack-luster ending to get through it.

Charles de Lint states in the beginning of the book that his pen name was his ability to portray the darker side of his mind. Perhaps delving into the deep recesses of horror is not one of his strengths, as I still feel tied to his more fantasy-oriented novels, the book 'Angel of Darkness' is still a good read.

If you enjoy De Lint's style and storytelling you will, no doubt, enjoy this book. His storytelling ability shines through and grips readers from page one. Be prepared, however, to touch on subjects you've never seen before from the dark corners of Charles De Lint's mind.

Not de Lint's usual stuff, Suprisingly better though.
From the basement of a madman an angel drifts forth, a manisfestation of the evil and torture of his victums.Those who see it, and the police that investigate his home, and those nearby, all start having visions and dreams.Only these dreams are all too real as some go to sleep in their bed and wake up, if they're lucky and don't die in the dreamland, somewhere else.It's like they're sleep walking but they actually disappear from our reality while they're dreaming.I won't tell you about the angel; you should read this book and be scared like I was when I read about her, and too when you start to consider the ramifications of where Mr. de Lint is leading us all in that psyche of horror hidden in our imaginations.No this isn't standard de Lint fare, but it is extremely interesting and very well written.Let us all hope there will be more tomes along this line from him.Yes, he's a great fantasy writer, but dare I say he is an even better writer within this genre.This book is a must read.All of his Key books are a must read.Enjoy!

Dark Plot Filled with Darkness & Horror
I always have to wonder about the minds of the authors who can come up with such diabolically deranged characters; characters like Chad Baker. Chad ran a recording studio out of his basement, and also helped a number of runaways survive, either breaking into the music scene, or going home. Then he came up with one very twisted idea, and those runaways began to be recorded as they were tortured. Pain creating a very interesting series of notes and sounds to Chad, notes which he then put together into something which became far more dangerous than a simple experiment. Perhaps it isn't wise to fool with death, and the sounds of inconsolable pain of so many different types, but it was something Chad felt he had to do. Blended in with this was some genuine singing and other sounds which can be acquired in asylums and hospitals, all culminating in a symphony of horror.

Using current technology, Chad finally put all the sound bits together and then played the painful music back for himself. The outcome of such a composition was unknown, but not for long. When you dabble in the pain and anguish of others, sooner or later it will seek you out. Chad's music unleashed a horror upon the streets of Ottawa that should never have come to light, a horror so unknown and inexplicable that normal methods would never be adequate for destroying it. When the "Angel of Darkness" is called forth, she destroys Chad and the police are called to the scene by a private eye who'd been looking for Chad's last victim.

It is a horrible scene, but unfortunately for humanity it is an ugly part of reality, for there are those who prey on the young and the helpless in our society. The officers who attend the scene all find their lives changed, as they keep slipping in and out of this reality into a far bleaker one. One where it looks as if a nuclear bomb has been dropped and they are not safe. These people and those close to them begin to pop in and out of sight unexpectedly, and when they return, they are usually corpses. The police are mystified, and have no idea who or what is behind this, and the measures that are taken to destroy this evil walking the streets of Ottawa are quite fascinating.

Samuel weaves together a tight plot filled with darkness and horror, with only a glimmer of hope shining as a beacon for some memorable characters. Characters who resemble any number of people you might know or meet, characters who are wholly believable and human, characters who may not survive hearing the music. In all of us there is some past or present hurt we have caused to another - however unintentional it may have been - will this come back to haunt us someday? Samuel seems to think it may...

And for those of you who don't know it, Samuel M. Key is actually a pseudonym for Canadian fantasist Charles de Lint. Two other titles have been published under this name, and they are "From a Whisper to a Scream" and "I'll be Watching You."

Review Previously Posted at www.linearreflections.com ... Read more

Product Description
When Sara and Jamie discovered the seemingly ordinary artifacts, they sensed the pull of a dim and distant place. A world of mists and forests, of ancient magics, mythical beings, ageless bards...and restless evil.

Now, with their friends and enemies alike--Blue, the biker; Keiran, the folk musician; the Inspector from the RCMP; and the mysterious Tom Hengyr--Sara and Jamie are drawn into this enchanted land through the portals of Tamson House, that sprawling downtown edifice that straddles two worlds.

Sweeping from ancient Wales to the streets of Ottawa today, Moonheart will entrance you with its tale of this world and the other one at the very edge of sight...and the unforgettable people caught up in the affairs of both. A tale of music, and motorcycles, and fey folk beyond the shadows of the moon. A tale of true magic; the tale of Moonheart.
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Customer Reviews (51)

Magical
This was the first book I read by Charles de Lint . And I fell in love with it . He makes you believe in magic and the mysteries that could be right beside you . Yeah I want to believe and yeah I do . This book will take you to a place familiar yet different . If your reading it for the first time , enjoy the ride .

Moonheart Charles de Lint
I am so happy I purchased this book. Charles De Lint is a wonderful and magical author and I love all of his work! This is a very moving, and magical journey, I would recommend it highly!

A surprisingly good journey
Moonheart has been lauded as a modern Urban Fantasy classic. It certainly deserves all the praise it has garnered and more. I was discussing Moonheart with a friend and he asked me who de Lint is like. My response was "he is kind of like an Urban Fantasy version of Robert J. Sawyer." Both Sawyer and de Lint take great strides to create believable characters with deep personality in a fairly contemporary setting. Both also have a tendency to place their stories in Canada and drop in a lot of references to that effect, which can get a bit bothersome at times yet I'm sure other countries get tired of reading about the US as well. And both put out high-quality work regularly.

Moonheart is a much more methodical tale than most Urban Fantasy. You won't see sword-wielding heroines battling vampires astride a motorcycle here. This is more akin to a modern mythology as it weaves Celtic and Native American folklore gorgeously into a contemporary locale. Celtic Bard Taliesin's history is used to amazing effect as de Lint weaves his story around that of Taliesin, the Kendell family, and a great evil that has risen. The opening had me hooked, although it is a bit slow going as de Lint has to include a lot of back story and setup to get where he needed to go. Yet everything works beautifully together from his demon-like creatures to the Ogham type Weirdin divination system one of the characters uses which is amazing in and of itself.

The story centers on Sarah Kendall, a free spirit and Keiran, an apprentice Wizard of sorts, as they gain power and try to uncover the identity of the mysterious evil that is after Sarah and Kerian's teacher Thomas Hengyr who has a deep history with Taliesin. The narrative switches between many characters in the past and present including minors one, which can get tiresome. I could have done with fewer chapters coming from the many police characters that seemed very pointless. de Lint suffers a bit from wanting to give even minor characters more life than they need or should warrant. However, this same affliction will give you a deeper understanding of the main characters and what they must go through. One of my favorite aspects was de Lint's odd Tamson house, which becomes a character of its own as it spans two worlds and houses an array of equally odd characters.

Moonheart is also a rich love story with plenty of action to keep you moving forward. I wish I had found de Lint sooner as I would have probably appreciated him more if he had been my introduction to Urban Fantasy. I give Moonheart 8 out of 10 Hats. I'll definitely be checking out a lot more of de Lint's work in the future. I'd recommend this to anyone in is a fan of mythology melding with the present day.

Not as much depth as I expected
I had just finished reading Svaha when I picked this up.While I thought the storyline and concepts were great - I was disappointed with the delivery.For the length of the novel I found that the character building was lacking.During the course of reading any given book the reader takes on a concern and interest in what is going to happen to the characters - this book failed to deliver that for me.I felt that this book could have been accomplished in a much shorter version as the depth of character building was not there and thus I found myself quickly skim reading through the text towards the end just to be finished with it.I am not in the slightest put off of Charles de Lint.I still considered this a good read - just not one I would repeat again and the tempo and style of this one just wasn't for me.If you are looking for a book that is fast paced and still offers lots of connection with the main characters - this is not one I would recommend.

Aye. Where's the Rub?
I need to say up front I still have another 50 pages or so pages to go in this book but I've already had a belly full so there's no reason to wait on the review.

I pursued this book (author) because of all the positive reviews from the Amazon readers. Now I cannot help but wonder if they've all gone soft in the head. Moonheart has been a real chore to read. I like the story idea well enough but the writing is uneven at best and at some junctures it's downright painfull.

The story involves a feud between adepts from the Old World (Europe) who are now carrying the feud out in the New World (North America). In the midst of all this there are some New World characters who are finding their "Taw" as they get drawn into the feud.

First, I suppose, are the characters. They are so poorly developed I can barely tell one voice from another. The main cop, Tucker, is way too nice to have been a cop as long as he has. He supposedly gets tough in certain sections but you don't believe it for a minute. And that's true for most of the other characters. They don't have their own voices. They have DeLint's voice. And they're as bland as can be. One noteable exception is the Rasta dude (I forget his name). He speaks the Rasta speak but it's sssoooooo Rasta as to be a cliche. Seems to me anyone that has heard the lingo even a few times could have written it.

Next is the story. It's actually quite a good idea involving time and space shifting while trying to work out said feud. The structure isn't bad but the character's voices again stifle the proceedings. Along with that, the reader is sent to the "Otherworld" just past the center of the book where he is subjected to a new set of characters with nearly unpronouncable names and a crash course in a way of thinking (being) that is totally foreign to "Western" thought. Talk about feeling lost. Reading that was like fighting my way through a swamp.

In all fairness to Mr. DeLint, he has some passages that are extremely well written. They border on poetry with their beauty. He might be decribing a place and he well manages to give you the sight, feeling and even smell of being there. You are there with him. But this is not enough to sustain the book. The major problem lies with his characters.

DeLint must be a really nice guy. Even the nasty guys in this book don't read nasty. They hedge and have second thoughts when they shouldn't and there just isn't enough tension between them when you there should be tons. Everything I've heard about writing says you need to start with the characters. This book seems to have started with the story. The characters were written to further that story with little regard to who they are.

I have a cousin who does business in Canada and says the Canadians are as nice as nice can be. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe Charles needs to fill up on more Hollywood tough guy filmsor tough guy novels to understand the tension needed to further the characters in his story.

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Customer Reviews (4)

Tales you'll want to share
As a Charles DeLint fan, it is a delight to have 22 years of his Christmas chapbooks in one collection. It Has been fun, yet amazing to see his progression from 1974 to what has now become his own "Urban Fantasy" genre.

History of a Premier Fantasist
Triskell Tales takes the reader through 22 years of chapbooks written, as gifts, for family and friends each year. The poems and stories vividly illustrate de Lint's development as an author. Even the very earliest pieces display a charm and simplicity that's simply delightful, without distracting from the quality of the later work. The writer's talented wife, MaryAnn Harris, has wonderfully illustrated this album of nostalgia and magic that is a MUST for all de Lint fans and readers of quality fantasy.

A glimps at the evolution of a writer
The new book by Charles De Lint, Triskell Tales, is a facinating look at the writings of one author over the course of 22 years.Every year Charles De Lint creates a small chapbook as a Christmas gift for family and close friends.Each chapbook holds a story or two, drawings (many by the author's wife, Mary Ann Harris), and / or poems.Triskell Tales represents 22 years of those chapbooks plus several other works.My understanding is that Mr. De Lint was hesitant to publish this collection since the early works were, well, early.I am extremely happy that Mr. De Lint made the decision to publish this book as it is amazing and inspiring to watch his evolution as a writer.As a collector of Mr. De Lint's work, I was delighted to find stories I had never seen before (especially the tales of the three Plushketeers and Sam the Monkey).It was fun to meet familiar characters and to see how they have grown over the years (Cerin Songweaver and the Oak King's daughter).And it simply blows me away that the reading of a tale can touch me deeply enough to make me cry, again, years after my first reading (Mr. Truepenny's Book Emporium and Gallery).Mr De Lint speaks to his readers at a universal level about life, love, hope and faith.The message that gets through to me is that life and love are joyous and wondrous and meant to be enjoyed and appreciated.A must for the Charles De Lint fans and others who are willing to challenge the consensual reality of our world.

A glimps at the evolution of a writer
The new book by Charles De Lint, Triskell Tales, is a facinating look at the writings of one author over the course of 22 years.Every year Charles De Lint creates a small chapbook as a Christmas gift for family and close friends.Each chapbook holds a story or two, drawings (many by the author's wife, Mary Ann Harris), and / or poems.Triskell Tales represents 22 years of those chapbooks plus several other works.My understanding is that Mr. De Lint was hesitant to publish this collection since the early works were, well, early.I am extremely happy that Mr. De Lint made the decision to publish this book as it is amazing and inspiring to watch his evolution as a writer.As a collector of Mr. De Lint's work, I was delighted to find stories I had never seen before (especially the tales of the three Plushketeers and Sam the Monkey).It was fun to meet familiar characters and to see how they have grown over the years (Cerin Songweaver and the Oak King's daughter).And it simply blows me away that the reading of a tale can touch me deeply enough to make me cry, again, years after my first reading (Mr. Truepenny's Book Emporium and Gallery).Mr De Lint speaks to his readers at a universal level about life, love, hope and faith.The message that gets through to me is that life and love are joyous and wondrous and meant to be enjoyed and appreciated.A must for the Charles De Lint fans and others who are willing to challenge the consensual reality of our world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Wonderful Chapbook
This is a fabulous chapbook story by one of the best writers alive today. It is not a "pamphlet" as Augusta, Georgia thinks. It is a chapbook which many true collectors love and of course collect. It is 32 pages and now that it is out of print highly sought after. It is as engrossing as all his works and will remain on my bookshelf as long as I live.

Buffalo Man -- a small taste of De Lint
Charles De Lint is my favorite author so I try to read all of his books that I can find.I ordered this one and was disappointed in how short it was.The story was only 32 pages which is really just a small taste of thebanquet I'm accustomed to getting in a De Lint book.The Buffalo Man is anengaging little story that brings us back to some characters we've met inother De Lint fantasy.The Crow Girls are among these characters and actin their typical mischievous and mystifying way.I always welcome theopportunity to visit with De Lint's characters but was disappointed thatthis visit was so brief.

The Buffalo Man
This is not a large book.It is a distillation ofcharacter and plot till both are the purest essence of a fine story.I found the characters to be fully "fleshed out"(as is usual for De Lint). De Lint cando in a few pages what other authors must take chapters to do. Love theCrow Girls.I greatly enjoyed this book and reccomend it to anyone wholike their fantasy with great characters and wonderful storyline.

Disappointing
Although this book is advertised as a "paperback," the word "pamphlet" would be better. It looks like someone's self-published book of poetry -- it's barely 20 pages long and can be readin about 15 minutes. It's not a bad story line, but, unless you are veryfamiliar with some of de Lint's earlier works, this is going to beconfusing. The whole story would fit a lot better into an anthology offiction. The illustrations are somewhat scary and didn't really fit thestory that well. I frankly felt that this "book" did not live upto de Lint's normal standard.

My faith in people is restored
In The Buffalo Man, Charles de Lint returns to Newford and the crow girls and once again renews our faith in the world.He helps us to see that we can change ourselves and that we can leave the world a better place. Charles de Lint's imagery is spectacular as usual.The book was overall awonderful read, although it did seem to wrap up too quickly.I highlyrecommend this book to fans of de Lint. ... Read more

Product 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 (3)

"...Faerie = Feral = Fear..."
I can't say enough about DeLint - book after book - I fall in love with his writing and characters and their experience with the natural world.The world that is becoming lost daily.This is listed as an early work - back in print.It feels less complete or as well-formed as more recent books; my perception.But nonetheless - his ability to give you an instant chill of loneliness and then wrap you back in the warmth of friends, love or home - and the peculiar way that DeLint makes my heart ache for a bit of magic... it's all here.

The Dark Beauty of Charles De Lint
For fans of Charles De Lint, this is a fantastic read. It's quik and it stands alone from his other works, set apart from Newford but with just as much fantasy and magick to keep you hooked! I love how De Lint writes, how he mingles the darker edges of faerie tales in with the whimsical. The Wild Wood is just such an example of Magicks sometimes dark beauty.

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

Product Description
Jack of Kinrowan
An acknowledged classic of contemporary fantasy, Jack of Kinrowan brings together in one volume Charles de Lint's rollicking saga of wild faerie magic on the streets of the city.

Jack, the Giant Killer
A faceless gang of bikers on Wild Hunt through the streets of present-day Ottawa hurtles young Jacky Rowan across the threshold into the perilous land of Faerie. There, to her dismay, she is hailed as the Jack of Kinrowan, a once-and-future trickster hero whose lot is to save the Elven Courts from unimaginable evil.

Drink Down the Moon
Once the realm of Faerie drew its power from the Moon herself. But now a ghastly creature has stolen that power and enslaved the Fair Folk--and Jacky Rowan herself. Only Johnny Faw, a hadsome fiddler unaware of his magical gifts, has the power to set them free.
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Customer Reviews (14)

Faerie crosses over
we first discovered Charles DeLint's books...
dear faerie lovers,
... in the early 1980's and have been reading him ever since. We love nearly everything he writes, but Jack of Kinrowan is a particular favorite of ours. If you love modern urban faerie tales, you'll love this book (really two books in one). We know we do.
kyela,
the silver elves

More than just a fairy tale update
"Jack, the Giant Killer" and "Drink Down the Moon" were originally published as separate books, and I have tended to think of them that way, especially considering that I read the first one in 1987, when I was in fifth grade, and the second one just a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, the joint edition lacks the introduction in which De Lint explains how he conceived the books. They began as his contribution to a series of modernized fairy tales by various fantasy writers. The classic tale he chose to update bears the title of the first novel, though he threw in elements of other stories (including the related and better known "Jack and the Beanstalk") as well as some folkloric material.

De Lint was ideal for this project, since his specialty is incorporating traditional fantasy into a contemporary urban setting. He could easily write mainstream fiction if he wanted. His books always begin in the real world, and he has a flair for drawing believable females. But he also has a lifelong interest in mythology and folklore. His passion for the subject always comes through in his fiction.

The "Jack" of the book's title turns out to be a young woman named Jacky. De Lint explained in the introduction that he chose Jack, the protagonist of at least three fairy tales, because the character is, in De Lint's words, "both foolish and clever," with a good deal of luck on his side. Jacky is the sort of woman who would nearly drown herself then find some ingenious way out of the water. This contradictory personality opens many possibilities, which De Lint exploits, though more in the second novel than in the first.

At the beginning, Jacky is just an ordinary woman in modern-day Canada who has no belief in fairies, elves, or sorcerers. Depressed from a recent breakup, she is walking down the street drunk one night when she witnesses a bizarre sight. A biker gang chase down and kill a strange little man in a seemingly impossible manner. The dwarf's corpse soon disappears, as does a mysterious man who was watching from a nearby house.

Naturally, she thinks she hallucinated the incident, but one item from the scene remains: the dwarf's red cap. When she returns to the spot a few days later, she discovers that donning the cap allows her to see into the land of Faerie, a world of gnomes, giants, and other mythical races. They all live right in the modern world, occupying the same space and traveling on the same roads. They've always been there, and always will be there, but most mortals are unable to see them.

This intriguing premise is part of what I remember loving about the novel as a kid. I especially enjoyed the names of the creatures, which include the Gruagagh, the hobs, and the bogans, a race of pirate-like ghouls with a penchant for the phrase "Hot damn!"

There is also an element of female empowerment, as a tiny woman from the contemporary world becomes a fighter and learns to kick Giant butt. (I have a theory that this book inspired "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.")

Unfortunately, the novel soon gets bogged down in plot details that aren't quite as compelling as the early scenes promise. Jacky is called upon to rescue some enchanted princess (or something) and restore order to the land. There's a lot of names and places to remember, and my eyes soon glazed over.

The novel, in any case, doesn't feel much like a fairy tale. It seems to owe more to Tolkien than to Grimm. There is even an enchanted object that corrupts the one who wields it, just like in "Lord of the Rings."

The second novel, "Drink Down the Moon," is in some ways better, even though it departs even farther from its fairy tale origin, with scarcely any giants in the plot. It is more of a typical De Lint novel.

It continues the adventures of Jacky, now a permanent resident of Faerie. She's forced to confront a powerful creature called the droichan, who is considerably smarter and scarier than the rather witless giants and bogans from the first novel. Like many classic villains, he has a begrudging admiration for the protagonist, who in a sense is his perfect match. Though completely evil and literally heartless, he oddly feels very human. His interplay with Jacky throughout the novel is well-conceived.

But there are some other important characters, including a half-human, half-elven woman who plays the sax in a local R&B band, and a fiddler who finds himself unwittingly drawn into the land of Faerie, hopelessly confused every step of the way.

The novel contains much joy and humor, but the scene I will probably remember for the longest is riveting. The droichan captures Jacky and uses magic to torture her, giving her a taste of a Hellish experience that I couldn't begin to describe here.

De Lint may have intended these two novels as a tribute to fairy tales, but the universe he created in the process takes on a life of its own, and I would have enjoyed seeing more sequels. He proves, with these books, one of the often overlooked truths about the fantasy genre, which is that there's a surprising amount of freshness to be found in stories that turn to the classics for inspiration.

Easy to Read and Only Sometimes Easy to Love (3 1/2 stars)
Originally written an Charles De Lint's entry into the retold Fairy Tales for Adults series by Terri Windling. A series still (albeit slowly) being written today. _Jack the Giant Killer_ or Jack of Kinrown_ as it was known as in Canada (of course) took the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and set the story in modern day Ottawa, the book was originally released in 1986. De Lint liked the characters and world so much he went onto write a sequel to the novel entitled _Drink Down the Moon_ as unsatisfying second novel.


_Jack the Giant Killer_ follows Jacky Rowan,a thirty-something slacker whom (litterally) stumbles into faery on an emotionally charged drinking binge. After a few hurtful words said to her by her (now ex) boyfriend Will, Jacky goes off on a drinking binge. Shaken to the core by Will, her drinking binge lands her in the citys park where she witnesses something truly horrific carried out by the modern day incarnations of 'The Wild Hunt', a supernatural hunt of celtic legend that was said to include everyone from King Arthur to Odin among its midst. But you thankfully won't find ties to Camelot or Norse Mythology here (perhaps in creatures and beings only).

De Lint follows the usual Urban Fantasy idea that when man came to these shores he brought his gods and mythical beings with him in addition to those that were already here, what we have then in De Lint's world is the two courts of Faery legend, The Seelie and Unseelie courts, the Unseelie court taking dominance as our modern media influences man's belief and thus gives the dark court dominance. This is De Lint's non too subtle snap (at the time anyway) towards a media that was populated by horror movies rather then lighter hearted and fantasy movies. As Jacky becomes intangled in Faery Court politicks, she finds new motivation in life as all the things magical and dangerous that almost any child dreamed off are realized in the faery court. Litterally scared to death of the Unseelie courts, the Laird's (leader of the Seelie Courts) young daughter has been kidnapped and there remains virtually no allies to try and rescue her. So it seems the Unseelie court is destined to win. That is when Jacky Rowan stumbles in, aided by quirky friend Kate (Kate Crackernuts as she's called by the fae) and more then a bit of luck Jacky quickly becomes the Seelie courts only hope as she decends headlong into dangers, intriguing and sometimes magical adventures.

The first novel _Jack The Giant Killer_ is a fun, enteraining if simplistic read. One of the better but not the best reinterpretations of 'Jack and the Beanstalk', Jacky herself never really rises above stock standard hero fair while Kate's quirky and at times snappish and funny fierce friend act at times wears on the reader; but she remains a likeable addition. The other characters that appear in the novel; Eilian, along with Arkan and Finn pass by the reader and leave a decent but not deep enough impression on the reader. Eilian as the standard hottie-faery boy love interest for Jacky never really rises above 'hot man/faery/elf/being' standard character shoved together with Jacky because-the-author-says-so plot device. With exeption to the Gruagagh (perhaps the most intriguing character in the whole novel) the novel passes by in easy pacing and comes to a rather breathless conclusion that almost promised of a future volume which came a few years later in the form of _Drink Down the Moon_. _Jack the Giant Killer_ is a fun and easy read for those starting in Urban fantasy.


_Drink Down the Moon_ is the second novel in the _Jack of Kinrowan_ two book set set in Modern Day Faery inhabited Ottawa. Where the first novel introduces Jacky Rowan and her friend Kate to the world of faery and gives these two thirty something woman a fun and magical (and sometimes dangerous) new lease on life, this novel they are only side characters. Leaving us with rather blank and an un engaging new set of characters that pass before the readers eyes without every really leaving impresssion (nothing other then vivid pink hair and a fiddle is what this reader remembers most about the novel). The story follows Johnny Faw a handsome fiddler player with wonderous gifts that will allow him to aide the realm of Faerie in drawing power from the moon itself in an intricate dance. However dangerous powers want to see that the moons magic is never drawn for Faery and only Johnny with the aide of the beautiful and spritely Jemi Pook can stop it. With only (scattered) help from Kate and Jacky.

While De Lint's writing style is in full beautiful form here, Johnny and Jemi read more like fan created fanfiction characters brought into take attention away from the main characters of the novel. Indeed the novel never really stops reading like well written fanfiction and the novel ends quite suddenly (as the last novel did) leaving the reader closing the book slightly unsatisfied. While De Lint gives us nothing new in the way of the faery courts here, he does give us sort of fun story that doesn't end up sticking in the readers mind. _Drink Down the Moon_ is a dissapointing sequel in what could have been an interesting story with loads of potential. Instead he falls short of the task and while_Jack The Giant Killer_ is the better of the two novels here, it only recieves three stars. For being while fun not all that remarkable or never really rising above stock urban fantasy fair.

Generic Urban Faerie: Not de Lint's Best Work
These books ('Jack the Giant Killer' and its sequel 'Drink Down the Moon') introduce the young adult best friends Jacky Rowan and Kate Hazel and chronicle their adventures in the faerie realm of modern Ottawa.In the first book we learn that Jacky, a young blonde woman, is in fact "a Jack," a being blessed by luck.As such she is the only hope of the good Faerie denizens of Ottawa.With a lot of her innate luck, Jacky and Kate and her new Faerie friends kill some giants and save the day.

The books are early works by de Lint (1987 and 1990) and read like rough drafts of such amazing later novels as 'Trader' and 'Someplace to Be Flying'.Both novels together are the same size as de Lint's later single novels.The slim size means that the background and characterization of the later novels is missing here.Jacky and Kate seem to fall into Faerie, and we follow their adventures.None of the humans in these stories seem to be bothered by such mundane things as jobs, histories, families, etc.This makes the characters seem rather two dimensional and flat.

This is not to say that the books aren't good.They are, and are very fun reads, like an action-packed episode of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' or something.But this isn't a book I'd re-read.It's light reading, nothing deep.

I also agree with the reviewer who was aggravated by the fact that it's Jacky's luck that saves the day.She doesn't work for any of her victories, they seem to just happen to her.Also, many of the horrible situations she finds herself in are ones her stupidity and idiocy get her into in the first place.It annoys me that Jacky is the hero since she's blessed by luck, and never punished for the fact she is constantly leading herself, her friends, and even the entire city, into ruin.When it comes to completely sabotaging her own life, Jacky Rowan is a veritable Gilmore Girl.This is a protagonist I'm supposed to admire and relate to?I think not.

P.S.The fact that the half-mortal Jemi Pook in 'Drink Down the Moon' has, as a result of her half-mortal/half-faerie blood, NATURAL PINK HAIR is just embarrassing.It's something a 12-year-old girl would write in a fanfiction dot net story.I don't expect such Fluffy-Bunny-Fantasy from de Lint.This is very much an early work and it shows.However, I've found that every de Lint novel/collection that isn't set in his fictional city of Newford is merely bland fantasy.He only shines when he's writing about Newford.Compare this book to 'Someplace to Be Flying' and you'll see what I mean.

A real treat -
"Jack the Giant Killer," the first of the two stand-alone stories in this book, was written for the seemingly ill-fated Fairy Tale series edited by Terri Windling.And it's wonderful, a very fresh take on the old "Jack" fairy tales, in which a puckish and courageous and strangely lucky young man slays giants and performs wonders.

The biggest, first twist is that the Jack is actually Jacky Rowan - a young woman who has just been dumped by her jerk boyfriend and is facing a crisis when she unwittingly crosses into faerie.

This is the best of Charles de Lint's fanstasy Urban Faerie work. Here the world we know lies cheek to jowl with the fantastic realm of faerie. And he makes it work so congruently, it's just great stuff.This is the writing that made his fame.

And it's a great story.Jacky and her pals are loveable, interesting people in fantastic circumstances.There are giants to be dealt with, the Unseelie court to be fought and the laird's daughter to be rescued - all against terrible odds.The pacing is very tight, signature de Lint, and it's literally a story you just can't put down until you read the last word.The second story is pretty good, too.

I'm a great fan of this author, and this is one of my all-time favorites.Five stars and a pat on the back for some excellent story-telling. ... 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

Product Description
When fourteen-year-old TJ and her family are forced to move from theirfarm to the suburbs, she has to give up her beloved horse, Red—but shemakes a surprising new friend. Elizabeth is a "Little," a six-inch-highpunked-out teen with an attitude, who has run away from home to makeher way in the world. TJ and Elizabeth—the Big and the Little—soonbecome friends, but each quickly finds herself in a truly life-threateningsituation, and they are unable to help each other. Little (Grrl) Lost is adelightful combination of realism, magic, humor, and hope, and is sure towin Charles de Lint many new teen and adult fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

satisfied about this order
I am very satisfied with this order, the book was in the conditioned that the seller described and the order was shipped in a timely manor.

A lower to mid teen novel.
As a Charles de Lint fan, I default to liking this book, though not as much as CDL's 'adult' novels. The characterisation is good and the descriptions of life and the scenery in the urban world is lovely.

As others have pointed out the novel is aimed at younger readers, low to mid teens I'd say - which is why, as an adult, I have rated it 3 stars. For a teen it would be 4 stars.

Lighter fare for the Newford set
Little (Grrl) Lost is one of the latest in Charles de Lint's popular Newford series. Widely credited as the father of the contemporary magic realism genre, de Lint is best known for his stories set in the vaguely North American city known as Newford, where strange magical occurrences are the everyday norm for those who know where to look. Though I personally think that short stories are de Lint's real strength, I have enjoyed several of his novels including, most notably, the popular The Blue Girl.Little (Grrl) Lost follows in a similar tradition of young adult novels that de Lint has branched into in more recent years.

When T.J. first moves from her family's comfortable farm in the country to a brand new house in the Newford suburbs, she couldn't be less thrilled. She's been forced to give up her home, her friends, and her pony, Red, to move to a place where she doesn't feel like she fits in at all. And then all of a sudden she is propelled into the secret world of magic and fairy when the six-inch-tall, blue-haired, loud-mouthed Elizabeth storms into her life in the middle of the night. Elizabeth is a Little, and she's dying to make her debut in the Big world beyond the inside of T.J.'s family's walls.

What follows is a charming and enjoyable story about friendship, independence, and self-discovery that takes places in a wild goose chase through the unseen places that comprise Newford's world of fairy. De Lint addresses many of the issues facing young teens, including, prominently, the desire to belong. Both T.J and Elizabeth start out feeling lost in a world that doesn't want to accommodate them, but both discover that even a country girl can find friends in the city, and that even a Little can find a place to belong in a Big world. In this journey of self-discovery, de Lint uses magic as a metaphor for how overwhelming and startling it can be to a teenager trying to make their way in a brand new environment. His message is heart-felt and ultimately reassuring, but to me it just did not convey the same strength and sense of style that characterizes his more mature novels. Some of the same themes were there: notably, his common themes of abuse and bullying, however they were very smoothed over in this novel. Written as it was for a younger audience that de Lint's usual fare, Little (Grrl) Lost is a lighter, fluffier read, full of a simple charm that replaced the darker currents found in his adult novels. Because I am a big fan of de Lint's more mature work, I did feel the difference immediately, but it did not stop my enjoyment of the piece.

My favorite scene took place in a Goblin Market underground, where de Lint's imaginative writing reminded me of why I read fantasy novels in the first place: to get lost in a strange and fantastic world. The ability to create a compelling and beautiful magic world is definitely one of his strengths as an author, and though Little (Grrl) Lost is certainly not his best work, the basic underpinnings were still definitely there. But if you are new to de Lint, you might want to check out The Blue Girl first.

4/10 (mediocre, somewhat disappointing)
Overall, Charles de Lint's novel Little (Grrl) Lost was mediocre, bordering on disappointing. I have had no experience with de Lint's other novels, however I have heard that he is something of a pioneer in the so-called "contemporary fantasy" genre in which fantastical or mythic elements are blended with realism and the modern world.

Perhaps the major shortcoming in Little (Grrl) Lost was lack of depth. Depth of setting, character, and actions and consequences makes a speculative fiction piece believable. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure if this book was attempting to be realistic or not. T.J. "Googled" a made-up race of Littles and got hits: who would know someone wasn't making it up? Role-playing? Writing a tabloid-type online magazine? The juxtaposition of realistic and unrealistic details was jarring and confusing, and the random realistic details seemed to me a cheap way to add believability in the absence of depth.

Not only were setting details and actions rather shallow and unbelievable, I had a hard time imagining T.J. and Elizabeth and T.J.'s various romantic interests throughout the book. I was told several times about Elizabeth's attitude and punkiness but I got a picture in my head of a whiny, immature teenage Little who acted half her age. "I'm totally hot and bored..." says she. I thought, yes, me too. The other characters were just as inhuman and flat.

(This is not to say, however, that this "genre" is at fault. Many novels sharing characteristics with Little (Grrl) Lost have been far more successful, such as Tamsin by Robert Beagle, in terms of characterization and setting depth, and Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, in terms of juxtaposition of the real world and realism with the fairy world.)

Another flaw was the very pointedly, excuse the oxymoron, flat chapter titles. Although the novel's title shows some originality, I am a little, er, lost, as to what value it adds to the novel. Although I was vaguely aware that the book was indeed about a Little who was Lost, the title is just about as flat and unexciting as the plot itself. At any rate, reiterating every chapter title would be a little tedious, but let's just say I was hardly impressed by chapter titles, which I largely ignore but this time found rather unpleasant, such as "Don't Call Me Tetty" (seriously sounds like a bad country and western song title), "And I Bid You Goodnight" (the book had nothing to suggest that the passage of day was significant to the plot or symbolism), and "The Blues Ain't Nothing But a Girl Six Inches Tall" (no comment necessary) (Perhaps this had something to do with the recurrent theme of rock bands throughout the book, but if so, why the blues?).

I don't want to absolutely crush this book to dust...At least a few redeeming features exist. First of all I thought the idea was quite original and might have been pretty funny and even decently cute. I'm not aware of de Lint's other novels but it sounds to me like funny and cute are not two features of his better writing, if I were to make a very wild guess. Second, I was glad that Hedley and actually most of the fairy folk were somewhat likable characters. Third, I was impressed at de Lint's inclusion of some serious and relevant subject matter: gangs, fashion, music, teenage romance, and more.

If I were to propose a theory as to why the novel turned out why it did, knowing that the first chapter was originally a short story, I might suggest that de Lint merely stretched the scope and complexity of the short story to fit a novel-sized number of pages, thinning out the story, as it were, rather than expanding and enriching the details and depth of the story to justify the length.

Conclusion: A potentially original and wide-ranging story is rendered rather shallowly and vaguely in a manner that seems to suggest that all people T.J.'s age are incapable of handling literature.

Not bad but expensive for what you get...
I don't know I've been reading CDL for decades now and this story while cute was so light and unsubstantial that I felt a touch ripped off.
It was not badly written but this story seems more appropriate as part of an anthology than a stand alone.
It also seems like someone was asking him to write a story that teens could read so it was missing a lot of what makes CDL so interesting, the dark side of his storys. Not that this is neccessarily a kids book but it was so close to being one I was suprised and how the dark plot points were pretty much glossed over.
I've started "Dingo" the CDL book I ordered but it has already become apparant it the same kind of book and I'm just not all that sure I care for this lighter, shorter and less mature style CDL story unless it is within a larger volume of stories. As it is I actually regret paying for these books only and feel short changed. ... Read more

Product Description
Minda Sealy is afraid of her own nightmares. Then, one night, while asleep, she meets Jan, the Lord of the Moors, who has been imprisoned by Ildran the Dream-master-the same being who traps Minda. In exchange for her promise to free him, Jan gives Minda three tokens.She sets out, leaving the safety of her old life to begin a journey from world to world, both to save Jan and to solve "the riddle of the Wren"-which is the riddle of her very self.The Riddle of the Wren was Charles de Lint's first novel, and has been unavailable for years. Fans and newcomers alike will relish it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Muddled Hero Quest
Minda Sealy is a seventeen year old girl plagued by bad dreams who lives in a rustic village inn run by her father Haddon. Her dreams coalesce and she meets the horned man Jan in some sort of dreamscape. He tells her she must come and free him from his imprisonment in a henge stone, and shows her how to awaken the portals in the stone using magic.

Minda gates to Darkruin, a world that looks like a post-apocalyptic New York City, where she meets Taneh, a loremistress, then later Grimbold, a talking badger wizard and Markj'n, a tinker. Everyone she meets joins in with Minda on her journey from world to world to confront the evil Ildran, the Dream Master, and free Jan.

This was a very hard book to read. Was it bad? Yes.

But.... I kept thinking of how it could be turned into a good story. If only -the characters were deeper and there was more exploration of their emotions and relationships. If only - the mythology of this world was laid out in stages from the beginning of the story instead of being finally revealed after about 250 pages. If only - the characters did more than run around from place to place sword-fighting nasty looking beasties. If only - the book did not seem like a rehash of fantasy books which have gone before - stone portals between worlds, dwarves, talking beasts, a dark lord with an army of evil-looking minions.

Very good read.
I read this book religiously once or twice a year. It is the perfect example of medieval/fantasy literature, with wonderful additions of adventure, suspense, and romance. Charles de Lint's first novel is also, in my opinion, one of his best. This book has inspired me in many ways to write my own literature... surely a book that good deserves to be read!

The Power of Myth
Charles De Lint has out done himself once again in this amazing, heart stopping novel abouty a girl who is taken from the crulties of her father and shown that even she can change the world.While reading The Riddle of Wren I began to see why Charles De Lint won the world fantasy award.Every inch of thios book is filled with myth, the characters come alive in your mind, and by the end you'll be so trapped by the story that if the world ended, you wouldn't care as long as you could finish reading.We hear of myths as we age, but never has any fantasy author (that I have read) tie them all together to create a world you can't help but get carried away in.

I would recomend this book to any and all readers who love being lost in a book.

De Lint's Real Books...Forget Newford!
I am sorry, De Lint...THIS is where your true talent lies. Newford, I am sorry, but your writing is terribly slang-ridden and well...immature. Riddle of the Wren is a beauty of a book, and I really believe that it deserves more fame than what is recieves. The Celtic themes are strong, the writing old-fashioned, writing style simple but descriptive and developed - it seems to take on its own reality. How much more can I say it? This is my favorite book.

Newcomers to De Lint, *please* look away from the best-selling shelves - including the Blue Girl and Onion Girl - and see true fantasy never takes place in the modern day stories (I discovered this once excitingly ordering these books). Forget the reviews of De Lint's old stories 'falling to the wayside.' It's propaganda. I've many highly intelligent or fantasy-expert friends - adults and peers alike - that have read Riddle of the Wren in comparison to the Newford series. All agree: ROTW is better written, better thoughtout, original, and overall fantastic. I can never seem to have the book in my hands because everyone is always borrowing it from me!

You must buy the Riddle of the Wren. You will not regret it. I give this a 5/5.

Very early De Lint intended for YA readers
I picked this up reflexively, thinking that I had found a new De Lint. I had not realized that I had found a re-release of his second book, nor that it was intended for a YA audience.

For serious De Lint fans (me!) it is interesting to see how his themes have developed over the years. This is much more representative of his later work than something like Wolf Moon. Unfortunately it is nowhere near as polished as something like Forests of the Heart or Moonlight and Vines and the age is visible from the state of the craft. The plot is overly complicated for the length of the book, and the character of Minda is a shadow of the female characters who appear in later novels.

First time readers of De Lint probably want to begin elsewhere. De Lint fans should expect an enjoyable read, but one not quite up to the level that his work normally achieves. ... Read more

Product Description
From the acclaimed author of Moonheart and Memory and Dream

Cat Midhir had made a reputation as the author of popular fantasy novels. But the secret that her fans didn't know was that her Otherworld was no fantasy. Then, one night, a thief stole her dreams. Since then, she's been trapped in the everyday. And the Others are coming to find her...

Yarrow
... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

classic
Classic de Lint as I hoped it would be.Engaging, believable characters & situations that draw you in. Recommended.

Fabulously Chilling!
Yarrow was my first foray in to the world of Charles de Lint, and it certainly won't be my last. What an amazing mind he has. When I first began reading, numerous characters were introduced, all going about daily things. A page for this one, a page for that one. I wondered who they all were and what their relevance was to the main plot. As I read, I was drawn into each of these people and found myslef amazed how they intertwined together. Some had small roles, and others larger, but what I loved was even though you didn't really NEED to know the little tid bits of information about this or that character, the fact that the author did give it in the simplest way made those characters stand out and become three dimensional.

This isn't normally the type of book I enjoy reading. I'm not a big fan of creepy, but I have to say that I did not want to put this book down until I finished the last page. The fantasy element in it was rather subtle, yet profound. I almost immediately found myselfconnecting with the main protagonist, Cat. She's withdrawn, shy and a writer.When she sleeps she dreams of an Otherworld, with strange creatures. A place that is just as real as the wolrd she lives in in her waking life. But something terrible happens. She stops dreaming of her Otherworld. Something is hunting her. Something evil. Eventually Cat begins to doubt her sanity and if this Otherworld isn't really just her imagination.

It's this evil that is hunting Cat that brings all the characters together in one way or another. I loved the execution of this tale. The vileness of the villain made this one creepy story and gave me the heebie geebies. But what really made this book for me was the relationship that formed slowly between Cat and Ben and the sense of a happily ever after for them.

I have a huge back list of Charles de Lint to get through, but I am looking forward to reading many, many more of his books.

A Chilling Fantasy Page-Turner
Yarrow's protagonist is a female writer with vivid dreams who is being hunted by a vampire-like creature that feeds on psychic essence.It's thrilling until the end.

Both the real-life setting of Ottawa and the fantasy setting of the writer's dreams are filled with vivid details, without being weighed down with the heavy-handed descriptions filling so many other fantasy books.Caitlyn, the main character, is believable and likable; her shyness and social insecurities are easy to relate to.The book contains several 80s pop-culture references that I found charmingly nostalgic, but will baffle younger readers.However, few of these references are integral to the plot except for the distinct lack of cell phones.Younger readers will need to be aware that in the 80s we couldn't call each other in an instant to warn each other of impending doom.

Overall, the book is a quick read and quite enjoyable, but the plot verges upon that of a horror novel and parts can be rather graphic.This book is NOT recommended for children under the age of 16, since it contains a few very vivid murder scenes, has several sex scenes, and often revolves around the main antagonist seducing women to feed upon their sexual energies.

Violence: Several graphic murder and fight scenes.
Sex:Many sex scenes.Although they are not detailed, they are not innuendo either.The book also references vampires becoming sexually aroused while contemplating their victims.
Cursing: Very mild cursing.

Not Free SF Reader
Writer's block needs a dream fix.


Here, de Lint's protagonist is an author.The chance one of his major characters is an egineer or a football player, or a lawyer would seem to be pretty remote. :)

She is having problems writing, as it seems that in the past all her ideas came in the form of dreams.This, of course, is somewhat magical, and she has been cut off from this source by your bad man type.

So, a bit of dream world adventuring to be done to stop the bad guy, help some magic types, and actually get some words down.

charles de lint-always awesome
I have read just about all of his books, my favorites are still moonheart and his collection of short stories dreams underfoot...and there are all the others...okay do not get me started.
If you have a moment to get to know some vivid gritty characters, turn off the damn tv and pick up one of delints books!!!what are you still doing here?..gogogogogo ... Read more

Product Description
The harp was a gift from Jacky Lanterns fey kin, as was the music Angharad pulled from its strings. She used it in her journeys through the Kingdoms of the Green Isles, to wake the magic of the Summerblood where it lay sleeping in folk who had never known they had it. Harping, she knew, was one third of a bards spells. Harping, and poetry, and the road that led into the Green. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

"Is there Iron on You?"
What a strange little book. That was the first thought that crossed my head after I closed "Into the Green". It concerns the adventures of Angharad, a tinker-woman who is also `Summerborn', which means that she has a mystical gift that connects her with the realm of Faerie, better known in this world as `the Green'. Travelling the three islands that make up her Celtic-flavoured world, Angharad's mission in life is to awaken other potential Summerborns to their dormant gift and prevent the magic of the Green from leaking out of the world through her singing, storytelling and harping.

In the first surprise of the book, the heroine does not marry at the finale of the story but at its beginning - and just as abruptly her husband Garrow is taken from her by the plague. With her husband, family and community dead she is forced into a new calling as a solitary wanderer. For the first few chapters of the book, it seemed that De Lint was mapping a rather unusual plot: each chapter is a self-enclosed adventure of Angharad as she searches for fellow Summerborns, a format you would expect from a episodic television series. For example, in one chapter Angharad meets a tree wizard and helps out his misguided apprentice, in another she finds herself in a dangerous situation with some witch-hunters, one of whom is a Summerborn himself. Each crisis is wrapped up by the end of the chapter, and has no further bearing on the rest of the story.

But just as I began to settle in and enjoy this unique volume of mini-adventures (told in beautiful prose with a wonderful melding of Celtic myth and original ideas), De Lint throws in an actual story, with cross-chapter references and character building. Unfortunately this story wasn't quite as interesting as it should have been, and I had already found De Lint's previous path (of telling one story of Angharad's life per chapter) quite appealing. Now we're dealing with a mysterious puzzle-box is uncovered after thousands of years, one that poses a threat to the Summerborn and the Green. Angharad is charged with the task of finding and destroying it.

From here, about a dozen new characters are introduced (none of whom are as interesting as those found in the first half of the book) who are rather difficult to keep track of. The quality of the puzzle-box story can be summed up in the fact that I remember Angharad's solo adventures at the beginning of the book very well, but have no idea as to how she managed to eventually destroy the power of the puzzle box.

As I said, it's an odd little book. Many will share my sentiment that the idea of a series of short-stories concerning Angharad's life was a unique and interesting conceit; others will be impatient for the longer story-arc of the book that involves the sinister puzzle box. I certainly don't regret reading "Into the Green" as it has some neat little ideas concerning the life and qualities of the tinker-folk, and De Lint's language is beautiful, but still...it's odd!

Brief.
A very short, very rushed, emotionally devoid novel about characters with little-to-no personality. The plot was fine, the story almost good, but without a reason to care what the characters did these things were meaningless.

YAAAWWWN Surprising bore of a book from one of the best
This book was boring, unlike 90% of Mr. de Lint's work I found this unenlighting, completely dull and uninspireing. Sadly I can see some of the potential but there is so little elaboration and it all ends so quickly. Even most of his short stories read better than this novella.
The whole main plot of the puzzle box is so lacking in detail and the we are only given a glimpse of who brings the box to the plot and then they disapear never to be heard from again. This book SHRIEKS out for another 200 pages of some decent plot development. It almost seems like this was either written by de Lint when he was much younger, or by someone completely different. Of all the de Lint books, this is the only one I did not keep.

The Magic of Being Human
Much of Charles de Lint's work has been categorized as urban fantasy - tales that tell of the power and magic in the world today, in people's lives now, in places here. "Into the Green" could be a transition tale: how did we get to a time in which magic and power seem to have disappeared, in which urban fantasy comes into being as the longing for that power and magic? What was the world like just before the very last traces of that power disappeared?

Angharad the tinker, a nomad of gypsy kind, lived in the world at such a time. The "time" is of course disguised as a different place - the Kingdom of the Green Isles - and in fact has a history, a past time of its own in which power and magic, and those who wielded the power and magic, were not so rare. The Kingdom of the Green Isles is not thick with magic; this isn't Earthsea, with its mage winds, competing mages, priestesses, Roke's college of mages. It is more akin to Middle Earth at the end of the Third Age: political and military powers are wielded in the open, while ancient wisdoms and subtle forces fade and dissipate as surely as, though more slowly than, the morning fog lifts and disperses with the rising sun. Then we are in the heat and rush and bright light of day.

One of the remaining spirits in the Kingdom of the Green Isles - a mere breath, a shimmering wisp of that world's magic - warns Angharad of the impending final retreat of "the green", of magic and light, from their world. It is Angharad's triad of dispensations - tinker, witch, and harpist - that signal her right to this wisdom, and allow her understanding of and response to that wisdom. The spirit, an oak's spirit, instructs Angharad in, if not preventing the final retreat of "the green", at least closing off the most obvious and sure avenue of that retreat. This is a magical box, a sort of negative Pandora's box. If let open in the world, the box wouldn't release a mob of calamities and troubles, but would rather suck out of the world the last of that breath of magic of the green into the blackness of the box. Her task is to find the box, and somehow take that blackness into herself before it can darken the fey light in the heart of the world.

De Lint's story seems to come to us through the mists of Irish history, language and legend, much of which is left obscure. The many references, and even more subtle allusions, to a nomadic Irish gypsy life do give a certain time-depth to the Kingdom of the Green Isles, and to Angharad's life and journey there. At times, these same idioms and colloquialisms lack substance, and stand out like props. Also, the storytelling suffers from a choppy plot in the first third of the book. The acknowledgment at the beginning of the book partly explains, and confirms, this: the "early portion of this novel appeared, in much altered form, as short stories."

About one-third the way into the book, I got the sense that I'd left behind any story that had been developing, or not developing, and now was coming quickly into the thick of a mystery novel. Angharad has temporarily left her meandering tinker ways to get wrapped up in, and get to the bottom of, intrigues involving the sale of purported witch bones, and finding the mysterious box that may after all be somehow involved in the gruesome business.

Nonetheless, the last half of the book is quite engaging, and actually less "fantastic" than is the first "early portion." Perhaps the most engaging of this part of the story is its more soulful, psychological, and human, rather than fantastic and fey, quality. A broken, unredeemed outcast - a forgotten, crippled soldier bent on blowing his brains out with alcohol (he is a coward to boot, and so resists cutting his own throat or falling on a sword) - flickers into the picture. He can't bear to look at his love, the woman he held in her dying moments, as she speaks to him in his memories, and we ache for him to look and listen long enough to hear beyond his shame and fear. Angharad finds him in the gutter, but he's been there a very long time; his mind is darkened, and alcohol helps him to keep it that way. Alcohol, anger and resentment. If Angharad's humility can be counted on, she won't mind that in fact the reader finds the real joy, the real power and magic, not in her ghostly harp playing and witchy frights, but in this man's facing of his own wasted life. This could be the ultimate triumph of "the green," and the sure genius of "Into the Green."

Interesting ideas - but not enough elaboration
This book has some interesting ideas - and some catchy story elements too! But it seems like parts of the storyline are "sketched out", not quite finished and incorporated in the plot. There are too many unnecessary repetitions in the first half of the book, (about 'the green', and about the main character containing "the triad" etc.) This made me think the first chapters might have occured as short stories by themselves at some point, and then had been put together at a later date.

All in all it's an entertaining book (if you can bear with the repetitions), and much of the mythology is interesting enough as well. Worth reading - just don't expect too much:-) ... Read more

Product 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

Product Description
When a passing stranger rescues her from her abusive husband, Rachel Sorensen is grateful, never suspecting that the stranger has been watching her from afar and is determined to eliminate anyone who does not make her happy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Sorry Charlie
I love Charles de Lint.....however this book was not his best. I like Stephen King, Koontz, etc.....but this book has a "ick" factor. I just didn't care if I finished it (rare for me).

Charles de Lint books
Amazon wants me to review this book. There's no point to that-- either you've already read de Lint and already know his books are fantastic, or you haven't read them... and if you haven't, get with it! You're missing out on incredible books.
My one suggestion would be, though, to do a little research and read "The Little Country" first, just to get a taste of de Lint's talent, then make a list of the books set in Newford, and read them in chronological order, not as they were written, but as the stories take place.

Charles De Lint
I love this author's works. This is one of his darker books. My favorite are in his imaginary Newford. Great stuff, urban fantasy as they call it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very good retrospective, but not up to his current quality
Woods and Waters Wild is the third and final book in Charles de Lint's collection of very early work.I started de Lint's work with Dreams Underfoot, and have followed him ever since.Throughout most of that time, his style has been fairly constant.Though he's grown in certain directions, when you pick up a de Lint book, you can pretty sure that it's a de Lint book.Not so with this one.Woods and Waters Wild shows an author learning to write.There are commonalities with the more contemporary works, but there are certain stories that diverge pretty strongly.

The book is broken up into sections, and de Lint himself states that "the stories collected under 'Pastiches', [were] a little painful for [to] reread", and yeah, they were.They really were.Luckily, the book improved after that.Once you get through the pain that is "Pastiches", you move on to the "Angharad" section.These stories were interesting to revisit, as they were the seeds that his later book Into the Green grew from.Unlike the earlier section, you could tell that there was really something here... something good.Ultimately, it proved to be enough to make a good novel, but not to become a series.It was interesting to revisit.

The section Dennet and Willie contains two fairly predictable, but not very satisfying, stories about two characters.The characters are pretty basic, but not bad.The stories twist around a bit, but to a reader who is familiar with de Lint's more mature work, they won't stand up.They were diverting, but not very masterful... which is unsurprising because he was not yet a master when they were written.

Then, we get to meet Thomas the Rhymer and, in many ways, get to read the stories that might have been.These stories are inspired by classic folk ballads and read the way that Charles Vess draws.If you know the songs, the twists, alignments and departures are fascinating.If you don't know the songs, the stories serve as excellent introductions.These stories are wonderful.They may not be as well crafted as the current work, but are as good as some of the stories that appear in Dreams Underfoot.Part of me wishes that there had been more of these stories to read, but the other part recognizes that by giving them up, we got Newford... and that's a good trade.

The remaining five stories are more like the de Lint I was expecting.Each story is well written and stands on its own.Though some of them are strangely incomplete and plot-driven (like the random bear in "The Fane of the Grey Rose"), they are enjoyable and make a good read on a cold winter night.Some are unique, like "A Kingly Thing", which pulls the reader along a destined path following a similarly-pulled young protagonist.Some, like "Wood and Waters Wild" are a simple update of a fairly classic and common myth, good but not great.Then, lastly, there are the two that should really have been expanded into novels of their own."The White Road" would have made an excellent full-length travelogue/coming of age story.It's a good short story, but could have been an incredible novel.Similarly, "The Graceless Child" is about honesty, truth and decisions.The characters are interesting and come alive in the way that characters in later stories do.I wish that they had been given more of a chance to bloom.

So, in a nutshell, you may find an acorn.However, were this book to be in a nutshell, I'd have to say that you'd enjoy it more as a retrospective and a view into a writer learning to write.If you're expecting the depth and skill that de Lint is currently capable of, you'd be disappointed.However, if you already know and like his current work and want to see the path he took getting here, it's well worth picking up. ... Read more

Product Description
Out beyond the Enclaves, in the desolation between the cities, an Indian flyer has been downed. A chip encoded with vital secrets is missing. Only Gahzee can venture forth to find himwalking the line between the Dreamtime and the Realtime, bringing his peoples ancient magic to bear on the poisoned world of tomorrow. Bringing hope, perhaps, for a new dawn. This is Charles de Lints classic novel of native magic in a North American future, now back in print. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

"Startling Parallels or Coincidences"
"Svaha" is a work of speculative fiction (fantasy/science fiction) by one of the best writers in the genre with startling parallels or coincidences that have great meaning for me.The story takes place in the far-off future when the environmental apocalypse has come and gone.What is left of humanity live in brutal toxic wastelands or slums next to airtight city-complexes (Megaplexes) where the rich and powerful ruling Oriental elites live.

However (and this is interesting) just before the collapse Daniel Hollow Horn, an Indigenous leader, sees the value of learning about the white man's technology - systems, infrastructure and computers in particular. In a time of increasing marginalization of nature and her wild inhabitants, as well as the genocide of First Nations peoples worldwide, he urges "The People" everywhere to learn as much as they possibly can about technology.

When it comes to the crunch they are able to come together in unity and miraculously preserve sealed "Enclaves" all over the planet that become the only sanctuaries of wilderness left. Therefore (and much to the rage of all the other people) the most precious places on Earth are fully controlled by Native Peoples.NO OTHERS are allowed in, and rarely does anyone leave. Svaha is a magical, fascinating story - there is a lot of conflict and gross violence but it is well worth the read.

The "Enclaves" are scattered- there are twelve in North America (including "Lakota Enclave" in the Black Hills & "Kawarthas Enclave" in guess where - my home the Kawarthas!!), two in South America, two in Australia, one in Africa, one in Siberia and three space stations in orbit with "skyhooks" connecting them to the Lakota, Haida and Wadi Enclave (in Australia).Even more interesting is the role that "Maniwaki Enclave" plays at the very end of the book- I couldn't believe it!!!! (In reality Maniwaki is a place of spiritual importance.)I won't give the story away, but you will love the appearance of "The Twisted Hairs" as much as I did.

An excellent, thoughtful read about our own world
Although it was difficult to get into Svaha because de Lint throws around languages and cultures in this book like nobody's business, it all started flowing much more smoothly when the cyberpunk rat met up with the Native American warrior. By this point, the juxtaposition of the cyberpunk setting and the samurai culture and the Native guy's visions ceased to be so jarring and started to make sense. Each culture represents a different segment of our society: those in favor of treating the environment with respect, the cold corporatism and consumerism that's destroying the world, and those powerless caught in between, the ones who are going to have to suffer the consequences.

The plot itself revolves around a stolen piece of Native technology. The stolen tech could allow hostile outside forces to break into the Native enclaves and proceed to despoil the last pure tracts ofland left in the entire world. Gahzee was sent out of the enclave on foot to keep the technology out of hostile hands. Through interacting with the citizens of the slums and badlands, however, Gahzee begins to question the wisdom of the Native people staying separated from a world gone so horribly wrong when the outside people so obviously need help.

This question is where the story's heart really lies, not in the numerous firefights and samurai-style showdowns, but in the debate over whether the descendants of those who destroyed the environment deserve a second chance or should be left in the nightmare world that their ancestors created. Gahzee meets many people who are stuck in a horrible situation through no fault of their own, and who would not mistreat the earth or exploit the Native people like the villains of the story would. This debate permeates the last third of the book, and Gahzee is not the sort of person to back away from a problem.

The answers aren't easy, and the conclusion of the book gives hope, but no promises. The characters have lived in a world tainted by evil, and evil, once learned, is not easy to unlearn. This was actually where I had to suspend disbelief the most: the explanation for how the Native people managed to return to the old ways after so many generations of poverty and alcoholism and exposure to capitalism was too simplistic. The old arts are dying out. The old tongues are dying out. A return to the old ways would be difficult and fraught with hardship. (De Lint does not press our disbelief too much on this point - his futuristic Native Americans wear traditional deerskins, but seem to have kept the ideas of electricity and computers.)

Despite the nitpicks, I very much enjoyed this book. It is genuinely good, and it is everything that I like in a novel. The themes aren't just particular to the world that de Lint created, but it speaks to problems in our world, too. The characters of this world have only one chance left to save their world, but we haven't gone that far yet down the path of no return. We can still change. We can still save the world.

Not his best
Like other reviewers here, I love Mr. de Lint's work. His more recent books, particularly, have great characters and a clear-sighted take on human nature. This one, however, was full of predictable stereotypes and painfully bombastic Japanese. (I'm surprised and a bit appalled that the editor didn't address this.) Unless you're a diehard de Lint fan, you can skip Svaha.

Unparalled Magnificene...
It may not be typical De Lint, yet it definetely is his work. A wonderful story which stretches all imagination. Don't let whatever misgivings you have about this being a science fiction story deter you from reading this. The first few pages may be a little slow-paced and bewildering, but you'll never regret enduring those first pages. THRILLING rise to the climax though the fall from the climax is a little too steep for my liking, it should've stretched longer. Nevertheless, a fine, enthralling must read... as all of De Lint's works.

Not so sure about this.
I love, love, LOVE de Lint.But Svaha...Svaha left me a little cold.I enjoyed reading it, sure, but it didn't affect me the way his books usually do.Part of the problem, I think, is that I don't think even de Lint knew what he wanted this book to be about.There is an element of Japanese culture, the cliched wastelands, the mandatory Native spirituality...but nothing really tying any of them together.The book revs up an adrenaline high early on, keeps it going, and then just ENDS.In, like, a page, the story reaches its climax and conclusion, and the reader is left thinking, "What?It's DONE?"The story doesn't feel finished to me.There is also the annoying gratuitous character death, which is really atypical for de Lint.He keeps introducing these characters, mostly walking sci-fi charicatures, and then kills them off.Also, there was what I have come to call the "Wyrd Science" problem--the panoramic view of the future, the technology--basically, all the sci-fi stuff just sounded sort of off to me.

Don't get me wrong, here...the writing is pretty damn good, and a bad de Lint is better than a great Nina Kiriki Whatsername any day.But this just didn't quite work for me. ... Read more

Product Description
“A powerful and haunting tale” (Clive Barker) from the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Strangewood.

Janine Hartschorn left David Bairstow for a man who abandoned her once he discovered she was pregnant with his child. A miscarriage almost ended her life. Now she and David are reaching for a second chance.

But something is determined to keep them apart. Something with the power to conjure up ghosts from David’s past and make them real. Something Janine knows from her near-death experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

A Very Pleasant Surprise
I bought this book because I love, make that LOVE anything written by Charles de Lint. And, with de Lint's name written first in the author line, I thought I was reading a co-written book by both authors. As it turns out, de Lint only wrote the afterword, praising Golden. What a fortunate mistake on my part! Being a musician as well as writer, and married to an artist/musician, de Lint very often makes references to other books, and music recordings - real ones -in the course of his stories. I usually follow these leads because they are well worth following.

This book was a delightful discovery. Someone who writes in a similar way to de Lint, someone who has earned de Lint's praise - what more could I ask for? The story takes an old legend/belief, long faded away, and gives it life in a way that suspends disbelief in an instant. A thoughtful exploration of charters that flows through the story, not just bang-up in the first pages; an intermixing of present and ancient history, magic...

Read it. Then look up Charles de Lint. You'll be glad you did. And I'll be looking for another Golden.

Save yourself a penny for the Ferryman.
I have greatly enjoyed Golden's collaborations with actress, writer and director Amber Benson on the Ghosts of Albion series, so when I found The Ferryman in a used book store, I picked it up, hoping to get just as much enjoyment out of it.

Golden is a very good writer. He can definitely come up with some creepy stories. The Ferryman is one of them. I was hooked from the start, and I enjoyed how the villain was defeated.

I did have a little bit of difficulty really connecting with the characters, and there were some times when it seemed like Golden was playing a cat and mouse game just to prolong the story. But overall, this was a very enjoyable read.

Good piece of work
I enjoyed the storyline, yet in places it felt as if the author was trying to go off on a tangent in order to fill pages or enhance his word count.It was an exciting book...except in the places he was rambling.Then it got boring.But other than that, it was a great piece literary work.

Tres' creepy
Very spooky and might keep you up at night.Excellent read and interesting use of classic Greek mythological characters!

Beware of Charon!
The "bad guy" in this book is enough to give you nightmares!!
Not just in the scary sense, but in the twistedness of the foes ways and reasons of his behavior!!

Very action packed and moving story! I couldn't put this book down!

Can't wait for the end of October to come for Christopher Golden's newest book "Ghosts of Albion: Accursed" to be released!!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A tantalizing peek into the author's younger days
It's reassuring, I think, to be occasionally reminded that even the most gifted of people didn't spring from the womb with all their abilities intact. Even those people deserving high praise today, be they musicians, writers, artists or whatever form of creative mind they've become, had to work from the bottom, earning their skills through trial and error.

So it was with Charles de Lint, certainly one of my favorite writers and a man whose inventive stories have earned him devoted followers around the world. He, too, had to sift through the grist of his imagination and hone his skills as a wordsmith before earning the accolades he deserves today. A glimpse of his journeyman days as a writer is available in a new limited-edition collection from Subterranean Press. A Handful of Coppers collects various heroic tales from de Lint's early years of writing, primarily from the late 1970s and '80s, when his focus was still largely on high fantasy, sword-and-sorcery stuff that quickly fell by the wayside as he developed a more contemporary style.

The first sequence of stories focuses on a sword-wielding warrior babe of the sort well-known to fantasy buffs. Aynber is of course beautiful -- golden hair, grey-green eyes and a distracting physique -- and she goes into frays wearing clothes designed to promote, not protect, her ample chest. She is usually down on her luck despite her many successful quests -- a peculiarity of a lot of heroes in this genre -- and consorts with wizards of questionable skill and intent. She lives in a fairly generic fantasy world, instantly recognizable to anyone who's dipped into the post-Tolkien genre. And there are other predictable elements, each fairly common to the genre: brigands who don't bathe and get drunk when they shouldn't, spells that backfire with comical (and dangerous) results, a heroine who loses her top in a struggle so her breasts "heave in the moonlight."

But after two fairly standard thud-and-blunder tales, de Lint begins settling into certain choices that would figure heavily in his later work. In "Stormraven," the third of six in the series, he begins weaving music into magic. Better still are the four stories featuring Colum mac Donal, a berserker among Irishmen who flees his homeland in "Night of the Valkings" after an unsuccessful king-breaking and serves in Britain with the bearish Artor. "The Ring of Brodgar" and "The Iron Stone" encompass several key years in the Arthur legend before returning Colum home to reclaim his lost love and take up his former cause.

The stories, although written separately and published between 1978 and 1985 in Space & Time, work extremely well in unison as a short novel. The final chapter, "The Fair in Emain Macha," also appeared (in a slightly different form) as a Tor Double in 1990, coupled with Fritz Leiber's "Ill Met in Lankhmar." De Lint's sagas are exciting, evoking the Celtic age of heroes with great success -- this portion of the book is easily my favorite.

Colum's adventures in Ireland and Britain came to a close far too soon for my tastes, and I found myself wishing for a fifth chapter detailing his final voyage and his life in ... well, I'll let new readers discover for themselves where he goes, but there's a story there that needs telling!

Next, de Lint returns us to the same fantasy world inhabited by Aynber, focusing now on Damon, a half-aelven and half-daemon fighter who cares little who gets in the way of his mystic sword. Let's be honest, a daemon named Damon is hardly a unique literary conceit. In "Wings over Antar," he is at least a misunderstood anti-hero, his villain's face concealing a rough-hewn heart of gold. But in "Dark Gods Laughing," Damon has dropped the pretense of inner goodness and lives up to his name. Without a sympathetic protagonist, the two Damon tales are less interesting -- appropriately, they are also short.

The last two stories in this collection are from the world of Liavek, a fantasy setting created by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly, who edited several volumes about the city and its inhabitants. Never having read the series, I feared the tales would be missing some element of flow or vital context, but thankfully they stand well on their own. Both feature the itinerant minstrel Saffer; "The Rat's Alley Shuffle" is the more whimsical of the two, involving a fixed card game and a wizard's comeuppance, while "The Skin and Knife Game" with Lee Barwood is creepier and far more sinister.

I haven't read much heroic fantasy in recent years, ever since the cover of de Lint's Yarrow caught my eye and drew me into a different sort of fantasy world. I found myself enjoying these early tales far more than I expected; even knowing my love of de Lint's writing, I half-expected the clash of swords and chanting of spells would grow at least a little tiresome by the end. But no, I was surprisingly refreshed by this trip into the literary past (both mine and de Lint's), which ended all too soon.

Great for de Lint collectors and students
This is a reader-demand collection of stories, some published as much as 25 years ago and long out of print, and some never before published at all.The stories are all great reading, even if the author is charmingly apologetic about their quality.His imagination shines like the light of multi-colored moons over undiscovered worlds.The new cover art and original illustrations are a pure delight.

Mr. de Lint's work, both old and new, is particularly appealing to me as a student of story-telling in the long tradition.I am definitely a "glutton for punishment", as he describes us, and hope for more. ... Read more

Product Description
In the early 1990s, Charles de Lint wrote and published three dark fantasies under the name 'Samuel M. Key.' Orb is now reissuing them under de Lint's own name, beginning with 2002's Angel of Darkness. In From a Whisper to a Scream (1992), years after the death of a notorious child murderer, children begin dying again, and a crime photographer begins to suspect he has the one true clue that connects the events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A really good departure for de Lint
This is one of Charles de Lint's dark novels, which was originally written under a pen name. It was about a serial killer, and the investigation by the police, and a photographer who somehow got involved and the victim. So there are three storylines throughout the book, and we hear about each and how they end of meeting together in the climax of the book. One can easily see the familiar styles of de Lint in this book, but it is a murder mystery with the supernatural. So even though the writing is similar in style it is a graphic novel, with death, sex, and vile language. Is that wrong? No, it is a great adult thriller. After reading so many urban fantasies by de Lint it was very refreshing to read such a mature book, as a change of pace. I thought it was well written and was a great novel. In fact while I was reading this novel, I though what a great horror movie this would make. And it would, it's a great book. I hope de Lint tries his hand at horror/thriller again in the future.

From a Whisper to a Scream
I loved this book, don't expect the usual from de Lint. It is a little out of the ordinary, but worth exploring. If you enjoy this, read the other books that he originally published under the psuedomyn "Samuel M. Key"

A Whisper to a Scream By Samuel M Key (Charles DeLint)
A Whisper to a Scream
By Samuel M Key (Charles DeLint)

This is Charles De Lint's first full length Newford Novel.He released it under the pen name of Samuel M Key, because of the dark tone to the story.I did not find that the tone of the story was much darker overall than most of his works, but the details are described in much more detail.This story also did not contain the balancing "light" supernatural entities, which usually balance the "dark" ones. This is a supernatural thriller.

Officer Thomas Morningstar assigned to the Slasher serial killer case.At first it seems straight forward, someone is killing prostitutes in Combat Zone (red light district of Newford).The problem is that no one has a clue who.The killer seems to literally come out of and disappear to nowhere.As the case continues he finds he must reevaluate his beliefs and the teachings he grew up with on the reservation.He finds that he must face his own heritage and his own past.

Photographer Jim McGann's hobby is taking photos of graffiti for a show he is hoping to put on.His day job is taking photos for the local paper, which has brought him to the murder scenes. While on the scene of the fourth murder he can't help but clicking a few frames of the graffiti at the site.Intuition causes him to take a few photos of a girl he sees there as well.Although he cannot explain why he believes there is a connection between the girl, the graffiti and the murders.Not really having any evidence be begins a quest to find the girl.

The two stories slowly come together.Adding in the Irish mob, Creole voodoo practitioners and friends they meet along the way.Culminating, as such a story must, with the battle against the Slasher.

Overall I found this to be a well written, engrossing story.The end was a bit of a let down, but I don't know that I have seen it handled better elsewhere.Things happened much the story line indicated, saving a few last minute twists for the end.

This story was definitely a "I can't put it down book", but I still felt left a bit of an unsatisfied feeling at the end.

Dark and Delish!
As a devoted fan of De Lint's work, this was no let down.Magic realism at its finest!

Humanly dark
The action happens at night, in places called the Tombs and the Combat Zone. Amongst deserted streets and crumbling, abandoned buildings, we meet folks whose lives are lived out in the nighttime hours - a newspaper photographer, a mafia henchman, a homicide detective, a runaway. Charles de Lint paints a dark picture in  "From A Whisper To A Scream."

The depths and mysteries of voodoo, and our own childhood play the nastiest tricks in a story that tells of runaway Chelsea's impending and violent encounter with her father and her past -thought to have died years before. Brought into the tale is Jim McGann, photographer for a city newspaper. His camera lens, and his need to make aesthetic, if not logical, sense of what's there lead him through life. In this violent and dark story, "what's there" is the appearance of graffiti near several brutal murder scenes that states simply "Niki."

One of the city police detectives working to find the murderer is Thomas Morningstar, a Native American who seemingly has grown out of the milieu of his heritage. He's left the reservation for the city, and left the ancestral spirits for cool, informal logic and formal police procedure. In the course of the investigation, Thomas Morningstar meets with a voodoo priest, and is invited back to the reservation to speak with the tribal shaman, both of whom intimate that spiritual forces are involved in the goings-on in the Zone.

Pulling all of these people together is the increasingly alarming, strange series of murders in the Zone. All four victims were blonde, teenage women, three of them hookers. A witness to the fourth murder gives a consistent, but very puzzling description of the attack. Jim McGann identifies the same woman in several photographs he's taken of the crime scenes and crowd shots of several of the murder scenes. By chance Jim comes across Chelsea. We quickly learn that Chelsea knows, like the voodoo priest, that spiritual forces are involved; in fact, she's convinced that she knows the identity of those forces, and she's terrified.

Charles de Lint draws a circle of new characters into the story in each of the first four chapters, and the growing list, twists of plot and sorting out of voices kept me busy. Then through the next half or more of the story, the unfolding of the central murder mystery kept me hooked. De Lint achieves a consistency and logically satisfying development of most of the characters. This, and not the plot development, is the most deeply satisfying aspect of the story. In spite of some weak narrative and rhetorical devices (in one place, he introduces a character's flashback with "He could remember a day..." - ellipsis included), his characters do come through looking and behaving in ways consistent with the tone and logic of the story. The fate of Ryan, mafia henchman, I thought was especially well developed in this regard.

I am rather surprised that the most frightening, aspects of the story are more psychological than spiritual or magical in nature. The reality of the vulnerability of children and women in our world is grim and saddening, beyond tales of the supernatural. De Lint feels this, and pens his most graphic and disturbing passages and dialogue in this vein. For the sake of the story, the supernatural elements are entertaining, but most so when in the service of the deeper emotional and psychological mysteries and tragedies of modern life. "From A Whisper To A Scream" is a gritty, dark, but satisfying story of the violence not so much of the city, but of human relationships, and the potential for affection and compassion. ... Read more