Things I love about Charles de Lint books: unexpected magic, transformations, themes on the topic of poverty and neglect and abuse and healing, a profound sense of wonder about the natural world, respect and thoughtfulness.

Things that make me a wee bit uncomfortable -- this is a man that reveres Native Americans and yet is a white fella. He writes about Native culture, he has Native characters, he sets many of his books in a dreamtime mythos that draws significantly from indigenous culture. He does recognize this difficulty. He includes a thoughtful, respectful commentary on why he writes what he does. I respect him for that, and I feel that the fact that he's thought about it and acknowledges who he is not gives me the freedom as a reader to appreciate the beauty of the worlds he crafts. But that is a very personal opinion, and the reason I am writing about this discomfort is that it may make this a book that you will not enjoy.

Anyway, Charles de Lint has long been one of my very favorite authors. His books are the ones I can sink into and lose myself in and wake up from with a little more hope about the world. I have to admit that the Wildlings series didn't really do that for me, so it is with a great relief and joy that I see his new book returns to his iconic voice. There are many things to thank Charles de Lint for -- for writing the books that began urban fantasy that have led to all my favorite favorite books. For being a genuine and sincere human who writes the world he wants to see. For being kind to fans and for loving to sing. I am so glad to see him writing on the main stage once again. I missed his voice these last few years. ( )

Considering how long some authors take to release their new material, we shouldn't really whine about the 8 years in between Charles de Lint's previous adult novel nad the Wind in his Heart. Especially since he continues to write books aimed at the young adult market which are totally paletable in the mean time. So only a little whine (whine). That's out of the way now, so all that remains is praise. In typical fashion de Lint has crafted an intricate story with highly engaging characters, blending elements of fantasy and myth with human struggle and modern date themes taken straight from the world's headlines. What surprised me most (even though it shouldn't, being well acquainted with de Lint's inclinations) was how well he explored First Nations mythology and spirituality. He's always written about folklore from North America, but I guess I had forgotten how seemlessly his stories fit together and how true they seem compared to "real" folklore (however we want to define that). In this political climate as well, it stands as a positive example of how cultures can come together and be explored in a positive way, even when in the hands of someone outside of said culture. If anything, it's fiction like this that rekindles my interest in folklore and mythology systems, and even while I know the basics of First Nations lore it reminds me that there is so much more out there to find. Hopefully it won't be another 8 years until de Lint's next novel, but I can always go back and reread some of my old favourites. ( )

Delightful. So enjoyed another trip to the American Southwest desert country de Lint has described before in “Forests of the Heart.” The imagery of the landscape of the Painted Lands was beautifully vivid to me. I recommended Charles de Lint to a younger reader because I like spending my time with his thoughtful, kindly characters.

I wonder, what would Jilly Coppercorn paint after visiting the desert? ( )

De Lint is one of my favorite fantasy writers, so this was quite the treat for me. Interesting characters, connecting different mythologies, and great landscape settings. ( )

Not really as good as earlier adult de Lint's, imo. It seemed a little unpolished, the dialog faintly stilted in places. ( )