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The Very Best of Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint
The finest stories of the creator of Newford have been chosen by the author and his fans, creating a treasury that will spark the imagination. At turns unexpected, whimsical, dark, and mystical, this essential compendium of timeless tales can be revisited as often as the heart desires.
The finest stories of this popular pioneer of urban fantasy and creator of the mythical city of Newford have been chosen by the author—and his fans—and gathered in this extraordinary collection. Asked to suggest their own favorite stories for inclusion, de Lint’s fans have been instrumental in creating a treasury that will spark the imaginations of readers of all ages. These are retold fairy tales and new modern myths that thoroughly redefine the boundaries of magic.
Between these pages are all manner of enchanted characters in unusual places: playful Crow Girls who sneak into the homes of their sleeping neighbors, a graffiti artist who risks his life to expose a deadly conspiracy, and an unrepentant trickster who throws one last party to reveal a lost folkloric tradition.
At turns unexpected, whimsical, dark, and mystical, this is an essential compendium of timeless tales to be revisited as often as the heart desires.
“It’s hard not to feel encouraged to be a better person after reading a book by Ottawa’s Charles de Lint.”
—Halifax Chronicle Herald
“Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint’s vivid, original world. No one does it better.”
—Alice Hoffman
“An outstanding and widely varied collection of 29 tales…. Long-time fans and newcomers alike will fall in love with de Lint’s graceful, poetic language and characters.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[de Lint] is a master storyteller…. [I]n every story—and I do mean every—he manages to pack an emotional wallop, and a sense that the fantastical could be very, very possible if only we choose to believe it so.”
—Bookgasm
“More than 400 pages of the finest urban fantasy fiction of the past three decades.”
—Ottawa Citizen
“The Very Best of Charles de Lint truly is Charles de Lint at his very best.”
—FantasyLiterature.com
“Lovely and quite diverse…[t]his is a collection definitely worth picking up.”
—San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review
“These are stories for those who love reading.”
—Locus
“De Lint is prolific, and if you’ve resisted picking him up because you’re not sure where to start, this is an excellent way to get a feel for his polished prose, his deep empathy for his own characters, and a wondrous world that may be filled with danger but is no less beautiful because of that.”
—Bookgasm
Charles de Lint is the best-selling author of more than seventy adult, YA, and children’s books, including Moonheart, The Onion Girl, Widdershins, Medicine Road, and Under My Skin. He is the recipient of the World Fantasy, YALSA, Crawford, and Aurora awards. De Lint is a poet, songwriter, performer, and folklorist, and he writes a book review column for Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Praise for Charles de Lint
“[de Lint] clearly has no equal as an urban fantasist.”
—Booklist
“De Lint’s elegant prose and effective storytelling continue to transform the mundane into the magical at every turn.”
—Library Journal
“To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.”
—Quill and Quire
“In a genre of elaborately mapped Neverlands, de Lint sets his tale in our contemporary world and makes it not less magical.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Easily Canada’s top fantasy scribe…a major international force in the genre.”
—The Edmonton Journal
“One of the most gifted storytellers writing fantasy today…de Lint makes each character real, each one capable of change and of many different responses.”
—Locus
Praise for Medicine Road
“Canadian author de Lint and illustrator Vess make good medicine in this whimsical collaboration of words and images starring those rambunctious red-haired Dillard twins, Laurel and Bess, mentioned in 2002’s Seven Wild Sisters and now stage center in their own short novel…. The mythic magic inevitable in all of de Lint’s best fantasies marks the spirited conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly
“De Lint adroitly and believably meshes the world we live in and the spirit world, and his lyrical descriptions of desert and canyon take us directly into the ambiance of the Southwest, adding much to the charm of this first-in-a-series short novel that is already well laced with humor, romance, and Native American mythology and nicely complemented by World Fantasy Award winner Charles Vess’s black-and-white illustrations.”
—Booklist
“Charles de Lint’s new book, Medicine Road, is a first-rate folk tale, the story of a jackalope (that’s a mythical cross between a rabbit and an antelope, for the uninitiated) and a red dog whose run-in with a meddling Coyote Woman changes their lives forever.”
—Bookslut
“Medicine Road is like a dish made with a few strongly flavored ingredients. It has its impact and lingers in the memory just as long as a complex, subtly seasoned meal might. I heartily recommend it.”
—Green Man Review
“…a strong, thoroughly enjoyable, thoroughly magical story that takes advantage of native myths and lore to create something entirely new, yet quietly familiar.”
—SF Site
“The author cleverly weaves ancient myths with modern-day romance in a way that seems easy and natural.”
—Rocky Mountain News
Praise for Eyes Like Leaves
“This is classic high fantasy, written and revised by a master, unpublished when first completed some thirty years ago because de Lint decided to focus on contemporary fantasy stories and let it languish. It is a must for de Lint completists and, actually, for all high-fantasy and folkloristic fiction fans.”
—Booklist
“This traditional fantasy…bears de Lint’s characteristically lyrical prose and hypnotic storytelling. Filled with Celtic lore and wonderfully drawn characters, this stand-alone epic should please the author’s many fans and lovers of medieval fantasy.”
—Library Journal
“World Fantasy Award winner de Lint dusts off an enchanting epic fantasy written in 1980 but never published. The result is a delightful old-fashioned group quest…. [H]is nascent poetic style evokes beautiful imagery.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Eyes Like Leaves is well-paced, and the action scenes flash with energy. Charles de Lint shows signs of the bardic gift in his ability to make scenes come alive….”
—Fantasy Literature
“Eyes Like Leaves is a captivating book. 4.5 out of 5 stars.”
—Bibliophile
“If you are a fan of de Lint, Eyes Like Leaves should definitely become part of your collection. New to de Lint and like high fantasy? You should certainly give it a try.”
—Little Red Reviewer
Praise for Promises to Keep
“De Lint returns to Newford and Jilly Coppercorn’s youth…. De Lint presents Jilly’s choices, the memories impelling them, and the solution to the riddle of Donna in his characteristic powerful yet intimate style. Jilly’s reader friends, including those first meeting her, will be more than delighted.”
—Booklist
“Lucid writing and well-realized characters.”
—Publishers Weekly
“If you are already familiar with Newford’s residents, Promises to Keep provides a lovely glimpse into their past and how they came to know one another. Readers new to de Lint’s work will find this book an easy introduction to the magical world of Newford. The beautiful cover art was done by Mike Dringenberg, well-known for his work on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.”
—Journal of Mythic Arts
“In his novella Promises to Keep, Charles de Lint returns to the early days of one of his most beloved Newford characters, Jilly Coppercorn. For fans this will be a delight well worth seeking out, but teen readers who have a chance to read it should not pass it up…. [A] classic peek into the wonder that is Newford.”
—Bookslut
“It’s poignant, it’s moving, it makes you want to be a better person, and, all in all, it’s pure de Lint.”
—SF Site
A Wish Named Arnold
And the Rafters Were Ringing
Birds
Coyote Stories
Crow Girls
Freewheeling
Held Safe by Moonlight and Vines
In the House of My Enemy
In the Pines
In Which We Meet Jilly Coppercorn
Into the Gree
Laughter in the Leaves
Many Worlds Are Born Tonight
Merlin Dreams in the Mondream Wood
Mr. Truepenny’s Book Emporium and Gallery
Old Man Crow
Paol O’Mine
Pixel Pixies
Sisters
That Was Radio Clash
The Badger in the Bag
The Conjure Man
The Fields Beyond the Fields
The Graceless Child
The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep
The Stone Drum
Timeskip
We Are Dead Together
Winter Was Hard
The Very Best of Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint
The finest stories of the creator of Newford have been chosen by the author and his fans, creating a treasury that will spark the imagination. At turns unexpected, whimsical, dark, and mystical, this essential compendium of timeless tales can be revisited as often as the heart desires.
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The Very Best of Charles de Lint
by Charles de Lint
ISBN: 9781892391964
Published: 2010
Available Format(s): Trade Paperback
The finest stories of this popular pioneer of urban fantasy and creator of the mythical city of Newford have been chosen by the author—and his fans—and gathered in this extraordinary collection. Asked to suggest their own favorite stories for inclusion, de Lint’s fans have been instrumental in creating a treasury that will spark the imaginations of readers of all ages. These are retold fairy tales and new modern myths that thoroughly redefine the boundaries of magic.
Between these pages are all manner of enchanted characters in unusual places: playful Crow Girls who sneak into the homes of their sleeping neighbors, a graffiti artist who risks his life to expose a deadly conspiracy, and an unrepentant trickster who throws one last party to reveal a lost folkloric tradition.
At turns unexpected, whimsical, dark, and mystical, this is an essential compendium of timeless tales to be revisited as often as the heart desires.
“It’s hard not to feel encouraged to be a better person after reading a book by Ottawa’s Charles de Lint.”
—Halifax Chronicle Herald
“Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint’s vivid, original world. No one does it better.”
—Alice Hoffman
“An outstanding and widely varied collection of 29 tales…. Long-time fans and newcomers alike will fall in love with de Lint’s graceful, poetic language and characters.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[de Lint] is a master storyteller…. [I]n every story—and I do mean every—he manages to pack an emotional wallop, and a sense that the fantastical could be very, very possible if only we choose to believe it so.”
—Bookgasm
“More than 400 pages of the finest urban fantasy fiction of the past three decades.”
—Ottawa Citizen
“The Very Best of Charles de Lint truly is Charles de Lint at his very best.”
—FantasyLiterature.com
“Lovely and quite diverse…[t]his is a collection definitely worth picking up.”
—San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review
“These are stories for those who love reading.”
—Locus
“De Lint is prolific, and if you’ve resisted picking him up because you’re not sure where to start, this is an excellent way to get a feel for his polished prose, his deep empathy for his own characters, and a wondrous world that may be filled with danger but is no less beautiful because of that.”
—Bookgasm
Charles de Lint is the best-selling author of more than seventy adult, YA, and children’s books, including Moonheart, The Onion Girl, Widdershins, Medicine Road, and Under My Skin. He is the recipient of the World Fantasy, YALSA, Crawford, and Aurora awards. De Lint is a poet, songwriter, performer, and folklorist, and he writes a book review column for Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Praise for Charles de Lint
“[de Lint] clearly has no equal as an urban fantasist.”
—Booklist
“De Lint’s elegant prose and effective storytelling continue to transform the mundane into the magical at every turn.”
—Library Journal
“To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.”
—Quill and Quire
“In a genre of elaborately mapped Neverlands, de Lint sets his tale in our contemporary world and makes it not less magical.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Easily Canada’s top fantasy scribe…a major international force in the genre.”
—The Edmonton Journal
“One of the most gifted storytellers writing fantasy today…de Lint makes each character real, each one capable of change and of many different responses.”
—Locus
Praise for Medicine Road
“Canadian author de Lint and illustrator Vess make good medicine in this whimsical collaboration of words and images starring those rambunctious red-haired Dillard twins, Laurel and Bess, mentioned in 2002’s Seven Wild Sisters and now stage center in their own short novel…. The mythic magic inevitable in all of de Lint’s best fantasies marks the spirited conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly
“De Lint adroitly and believably meshes the world we live in and the spirit world, and his lyrical descriptions of desert and canyon take us directly into the ambiance of the Southwest, adding much to the charm of this first-in-a-series short novel that is already well laced with humor, romance, and Native American mythology and nicely complemented by World Fantasy Award winner Charles Vess’s black-and-white illustrations.”
—Booklist
“Charles de Lint’s new book, Medicine Road, is a first-rate folk tale, the story of a jackalope (that’s a mythical cross between a rabbit and an antelope, for the uninitiated) and a red dog whose run-in with a meddling Coyote Woman changes their lives forever.”
—Bookslut
“Medicine Road is like a dish made with a few strongly flavored ingredients. It has its impact and lingers in the memory just as long as a complex, subtly seasoned meal might. I heartily recommend it.”
—Green Man Review
“…a strong, thoroughly enjoyable, thoroughly magical story that takes advantage of native myths and lore to create something entirely new, yet quietly familiar.”
—SF Site
“The author cleverly weaves ancient myths with modern-day romance in a way that seems easy and natural.”
—Rocky Mountain News
Praise for Eyes Like Leaves
“This is classic high fantasy, written and revised by a master, unpublished when first completed some thirty years ago because de Lint decided to focus on contemporary fantasy stories and let it languish. It is a must for de Lint completists and, actually, for all high-fantasy and folkloristic fiction fans.”
—Booklist
“This traditional fantasy…bears de Lint’s characteristically lyrical prose and hypnotic storytelling. Filled with Celtic lore and wonderfully drawn characters, this stand-alone epic should please the author’s many fans and lovers of medieval fantasy.”
—Library Journal
“World Fantasy Award winner de Lint dusts off an enchanting epic fantasy written in 1980 but never published. The result is a delightful old-fashioned group quest…. [H]is nascent poetic style evokes beautiful imagery.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Eyes Like Leaves is well-paced, and the action scenes flash with energy. Charles de Lint shows signs of the bardic gift in his ability to make scenes come alive….”
—Fantasy Literature
“Eyes Like Leaves is a captivating book. 4.5 out of 5 stars.”
—Bibliophile
“If you are a fan of de Lint, Eyes Like Leaves should definitely become part of your collection. New to de Lint and like high fantasy? You should certainly give it a try.”
—Little Red Reviewer
Praise for Promises to Keep
“De Lint returns to Newford and Jilly Coppercorn’s youth…. De Lint presents Jilly’s choices, the memories impelling them, and the solution to the riddle of Donna in his characteristic powerful yet intimate style. Jilly’s reader friends, including those first meeting her, will be more than delighted.”
—Booklist
“Lucid writing and well-realized characters.”
—Publishers Weekly
“If you are already familiar with Newford’s residents, Promises to Keep provides a lovely glimpse into their past and how they came to know one another. Readers new to de Lint’s work will find this book an easy introduction to the magical world of Newford. The beautiful cover art was done by Mike Dringenberg, well-known for his work on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.”
—Journal of Mythic Arts
“In his novella Promises to Keep, Charles de Lint returns to the early days of one of his most beloved Newford characters, Jilly Coppercorn. For fans this will be a delight well worth seeking out, but teen readers who have a chance to read it should not pass it up…. [A] classic peek into the wonder that is Newford.”
—Bookslut
“It’s poignant, it’s moving, it makes you want to be a better person, and, all in all, it’s pure de Lint.”
—SF Site
Visit the Charles de Lint website.
Introduction
A Wish Named Arnold
And the Rafters Were Ringing
Birds
Coyote Stories
Crow Girls
Freewheeling
Held Safe by Moonlight and Vines
In the House of My Enemy
In the Pines
In Which We Meet Jilly Coppercorn
Into the Gree
Laughter in the Leaves
Many Worlds Are Born Tonight
Merlin Dreams in the Mondream Wood
Mr. Truepenny’s Book Emporium and Gallery
Old Man Crow
Paol O’Mine
Pixel Pixies
Sisters
That Was Radio Clash
The Badger in the Bag
The Conjure Man
The Fields Beyond the Fields
The Graceless Child
The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep
The Stone Drum
Timeskip
We Are Dead Together
Winter Was Hard
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