Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
The Otherworld tends to lurk just out of sight in DeLint's (Moonheart; Spiritwalk) works, waiting for some chink to appear in the facade of his characters' lives and allow its spirits entry. This latest work is no exception; here fantastic creatures gain access to the bohemian village of Newford through the work of Isabelle, a talented young painter. Apprenticing herself to the troll-like master painter Rushkin, Isabelle learns to paint amazing creatures-creations that subsequently take on a (possibly evil) life of their own. When circumstances cause a friend's message to reach out to her from beyond the grave, Isabelle must confront her own delusional revisionist history and decide if she has the strength to use her art, and the courage to do what she must. While Isabelle's delusions and the book's implication that artists are superior beings become somewhat repetitious, DeLint is otherwise in top form here. His multi-voiced, time-shifting narrative (the story spans 20 years) beautifully evokes a sense of creative community, making it almost possible to believe that the rarified aesthetic atmosphere might well be capable of conjuring up a spirit or two. (Oct.)
Library Journal
Five years after the untimely death of writer and social activist Kathy Mully, two of her longtime friends-editor Alan Grant and artist Isabelle Copley-come together to publish a final edition of Mully's stories, unaware that they are about to bridge the gap between the real world and the realm that lies just beyond most humans' perceptions. In his latest crossover, de Lint (Moonheart, LJ 3/1/94) returns to the fictional Canadian town of Newford, where magical creatures coexist (for those who can see them) with ordinary citizens. He moves gracefully through the borders between reality and imagination, weaving a powerful tale about the relationship between an artist and her work. A strong addition to fantasy collections.
From the Publisher
In de Lint's capable hands, modern fantasy becomes something more than escapism. It becomes folk song, the stuff of urban myth.” —The Phoenix Gazette
“It is hard to imagine urban fantasy done better than it is by de Lint at his best, and this book shows his imagination and craft at their highest levels. . . . Deserves the highest recommendation and the widest readership.” —Booklist on Memory and Dream
“A novel of scope and ambition . . . The glamour and wonder of his earliest novels has matured into a book of sophisticated and human concern.” —Science Fiction Age on Memory and Dream
“Top form . . . His multi-voiced, time-shifting narrative beautifully evokes a sense of creative community, making it almost possible to believe that the rarified aesthetic atmosphere might well be capable of conjuring up a spirit or two.” —Publishers Weekly on Memory and Dream
“Charles de Lint is a master of contemporary fantasy and nowhere is that more apparent than here … A pleasure to read.” —KLIATT on Memory and Dream
“[De Lint] moves gracefully through the borders between reality and imagination, weaving a powerful tale about the relationship between an artist and her work. A strong addition to fantasy collections.” —Library Journal on Memory and Dream
“A novel of scope and ambition . . . The glamour and wonder of his earliest novels has matured into a book of sophisticated and human concern.” —Science Fiction Age on Memory and Dream
“De Lint is as engaging a stylist as Stephen King, but considerably more inventive and ambitious.” —Toronto Globe and Mail
APR/MAY 08 - AudioFile
A soulful journey into art, friendship, and love, with dream sequences and flashbacks, this novel is demanding for the listener as well as the narrator. Kate Reading tackles the shifting story and lyrical prose with a tenderness that brings the characters to life. Alternating between male and female voices, she captures the intricate history of a set of friends involved in the world of painting and writing. Further, she makes believable the ghost story elements in the many flashback scenes involving the various characters. The stories are all linked, and each one is given a distinctive voice through the modulating tones of Reading’s narration. M.R. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
