| Title | : | Muse and Reverie (Newford, #13) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0765323400 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780765323408 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 350 |
| Publication | : | First published December 1, 2009 |
The city of Newford could be any city in North America, bursting with music, commerce, art, love, hate, and of course, magic. Magic in the sidewalk cracks, myth at the foundations of its great buildings, enchantment in the spaces between its people.
In novels like Moonheart, Forests of the Heart, The Onion Girl, and The Mystery of Grace, and in a series of story collections as well, urban fantasy master Charles de Lint has explored that magic and those spaces, bringing to life a tapestry of people from all walks of life, each looking for a spark of the miraculous to shape their lives and transform their fates.
Here, in the fifth of the story collections, we reencounter old friends, such as Jilly, Sophie, and the Crow Girls. We breathe in intimations of the world beyond death, and of magic beyond time. Longtime readers and newcomers alike will find themselves under Charles de Lint’s unique spell.
Muse and Reverie (Newford, #13) Reviews
-
In the author's note at the beginning of this volume of short stories, Charles de Lint says that he's taking a break from Newford for a while but that he still has enough short stories lying around to publish one more collection. I read that and my heart stopped for a second. I love Newford and all the characters in it! They have become my fictional friends over the years! The logical part of my brain can understand though. He's written 20+ novels and short story collections set in Newford, and if I were de Lint, I would probably have gotten tired of it and moved on long ago. My attention span just isn't that long.
Maybe for that reason, this collection felt a bit like goodbye. There were so many stories that paid visits to old friends from other stories and novels. It almost felt like I was being allowed one last peek into their world to show me that they're doing just fine and that they'll continue to be just fine in that world where unwritten stories live. They'll live on as long as loyal fans like me continue re-reading and new fans fall in love with the characters in their turn. I might not be happy about a break from Newford, but I'm happy with where everyone is. -
I should be reviewing this as I go, or I will probably forget details of stories as I read others, especially since Newford books tend toward character overlap.
1. "Somewhere in My Mind, There is a Painting Box": Meh. This story is a typical "guy gets back from Fairyland and doesn't feel comfortable in this world anymore" tale. The writing is the woodsy, lyrical folk song de Lint's fans have come to expect, but the story is flat. Two stars.
2. "Refinerytown": Several old faces come back for this story about collaboration on a graphic novel: Mona, Sophie, Nina, Jilly. The idea for the story apparently came from a private joke the author and his friends have. The plot is, again, a retread: storybook characters come to life to tell their creators to get the story straight. Another meh. Two stars.
3. "A Crow Girls' Christmas": To appreciate this extremely brief story, you must know and love the Crow Girls. The little devil divas get holiday jobs as Santa's Elves, and all goes smoothly...until everyone finds out what happens when you give Crow Girls unlimited access to your candy cane supply. Three stars.
4. "Dark Eyes, Faith, and Devotion": An ex-con turned cab driver picks up a beautiful stranger who asks him to help get her cat back from her ex-boyfriend, a powerful brujo. Since this story is so trademark de Lint, the surprise ending is no surprise, and leaves loose ends all over the place. Two-ish stars.
5. "Riding Shotgun": By this point, I had started to lose faith in the new anthology. I wanted to see something deeper and darker, and so far, the book was reading like a Christmas card. Not so in this story. Our hero is a recovering alcoholic who accidentally killed his golden boy younger brother in a car crash when they were teens. When he re-encounters the car from the wreck, it sends him back in time with the opportunity to fix the accident, only this time, he winds up dying instead...and learns painful truths about his younger, "better" brother. Four stars.
6. "Sweet Forget-Me-Not": A Lebanese boy is picked on relentlessly by classmates who equate him with Muslim terrorists until he falls in love with a gemmen, a spirit who has only a short time in this world. A little more cloying than sweet. One star.
7. "That Was Radio Clash": A gift allows desperate people to go back in time and fix their mistakes. After "Riding Shotgun," this story seemed redundant, and it certainly isn't as strong. One star.
8. "The Butter Spirit's Tithe": Our hero is the victim of a butter spirit's grudge. The spirit has constantly played tricks on him for seven years, from breaking his guitar strings to making his true love allergic to him, and will soon give him to the old spirit Grey Man as a tithe. But his friend Miki, who lost her brother Dolan in spirit world dealings, isn't about to let it happen. This story was sweetly written and makes use of traditional Celtic myth. Three stars.
9. "Da Slockit Light": Meran and Cerin return, along with cameos by Jilly, the Crow Girls, and Goon. Street people and runaways are disappearing into the goblin realm beneath Newford, and rumor has it that they're being turned into goblins. Meran enlists the help of a teen pickpocket who winds up saving the day. We are left with an interesting message about community and reserving judgment. Three stars.
10. "The Hour Before Dawn": In the hour before dawn, the dead speak to us, but when the sun rises, we forget. But not Jack, a PI who helps ghosts take care of unfinished business on the side. Life gets frustrating when a friend's dead wife sticks around to help Jack clear up his own unfinished business now, while it still matters. A sweet story, but the pushy ghost keeps it from being too sweet. Three stars.
11. "Newford Spook Squad": Okay, I'm glad that the authorities finally formed a task force to investigate all the weird paranormal happenings in Newford. I mean, shape-shifters, goblins, spirits, women manifesting themselves out of the internet? It's high time someone noticed. But Hellboy? Yup, this story features Hellboy and his girlfriend Liz. It's not so much a bad story as it is strange. Fanfiction, in the middle of a Newford collection? Between this and Refinerytown, I feel like de Lint didn't take this collection seriously. Anyway, while Hellboy is accurately described from the physical standpoint, I don't feel his character was captured accurately at all. One star.
12. "In Sight": Ruthie Blue is a black woman who sings folk music despite her name and the stereotype of black people as soul musicians. In this story, she meets a young aspiring artist named Tina and has a conversation with her about music and regrets. The topic of granting wishes and going back to fix the past is broached...yet again. The plot twist at the end is an absolute cliche and didn't add to the story, just left me confused and irritated. One star.
13. "The World in a Box": A man finds a box in an antique store that holds a miniature copy of the world which only he can see. When he whispers his desires to it, they come true, but he quickly learns that playing God isn't all it's cracked up to be. The overall premise is slightly timeworn, but the delivery is original and the story is very well written. Four stars.
Average story rating: 2.3 stars.
Overall: Some stories were definitely worth reading, and de Lint's writing is lyrical and folksy as always. However, this collection lacks the darkness, originality, and magic of older collections. Fans will still love it, but I wouldn't recommend this as a first trip to Newford. -
Three, three and a half stars. A later collection, mostly about Newford, although de Lint is stretching a bit and very few stories are about the standard Newford characters. Because of that, people who haven't read any de Lint won't find it any trouble to follow. Much of it is poetic in typical de Lint style, but some of the stories experiment with other techniques, almost as if de Lint set out to play with all the standard urban fantasy settings.
"Somewhere in My Mind There Is a Painting Box" was classic de Lint. Beautiful, poetic writing, about a young orphan woman who finds a painting box, and encounters a painter who was lost in faerie. Special nod to the Apple Tree Man.
"Refinerytown" has Newford staples Jilly, Sophie, and Goon. I've missed a few books, so Jilly appears post disabling accident. It's partly about her coping, and partly about a comic artist interacting with a character from her strip. Enjoyed this the least.
"Crow Girls Christmas" was short, cute and full of giggles. I confess a special appreciation for the magical twins.
"Dark Eyes, Faith, and Devotion" was similarly uncomfortable, a little more flirting with the dark side of urban fantasy. Cab driver meets a witchy woman who asks for his help rescuing his cat.
"Riding Shotgun" was rather eerie and uncomfortable about two brothers, one of whom dies in a car accident. A little more of a human horror twist than one would expect.
"Sweet Forget-Me-Not" was another sweet de Lint story about a young outcast Muslim boy falling in love with a gemmin in the park.
"That Was Radio Clash" was an interesting time travel story around music and second choices.
"The Butter Spirit's Tithe" was enjoyable in its interweaving of Irish folklore into a guitar player's life. Luckily, his accordion-playing partner knows some unusual tricks.
"Da Slockit Light" was interesting. Meran, one of my favorites from Newford, and the Undercity both played a strong role. Unfortunately, it is a little bit of a morality tale, and the message of mutual respect are forceful.
"The Hour Before Dawn" was set in 1957 and was a take on the noir private detective who drinks too much and who sees ghosts.
"Newford Spook Squad" is another interesting style deviation, a little more like the supernatural police procedural, except Hellboy makes an appearance. Interesting but odd.
"In Sight," was an odd play on words. About an older and younger musician looking for success.
"The World in a Box" was an odd little story about wish fulfillment, consequences and love. -
Another solid collection of Newford short stories, set before
Widdershins. -
Another lovely collection from Charles de Lint. A number of the stories are in Newford and/or involve characters from Newford but you can still enjoy this if you haven't read any of his other work.
One of the things I really admire about De Lint as an author, is his ability to create wonderful and believable characters. A number of the stories collected in this book are told in first person and each character has a distinct voice. I imagine it's difficult to write from so many different points of view but he does it so well.
As usual, his prose is poetic, magical and moving, while still being rooted in day-to-day events. He is a master of the finding the extraordinary beauty hiding amid the ordinary. -
It's a strange thing: I've never been able to truly love one of Charles de Lint's novels, but I adore his short stories. Reading them makes me feel as though I've fallen asleep and am dreaming some very strange dreams...the sort where everything is unknown and yet everything feels familiar. Characters wind in and out, and I learn to love his world in little snatches. Highly recommended, although if you're new to Newford I'd start with one of the earlier story collections.
-
I found myself wishing that I'd re-read the previous de Lint story collections before I started this one. (Unfortunately, I can't remember which titles I HAVE read already.) Many of the characters in this one were vaguely familiar to me, but it has been such a while between my readings that I've forgotten their backstories.
It would have been a much richer experience if I had. My fault...Aaargh! -
I love Charles de Lint's novels, but I find that his short stories are hit or miss. They are sometimes trite and cliched, and sometimes utterly magical, and sometimes one story is both. This collection of stories set in the fictional city of Newford is no different. There are a few gems, though, and I would certainly recommend the book to anyone who is a de Lint fan.
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This wasn't my favorite of the Newford books, but four separate stories brought me to tears nonetheless.
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A new collection, but somehow the first story was familiar. Was still very good, but it did seem like minor de Lint, like his heart is really in the novels.
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Perhaps not as good as some of his other Newford Tales but even average De Lint is miles above the rest.
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loved almost all of the short stories. I have never read anything by him before and I must say I am looking for more. I found my self not wanting the stories to end and eager to read the next.
-
"Muse and Reverie" is another great short story collection written by Charles de Lint. This book is part of his Newford series, and several of the stories are based on repeat characters from other books in the series. Charles de Lint knows how to write a good story and I have enjoyed several of them throughout the years. When I first started reading his books, they spoke to me in a way other books hadn't and definitely had a hand in shaping who I am today. Unfortunately I had a hard time with this collection. For me they felt a bit flat, I didn't connect to the stories and characters like I had before. It also felt as if several of the stories ended to quickly. I was just getting into it and then it was over. My first thought was to rate it 3 stars. But even though I didn't enjoy this collection as much as I had hoped to; the stories included are well written and some of them I did actually enjoy. Which is why I chose to rate it 4 stars. Over all, Charles de Lint is a great story teller and writer, And I highly recommend his books.
-
Now that I've slept on it, I probably should give this one a lower rating. After all, there are some technical aspects of it that I really wish would have been changed, and don't really contribute to the 4-star rating...
...but dang it if I didn't enjoy it. This collection was full of bite-sized bits of joy, either from checking up on old friends or wandering around the town of Newford. Also there was a Hellboy fanfiction that showed up? (I'm not joking; he came to help the Newford Spook Squad) but there were also cool little pieces that let us see Jilly, the Crow Girls, and Meran.
There are two obvious standouts in the collection: the one with the serial killer and the one with the humans turning into goblins. Both are effective character builders that comment on society in a very unique way, and really show off the advantages of the short story.
While this isn't anything I would recommend to anyone who isn't a fellow De Lint devotee, I would recommend "Riding Shotgun" as one of the best short stories I've ever read. -
"Somewhere in my mind there is a Painting Box" -- ok, typical de Lint once you go to fairy you always want to go back.
"Refinerytown" -- cute story, enjoyed, but not a lot of meat.
"A Crow Girls Christmas" -- if you like the Crow Girls (and who doesn't), this is fun, light, story. All it was meant to be too.
"Dark eyes, Faith, and Devotion" -- Ok to meh.
"Riding Shotgun" -- Fantastic, so far, the best in the collection and well worth the read.
"Sweet Forget-me-Not" -- Forgettable (heck, had to look at the story again to remember I just read it the night before writing this.
"That was Radio Clash" --Story on the cusp of being something really good. Just missed being something interesting.
"The Butter Spirit's Tithe" -- Good story featuring some of the things de Lint does best.
"Da Slockit Light" -- Another good one with the appearance of some old friends and growth of Newford world.
"The Hour Before Dawn" -- a nice "ghost" story.
"Newford Spook Squad" -- a piece of fiction de Lint did for a Hellboy fiction collection. Forgettable de Lint story, forgettable Hellboy story. Hellboy does't belong in Newford.
In sight
The world in a box. -
Not my favorite Newford Collection but there were definitely some standouts...
“A Crow Girl’s Christmas” - I absolutely adore the crow girls and this story was just a sweet little taste of them.
“Riding Shotgun” - this one gutted me and didn’t go where I was expecting it to. Lots to think about in terms of regret, sadness, failure.
“The Butter Spirit’s Tithe” - so good so /De Lint/
“Da Socklit Light” - Newford characters we know and love, including a little Jilly cameo
“The World in a Box” - 10/10, very familiar themes and characters from de Lint’s writing
The rest of it wassssss meh -
I can’t help but rate all of Charles de Lint’s books as 5 stars, even the compilations. They always provide an escape with an interesting twist to the stories. A few of the shorts I could definitely see expansion possible.
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Not my favorite de Lint short story collection, but a good read nonetheless.
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Wasn't what I had been told it would be, and did not hold my interest.
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За пореден път се убеждавам, че Чарлз де Линт пише много по-добре кратки истории. Поредния чудесен сборник, чието действие се развива в Нюфорд. Muse and Reverie не започна толкова ударно както Dreams underfoot или The Ivory and the horn, но много бързо нещата си дойдоха на мястото и накрая направо ме гръмна.
Somewhere in My Mind There is a Painting Box - Типична за автора история. В горите около Нюфорд живее дива тинейджърка, коят�� мечтае да стане художник. Един ден намира кутия с материали принадлежаща на изчезнал преди 20 години натуралист, а после и партньорът му, който не се е променил. Скучно
Refinerytown - Среща със стари познайници от предишни произведения на писателя. Този път Мона се е заела да рисува комикс за пиксита живеещи на нефтена платформа и естествено те започват да се появяват и да и дават акъл за сценария. Сладко.
A Crow Girls'Cristmas - Любимите героини на феновете отново се забъркват в неприятности. Мейда и Зиа са се хванали на работа като елфи на дядо Коледа в мола. Па��ете си запасите от захарни бастунчета. Коледно-свежарско.
Dark Eyes, Faith and Devotion - Този беше много добър. Шофьор на нелегално такси качва мадама, която го моли да и помогне да откраднат обратно котето ѝ от дома на бившия ѝ приятел, който се оказва вудун. Настръхващо.
Riding Shotgun - Вярвате ли във втория шанс? А в третия? Много добър разказ за вина, ефект на пеперудата и семейна любов, и не само. Времево-фантастичен.
Sweet Forget-Me-Not - Красива история за хлапе арабче, което вижда духовете на местата и се сприятелява с тях. Открива приятели, любов и накрая тъга. Тийн-романтичен.
That Was Radio Clash - Опропастила кариерата си млада музикантка се заговаря с странен непознат в един бар. Музикантско-мултивселенски.
The Butter Spirit's Tithe - Лошо е да ядосаш местния дух, особено когато той дължи една душа на фолклорен мутра рекетьор, но винаги можеш да се измъкнеш с любезност. Забавно-ирландски.
Da Slockit Light - Е за това го чета и обичам този човек. В гоблинските подземия под гробниците някой е открил как да превръща хората. Харписта и Гарвана отиват да проверят, но изчезват. Тогава приятелите им решават да изпратят някой обикновен крадец да разучи нещата. Чарлз де Линт.
The Hour Before Dawn - Атмосферата е убиец, все едно гледаш кръстоска между "Шепот от отвъдното" и "Поверително от Канзас". Винаги идват в часа преди изгрева и при всички, но повечето живи не си ги спомнят. Винаги искат да им помогнеш с недовършените дела, но само по някога някой иска да помогне на теб. Ноар-четиридесеташки.
Newford Spook Squad - Мазилаш, ама пълен. След серия неприятности(като отвличането на добермана на кмета от грифон) общината най-сетне осъзнава, това което всички знаем - в Нюфорд има магия. Съответно правят таен полицейски отдел за борба със свръхестественото. Колегите им от ФБР изпращат най-добрия обучаващ - самият Хелбой(още ме е яд, че не го преведоха Адското баче), който ще помогне за изчистването на канализацията от кракени. Екшън-комиксово.
In Sight - Известна местна певица се заговаря с колежка преди едно участие. Разговорът поема странна посока. Призрачно-мелодраматичен.
The World in a Box - Ако в света има кутия в която се намира света и вземеш че я намериш? Дали ще развиеш скоростен божествен комплекс? Дали ще искаш да промениш света? Романтично-поучителен.
Това е. Четири звезди заради няколко повтарящи се идеи, сякаш вариации на една история, както и заради вмъкнати разкази които, макар и хубави, не са си на мястото. Сигурно съм се разглезил, но съм чел по-добри неща от господин де Линт. -
Muse And Reverie is a collection of thirteen short stories set in Charles de Lint’s Newford universe. As with most collections, some of these tales are of better quality than others but, it being Charles de Lint, there are more hits than misses.
The collection opens with ‘Somewhere In My Head There Is A Painting Box’, which sets the tone nicely, dealing with a situation where the worlds of human and faery collide. There is nothing new here but the descriptions of the woodland are graceful and show as genuine a love for the natural wonders around us as Robert Holdstock did in Mythago Wood.
The real diamond in the collection was ‘Riding Shotgun’ – it presents a haunting tale of loss, alcoholism and how the choices that we make determine who we are and the passage of our lives. At a couple of points, it became a little obvious, but overall it has immense impact, especially since it was written in first person perspective.
‘Sweet Forget-Me-Not’ was another highlight for me: a wistful and poignant story about first love and loss. Here de Lint deals in his usual sensitive manner with bullying and racism. Ahmad and Neenie – the human and the faery, respectively - were a compelling couple to read about and the ending left me feeling more than a little sad.
I also enjoyed ‘A Crow Girls’ Christmas’. This story was brief but very festive (even read in the height of summer!) and incredibly enchanting. Maida and Zia – the eponymous Crow Girls – are delightfully kooky and amusing. Long time readers of de Lint will recognise these two from his novels and will no doubt enjoy catching up with these “fierce, candy cane-eating outlaw girls.”
My particular misses were ‘Refinerytown’ and ‘Newford Spooks Squad’. In the former, there was still much to enjoy but I found it a little disjointed and hard to engage with. Diesel, the eight inch oil refinery fairy, is ravishing and mysterious – however, her presence in the story was introduced thanks to the slimmest of reasons and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief. The latter simply stood out like a sore thumb, considering it is a tale about Hellboy. In any other collection it would have been an effective and tense story but here it was so far removed from the fairytale quality of the other stories that it actually jarred with me.
I am a huge fan of de Lint and have read many of his novels and other collections with great enjoyment. Sitting down to Muse And Reverie was like joining a friend for a gossip with a hot chocolate – warm and cosy, familiar yet always magical. De Lint’s writing is comical, absurd, lyrical and never less than beautiful. If you just want to dip in and tackle one tale at a time, your experience will be as rewarding as reading the book from cover to cover.
This review originally appeared in Vector #264 - with thanks to Martin and Tor Books for sending it through for review. -
At this point, it should almost go without saying that I love Charles De Lint’s Newford series, and I always enjoy a new Newford book, whether it is a full length novel or a collection of short stories. I have read so much Charles De Lint in the past two years and have said so many great things about his work that I am running out of things to say. And so, it is difficult to know exactly what to write about Muse and Reverie, the latest collection of Newford stories.
It was a typically De Lint book, the same fantastic blend of fantasy and reality that Newford fans have come to know well. While most, if not all, of the stories were great, a few stuck out at me, including:
A Crow Girls’ Christmas
Everything is better with Crow Girls, even Christmas and while the story had the feel of something that was written for a much younger audience, it is impossible not to be charmed by the thought of the Crow Girls as candy cane munching Santa’s Elves.
The Butter Spirit’s Tithe
A tale of a young musician who runs afoul of one of the Good Folk, I was particularly glad to see one of the characters from Forests of the Heart featured. It was good to find out how Miki fared after the events of that book.
Da Slockit Light
When Cerin Kelledy and Lucius go to investigate some strange happenings in the “Old City” of Newford and get in over their heads, Meran has to rely on a surly, young thief to discover what has happened to them. This story was a bit of a mixed experience for me. On one hand, the Kelledy’s are two of my favorite characters and I am always happy to see them featured in a story (and as an added bonus, both Jilly and the Crow Girls make an appearance), and the story itself was cool with a neat twist at the end.
On the other hand, I felt like I have somehow missed a lot of backstory on both Meran and Cerin. I mean, I have always know that there was more to them than meets the eye and there were hints and little bits of information dropped in other stories but from the way this story was written, I got the sense that there was some book or story that spelled out their history in more depth and that I somehow missed it. (Fellow Newford fans – if there is a Kelledy book / story out there, please let me know so I can read it).
Overall, this was a fun book. I don’t think it will dislodge Someplace to Be Flying as my favorite Newford book but it was definitely worth the time to read. -
A thoroughly delightful return to the people and others from Newford, de Lint’s created world. “Refinerytown” is about a graphic novel Mona is writing with Nina Kiriki Hoffman (yes, the real NKH) based on the Bordertown shared universe stories. She’s still with her boyfriend the shapechanger (not werewolf) Lyle from “Trading Hearts at the Half Kaffee Café,” in Tapping the Dream Tree, among others. “That was Radio Clash” is about second (and third) chances and what you have to do with them once you have them and Joe Strummer, the Clash’s songwriter. “The Butter Spirit’s Tithe” is de Lint’s version of Tam Lin with two traditional Irish musicians. Conn who is the tithe and Miki (from Forests of the Heart) who helps him fight it. “In Sight,” like a lot of the stories in this collection is about musicians, is about two folk singers, one a real up and comer and one a headliner, if mostly in and around Newford, who also works as a librarian. The young woman offers the older woman a wish. There are also nine other beautiful short stories in this collection.
I loved this collection, but I love returning to Newford, it’s my fictional home. If there were a themepark that had a Newford section, like Harry Potter, or Austenland, I'd live there, but there won't be, can't be, because that would just be all kinds of wrong. Still. It's a place and people full of wonder to which I love returning. -
Like
Dreams Underfoot and
The Onion Girl, this collection of short stories is set in De Lint's fictional city of Newford, a sprawling metropolis noted for its unusually high level of unusual activity, from goblins living in the buried old town to mischievous crow girls to rather nasty wizards to keys that can suddenly throw you back into the past.
Also like De Lint's previous stories and novels, the urban fantasy stories stem from the people within them, people lonely and lost and loving and kind, who stumble their way -- or perhaps throw themselves into -- strange and beautiful and dangerous situations. De Lint loves music and the arts, which is clear by the fact that the vast majority of his characters are musicians or artists or people of creative spirit.
It would be very hard to me to pick a favorite story from this book. There are so many beautiful tales, that picking one means discounting another that is delightful completely different reasons. This is my favorite of De Lint's books since I discovered
Dreams Underfoot, and first fell in love with his writing, several years ago. -
I’ve become a bit more accepting towards short story collections recently due to their ability to introduce me to new authors, but the one type of collection that I’ve always adored are those by Charles de Lint which focus on his fictional town of Newford. Each of the stories is set within a shared setting and often characters weave in and out through various narratives, so even though each story stands alone it feels more like reading a very disjointed continuous story, assuming that by the end (somewhere far off in the future, many novels along the way) everything will come together. My evaluation of Muse and Reverie is really no different than any of his other works, since I adore journeying back to Newford and seeing the lives of its many colourful citizens play out on the page. Here we play witness to shenanigans from the Crow Girls (no such thing as too many candy canes), see many of the artistic inhabitants practise their craft (albeit in new ways occasionally), and watch journeys into the Old City play out (what lurks in the darkness may not be what you think) - making for an entertaining pastiche that is heightened further by the moments where de Lint weaves magic into the stories. It’s almost disappointing that Newford (and its magic) don’t exist in the real world, but then again, these stories are here to remind us to see the magic in the everyday. Afterall, it might just be closer than we think!
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This is a collection of Newford stories. de Lint is better at short stories than he is at novels and Newford is one of fantasy's best-developed settings. But, not all the stories here have that Newford feel. "Somewhere in My Mind There Is a Painting Box" is an excellent story about art and purpose, "Refinerytown" a fascinating story about an artist whose creation comes to life and tells her she is getting the story all wrong with some familiar Newford characters. "A Crow Girls' Christmas" is a cute fun story. "Dark Eyes, Faith and Devotion" about a cab driver whose fare asks for help rescueing her cat is good, but doesn't have that Newford feel. "Riding Shotgun" about ghosts and second chances is a great story, but again, could take place anywhere. "That Was Radio Clash" is about the giving of second chances. "Butter Spirit's Tithe" has something of a Newford spirit, in a modern take on Tam Lin. Da Slockit Light is a genuine Newford story about its underground. The Hour Before Dawn is another ghost story that didn't need to be set in Newford, even an earlier Newford. "Newford Spook Squad" is a Hellboy story set in Newford, but no usual Newford characters appear and the concept of the police knowing about the weirdness of Newford goes against the hidden magic concept of the Newford stories. "In Sight" is a story about revelation. And "The World in a Box" is about the dangers of playing God.
