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Newford #13
Muse and Reverie
"Muse and Reverie "is an all-new collection of short fiction in Charles de Lint's "Newford" universe--the fifth such collection since 1993, and the first since 2002. Previous collections are "Dreams Underfoot," "The Ivory and the Horn," the World Fantasy Award-winning "Memory and Dream," and "Tapping the Dream Tree."
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.
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.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2009
61 people are currently reading
1,471 people want to read
About the author
Charles de Lint
469Ìýbooks3,941ÌýfollowersCharles de Lint is the much beloved author of more than seventy adult, young adult, and children's books. Renowned as one of the trailblazers of the modern fantasy genre, he is the recipient of the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. Modern Library's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century poll, conducted by Random House and voted on by readers, put eight of de Lint's books among the top 100.
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
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 (bestselling author)
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 & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
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 (bestselling author)
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 & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
December 6, 2010
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.
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.
May 10, 2010
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.
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.
August 31, 2011
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.
"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.
September 10, 2016
Another solid collection of Newford short stories, set before .
June 29, 2024
4.5 stars
somewhere in my mind there is a painting box: five stars
refinerytown: five stars
a crow girls� christmas: four stars (a bit gimmicky but i still love it)
dark eye, faith, and devotion: five stars
riding shotgun: five stars (fucking weird)
sweet forget-me-not: five stars
that was radio clash: four stars
the butter sprite’s tithe: five stars
da slockit light: four stars
the hour before dawn: five stars
newford spook squad: four stars
in sight: four stars
the world in a box: four stars
my connection with charles de lint’s writing is unparalleled really. newford is my favourite extended universe (and one of my special interests). i am parcelling out my reading of the books within newford, as i understand charles de lint has semi-retired this setting and i want his writing to last my lifetime.
this is full of joy and love and friendship and trauma and magic (and a bit more timey-wimey stuff than usual) and i adored every story. i adore (almost) every character and i adore every reading experience with charles de lint, even when it’s not a new favourite. as far as short story collections go, moonlight and vines is still the most dominant of all time (in my opinion) but that doesn’t at all dull my love for all the writing in this book.
somewhere in my mind there is a painting box: five stars
refinerytown: five stars
a crow girls� christmas: four stars (a bit gimmicky but i still love it)
dark eye, faith, and devotion: five stars
riding shotgun: five stars (fucking weird)
sweet forget-me-not: five stars
that was radio clash: four stars
the butter sprite’s tithe: five stars
da slockit light: four stars
the hour before dawn: five stars
newford spook squad: four stars
in sight: four stars
the world in a box: four stars
my connection with charles de lint’s writing is unparalleled really. newford is my favourite extended universe (and one of my special interests). i am parcelling out my reading of the books within newford, as i understand charles de lint has semi-retired this setting and i want his writing to last my lifetime.
this is full of joy and love and friendship and trauma and magic (and a bit more timey-wimey stuff than usual) and i adored every story. i adore (almost) every character and i adore every reading experience with charles de lint, even when it’s not a new favourite. as far as short story collections go, moonlight and vines is still the most dominant of all time (in my opinion) but that doesn’t at all dull my love for all the writing in this book.
May 20, 2010
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.
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.
December 24, 2009
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.
April 19, 2010
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!
It would have been a much richer experience if I had. My fault...Aaargh!
February 24, 2010
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.
February 1, 2010
This wasn't my favorite of the Newford books, but four separate stories brought me to tears nonetheless.
January 14, 2010
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.
February 19, 2010
Perhaps not as good as some of his other Newford Tales but even average De Lint is miles above the rest.
February 4, 2010
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.
June 12, 2019
"The world is big enough and strange enough that pretty much anything can be out there in it, somewhere."
Muse and Reverie, summed up in word, is interesting.
This is a collection of stories by an author my mother has been pressuring me to read stuff of. I started with Muse and Reverie because reading a collection of short stories by the author is sometimes a good way to get involved in an author’s work.
Did I absolutely love it? No. But I was very intrigued by some of these stories.
Somewhere in my Mind There is a Painting Box:
Missing painters. A girl who finds an old paintbox and then a man in the wrong time. I quite liked this one. From the beginning I was invested and interested but I will say it is an odd story. I thought overall it was pretty good. I can see myself rereading this one, but I didn’t find it impactful or overall rememberable. Honestly, I would give this one a 3/5 stars.
Refinerytown:
These people write a comic book. Then one of them comes real and starts talking to them. I loved the characters in this one. The characters were just so interesting to me and entertaining to read about. Sadly, that was all I really grabbed from it. It didn’t have much to give beyond that. I would reread it personally, but it didn’t strike me as fantastic. I am hovering somewhere between a 2 and 3 stars for this one.
A Crow Girls� Christmas:
Two girls work as elves at Christmas? I did…not…like…this…one. I was confused. I think this story may be one of those ones you only get if you have read other stuff by the author. I didn’t get anything from it, and it strike me as a little silly. Not something I am really into so 1/5 stars.
Dark Eyes, Faith and Devotion:
An ex-criminal comes across this woman who needs help to get her cat back from her ex. This one kind of had me at the beginning. The beginning to the mid was interesting but how it turned out didn’t impress me. I liked the two main characters and I enjoyed their interactions. Though they weren’t that rememberable for me. I wasn’t into this one and once again a little confused. 2/5 stars.
Riding Shotgun:
A boy accidentally killed his brother when he was a teenager in a car crash. After prison and alcoholism his father dies and with a trip to the farm he is sent back in time. This was fantastic. I really enjoyed this one and maybe it’s because I am into death and reapers and that type of stuff and these ghosts fell into that area. I thought this by far was the most interesting, intriguing and also more impactful story there was presented in this collection. 4/5 stars.
Sweet Forget-Me-Not:
This story followed a young Lebanese boy who was getting bullied because people assumed he was a terrorist. He meets these type of fairy who collects stories. I thought this was interesting and well written. It had a nice development throughout the story but it was not impactful and I wouldn’t describe it as sweet. 3/5 stars.
That Was Radio Clash:
This is another time-traveller story. People with hard lives gets the option of going back to the turning point where everything went downhill for them. This story was also quite interesting to me and had me invested from the beginning. The other time-traveller story in this collection is better and more solid of a story but this was still a great read. 4/5 stars.
The Butter Spirit’s Tithe:
At this time I am starting to think that Lint likes writing about musicians. A musician accidentally got cursed to be sacrificed to some higher being seven years- and his time is almost up. Once again, a solid story. Intriguing but it didn't come to much for me and was actually difficult for me to get through. The characters was great and I thought the flashbacks and explaining how this man did get cursed was done well. 3/5 stars.
Da Socklit Light:
People are going missing so a woman hires a thief to go down and check out the Old City. I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was well paced and the characters once again were interesting. 4/5 stars.
The Hour Before Dawn:
A man can see the dead. His life is also all twisted up. The characters here were well-rounded and good to read. 4/5 stars.
Newford Spook Squad:
A spook squad is assembled to deal with the weirdness of this town. This story wasn't for me. At first I was interested but I am not a "fighting and hunting monsters story" kind of person. Overall it was a solid story. 2.5/5 stars.
In Sight:
A musician (once again) gets a wish to spend after talking to someone at a gig. This was a nice read but it didn't strike me as a story, but more of a scene. I also understood the end but wasn't a huge fan of how it turned out. 3/5 stars.
The World in a Box:
A man finds a little world in a box and it allows him to grant wishes. This was a good story to end the book on, but I wasn't that invested into it. It was a good concept and executed well but it didn't hook me as a reader. 3/5 stars.
Muse and Reverie, summed up in word, is interesting.
This is a collection of stories by an author my mother has been pressuring me to read stuff of. I started with Muse and Reverie because reading a collection of short stories by the author is sometimes a good way to get involved in an author’s work.
Did I absolutely love it? No. But I was very intrigued by some of these stories.
Somewhere in my Mind There is a Painting Box:
Missing painters. A girl who finds an old paintbox and then a man in the wrong time. I quite liked this one. From the beginning I was invested and interested but I will say it is an odd story. I thought overall it was pretty good. I can see myself rereading this one, but I didn’t find it impactful or overall rememberable. Honestly, I would give this one a 3/5 stars.
Refinerytown:
These people write a comic book. Then one of them comes real and starts talking to them. I loved the characters in this one. The characters were just so interesting to me and entertaining to read about. Sadly, that was all I really grabbed from it. It didn’t have much to give beyond that. I would reread it personally, but it didn’t strike me as fantastic. I am hovering somewhere between a 2 and 3 stars for this one.
A Crow Girls� Christmas:
Two girls work as elves at Christmas? I did…not…like…this…one. I was confused. I think this story may be one of those ones you only get if you have read other stuff by the author. I didn’t get anything from it, and it strike me as a little silly. Not something I am really into so 1/5 stars.
Dark Eyes, Faith and Devotion:
An ex-criminal comes across this woman who needs help to get her cat back from her ex. This one kind of had me at the beginning. The beginning to the mid was interesting but how it turned out didn’t impress me. I liked the two main characters and I enjoyed their interactions. Though they weren’t that rememberable for me. I wasn’t into this one and once again a little confused. 2/5 stars.
Riding Shotgun:
A boy accidentally killed his brother when he was a teenager in a car crash. After prison and alcoholism his father dies and with a trip to the farm he is sent back in time. This was fantastic. I really enjoyed this one and maybe it’s because I am into death and reapers and that type of stuff and these ghosts fell into that area. I thought this by far was the most interesting, intriguing and also more impactful story there was presented in this collection. 4/5 stars.
Sweet Forget-Me-Not:
This story followed a young Lebanese boy who was getting bullied because people assumed he was a terrorist. He meets these type of fairy who collects stories. I thought this was interesting and well written. It had a nice development throughout the story but it was not impactful and I wouldn’t describe it as sweet. 3/5 stars.
That Was Radio Clash:
This is another time-traveller story. People with hard lives gets the option of going back to the turning point where everything went downhill for them. This story was also quite interesting to me and had me invested from the beginning. The other time-traveller story in this collection is better and more solid of a story but this was still a great read. 4/5 stars.
The Butter Spirit’s Tithe:
At this time I am starting to think that Lint likes writing about musicians. A musician accidentally got cursed to be sacrificed to some higher being seven years- and his time is almost up. Once again, a solid story. Intriguing but it didn't come to much for me and was actually difficult for me to get through. The characters was great and I thought the flashbacks and explaining how this man did get cursed was done well. 3/5 stars.
Da Socklit Light:
People are going missing so a woman hires a thief to go down and check out the Old City. I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was well paced and the characters once again were interesting. 4/5 stars.
The Hour Before Dawn:
A man can see the dead. His life is also all twisted up. The characters here were well-rounded and good to read. 4/5 stars.
Newford Spook Squad:
A spook squad is assembled to deal with the weirdness of this town. This story wasn't for me. At first I was interested but I am not a "fighting and hunting monsters story" kind of person. Overall it was a solid story. 2.5/5 stars.
In Sight:
A musician (once again) gets a wish to spend after talking to someone at a gig. This was a nice read but it didn't strike me as a story, but more of a scene. I also understood the end but wasn't a huge fan of how it turned out. 3/5 stars.
The World in a Box:
A man finds a little world in a box and it allows him to grant wishes. This was a good story to end the book on, but I wasn't that invested into it. It was a good concept and executed well but it didn't hook me as a reader. 3/5 stars.
December 28, 2017
"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.
October 26, 2019
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.
...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.
February 17, 2019
"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.
"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.
November 1, 2019
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
“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
March 11, 2025
"Everything has a spirit. So give everything its proper respect or you'll be bringing the bad luck down on yourself."
Somewhere in My Mind There is a Painting Box: painting an entrance to the otherworld
Refinerytown: fairy from a story comes to life
A Crow Girl's Christmas: work as Christmas elves
Dark Eyes, Faith, and Devotion: cat woman?
Riding Shotgun: ghosts
Sweet Forget-Me-Not: fairies
That Was Radio Clash: musicians?
The Butter Spirit's Tithe: the Grey Man
Da Slockit Light: goblins
The Hour Before Dawn: ghosts
Newford Spook Squad: Hellboy, kraken
In Sight: wishes
The World in a Box: literally, the world in a box
Somewhere in My Mind There is a Painting Box: painting an entrance to the otherworld
Refinerytown: fairy from a story comes to life
A Crow Girl's Christmas: work as Christmas elves
Dark Eyes, Faith, and Devotion: cat woman?
Riding Shotgun: ghosts
Sweet Forget-Me-Not: fairies
That Was Radio Clash: musicians?
The Butter Spirit's Tithe: the Grey Man
Da Slockit Light: goblins
The Hour Before Dawn: ghosts
Newford Spook Squad: Hellboy, kraken
In Sight: wishes
The World in a Box: literally, the world in a box
October 13, 2024
Inspiration from the Unexplained
I have always liked Charles de Lint's stories of the supernatural and of those whose lives revolve around the world's they imagine and then inhabit. I also love stories about cafes and bars and musicians. I don't normally like short stories but these lifted me out of my funk by reminding me of the beauty of life and its mysteries.
I have always liked Charles de Lint's stories of the supernatural and of those whose lives revolve around the world's they imagine and then inhabit. I also love stories about cafes and bars and musicians. I don't normally like short stories but these lifted me out of my funk by reminding me of the beauty of life and its mysteries.
December 30, 2019
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.
May 1, 2025
DeLint distilled
I loved all the stories.
Standouts are:
The Slockit Light where a young urchin/thief keeps his word, and all is well
The World in a Box where a musician finds something amazing, and comes to a worthwhile conclusion.
I loved all the stories.
Standouts are:
The Slockit Light where a young urchin/thief keeps his word, and all is well
The World in a Box where a musician finds something amazing, and comes to a worthwhile conclusion.
March 14, 2019
Turns out I had read this before!
November 3, 2019
Marked as read some time ago ------ but did not. Caught up with it now.
May 10, 2021
Not my favorite de Lint short story collection, but a good read nonetheless.
Read
August 27, 2021Wasn't what I had been told it would be, and did not hold my interest.
June 29, 2022
Great stories. Revisiting newfird community
August 13, 2023
Good stories.
October 3, 2024
Some stories were 2 stars, some were 5. Had a bit of a hard time getting through this one.
March 7, 2025
Always, always, Charles de Lint. You just slide into his stories and wander along with him. They're amazing.
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