I am hopeful that there will be a number of literature studies undergraduates poring their way through the large body of work created by urban fantasy master Charles de Lint. I’ve only read two of his books — MEMORY AND DREAM and his newest, THE MYSTERY OF GRACE — and each one has been so filled with concepts, ideas, philosophies, thoughts and stories, that they tend to take some time to read, with the satisfied reader drifting off into the depths of de Lint’s created worlds, imagining what he or she would do in circumstances similar to those that affect his intricate and sensitively-drawn characters.
Altagracia “Grace” Quintero is a hot rod and rockabilly enthusiast covered in tattoo ink. Hmm … I kind of have to stop there if you don’t want me to reveal any spoilers. So just skip to this review’s last paragraph if you hate to have a book’s details mentioned before you read it.
Okay, it turns out that the story really only starts after Grace is shot dead by a crazed junkie in a botched store holdup. Her spirit awakes back in her apartment, and it takes some convincing from other nearby spirits to show Grace that she really is dead. But why she and 70 or so other lost souls still seem to exist in this odd halfway limbo is a puzzle that no one seems able to crack. It is that mystery, coupled with the connection between the spirit world and the land of the living, that de Lint beautifully and achingly explores.
There’s no hack-and-slash or fire-breathing dragons here, but there is a phenomenal writer at work, able to draw on the magic, spiritual or otherwise, that surrounds each and every one of us and the places we inhabit. This is contemporary fantasy at its best, always interesting, always thoughtful, sometimes deeply disturbing in a most fulfilling way for the reader. MEMORY AND DREAM was a huge chunk of a book, so you may want to start with this slimmer volume. THE MYSTERY OF GRACE is still infused with de Lint’s remarkable style and depicts yet another one of his captivating worlds. —Mark Rose
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• MEMORY AND DREAM by Charles de Lint
• WIDDERSHINS by Charles de Lint
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Any of Charles de Lints books would be a worthwhile read. I’ve had the pleasure of reading almost all of them and not one fell short of the mark. My all time favorite is “The Onion Girl”. (Hugs)Indigo