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A review by nthurman_dude
Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I came to Charles De Lint's Newford series late, starting with the two Juniper Wiles books (#s 21 and 22 in the series) and bouncing to the intense The Onion Girl (#8). This collection of short stories is listed as the first in the series and provides an introduction into some of the recurring characters in the series. Newford is a fictional American city in De Lint's world of urban fantasy/ urban magic/ magic realism.
Like many short story collections, some are engaging, some less so. Which are which depends on the reader. My favorites were "Winter Was Hard", "Ghosts of Wind and Shadow", "The Conjure Man," and the "Timeskip"-"Paper Jack" combo.
I read this one in small doses - never more than a single story in a day - to let the stories sink in. Some of the stories can be draining. Although these stories give us glimpses into the lives of the characters, they don't allow for full character development. One exception is "In the House of My Enemy," which gives us a hard look at the abusive childhood of Jilly Coppercorn (this story also appears in The Onion Girl).
I will likely explore more of the Newford series.
Like many short story collections, some are engaging, some less so. Which are which depends on the reader. My favorites were "Winter Was Hard", "Ghosts of Wind and Shadow", "The Conjure Man," and the "Timeskip"-"Paper Jack" combo.
I read this one in small doses - never more than a single story in a day - to let the stories sink in. Some of the stories can be draining. Although these stories give us glimpses into the lives of the characters, they don't allow for full character development. One exception is "In the House of My Enemy," which gives us a hard look at the abusive childhood of Jilly Coppercorn (this story also appears in The Onion Girl).
I will likely explore more of the Newford series.