Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: Discerning Readers Decide! Review: This book annoyed me. To start my diatribe, there were too many characters, each and every one one of whom seemed illogical, stupid, and not at all endearing. And a "paranormal" branch of the mounties? I thought it was supposed to be a fantasy affecting real people of this world, not a fantasy affecting another fantasy.
One gets the idea that the author tried to explain what was happening to the readers, but ended up explaining things to the characters instead which is why one can never believe it when the characters are disbelieving. I can never believe it when the characters do anything, actually. I don't understand how anybody's brains could function like that. Their thought processes are just absurd.
The protaginist needs to stop smoking, because she seems to roll a new cigarette in every sentance she inhabits. The hard-boiled investigator should take a look at what his girlfriend puts in his dinner because he accepts the unacceptable (at least for a hard-boiled investigator) with unblinking reserve. The male lead needs to stop speaking and thinking (!) in French because he is not, and the eccentric millionaire uncle needs to borrow some of the protaginist's ciggarettes and Calm Down. The only character I liked even remotely was the biker art critic, but I think the author was trying a little too hard to be clever when Blue was born.
It's also very confusing the way the plot jumps around and goes backwards and forwards between the thirty some characters (all of whom, I must mention again, are really annoying). It makes it hard for one to keep one's attention on the book, instead of just going over one's grocery list whilst staring at the page. Looks like deLint has done some time travelling too. You have to excuse him, he gets mixed up. All those quantum leaps.
And what was with all that outdated profanity? I mean, who says "Lord lifting Jesus!" anyway? I agree with the reviewer named bounci, those...occurances did not fit and just made me want to laugh (or cry, seeing as it doesn't stop for the entire book) instead of being shocked.
To it's credit, the book did have a very interesting story, with a lot of interesting things happening. It had good suspense (when it doesn't ramble hopelessly) and was sometimes exciting. It does while away the hours though, and it will keep you in book while you plod through.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: A wonderful tale of urban fantasy set in Ottawa Review: This book brings magic into your everyday life. Its characters are real and inspiring and it's one of those books that you're sorry to finish.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: great mythology Review: This book interweaves different mythologies with surprising results...and its just---nice---to stop borrowing everything from the Europeans all the time. Its time we became more aware of legends that are here, inherent, as part of the North American landscape. It is a well constructed story as well and keeps you going until the end. The Canadian setting is especially effective. This is the kind of book that may make you look into the subject, like Native American or Celtic mythology, further.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: A lovely read - Review: This is a charming story with interesting characters - including, incredibly, the great bard Talesien - and a story line that doesn't race, but never drags for a moment. Tamson House and its mysteries are some of de Lint's best, the characters interesting and nuanced (well, mostly - de Lint doesn't seem able to craft a convincing policeman), and the great swooping confrontations between forces of good and evil - and sometimes between good and good - are carried off well. It has everything you can reasonably ask for in a good fantasy novel. Fans of de Lint's later work can safely buy this one without disappointment, and if you've never touched one of his books, this is a nice one-off or a good introduction to an excellent body of work. Seekers of hidden knowledge will find some things of interest here, as well. If you become enamoured of the weirdin discs introduced in this book, be sure to visit his web site and let him know.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: A lovely read - Review: This is a charming story with interesting characters - including, incredibly, the great bard Talesien - and a story line that doesn't race, but never drags for a moment. Tamson House and its mysteries are some of de Lint's best, the characters interesting and nuanced (well, mostly - de Lint doesn't seem able to craft a convincing policeman), and the great swooping confrontations between forces of good and evil - and sometimes between good and good - are carried off well. It has everything you can reasonably ask for in a good fantasy novel. Fans of de Lint's later work can safely buy this one without disappointment, and if you've never touched one of his books, this is a nice one-off or a good introduction to an excellent body of work. Seekers of hidden knowledge will find some things of interest here, as well. If you become enamoured of the weirdin discs introduced in this book, be sure to visit his web site and let him know.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Absolutely the best urban fantasy around! Review: This is the best of the best, and one of the first in urban fantasy.Moonheart was the first De Lint book I ever read, and turned him immediately into a favorite author of mine. His characters are diverse and likeable, female characters are never wimps, and he weaves mythologies of several cultures together deftly. I've been devouring books since I was a small child, and my first taste of Moonheart sent me back to the bookstores, special-ordering everything that could be acquired by De Lint. If you enjoy fantasy fiction - the kind you can't put down, Moonheart is a must-have!!
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Magical, enthralling book! A must-read. Review: This is the first of DeLint's books that I read many years ago and I keep on going back, and then back again to read. It has many elements that will hook most readers -- whether it be adventure, romance, or magic. Keeps your interest from page one... The only thing wrong with this book, is that it ends! I have read many of DeLint's books and each of them have that special touch that keeps one's interest from the very first page. Kudos to Charles DeLint!
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Impersonal but enjoyable read Review: This was my first Charles De Lint book. I ordered it from amazon after hearing some good reviews, but I didn't really know what to expect except that some people told me that it was sad and they cried at the end. And on the back cover, there are some people talking about how beautifully Charles De Lint writes. I was somewhat disappointed in that aspect. I didn't find his writing to be anything special. It was sometimes choppy. I guess in some ways the writing style in each section as they jumped from character to character was supposed to make it more personal - showing each person's thoughts and stuff...but I felt like it sort of made the writing very vulgar. Additionally, the emotion and sadness never really hit me at the end - or at any point in the book. For some reason, none of the characters really mattered to me. I kept reading because it was interesting - the story was good and I liked it and there was a lot of suspense. However, I never really felt that "wow I really care about these characters" thing. It was more like "oh okay now something bad is happening. Now someone's dying. Sucks for them." Very impersonal. Should I add that I was never really fond of any of the characters in the book? I guess that goes with the impersonal aspect...but it wasn't just that we never got to know or care about them. They just weren't very likeable people. There weren't any qualities in any of them that I really loved and sometimes they even annoyed me with their horrible decisions, the way they did things, they way they thought etc. Oh yeah...and I understand that a lot of these people were from "the modern world"...but why the heck did they have to say "Jesus!", "Jesus Christ!", "Jesus H. Christ", "Mary, mother of Jesus!" and such exclamations so much? First of all, nobody in the real world uses that exclamation as much as these characters do. Second of all, I just really felt like it didn't fit in in a book where they were talking abnout the afterlife as the summer country or the thundering dreams or whatever they were called...and in a place where there are people who live forever and spirits and forest lords and elves. Jesus and Mary and other Christian idols just DID NOT fit in here. This is not to say that I'm against Christianity or God or anything. But using the names of Jesus, Mary, and God in vain so much doesn't do anything to benefit Christianity in any way - better, in my opinion, to leave out all mention of it at all.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: My fav! Review: This was my first Charles DeLint book and it is still my favorite! I found the mix of Celtic and Native American folklore to be facinating and well written. I was on the edge of my seat and unable to put the book down. The world could use a little magic right now and Charles DeLint provides it. Charles DeLint gets and A+ in my book and so does Moonheart! Thanks!
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Wonderful! Review: This was the first De Lint book I read, and I loved it. It was well-writen, and I got attached to the characters, all of whom seemed like real people. I highly recomend this book!
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