Svaha

Rating:
Summary: Let Me Give It More Stars!
Review: I'm a big fan of Charles de Lint, and I've already reviewed many of his books. Until now, "A Place To Be Flying" was my favorite. "Svaha" is different, in many ways. First of all, it's not typical Charles de Lint. Most of his works take place now, and many take place in a fictional city called "Newford" (imagine an East Coast version of Vancouver). "Svaha" takes place in the future, in a real place (or, at least, de Lint's vision of a currently real place as it is in the future). Many of de Lint's books incorporate Native American cultural concepts; "Svaha" does this too, but also has a heavy component of Japanese culture.

This is probably already sounding weird, but it gets weirder. The setting is the corridor between Quebec and Toronto in a future where biochemical warfare and pollution have destroyed most of Western culture. The Japanese have moved in and, with a return to the Samurai culture, have set up fiefdoms across North America.

Meanwhile, the different aboriginal tribes of the world, including Native Americans, have gone to the World Court, won back big pieces of their former land, created their own Enclaves, heavily educated their young, shrugged off the influences of Western culture that had hurt them, and established mini-societies that are both highly technological and strongly based in tribal traditions, legends, ceremonies, and beliefs. Eventually, the aboriginal Enclaves wall themselves off from the rest of the world with impenetrable energy shields, heal the land within their Enclaves, and break off contact with the outside world.

At the start of "Svaha" (the time of expectancy, between the lightning strike and the thunder), a Samurai lord captured a highly advanced ship from an Enclave, but had a piece of critical technology stolen from it. The Enclave sends out a representative on a mission to recover and destroy that technology before it gives the Samurai a chance to catch up technologically. Of course, everyone is looking for this highly valuable piece of technology - the Samurai lord, his rivals, the underclass.

As usual, the writing is excellent. What else would one expect from Charles de Lint? The characters are very real. The world he portrays is frighteningly loathsome and feasible. The story takes time to get rolling, as de Lint lays a lot of cultural and character groundwork (this early slow pace is another de Lint trademark), and then becomes a juggernaut. This is an astounding book that you will never forget. BUY IT! I learned much about Native American and traditional Japanese culture. It raised my standards for all books I read. Again, what else would one expect from Charles de Lint?

Rating:
Summary: Let Me Give It More Stars!
Review: I'm a big fan of Charles de Lint, and I've already reviewed many of his books. Until now, "A Place To Be Flying" was my favorite. "Svaha" is different, in many ways. First of all, it's not typical Charles de Lint. Most of his works take place now, and many take place in a fictional city called "Newford" (imagine an East Coast version of Vancouver). "Svaha" takes place in the future, in a real place (or, at least, de Lint's vision of a currently real place as it is in the future). Many of de Lint's books incorporate Native American cultural concepts; "Svaha" does this too, but also has a heavy component of Japanese culture.

This is probably already sounding weird, but it gets weirder. The setting is the corridor between Quebec and Toronto in a future where biochemical warfare and pollution have destroyed most of Western culture. The Japanese have moved in and, with a return to the Samurai culture, have set up fiefdoms across North America.

Meanwhile, the different aboriginal tribes of the world, including Native Americans, have gone to the World Court, won back big pieces of their former land, created their own Enclaves, heavily educated their young, shrugged off the influences of Western culture that had hurt them, and established mini-societies that are both highly technological and strongly based in tribal traditions, legends, ceremonies, and beliefs. Eventually, the aboriginal Enclaves wall themselves off from the rest of the world with impenetrable energy shields, heal the land within their Enclaves, and break off contact with the outside world.

At the start of "Svaha" (the time of expectancy, between the lightning strike and the thunder), a Samurai lord captured a highly advanced ship from an Enclave, but had a piece of critical technology stolen from it. The Enclave sends out a representative on a mission to recover and destroy that technology before it gives the Samurai a chance to catch up technologically. Of course, everyone is looking for this highly valuable piece of technology - the Samurai lord, his rivals, the underclass.

As usual, the writing is excellent. What else would one expect from Charles de Lint? The characters are very real. The world he portrays is frighteningly loathsome and feasible. The story takes time to get rolling, as de Lint lays a lot of cultural and character groundwork (this early slow pace is another de Lint trademark), and then becomes a juggernaut. This is an astounding book that you will never forget. BUY IT! I learned much about Native American and traditional Japanese culture. It raised my standards for all books I read. Again, what else would one expect from Charles de Lint?

Rating:
Summary: i've read it four times
Review: one of delint's best. i love the wonderful blending/clashing of native american, japanese, and chinese cultures, set in the nightmare of post-apocalyptic americana

Rating:
Summary: Charming tale, good detail.. should have been longer
Review: The tale itself is well done, De Lint is always a masterful storyteller. The world he brings alive is robust, diverse and very reminscent of the cyberpunk genre. The only problem with the book is i think it should have been longer. About half way through i felt as if i was being dragged through the plot, and it started to get predictable as the pace picked up. When i finished, it was very anti-climactic. Still, its a beautiful tale - i like the style of telling a story from several viewpoints - its not done enough.

Rating:
Summary: Not Typical De Lint
Review: This is not typical de Lint in that it isn't about a waifish girl artist. It is futuristic and, truth-be-told, when I saw the film "Johnny Mnemonic", I thought that show was based on this book. Fabulously entertaining and a fast ride from start to finish.

Take one "Claver" who is a descendant of the American Indians who withdrew from the overpolluted 21st century. Add one "rat" who is a girl living on her wits in the slums. Toss in one unique piece of technology that the Yakuza from the "Props" are after. Now you have one wicked book. But don't stop there. Let's add in a coyote who might be a Trickster God and then again might be just a coyote.

De Lint does urban fantasy like no one else. This is the only futuristic one of his that I know of (but that isn't saying much). He casts believable characters in a frighteningly real "what if" future. I have read this book time and time again.