Summer

24 October 2008

WIDDERSHINS - Charles De Lint

It took me forever to get to this book simply because it is so freakin' BIG! Trade paperback size and 560 pages, it was a daunting book to look at. My sister sent it to me and highly recommended it, yet still I hesitated. Until October rolled in and I knew it was time for me to get to it. It's on three challenges for the year and I like to read only paranormal books for the month.
I picked it to be my bedside book since it's too big to be a purse book. This left not much reading time with it, so it went more slowly. Once I started reading it, I really wished I could just stay in bed and only read. It is an AMAZING book and it is going on the keeper shelf.
The chapters are named for the person telling that particular part of the story and it works wonderfully. Jilly, Geordie, Grey, Walker, Lizzie, bogans, all take a turn telling their tale. Each one moving the story to a very satisfactory end.
There are two worlds, the one we live in and the Otherworld. Both are populated by humans, the magical folk of Native American lore known as the Cousins, who appear as both human and their animal form. There's also the Celtic faery folk who came over on the ships way back when. There's animosity between the two magical sides and it begins to explode when evil bogans, of the Celtic faery folk, kill one of the Cousins, the daughter of one of the main players, Walker, the Deer. The humans become involved when Lizzie Mahone, a Celtic fiddle musician comes upon the bogans and their kill, in the form of a doe. Lizzie has been raised with the stories of faery and is fairly certain they exist. Now here is proof before her.
There is an altercation, the bogans depart after getting their asses handed to them. Lizzie doesn't feel right about leaving the body behind and buries the body and plays a dirge for the fallen. Walker appears and, in thanks, tells her she can call upon him at any time of need.
The rest of the story continues with Lizzie's Celtic band being called upon to help, along with fairy folk and Cousins.
It is really hard to this justice and I won't try to.
This is a wonderfully magical book and I look forward to a time to read it again.
Five magical beans.....

2 comments:

marineko said...

I'm glad you enjoyed Widdershins! It's one of my favourite books. I only started reading Charles de Lint recently, so I haven't read that many of his books, but so far my favourite book in the Newford setting is Promises to Keep, which is about Jilly.

Vickie said...

Marineko: Thank you for the cranium's up on de Lint's other books, especially with Jilly. I look forward to reading others of his books. Just wonderfully dreamlike.