Okay, I love Charles de Lint. (I know - I'm being all "gushy" again, but he' s one of my favorite authors so I'm allowed!)
I just finished reading his latest novel, Widdershins and it is very very good. If you are a fan of de Lint's work then this is the book you have been waiting for as two of his most enduring characters, Jilly and Geordie, finally confront their feelings for each other. There is a lot more than just romance going on in this book though - there's revenge, there's a lot of personal history and conflicts and there's also a major war brewing. It's a great bit thick novel with tons of wonderful characters and de Lint's trademark look into the myths and legends surrounding North America. I have many many of his books, and Widdershins is clearly one of the best.
I also just finished his latest collection Triskell Tales 2, from Subterranean Press. (These titles are so cool - I wish he could give me a title for my fantasy book.) These are stories from the annual chapbooks that de Lint gives to family and friends at Christmas time. (I can barely manage the Christmas cards - sending a whole chapbook? How cool!) They all have his trademark of deep thinking protagonists who are faced with pivotal moments in their lives and forced to make decisions about what is right for themselves and the world. There's also the Crow Girls - two other long time favorites and a very cool story about writers and ideas that will give a smile to everyone who has tried to come up with an original idea.
I'm interviewing (via email) de Lint right now for Bookslut and trying not to be too obnoxious. I'm having one of those cool reviewer moments, when you get to connect with a writer who has meant the world to you for a long long time. Because of de Lint I have found so many other wonderful writers (Terri Windling, Pamela Dean, Patricia McKilip, Jane Yolen, Kelly Link, etc.) all of whom excel at putting fantasy elements in the real world and making readers consider just what is out there, beyond their reach, beyond their vision. It's a genre I can't get enough of, and Charles de Lint's books are the ones that first brought it to my attention.
