Product Description
Introducing a spine-tingling new series inspired by the unique geography of the Canadian imaginative landscape. From "The Man Who Cried Wolf.", Robert Bloch's classic werewolf thriller, to Garfield Reeves-Steven's gripping story of supernatural terror in the Toronto suburbs, to Galad Elflandsson's chilling look at horror on a snowbound highway, we invite you to bundle up with seventeen cold-as-the-crypt tales of the mysterious and the fantastic. Dark fantasy told by: Nancy Baker, Robert Bloch, Carolyn Clink, Charles de Lint, Galad Elflandsson, Terence M Green, Tanya Huff, Garfield Reeves-Steves, Robert Sampson, Peter Sellers, Lucy Taylor, Steve Rasnic Tem, Edo van Belkom, Karen Wehrstein and Andrew Weiner. ... Read more

Product Description
Not far from the modern city lies an ancient wood, forgotten by the rest of the world, where mystery walks in the moonlight. In the wood he wears the shape of a stag, a goat, a horned man wearing a cloak of leaves. He is summonded by the music of the pipes or a fire of bones on midsummer. ... Read more

Product Description
Magic is already fading in the Green Isles, but it's still a time when myths walk the world and the children of the ancient gods are engaged in one final confrontation. But when legendary creatures wage war, it s the ordinary people who suffer the consequences--unless they, themselves, can find a way to bring an end to the hostilities. The trouble is, not all of them are able to pick a side.

Eyes Like Leaves was written in the days of Moonheart and Charles de Lint's other high fantasy novels. The tale slept like a long-forgotten lover until he recently chose to revisit (and polish) this never-before-published gem.

***

Eyes Like Leaves is a long (100,000 words) never-before-published novel. Our other recent de Lint collections (Woods & Waters Wild, Quicksilver & Shadow) sold out immediately and had unfilled orders for thousands of copies. We expect demand for Eyes to be even stronger, given that it is a novel, and do not plan additional printings to meet increased demand. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good story; bad print job
Charles Delint is an accomplished and gifted writer. The story itself was well done and intriguing, the characters real and compelling. I am concerned about the publisher's quality control, however. In the copy I borrowed from my public library, there were errors on literally every page, missing or misplaced punctuation, extra spaces where they weren't needed; in a number of places, a word obviously meant to replace another word appeared with the original word "stuck" to it. It was incredibly distracting to read and does a huge disservice to an excellent author.

Books Like Old
One of Charles de Lint's earliest novels, only recently published, //Eyes Like Leaves// is not one of his best. Although it's more or less readable it would be an interesting read mostly if you were curious about how much fantasy has changed over the last few decades. The story has to do with a mage looking for the descendents of the god of summer so that he can repel the god of winter. It's possible that his other books have created a certain expectation of what a de Lint novel should be like, but overall //Eyes Like Leaves// is more a throwback to the fantasy novels of old, with its explorations of how magic is done - rather than what it means to those affected by it - and a reliance on long descriptive passages. The weird spellings - //dhruide// instead of //druid,// for example - slowed me down. This was part of the genre at one point, but is seen more rarely these days. This is not a bad book, it's just that we have learned to expect so much more from de Lint. Fantasy in general and de Lint in particular have changed substantially. That is, they have improved. I don't miss books like //Eyes Like Leaves//. We have better ones now.

Reviewed by Jamais Jochim

Super Book!
Mailing was quick and the book itself was very good as all of this authors books are.

Another by An Always Excellent Author
Title Eyes Like Leaves
Author
Charles de Lint
Rating ****1/2
Tags fiction, fantasy, magick, wizards, evil

Charles de Lint is one of my favorite writers, and one of the creators of the contemporary urban fantasy. Eyes Like Leaves, though, is a novel he wrote before he started the urban fantasy stories, and fits into the high fantasy genre.

Magick is fading from the Green Isles. There has been a balance between Hafarl, the Lord of Summer, and the Winter Lord. Now the Winter Lord is determined to destroy Hafarl and hold the Isles under his reign forever. Tarn, a wizard trained by Puretongue, seeks to find all those touched with Hafarl's magick and bring them to the Summer Lord's aid. The Winter Lord is destroying all of Hafarl's kin he can find. Meanwhile the Viking-like Samarand are destroying villages along the coast. Young Carrie has lost her family to the raiders and has been taken in by a family of tinkers. When Tarn meets her he knows the magick is strong in her. Can Tarn, Carrie, and the few of Haferl's kin who are left save the Summer Lord and keep the Isles from being lost?

de Lint, a consistently excellent writer, shows his mastery again in this work that he put aside for various reasons and has now been published many years after it was written. Eyes Like Leaves is a deeply magickal and spiritual work that is also an excellent adventure.

Publication Subterranean (2010), Edition: Signed Hardcover, Hardcover, 350 pages
Publication date 2010
ISBN 1596062827 / 9781596062825

One of de Lint's early works finally published
The magic is leaving the Green Isles. The Summerlord Hafarl's staff has been broken, and the Everwinter is coming to blanket the islands in snow forever. To make matters worse, the Vikings are raiding up and down the shore, laying waste to everything in their way. It's up to Puretongue, leader of the dhruides, to weld together the last scraps of the Summerlord's power that can be found in the people to create a defense against Lothan, and bring summer and magic back to the isles.

Eyes Like Leaves is well-paced, and the action scenes flash with energy. Charles de Lint shows signs of the bardic gift in his ability to make scenes come alive, especially the chase scene with the direwolves pursuing the tinker caravan.

While the characters are interesting and detailed, and individual scenes are beautifully written, the plot is oddly flat and lacks originality. This feels like a too-literal retelling of classical Irish mythology, without enough innovation to be fresh or exciting. It seems a little too scripted, with each character arriving just when needed, and advancing the plot in exactly the right direction. While terrible things do happen, there is not a great sense of tension -- just a sense of inevitability.

This book proves to me that talent is not the sole ingredient of success. Eyes Like Leaves is well-written, but I never actually cared about the story. I never felt emotionally connected to the characters. While there is nothing overtly bad about the story, there is little here to merit recommending it above all the other quest fantasy novels that have been published.

Eyes Like Leaves is actually one of the first books Charles de Lint wrote, but it has never before been published. His editor told him that having published two secondary world fantasy novels, and one urban novel, that the next novel he published would pigeonhole him. He put this manuscript on the shelf and published Yarrow instead, putting his feet firmly on the urban fantasy path, a decision that I, and legions of his other fans, are grateful for. He recently reworked Eyes Like Leaves and released it for publication. This is obviously not de Lint at his peak, but there are the glimmers of greatness here that he has realized in his later works. I would recommend this book for fans of Irish mythology and de Lint completionists. ... Read more

Product Description
This special collection gathers for the first time a number of obscure and unpublished children's story by master storyteller Charles de Lint, each story featuring a brand new illustration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book...
I read all of Charles de Lint's books.
However, this one got my 11 year old into reading his books.
It's a fun and fanciful readsuitable to all ages.

Outstanding.
A delightful treasure for young children and for the child in all of us.I have raised both of my daughters on De Lint's books... and even though they are both teens now, they thoroughly enjoyed What The Mouse Found.

Please don't ever stop writing, Charles.Your gift is a gift for all of us.

Do I smell chocolate chips?
"It was a night of moonlight and silver, when the grass stalks whispered quietly to each other in the Big Field and clouds like tall ships sailed across the sky."

That's the opening sentence of "What the Mouse Found & Other Stories," a slim new volume from Charles de Lint, published by Subterranean Press. If you think it sounds like the start of a children's tale, be sure to pat yourself on the back for cleverness and insight -- that's exactly what it is.

But with de Lint, you can usually count on stories within stories, and in this case, there's a wonderfully personal touch to the tales. De Lint's wife, the lovely and talented MaryAnn Harris, is an accomplished seamstress and toymaker, and these short stories were written by Charles to accompany some of the toys she made nieces, nephews and the children of friends. All of the stories were written in the 1980s, back when de Lint was just finding his storyteller's voice, and about half were never before published; none have been collected until now.

De Lint notes in his introduction, "Kissing Frogs," the influence of A.A. Milne and Kenneth Grahame on these stories, a connection that is readily apparent. Here, toys come to life, the wind plays and spirits come down from trees, all to the delight of de Lint's young protagonists.

Photos of MaryAnn's creations accompany the text. The stories are very short, easy to digest and easily read aloud. Though brief, they are filled with the rich imagery and almost-alive characterizations that are to be expected in de Lint's writing. So don't be surprised if, while reading, you feel a light breeze tickle your feet, hear the crunch of leaves and far-off voices or smell, just at the edge of imagination, a fresh chocolate-chip cookie.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(net) editor ... Read more

Product Description
Joey Creel needs to decide which he is: a man, dreaming he's a crow, or a crow, dreaming he's a man.Ruby McCaulay, the young musician he's mentoring, is sure she knows the answer, but in Newford, things are never quite as they seem. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It's small
I suggest, that tapping the dream tree be read before reading this. This is a chap book, but worth while reading. A liking of Charles de Lint or Urban fantasy is a must. The story gives more meaning when reading tapping the dream tree. ... Read more

Product Description
A chapbook limited to 750 signed, numbered copies. ... Read more

Product Description

The door to fantastic worlds, skewed realities, and breathtaking other realms is opened wide to you once more in this third anthology of the finest short fantasy fiction to emerge over the past year, compiled by acclaimed editor David G. Hartwell. Rarely has a more magnificent collection of tales been contained between book covers -- phenomenal visions of the impossible-made-possible by some of the field's most accomplished literary artists and stellar talents on the rise. Year's Best Fantasy 3 is a heady brew of magic and wonder, strange journeys and epic quests, boldly concocted by the likes of Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Swanwick, Tanith Lee, and others. Step into a dimension beyond the limits of ordinary imagination . . . and be amazed!. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

good anthology
Usually I buy an anthology just for one or two stories by my favourite authors.I picked this one up for the Nalo Hopkinson story, 'Shift,' which turned out to be about Ariel & Caliban from The Tempest, but I was pleasantly surprised to find several other stories I liked.Neil Gaiman's story is good, of course, and is a tribute to Ray Bradbury, about a gathering of the seasons.Michael Swanwick has two stories in this Year's Best, and both turn out to be really short; 'Five British Dinosaurs' and 'Cecil Rhodes in Hell' are both funny, but in different ways.'The Pagodas of Ciboure' I had read in some other anthology a long time ago, and liked.What city dweller knew slugs could be so fearsome?I was a little disappointed in the Ellen Klages story, since I was hoping for a lot from it, but Naomi Kritzer's 'Comrade Grandmother' made up for it.It's a terrific story about Baba Yaga's participation in World War II.And of course there's an Ursula K Le Guin story too.All in all, a great anthology.

Another winning collection of short fantasy
Once again, it's time for the annual Year's Best Fantasy volume, edited by David G. Hartwell.This year's version, volume 3, has even more goodness than last year's version did.Twenty-nine stories in all, ranging from short 3-page stories to 40 page ones, by some of the biggest names in the field.This is the perfect sampler to see what's going on in the Fantasy world, to see who the up-and-comers are, and get a taste of what they're offering.On the strength of some of the stories in this volume, I'm definitely going to check out a couple that I've never tried before.

I'd say that this volume is better than last year's edition, just because there weren't any stories that I didn't like.There were some that were weaker than others, of course, but no real clunkers in the bunch.It has fantasy for every taste, from urban fantasy to other worlds, if you've got a taste for the stuff, this book will satiate it.I will, of course, include a list of the stories at the end of the review so you can check them out and see if there are any authors that you particularly like.

I love the short fiction format, especially when it's done well.There are some standout entries in this year's edition, capped off with a short little piece by Michael Swanwick called "Five British Dinosaurs."This one is extremely short, but a lot is carried in a small package.It's about the discovery of dinosaur bones in Great Britain in the 19th century, along with the discovery that there are some living specimens hanging around in the British aristocracy.This story is hilarious and I found myself laughing throughout it's brief span.The thought of a walking dinosaur speaking in proper British English, disputing the reconstruction of the bones of his ancestors, is priceless.Swanwick gives the dinosaurs a lot of personality, along with a lot of arrogance."Things were definitely better run in the Mesozoic?But mammals knew their place then."Swanwick has the honour of being the only person with two stories included, but they are both very short and so I figure Hartwell decided that he could afford the space.

Another standout is Steve Popkes and his story, " A Fable of Saviour & Reptile."This is a re-telling of the Jesus story, from the point of view of a talking turtle that befriends Jesus when he's young.The turtle is suitably haughty, given his long life span and his infinite patience (given the fact that it takes him a long time to get anywhere).It's an interesting take on the whole Messiah story, but if you can get past the irreligious tone of the story, it is very heartwarming.Hartwell warns in his prologue to it "Do note the word 'fable' in the title."While it gives an alternate view of Jesus and his life (including filling in the missing thirty or so years that the Bible doesn't include), it is very respectful the idea behind the story.The turtle is characterized wonderfully, and Jesus is too if you can get past the fact that he does drink when he's younger (getting a little drunk with the turtle) and he has a wife and son.It's a story about the power of myth and how humans can attach meaning to anything if it will help them get through life and possibly throw off the yoke of oppression.There are some very touching moments and conversations between the two of them, especially when the turtle comforts Jesus in his cell right before he's crucified.This is probably the best story in the book, and I am definitely going to track down some more by this guy.

Other particularly good stories are Kage Baker's "Her Father's Eyes" (a tale of a young girl and the boy she meets and befriends on a plane), Neil Gaiman's "October in the Chair" (a typical Gaiman tale about stories and the people who tell them, this time a group of god-like beings), and "A Prayer for Captain LaHire" by Patrice E. Sarath (a story of three knights who followed Joan of Arc until she burned, and the horror that they discover a fourth disciple has unleashed).Finally, there is P.D. Cacek's "A Book, by its Cover."This is a wonderful little tale about a Jewish boy in the aftermath of Kristallnacht in Berlin, and the bookshop owner who he believes is doing evil things afterward.It's has a wonderful message about books and the effects that they can have on a person.

If there are any weaknesses in the book, they are purely my personal feeling.I'm not a big fan of Tanith Lee, though I know that she is very popular.Thus, her story "Persian Eyes" didn't do a whole lot for me.In it, a Roman noble family is destroyed by the work of a slave girl and her magic eyes.It was more interesting to me than her entry in last year's book, but not by much.Also, "The Pagodas of Ciboure" just dragged on a little too long for my tastes.In it, a sick boy is healed by some French fairy creatures called "pagodas," though he has to save them from an onslaught of slugs first.It's cute, and it's well-told, but it's just too long.

That being said, I did enjoy even those stories.This is just a top-notch collection of short fantasy.Hartwell has done it again, pulling together a varied group of stories that can't help but satisfy.If you're a fantasy fan and like the short fiction genre, this is definitely the book for you.Hartwell has another winner, and I can't wait for next year's edition.

David Roy

Excellent Anthology
Most of the anthologies I've read in the genre of Fantasy/Scifi and horror are mixed bags of personal likes and dislikes of the editors...some of which are a bit too gory, too 'realistic' or just have what I'd like to call 'fantasy around the edges'. This series is really 'the best'...not the usual commercially bland mixes (see, Bob Silverberg's Legends), but a good mix of quirky, new authors as well as some well known names (Gene Wolfe, Tanith Lee) with a nice blend of both light hearted and serious fantastic tales. Standouts would be: Gene Wolfe's From the Cradle, Naomi Kritzer's Comrade Grandmother, and Michael Swanwick's Five British Dinosaurs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not Free SF Reader
Jacky is in trouble again.


Now, if you were going to have a new character come along to help out, why not Johnny?Yep, that is the one.Apparently the moon is chockful of the magic stuff that the faerie types need to get along, and a bad guy decides to basically nick it all for himself.

Enter your heroic musician type (of a sort), to try and help out and put things right.

Not as good as the other book.

Faerie Fun
I wanted this to be "The continuing adventures of Jacky and Kate" but its not. I was a little disapointed that they were not the main characters, I'm just happy that they were in the book.

Again we are in Ottowa, only this time we meet Johnny Faw, who has just lost his Grandfather. His Grandfather has one last request: that Johnny was to play a certain song on his fiddle. That leads him to meet Jenna, a faerie. That is just the beginnig. The Faerie people need Johnny as much as they hate the idea.

I really liked the faerie background, as this is totally new. There is alot of lore and history that gets told, and that is kinda hard to follow. Again there is a lot of LOTR feelings. This story has almost the same themes as Jack the Gaint Killer: War, murder, best friends and destainy. There was alot of detail that didn't need to be there but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. De Lints writing is really entertaining which is why the story again is so easy to get into.

There is a whole bunch of new characters, which is great. Trolls, shapechangers and more. The best new character was the bad guy. He was really evil and it didn't matter if he was fighting guy or girl. He had a good reason to try and win. Some of the old characters I thought would play apart was Eilian, Bhruic, Kerevan and the Laird. Eilian was mentioned, at the most, three times. The Laird was out of town, again.

There needs to be a third book that fills in the gaps that haven't been answered, and this book helped very little. I recommend this book, a whole other point of view, and another side of Kinrowan that we get to know and enjoy!

Who says sequels cant live up to the original?
This thrilling sequel to JACK THE GIANT KILLER has all the usual thrill of de Lint, with an extra twang. Jackie's back and so is Kate in this extremely riveting blend of folklore and modern duldrums. Old friends are revisited and we meet some new ones along the way but remember, this is ottowa, and anything can happen. Even with the wild hunt off her tail and the unsealy kingdom almost in ruins, it will take more than all jackie's got to defeat her new foe, as she explores the depth of friendship and love in this explosive story. If you liked JACK THE GIANT KILLER, you'll love DRINK DOWN THE MOON. ... Read more

Product Description
A young artist returns to her cabin in the deep woods of Canada to concentrate on her work and finds that, somehow, strange and beautiful creatures are creeping into her art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Stepping between worlds
This is not a fairy tale for children. There's too much of everything in it: fear, love, certainty, and uncertainty. There isn't any "happily ever after." The story ends up happy, for as long as we can see it, but the ever after has a dark cloud hanging over it.

Froud and DeLint have written a compact story about a modern woman's encounter with the other side of nature. It comes and goes at the edge of her mind, until it takes her in completely. When it does, she finds a man there - someone who seems to step between the worlds at will.

Each chapter starts with some of Froud's spidery artwork. Unfortunately, the artwork isn't the book's main content. The story mostly makes up for that disappointment, though. It's a completely modern story, but projects a timeless sense of mystery. This one is definitely worth coming back to.

//wiredweird

Unforgettable...
Well, what can I say? Charles De Lint has done it yet again...he's masterfully woven another evocative tapestry of magic, mystery, faeries and characters you can't help but love :)

Charles De Lint's words flow smoothly off the pale page and into the imagination of those who Believe...and Brian Froud's illustrations leave their magical imprint on the soul of those who search out the fae eyes glowing in the darkened forests...

So what is The Wild Wood about, I hear you ask. Well...

Eithnie is a woman confounded and confused by the recent spate of Faerie visitations and the cryptic messages these wild creatures bring...

"You must remember" Pleads the Masked Woman...

Remember? Remember what? A childhood so magical it now seems unreal and impossible...a past filled with the haunting image of a field of bones...

Eithnie must remember her past before it's too late to fulfill the promise she made...

If you love Charles De Lint's enchanting stories and can't make it through the day without gazing upon the Faerie images brought to life by Brian Froud, then this book is a must!

If you haven't read any of Charles De Lint's work, then I recommend you set aside a weekend, stock up on the herbal teas, this book (Greenmantle, Moonheart and Yarrow are a recommendation too) and get set to be whisked off to places of such magic and surreal reality, that time will cease to exist.

Blessed Be.

More info on the Brian Froud Faerielands series
More info on the "Brian Froud Faerielands" series: Charles de Lint's lovely novel, "The Wild Wood," was the first book in a 4-book series based on Brian Froud's exquisite artwork. The second novel is also highly recommended: "Something Rich and Strange" by Patricia McKillip. The series was cancelled by the original publisher after the first two books, but the third book is now available in both U.S. and U.K. editions: "The Wood Wife" by Terri Windling. The art is tied-up with the original series producer so we were not able to use it, but Brian Froud's fans may be interesterd to know that text is indeed inspired by Brian's art, and he painted a new cover for the UK edition. The fourth Faerieland book is "Hannah's Garden" by Midori Snyder, and it's quite a wonderful story. Look for it to come out sometime in the next 2 years. ... Read more

Product Description
Charles de Lint, Ellen Kushner, Stephen R. Boyett, and Bellamy Bach collaborate on a tale of the Borderlands, where humans and highborn Elves mix. Reprint. AB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Borderworld
Bordertown...
dear lovers of urban fantasy and faery lore,
.... is a place where magic and technology have formed an unstable alliance and to which teenagers runaway to find that thing that is missing in their lives. Alas, the elves are usually portrayed as being rather like spoiled rich kids, still we loved this series, although like most short story collections some stories appealed to us more than others. There are three other collections in this series, Bordertown: Where Magic Meets Rock & Roll, Life On The Border (Borderlands) and The Essential Bordertown (Borderlands), all of which we enjoyed. We also recommend the novels associated with it, Emma Bull's Finder: A Novel of the Borderlands, which while not as good as War for the Oaks: A Novel, nor a classic like that one, is still fun to read. Also, Will Shetterly's Elsewhere and Nevernever. We simply wished they'd write more in the series, and perhaps realize that not all elves are of the Unseelie variety.
kyela,
the silver elves

The Land of Fairy before LKH
LKH suggests she created the Urban Fantasy genre...how wrong she is.

Borderland emerged over a decade before her Merry Gentry (Faery) series.

The land of fairy returns, and its a messy reunification at best. The land between the normal human world and fairy is called "The Border" a place where one can easily become lost--or found. In the rements of evacuated cities from this rebirth the two worlds come together in Bordertown, where magic and technology don't always work. The town is teeming with the outcasts, run-aways and dreamers of both fairy and earth children.

The stories are fabulous rich in mythology, Aurthurian legend, and fairy tales. The characters are heartbreakingly real and flawed. I wish the series would continue.

Great urban fantasy geared towards a teen audience
I'm no longer a teenager, but I still really enjoyed this book, which consists of four novellas. All deal with the Borderland, a place where elves & humans coexist uneasily, where technology & magic are bothunreliable, & where lots of down-on-their-luck youths gather to playgreat music & attempt to live their dreams. Very original, excellentlywritten, & I think that almost everyone will find something to identifywith. I particularly liked the examination of the issues that 'halfies'(those who are half-elf, half-human) face. This is another of TerriWindling's fine projects, & it's a shame that this series is so hard toget hold of!

Borderland: The Lord of the Rings meets Rolling Stone
I discovered this book by accident, and I am glad that I did.

Borderland is about a world like ours in which the Elves and their magic have returned to earth. Magic and technology both work sporadically in Bordertown (which lies at the heart of the Borderlands) where teenagers runaway to hang out in rock and roll clubs where fairie dust is a drug and music is magic.

The book is the first in an anthology series featuring such talents as Emma Bull and Charles de Lint.

After losing some of my interest in works of fantasy, this book reignited a spark in me like gasoline on a bbq pit. I haven't felt this way about a work of fantasy since Conan or Fahfrd and Greymouser.These books are nearly impossible to get ahold of but Essential Bordertwon is a new one coming out soon.

I cannot recommend this book and this series highly enough. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Contains a few good tales, but that's about it
`The Year's Best Fantasy Stories' No. 8 (1982) features tales seeing print in 1981.

The unusually cheesy cover illustration is 'Talena' by O. Berni. Fans of 'Tarnsman of Gor' will be pleased.

Perhaps because editor Arthur W. Saha felt that 1981 offered too-slim pickings in terms of quality genre fiction, this iteration of the series includes many entries that could more properly be defined as horror, or SF, tales as opposed to fantasy. The conventional sword-and-sorcery tales that got a warm reception from former editor Lin Carter are conspicuously absent here, and there is an emphasis on what is nowadays labeled as `urban' fantasy.

Despite casting a broad net in terms of story selection, Saha's anthology as a whole is rather underwhelming.

My capsule summaries of the stories:

Perennial entrants Tanith Lee and C. J. Cherryh supply `When the Clock Strikes' and `The Only Death in the City', respectively. Lee's entry is another of her limpid retellings of a classic fairy tale. Cherryh's tale is an over-written, too-hard effort to conjure up something akin to M. John Harrison's `Viriconium' stories.

Sam Wilson's 'Midas Night' is an urban fantasy. A down-and-out young man encounters otherworldly intrigue in a seedy diner.

Roger Zelazny provides `Unicorn Variation' in which a chess game takes place between a genial young man and a unicorn. A pleasant enough tale if not particularly memorable.

Michael Bishop's `The Quickening' deals with life in the aftermath of a strange cataclysm that alters the earth's population. More SF than fantasy, but one of the better stories in the anthology.

`Skirmish on Bastable Street' by Bob Leman is an urban fantasy involving some barflies, and a demon on mission to grant a final wish.

`A Pattern of Silver Strings' by Charles de Lint is fantasy at its most precious and most insipid. People are `enspelled', they travel via `roadfaring', `yearning' oak trees `keep watch' over a structure, etc. The story revolves around a heroic harpist / bard who falls afoul of a jealous tinker.

Lisa Tuttle's `A Friend in Need' is another urban fantasy entry; a woman encounters a mysterious playmate from her childhood years.

`Pooka's Bridge' by Gillian Fitzgerald uses a mythic creature from Irish folklore to underpin a tale of a widow, and her quest to retrieve a son kidnapped by fairies.

In 1981 John Shirley and William Gibson were promising young writers and the genre known as Cyberpunk was still some years away from assuming pre-eminence in SF writing. Their story, `The Belonging Kind', is less urban fantasy than understated horror. Dealing with an alienated young man and his quest to connect with the city nightlife, it's easily one of the best stories in the anthology.

Overall, 'The Year's Best Fantasy Stories: 8' is one of the weaker entries in the series. As was common to too many DAW anthologies from this era, truly innovative work from lesser-known writers tended to be ignored in favor of pedestrian entries from 'name' authors. ... Read more

Product Description
12 all-new magical stories by Charles de Lint, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Tanya Huff, and more

Faerie folk have cast their magical spell over people the world around. Now some of today's most imaginative fantasists explore into the heart of this enchantment with twelve all-original stories that will bespell their spells on readers of all ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Solid stories all the way through
Faerie Tales is a volume of twelve short stories "about the folk of Faerie as they mix in mortal affairs". I love short stories, and am continually drawn to collections like this. It's hard to find a collection where all the stories are of good quality - this is one of them. An excellent read, with authors putting thier own spin on the old tales.

An eclectic mix of tales staring the Wee Folk
Faeries, the Fair Folk, the Old Ones: no matter what name they take, Fairies have long fascinated us, holding our collective imagination in their small, yet inescapable grasp. In this anthology DAW presents 12 original tales, some funny, some sad, all about fairies. They include:

***Sweet Forget-Me-Not by Charles de Lint
*** The September People by Tim Waggoner
*** Judgment by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
*** Changeling by John Helfers
*** Yellow Tide Foam by Sarah A. Hoyt
*** He Said, Sidhe Said by Tanya Huff
*** A Very Special Relativity by Jim Fiscus
*** Witches'-Broom, Apple Soon by Jane Lindskold
*** Wyvern by Wen Spencer
*** A Piece of Flesh by Adam Stemple
*** The Filial Fiddler by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
*** The Stolen Child by Michelle West

Really, this book gets 3.5 stars in my eyes. It is not the best DAW anthology out there. Many of the stories use repetitive themes. One third of the stories deal with changelings and stolen children. There's so many other things the fairies are known for, why dwell on this one point? Also, Stolen Child and Witches'-Broom, Apple Soon were both clinkers by usually good writers. However, to balance this, a Piece of Flesh and Sweet Forget-Me-Not are both bloody brilliant, the type of haunting story that sticks in your brain long after you're done reading the book.

This is more of a mixed bag than the usual DAW excellence, but it's still well worth buying in my opinion.

Good retelling of old tales
FAERIE TALES does the near-impossible; it retells old, shopworn tales, giving them life and up-to-the-minute relevancy in the process.

Sometimes, the oldest plotlines are the best.That surely is the case here; the absolute, #1, best story here, bar none, is John Helfers' "Changeling."This uses one of the oldest plotlines anywhere (that of an Elf baby being exchanged for a human baby) to explore the problems of adoption in a brand new light.The Elfling never quite "fits," and when he finds out the truth of his birth and adoption, goes to look for his birth parents.And what he finds . . . well, let's just say that I was reasonably sure how it'd end, but Mr. Helfers did an excellent job in keeping me riveted to the page until the story was complete.

Five stars plus with the highest recommendation possible for "Changeling."

Two other stories were very good, and nearly up to Mr. Helfers' in quality.These were the stories by Charles de Lint and Tim Waggoner.Both of these stories were interesting, well thought out, and I enjoyed them very much.Five stars for each of them.

I didn't really care for Ms. Huff's story or Ms. West's story, but other folks might like them.I'd give those stories a three rating (so-so), with the remaining stories all three and a half to four ratings.Which is why the anthology gets an overall four-star rating.

And while I'd recommend the anthology itself anyway, I highly recommend Mr. Helfers' exceptional story, "Changeling."Read it.It's very good, probably one of the best short stories I've read all year. (And I've read a whole lot of good ones.)

Barb Caffrey

twelve delightful fantasies
FAERIE TALES contains twelve delightful stories from a virtual fantasist who's who.Each contribution entertains the audience with its enjoyable link between humanity and faerie lands that make the latter seem genuine.Many of the stories actually provide deep messages, which normally are surprising for shorts yet with authors like De Lint, Rusch, Hoyt, Huff, and Spencer, etc. it is to be expected.The other contributors are also top rate (Waggoner, Helfers, Fiscus, Lindskold, Stemple, Scarborough, and West) furbishing winners as Greenberg and Davis obviously got the top guns to provide a tale.Some inputs are amusing while others contain serious tones, but all are fun.Fans of fantasies will appreciate this strong compilation in which each contribution holds the bar of excellence at the highest levels.An aside to Mr. Greenberg the guru of anthologies: looking forward to seeing how you can top this treasure.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Don't read volume 6 of the dungeon!
This is the penultimate volume of the "Dungeon". Read books 1-5 of the Dungeon series but DO NOT read volume six. It is a TERRIBLE book (probably one of the worst books I have ever read) and will simply shatteryour opinion of the entire series. It is better to read up to and includingthis book, then simply let your imagination finish the series.

if you want the future tribe, the beauty bribed and gagged?
These books influenced me so much, it's scary.The travellers go on a psychadelic cyberpunk/horror trip, many beautiful characters.The last book in the series is a letdown though. ... Read more

Product Description
A diverse and surprising collection of crime fiction stories with elements of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Writers include: Spider Robinson,, Terence Green, Tanya Huff, Andrew Weiner, and more. ... Read more

Product Description
Word count: 4666. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of more than twenty-five stories of myth and magic includes the works of such notable authors as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Charles de Lint, Diana Gabaldon, Mercedes Lackey, and Eric Lustbader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Collection
One sword. The true sword, EXCALIBUR. Forged from magic and courage, it bears the power of heroes and kings. Its nature is unique, but its forms are legion. It canappear... has appeared... will appear, anywhere, at any time, in a thousand hands in a thousand guises. For Excalibur is the force that protects the souls of Good'sguardians, and changes the course of destinies...

Tales of the history and manifestations of Excalibur throughout time, gathered by three of the most experienced anthologists in the field and featuring: Esther M. Friesner,Owl Goingback, Jody Lynn Nye, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Judith Tarr, Susan Shwartz, and many more.

Featuring

"CONTROLLING THE SWORD" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: The ancestral sword drew generations of children to their destiny but forever cursed all who were unworthy of its touch.

"LASSORIO" by Eric Lustbader: The sullen warlord Lassorio ruled a dark, diminished Camelot until the night a snow fox led him to a place of magic, horror. . . and love.

"THE GOD-SWORD" by Diana L. Paxson: Centuries before the time of Arthur, a Swordbearer and his Druid lover must join the battle for the soul of ancient Britannia.

"SILVER, STONE, AND STEEL" by Judith Tarr: Joseph of Arimathea carried a Mystery to the world's end and discovered his place in an eternal dream of wizards, gods, goddesses, and blood.

"SWORD PRACTICE by Jody Lynn Nye: The young boy-king must discover: Does Arthur rule the sword or does Excalibur rule the king?

"GOLDIE LOX, AND THE THREE EXCALIBEARERS" by Esther M. Friesner: What're you starin' at? Even Merlin's verklempt when the destined Swordbearer for the age turns out to be Brooklyn'sLady of the Lox teen deli waitress Goldie Berman! Who knew? ... Read more

Product Description

The Hidden City: Nearing the zenith of their quest, Clive and Neville Folliot and their comrades from time and space are scattered through a ruined city. Beneath the decaying streets waits the greatest danger of all: the Ren and the Chaffri, inscrutable masters of the Dungeon! The Final Battle: Fleeing from the mysterious creators of the Dungeon, Clive breaks through to the ninth level. Stranded in a freezing polar wilderness, he struggles to find his missing comrades and to triumph at last against the murderous masters of the Dungeon! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Totally agree with last review
Of the 6 books

1 and 2 are wonderful
3 is ok
4 is very good
5 is ok again
6 is awful, clearly was written without reading books 2-5, destroys the continuity, is confusing, and just bad.

A weak end to a good series
This is just a short warning for those interrested in this series. The series as a whole is excellent! For most of the series, I didn't want to put the book down... BUT. The end (second half of this book) was AWEFUL. Opening "book 6" was like starting a new story. It was as if the writer never read the previous ones! I had ignored the reviews that said to skip the second half of this and read on, hoping it would all turn out to be a dream, a test or something else... but sadly nothing happened to redeem the story. So, the short version - Read the first half of this book, skip the second. ... Read more