Moonlight & Vines (Newford)

"Jilly's always saying that magic's never what you expect to be, but it's often what you need. I think she's right. And it doesn't matter if the experience comes from outside or inside. Where it comes from isn't important at all. What's important is that it does come---and that we're receptive enough to recognize and accept it."That above paragraph was said by one of the main characters in the short story, In The Quiet After Midnight from the Moonlight & Vines short story collection by Charles de Lint.  The character in that story, Angela, is telling Hannah about how magic can come in someone's life when you least expected it.  But can we accept that magic as real?  That quote could be the major theme for the entire short story collection.  de Lint wants to show in his fictional city of Newford that the supernatural exists and will people open their minds and hearts to it.Moonlight & Vines is the third short story collection and sixth book published chronologically in the Newford series. As with most short story collections, there are some stories that connect with me more than others.  My favorites from this collection are Saskia, In The Pines, Crow Girls, Wild Horses, The Pennymen, and the aforementioned story, In the Quiet After Midnight. de Lint links the characters from these short stories throughout the collection and as a reader you get an unique perspective into a fictional city unlike anything I've read in the fantasy genre.Charles de Lint is one of my favorite writers and reading his brand of contemporary, urban fantasy has been a breath of fresh air in a genre (I love reading) that has needed to expand its range of stories beyond endless epic quests or grimdark stories trying to make the genre hyperrealistic.  Ursula Le Guin writes in her The Language of the Night essay collection that fake realism is the escapist literature of our time. I agree with that sentiment. However, de Lint shows repeatedly that fantasy can be set in the everyday world and feel more real than what is commercially accepted and celebrated in the genre.Moonlight & Vines is a short story collection that can be an entry point for new readers to Charles de Lint.  I would prefer Dreams Underfoot over this one.  However, it is another enjoyable read that adds another layer to the city of Newford.

I love all of this authors work, so this is a welcome part of the group for sure!

Charles de Lint is a wonderful author and I am so happy to share his work with those close to me.

I'm about 2/3rds of the way through this collection of stories and after most of the tales I think to myself, "That one was my favorite". Thank goodness they are short stories or I'd never be able to put this book down.This is my first book by de Lint, and my first exposure to "urban fantasy". I am delighted. It is almost Twilight Zonish- you feel that some of these things really could happen, and that they could even happen to you. As I've grown older I was moving away from the fantasy genre, but this has reawakened my love of magical possibilites. These are real characters, partially in a world I'm familiar with, touching on worlds I wish existed.I've already bought other copies for two of my friends. I highly recommend picking this one up.

This is my first time purchasing a book through Amazon third-party, and I am overwhelmed at the forgotten books of libraries. They're the volunteers to opening minds and never finding a forever home. Until now. First edition in lovely condition I will purchase many more.

I'm a big De Lint fan. I own 32 of his books. The way her writes mixing old world myths with new world myths is, simply put, extremely entertaining. I got my 10 year old grandson hooked on Charles also with Dingo.Sometimes his writing is so descriptive that I tend to look around - maybe I can see some of those creatures too !!

Magical short stories connecting the real with the possible. Stories start and end and weave amongst each other and their mythical town.

These Newford collections are a great start to anyone interested in reading the work of Charles de Lint