@RUTGERS.ARPA:Slocum.CSCDA@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (02/18/85)
From: Slocum@HI-MULTICS.ARPA
A Review by Brett Slocum
MOONHEART by Charles de Lint
(ACE FANTASY, October 1984, pb, 479 pp., $2.95)
MOONHEART is one of the best books I've read for several years. Charles
de Lint is a new author with one other book to his credit, THE RIDDLE OF
THE WREN, which I've purchased, but haven't read yet. Based on MOONHEART,
though, it should be excellent.
***** SPOILER WARNING *****
MOONHEART is set in modern day Ottawa, Canada and involves Sara Kendell
and her uncle, Jamie Tamson.
He owns and Sara runs The Merry Dancer Old Book and Antique Emporium
where she finds an old gold ring with celtic ribbon work, a bone disc
with similar celtic designs, and a watercolor of a celtic bard and an
indian medicine man in what appears to be an indian medicine bundle.
This discovery launches them into an adventure that involves a
millenium-old rivalry between a celtic druid and bard, ancient indian
spirits, an ex-biker, a detective for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
and a dark, inimicable force.
***** END OF SPOILER *****
De Lint's style is clear and strong. His characters and settings are
very real and interesting. His plotting and pacing are excellent.
In all ways, this book excells; there is no weak link.
This is a fine example of a good story well told. In my opinion,
De Lint is one of the finest new talents to come along in quite a while.
Brett Slocum
ARPA: Slocum@HI-MULTICS
UUCP: ... ihnp4!umn-cs!hi-csc!slocumellen@reed.UUCP (Ellen Eades) (02/23/85)
> A Review by Brett Slocum > > MOONHEART is one of the best books I've read for several years. Charles *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** I really have to differ with Brett here. I was very uncomfortable with Moonheart, and to a lesser degree with Riddle of the Wren. De Lint comes across to me as a very _serious_ writer, one who can't take himself lightly and give the reader a break. He somehow manages to combine in Moonheart a series of obviously personal obsessions: Celtic music, Celtic art, folklore and mythology of North American *and* the British Isles, science fantasy (by that I mean S&S), and on and on. Now don't get me wrong, I like Celtic art and Silly Wizard and all that stuff too, I just don't like seeing it *all* stuffed headlong into one book. He doesn't do any of these valuable cultural gems justice, and his attitude seems to be, "Boy, this stuff is really neat and I just have to put it in, too! And this! And this, too!" I felt that de Lint really needed to develop a bit of self-control. It would also help if he took himself less seriously, and tried not to be sf's avatar of Celtic culture. There are a lot of other writers out there trying to do the same thing. De Lint succeeds rather better than some, but decidedly worse than others. Well written, yes, but with more enthusiasm than talent. I'm looking forward to more mature works from him, though.