De Lint at his best. When Jacky's boyfriend walks out, her life changes more than she could ever imagine. In a fit of angst she chops off her long blond hair then goes out to wander the streets of Ottawa. She's startled out of her reverie by a faceless gang of bikers attacking a small man whose body disappears, leaving behind only a red cap. The cap shows Jacky an unimaginable side of Ottawa and sets her on an impossible quest to save the good fairies from their evil counterparts.
Luck, magic, and love bring to life a perilous, rollicking adventure involving Jacky, her best friend Kate, nefarious giants, nasty bogans, a trickster, a whimsical wizard, a small hob, and the last of the Swan Princes. Jacky's daring and quick wit make for an exciting story that is impossible to put down. Cleverly mingling folklore, fairy tale and modern life, the novel points to a fine connection between what is seen and what is not, and the importance of belief, compassion, and loyalty.
This Triskell Press e-book contains a new Afterword by the author.
Reviews:
De Lint has a deceptively casual writing style, but his ability to pull in the reader's sympathy and suspension of disbelief is entirely artful. This volume is a good place to start if you're unfamiliar with de Lint's writing, and just as pleasurable to return to after a few years' absence.
- Challenging Destiny
De Lint keeps the pace going full tilt, involving the reader immediately. The backdrop of Ottawa adds a delicious dimension as mortals and sidhe coexist on the streets, the former unable to see that latter among them. The characters are (mostly) likable and lively, and Jacky is a heroine after anyone's heart. It is a joy to watch her grow from a timid frightened girl into a resourceful hero, and she makes a darn good role model, too.
- Rambles
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
— Alice Hoffman
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
— Holly Black
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
- Quill and Quire
De Lint is probably the finest contemporary author of fantasy
- Booklist, American Library Association
Unlike most fantasy writers who deal with battles between ultimate good and evil, de Lint concentrates on smaller, very personal conflicts. Perhaps this is what makes him accessible to the non-fantasy audience as well as the hard-core fans. Perhaps it's just damned fine writing.
- Quill & Quire
