Customer Reviews

Promises to Keep

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This weekend, my copy of Promises to Keep arrived. I had intended to let it sit until I had finished some of the work that I had do, but then it's hard to focus on preparing a talk when there is a bright shiny new Charles de Lint book sitting there looking at you. I swear, the book had little glistening eyes that watched everything I did and then suddenly looked away whenever I checked to see what it was doing. But I digress...

As stated in the "story about the book" on the inside cover, this was the book that grew from a short story that was to be put into a collection of stories that were never collected. It's about Jilly's early years in Newford, as Charles de Lint doesn't want to write more about her after Widdershins (Newford). It's a fine story which takes its time popping between Jilly's early life and "present day", which is when Jilly is in college. I won't spoil any of the plot points, but to say that it is fully consistent with the mythologies around Newford.

To digress a bit, the best thing about the first Alien movie was that no one really knew what the alien was. There was a sense of mystery and discovery there that wasn't possible to achieve in later films until AVP came along and reset the story. In many ways, this book does that for Newford. In fact, Charles de Lint states that he hopes that this book can become a good entry point for new readers. However, much like I wouldn't want a viewer to start with AVP, I wouldn't want a reader to start here.

There is as great a joy in rediscovery as there is in the initial discovery. If someone reads this book first, the later books will feel like review. However, if you start at the beginning with Dreams Underfoot and meander slowly through the rest of Newford, this book will feel like what it truly is. A sweet little bonus to Jilly's story; one that I'm happy to have.

If you're considering this book, then you're probably already familiar with Jilly Coppercorn. This is a great way to delve into her past.
If you've never read a Charles de Lint book then you're in for a treat, though earlier books would be better to begin with. de Lint does his magic like no other writer. A mixture of Modern urban, Celtic & Indian myth/folklore, served with a side of human catalyst.

I love Charles De Lint and my favorite are the Newford characters. It was interesting to find out more about Jilly Coppercorn's previous life and what made her become the person she is today. A dose of real life problems interwoven with real fantasy. He always has you believing that it all could possibly exist out there!

De Lint keeps many of his main characters in his books. This book follows Jilly Coppercorn along her road of ups and downs,

Because he follows his characters you begin to know them more intimately from book to book.

Join the De Lint fan base and read one of his books.

Another great read by Charles De Lint. De Lint's ability to combine a beautiful and hopeful otherworldliness with the grit and challenge of realistic everyday modern life makes an interesting story - one that allows the reader's imagination to open. Excellent character development.

If you are going to title a book "Promises to Keep" and the book's subject is about the afterlife and the trip to it you had better make sure it compares well to Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". Wile Frost's poem is a master at subtlety this book is a master at heavy handedness. There is no surprise or mystery about the plot or where it is heading. It became clear where Jilly was and that she didn't belong early on in the book. That she would return to where she belonged was no surprise. Maybe if there had been more conflict or something more than navel contemplation it would have been a better read. I've read and enjoyed "The Little Country" and a few of the other Newford books. But this prequel is at best forced and it made me feel as if the author was going through the motions to satisfy a few readers.