Yarrow [Paperback]

Charles de Lint (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1986

From the acclaimed author of Moonheart and Memory and Dream

Cat Midhir had made a reputation as the author of popular fantasy novels. But the secret that her fans didn't know was that her Otherworld was no fantasy. Then, one night, a thief stole her dreams. Since then, she's been trapped in the everyday. And the Others are coming to find her...

Yarrow

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is hard to imagine urban fantasy done beter than it is by de Lint at his best." --Booklist

"De Lint is a master of the modern urban folktale." --The Denver Post

"Charles de Lint will restore your faith in the readability of Canadian writers. Take home some of his magic soon." --St. John Telegraph-Journal

"Opening de Lint's work is like stepping through a mirror." --Los Angeles Daily News

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Born in Holland in 1951, Charles de Lint grew up in Canada, with a few years off in Turkey, Lebanon, and Switzerland.

Although his first novel was 1984's The Riddle of the Wren, it was with Moonheart, published later that same year, that de Lint made his mark, and established him at the forefront of "urban fantasy," modern fantasy storytelling set on contemporary city streets. Moonheart was set in and around "Newford," an imaginary modern North American city, and many of de Lint's subsequent novels have been set in Newford as well, with a growing cast of characters who weave their way in and out of the stories. The Newford novels include Spirit Walk, Memory and Dream, Trader, Someplace To Be Flying, Forests of the Heart, The Onion Girl, and Spirits in the Wires. In addition, de Lint has published several collections of Newford short stories, including Moonlight and Vines, for which he won the World Fantasy Award. Among de Lint's many other novels are Mulengro, Jack the Giant-Killer, and The Little Country.

Married since 1980 to his fellow musician MaryAnn Harris, Charles de Lint lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Ace; First Edition edition (October 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441940005
• ISBN-13: 978-0441940004
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,765,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles de Lint and his wife, the artist MaryAnn Harris, live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His evocative novels, including Moonheart, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl, have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary magical fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An amazing tale..very dark, September 3, 2003

By 

C. A Baker (Santa Rosa CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yarrow (Paperback)

This was my first De Lint book way back in the 1980's, it is still one of his best to me alongside Moonheart and Memory & Dream.
De lint has a darkness in some of his best books, I'm not horror fan but his works have just enough magic and beauty to not read like a horror book. But they do have a deep and frightening darkness...Caitlin's enemy, the creature that steals her dreams is a brutal monster and there are some very scary scenes in this book.
But in the end the entire tale is soo engrossing I can't put it down. Sadly many of his more recent books lack that depth, or maybe I'm just older and less inclined to be taken in by them..and yet I can still read this book and other older De Lint and be drawn in as before.....
What De Lint does when he is truly inspired can only be called true magic...if you want that kind fo magic read this, Moonheart and Memory and Dream...but be warned they are not for children nor readers who do not like some truly, deeply, dark evil in their books.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good yarn from Charles de Lint, April 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Yarrow (Paperback)

The book starts with an interesting question that forms the basis of the plot: Where do writers get their ideas? For the heroine, Cat Midhir, those ideas come from her dreams. So what happens when the dreams stop? That's what "Yarrow" is all about.

I did find the first part a little bit slow. I thought there were too many scene shifts, and introductions to a lot of characters who turned out to be little more than scenery in the end. I felt that these minor characters were developed almost at the expense of some of the other characters who should have been given more space. Case in point: Kothlen. I would have liked to see his character developed more, even in flashbacks, so that when Cat loses him, we don't have to be told how awful she feels; we should be able to feel it for ourselves.

Other than that, de Lint has woven a wonderful story. I liked Tiddy Mun, Cat's little gnome friend, and the villain, Lysistratus, was deliciously formidable. I highly recommend this book to fans of Charles de Lint who may not have read this earlier piece of urban fantasy.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing...a Master at work, June 22, 2000

By 

Fosky Bob "human" (Vacaville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yarrow (Paperback)

I loved 'Yarrow'. It's far and away one of the most magical books I've ever read. Being the first de Lint book I've ever read, it's served to introduce me to one of the modern masters of fantasy admirably.

'Yarrow' is exciting and fluid from beginning to end. It'll have you on the edge of your seat. The characters are wholly believable and fascinating people.

De Lint doesn't shy away from darkness and evil characters. The book is littered with profanities, semi-graphic love scenes and gruesome slayings.

It's a good book, it's near the top of my all-time favorites list and I'm so glad that Orb brought it back into print. This is a book that every self-proclaimed fantasy fan needs to read.