Scan barcode
myriadreads's review against another edition
5.0
Moonheart is a truly well-written novel, with strong characters, romance, folklore, mysticism, and vivid imagery. I'm looking forward to reading more of DeLint's work!
bluestjuice's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. The first thing I noticed about it was how dated it was - which makes sense, it's a fantasy novel written the same year I was born; things have changed a lot since then. The scenes introducing Sara, the Merry Dances, and Tamsen House were charming and seemed grounded in reality in a way I enjoyed.
Unfortunately, as I moved deeper into the story and the fantasy elements became more and more central, I became simultaneously less interested and more uncomfortable. The Otherworld and the magical energy and much of the 'Sara taps into her magical potential' arc did not particularly seem inspired. Obviously this story is touching on some very tropey stuff, but I didn't feel that the handling was particularly creative or interesting. Unfortunately, what was really interesting - the mingling of Celtic-inspired magical fantasy with a Native American-inspired magical fantasy - felt really cringeworthy and awkward from a 21st-century view. It goes deeper than just the use of outdated language like 'Indians' and 'peace pipe', although that is there too - but it reads like an outsider's view of Native American spirituality that borrows and embroiders on elements without much regard for their real significance. I imagine it was not viciously intended and I am in no way sufficiently educated in Native American magical or spiritual thought to even begin unpacking what was done well or poorly, but reading the descriptions of the Native-based characters and the way their language and magic and culture was handled just felt token-y and disrespectful, and it marred my enjoyment of the premise.
I also didn't much enjoy the police/politics side plots, mostly because there was already a lot going on in this book in terms of locations, characters to track, and plot arcs, and every time those scenes came up they seemed to pull me out of the story into something related-but-not-as-interesting. I was also initially unenthusiastic about Sara's romance, mostly because it seemed to come out of left field. By the end I think it worked well enough, but at its beginning I found it off-putting. Sara was frustrating to me on the whole because it almost seemed as though de Lint thought he would write a book with a female protagonist, but then he wasn't completely comfortable and made it a huge ensemble cast so he wouldn't have to spend as much time focusing on her and her growth. On the one hand I thought the way she was written was accessible and fairly believable, but on the other hand as the plot escalated we spent less and less time inside her head so we didn't really get to see much of how the huge, changing events at the end affected her personally. And of course in the end she basically gets a dude as her prize, which, eh.
In any case, I didn't hate this and I would give Charles de Lint another chance in a different setting, because I mostly didn't mind his style and might like it better with different setting and plot choices. But I wouldn't really recommend this particular novel.
Unfortunately, as I moved deeper into the story and the fantasy elements became more and more central, I became simultaneously less interested and more uncomfortable. The Otherworld and the magical energy and much of the 'Sara taps into her magical potential' arc did not particularly seem inspired. Obviously this story is touching on some very tropey stuff, but I didn't feel that the handling was particularly creative or interesting. Unfortunately, what was really interesting - the mingling of Celtic-inspired magical fantasy with a Native American-inspired magical fantasy - felt really cringeworthy and awkward from a 21st-century view. It goes deeper than just the use of outdated language like 'Indians' and 'peace pipe', although that is there too - but it reads like an outsider's view of Native American spirituality that borrows and embroiders on elements without much regard for their real significance. I imagine it was not viciously intended and I am in no way sufficiently educated in Native American magical or spiritual thought to even begin unpacking what was done well or poorly, but reading the descriptions of the Native-based characters and the way their language and magic and culture was handled just felt token-y and disrespectful, and it marred my enjoyment of the premise.
I also didn't much enjoy the police/politics side plots, mostly because there was already a lot going on in this book in terms of locations, characters to track, and plot arcs, and every time those scenes came up they seemed to pull me out of the story into something related-but-not-as-interesting. I was also initially unenthusiastic about Sara's romance, mostly because it seemed to come out of left field. By the end I think it worked well enough, but at its beginning I found it off-putting. Sara was frustrating to me on the whole because it almost seemed as though de Lint thought he would write a book with a female protagonist, but then he wasn't completely comfortable and made it a huge ensemble cast so he wouldn't have to spend as much time focusing on her and her growth. On the one hand I thought the way she was written was accessible and fairly believable, but on the other hand as the plot escalated we spent less and less time inside her head so we didn't really get to see much of how the huge, changing events at the end affected her personally. And of course in the end she basically gets a dude as her prize, which, eh.
In any case, I didn't hate this and I would give Charles de Lint another chance in a different setting, because I mostly didn't mind his style and might like it better with different setting and plot choices. But I wouldn't really recommend this particular novel.
tani's review against another edition
3.0
One day, when Sara Kendall is cleaning out some of the junk from the bookstore that she owns, she happens across a box with what appears to be a medicine bag. She's a sucker for unique items, so she hangs up the picture, gives the bone to her uncle to get analyzed, and starts wearing the ring. Little does she know, that medicine bag will be the first step into a world full of myth and magic. Meanwhile, Kieran Foy searches for his mentor, who has mysteriously disappeared. He's not the only one looking, though. The RCMP are also looking for Tom Hengwr, and they're determined to find him first.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I was really expecting to love it, as I'd heard so many good things about Charles de Lint's urban fantasy. However, while I didn't hate it, I also didn't love it. Let's start with the good.
There's a lot of imagination to this book, and it draws from sources that are a bit different from your average urban fantasy. A lot of the magic in this world is based on Native American myth, which is a welcome change. It also mixes in a lot of Welsh mythology, which I rarely see. So a lot of the world-building and magic felt quite fresh and new, which I liked a lot.
The writing itself is quite well-done on a sentence by sentence level, and the characters are also quite well done. This feels like a more polished book than most early works, and it's clear that the craft of writing is something that Charles de Lint has spent some serious time on. I especially liked Sara as a character, and I was really drawn into her story.
However, on the not-so-good side, there are some definite hiccups in terms of pacing. For the beginning section of the novel, there's very little sense of purpose or urgency, so for a long time, I didn't feel very compelled by the book. Though the plot does eventually pick up, by that point I just needed it to be finished, so I rushed through to the ending, which definitely was not as enjoyable.
There's also a distinct problem with the romantic relationships. There are a number of these, and what I found was that they are far too much instalove for me. Characters fall in love at the drop of a hat, fall into bed just as quickly, and then end up in committed relationships that feel entirely false. I prefer a lot more development to my romantic relationships, so that was a huge letdown for me.
In the end, I thought this was a strong building block, but had some major flaws. I would read more by Charles de Lint, but when I do, I would hope for some serious improvements in the romance, at the very least, in order to continue picking up his work.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I was really expecting to love it, as I'd heard so many good things about Charles de Lint's urban fantasy. However, while I didn't hate it, I also didn't love it. Let's start with the good.
There's a lot of imagination to this book, and it draws from sources that are a bit different from your average urban fantasy. A lot of the magic in this world is based on Native American myth, which is a welcome change. It also mixes in a lot of Welsh mythology, which I rarely see. So a lot of the world-building and magic felt quite fresh and new, which I liked a lot.
The writing itself is quite well-done on a sentence by sentence level, and the characters are also quite well done. This feels like a more polished book than most early works, and it's clear that the craft of writing is something that Charles de Lint has spent some serious time on. I especially liked Sara as a character, and I was really drawn into her story.
However, on the not-so-good side, there are some definite hiccups in terms of pacing. For the beginning section of the novel, there's very little sense of purpose or urgency, so for a long time, I didn't feel very compelled by the book. Though the plot does eventually pick up, by that point I just needed it to be finished, so I rushed through to the ending, which definitely was not as enjoyable.
There's also a distinct problem with the romantic relationships. There are a number of these, and what I found was that they are far too much instalove for me. Characters fall in love at the drop of a hat, fall into bed just as quickly, and then end up in committed relationships that feel entirely false. I prefer a lot more development to my romantic relationships, so that was a huge letdown for me.
In the end, I thought this was a strong building block, but had some major flaws. I would read more by Charles de Lint, but when I do, I would hope for some serious improvements in the romance, at the very least, in order to continue picking up his work.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favourite Charles de Lint's, I love the Ottawa setting, and the idea of Tamson House. However, re-reading it in 2023, I do have to admit that it, as is true of a great deal of de Lint books, are absolutely full of cultural appropriation, particularly of Indigenous culture. I am still able to enjoy it, but, as with so many books I enjoyed earlier in my life, I wouldn't recommend it to a child, or a person of Indigenous heritage, and I actually don't really recommend it, I just still like it.
robinqw's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun and magical read. Charles de Lint manages to blend Celtic and Native American mythology in a way that makes sense (or is believable -- as far as myths can be believable), and the story is interesting and moves along at a good pace. Not too fast, not too slow. The author's writing is appealing too. Almost magical.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
Charles de Lint has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. I started reading his stories set in Newford in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction many years ago.
When our library got Moonheart on talking book, I thought it was a good opportunity to try one of de Lint's earlier works.
I can see why Moonheart was a breakthrough book for urban fantasy. The story captured me quickly and drew me in. I thought the setting, Ottawa, was an intriguing place to put fantasy. The other world which eventually appears also was well drawn.
For me, the best part was the characters. De Lint uses historic, mythic and imagined people in this story. I wanted to know more about Sarah, Kieran, Tucker, Jamie and Blue.
My only problem was that the language seemed a bit dated. It is more than 30 years old and I think what seemed like conventional slang then is intrusive now. I would give this one more star if some of the characters had spoken less. If Kieran (one of the characters)had said "Lord lifting Jesus" one more time, I might have had to take this book back to the library.
I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers; readers interested in myth and music and to anyone who likes a book with fascinating characters. The reader of the audio book is excellent.
When our library got Moonheart on talking book, I thought it was a good opportunity to try one of de Lint's earlier works.
I can see why Moonheart was a breakthrough book for urban fantasy. The story captured me quickly and drew me in. I thought the setting, Ottawa, was an intriguing place to put fantasy. The other world which eventually appears also was well drawn.
For me, the best part was the characters. De Lint uses historic, mythic and imagined people in this story. I wanted to know more about Sarah, Kieran, Tucker, Jamie and Blue.
My only problem was that the language seemed a bit dated. It is more than 30 years old and I think what seemed like conventional slang then is intrusive now. I would give this one more star if some of the characters had spoken less. If Kieran (one of the characters)had said "Lord lifting Jesus" one more time, I might have had to take this book back to the library.
I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers; readers interested in myth and music and to anyone who likes a book with fascinating characters. The reader of the audio book is excellent.
ndwisard's review against another edition
3.0
The ending wasn't as satisfying as hoped for, but still a good read.