Product Description
Jilly Coppercorn and Geordie Riddell. Since they were introduced in the first Newford story, “Timeskip,” back in 1989, their friends and readers alike have been waiting for them to realize what everybody else already knows: that they belong together. But they’ve been more clueless about how they feel for each other than the characters in When Harry Met Sally. Now in Widdershins, a stand-alone novel of fairy courts set in shopping malls and the Bohemian street scene of Newford’s Crowsea area, Jilly and Geordie’s story is finally being told.
Before it’s over, we’ll find ourselves plunged into the rancorous and sometimes violent conflict between the magical North American “animal people” and the more newly-arrived fairy folk. We’ll watch as Jilly is held captive in a sinister world based on her own worst memories—and Geordie, attempting to help, is sent someplace even worse. And we’ll be captivated by the power of love and determination to redeem ancient hatreds and heal old magics gone sour.
To walk “widdershins” is to walk counterclockwise or backwards around something. It’s a classic pathway into the fairy realm. It’s also the way people often back slowly into the relationships that matter, the real ones that make for a life. In Widdershins Charles de Lint has delivered one of his most accessible and moving works of his career.
Before it’s over, we’ll find ourselves plunged into the rancorous and sometimes violent conflict between the magical North American “animal people” and the more newly-arrived fairy folk. We’ll watch as Jilly is held captive in a sinister world based on her own worst memories—and Geordie, attempting to help, is sent someplace even worse. And we’ll be captivated by the power of love and determination to redeem ancient hatreds and heal old magics gone sour.
To walk “widdershins” is to walk counterclockwise or backwards around something. It’s a classic pathway into the fairy realm. It’s also the way people often back slowly into the relationships that matter, the real ones that make for a life. In Widdershins Charles de Lint has delivered one of his most accessible and moving works of his career.
Tom Knapp @ 4:38 pm
Like with many other de Lint fans, the ubiquitous characters Jilly and Geordie stand tall among my favorite Newford inhabitants. Jilly Coppercorn is the wise, tender, eccentric artist with a tortured past, a serene present and a gift for looking for the best in all things and all people — despite her own tragedies. Geordie Riddell is the itinerant fiddler, the good-hearted friend and one of Newford’s last skeptics — until he, too, was forced to accept the realities of the fey. These two have been woven in and around many of de Lint’s stories, both as primary characters and background support. And now, finally, de Lint is ready to tell their story.
It’s no disappointment. For the sake of de Lint fans as eager as I was to see this one out to its conclusion, I’ll refrain from repeating too many details here.
But let’s begin with a few hints. Sure, the book revolves counterclockwise around Jilly and Geordie, but there are other Newford inhabitants, both new and old, who populate this tale. One is Lizzie Mahone, a musician whose car stalls in the middle of a growing war between North America’s native and immigrant fey. Grunts from one side of the battle lines threaten the young girl, while a solitary member of the other comes to her rescue.
But don’t sell the division short; de Lint is too canny a writer to draw a clear-cut line between good and evil. Both sides have their share of each and, even more common still, there are folk and faeries who exist somewhere in between. And, entwined within the larger frameworks of war are silkier threads of personal vengeance, hatred and murder.
Of course, both native and immigrant mythologies are richly presented, building further on the groundwork laid in de Lint’s previous stories. There is bold, realistic and sometimes idealistic character development along the way, including both romance and heartache, and the story — presented from various points of view — leaps from its pages and comes to life in the very air around you.
Jilly, meanwhile, vanishes into a reality of her own devising, built from the nightmares of her childhood. Geordie’s noble efforts to save her put himself in peril. And Lizzie is still coming to grips with this whole mythic reality she’s stumbled into. Others, including fan favorites, the Crow Girls, and the great bird of the galaxy who just might have brought this world into being, have their parts to play as well before a final resolution is reached.
I’ve praised de Lint’s writing in the past, but I’ve run out of superlatives for Widdershins. It is easily one of the best — if not the best — novels in his vast library.
Margaret Dybala @ 5:21 pm
Once again, Mr. De Lint has given us a fine novel that continues the story of various people, human and not, that live around one imaginary city in Canada. While I was first attracted to his books by the lovely fantasy, I have kept coming back because of his good character development over time. This book does not disappoint. Here we finally find Geordie and Jilly together in a story that includes all my favorites: The Crow girls, Raven, Joe, Jack, Fairies, etc. Plus, there is a wonderful description of how it feels to play group music, the joy of it all just coming together perfectly, so well done that I believe Mr. De Lint must play himself. Obviously, this review won’t say much to people who have never read him before — so I’ll just say to those folks: Give it a try. If you like native American animal spirits, celtic fairies, good musicians, and pitbulls, you will certainly enjoy this book! I did! For those of you who already know and love these books, you don’t need any other encouragement to read than the fact that this has been published! Enjoy!
Jaymie Larkey @ 5:41 pm
We return to Newford and revisit two of my favorite characters in all of fantasy, Jilly Coppercorn and Geordie Riddell. Jilly is a wonderfully whimsical artist, now hampered by a physical disability and Geordie is a brilliant fiddler with serious commitment issues which leave him drifting through what could othwise be a prosperous musical career. Both have been friends forever, but even though there has been speculation, they have never gotten together as a couple due to bad timing and a series of spectacularly disasterous relationships and old baggage on both parts.
I’ve been a DeLint fan for years, but I was really disappointed at the end of The Onion Girl when Jilly, who of all of Newford’s citizens, wants to believe and be touched by otherworldly magic the most, is left crippled and unable to visit the otherworld after her magical encounter.
Now, finally, we see a conclusion to the Jilly & Geordie saga in a story rife with new charaters, Animal People, and fairy. Just as in DeLint’s other works, we find new trails of stories intertwined with the main plot and explore human nature in a provoking manner. Appearances by other old friends, like the Crow Girls, pop up thoughout and just make the whole experience more enjoyable.
A great ending to a familiar chapter…or is it a beginning?
Diana Hanfland @ 8:11 pm
This is the book that made me fall in love with the Newford characters. I picked it up as an advanced reader’s copy at work (I of course work at a bookstore). I didn’t think i’d like it to be honest but the cover art drew me in. I was bored one night and started reading it, before I knew it I had read a hundred some pages and it was 2 in the morning! If you’re in the market to start reading Charles De Lint. Start with this one. It’s entertaining and even though it’s not suspense it keeps you on the edge of your seat just waiting what will happen next. It’s extremely well paced – no dry spots. Even though this is actually the sequel to Onion Girl I would suggest reading this one first, it explains the reader’s digest version of what happened in Onion Girl without making you feel as though you’re missing anything. Then go back and read Onion Girl. I suggest this because Onion Girl has the most characters in any book i’ve ever seen and if you’re already familiar with just a few of those characters it makes it so much easier. Jilly (the main character) is so easy to connect with, you’ll love her.
Carl V. Anderson @ 8:43 pm
If the name Charles de Lint sounds familiar to you and yet you haven’t read any of his work it may be for a number of reasons. You may have seen the many striking book covers graced by the work of John Jude Palencar as you walk down the fantasy aisles. Or it may be because Charles de Lint has written over 40 novels, has numerous short story collections, writes poetry, and is a Celtic folk musician. Whatever the reason, the name Charles de Lint should be familiar to you. If it is not, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to remedy that situation as quick as possible.
Widdershins is a novel set in de Lint’s Newford series. Charles de Lint has set almost 20 novels in the fictional North American city of Newford, a place with a cast of human characters that intersect with people of the faerie realm and Native American spirits. I picked up Widdershins as my first de Lint novel because the hints that it was a love story intrigued me. I like a bit of romance with my science fiction and fantasy. It was also advertised as a book that one could read without having read any of the other Newford books: a fact that I can wholeheartedly attest to.
A varying cast of characters inhabit de Lint’s Newford books, so not each book is about the same people. Some of the characters in Widdershins have no doubt had a presence in some of the other books, but he does such a fantastic job of introducing the reader to the characters in a way that does not feel awkward, does not feel like a recap of other stories, that you begin to know the characters very intimately right from the start.
Two of the principal characters of Widdershins are Jilly and Geordie, characters that have had a presence in other Charles de Lint books, most notably the book The Onion Girl. In an author’s note at the beginning of the book, Charles de Lint states that Widdershins arose out of numerous fan requests to find out what happened to Jilly and Geordie after the events of The Onion Girl. Eventhough Widdershins can be read as a stand alone book, if you have any desire to read The Onion Girl without having the ending spoiled for you, you should probably read that one first. I have a feeling that I know a lot about that book from reading Widdershins (and yet I loved the characters so much I still feel compelled to go read The Onion Girl…that alone should tell you how much I loved de Lint’s writing).
So after all that introduction, what is the book about? Well, it is about a group of young adult celtic musicians and how a seemingly innocent decision sets in motion circumstances that will involve humans, faerie, Native American mythological creatures, and other old, folkloric characters…circumstances that will build towards a war that could have devastating effects on members of each race. In addition to that it is a story about healing from abuse, a story of self-examination, a story of life examination. Mix in an appreciation for Celtic music, deep characterization, a writing style that builds and builds upon itself, pulling the reader right into that world, and you have Widdershins. And, I suspect, any of Charles de Lint’s novels.
Charles de Lint’s work has been called “fantasy for people who don’t read fantasy” and this is a pretty accurate definition. While de Lint certainly treats many of the typical fantasy/fairy tale subjects, he does so in such a serious, fluid manner that it never feels silly. It rarely even feels like fantasy in the way some other books do. There is such a strong folklore and mythology element to his work that it feels as if you are reading a story rich with historical spiritual and cultural elements. In Widdershins it is all very real, and very fascinating. Each relatively short chapter in Widdershins is about a specific character, told from their point of view. The effect of this is that you get to know each character very intimately, and the suspense of the various threads of the tale builds and builds as they are woven together towards the climax. I literally found myself reading faster and faster as events began to get more and more intense. It is a very good book.
Widdershins reminded me of two other stories: American Gods and Lord of the Rings. Widdershins shares a very strong bond with American Gods in its treatment of how gods, faerie, mythological creatures, etc. followed the humans, particularly the Europeans, as they migrated to North America. The effect that this has on the spirits already present in North America is treated similarly in both books. If you liked one, I guarantee you’ll like the other. Both books are cut from the same rich, cultural/mythological cloth. It reminded me of Lord of the Rings in that a significant amount of time was spent with each character after the grand climax, allowing the reader to see resolution of the various issues and allowing a glimpse into where each character would go from here. I really enjoyed that as I became so strongly attached to so many of the characters that it gave me time to gently let them all go. It is a very effective writing style.
And finally, I mentioned something about abuse. If you work in the mental health field in any capacity then I highly recommend this book. Its treatment of the healing of abuse is so profound that I was deeply moved by that plot line alone, not to mention the many other wonderful things Widdershins has to offer. Charles de Lint has some wonderful insight into the healing of the human soul.
Widdershins is a fantastic, rich, complex and wonderful book. I give it my highest of recommendations and count myself as a new fan of Charles de Lint.