by Charles de Lint – This book is a collection of short stories that set the scene for the later novels in the Newford series. They also introduce us to characters who will play roles in those novels, such as Jilly and Geordi, without slanting the reader’s expectation of the series so far that we would expect it to be all about them. There is a definite magic to the community and we are primed to see new characters who will play in that magical world.
As for the stories here, some are better than others, but the collection as a whole is strong. (finished 10/18/11)
