Month: October 2022

Greenmantle by Charles de Lint

Greenmantle by Charles de Lint

In Greenmantle, author Charles de Lint mixes fantasy and the mob and creates something new.

Invisible in the shadows of the side of his house, a small figure stirred. A smile touched her fox-thin features.” pg 67

Photo by Alex Andrews on Pexels.com

Ali and her mother, Frankie, recently won the lottery and used the money to move to a house out in the country. Their neighbor, Tony, has a checkered past and has moved out to the country for reasons of his own.

Together, they’ll explore a mysterious force in the woods that is connected to haunting music as well as face threats from a far more earthly menace.

I enjoyed Greenmantle quite a lot.

“Where it passed sleepers, dreams were suddenly filled with resonances never sensed before, while those who were awake, paused in their conversations for that one moment it took for the stag to go by, resuming them again then, knowing they weren’t quite the same, but not knowing why.” pg 100

Photo by Vincent M.A. Janssen on Pexels.com

The fantasy portions of the story were my favorite. Lint writes them well- making the fantastical seem as if it is actually possible.

Easy to see why he was one of the first writers of the modern urban fantasy genre.

Highly recommended for fantasy readers. Thanks for reading!

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1) by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1) by Marjane Satrapi

I’m doing a series at work (a library) where I’m reading the classics that are painted on the stairs. “Persepolis” is one of the titles featured there.

It is a modern classic about Marjane Satrapi’s childhood in Iran around the time of the revolution.

The story is told in black and white graphics which took a little getting used to, but by the end, I rather liked.

Photo by mostafa meraji on Pexels.com

Our heroine is so brave throughout this novel. She goes to protests, though people have been killed while protesting.

She has political beliefs that challenge the status quo, even though she has family members who have died for similar beliefs.

She likes to wear western clothes and listen to western music, even though such things could get her into serious trouble.

Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.com

I liked Marjane a lot. But, having a daughter myself, I couldn’t help but empathize with her parents a little. They were trying to raise their daughter in such a challenging time- I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.

Even sending her out the door to school every day must have been a trial.

“Persepolis” has appeared on challenged or banned book lists in the past and I don’t understand why. I didn’t find anything offensive in these pages. The truth could be disturbing, but it is a good thing to put yourself in another person’s shoes for awhile.

It makes me realize what a charmed childhood I enjoyed.

Highly recommended.