It’s always a pleasure revisiting Charles De Lint’s novels that tread the perfect line between reality and the world of myth, but something about the books he writes set in the deserts of the American south hit different. I adore the Canadian touches that he brings to many of his stories, but most of them are decidedly East Coast - in their language, their land/cityscapes, and their indigenous mythology. I grew up surrounded by cacti, sagebrush, and the dry heat of a semi-arid landscape (even though epic mountains, tall trees, and running rivers were also dominant), so being able to explore stories that revealed the magic of the desert felt instantly familiar and inspiring in a different way. This novel in particular is one of my favourites, since we get to see familiar characters from Newford (a semi-east coast city) discover the desert for the first time and awaken a magic that they connect with in unexpected ways. Laurel and Bess have already experienced an adventure in faerie, but their experience was not exactly a pleasant one (I’ll have to dig out that novel again soon, because who can resist a story about the bee-folk!) and they’ve come away from the experience wary, if not borderline hostile, to the magic that lies hidden in every landscape. Playing the other side of the stage in this tale are a cast of shapechangers, whom De Lint has modeled after indigenous legends of the animal people and the spirits that inhabit all living things. Caught at the end of a bargain that gave a jackalope and a red dog human form for 100 years Bess and Laurel must face their fears and learn to embrace a new landscape if they want to walk this tale along the medicine road and come out the other side. Life and death may not be the stakes here, as De Lint takes the indigenous lore and unique themes to heart, so his tale comes to an unexpected and more natural end that doesn’t feel like an ending. The twins have made roots in this desert landscape, and while they’re unlikely to settle their travelling musician’s roots anytime soon, it seems certain that they’ll take a part of the desert (and the things they learned there) with them as they continue on their journey. The Cousins, too, have learned that bargains aren’t always what they seem, and even members of the coyote clan aren’t always up to their expected tricks! ( )

The two musical twins from Seven Wild Sisters are back and touring in Arizona. I was just there for vacation, so it was fun to read the descriptions of the beautiful desert in that area. They encounter de Lint's version of the local faerie - spirits of the land - a red dog and a jackalope(!) who have been living as humans for the past 100 years. Taking it as pure fiction, it's a charming adventure. Part of me does feel niggled about de Lint writing about native American lore. ( )

http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-of-medicine-road.html ( )

A wonderful blend of fantasy, romance, and spirituality, with myths from various cultures of the American West. This is a very unique book, and captured my attention throughout. It inspired me to read more of de Lint's writing. ( )

A story about two of the Dillard sisters (Bess and Laurel), but also about some of the animal people and a deal that was made a century ago that allowed two born animals to become human. A lovely, lovely book, with illustrations by Charles Vess. And for an ARC, not that many errors! :-) I always love the stories about the animal people, the idea of them is so fascinating to me. ( )