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Where Desert Spirits Crowd the Night
A charming novella about one of Newford’s best-loved artist and dreamer Sophie Etoile. Lured by mystical Native American flute-player Kokopelli, Sophie opens a door in her dreams only to find herself in the wild Sonoran desert, her way back vanished. In her quest to return she gets sidetracked by Coyote, up to his usual mischief. A poignant tale touching on loss, hope and community.
First published in Worlds of Fantasy and Horror #2, Fall, 1994. Cover art by Stephanie Lostimolo.
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
— Alice Hoffman
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
— Holly Black
De Lint is probably the finest contemporary author of fantasy
– Booklist, American Library Association
Unlike most fantasy writers who deal with battles between ultimate good and evil, de Lint concentrates on smaller, very personal conflicts. Perhaps this is what makes him accessible to the non-fantasy audience as well as the hard-core fans. Perhaps it’s just damned fine writing.
– Quill & Quire
De Lint’s evocative images, both ordinary and fantastic, jolt the imagination.
– Publishers Weekly
It is hard to imagine urban fantasy done with greater skill
– Booklist, American Library Association
First published in Worlds of Fantasy and Horror #2, Fall, 1994. Cover art by Stephanie Lostimolo.
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
— Alice Hoffman
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
— Holly Black
De Lint is probably the finest contemporary author of fantasy
– Booklist, American Library Association
Unlike most fantasy writers who deal with battles between ultimate good and evil, de Lint concentrates on smaller, very personal conflicts. Perhaps this is what makes him accessible to the non-fantasy audience as well as the hard-core fans. Perhaps it’s just damned fine writing.
– Quill & Quire
De Lint’s evocative images, both ordinary and fantastic, jolt the imagination.
– Publishers Weekly
It is hard to imagine urban fantasy done with greater skill
– Booklist, American Library Association
66 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2015
50 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Charles de Lint
446 books3,992 followersCharles de Lint is the much beloved author of more than seventy adult, young adult, and children's books. Renowned as one of the trailblazers of the modern fantasy genre, he is the recipient of the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. Modern Library's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century poll, conducted by Random House and voted on by readers, put eight of de Lint's books among the top 100.
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 19, 2021
Sophie Etoile, is an artist and a dreamer whose dreams take her into the the otherworlds--or one particular otherworld, Mabon, where among other charms is found the bookstore run by Mr. Truepenny, and where she meets her good friend, Jeck Crow. Or at least, that's where her dreams usually take her.
One night, she hears flute music, and steps out the back door of the bookstore, expecting to find herself in the alley behind the store. Instead, she's in the desert of the American southwest--and the bookstore, and the door back into it, are gone.
What, or rather who, she meets here are spirits of the southwestern desert, except for Nokomis, also called Grandmother, a spirit of the Kickaha tribe that lives much further east, in the area of the city of Newford, where Sophie lives. Nokomis tells her she can't get out of this dreamworld until she finds the reason that she's here, and than only Coyote or Kokopelli, another spirit who plays the medicine flute, can help her.
She goes walking through the desert, and meets Coyote, and when he can't help directly, asks him to help her find Kokopelli. This leads to walking through the desert with Coyote, who can be charming and fun, but also very frustrating. Sophie just wants out of this dreamplace, and when she wakes up in her own bed in the morning, she's relieved.
The following night, she's back in the desert.
Meanwhile, in the waking world, she's had a show, and met Max, a gay man grieving his recent deceased partner. They become friends, and she learns about his late partner, Peter, and about Max's own art, in the form of sculpture. She comes to suspect that one of the partners is not ready to let the other go, and she's trapped in a dreamworld meant for Max.
Or maybe she's not.
This is a gentle, thoughtful novella, about recognizing and embracing your own truth.
Recommended.
I bought this book.
One night, she hears flute music, and steps out the back door of the bookstore, expecting to find herself in the alley behind the store. Instead, she's in the desert of the American southwest--and the bookstore, and the door back into it, are gone.
What, or rather who, she meets here are spirits of the southwestern desert, except for Nokomis, also called Grandmother, a spirit of the Kickaha tribe that lives much further east, in the area of the city of Newford, where Sophie lives. Nokomis tells her she can't get out of this dreamworld until she finds the reason that she's here, and than only Coyote or Kokopelli, another spirit who plays the medicine flute, can help her.
She goes walking through the desert, and meets Coyote, and when he can't help directly, asks him to help her find Kokopelli. This leads to walking through the desert with Coyote, who can be charming and fun, but also very frustrating. Sophie just wants out of this dreamplace, and when she wakes up in her own bed in the morning, she's relieved.
The following night, she's back in the desert.
Meanwhile, in the waking world, she's had a show, and met Max, a gay man grieving his recent deceased partner. They become friends, and she learns about his late partner, Peter, and about Max's own art, in the form of sculpture. She comes to suspect that one of the partners is not ready to let the other go, and she's trapped in a dreamworld meant for Max.
Or maybe she's not.
This is a gentle, thoughtful novella, about recognizing and embracing your own truth.
Recommended.
I bought this book.
April 24, 2017
Sophie is walking in Mabon, the world in which she dreams, when she hears a flute. She follows it to the desert. “The desert brings home how precious life is and how much we should appreciate it while we have it. That life can still flourish under such severe conditions is a miracle. It’s an inspiration to me,” says Sophie’s new friend Max. I love reading and rereading Charles de Lint. Read on Kindle.
January 12, 2018
A spiritual mashup à la Carlos Castaneda where everything you thought you knew about desert lore and lucid dreaming gets spun back up again. Because you never know someone's story all the way 'til they give it to you, and sometimes even then you only know the part they give away.
January 9, 2023
I could happily sit here and fanboy about how wonderful Charles de Lint is as a writer: suffice it to say, as with everything of his I've read, this is a simply beautiful story with believable characters, & once again it makes me think, and it makes me hope. Simply brilliant.
September 8, 2024
Considering how long I’ve been reading Charles’ work and that he’s pretty good at having published most of his novellas and short work in collections, it’s entirely possible and downright likely that I’ve already read the story in this reissued chapbook. And yet, I’ll never miss a chance to visit Newford for another magical interlude! This story follows Wendy, one of Newford’s artist crowd who we happen to know because she’s got fey blood by way of a lunar mother (another fun story, which I should visit again soon!), and who tends to get in a bit of trouble in her dreams. In this nocturnal adventure, she gets trapped in a desert landscape and can’t get out until she figures out what is missing from her life. The parable is a rather simple one of self discovery, but along the way we get to have some entertaining conversations with Coyote (maybe one of our favourite trickster characters) and visit the indigenous mythology-populated landscape that de Lint depicts so well. The tale is short and sweet, definitely feeling like more of a momentary interlude in Wendy’s life than a real story, but these tiny moments are wonderful little reminders of the everyday magic that we are all able to find - if we only keep an eye out for them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2019
One of the more interesting books by DeLint. Like Jung, he posits that our dreams are one way for us to connect with God and those who have dked. But this is no guarantee that we can easily obtain the message we need. Sadly, Truth must be waited for, sought earnestly and be recognized as hidden in metaphors and spiritual icons. But always worth the wait, work and despair. The book is a novella, so short, which can leave the reader with ample time to think it over. And over.
June 3, 2018
Coyote or Kokopelli?
This is what me of my favorite stories. The thought of creating my own dreamworld is just so wonderful! Like Sophie, though, I don’t know what it is I’m searching for so where would I end up?
This is what me of my favorite stories. The thought of creating my own dreamworld is just so wonderful! Like Sophie, though, I don’t know what it is I’m searching for so where would I end up?
February 17, 2019
Introspective at its finest
de Lint is a master of making people see that the world is so much bigger than we often think about. This book highlights that once again, with a masterful touch and great imagery. Delightful.
de Lint is a master of making people see that the world is so much bigger than we often think about. This book highlights that once again, with a masterful touch and great imagery. Delightful.
December 2, 2024
Great novella packed with American First Nations wisdom and story telling prowess. Loved it and love Charles De Lint’s writing. It must be 30 years since I last read one of his books and I won’t be leaving it that long again.
March 21, 2025
Beautiful lyrical thoughtful
I love the lyrical descriptions and gentle mystery of the story. It makes you wonder and wonder on the nature of dreams and reality. Often I like my stories to have a clear ending, but I love that this doesn't.
I love the lyrical descriptions and gentle mystery of the story. It makes you wonder and wonder on the nature of dreams and reality. Often I like my stories to have a clear ending, but I love that this doesn't.
January 30, 2021
Solid as always
One of my favorite authors since 1984 and reading Moonheart, but I’m finally getting around to his shorter stories. Enjoyable as always.
One of my favorite authors since 1984 and reading Moonheart, but I’m finally getting around to his shorter stories. Enjoyable as always.
May 24, 2021
Really exceptional. Everything that you want out of a story. I just can't get enough of Mr. De Lint.
May 20, 2023
A story set in Newford and the dessert. A lost love or a lost way. Time to seek one or both.
October 21, 2023
A book by Charles de Lint is always a treat!
March 9, 2025
Fever dream core
April 26, 2015
As usual, excellent read!
Charles deLint is my favorite author and it's because of all the different cultures he incorporates into his urban fantasies. They make you think, laugh, cry and want to tell everyone to read them. This one of Sophie I was surprised I hadn't read yet. It rang true for my own life and is still resonating and making me think. You can never go wrong with any deLint story or book you pick up.
Charles deLint is my favorite author and it's because of all the different cultures he incorporates into his urban fantasies. They make you think, laugh, cry and want to tell everyone to read them. This one of Sophie I was surprised I hadn't read yet. It rang true for my own life and is still resonating and making me think. You can never go wrong with any deLint story or book you pick up.
December 29, 2016
Artist Sophie Etoile has the ability to travel to other places in her dreams. Usually she goes to the dream world of Mabon to be with her boyfriend Jeck, but one night she follows the sound of a flute and ends up in the Sonoran desert. Her search for answers as to why she ended up there and what it all means makes for a fascinating read.
December 14, 2015
A novella about Sophie, whose dreams have worlds of their own. This had some really beautiful moments, and the cover art is gorgeous, but I much prefer de Lint's longer stories. In this case, the emotional arc never felt fully resolved to me.
December 20, 2020
Lured by mystical Native American flute-player Kokopelli, Sophie Etoile opens a door in her dreams to find herself in the wild Sonoran desert, her way back vanished. In her quest to return she gets sidetracked by Coyote, up to his usual mischief.
April 1, 2015
I love Charles de Lint. I love the magical way he puts words together, his characters and his combinations of myths...one of the original urban fantasists.
May 19, 2015
Sophie is one of my favorite recurring Newford characters; I always enjoy stories featuring her.
June 17, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyable fantasy novella with some familiar faces from de Lint's other works.
July 24, 2016
A simply gorgeous story. A quick, gentle read, too. I plan on reading it one more time before moving onto other things. :)
September 17, 2018
Collected in The Ivory and the Horn.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews