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Into the Green
Accepting a gift of a magical harp from Jacky Lantern's fey kin, Angharad follows the wandering ways of bardic life, using her music to awaken the Summerblood magic throughout the Kingdom of the Green Isles. Reprint.
254 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1993
8 people are currently reading
1057 people want to read
About the author
Charles de Lint
446 books3,997 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 - 30 of 84 reviews
December 9, 2014
I’m not entirely sure what I thought of Into the Green. I read it in one go, which normally indicates a pretty good book, but I’m not overwhelmed by it, thinking back. I liked the imagery and the idea of ‘going into the green’, the set up, the world… but I tend to be most strongly drawn by characters, and none of the characters here really got me. I finished it yesterday and I actually just struggled to remember the protagonist’s name (Angharad — I’m a little doubtful about taking someone who is clearly Romani-based and giving her a very Welsh name, but then I don’t know much about the Romani and maybe that fits in just fine); she’s not a very strong character. She’s described as naive at some points, and honestly, the way she blunders about, I’d rather say “stupid”.
There were aspects that I liked, though — some of the people she meets, and the way everything came together at the end. I’d have liked to hear more about the silver puzzle box, really, and how it came to be, the culture and world it came from.
Overall, I’ve got to give it points for keeping me interested, but I’m not going to keep the book around and I hope de Lint’s other books are stronger.
There were aspects that I liked, though — some of the people she meets, and the way everything came together at the end. I’d have liked to hear more about the silver puzzle box, really, and how it came to be, the culture and world it came from.
Overall, I’ve got to give it points for keeping me interested, but I’m not going to keep the book around and I hope de Lint’s other books are stronger.
January 5, 2013
Amazing... I found myself wishing the book were longer or that there were a sequel because I enjoyed the world and the characters so much. (Perhaps there is a sequel? I don't know if he does them exactly although I have read some of his things which seem loosely related or based in the same mythology at least.)
I took something powerful away from this book. Probably I took away more than one but the thing that struck me as I was reading was about the relationship of iron and 'the green.' The book uses the idea of iron as being harmful to witches except here it does not harm them physically, but it can be used to block their extra-sensory perceptions and their ability to call upon and use that energy. It is harmful to the spirits, here called kowrie, which live in 'the green.'
So if I understand having the gift/curse of 'the green,' here used as another word for magic, as one's ability to connect with the natural world, the spirits who dwell there, or a kind of fey, as embodiment of that natural world, and iron as a manifestation and symbol of civilization and the modern human, material world then it is clear to me how one impedes the other.
Humans with the gift may interact with both but if they become imprisoned by it then they lose the gift until they are free from it. If everyone loses the connection, then the green world could die? Or, at least, if there is no one with a conciousness of 'the green' then there will be no one with awareness of how our decisions affect our roots...
I took something powerful away from this book. Probably I took away more than one but the thing that struck me as I was reading was about the relationship of iron and 'the green.' The book uses the idea of iron as being harmful to witches except here it does not harm them physically, but it can be used to block their extra-sensory perceptions and their ability to call upon and use that energy. It is harmful to the spirits, here called kowrie, which live in 'the green.'
So if I understand having the gift/curse of 'the green,' here used as another word for magic, as one's ability to connect with the natural world, the spirits who dwell there, or a kind of fey, as embodiment of that natural world, and iron as a manifestation and symbol of civilization and the modern human, material world then it is clear to me how one impedes the other.
Humans with the gift may interact with both but if they become imprisoned by it then they lose the gift until they are free from it. If everyone loses the connection, then the green world could die? Or, at least, if there is no one with a conciousness of 'the green' then there will be no one with awareness of how our decisions affect our roots...
July 21, 2019
As far as quality goes, I find Charles de Lint pretty uneven. I loved Medicine Road, felt like Wolf Moon was rather bland and put down Greenmantle. This book though, I adored.
I have not read an all out fantasy from de Lint before, but I found myself pleasantly surprised. I liked the celtic influences on the magical world, and how he seamlessly mended different fantasy and folklore elements to its own lore.
Somehow his writing in this book reminded me of Ursula Le Guins earthsea books. I think it is the way he writes about everyday life, and include people who are peasants, fisherwomen, servants. And how he’s protagonists are more down-to-earth than heroes. And this results in the everyday anchoring the epic, making the story more accessible and relatable. Somehow, I feel like this book could almost be a part of the earthsea series; it is that similar in style.
My one big complaint is that it feels unfinished, and I feel like there are more stories to be told, questions to be answered. What is the city buried in sand? What was the box? Will the green be awakened? What is the ancient lore of the summer isles?
I loved the book, it felt like the first book in a series, an introduction to a really interesting world, and now I’m disappointed that there will be no continuation.
I have not read an all out fantasy from de Lint before, but I found myself pleasantly surprised. I liked the celtic influences on the magical world, and how he seamlessly mended different fantasy and folklore elements to its own lore.
Somehow his writing in this book reminded me of Ursula Le Guins earthsea books. I think it is the way he writes about everyday life, and include people who are peasants, fisherwomen, servants. And how he’s protagonists are more down-to-earth than heroes. And this results in the everyday anchoring the epic, making the story more accessible and relatable. Somehow, I feel like this book could almost be a part of the earthsea series; it is that similar in style.
My one big complaint is that it feels unfinished, and I feel like there are more stories to be told, questions to be answered. What is the city buried in sand? What was the box? Will the green be awakened? What is the ancient lore of the summer isles?
I loved the book, it felt like the first book in a series, an introduction to a really interesting world, and now I’m disappointed that there will be no continuation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2021
More like a 3.5, but while this would be a perfectly acceptable novel from someone else, it's really not up to de Lint's usual standards of creativity. It's a light thing, and for about the first third, which reads more like a connected chain of decent short stories, I forgot I had read it before. De Lint is really at his best with his more grounded stories set in places he knows and with mythic traditions he feels part of. Just about every fantasy cliche is thrown into this one, and the plot clunks as it gets going.
ETA: I see some reviewers are saying that the first part of the book was drawn from a set of short stories that he wove together, so go me, for figuring that out.
ETA: I see some reviewers are saying that the first part of the book was drawn from a set of short stories that he wove together, so go me, for figuring that out.
June 9, 2010
An ancient artifact of evil is found by chance and enters the world. A young woman named Angharad, who is "Summerborn" i.e. a witch, learns that it is her mission to track down this artifact (a puzzle-box) and face its evil at the risk of great danger to herself, lest all magic be destroyed by its great evil. Her task is complicated by the fact that the general public in her pseudo-medieval world are severely prejudiced against witches, and sometimes lynch them - or worse.
With the help of a young boy, a wizard, and an alcoholic veteran - and the more ambiguous association of an enigmatic assassin - she sets out on this quest.
This book is not up to DeLint's usual standards. It's overwhelmingly typical, and overall quite mediocre. It's further compromised by the fact that the first half of the book was rewritten (?) from previously published short stories, which means it just sort of meanders around, and the plot doesn't actually get going until the second half of the book.
Not dreadful, if you're a fan of classic fantasy, but there's much better out there.
With the help of a young boy, a wizard, and an alcoholic veteran - and the more ambiguous association of an enigmatic assassin - she sets out on this quest.
This book is not up to DeLint's usual standards. It's overwhelmingly typical, and overall quite mediocre. It's further compromised by the fact that the first half of the book was rewritten (?) from previously published short stories, which means it just sort of meanders around, and the plot doesn't actually get going until the second half of the book.
Not dreadful, if you're a fan of classic fantasy, but there's much better out there.
January 22, 2012
I usually don't find Charles de Lint's novels magical enough for my taste, but this one served me well. I would definitely call it a memorable favourite, and rank it among the archetypal representations of my taste. De Lint makes music a force of magic and power in such a way that is believable. So believable in fact, that I began to feel like I was being enchanted everytime I listened to music, while reading the book. There were also some surprisingly imaginative elements in the book. I particularly liked the idea of the ancient city buried in the salt. There is a nice blend of traditional and original elements in this book, and one thing doesn't eclipse the other. My only dissapointment was that I found myself a little thirsty for more of this story after it was over. The volume is somewhat slim, and I felt we barely scratched the surface.
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September 14, 2010
One of my all-time favorites, a wonderful book set in an interesting world with a fascinating female protagonist. The story feels like it could have been serialized in magazines first, and is somewhat reminiscent of the works of Howard and Leiber as a result, though the actual tone of the "adventures" and the characters themselves are much deeper. It's not as action-packed as Howard or Leiber's work either, but that's actually a plus here. It's engaging and moves at a very brisk pace. This may be the single best work de Lint has ever written.
November 16, 2009
Heard a lot about de Lint from T and found this one at the used bookstore down the street. Maybe not the best of de Lint's work- if not that impressed, but it is a quick read and I hope to be on to other of his works soon...
December 30, 2021
"Into the Green" is a fairly straightforward, if generic, YA fantasy novel. I'm assuming this is one of Charles de Lint's early creations. The writing is pretty, but the world building under-developed and the characters aren't particularly fleshed out. The novel is entertaining but rather bland.
July 10, 2007
I would have liked it better if it seemed more complete. I felt like the story wasn't quite finished for as rich a setting as he had created. I would probably like it better if there was a sequel.
December 23, 2014
Another wonderful fantasy tale by Charles de Lint. As always, I love the characters and how he weaves a story together so magically well.
November 11, 2016
Ala last time, I'll talk about my (spoiler) least favorite book first. Into the Green is classical Charles de Lint high fantasy. If you like Eyes Like Leaves, Into the Green is a similar (if slightly inferior) book. Angharad is Summerborn, and the story begins in tragedy when her tinker family (including father, mentor, and husband) all die of the plague. Angharad is the sole survivor, and the fae folk gave her a magic harp, which she names after her dead husband.Angharad is a thrice magical person: tinker, harper, witch. There are several lovely yet unconnected vignettes of Angharad traveling around the country finding and recruiting other Summerborn. The story picks up about half-way through when a the glascow, a box that releases wizard magic that kills the green, is brought to what is effectively fantasy world Dublin, where rich lords take witch fingers for their powers. The story fell apart for me here because two side characters, Tom and Lammond, steal the story completely from Angharad. This happens sometimes with de Lint--the side characters can (and do) end up with the more compelling story lines, which can sap the story of its strength. That's what happens in this book, which deflated the ending for me. Lammond was an especially unnecessary character, and I never quite got how he fit into everything. And no, not logically fit, but he didn't seem to be part of this story in the way the other characters did. Also, Tom's story is tragic, and I wish more of the story would've been Tom and Angharad working together and helping mend each other's lives. Alas, not quite what this story was.
October 6, 2023
Modern fantasy tends towards huge books. In this, de Lint tries his had at something like traditional epic fantasy, and in short form, coming in at just over 200 pages. What we get feels more like a tale, or the attempt at telling something close to a myth.
It is pleasant, but it doesn't seem to carry the weight of the much, for lack of a better word, weightier volumes that populate the fantasy shelves. Nor does it have the depth of characterization that de Lint brings to his modern, urban fantasies in the Newford books.
The story involves a witch who is sent on a quest to find an evil artifact and disarm it. Her quest brings her into contact with an assortment of people, from the good to the truly evil, and most interestingly, to one man whose motives are not at all clear. As with other de Lint books, the power of music plays a key here. The witch is a harpist, and the main baddie in the book collects the fingers of anyone showing adeptness with magic.
There were some good moments in this book, but I read it over a month ago, and only a few details are sticking with it. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but it seems mostly to have passed through me as if through a sieve. Still, I'm not sorry to have read it and I'm not entirely sure its fair to fault my terrible memory on the book.
It is pleasant, but it doesn't seem to carry the weight of the much, for lack of a better word, weightier volumes that populate the fantasy shelves. Nor does it have the depth of characterization that de Lint brings to his modern, urban fantasies in the Newford books.
The story involves a witch who is sent on a quest to find an evil artifact and disarm it. Her quest brings her into contact with an assortment of people, from the good to the truly evil, and most interestingly, to one man whose motives are not at all clear. As with other de Lint books, the power of music plays a key here. The witch is a harpist, and the main baddie in the book collects the fingers of anyone showing adeptness with magic.
There were some good moments in this book, but I read it over a month ago, and only a few details are sticking with it. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but it seems mostly to have passed through me as if through a sieve. Still, I'm not sorry to have read it and I'm not entirely sure its fair to fault my terrible memory on the book.
August 8, 2025
I had read this a couple times as a child and a few years ago someone (I think my husband or my mom) bought me a replacement copy since I had lost mine. I think I did reread it at that time—what I definitely did was leave it at my in-laws’, probably in 2013, where it stayed until I discovered it under a copy of Cloud Atlas I’d bought in the airport on the way to Spain in 2013 to start my European life.
Because I was now in Galicia and feeling super nostalgic, obviously I had to reopen this one, the specifics of which I had forgotten but the aesthetics of which were still powerful with me. This is largely because it’s a book entirely comprised of aesthetic and almost entirely devoid of substance. And that is, sincerely, okay. Sometimes I recognize the need of an artist to create something that awakens superficial sensory ideas without needing to do more. I wish more people—readers and writers—understood this. So, three stars because it’s a fun read but it’s not bloody Shakespeare.
Because I was now in Galicia and feeling super nostalgic, obviously I had to reopen this one, the specifics of which I had forgotten but the aesthetics of which were still powerful with me. This is largely because it’s a book entirely comprised of aesthetic and almost entirely devoid of substance. And that is, sincerely, okay. Sometimes I recognize the need of an artist to create something that awakens superficial sensory ideas without needing to do more. I wish more people—readers and writers—understood this. So, three stars because it’s a fun read but it’s not bloody Shakespeare.
March 19, 2021
Prompt 48 from 2021 Popsugar Challenge: A TBR I meant to read last year
Book: Into the Green
Author: Charles de Lint
Genre: fantasy fiction
Dates Read: 10/03/2020-03/15/2021
Format: physical book
Other prompts: a book about an artist, a book set mostly outdoors, a book about do-overs or fresh starts
Rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾
Notable quotable: No one was innocent of darkness.
Parental Guidance
* Sex: 0/5
* Violence & Gore: 3/5 - scene of brief murder by sword, also mention of carrying witch finger bones around; description of war injuries
* Profanity: 1/5
* Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: 1/5 - one major character is the town drunk
* Frightening & Intense Scenes: 2/5
I read this book to fulfill the prompt from the Popsugar 2021 Reading Challenge:
A co-worker let me borrow this book, and it admittedly took me a long time to get into. I normally do audiobooks, and it was hard for me to make time to sit and read this book. I also was afraid to take it places and risk damaging it before I finished it, because 😬
Once I got into the second half, I couldn't put this book down. The characters began to make more sense, and the scenes began to come together. I wouldn't have picked this up on my own, but I'll definitely look into more books by Charles de Lint now!
Book: Into the Green
Author: Charles de Lint
Genre: fantasy fiction
Dates Read: 10/03/2020-03/15/2021
Format: physical book
Other prompts: a book about an artist, a book set mostly outdoors, a book about do-overs or fresh starts
Rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾
Notable quotable: No one was innocent of darkness.
Parental Guidance
* Sex: 0/5
* Violence & Gore: 3/5 - scene of brief murder by sword, also mention of carrying witch finger bones around; description of war injuries
* Profanity: 1/5
* Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: 1/5 - one major character is the town drunk
* Frightening & Intense Scenes: 2/5
I read this book to fulfill the prompt from the Popsugar 2021 Reading Challenge:
A co-worker let me borrow this book, and it admittedly took me a long time to get into. I normally do audiobooks, and it was hard for me to make time to sit and read this book. I also was afraid to take it places and risk damaging it before I finished it, because 😬
Once I got into the second half, I couldn't put this book down. The characters began to make more sense, and the scenes began to come together. I wouldn't have picked this up on my own, but I'll definitely look into more books by Charles de Lint now!
July 30, 2023
A book I picked up at a Library discarded book sale, hidden gem! I've been a big fan of fantasy novels so reading something from before my time was weirdly outside my comfort zone (98 baby here!). *Spoilers ahead* I really enjoyed the progression of Angharad, firstly denying her summerblood, caught in her own grief, and her healing journey that ended up saving not just herself but the Green and other summerbloods. Reading the scene of Lammond's breakdown was chilling, the lines "with each death, you took them from their rightful peace" and "was it sweet, your revenge? was it worthy of their memory?" hit like a truck. I will definitely be trying more books from Charles de Lint!
February 28, 2019
I just can get any further into this book,it’s so slow and the story just doesn’t develop fast enough to keep your attention. I have made it to page 117 and on chapter 15 but that is the extent of how far I am with this book just can continue to read it any more. It sounded so good and the first couple chapters were excellent but then as you progress further and further you lose yourself with extreme boredom. Try as I might I have picked it up and put it down way to many time just can’t get any further because of the story line no longer is fun and falls apart. How sad :(
May 16, 2019
A lovely lyrical tale by Charles de Lint follows the travels of Angharad born a tinker with the Sight, she learns to use it from her husband Garrow. When she is left alone by herself she takes up wandering the Green Islands as a musician and a witch. In the end she must take it upon herself to destroy an evil that if unleashed will destroy all that is beautiful and magical in the land.
I really loved this book - a true fairy tale of a strong woman and her companions who have a duty to protect their realm .
I really loved this book - a true fairy tale of a strong woman and her companions who have a duty to protect their realm .
December 17, 2020
GDI, de Lint, this could have been one of your better books that didn't age badly. But nope, once again you show that you really don't like fat people and use the fatness of characters as a symbol of their avarice. And of course all the good people are always thin.
I'm so bummed because this had good pacing & wasn't quite so preachy as de Lint's Newford books, plus an interesting magic and folklore system. It even has a decent villain for once.
I'm not sad to deaccession this book now, having read it.
I'm so bummed because this had good pacing & wasn't quite so preachy as de Lint's Newford books, plus an interesting magic and folklore system. It even has a decent villain for once.
I'm not sad to deaccession this book now, having read it.
December 16, 2024
After losing her husband and traveling folk, Angharad is gifted a harp that allows her to weave music of the Green - but when her powers are called on to banish a darkness that threatens all magic, she must once again rely on others to fulfil her purpose...and perhaps unlock theirs, as well. Lint offers an admirably entrancing tale of loss and hope, a deep magic penetrating its bittersweet tone; a tease of a greater realm. Does Angharad and those she meets have the strength - human or otherwise - to protect what lies in the Green?
November 5, 2021
"Into the Green" is one of de Lint's more "typical" fantasy novels...in that it deals with the worlds that lie, more or less, within the Otherworlds that he deals with so deftly in his Newford books. However, unlike the typical Sword and Sorcery novel, there is no grand quest, only the quieter, more personal quests that each of us must face...although somewhat more magical. A lovely piece of prose, and well-deserving of the de Lint name!
February 16, 2023
Angharad is a tinker, a harper, and a witch; once her powers were awakened, she traveled the Kingdoms of the Green Isles. It's a very Celtic-inspired fantasy, and I loved the "green" that de Lint used here. It's a bit of a fixup novel, weaving three short stories together in the beginning of the novel, before extending into the defeat of the glascrow that threatens those with the Summerblood. I quite liked it, but it definitely felt like one of his weaker stories.
February 14, 2025
More like a 3.5 or a 3.75
I really liked the rich world and the unique take on witches and magic. The characters, however, were too one note, and the story meanders quite a bit for the first half of the book.
I like Angharad (main character) for the most part, but I feel like her potential as a deep character was hindered by her stupid decisions throughout the story. And she needed to make these stupid decisions for the plot to move along, not because they were compelling choices.
I really liked the rich world and the unique take on witches and magic. The characters, however, were too one note, and the story meanders quite a bit for the first half of the book.
I like Angharad (main character) for the most part, but I feel like her potential as a deep character was hindered by her stupid decisions throughout the story. And she needed to make these stupid decisions for the plot to move along, not because they were compelling choices.
August 19, 2017
Not my favorite Charles De Lint book, but excellent nevertheless. It starts off a little slow and reads like a collection of short stories about the same person. Apparently the first part of book was originally published as short stories in Sword and Sorceress, so that makes sense. The writing was lovely and once the plot picked up, it was good.
April 4, 2020
A really good fantasy read where the characters were engaging and interesting in its concept. The pace is really good and I sped through it really quickly. The story is quite simple but the characters help push the reading pace along. It’s a good read but I feel there have been better Charles de Lint books, but it’s well worth reading for the characters and the concept.
May 28, 2025
Maga a story tok erdekes, de erdekesebb szemelyisege volt szamomra a prostinak, akinek 5 mondata van a konyvben, mint a foszereplonek.
A fele utan indul be, addig nagyon sokszor osszezavaro, elkapkodott a korulmenyek leirasa, didnt have time to feel anything deep for Angharad’s back story
+points for the the scary looking but gold hearted dog
A fele utan indul be, addig nagyon sokszor osszezavaro, elkapkodott a korulmenyek leirasa, didnt have time to feel anything deep for Angharad’s back story
+points for the the scary looking but gold hearted dog
August 12, 2025
As a slow dyslexic reader I finished this one in a week. I remember enjoying Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and knowing this 'Into the Green' started it's life in a shorter version as part of a Sword and Sorceress anthology by MZB made me excited to read it. It did not disappoint, not at all, not even a little.
July 16, 2018
This was my first time reading a de Lint novel. Unlike the Newford stories I've read, this was firmly set in a total fairy tale world, which I really enjoyed. (Although I also enjoy how Newford straddles both worlds.) A very nice story.
September 24, 2019
Charles de Lint has once more written a truly enchanting fantasy weaving tinkers, witchcraft, and music into a wonderful tale of good against evil.
This book will definitely be a treasured part of my own personal library.
Highly recommended, along with all his other books.
This book will definitely be a treasured part of my own personal library.
Highly recommended, along with all his other books.
January 3, 2020
A good, somewhat easy read, this book lacks substantiality. I gave it 4 instead of 3 stars because I like Charles’ writing. However, I often desired more concrete imagery much of the time.
I liked the main character Angharad.
I liked the main character Angharad.
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