What do you think?
Rate this book
Jack of Kinrowan #1
Jack the Giant Killer
Behind the everyday streets of the ordinary world lies a Faerie world, where trolls and goblins lurk. Jacky Rowan didn't believe in trolls and goblins, but she has been marked for destruction--and sent on a quest that only a fool would dare take in order to save both the human and the Faerie worlds from a nightmarish demise.
202 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1987
43 people are currently reading
1631 people want to read
About the author
Charles de Lint
446 books3,993 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 18, 2016
I have been meaning to read a book by this author for ages having heard so much about him, all good. And the average rating for this book is over 4 so I thought I was in for a treat! Sadly it turned out to be a very ordinary retelling of a fairy story. Even at a mere 200 pages I found it repetitive and not especially inspiring. Reading more reviews I see comments that it is not one of his best works so I will have to try again! By the way 3 stars because it is not a bad book - just not as good as I was expecting.
July 15, 2020
A relatively early example of first-wave urban fantasy (i.e. rock 'n' roll elves rather than vampire snogging; see also Emma Bull's War for the Oaks) and an entry in Terri Windling's Fairy Tales series of novels based on, well, fairy tales.
Jacky Rowan, a young woman living in Ottawa, Canada, encounters the Wild Hunt (mounted on Harleys) and finds herself enmeshed in the conflict between the local Seelie Court (the nice ones; well, mostly) and the Host (the other kind) and sent by the local Gruagagh on a quest that will pit her against bogans and gullywudes and, yes, more than one giant.
This right here is a drop of the pure.
Jacky Rowan, a young woman living in Ottawa, Canada, encounters the Wild Hunt (mounted on Harleys) and finds herself enmeshed in the conflict between the local Seelie Court (the nice ones; well, mostly) and the Host (the other kind) and sent by the local Gruagagh on a quest that will pit her against bogans and gullywudes and, yes, more than one giant.
This right here is a drop of the pure.
June 18, 2015
I read this book back when it was first published in the early 90s and all these years later, it's still a wonderful fantasy about the faerie world that inhabits Ottawa, Canada. It's a modern intertwining of the "Jack" stories from fairy tales. For me, this is one of Charles de Lint's best books.
November 25, 2020
actual rating: 3.5
This was really interesting and enjoyable but I think it would have greatly benefitted from expanding it into a full length novel because the whole thing felt like a speed run. Reminds me a lot of War for the Oaks but I would really only recommend it to people who have a pretty good familiarity with different kind of fae lore because there is not a lot of time spent on stopping and explaining things. Still enjoyed it though and it's very interesting to read older urban fantasy books and see how the genre has changed and evolved. Would probably recommend this to fans of the October Daye series although like I said before it's a lot more simplistic.
This was really interesting and enjoyable but I think it would have greatly benefitted from expanding it into a full length novel because the whole thing felt like a speed run. Reminds me a lot of War for the Oaks but I would really only recommend it to people who have a pretty good familiarity with different kind of fae lore because there is not a lot of time spent on stopping and explaining things. Still enjoyed it though and it's very interesting to read older urban fantasy books and see how the genre has changed and evolved. Would probably recommend this to fans of the October Daye series although like I said before it's a lot more simplistic.
not-finishing
November 8, 2017We read a lot of de Lint in the mid-90s, including this book and its sequel, and I remember that even at that time I did not like them much. Upon revisiting it, I am struck by how workmanlike the prose is -- I remember de Lint as being very lush and imaginative, very lyrical in description, and this is instead the most clumsy, bare-bones prose imaginable. For instance:
This is a moment that deserves writing which creates the feelings in the reader that the character is experiencing, writing that builds tension, hints at the uncanny. Instead what we have here is the sort of writing I see second graders doing -- this happened, and then this happened, and then the next thing happened.
Reader, the entire book is written like this.
Clearly many people loved this book, as it is very highly rated, and I am very glad for them that they did. But I am putting it aside and moving on to things which are more to my taste. I will certainly try another de Lint; I remember liking the early Newford short stories a great deal, and I remember the book with the pink-purple cover (Spiritwalk) was so good I could only read it a few pages at a time. I am curious to go back to these and see what is actually in the books themselves, and what it was I brought to them all those years ago.
This is a moment that deserves writing which creates the feelings in the reader that the character is experiencing, writing that builds tension, hints at the uncanny. Instead what we have here is the sort of writing I see second graders doing -- this happened, and then this happened, and then the next thing happened.
Reader, the entire book is written like this.
Clearly many people loved this book, as it is very highly rated, and I am very glad for them that they did. But I am putting it aside and moving on to things which are more to my taste. I will certainly try another de Lint; I remember liking the early Newford short stories a great deal, and I remember the book with the pink-purple cover (Spiritwalk) was so good I could only read it a few pages at a time. I am curious to go back to these and see what is actually in the books themselves, and what it was I brought to them all those years ago.
January 24, 2013
It's a simple thing, but this book made me realize that I really haven't come across many women who are attractive and valued for their inner attributes in the books I've read. Maybe it's because I primarily read romance for so many years. Anyway, it was pleasant and comfortable to read about heroines who aren't described as being exceptionally beautiful, who give themselves bad haircuts, like to stay at home and drink tea, and are prized because of their courage and kindness rather than their silky hair and azure eyes and crap like that. Also, I wish I knew my way around Ottawa because I think the idea of turning an existing place into a fantasy world is really neat, and it would be great to follow the characters in their travels in a place I was familiar with. I wish Charles de Lint would write something like this set in PEI.
November 21, 2014
Full of surprises. Charles DeLint always makes his worlds believeable.
September 23, 2025
I read this when it first came out and retelling fairy tales as modern stories for adults was a new thing. I really loved it back then. So when I came across it recently I was curious to see how it stands the test of time. I really enjoyed it all over again. It was obviously from the early days of modern urban fantasy but I felt as if the story moved along well.
January 6, 2019
This was the story of a woman named Jacky, who’s boyfriend breaks up with her and she realizes she doesn’t have a life. She wants to be different, so the first thing she does is cut off her long hair and then she goes out and gets drunk. On the way home she sees a little man being chased by a group of men on motorcycles. The next thing she knows, the little man was dead. She grabbed his red cap and ran away. She requests an absence from her job and her best friend, Kate, who’s worried, comes to visit her to be sure she’s okay. Jacky isn’t sure she's okay. She thinks she may be losing it. She returns to the scene of the crime and suddenly hears someone talking to her. It’s another little man up in a tree. He’s a Hob, Dunrobin Finn, and so Jacky climbs the tree, listens to his tale and so enters the realm of faerie. She and Kate then go on a adventure to save a the Laird's daughter, a fairy princess. There are numerous evil fairy folk that I’d never heard of before, but learned of in this book. Some were very small, some giant and they smelled horrible. Jacky learns thw fairy princess is being held by giants and if she and her new friends don’t rescue the Laird’s daughter, all the good fairies may die come Halloween. Jacky learns she has intelligence, strength and power and she puts it all to good use. She even kills a giant saving her friends, making her very powerful in their eyes. This is a fairy tale for grown-ups. I thought it was good enough that I may even read the sequel, as I thought the characters were definitely interesting.
Read
March 25, 2015I think I'm just on a roll with my Charles de Lint reading right now.
Last month I read Yarrow and absolutely loved it - the merging of high fantasy (completely new world) and magic realism (wherein magical events happen in our world), was just incredible, and the characters were becoming incredibly strong, three-dimensional people that I would either love to meet, or in the cases of the villain, found intriguing.
…and then I hit Jack the Giant Killer.
This book is absolutely brilliant, it takes concepts from fairy tales and specifically merges them with modern day (well, 1987) Ottawa - which was amazing, and then begins to hint that the Ottawa of Jack the Giant Killer is also the Ottawa of Moonheart - just in a quick reference to a physical location, but still, this is the kind of stuff I get excited about when reading Terry Pratchett or Stephen King.
The novel focuses on a girl named Jackie Rowan, who ends up becoming the "Jack" in a fairy tale, which is both a lot of fun with gender-swapping the traditional role, and bringing forth an incredibly fun character, also Jackie starts doing things that may not work exactly in traditional fairy tales, but make a heck of a lot of sense if strange magic stuff started happening around a real person - like telling her best friend.
This book is great. I spent almost half the story smiling and the other half really anxious about what was going to happen to this great character.
Last month I read Yarrow and absolutely loved it - the merging of high fantasy (completely new world) and magic realism (wherein magical events happen in our world), was just incredible, and the characters were becoming incredibly strong, three-dimensional people that I would either love to meet, or in the cases of the villain, found intriguing.
…and then I hit Jack the Giant Killer.
This book is absolutely brilliant, it takes concepts from fairy tales and specifically merges them with modern day (well, 1987) Ottawa - which was amazing, and then begins to hint that the Ottawa of Jack the Giant Killer is also the Ottawa of Moonheart - just in a quick reference to a physical location, but still, this is the kind of stuff I get excited about when reading Terry Pratchett or Stephen King.
The novel focuses on a girl named Jackie Rowan, who ends up becoming the "Jack" in a fairy tale, which is both a lot of fun with gender-swapping the traditional role, and bringing forth an incredibly fun character, also Jackie starts doing things that may not work exactly in traditional fairy tales, but make a heck of a lot of sense if strange magic stuff started happening around a real person - like telling her best friend.
This book is great. I spent almost half the story smiling and the other half really anxious about what was going to happen to this great character.
July 25, 2010
A good modern day take on the classic fairy tale, Jack the Giant Killer takes the trickster, Jack, (typically found in stories like Jack and the Beanstalk) and morphs him into Jacky Rowan, a young woman living in Ottawa, Canada. Jacky is an ordinary girl, (too ordinary according to her recently ex-boyfriend) until she discovers that not only are there fairies living in the city but that a war is brewing between the Seelie court and the Unseelie court (led by the titular giants). Unwilling to sit idly by, Jacky decides to come to the rescue. Aided by luck and pluck, a small band of friends and a VW bus named Judith, Jacky sets off on her quest despite the fact that she is being hunted by all the forces of the Unseelie court and the huntsmen of the Wild Hunt.
Overall, I thought it was a fun story and a good addition to the Terri Windling Fairy Tale series. The modern take on the fey (for example, the Wild Hunt rides Harley motorcycles rather than horses) was well done and De Lint does a good job portraying the puckish nature of a ragamuffin trickster.
Overall, I thought it was a fun story and a good addition to the Terri Windling Fairy Tale series. The modern take on the fey (for example, the Wild Hunt rides Harley motorcycles rather than horses) was well done and De Lint does a good job portraying the puckish nature of a ragamuffin trickster.
December 3, 2016
Charles de Lint's books are very meaningful to me and, in many ways, have been life-changing, but apart from The Cats of Tanglewood last year (which I didn't like much and was disappointed with and scared it meant the end of my love affair with his books) I hadn't read him in a few years.
But I had a fairy itch that needed scratching--fairies and fairytales--and I wanted something a bit older, a bit less contemporary, and I thought, why not read this older fairytale retelling Charles the Lint wrote back in the 80s that I've never read?
I loved it! It was exactly what I needed and I was charmed to pieces. I had no idea that the protagonist was a female!Jack which made it all the better. Also awesome: that it took place in Ottawa. Not many fantasy books take place in Canada/in Canadian cities, and it felt really good to read one where the action took place in a city I know, in a country I'm from.
That's a case of a fun book that was at the right time and right place for me :)))
But I had a fairy itch that needed scratching--fairies and fairytales--and I wanted something a bit older, a bit less contemporary, and I thought, why not read this older fairytale retelling Charles the Lint wrote back in the 80s that I've never read?
I loved it! It was exactly what I needed and I was charmed to pieces. I had no idea that the protagonist was a female!Jack which made it all the better. Also awesome: that it took place in Ottawa. Not many fantasy books take place in Canada/in Canadian cities, and it felt really good to read one where the action took place in a city I know, in a country I'm from.
That's a case of a fun book that was at the right time and right place for me :)))
January 4, 2018
My first experience with this author. I can safely say it was an enjoyable experience. I would have given it a 3.5 but Goodreads forbids that of course.
so a fairy tale come to modern times. the main characters are captivating, funny and semi believable. As much as can be in this style of book. The first half of the story is very fast paced and engaging. The second half we go with the leap of faith stuff.
what i liked most in this one was the way the author stayed true to the world of farie as i know it from other urban fantasy books i have read. i see a lot of the Jim Butcher world here.
The other real cool thing for me was that it took place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. and that is my home town so the places were more real for me.
all in all an enjoyable read and i will check out some of de Lint's other work in the future.
so a fairy tale come to modern times. the main characters are captivating, funny and semi believable. As much as can be in this style of book. The first half of the story is very fast paced and engaging. The second half we go with the leap of faith stuff.
what i liked most in this one was the way the author stayed true to the world of farie as i know it from other urban fantasy books i have read. i see a lot of the Jim Butcher world here.
The other real cool thing for me was that it took place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. and that is my home town so the places were more real for me.
all in all an enjoyable read and i will check out some of de Lint's other work in the future.
February 7, 2017
I am a fan of all of Charles de Lint's books but this one remains one of my all-time favorites. Like all great storytellers, de Lint's writing skills improve from book to book. So, this early one has more rough edges than his huge volume of more recent work. But the recurrent themes are there: of very fallible, good people coming into their own as heroes; and of true villainy being defeated by courageous hearts and loyal friendships. There is one moment in particular that keeps this book on my favorites list. The young woman who is the hero is faced with a foundational decision between two evils. Instead, she looks into her own heart to find a true, third choice.
April 22, 2010
I really liked the opening chapter of this book. De Lint creates a wonderful picture of Jacky Rowan. Recently dumped for being too uninteresting she has spent the night drinking her sorrows away. But on her way home she comes across a strange scene; a gang of bikers hunting down a little man. But when she investigates further there is no trace of it ever having happened, apart from the man’s red cap that she discovered on the ground.
Full review: http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2...
Full review: http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2...
August 14, 2016
Класическа приказна история за герой, използваща основно ирландски фолклор и базирана в наши дни. Не бях особено впечатлен, липсваше ми тънкият способ на де Линт да представи магията като нещо нормално, стига само да повярваш в нея.
Джаки се е разделила с приятеля си и се бори с депресията, когато става свидетел на странно убийство. Това я въвлича в борбата между феическите дворове на доброто и злото (най-общо). Намира нови странни приятели, както и съдбата си на Джак - хитреци и убийци на великани с невероятен късмет.
Сладурска книжка.
Джаки се е разделила с приятеля си и се бори с депресията, когато става свидетел на странно убийство. Това я въвлича в борбата между феическите дворове на доброто и злото (най-общо). Намира нови странни приятели, както и съдбата си на Джак - хитреци и убийци на великани с невероятен късмет.
Сладурска книжка.
August 7, 2008
Excellent urban fantasy from the master of the genre. Jacky Rowan's rather ordinary life goes all to pieces when she sees a hob killed by a group of sinister bikers - the Seelie Court shows up in her life. The Unseelie Court isn't far behind.
With her friend Kate Crackernuts, a Prince of the Seelie Court and a fox-like forrester, Jacky has to brave Giants, the Wild Hunt and some really nasty bogans to keep the Unseelie Court from taking over on the longest night of the year.
With her friend Kate Crackernuts, a Prince of the Seelie Court and a fox-like forrester, Jacky has to brave Giants, the Wild Hunt and some really nasty bogans to keep the Unseelie Court from taking over on the longest night of the year.
October 5, 2012
While I enjoyed Jack, The Giant Killer, I probably wouldn't read it again. It is interesting, particularly in that it centers around Jacky, who slowly finds herself, and plays around in interesting ways with the typical gender roles of fairy tales. I can't think of any other version of Jack, the Giant Killer that centered around a female lead, and I can think of very few female tricksters. However, the book lacks the complexity and depth of Charles DeLint's later works.
February 2, 2017
I was really surprised by how quickly this book grabbed me. It's a fantastic read, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good YA fantasy. Also, I love that it has a female protagonist, really two when it comes down to it. It passes the Bechdel test, which I don't tend to look for specifically, but I know some people do, so I want to mention it. Well worth the read. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!
January 6, 2013
An earlhy deLint and not as good as most of his other books. Jacky goes too easily from being a boring homebody to heroine and trickster. Both Jacky and her friend are much too accepting of the secret world of magic around them. The forces of the unSeely court are defeated much too easily. I like his Newford books much better.
May 2, 2016
This was the second Charles De Lint book I ever read and it remains one of my favorites and that made me a fan of the author.
I like the sense of fun it has, the easy blending of the modern world and fantasy and even the fact that it was short. A lot of his books as he keeps on writing start to get longer and longer and feeling a bit dragged out. This one was just as long as it needed to be.
I like the sense of fun it has, the easy blending of the modern world and fantasy and even the fact that it was short. A lot of his books as he keeps on writing start to get longer and longer and feeling a bit dragged out. This one was just as long as it needed to be.
June 23, 2014
Great retelling the Jack and the bean stalk story. Nineteen year old Jacky Rowan, just got dumped by her boyfriend. Walking home after going out to ease her troubles, she sees something... not quite right. Enter the Faerie world...
June 22, 2008
I read this back in high school and remember enjoying it. It has a lot of good action and mythology/ fairy tale "modernizations". It's a good read, a good "magical tale".
Read
July 1, 2008Based on Jack, the Giant Killer.
September 27, 2008
Great read if you're interested in "urban fantasy" at all. Any of de Lint's work is fantastic.
September 29, 2010
A different look at an old fariy tale. Jack is jacky, and she is an interesting character.
April 26, 2010
This was a very fun and interesting read. Great for adolescents, but adults can enjoy as well.
June 2, 2010
This was one of my first fairy tale alteration book and I really liked it. The author did a good job explaining the background and "rules" of the land.
August 11, 2010
I loved ths fairy tale series....
Read
August 30, 2010Twines fairy tales with folk tales beautifully.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews