Introduction / by Charles de Lint -- Wonders of the invisible world -- Out of the woods -- The kelpie -- Hunter's moon -- Oak Hill -- The fortune-teller -- Jack O'Lantern -- Knight of the Well -- Naming day -- Byndley -- The twelve dancing princesses -- Undine -- Xmas cruise -- A gift to be simple -- The old woman and the storm -- The Doorkeeper of Khaat -- What inspires me: Guest of Honor Speech at WisCon 28, 2004.
Summary
Stylistically rooted in fairy tale and mythology, imperceptible landscapes are explored in these opulent stories from a beloved fantasy icon. There are princesses dancing with dead suitors, a knight in love with an official of exotic lineage, and fortune's fool stealing into the present instead of the future. In one mesmerizing tale, a time-traveling angel is forbidden to intervene in Cotton Mather's religious ravings, while another narrative finds a wizard seduced in his youth by the Faerie Queen and returning the treasure that is rightfully hers. Bewitching, bittersweet, and deeply intoxicating, this collection draws elements from the fables of history and re-creates them in startlingly magical ways.
