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112th out of 920 books
—
5,226 voters
Jack of Kinrowan: Jack the Giant-Killer and Drink Down the Moon (Fairy Tale)
Jack of Kinrowan
An acknowledged classic of contemporary fantasy, Jack of Kinrowan brings together in one volume Charles de Lint's rollicking saga of wild faerie magic on the streets of the city.
Jack, the Giant Killer
A faceless gang of bikers on Wild Hunt through the streets of present-day Ottawa hurtles young Jacky Rowan across the threshold into the perilous land of Faeri...more
An acknowledged classic of contemporary fantasy, Jack of Kinrowan brings together in one volume Charles de Lint's rollicking saga of wild faerie magic on the streets of the city.
Jack, the Giant Killer
A faceless gang of bikers on Wild Hunt through the streets of present-day Ottawa hurtles young Jacky Rowan across the threshold into the perilous land of Faeri...more
Paperback, 412 pages
Published
July 2nd 1999
by Tor Books
(first published 1995)
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Apr 18, 2011
JG (The Introverted Reader)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
fiction,
fantasy,
own,
fairy_or_folk_tale,
charles_de_lint,
re-reads,
4_stars,
author_canadian,
setting_canada,
read_in_2011
In Jack the Giant Killer, the first of two novellas in this book, Jacky Rowan has just realized that her life is not going where she wants it to go. She drifts along, refusing to take care of her life and just staying at home doing nothing. She decides to change her life after a nasty breakup. In a fit of pique, she goes out drinking alone. Staggering home, she sees a little man being chased by 9 men on motorcycles. She tries to help him, but the little man is killed. She runs to a nearby house...more
I wish Goodreads allowed half stars because I think this book is really a 3.5.
Jack the Giant-Killer retells the Jack motif from folklore. de Lint has a good twist by making this Jack, a Jacky. The strange thing it that the more interesting character, for me at least, is her friend Kate "Crackernuts" Hazel. Kate seems to be more of a living character. The story makes wonderful use of fairy motif and allusions (and what de Lint book doesn't). The one weak spot was that romance, in particualr the c...more
Jack the Giant-Killer retells the Jack motif from folklore. de Lint has a good twist by making this Jack, a Jacky. The strange thing it that the more interesting character, for me at least, is her friend Kate "Crackernuts" Hazel. Kate seems to be more of a living character. The story makes wonderful use of fairy motif and allusions (and what de Lint book doesn't). The one weak spot was that romance, in particualr the c...more
It's ironic because, across the board, I like CdeL's short stories better than his novels. But this book is made up of two novellas and I wish they were longer -- particularly the first which I think could have easily been book length all by itself. It's also funny reading CdeL again now -- however many thousands of urban fantasy novels later and remembering when what he was doing seemed so unusual and creative. He's kind of the granddaddy of it all, or one of them anyway. There's an indescribab...more
This is a pair of novels, detailing the life of one Jacqueline Rowan. After her fed-up boyfriend leaves her, tired of her home bound ways, Jacky goes out drinking and stumbles on the world of faery, where a battle between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts has long been underway, with the dread Unseelie Court becoming stronger with every passing day. Jack is expected to be a hero but she’s just a girl…isn’t she?
This was an exciting tale for me, one where a young girl rose up to become an unlikely h...more
This was an exciting tale for me, one where a young girl rose up to become an unlikely h...more
An entertaining and charming reboot of the "Jack and the Beanstalk"/"Jack the Giant Killer" fairy tale, set as an urban fantasy in a Canadian town where the Wild Hunt rides Harley Davidsons instead of fiery steeds of the equine variety. Ultimately, I felt like the book was a little rushed - an outline for a richer novel, perhaps - and consequently fell a little flat. This book could have been expanded to a full urban fantasy epic and left this reader much more satisfied; this slender YA-appropri...more
Mediocre at Best
I had high hopes for this book and was greatly disappointed. I will admit I’m a huge fantasy fan, but haven’t explored too much urban fantasy. Now normally I would question why fairies, hobs, and other mythical creatures—usually associated with the earth and Mother Nature—would be living in a polluted, crowded city and if mythical creatures did dwell in a city, I would imagine them to be more fiendish, evil type creatures. However, I was willing to put aside my initial biases an...more
I had high hopes for this book and was greatly disappointed. I will admit I’m a huge fantasy fan, but haven’t explored too much urban fantasy. Now normally I would question why fairies, hobs, and other mythical creatures—usually associated with the earth and Mother Nature—would be living in a polluted, crowded city and if mythical creatures did dwell in a city, I would imagine them to be more fiendish, evil type creatures. However, I was willing to put aside my initial biases an...more
This is one of my favorite Charles de Lint books. Yes, you will find the familiar formula of a young woman who, at first, feels uncertain about herself and her life, but then goes through a period of growth and transformation by embarking on a journey of sorts, making friends and enemies along the way, and then defeating a force of darkness in the final showdown. But there's a reason you see this formula in a lot of literature: it's a basic metaphor for what we all go through again and again at...more
Rating is for Drink Down the Moon only. I liked the second book better than the first. Yes Jacky did some dumb moves, especially returning to the Tower the second time, even in disguise, but taking risks and depending on luck is part of the Jack character in traditional folk tales. Kate is much better developed in the second book and there was a more cohesive plot. I liked how the Jacky plotline and the Johnny plotline don't meet until the very end. And it was better written than the earlier boo...more
Silly, fun fantasy fluff. As usual, DeLint is overly earnest about incorporating his love of music, and loves to romanticize Native beliefs. Sigh. Also as usual: the storyline of feisty young urban woman who doesnt believe in magic BUT THEN SOMETHING MAGICAL HAPPENS TO HER! Totally formulaic, totally love it. Still, he does know how to tell an enjoyable story and it was a fun change from my academic routine.
Oo...kay. I was trying to add a review for _Muse and Reverie_, and it keeps giving me an entry for Jack of Kinrowan when I try to select that title.
So...this is for _Muse and Reverie_...a good collection overall, even if de Lint's standby story lines of simple inner-city musicians encounter the magical is getting a little worn. I just wish he'd shown a little more creativeness with this volume. The only standout stories are "Somewhere in My Mind There is a Painting Box" and the story near the e...more
So...this is for _Muse and Reverie_...a good collection overall, even if de Lint's standby story lines of simple inner-city musicians encounter the magical is getting a little worn. I just wish he'd shown a little more creativeness with this volume. The only standout stories are "Somewhere in My Mind There is a Painting Box" and the story near the e...more
May 06, 2009
Ariana Deralte
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fairy-tale addicts, residents of Ottawa
I really enjoyed the mixing of fairy tale into a modern day setting, though I felt I lost something of the modern setting by never having been to those cities since it made no difference to me where the Lord's Court was etc.
Another thing I like about these books is the realistic, but strong female characters, and the good friendships. I enjoyed the plot of the first book and thought it was very nicely done. The second book, on the other hand, seemed to meander and never did what the blurb on th...more
Another thing I like about these books is the realistic, but strong female characters, and the good friendships. I enjoyed the plot of the first book and thought it was very nicely done. The second book, on the other hand, seemed to meander and never did what the blurb on th...more
I really enjoyed the first story, Jack of Kinrowan much more than the second, Jack the Giant Killer. Jack of Kinrowan is definitely my favorite Charles de Lint story.
I delayed finishing this because I was enjoying the world so much. Sure sign of a good fantasy novel. Two very enjoyable adventures about humans who find themselves enmeshed with the problems of the world of the supernatural creatures who live among us. Fun characters and a cool adventure story. Recommended.
Meh. “Fairies in Ottawa” is all you need to know. That was the book’s schtick, and that’s about all there was to the plot, too.
Charles deLint does a modern take on Jack the Giant killer and does a great job of keeping you interested in what happens next.
One of the first De Lint's for me, still a favorite. I reread this when I need the flavor again!
Feb 21, 2011
Robin
is currently reading it
The is not The Giant Killer that I am reading. New here and can't figure out how to change this.
Love these modern spins on fairy tales. In fact, using these in my MA thesis.
Not as good as The Little Country, but still an enjoyable urban fantasy
Loved this telling of Jack the Giant slayer!
Go Jacky go Jacky go! Loved this one.
Mar 30, 2013
Kelvin Kelso
added it
A pair of stories that will enchant...
My first Charles de Lint book.
October 2011 was a re-read.
Sep 25, 2008
Parthenia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Pierce, Rowling, Tolkein, Atwaters, Meyer fans.
The first book I ever read by Charles de Lint was The Blue Girl and it was all it took for me to be a devoted fan of his works. The name of the author alone made me buy the book and it didn't disappoint, it was a captivating tale of fantasy that only de Lint could craft. Go get lost in a tale of only we wish could be true: fairytales.
The first book was better than the second. I loved both, but the second was a bit disjointed, and the back cover description was way off. I found it strange that de Lint made a few references to the Native American spirits of his other novels, but never really gave detail to them. There were an awful lot of those references, too. All the same, it was neat to see his take on just the fairies, without other spirits around.
Oct 14, 2008
Lioness
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Felicia Day
Shelves:
urban-fantasy,
fantasy
These stories were the first ones I read of De Lint and I knew I had found an author I would follow anywhere. So far, many years later, that has held true.
This is Urban Fantasy/Urban paranormal, whatever you want to call it, at it's best. The characters are compelling and the city life blends seamlessly with the fantasy. These early tales are fairytale based but deLint expands in later books to include other mythologies.
This is Urban Fantasy/Urban paranormal, whatever you want to call it, at it's best. The characters are compelling and the city life blends seamlessly with the fantasy. These early tales are fairytale based but deLint expands in later books to include other mythologies.
One of the standards of “Urban Fantasy”. In medieval times, fairy stories were always set in a world next to ours, but with it’s own rules. Delint simply updates this to the modern era.
Not a lot of surprises in the narrative, but that isn’t really the point. A good gateway into the Urban Fantasy genre, but probably doesn’t hold much that is new for people already well versed in that area.
Not a lot of surprises in the narrative, but that isn’t really the point. A good gateway into the Urban Fantasy genre, but probably doesn’t hold much that is new for people already well versed in that area.
This book is actually two earlier books put together, stories linked largely by the characters involved and not by any real plot details. An interesting and quick read with a typically fun de Lint take on urban fantasy, it is nonetheless one of his lesser works and largely unsatisfying. Read it or don't, your life won't be altered in the slightest either way.
This was one of the first modern re telling of a fairy tale that I read. This kindled a love of a genre that was still finding itself. When I pick up a paranormal book, an urban fantasy, or a sci-fi I look for the feeling I got when I found this book. A sense of magic and fairy tales written for adults (or young adults) to enjoy.
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Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a World Fantasy Award winning author. In 1974 he met MaryAnn Harris, and married her in 1980.
Along with writers like Terri Windling and John Crowley, de Lint popularized in the 1980s the genre of urban fantasy, most notably through the Bordeland series of books. His fantasy fiction is described under the fantasy sub-genres Urban Fantasy, contemporary M...more
More about Charles de Lint...
Along with writers like Terri Windling and John Crowley, de Lint popularized in the 1980s the genre of urban fantasy, most notably through the Bordeland series of books. His fantasy fiction is described under the fantasy sub-genres Urban Fantasy, contemporary M...more
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Feb 28, 2011 10:44pm