Greenmantle by Charles de Lint

Title:  Greenmantle
Author:  Charles de Lint
Pages:  327
Genre:  Fantasy / Thriller
Publisher:  ACE, 1988
Series:  Stand Alone

He has always been a reflection of what one brings to him.

Synopsis:  Not far from the city there is an ancient wood, forgotten by the modern world, where Mystery walks in the moonlight. He wears the shape of a stag, or a goat, or a horned man wearing a cloak of leaves. He is summoned by the music of the pipes or a fire of bones on Midsummer's Evening. He is chased by the hunt and shadowed by the wild girl.

Review:  What an extraordinary book!  It's like The Godfather was combined with an incredible, magical story of the mysteries that surround us.  The main characters are wonderful:  Tony, the retired mob hitman; Frankie, the divorced mother with a gift for choosing the wrong men; Ali, Frankie's daughter, who is wise beyond her fourteen years; and Mally, the little mystery who is trying so very hard to do the right thing.  The secondary characters, both good and bad, are equally well-drawn.  And then there's The Mystery - call him Pan, call him the Green Man, call him Greenmantle.  It doesn't matter.  He is part of us and we are part of him....and he is at the heart of the magic and mystery that is life.

Rating:  9.5 / 10