Novel: Moonheart

Overview
Charles de Lint's Moonheart is an early landmark of urban fantasy that interlaces contemporary Ottawa with the lingering textures of Celtic myth and otherworldly power. The narrative follows a small, loosely connected group whose lives intersect after the discovery of a mysterious, potent object and the purchase of a house with a troubled past. The novel moves between mundane city streets and a permeable Otherworld where spirits, old gods, and ley-lines press against the present.
Moonheart balances suspense and wonder, delivering both a mystery and a mythic quest. The story treats the supernatural as a living, culturally rooted presence rather than merely a set of effects, allowing the city and its inhabitants to be transformed by encounters with ancient forces.

Setting and Premise
Ottawa provides a recognizable urban backdrop whose parks, waterways, and older neighborhoods are threaded with hidden currents of magic. De Lint treats the city as a landscape layered with folklore, where thresholds, ley-lines, and haunted sites intersect with ordinary life. The titular house becomes a focal point where those layers reveal themselves, a place that draws the curious and the vulnerable alike.
The immediate premise begins with the discovery of an artifact whose provenance and power are unclear but unmistakable. The artifact acts as a key, attracting spirits and practitioners, and awakening sites of power in the city. As these currents intensify, the boundaries between everyday reality and the Otherworld thin, compelling the protagonists to respond.

Plot
What begins as a domestic oddity quickly escalates into a broader confrontation. Strange visions, apparitions, and inexplicable phenomena multiply around the house and its new occupants. The group , composed of people from diverse backgrounds who are linked by friendship, curiosity, and varying degrees of skepticism , must piece together fragments of folklore, hearsay, and personal memory to understand what they have unearthed.
The narrative alternates between investigation, the characters' inner lives, and forays into the Otherworld. Encounters with spirits and mythic figures challenge assumptions and force difficult choices. Conflicts are not only external; the magical disruptions demand personal reckonings, testing loyalties, revealing hidden histories, and reshaping relationships. The climax brings these threads into direct collision, with the survival of both the human community and the integrity of the city's ley-lines hanging in the balance.

Characters and Relationships
Rather than centering on a single heroic figure, Moonheart unfolds through the perspectives of a small ensemble whose different skills and temperaments become essential. Practical problem-solvers, artists, scholars of folklore, and those more attuned to the liminal work together and clash as they navigate the crisis. Their interactions create a strong emotional core: friendship and companionship are shown to be as important as arcane knowledge.
Romantic and familial ties are present but never dominate; instead, the novel emphasizes chosen communities and the way ordinary lives are altered by encounters with the uncanny. Characters grow through confrontation with ancient forces, learning to honor the old stories while protecting a modern urban life.

Themes and Style
Moonheart explores the permeability of borders , between past and present, city and Otherworld, skepticism and belief. It depicts myth not as static relic but as a living language that can heal or harm depending on how people engage with it. The novel also examines the ethics of power: who may claim authority over places and spirits, and how cultural memory shapes that claim.
Stylistically, de Lint blends lyrical description with conversational dialogue, giving the supernatural a grounded, human dimension. He often uses folklore and music to animate the narrative, favoring atmosphere and emotional truth over rigid exposition.

Legacy and Influence
Moonheart helped establish de Lint as a pioneer of urban fantasy and influenced subsequent writers who similarly juxtaposed myth and modern life. The novel remains a touchstone for readers attracted to stories where community, place, and storytelling itself are central to the struggle against shadowed forces. Its mix of tenderness and menace continues to resonate for those who favor mythic richness grounded in the ordinary.