Good! Typical Newford, nice concepts. ( )

Really good fantasy. Two persons accidentally switch identities and how the correct status is finally restored. It was my first taste of this author but I will probably read more. ( )

There is no better author writing Urban Fantasy than [[Charles de Lint]]. In this entry in the Newford cannon, Max Trader wakes up in a different body, his life stolen by an interloper inhabiting his body. The questions and ramifications of identity go much deeper than any teenie Disney treatment. Max must learn who he is, in his heart, in order to successfully maneuver the world in another person's meat suit, and without that knowledge he has little hope of navigating back to his former life and body. In fact, the point for Max is that his former life was so vacant as to be vulnerable to theft by another. For de Lint fans, there's plenty of Newford's mysticism and spirituality.

Highly recommended.
5 bones!!!!! ( )

The body-swapping plot device here is almost shakespearean and the places it'll take you may not be where you expect.

The spiritual mashup thing that goes on in the Newford books isn't for everyone but it worked for me.

Did you like reading [a:Stephen King|3389|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1362814142p2/3389.jpg] 's [b:11/22/63|10644930|11/22/63|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327876792s/10644930.jpg|15553789]? Did you find yourself unable to tear yourself away from James Franco's portrayal of Jake Epping in the mini series of the same name even though you'd read the door-stop of a book ? did the pre-ordained feeling of dread that overlay the whole thing both keep you reading and make you recoil at the same time?

If so, then go ahead and give this one a chance to transport you to another way of thinking. It's the easy arm chair way to experience a "mile in a man's shoes" whether Elvis got the phrase from [a:Mary Lathrap|14465262|Mary Lathrap|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] 's Judge Gently or not? ( )

This review and others posted over at my blog.

I’m a big fan of de Lint. He’s one of the authors whose work I hoard (and sadly am very behind in reading) so it’s not surprising to me that I really enjoyed this book. He’s excellent at writing urban fantasy with a Native American twist. Trader, like many of his novels, is set in the fictional town of Newford, where the barrier between “our world” and the spirit world seems to be pretty thin. Many of his characters pop in and out of each other’s stories, so there were a few I recognized.

Max isn’t a character I recognized (though my memory is shit, so it’s possible I’ve come across him in other Newford novels and simply forgot), but he’s one I quickly came to enjoy. This book is told from multiple points of view, but Max is the only one with a first-person perspective. Sometimes the change in perspectives screws with me, but in this case, I think it gave a lot of depth to Max’s character. His voice was stronger than the others and, given that he wakes up in another man’s body and is stuck in his life, it makes sense.

The rest of the story is primarily told through the eyes of the female characters in both men’s lives. There’s Nia and her mother Lisa, Max’s neighbors; Zeffy and her roommate Tanya, Johnny’s enemy and ex-girlfriend respectively; and Jilly Coppercorn (one of my favorite Newford characters – please go read The Onion Girl immediately) who works with Zeffy and Tanya and is no stranger to the…spiritual…side of the city. These ladies are all well-developed with clear voices.

De Lint is one of those authors who gives a description of his characters when they come on the scene. As you might be aware, I’m really growing out of this. I don’t mind a little description, but it gets tiring to get the run-down of every character – it pulls me out of the story. Fortunately, once he lets you know what they look like, he really doesn’t mention it again. Except, in this case, for Zeffy. I got tired of hearing about how beautiful she was with her curly red hair, freckles and darker skin. An interesting mix, to be sure, but not one I needed to hear about throughout the whole story.

That’s really my only complaint though, and I realize it’s a pretty minor one. Despite a somewhat slow-moving plot, I was never bored. The story is told partly through the relationships these characters have with each other.

I’d say this is a contemporary urban fantasy (set maybe in the 90s – at least before cell phones were a thing – but yeah I’m still calling that contemporary), but it’s light on the fantasy. Yes, two men switch bodies and there’s a journey into the spirit world. But it feels almost normal (which is what I’ve come to love about the Newford books in general) because the real focus is on relationships. How strained things are with Nia and her mother; the almost father-like relationship Max has with Nia; the way Tanya can’t seem to get over Jonny; Max’s lack of meaningful friendships in his life.

This is a book centered around the theme of relationships and friendships and sharing your life and your happiness with those you love and value. That sounds hella sappy, but it’s true! Max’s journey is about making meaningful connections and having more than just a comfortable life, a hobby, and going through the motions.

If you’re interested in fantasy lite, Native American folklore, the “trading places” trope and lots of female characters, I think you’ll like this book. There’s probably an order to the books in the Newford series, but from what I can tell, they really don’t need to be read chronologically. Really, just pick up any of de Lint’s books – he’s great! ( )