Drink Down the Moon

I’ll admit, I went into *Drink Down the Moon* expecting another round of de Lint’s usual lyrical whimsy—then Jacky Rowan got her throat slit (metaphorically, then *not*) by page three, and I sat up straight. This isn’t *The Wind in the Willows* with faeries; it’s a hostage situation where the captor collects souls like rare wines, and Jacky’s is next on the menu. The plot moves like a blade fight: quick, brutal, with feints that make you flinch. De Lint’s worldbuilding is as rich as ever, but the real hook is how *small* he makes the conflict feel. No world-ending prophecies—just one woman, her wits, and a room full of monsters who’ve been playing this game for centuries. Taylor Meskimen’s performance is the audiobook’s secret weapon. She nails Jacky’s exhaustion—the kind that comes from knowing you’re outmatched but fighting anyway—without ever tipping into self-pity. Her Unseelie voices are *chilling*, all honeyed vowels and undercurrents of steel. My only critique? The pacing stumbles slightly in the middle, where a subplot about a secondary character’s backstory feels like a detour in an otherwise relentless chase. And while the ending lands with emotional weight, it’s *earned* through suffering, not catharsis—so if you prefer your fantasy with a side of hope, this might leave you hollow. But if you want an audiobook that feels like a knife held to your ribs for eight hours? Press play. Just don’t blame me when you start side-eyeing every shadow in your apartment.