I can’t recall reading any novels that blend contemporary urban fantasy with the internet. I realize the internet, now a mature technology over three decades old, is no longer the cultural novelty it once was, despite our continued immersion in the social media age.

Spirits in the Wires by Charles de Lint is the latest novel I’ve just finished in his Newford series. I have read the series in the chronological order the author has suggested here. A major reason I’ve loved this series is that each book is a complete story in itself, so readers can jump in anywhere. Despite its commercial success, fantasy fiction remains committed to the serial model, encompassing trilogies, four-book arcs, or sprawling multi-volume series such as Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. I’m at a stage where I prefer the immediacy of standalone stories, either literary or genre fiction, and simply can’t dedicate myself to the lengthy commitment of a multi-part series. Duologies are as far as I go in a series these days.

“Spirits in the Wires” centers on Saskia Madding and Christiana Tree, who are both linked to Christy Riddell, a prominent figure in Newford. Do either Saskia or Christiana exist in reality? Saskia, Christy’s girlfriend, thinks she originated on a website; meanwhile, Christiana embodies Christy’s repressed childhood self.

A mysterious crash hit the Wordwood, a popular Newford online research and library website. At the time of the crash, everyone on the site instantly disappeared from their computers. Right before Christy’s eyes, Saskia vanished.

Christy and his companions must now venture into Newford’s mystical realm—a place where the Wordwood has a tangible form—to save their captured friends and loved ones and stop the spreading evil before more damage is done.

De Lint is an adept storyteller and brings this wide-ranging story to a satisfying conclusion. However, I will admit that I wanted a more impactful climax; the scene felt somewhat underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more. Throughout the novel, the characters’ interactions were delightful, offering a glimpse into what would happen if the internet, with its chaotic energy and unpredictable nature, had a spirit that interacted with everyday life.

I found “Spirits in the Wires” to be a complex novel with subtle details that I expect to appreciate more fully with repeated readings. This is possibly De Lint’s most thematically ambitious novel in the series as it tackles profound issues I believe warrant a place in high school and college English courses. Well done, Charles.