The Painted Boy

A lost young man, torn between his human and dragon heritage, embarks on a mysterious journey in this young adult fantasy novel.

“Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them.”—Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles

“Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint’s vivid, original world.”—Alice Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Practical Magic

His secret lives on his skin.

James Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family’s restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan, he is on a quest even he does not understand. Jay’s journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo, an Arizona desert town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, and perfumed by delicious food, the whole town moving to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay’s heart. Here he must face a series of dangerous, otherworldly—and very human—challenges not just to survive, but to prove his worth to the clan.