Charles de Lint, The Harp of the Grey Rose: The Legend of Cerin
Songweaver (Donning Company, 1985; Firebird, 2004)  Cerin lost
both of his parents before he could remember them, and was
raised by Tess Kelledy, a witch-wife who came from the tinker
people. When Cerin comes of age, he feels set apart from the
other boys of his village, but doesn't know why. Then he meets a
mysterious girl, whom he calls the Grey Rose, and by pledging to
be her friend and help her in any trouble, he changes his life
forever. Before his story is done, he's travelled across
kingdoms, saved the bards' city of Wistlore, loved a goddess,
and become a famed harper.  Cerin's story is full of adventure,
mystery, sorrow and magic. But I can't help feeling as though
I've heard it all before. The Harp of the Grey Rose is one of
Charles de Lint's earliest books, originally published in 1985
(although part of it, in short story form, was published even
earlier, in 1979). Perhaps if I'd read it when it first came
out, I'd have found it more i