Tom Goetz reviewed War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
Review of 'War for the Oaks' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Rocker as hero. Music over combat.
Paperback, 176 pages
English language
Published Aug. 31, 2004 by Hollywood Comics.
4 stars
(19 reviews)
Amazon.com Review Emma Bull's debut novel, War for the Oaks, placed her in the top tier of urban fantasists and established a new subgenre. Unlike most of the rock & rollin' fantasies that have ripped off Ms. Bull's concept, War for the Oaks is well worth reading. Intelligent and skillfully written, with sharply drawn, sympathetic characters, War for the Oaks is about love and loyalty, life and death, and creativity and sacrifice.
Eddi McCandry has just left her boyfriend and their band when she finds herself running through the Minneapolis night, pursued by a sinister man and a huge, terrifying dog. The two creatures are one and the same: a phouka, a faerie being who has chosen Eddi to be a mortal pawn in the age-old war between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Eddi isn't interested--but she doesn't have a choice. Now she struggles to build a new life and …
Amazon.com Review Emma Bull's debut novel, War for the Oaks, placed her in the top tier of urban fantasists and established a new subgenre. Unlike most of the rock & rollin' fantasies that have ripped off Ms. Bull's concept, War for the Oaks is well worth reading. Intelligent and skillfully written, with sharply drawn, sympathetic characters, War for the Oaks is about love and loyalty, life and death, and creativity and sacrifice.
Eddi McCandry has just left her boyfriend and their band when she finds herself running through the Minneapolis night, pursued by a sinister man and a huge, terrifying dog. The two creatures are one and the same: a phouka, a faerie being who has chosen Eddi to be a mortal pawn in the age-old war between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Eddi isn't interested--but she doesn't have a choice. Now she struggles to build a new life and new band when she might not even survive till the first rehearsal.
War for the Oaks won the Locus Magazine award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Society Award. Other books by Emma Bull include the novels Falcon, Bone Dance (second honors, Philip K. Dick Award), Finder (a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award), and (with Stephen Brust) Freedom and Necessity; the collection Double Feature (with Will Shetterly); and the picture book The Princess and the Lord of Night. --Cynthia Ward
B. Zelkovich reviewed War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
Review of 'War for the Oaks' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I'd give it a 4.5 just because parts didn't age so well, but I loved this book. The characters were wonderful, and the author's love of Minneapolis leaps from each page. It's a little cheesy, and older than me, but still holds its own.
unicorndeburgh reviewed War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
Review of 'War for the Oaks' on 'Goodreads'
I thoroughly enjoyed it, which surprised me because I wasn't that taken with "Bone Dance". It's clearly early Urban Fantasy (not to forget Charles de Lint). I did get bored with the loving descriptions of everyone's clothes, especially the phouka's.
I read it in a gulp—the plot and suspense hurtled me along. I loved the characters. It's fun havng faerie in Minneapolis.
halkeye reviewed War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
Review of 'War for the Oaks' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This is the second time reading it. It stirs up the same feelings in me as it did before. I can honestly say it makes me feel incredibly alone in this world. The deep loyal feelings everyone has for eachother are so.. touching.
This book has given me tears/shivers in some of the exciting bits, and gets me very depressed in the sad bits.
Very enjoyable book.
Daniel Andrlik reviewed War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
Review of 'War for the Oaks' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I discovered this book after attending Odyssey Con where Emma Bull was one of the Guests of Honor. It's an enjoyable book, and holds the position of being one of the first books of what we now refer to urban fantasy genre. It's a fun book, dealing with a young mortal musician who gets caught up in a war between the Seelie and Unseelie courts of Faerie.
It's a quick and fun read, and the characters are enjoyable, although in some cases perhaps too broadly drawn, and in some ways I felt like it should have been more epic somehow. There's an almost absurd speed to the ability of the mortal characters to accept what is occurring, which bothered me. That's also true of some of the dialogue, which seemed rushed to me in a few places early in the book. As if the current of the story was too …
I discovered this book after attending Odyssey Con where Emma Bull was one of the Guests of Honor. It's an enjoyable book, and holds the position of being one of the first books of what we now refer to urban fantasy genre. It's a fun book, dealing with a young mortal musician who gets caught up in a war between the Seelie and Unseelie courts of Faerie.
It's a quick and fun read, and the characters are enjoyable, although in some cases perhaps too broadly drawn, and in some ways I felt like it should have been more epic somehow. There's an almost absurd speed to the ability of the mortal characters to accept what is occurring, which bothered me. That's also true of some of the dialogue, which seemed rushed to me in a few places early in the book. As if the current of the story was too strong for Bull to slow down enough to capture the full conversation.
Still, I enjoyed the book and it made for a quick read, which was perfect since I was in the mood for a little bit of fun.
