War for the Oaks: A Novel
Acclaimed by critics and readers on its first publication in 1987, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, Emma Bull's War for the Oaks is one of the novels that has defined modern urban fantasy.
Eddi McCandry sings rock and roll. But her boyfriend just dumped her, her band just broke up, and life could hardly be worse. Then, walking home through downtown Minneapolis on a dark night, she finds herself drafted into an invisible war between the faerie folk. Now, more than her own survival is at risk—and her own preferences, musical and personal, are very much beside the point.
By turns tough and lyrical, fabulous and down-to-earth, War for the Oaks is a fantasy novel that's as much about this world as about the other one. It's about real love and loyalty, about real music and musicians, about false glamour and true art. It will change the way you hear and see your own daily life.
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Community Reviews
I’ve got conflicted feelings on this book. I do so adore Emma Bull’s writing style. She pains a vivid picture and her sentences flow together in a beautiful way. And I loved the Phouka and the band members. I love the flirting and the romance descriptions, and I’m usually not a big fan of romance. I believe I can recognize in this book and in one of these characters a source of inspiration for another one of my favourite authors, which I find very special. Although I’m not a huge fan of the music magic thing, I can appreciate a different take on magic and a main heroine who doesn’t do violence.
But then there is Eddi’s reaction to being slapped. She then goes to apologize? And it’s not treated as a freeze/ fawn reaction from being previously exposed to violence. It’s just glossed over in a way it almost normalizes such domestic violence. Not cool.
Then there’s Eddi’s general passivity in the face of her predicament in the first half of the book. Oh, there’s a war on that I’m being forced to participate in? Let me just focus on starting a band. I actually enjoyed the band stuff, but I wish it wasn’t all she was doing. Make the magic man who lives with you give you some lessons? Get some truths out of him, since you seem to be getting somewhere with that? Like do anything productive in addition to making a band.
As much as I complain about the first half of the book, the second half is where it gets boring for me. Now our heroine takes action. Yay! She has no plan, but she’s now got music magic. And both sides of the war agree to make a concert the tie breaker? I mean really? The way the plot got twisted just to have Eddi be important was not at all exciting to read.
But then there is Eddi’s reaction to being slapped. She then goes to apologize? And it’s not treated as a freeze/ fawn reaction from being previously exposed to violence. It’s just glossed over in a way it almost normalizes such domestic violence. Not cool.
Then there’s Eddi’s general passivity in the face of her predicament in the first half of the book. Oh, there’s a war on that I’m being forced to participate in? Let me just focus on starting a band. I actually enjoyed the band stuff, but I wish it wasn’t all she was doing. Make the magic man who lives with you give you some lessons? Get some truths out of him, since you seem to be getting somewhere with that? Like do anything productive in addition to making a band.
As much as I complain about the first half of the book, the second half is where it gets boring for me. Now our heroine takes action. Yay! She has no plan, but she’s now got music magic. And both sides of the war agree to make a concert the tie breaker? I mean really? The way the plot got twisted just to have Eddi be important was not at all exciting to read.
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