In order for the fairies of the Seelie and Unseelie courts to kill one another in war, they have to have a mortal on their battlefield who will give them all mortality. The Seelie Court decides the Eddi will be that mortal, and they find her right after she's decided to quit the band she's in. A phouka (a creature that can change into both a man and a dog) is assigned as her bodyguard, because the Unseelie Court will now want to kill her. To pass the time and earn some money in the time before the war is supposed to begin, Eddi puts together her own band. She adjusts to the reality of fairies and makes friends with some of the ones she meets. Gradually she decides that something must be done to keep the fairies from all killing one another.
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The review of this Book prepared by Melissa Cookson
Eddi's having a tough week - she's left her terrible band and her jerk of a lover - and that's before she's chased by a huge black dog and a sinister man through the late-night streets of Minneapolis. Soon Eddi discovers she's been chosen by the Seelie Court to act as a mascot during a war with the Unseelie Court. Eddi has to cope with her irritating new Phouka bodyguard, learn about the elves and magic, try to survive the Seelie Court's machinations, and - in her limited spare time - put together a new band. This is an incredible fantasy book, a classic of its kind, and a barrel of fun besides. Eddi learns about magic and has a romance with a magical guy.
The review of this Book prepared by Ivy
Doherty, Jul 2001, 13.95, 332 pp.
ISBN: 0765300346
Rhythm guitarist Eddi McCandry knows finally knows with this gig at Minneapolis' University Bar the band stinks and her former lover Stuart Kline has no talent. She realizes it is time to move on by leaving Stuart and InKline Plain for another rock and roll band, but one that plays music that came after the end of the Eisenhower administration.
While Eddi suffers, the Seelie Court of Faerie select her as their human champion in the war with the Unseelie. To protect her, the Seelie send her a bodyguard. He is a large black male who turns into a nasty looking canine when danger arises. However, as Eddi adapts to having a guitar in two realms, her side is filled with dissension and treachery while the enemy wants to eliminate the mortal threat to their immortality.
WAR FOR THE OAKS is a reprint of a Reagan era cult classic and no bull, the story line holds up as a superb example of urban fantasy. The tale is fast-paced and Eddi's humor lightens the tension just enough so that it lightens but does not overwhelm the plot. The story hooks the audience from the start because Eddi is a fabulous lead character and the range of Faerie persona seem real yet bizarre and exotic so that author Emma Bull avoids the pitfall of “Earthenizing” the race. Do You Believe In Magic? The answer is yes if you have read this wild ride through the Twin Cities.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
