| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
| Author: | Emma Bull |
The first time I saw "War for the Oaks" at National Bookstore, I was immediately attracted to the story -- Faeries from ancient times continue to wage their epic battle in the city of Minneapolis. I wanted to see Emma Bull's rendition of the faeries, how they would interact with modern people and vise-versa.
In the story, band signer Eddi McCandry gets drawn to an ancient war between the two factions of the faerie court. She encounters a shape-shifting dog that calls himself the phouka. Eddi learns about the war and she is drafted by one of the courts to play mascot in their final battle.
Apparently the presence of a mortal among the fey during combat negates their immortality. This means the fey can actually die, and one of the courts can finally emerge victorious. Hence Eddi becomes a crucial chess piece in destroying one or both courts.
The story is further complicated by Eddi's former boyfriend, who cuts a deal with the other court (just to get back at her). As well as Eddi's mission to fulfill her dream of assembling a rock band and performing at a big concert.
One of Emma Bull's strengths in this story is that she draws a lot of inspiration from the Rock music subculture -- the bars, the music, the story of a struggling band and the musicians that form a rock group. Eddi is faced with problems of leading her band, from composing the songs and keeping her temperamental band mates together.
What makes the story compelling is how the writer incorporates elements of the fey into Eddi's band and music. Although the idea of faerie music and musicians inspired by the fey have been tackled in other novels, Emma Bull's version seems a lot more realistic and compelling to read.
I was hoping that the author tap into the ancient myths and stories of the fae, and modernize them. But Emma Bull's fae seemed like a stereotypical faerie, lacking the presence to fascinate or terrorize readers. The world of the fae seemed obscure and distant, and it was never explained (much to my disappointment). I was also expecting a much grander resolution of the battle, after all the war between the Seelie and Unseelie courts have been going on for eons. Although the ending was suited to the theme of the story, it didn't make that much impact to me.
Perhaps my expectations of the book were already biased after reading Neil Gaiman's Books of Magic and Sandman. It wouldn't be fair to compare the two writers, but then again, the idea and concepts behind "War for the Oaks" seemed rehashed, lacking fresh new ideas or myths about the fae. The concept of faerie music, though innovative, has been tackled in other books as well.
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