Rating: 
Summary: What!? Out of print....
Review: I first read this book several years ago. I wore out my first copy and I'm well on my way to doing the same to my second. Now that I know it's out of print I will have to be more careful. This book has some of the most lyrical prose I've read anywhere let alone in a popular fantasy novel. Emma Bull crafts her words so precisely that it is no effort at all to fall into the world she creates. Once I start reading this book I can't put it down. Not only is the writing clean and effortless to read, Emma Bull has somehow made it easy to believe the world she has created. No mean feat considering she is positing the existance of faerie in 1980's Minneapolis. Once you've read this book you'll never look at your surroundings in quite the same way.
Rating: 
Summary: Rockin' in the Sidhe World *grin*
Review: Anyone who likes urban fantasy should go "back to basics" and pick up this defining classic of the subgenre. I've read several books that borrow zillions of plot elements from _War for the Oaks_, but never reach the same sort of exhilarating heights. Yeah, yeah, we all know the story: young woman wanders the city at night and meets a mysterious stranger, so on, so forth. Now sit back and see it done right!Eddi McCandry has just quit her boyfriend's abysmal band, and now plans to break up with the boyfriend as well. But before she gets the chance to talk to him, she gets recruited into a war between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, for the heart and soul and magic of Minneapolis. You see, the Fair Folk can't wound each other in battle unless there is a human there to lend mortality. The Seelie Court needs Eddi in order to make their sparring a war rather than a mere sport. What follows is a romp of an adventure, as Eddi juggles her new band, Seelie matters, and two very different Faerie men. One will dazzle her with beauty and charm; the other will surprise her with courage and devotion. I disagree with the reviewers who griped about the love story. First of all, the romance is sweet and intense, and *feels real*, which means something in a world where main characters seem to fall in love solely because one of them is the male lead and the other is the female lead. The relationship unfolds naturally, and I had goosebumps on my arms and a tear in my eye when I read the stormy-night love scene. Second, the romantic subplots do a great job of showing the differences between the human mind and the Faerie psyche. Ever notice how, in some urban fantasy novels, the faeries are just like normal people, except that they have prettier hair and don't know how to use household appliances? This is not one of those novels. One of Emma Bull's achievements with this novel is that she sheds some light on the way faeries think. What do faeries think of love? Why don't they like being thanked? Using scraps of lore, Bull creates a vivid view of Faerie culture. And along the way, she also takes us on a wild ride through the land of rock music, showing us the way a band forms, and eventually, ideally, becomes like family. She captures the exhilaration of performing music, and the magic the music evokes. And as an added bonus, Bull is pretty darn good at writing rock lyrics. I wonder if those are actual songs I could find recordings of, if I knew the name of her band.
Rating: 
Summary: OK, but not something I'd read again.
Review: Some good writing interspersed with long boring sections of "deep and meaningful" lyrics when then band plays. Some of the sections were so slow I skipped over them-and didn't miss anything. Don't know that I'd read more by this author.
Rating:
Summary: A Bit Hollow
Review: _War for the Oaks_ is supposed to be a classic of the Urban Fantasy genre. I found it an engaging read, but classic? Not to me. The concept, that the armies of the Sidhe are duking it out for control of Minneapolis and must have a human on the battlefield to make death stick, is great. I also liked the depiction of the musician's life; as a working musician myself, I could definitely see that Bull knew what she was talking about in that quarter. But as a whole, the story stuck me as hollow. When I was finished, I kept worrying it like the gap from a missing tooth. Everything just seemed like too much of a lark, too pat. The people died who were obviously going to die. The outcome was obvious. The relationships were obvious. Whenever something could have gone on to make a deeper statement, Bull shied away from it. ****SPOILER****
I was also really disappointed that Bull felt she had to make Eddi and the Phooka lovers by the end. I thought the Phooka was much more interesting without that -- or interesting enough that it seemed unnecessary. And as for Eddi, well, can't a woman exist in a fantasy without ending up in a sexual relationship? It just seemed pointless, and I couldn't believe in it. All in all, good candy, but it left me wanting a real meal.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but not something I'd read again.
Review: Some good writing interspersed with long boring sections of "deep and meaningful" lyrics when then band plays. Some of the sections were so slow I skipped over them-and didn't miss anything. Don't know that I'd read more by this author.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book got lost in all the waste
Review: Books like this are the reason I tend to avoid fantasy novels. Emma Bull's War for the Oaks has everything I don't like about the genre: stilted fairy dialogue and a preponderance of overblown florid prose. Unfortunately, there is a decent novel hiding underneath all the garbage. Eddi McCandry is a rock chick who unwittingly becomes selected to be the mortal mascot for a war between the light and dark sides of Faerie. The scenes with Eddi and her friends and bandmates Carla, Dan, Willy, and Hedge are what make this novel tolerable. The music scene of Minneapolis is given some play and makes me want to visit. But interspersed between these really cool scenes about a rock band on the make are purple patches of fairy-type creatures (each, it seems, with a different style of speech) and their silly little battles with each other. This war they're fighting seems like nothing more than a couple of egos playing "Yes I will; No you won't" over and over again. I didn't give a whit about it and tended to skim those scenes after a while. A novel about Eddi and her friends would be a fun book indeed, but War for the Oaks was in many ways underwhelming. I don't regret reading it (at least now I know what my friends at Green Man Review are talking about), but I don't know if I'll search out any other Emma Bull novels to read any time soon. Specifically, the transition between different styles of speech hurt my head after a long time reading, and I would have to read something else to take my mind off it. It's considered a classic of the genre, so if you like a combination of low and high fantasy, you'll likely find something to enjoy in War for the Oaks. However, if fighting fairies aren't your cup of tea, or if you prefer tightly-written fiction, stay far away.
Rating:
Summary: A gorgeous piece of writing . . .
Review: I first read this lovely, lyrical invention of urban rock 'n' roll fantasy when Emma was pretty much an unknown quantity, a California transplant in Minnesota writing and singing with Cats Laughing. While she has (unfortunately) never quite hit the Big Time, she spawned a number of imitators. But she still does it better than anyone. Eddi is a full-time rocker, a rhythm guitarist with the gift of musical poetry. She's also just the mortal the forces of Faerie need to bring death to their hidden wars, fought in the parks and by the streams of Minneapolis. To protect her between battles from their equally magical opponents, the Seelie Court sends a phouka, a tricksy sprite who moves into her life and eventually into her heart. But this is more than just a fairy tale: It's a story of art and the people who create it, the band Eddi builds with the help of two fey musicians, and the magical power she herself acquires. The characters are richly drawn and fully realized and Emma's ability to put the reader into the process of making music is truly spine-tingling.
Rating:
Summary: This in my "go-to" book....
Review: the one that, when I have nothing new to read, I go back to the shelf and pick this one up again. And again. I am thrilled that it has finally been reprinted - I wore my old copy out. That first copy was given to me as a gift, and was my first experience with the urban faerie genre. I've read every urban faerie novel I can get my hands on since, hoping to find another one this delightful. So far, no luck.
Rating:
Summary: At last, a reprint!
Review: I can not highly recomend this book enough, assuming you like 'urban fairie'. It's funny and sweet and sad and pulls you in. Its hard to put into words, and there are many other reviews that describe more. Vaguely it has some similarities to DeLints urban fairie but with more humor. Yet its a serious book, not a comedy. I do love a book where the lead female a has a good case of 'smartmouth'. But for while it was out of print, the average price on the used market was [$$good}! And that is for a plain ordinary unremarkable book in no more then average condition. Is THAT a clue? It took me two years before something came up for less, and thats using some special internet firms that search THOUSANDS of books sellers lists and notifiy you when there are matches. Im not sure why Emma Bull is rather unknown, but her style is unique. This is the lightest of her books, many of them are deeper, so perhaps not everyone enjoys reading them. THIS book though is as close to 'universally popular' as I think something can get,(except for evanovich's mysteries). If i tried to describe the wardrobe thing I think it would detract, but I can say that I never looking at picking my clothes without a giggle now. And I notice that books that DONT describe what people are wearing gets a down from me. I did notice that Charlene Harris (?) of the southern vampire series does this very well too! But someone else might make it tedious. its the WAY she does it, not what she does.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I've Ever Read
Review: War for the Oaks is urban fantasy at its best. Her writing style isn't grandiose or epic the way Tolkien or Lord Dunsany's is, but it has a gritty, lyrical beauty. Her descriptions of magic, music, and love are all amazing. Every detail is vivid, her talent with metaphors is stunning, and she does it all without becoming wordy. After the first few chapters, she became one of my favorite authors of all time. If you like what Philip K. Dick did in sci-fi, you'll like what Emma Bull does here in urban fantasy. I'd quote a passage, give you a feel for her style, but my copy of War for the Oaks is currently on loan (it always is, I lend my favorites out to friends all the time). I can't explain how much I love War for the Oaks... just trust me, borrow it from your library! (THEN buy your own copy...heh) ~LL~
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