War for the Oaks

Today I’m talking about War for the Oaks, urban fantasy that mixes Fae and rock-n-roll. Emma Bull originally released this in 1987. No, it isn’t brand new or being re-released or any of those nice, shiny things. As it happens, I wasn’t old enough to read this in 1987, so we’ll just all have to talk about it now – 30 years later.

But first – I need a phouka. Like, stat.

War for the Oaks

The premise of the book is very fantasy-based: the prettier Seelie Fae are getting ready to battle their uglier brethren, the Unseelie Fae. Eddi McCandry is a guitarist and vocalist who has just quit a band fronted by her ex-boyfriend, Stuart. Her best friend, Carla, who was the drummer, quits in a show of solidarity with Eddi. She has grand plans to either start a new band – one that doesn’t suck with people who don’t suck – or find a day job doing menial tasks like answer phones. What she doesn’t know is that the Seelie have already given her a new job, and they bestow it on her before she can enjoy even a night of unemployment: they have tapped her to be their human pawn in their war with the Unseelie.

Eddi isn’t quite sure what to think about the Fae or magic or anything they tell her; her initial reaction is to wake up and hope it was a bad dream. But her human-pawn status has given her an unfortunate side-effect: an ever-present bodyguard. He is a man who can shapeshift between human form and a giant black dog. He is a trickster. He is a Phouka. Now Eddi must come to grips with the magic that exists around her, and, as her friends are pulled into a war they had no idea was being waged, she must fight to get everyone out alive.

As you probably know, if you have read fantasy before, Fae can be ugly and petty and stuck in long-lived rules of existence. The ones here are no different. They believe everything exists to satisfy them and provide entertainment. If, say, they got bored, they might encourage someone to climb a tree because suddenly the the sidewalk might look like lava – just to entertain themselves. Their word is law; if they say they will grant your deepest wish, they will, but they may destroy you in the process because you weren’t specific enough on the verbiage. Also similar to other fantasy books, these Fae both abhor and admire humans: we are mortal and dull, but we also have souls and can truly live. The Fae world is immense and grand beyond description; it infringes on the human world while simultaneously existing on a plane that few people notice or observe.

So, all that is to say, this book doesn’t turn the tables on fantasy as you expect fantasy to be. You will know, pretty quickly and easily, how the book is laid out, which characters to like or despise, and which “twists” the author will take. It’s very . . . textbook. The characters are all there: the unwitting (yet uncannily gifted) heroine, the loyal-to-the-end best friend, the disgruntled ex, the new love interest, the loyal boy, the relationships built (albeit rather unintentionally) with the Fae that will support the heroine in her time of need . . . all the typical people you’d like to see, well, they’re all here.

That said, it’s very enjoyable for the same reason: you know what to expect, and this book meets those expectations. I read the entire thing in one day, which speaks to the fact it is fun to read and held my interest. It moves quickly, spending just enough time on concepts and scene-setting and relationship-building to seem believable (as believable as a book about the Fae can be).

By far and away, Phouka was my favorite character. That’s not even his name – I think it’s his title – but he is so much my favorite character that I don’t even care that the author never gives his real name. First, he’s a bodyguard and Lord knows I am the biggest klutz walking the planet. Someone who could, literally, save me from myself is hugely appealing. Plus, he is loyal and endearing and eloquent and funny and makes scones and has endless clothes at his fingertips and is full of endearing terms . . . and he can double as a big, giant dog?? I need a Phouka. I’m not interested in solving Fae problems, but I will totally take a Phouka.

This version has several snippets of scenes written from a screenwriting perspective. I thought this was interesting. Everything in the novel is told from Eddi’s POV, so you don’t know what’s going on with other characters when they aren’t by her. And I always love being able to see a book from another character’s perspective.

So, it is a good book. Thirty years ago, this would have been ah-maze-ing and groundbreaking; I’m not sure there were many books about the Fae interacting with modern America back then. (Again, though, that was before my read-long-books age, so I may not be familiar with them if they exist.) Today, it’s like a book I’ve read before and nothing really struck me as “ooh, that’s interesting”.

BUT.

I have a favorite pair of sweat pants that I pull out when I want to be comfortable. I have a handful of best friends that I know I can hang with in any circumstance and, even if it’s been years between visits, we will pick right up where we left off and love each other. I order the same thing at a restaurant and I buy the same bottle of wine each time I go to the store. Why? Because they are comfortable. Because I know I love them. This book is like that. And in 30 more years, it’ll still be a good, solid book.

And . . . PHOUKA. <mic drop>

Overall: 8/10

 

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