While Emma Bull is most noted for her fantasy, Falcon proves that she's got the chops to cut it as a fast paced science fiction author.

Falcon has a few moments where the plot is confusing. But it never drags for a moment.

If you're not already picking up this book to round out your collection, you should!

Dominic "Niki" Glyndwr comes from the ruling family of Cymru, a relatively isolated planet that is not part of the Central Worlds Concorde - yet. When he returns home after a summer vacation, he finds changes on Cymru. His uncle, the Prince, is acting erratically and seems to no longer care for the people. Niki is determined to make things right and makes connections with an underground revolutionary movement. But, despite all his efforts, his planet is stolen, betrayed by agents of the Central Worlds Concorde, undercover agents he thought of as friends. His family was destroyed and his world shattered before his eyes...

Dominic Glyndwr becomes Niki Falcon, an elite gestalt pilot taking part in an experiment: he has been changed into a being who can literally become his ship. And he's the last. For behind his amazing new abilities lies a deadly drug that systematically destroy's his body's defenses. So when Chyrsander Harris, a famous singer, begs him to break through the Silence imposed by the Central Worlds Concorde to return him to his native planet of Lamia, what has he got to lose? More than he could imagine...

Falcon was an amazing book about a grand adventure across the stars. And a hero to cheer for. Niki is a good guy who tries hard and often makes mistakes, but always for what he feels are the right reasons. He touches the lives of everyone that he comes in contact with: Pedr, the paranoid, frantic Prince; Kitty, the Prince's beautiful, pregnant wife; Rhys, Niki's solid older brother who suddenly belives the worst of him; Jacob, the Prince's security advisor who taught Niki to shoot and defend himself; his mother, Morwenna, a famous geneticist who will destroy his world with a few angry words; Reg, the revolutionary who wants desperately to be a hero; Jhari, the woman who must make the difficult choice between Niki and her job as a Special Agent; Chyrsander Harris, the famous singer who is both more and less than he seems; and a cast of other characters, all of whom are rich and well developed.

Falcon is almost two stories told in one book and there is quite a division between the two, but they link together beautifully as the reader continues to submerge deeper into the story. The plot is lovely and quite unexpected in parts, the characters were strong and weak and normal and yet not, and the writing is beautiful and wonderfully evocative. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading science fiction and/or fantasy. Take the time to find this in a used bookstore or order it used online - you will not regret it, this book is a treasure!

I decided to review this book because I want people to know what a wonderful story it tells. I find it difficult to put into words how I feel about this book without sounding like I really need to get out more. Maybe I do.
I read this book years ago, when I was still in Junior High. I loved it then, but it wasn't until I discovered it again much later that I realized what profound thinking it contained. It describes family loyalty, betrayal, basic survival and above all, dignity, and does it in such a way that you feel you need to reexamine your own values. What would I do for those I care for, and how far would I go to survive? The main character Falcon is portrayed with a surprising dignity and intellegence that is not often seen in such a young character. (By which I mean young as in first novel, not age.) Halfway through the book the story takes such an unexpected turn, you think you started a different book. Yet in the end it all makes sense. Amazing.
I know this sounds corny or ridiculous, or as I said, like I need to get out more. I read this myself and I cringe. Still, I have the need to share this with others because this wonderful twisty novel, with it's solid scifi shell, has at it's center a beautiful and noble story.

_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.

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.

One of my all-time favorite books. Emma Bull is brilliant in her use of language, in her descriptions of music and its power, and in her skillful infusion of magic into the ordinary until her characters -- and the reader -- can't quite tell where the edges of reality stop and something new begins to overlap.

The story draws the initially-reluctant heroine, Eddi, into a desperate war that involves both the mortal and faerie worlds, and she ultimately finds that she is one of the mortals on whom the outcome rests. Add some excellent rock and roll, a morphing phouka, The Queen of Air and Darkness, motorcycles -- it's original, quirky, humorous, and nothing like anything else out there. The whole thing is a ravishing good read. I highly recommend it.

I mean, really. I never thought it was possible to crush on a fictional character, until I read "Finder." If I could somehow slip into Bookworld--where all the worlds in books are real--I'd head straight for Bordertown (after a lengthy visit to Pern, perhaps) so I could marry Orient. I mean, he's perfect! He's handsome, he's friends with the best mechanic in the universe (vive Tick Tick!), you'd never lose anything again, and hey! he's even Jewish. Dig this: we have here the only man who could possibly locate the socks that disappear in the dryer! Hmmmm. OK, sex drives aside, this is a fun book. Bordertown: a sleek, hip world where magic melds with technology and bohemians dabble with royalty. (Kinda makes me homesick for NYC, mmmm?) Anyway, the Elves have returned...and they're cool, not a jot like the deified Tolkien-esque elves found in epic fantasies nowdays. Orient, our hero, is a fugitive from the regular world, who has found Bordertown a haven from his dark, secret past. He's friends with Tick Tick, a runaway elven princess who is the best mechanic known to man, a werewolf named Wolfboy (who stars in "Elsewhere" and "Never Never" by Will Shetterly, which were fun but not great), and a determined, mysterious cop named Sunny Rico. Anyway, the book centers around a mystery--some strange disease is turning humans into elves and killing real elves--and how Orient comes to grips with his past. Fast-paced, sleek dialogue, interesting characters, cool locale, strong plot, and Orient. Definately a great find! (Sorry about that last 8-)!)

I was wandering through a bookstore three years ago with my then boyfriend and stumbled across a book called 'The War of the Oaks' by Emma Bull. I literally devoured this book, and have continued to re-read it twice a year. I was happy to discover that she wrote a short story for the Borderland books that I've had since I was fourteen (it's been 15 years since then, imagine that!) and then to my utter delight that she wrote another, 'Finder'.

Emma catches things in ways you can't imagine, she takes you in and you're there, at the Borderlands caught in this town between worlds. If you want to fully experience the Borderlands, search out the Music for it- Tempest's 'Serrated Edge', her own band or any other number of 'Celtic Rock'.

And if you fin 'War for the Oaks', buy it. It's out of print. It's worth it a thousand times over.

I read Finder a long time ago. seems like eons but I always loved the book and what Borderland books I could get my hands on. I love the idea of a city/country that borders on the realm of Faerie and "The World"
Orient is a strong character, a dreamer with a huge heart.
I cried when he loses his best friend Tick Tick.

I wish there were more books in the series and now that I own this one I want to find all I can that were published for my personaly library

Emma Bull's writing really sets my teeth on edge. Her fantasies are generally full of "Book Larnin'" yet give no experiential sense of the characters or the issues. _Bone Dance_ is no exception. There's been enough research done here about Voudoun and the Tarot to enable her to construct scenes that go where the book needs them to go, but any real practitioner of either system could tell you that there's a whole lot more to it than the description you read in a book.

I can't express how much I hated this novel. The characters were flat, the situations were flat, the whole thing was inexcusably superficial, smug and derivative. It called attention to itself like a toddler saying "Look at me!"

If you want to read something good on a similar theme, try William Gibson's "Neuromancer" series.

This book is great. A unique premise, characters you really care about, and a great story. Plenty to like, and it manages to be mystical without being fluffy. I'd say more, but if I do I'll give a way the story -- go into this with a blank slate for best effect. Damn shame it's out of print as of this writing -- this book deserves a lot better.

Theres a secret in this book and none of us who've read it can tell you, but once you read it and find out the whole book changes. Emma Bull is a wonderful writer, period, but this book is amazing. This book is sci-fi-ish, reminds me a little of cyberpunk (the setting), and she also manages to throw in Voodoo. It all works wonderfully. Go forth and READ!

I stumbled over this book by accident - an accident which I now consider to be blessed. This is one of the greatest literary experiences I have had in years. "Freedom and necessity" has one of the greatest plots I have ever come across, a breathtaking mix of historical events, love and adventure. It's beautiful, horrifying, hilarious, intelligent and simply unputdownable. The character's are wonderful and very alive-seeming. The book can be read for its language alone, which is in my opinion absolutely marvellous, showing that these are two high quality writers. The disposition, finally, is also amazing, interesting in its unusual style and probably very demanding for the authors. Now, I would be giving this book 5 stars if I was not to critisize a little. The idea of telling the story through letters, diary entries and newspaper articles is very inventive, but can also get a bit confusing - clues are given at a time when you're not aware that they are actually clues, forcing you to go back to that page when they get an importance. And at least I who have not got English as my mother tongue, found many of the extracts of German philosophy somewhat hard to grasp, which is sad since they have a rather important significance. But overall this is a very recommendable book, especially if you are interested in history, particularly 19th century England and English. And even if you are not, the plot by itself is enough to make it splendidly enjoyable.

It's rare to come across a book that drives me to buy and send it to friends. Usually I will just recommend a book - but this one I happily have sent on at my own expense. I'm very cheap.

A well-written X-Files meets Sherlock Holmes meets Lovecraft, meets Emma Bull and Steven Brust. Throw in the beginnings of communism and the 19th Century British Labor movement, elite British families, and a hearty dose of feminism, and you've got magic. (really - it works far better than you'd imagine!)

Emma Bull is one of the great unsung writers of her generation. I stumbled across her 'War for the Oaks' in a used book store years ago, and was blown away. I then did the same with 'Falcon' and was again surprised. Unfortunately, she has been sucked into 'genre' writing and storylines that just plain don't differentiate her. But she writes so very well!

I've never read anything by Steven Brust before, and I would guess that I'm one of the few out there that read this for Ms. Bull's reputation. But I'm going to be picking up his work soon.

Outstanding just for the style. A VERY SMART BOOK!

This is one of the best books I've read in quite some time, and I highly recommend it - but perhaps not to everyone. It definitly requires patience to read a epistolary novel, particularly one written in the style of the 19th century. It also requires a certain amount of knowledge of mid-19th century European history and philosophy. The philosophical element in particular could be a hurdle for some. There are references to Hegel throughout the book, and without at least some rudimentary knowledge of Hegel these would make little sense to most readers. The many negative reviews this book has received suggest that these are problems for some readers.

If you can get past these potential problems, however, you will find a brilliant piece of literature. The plot is very complex, the characters are all interesting, and the style is fascinating. The epistolary style forces the reader to read between the lines much more than in a normal narritive, since you have to realize that there are some things that the writer may not be saying, or may be saying that are not completely honest. Brust and Bull pull this off extremely well, and are further able to create distinct writing styles for each of the four main characters.

I would also mention that one should not expect the usual from Brust and Bull. This is a very different book from their other works, especially in style. Also, note that this is NOT a fantasy novel.

If you liked the Liavek series, you'll like this book. If you are a fan on Ms. Bull's other books such as War for the Oaks, or Finder, you might like this book, but you might not. I enjoyed the short story format that this book was published in, because I can pick it up and put it down again. I liked the mixed bag of stories, some were very good, some were mediocre, but there is enough variey to have something for everyone. I am a fan of the 'Borderland/ Finder' and 'Elsewhere' books by Ms. Bull & Mr. Shetterly, and so was a little disappointed that most of the stories were not in that genre, but in spite of my disappointment I really did get caught up in the individual short stories and thououghly enjoyed them. Both authors have a gift with words that can paint their pictures in your imagination, and leave you wondering about the characters long after you've finished their particular story.

This is a wonderful new fairy tale, great for all ages especially anyone who loves fairy tales, but wants them to have a modern flair. This story really makes us all wonder what is it that we truly desire? What would it take for us to get it? Is it as far away a goal as it may first seem, or is it really quite simple? This is a great book for all ages.

Out of the 11 stories I liked 3. My adivce would be to read the stories by Longyear (Best), Yolen (great), Wrede (good) and then forget about the rest. The funny thing is that the stories I hated the most were by the biggest name authors Brust and Wolfe. Most of the stories were like reading a single chapter out of a 'pulpish' fantasy novel. The characters attempted to be clever, there was a (simple) problem and it was solved (unoriginally). This is kind of what I remember the first Theive's World being like (about 15 years ago). If you like that kind of thing go for it, but I won't be hunting down the rest of this series.

Ah, the late, unlamented Liavek series!

This was producedwhen the shared-world concept was really in vogue, when such series atThieves' World, Merovingen, and Wild Cards were flourishing. (The first two of these were brutally destroyed by the horrific contributions of Janet and Chris Morris, in my humble opinion, as they seized control of the plots and smashed them into repugnant dead ends.)Alas, Liavek never really caught the public's fancy. The setting was not distinct and unique enough, and most of the characters never really became compelling. One of the few that rose above the others was, in fact, essentially punished for his impudence, and in progressive stories seemed to literally get whittled down to size, losing a finger here, a hand there. Poor baron...

Also, a later plot line centers on the deadly fascination and influence of a suicide cult. The members have individually vowed to kill themselves as soon as they are rid of all ties and obligations. Few are ever able to achieve this goal. The mechanics of this concept are somewhat interesting, but the attraction and growing power of the cult never really made sense.

However, the magic system is very well worked out and is quite different from the usual run-of-the-mill "I got my spells out of this book" approach. Mages in this world have certain very real vulnerabilities, and these are keenly exploited by their enemies. These intrigues drive the more interesting stories.

Collectively, the books are something of a disappointment. They're good for a quick read on a slow afternoon, but on the whole they never really astonish.

Years ago when it came out in the craze of shared anthologizes, I picked up the first volume and enjoyed it a great deal. I thought it was very unique and the flavor of the writing was of a much grimmer nature to my eye then the Thieves World anthologies (of which in the later stages Thieves World went quickly downhill.) However, Liavek was much more fascinating to me. Unfortunately, I was in the service when they came out and was overseas and never found the last four. About two years ago, I dug out the old copy of the first book, reread it and was again absolutely delighted with it so, I've been on a hunt to find the other four. I've tracked down three so far. Anyone interested in a very unique culture (though some what based in Muslim nationalities) would do well to check these out. Powerful story telling and I felt the characters were very vivid and exciting.

This is the second of five books based in the city of Liavek -- home of wizards and magic. The only problem with getting involved with this series is the books are difficult to find. I hunt for them on auctions and in libraries. They are great short stories.