Book Review: Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Sequence Book 1) by Susan Cooper

Title: Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Sequence Book 1)
Author: Susan Cooper
Published: New York: Simon Pulse, 2007 (1966)
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 196
Total Page Count: 120,069
Text Number: 349
Read Because: mentioned in Jo Walton's Among Others, borrowed from century_eyes who borrowed it from the Multnomah County Library
Review: After finding an ancient manuscript in a rented vacation home, the three Drew children unravel its clues in search of an object that may sway the timeless battle of good against evil. Over Sea, Under Stone is a lackluster beginning to the Dark is Rising sequence, despite its lack of obvious flaws. It has a strong sense of action which provides a constant forward flow through the text, and it hints at a large, important tale—but the story is too local and so lacks consequence. It relies heavily on coincidence, stripping much of its impact; the protagonists are realistically characterized but largely unremarkable while their foes are blindly evil, a combination that renders the conflict flat and petty. Nothing glares, but, while readable, the book immemorable mediocrity. I'll continue with the series because I hear the next installment is where it finds its footing, but I don't recommend this one in its own right.

Review posted here on Amazon.com.

Book Review: War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

Title: War for the Oaks
Author: Emma Bull
Published: New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2001 (1987)
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 332
Total Page Count: 120,401
Text Number: 350
Read Because: personal enjoyment, borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Eddi wants to do nothing but sing rock and roll, but when drafted into a faerie war that rages unseen through Minneapolis she must choose if, and how, to fight. War for the Oaks is seminal urban fantasy, although the genre has since been skewed towards paranormal romance; as such, it's hard to fault the book for its overly familiar tropes: a Seelie/Unseelie war and familiar magic system, a magical boyfriend, a love triangle, and a one-note sympathetic best friend. War for the Oaks may have written the book, but it's still often by the book—and so feels transparent and predictable. Nonetheless, it has a unique energy: both Minneapolis and music are written with a passion that defied my personal disinterest and, however idealized, builds a bridge between the urban and the fantastic; characters are strong and distinct—the phouka is a particular delight—and Eddi is a fantastic protagonist on a stirring, agency-driven journey; both author and protagonist have palpable emotional energy, a passion for their setting and subject, which overcomes unremarkable, though descriptive, writing. I enjoyed War for the Oaks largely as a historical document and as an example of what I wish urban fantasy still were; in its own right it was enjoyable but not remarkable—and that was fine with me. I recommend it moderately.

Review posted here on Amazon.com.