Book Review: Territory by Emma Bull

Title	Territory
Author:	Emma Bull
Rating
Tags	old west, wyatt earp
	War for the Oaks is by Emma Bull and one of my favorite fantasy novels, so I was excited to see she has a new novel out. Territory is set in the Old West, in Tombstone, Arizona. She never gives a date, but gives an event, the assassination of President Garfield, which places the action in 1881. There are two main characters. Mildred Benjamin and her husband moved to Tombstone about a year ago, and her husband died soon after. She now works as a typesetter, occasionally reporter, for the local newspaper. Jesse Fox comes through the town on his way to Mexico. He friend Chow Lung is in Tombstone, and has been trying to get Jesse to admit he has magickal powers and to learn to use them. It is needed because there is at least one more sorcerer in town, a dangerous one. Meanwhile we see parts of the story through the eyes of Doc Holliday. It is a tale of several fascinating personalities, and a good story most of the way through, but ends unexpectedly and before the scene it seems to be building towards. It is unclear if it is meant to end that way of if there is a sequel in the offing.
	Illustrator – Palencar, John Jude
Publication	Tor Books (2007), Hardcover, 320 pages
Publication date	2007
ISBN	0312857357 / 9780312857356

Book Review: Small Favor

Title	Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10)
Author	Jim Butcher
Rating
Tags	fantasy, wizard, series, harry dresden
	The Dresden files series is still going strong after 10 volumes. Harry Dresden is a wizard in Chicago, in a fictional world similar to our own...except for such minor matters as the reality of magic, wizards, demons, fairy folk, angels (fallen and otherwise), and the Nevermore, the magical lands that intersect with the real world. Harry is a good guy, but it isn't always easy to tell who's on the side of good, or even what the good is. Often Harry is faced with difficult choices, such as two good things being mutually exclusive, or NO good options, or options in which some things are good and some are bad. Rather like reality, in fact. The hardest part of the series to believe is that Harry is always called upon to save the world against almost impossible odds. He always comes through with the help of preparation, thinking ahead, imagination, courage, and the help of other people with the same qualities. In this case the fallen have conspired to kidnap the Archive, a young girl who holds humanity's collective memory and is immensely powerful. If they can break her, well, the world is in danger AGAIN. Overall, a really good series, and a really good entry in the series. And, oh, by the way, a whole field of raspberries to the SciFi Channel for canceling the TV series based on the books. That was a Bad Decision.
Publication	Roc Hardcover (2008), Hardcover, 432 pages
Publication date	2008
ISBN	0451461894 / 9780451461896