Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2007. p. cm. 1st ed
Pages
318
Description
A historical fantasy finds late-nineteenth-century college student Jesse Fox summoned by a magician friend to the western city of Tombstone, where he witnesses the supernatural powers of such figures as Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp.
Media reviews
...All this is for the most part historical record. What makes this story a story is the personal experience of the main characters. ...The book is quite a delightful read. Mildred and Jesse are engaging protagonists, if, as I mentioned, Doc Holliday is a bit thinner. The fantastical element is
Show More
modest but well-integrated and well portrayed. Show Less
...attempts to recast the events leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral as a psychic battle between good and evil sorcerers....Talky, often impenetrable, and so what? An indigestible concoction that’ll stick in most folks’ craws.
...this solid if anticlimactic fantasy-western crossbreed may enchant and frustrate fans in both genre camps about equally.
Territory is, at its heart, a character, rather than action, driven novel, told from Jesse, Mildred and Doc's points of view, in alternating chapters. ... The bond that develops between them [Jesse & Mildred] is equal parts humorous and sweet, and never once falls flat....Readers coming in
Show More
expecting a straight-forward telling of the O. K. Corral story with a helping of magic on the side will likely be disappointed. Territory is more subtle than that. Show Less
Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 2008)
World Fantasy Award (Nominee — Novel — 2008)
SF Site Editor's Choice (2007)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
318 p.; 9.8 inches
ISBN
9780312857356
Similar in this library
Library's review
When you hear that Territory is a fantasy set in Tombstone, you probably think it's leading up to a certain event, and you're wrong. The next book might be, but not this one.
This is very very good. I think it would also be very good but very different for someone who hadn't lived for a while in
But everyone in America has the Old West in their head to some extent, and even if they fill in the specifics with more generic landscape the characters are still the same, and still fantastic (I especially wish we had gotten to see more of Lung), and even someone who never set foot in Arizona would find a lot to like here.
This is very very good. I think it would also be very good but very different for someone who hadn't lived for a while in
Show More
southern Arizona. I know all the places they talked about (except a couple of mining towns that don't exist anymore), and I've been to almost all of them. So I have very strong images in my head not only of Tombstone itself but of Bisbee and the Dragoons, the Huachucas and all the other mountains; I can guess what the trip between Tombstone and Bisbee must have been like before they tunneled through the Mules, and by extrapolation from other rivers what the San Pedro in flood is like. Bull gets the rains right, in a way I think only someone who has lived in Arizona could -- both the blooming desert in spring and the giddiness of the first summer rains, when serious adults will dance in the rain with their arms outstretched for the sheer joy of relief from the heat. And I knew that there had been a Chinatown in Tombstone, which someone less familiar with the area may have found surprising and even difficult to believe.But everyone in America has the Old West in their head to some extent, and even if they fill in the specifics with more generic landscape the characters are still the same, and still fantastic (I especially wish we had gotten to see more of Lung), and even someone who never set foot in Arizona would find a lot to like here.
Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member peoppenheimer
More about Emma Bull’s Territory:
I very much appreciate Emma Bull’s careful choice of words, in Territory and in her previous work. So many of her words are exactly right. Some readers and writers are picky about words; I’m among them. Emma Bull is among the handful of authors I count as very
Bull’s descriptions of Mildred’s inner reflections on writing as she learns to write capture the anxiety of not seeing how the structure will coalesce, the way the materials dictate their own form. This is one way to write, anyhow. I like the similarity she displays between reportage and this way of writing fiction. In some academic and other non-fiction writing, this is very much how the process works.
The LC subject headings and the reviews and tags I’ve seen so far seem to have missed what in my mind are some of the most salient themes of the novel: the development of a friendship of equality and independence between a man and a woman, and the development of a woman as a writer; the parallel between Mildred’s appropriation of her powers as a writer and an independent person and Jesse’s appropriation of his earth and air sorcery; the raw drive for power that disguises itself as law and order; the double edge of loyalty.
I very much appreciate Emma Bull’s careful choice of words, in Territory and in her previous work. So many of her words are exactly right. Some readers and writers are picky about words; I’m among them. Emma Bull is among the handful of authors I count as very
Show More
often finding the mot juste. More difficult to get right is the rhythm of the sentences, paragraphs, and larger structures. I agree with Ursula LeGuin when she says, following Virginia Woolf, that finding the right rhythm is even more important than finding the right words. The rhythm of the ritual at the climax of Territory would be hard to improve. I’m going back to reread War for the Oaks, looking for the same rhythmic excellence.Bull’s descriptions of Mildred’s inner reflections on writing as she learns to write capture the anxiety of not seeing how the structure will coalesce, the way the materials dictate their own form. This is one way to write, anyhow. I like the similarity she displays between reportage and this way of writing fiction. In some academic and other non-fiction writing, this is very much how the process works.
The LC subject headings and the reviews and tags I’ve seen so far seem to have missed what in my mind are some of the most salient themes of the novel: the development of a friendship of equality and independence between a man and a woman, and the development of a woman as a writer; the parallel between Mildred’s appropriation of her powers as a writer and an independent person and Jesse’s appropriation of his earth and air sorcery; the raw drive for power that disguises itself as law and order; the double edge of loyalty.
Show Less
LibraryThing member misura
Westerns, I should say, were never really my thing. I liked Emma Bull's SF-novel Falcon just fine though, and so I decided to give Territory a try, too, in spite of its not-immediately-appealing premises as stated on the back-cover.
And I enjoyed it. More, I'd say this is my favourite work by this
In my opinion, it's not really a Western. I wouldn't describe it as 'fantasy' either, or a 'western fantasy'. To me, Territory is, at heart, a tragicomedy of manners, comparable to Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog, Lois McMaster Bujold's A Civil Campaign and Jane Austen at her best. It's not a romance, pur sang, but yes, there is ado about a ball and who gets invited to it by whom, and yes, the story is very much driven by its characters and their place in the society of Tombstone.
It's also a smashing good read.
And I enjoyed it. More, I'd say this is my favourite work by this
Show More
author thus far.In my opinion, it's not really a Western. I wouldn't describe it as 'fantasy' either, or a 'western fantasy'. To me, Territory is, at heart, a tragicomedy of manners, comparable to Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog, Lois McMaster Bujold's A Civil Campaign and Jane Austen at her best. It's not a romance, pur sang, but yes, there is ado about a ball and who gets invited to it by whom, and yes, the story is very much driven by its characters and their place in the society of Tombstone.
It's also a smashing good read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SamSattler
Territory broke new ground for me. I have long been a fan of realistic western fiction, the grittier the better, but have never much enjoyed fantasy writing of the type filled with magicians, superheroes, or magic kingdoms. Fortunately, this time my love for both factual and fictional accounts of
That Bull’s use of magic is key to the development of her novel’s plot and characters but still not overdone, makes for an enjoyably off-center look at some real-life characters already very familiar to fans of Old West novels. The action all takes place in and around Tombstone, Arizona, just a few months before the infamous (and still mysterious) “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” as all the usual suspects gather there to feed on the hatred they feel for each other.
On the one side are Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and the equally famous dentist who calls himself Doc Holliday. On the other side are gunslinger Johnny Ringo and the Clanton and McClaury brothers, a bunch of part-time cowboys and rustlers. What makes this portrayal of the historical events of the day so different is that several of the key players have more than simple charisma working in their favor; they are secret magicians with the power to influence events as much with their minds as with their pistols.
Into this mix, Bull blends several fictional characters that get caught up in the events of the day. Jesse Fox, making his way to Mexico where he hopes to make a living breaking wild horses, stops in Tombstone to see his old friend from San Francisco, Chow Lung. Fox knows deep-down that his Chinese friend has unusual powers but is reluctant to admit it even to himself. Little does he know that Chow Lung has called him to Tombstone using some of that same magic so that the two can investigate the evil that has entered the town. Mildred, recently widowed, works in one of Tombstone’s daily newspapers as a typesetter but is the glue that holds the little paper together. When Jesse Fox comes into the office one day, they inadvertently begin a partnership that will change both their lives forever.
Bull takes the time to build a realistic setting within which she develops her characters and their motivations. Atmospherically, everything will seem so familiar to fans of the western genre that, when fantasy replaces realism, they will hardly notice the jolt. Fantasy and magic are well used in order to explore a world on the edge, one in which physical strength and domination are key elements in local politics and in the everyday lives of all of Tombstone’s citizens.
This one is fun, and it would be a shame if those who loathe either western fiction or fantasy fiction were to miss it. Give it a shot.
Rated at: 4.0
Show More
the Earp brothers, and their association with Doc Holliday, overrode my reluctance to spend reading time on the fantasy genre. That is because Emma Bull has pulled off what I would have considered impossible before reading Territory: a near perfect blending of a realistic western with a healthy dose of magic thrown into the mix. That Bull’s use of magic is key to the development of her novel’s plot and characters but still not overdone, makes for an enjoyably off-center look at some real-life characters already very familiar to fans of Old West novels. The action all takes place in and around Tombstone, Arizona, just a few months before the infamous (and still mysterious) “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” as all the usual suspects gather there to feed on the hatred they feel for each other.
On the one side are Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and the equally famous dentist who calls himself Doc Holliday. On the other side are gunslinger Johnny Ringo and the Clanton and McClaury brothers, a bunch of part-time cowboys and rustlers. What makes this portrayal of the historical events of the day so different is that several of the key players have more than simple charisma working in their favor; they are secret magicians with the power to influence events as much with their minds as with their pistols.
Into this mix, Bull blends several fictional characters that get caught up in the events of the day. Jesse Fox, making his way to Mexico where he hopes to make a living breaking wild horses, stops in Tombstone to see his old friend from San Francisco, Chow Lung. Fox knows deep-down that his Chinese friend has unusual powers but is reluctant to admit it even to himself. Little does he know that Chow Lung has called him to Tombstone using some of that same magic so that the two can investigate the evil that has entered the town. Mildred, recently widowed, works in one of Tombstone’s daily newspapers as a typesetter but is the glue that holds the little paper together. When Jesse Fox comes into the office one day, they inadvertently begin a partnership that will change both their lives forever.
Bull takes the time to build a realistic setting within which she develops her characters and their motivations. Atmospherically, everything will seem so familiar to fans of the western genre that, when fantasy replaces realism, they will hardly notice the jolt. Fantasy and magic are well used in order to explore a world on the edge, one in which physical strength and domination are key elements in local politics and in the everyday lives of all of Tombstone’s citizens.
This one is fun, and it would be a shame if those who loathe either western fiction or fantasy fiction were to miss it. Give it a shot.
Rated at: 4.0
Show Less
LibraryThing member cissa
I was not, probably, the ideal reader for this book. I know almost exactly nothing about Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, and the like, and I think it would have been a richer and more interesting read if one did.
One very minor quibble: the etiquette of introductions was wrong. In every case, the woman was
One very minor quibble: the etiquette of introductions was wrong. In every case, the woman was
Show More
introduced to the man, the elder to the younger, etc., which is backwards. Like I said- minor, and I'm sure it would bug most people; I'm just the kind of dork that reads etiquette books for fun (especially old ones). Show Less
LibraryThing member KarenIrelandPhillips
Great story! I picked this up because I've been so impressed with Ms. Bull's work on Shadow Unit. This didn't disappoint. The big idea? What if the participants in the Earp-Clanton shootout used/were magic? A little slow in the beginning, the story builds upon the events leading up to the
Show More
confrontation. The characters are initially drawn with a few sharp black lines, then pencilled and inked into detailed portraigure with deft word choice and description. Definitely leaves you wanting more. Show Less
LibraryThing member PamelaDLloyd
Emma Bull is a wonderful writer and this retelling of the Tombstone legend is pure magic. She has a fresh and original take on the story, plus her familiarity with Southern Arizona helps to bring the setting alive. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member Sorrel
Guns and sorcery! This is a lovely fantasy-western. Original and nicely written.
LibraryThing member ranaverde
This is really good - intriguing characters, a neat spin on an old story, and a quietly twisty plot. I reached the end and wished that it kept going
LibraryThing member ronincats
This book finally came out in paperback, so I jumped on it. Bull writes a fine quality of fantasy in general, and this is no different in quality. But she has produced something highly original. In substance, this is a story of life in Tombstone, Arizona, in the days when it was a booming mining
Show More
town. The historic verisimilitude comes through at every point without detracting from the finely drawn characters. The women characters are especially well done, although every character is distinctive and believable. The fantasy is subtle, running through the plot without ever coming quite out into the open. This blend of Western and fantasy is a fine example of story-telling. Show Less
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
I have loved everything of Emma Bull's that I have previously read, but this did nothing for me. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with the canon of the O K Carroll; either way, throwing magic into the mix did nothing to help. A pity.
LibraryThing member malcontentdiary
Huge disappointment from a good author; terrible pacing and not all that interesting.
LibraryThing member TadAD
I hesitate to judge a series until it's done, but this retelling of the Earps/Doc Holliday/Tombstone story is shaping up well. The fantasy-as-western or western-as-fantasy genre is under-represented and, therefore, has a fresh feel to it.
Though obviously not everyone agrees, I enjoyed the somewhat
Though obviously not everyone agrees, I enjoyed the somewhat
Show More
meandering pace of the novel. In my mind, it fit seamlessly and enhanced the whole "laconic cowboy" feeling. Show Less
LibraryThing member jbdavis
Set in Tombstone, Arizona, inexorably heading toward that famous showdown at the OK Corral, Emma Bull tosses in some sorcery into the mix as an underlying source of tension. Told from the point of view of typesetter Mildred Benjamin and drifter Jesse Fox, this story puts a new twist on the Western
Show More
genre. As odd as the combination of Western and magic sounds, Bull has a subtle touch that reminds me of Connie Willis or Barbara Hambly at their best. Strong on personality and sense of place, Bull tosses us into the action in midstream so we have to pick up what's going on from the characters' mind which just makes it all the more intriguing. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member reannon
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.
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.
Show More
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.
Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
I loved War of the Oaks by Bull and was excited to see that she had another book out. I ended up listening to this book on audio. I enjoyed the Western take on the fantasy and the intricacy with which the world and characters were created. The story moved a bit slow for me though and in the end
The audiobook was well done, the story is told from three main viewpoints. The male ones are read by one narrator and the female one by another narrator. In general I really enjoyed the way the story was read.
The story is complicated and includes some of our favorite Western heroes. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Ike Clanton are all part of the story. And the story is a complicated one. The story is mainly told from three viewpoints. Jesse Fox has decided to travel west and when he shows up in Tombstone he ends up drawn into a political battle that may end up being about more than politics. The second viewpoint is Doc's, he has tuberculosis but it seems to ease when he is around Wyatt, he trying not to get drawn into the seedy events happening in Tombstone but he is. Mildred Benjamin is the third; she is a widow who sets type at a local newspaper...she can sometimes sense or see things that shouldn't be there...because of this she also gets drawn into some strange goings on.
Just trying to give a good synopsis of this story makes my head hurt. I am not at all familiar with Western history, so I didn't really recognize or relate to any of the characters right off the bat. There are a lot of characters introduced and it was difficult for me to keep them all straight in the first third of the story. To add to this difficultly we change viewpoint a lot and the plot is not at all clear. The story starts as a recounting of seemingly unrelated events that happen in Tombstone. It takes a long while for the reader to figure out how all the events are connected and even then the story doesn't seem to have a real point.
It also takes a while for the magic to show up. You can tell that Wyatt isn't quite right from the beginning of the story; but it seems more like a misuse of power than anything magical. You also know that Jesse Fox is struggling with accepting that he has more than normal abilities. All of this isn't very well explained until late in the second half of the book; so it takes awhile to realize that there is magic and it does have relevance to everything that is going on.
The plot itself isn't much of a plot. Basically you are reading about Tombstone and what is going on there; the main plot is basically the mystery to unravel why all of these people are doing what they are doing and why they are all in Tombstone in the first place. I found the first part of the book to be slow and boring and had a hard time figuring out what the point was.
There were some things I did enjoy. You can tell that Bull put a ton of work into research for this novel; I loved the detail and the way things were described. It seems like she put a lot of effort into mirroring the true history of Tombstone; it would have been nice to have an afterward addressing this.
I also really enjoyed the characters of Mildred and Jesse. Mildred was a wonderful example of how the Wild West let women take on more responsibilty and start to carve their own futures without giving up being women. Jesse Fox was mysterious, yet very easy to relate too. It was funny how daring he could be at times but how when it came to Mildred he always put his foot in his mouth. I enjoyed these two characters and though they were well done. The surrounding characters were okay but never came alive for me like these two did.
The book ends pretty ambiguously. The main problem is kind of dealt with but not in a permanent way. You never really find out where all of the characters go or end up. The story just kind of stops. I looked to see if there was going to be a sequel but it doesn't look like it.
Overall an okay book. I really enjoyed the detail and intricacy in the story; you can tell a lot of research went into this story. I also enjoyed the two main characters. I thought the story was poorly paced though and had trouble with all of the viewpoints. The plot wanders a lot and takes a lot of time to get to the point, when it does get to the point it's kind of anti-climatic. The ending is pretty open; the story just stops. I would tentatively recommend this story to those who like Weird West stories with a touch of magic in them. Just make sure you have patience if you are going to read this.
Show More
there were too many things left unresolved.The audiobook was well done, the story is told from three main viewpoints. The male ones are read by one narrator and the female one by another narrator. In general I really enjoyed the way the story was read.
The story is complicated and includes some of our favorite Western heroes. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Ike Clanton are all part of the story. And the story is a complicated one. The story is mainly told from three viewpoints. Jesse Fox has decided to travel west and when he shows up in Tombstone he ends up drawn into a political battle that may end up being about more than politics. The second viewpoint is Doc's, he has tuberculosis but it seems to ease when he is around Wyatt, he trying not to get drawn into the seedy events happening in Tombstone but he is. Mildred Benjamin is the third; she is a widow who sets type at a local newspaper...she can sometimes sense or see things that shouldn't be there...because of this she also gets drawn into some strange goings on.
Just trying to give a good synopsis of this story makes my head hurt. I am not at all familiar with Western history, so I didn't really recognize or relate to any of the characters right off the bat. There are a lot of characters introduced and it was difficult for me to keep them all straight in the first third of the story. To add to this difficultly we change viewpoint a lot and the plot is not at all clear. The story starts as a recounting of seemingly unrelated events that happen in Tombstone. It takes a long while for the reader to figure out how all the events are connected and even then the story doesn't seem to have a real point.
It also takes a while for the magic to show up. You can tell that Wyatt isn't quite right from the beginning of the story; but it seems more like a misuse of power than anything magical. You also know that Jesse Fox is struggling with accepting that he has more than normal abilities. All of this isn't very well explained until late in the second half of the book; so it takes awhile to realize that there is magic and it does have relevance to everything that is going on.
The plot itself isn't much of a plot. Basically you are reading about Tombstone and what is going on there; the main plot is basically the mystery to unravel why all of these people are doing what they are doing and why they are all in Tombstone in the first place. I found the first part of the book to be slow and boring and had a hard time figuring out what the point was.
There were some things I did enjoy. You can tell that Bull put a ton of work into research for this novel; I loved the detail and the way things were described. It seems like she put a lot of effort into mirroring the true history of Tombstone; it would have been nice to have an afterward addressing this.
I also really enjoyed the characters of Mildred and Jesse. Mildred was a wonderful example of how the Wild West let women take on more responsibilty and start to carve their own futures without giving up being women. Jesse Fox was mysterious, yet very easy to relate too. It was funny how daring he could be at times but how when it came to Mildred he always put his foot in his mouth. I enjoyed these two characters and though they were well done. The surrounding characters were okay but never came alive for me like these two did.
The book ends pretty ambiguously. The main problem is kind of dealt with but not in a permanent way. You never really find out where all of the characters go or end up. The story just kind of stops. I looked to see if there was going to be a sequel but it doesn't look like it.
Overall an okay book. I really enjoyed the detail and intricacy in the story; you can tell a lot of research went into this story. I also enjoyed the two main characters. I thought the story was poorly paced though and had trouble with all of the viewpoints. The plot wanders a lot and takes a lot of time to get to the point, when it does get to the point it's kind of anti-climatic. The ending is pretty open; the story just stops. I would tentatively recommend this story to those who like Weird West stories with a touch of magic in them. Just make sure you have patience if you are going to read this.
Show Less
LibraryThing member juniperSun
Ostensibly about Mildred, a young widow making a living as a typesetter for a Tombstone newspaper, and Jesse Fox, somewhat of a drifter but seemingly a good man for all that. Their lives tangle with Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and his brothers, and the trouble that besets the mining town. Bull brings
Note: Bull thanks Terri Windling. If you liked Windling's "The Wood Wife", you will like this book.
Show More
a magical perspective to western history that makes a great read.Note: Bull thanks Terri Windling. If you liked Windling's "The Wood Wife", you will like this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member treehorse
One of the best books I've read all year.
LibraryThing member macha
Emma Bull doesn't write nearly enough to suit me. but when she does, it's always a pleasure to read and ponder - both Bone Dance and Freedom and Necessity should be on everyone's must-read list. this book, ten years since the last one, brings Tombstone Arizona to life, in a narrative that ends just
Show More
short of the Gunfight at the OK Corral (and might possibly avert it, in this alternate history). every detail of the history itself, and the town, and the townsfolk, has been carefully researched and integrated, the story intricately woven, every character brought vividly to life. the point of view makes Wyatt Earp the villain, not the hero. along the way there's a lot about social mores, including the position of women and the Chinese in that society. the evil in it is expressed as magical, a dark earth magic striving for control of the town and the townspeople. i'm not sure the magic motif exactly works in this mashup of genres, but it's pretty interesting all the same, adding horror to the mix, and the whole story is engaging and memorable. Show Less
LibraryThing member GirlMisanthrope
A well-done wild western. Emma Bull is so accomplished at making place into a character. I could taste grit in my teeth, feel the dry Arizona heat on my shoulders while I was reading. Jesse Fox is a "sorcerer in a frontier Gothic" and one of the novel characters in a story twisting Doc Holliday,
Show More
the Earp brothers, and cattle rustlers into a magical showdown. The fantasy here is subtle, slow-building, mysterious. Show Less
LibraryThing member sturlington
Jesse Fox is a newcomer to the frontier town of Tombstone, where he meets Wyatt Earp and discovers that he is a sorcerer.
My one-word review of this book would be: "murky." The historical details are good, bringing in well-known historical figures as characters is fun, and the character of Mildred
Read for the SFFCat in 2015.
My one-word review of this book would be: "murky." The historical details are good, bringing in well-known historical figures as characters is fun, and the character of Mildred
Show More
Benjamin--newspaper reporter, short story writer and non-magical observer--is compelling. But that's not enough to hold this book together; in fact, it never really comes together. It takes too long to get to the magic aspects, which aren't very well explained, given that they are such an essential part of the story. And it's frankly hard for me to believe that so many people in Tombstone know how to manipulate magic, or are conductors of magic, or can see through the illusions of others, when these are supposed to be rare talents. The retelling of events leading up to the gunfight at the OK Corral are muddied, and the fight itself is not actually depicted in the novel. I felt a bit lost at the end, wondering what had actually happened and what the significance was. All that makes this only an okay read for me.Read for the SFFCat in 2015.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kvrfan
When you pick up a book knowing that it's going to be about the practice of magic in the historical context of Tombstone, AZ, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holladay, it's really unnecessary for an author to post a disclaimer at the beginning of novel (as Emma Bull does) about any liberties she might have
I found the denouement particularly satisfying because, though not flashy, it allowed the story to fit into history-as-we-know it without many seams showing.
(I would have given 3.5 stars if GoodReads allowed. I'd look forward to reading more by Emma Bull.)
Show More
taken with "objective" facts. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover how little violence she did to the history of the characters and the times. Many of the events that occur in Territory did actually happen. And since Wyatt Earp is such a sketchy character (both in his ethics and from what historians really know about him), who's to say that he didn't also possess the "gifts" Ms. Bull describes?I found the denouement particularly satisfying because, though not flashy, it allowed the story to fit into history-as-we-know it without many seams showing.
(I would have given 3.5 stars if GoodReads allowed. I'd look forward to reading more by Emma Bull.)
Show Less
LibraryThing member JimDR
A lovely magical take on the background of the Shootout at the OK corral. It's not an adventure-oriented weird western, but a more meditative, emotionally grounded story of hidden powers, the cost of violence, and breaking horses.
It could have done with a more satisfying ending, but then... We
It could have done with a more satisfying ending, but then... We
Show More
know what happens next already. Show Less
LibraryThing member hailelib
Territory caught me up in its story from the beginning and by the middle of the book I had reached the point of not wanting to put it down. The story begins like many Westerns with the arrival of a stranger in town, but Jesse Fox isn't just any stranger and the town is Tombstone. It's 1881 and
I really enjoyed this novel and its take on the events that eventually led to the infamous gunfight near the OK corral and would recommend it. It is well researched (I hunted down an article in Wikipedia about those events.) and the author has a feel for the country around Tombstone.
Show More
Tombstone is drunk on silver with several factions jostling for power with the Earp brothers being one of them. There is also magic in the ground for anyone who can control it.I really enjoyed this novel and its take on the events that eventually led to the infamous gunfight near the OK corral and would recommend it. It is well researched (I hunted down an article in Wikipedia about those events.) and the author has a feel for the country around Tombstone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Kanarthi
In brief: a must for fantasy fans who grew up on Westerns. Character-driven contemplative fantasy where action and magical systems take a backseat.
I didn't grow up watching or reading about the Old West, and so when I started reading Territory, I didn't recognize many named characters. This book is
The fantasy elements don't change the essential relationships or events in Tombstone, but Emma Bull's retelling does change everyone's motivations. The fantasy element is mostly introduced through the story of (original to this book) Jesse Fox, a horse trainer who comes to Tombstone and is forced to reckon with his growing magical powers ... and other magic swirling 'round Tombstone. He has the help of his friend and mentor Chow Lun, and the passages depicting their familiar quarreling were among my favorites. There's also some wisdom sprinkled in about learning something new, and moving on from past experiences.
Mildred Benjamin is a widow type-setter who provides the narrative structure of the book, and her romance with Jesse was really sweet. I enjoyed her voice, but the most compelling or original parts of the book were not from her perspective, making the story seem rather shaggy.
Of course, everyone's favorite Doc Holliday is the third point-of-view character, and his perspective is one that really makes the ending of the book work. It's not a traditional ending -- as an alternate history, coming up with a satisfying ending can be difficult. Tthis book's solution sees the fantasy element climax and then recede, something that will satisfy lovers of the West but might frustrate readers who want a fuller exploration of the fantasy elements.
I didn't grow up watching or reading about the Old West, and so when I started reading Territory, I didn't recognize many named characters. This book is
Show More
best enjoyed with some knowledge about the Earps and Doc Holliday -- although whether you do that prior to starting the book or midway through is up to you. (One video I found and liked was History Buff's video reviewing the 90's movie Tombstone for historical accuracy -- it has a nice overview of many events.)The fantasy elements don't change the essential relationships or events in Tombstone, but Emma Bull's retelling does change everyone's motivations. The fantasy element is mostly introduced through the story of (original to this book) Jesse Fox, a horse trainer who comes to Tombstone and is forced to reckon with his growing magical powers ... and other magic swirling 'round Tombstone. He has the help of his friend and mentor Chow Lun, and the passages depicting their familiar quarreling were among my favorites. There's also some wisdom sprinkled in about learning something new, and moving on from past experiences.
Mildred Benjamin is a widow type-setter who provides the narrative structure of the book, and her romance with Jesse was really sweet. I enjoyed her voice, but the most compelling or original parts of the book were not from her perspective, making the story seem rather shaggy.
Of course, everyone's favorite Doc Holliday is the third point-of-view character, and his perspective is one that really makes the ending of the book work. It's not a traditional ending -- as an alternate history, coming up with a satisfying ending can be difficult. Tthis book's solution sees the fantasy element climax and then recede, something that will satisfy lovers of the West but might frustrate readers who want a fuller exploration of the fantasy elements.
Show Less