Territory

Territory transports readers to Tombstone, Arizona in 1881, where magic flows beneath the surface of historical events. The novel reimagines the era of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday through a supernatural lens, blending documented history with fantasy elements. Horse trainer Jesse Fox arrives in Tombstone carrying the burden of unexplained powers that drove him from his previous life. Meanwhile, widow Mildred Benjamin works as a typesetter for a local newspaper while secretly writing Western stories for a women's magazine, her own subtle magical abilities informing her perspective of the town's mounting tensions. The atmosphere in Tombstone grows darker as competing forces of magic and power intersect with frontier justice. Multiple practitioners of dark magic operate within the town, their identities and true motives hidden behind a veil of respectability and law. The novel explores themes of power, identity, and the nature of good and evil in a setting where the traditional boundaries between history and magic blur into new territory.

Readers appreciate Bull's fresh take on the Wyatt Earp story through a fantasy lens, with strong world-building and attention to historical detail. The magic system and supernatural elements blend naturally with the Western setting. Readers highlight the complex female protagonist, Jesse Fox, and praise Bull's portrayal of Chinese-American and Mexican characters. Many note the book's slower pace builds tension effectively. Common criticisms focus on the unresolved ending, which leaves multiple plot threads hanging. Some readers found the pacing too slow in the first half. A few mention difficulty keeping track of the large cast of characters. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (90+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.9/5 (400+ ratings) "Rich historical atmosphere but the ending frustrated me" - Goodreads reviewer "The magic feels authentic to the period" - Amazon reviewer "Strong character work but pacing issues in first half" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🌵 The real-life Tombstone Epitaph, featured in the novel, is still in publication today, making it Arizona's oldest continuously published newspaper. 🐎 Emma Bull drew inspiration from extensive research into horse training methods of the 1880s, consulting historical documents and modern horse trainers to create Jesse Fox's character. ⭐ The novel was nominated for the 2008 World Fantasy Award and earned praise for its meticulous historical accuracy alongside its supernatural elements. 🤠 The book's interpretation of Doc Holliday was influenced by contemporary newspaper accounts rather than the popularized Hollywood versions, offering a more nuanced portrayal of the historical figure. 🌟 Emma Bull helped pioneer the urban fantasy genre with her earlier novel "War for the Oaks" (1987), making "Territory" a significant evolution in her exploration of fantasy in historical settings.