Rating: Summary: Surprisingly Good Review: I am a Buffy fan but didn't expect the books to be so good. This book gives a major point in the whole Buffy scenario.1. tells Spike's history with slayers 2. shows the Buffy&Spike relationship 3. shows thoughts of each charecter I would recomend this book to anyone with a thing for one of the charecters, or any fan of the show.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: I bought this book because the premise, I thought, sounded kind of cool. Plus, it seemed to be one of the all-too-few Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off novels that focused (more or less) on Spike, who I often found to be the most interesting character in the series. Unfortunately, it quickly became evident, as I began to read the book, that the blurb was an almost entirely false summary of the book's actual content. Added to the sum, the characterisations were off and the writing sub-par. I don't generally have very high hopes for the Buffy novels, most of them are pretty awful as literature goes, and very few of them hold a candle to the writing on the actual show, but I did have some high hopes for this one. Sadly, yet again, they were pretty much dashed. I guess the book could've been worse, but for the most part it was nonsensical, badly written, badly researched, and dredged up (and unimaginatively rehashed) some of the stupidest parts of the television show. I wouldn't recommend this book. I do wish there were more Spike-centric BtVS novels out there, though. He was a fascinating character.
Rating: Summary: I really enjoyed this one Review: I bought this on a whim...and loved it. the characters are spot on, and the plot is interesting. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good read and a good buffy.
Rating: Summary: What are the Fox people on?! Review: I can't believe that Fox would allow a book like this to be published. Three hundred and four pages of convoluted, incoherent DRECK! The portrayal of the character Spike is nothing short of deplorable - the book is set in season 6 and yet they have Spike behaving as though it's still season two! If I could give this book a negative rating, I would - and you'd better believe me when I say, it would be deep into the triple negative digits - because this is not the Spike of last season, or even 2nd season. And it's insulting to me, as a Spike fan, to see his character degraded in such a fashion as this. This novel's treatment of Spike sickens me, Fox's attitude towards Spike in the Buffy novels sickens me, and Nancy Holder's interpretation of the show and all of the characters on it sickens me. What a joke and what a god awful waste of the riveting, complex character of Spike.
Rating: Summary: This makes my teeth hurt Review: I confess. I only read the excerpts. Well, not all of it, my stomach wasn't up to it. I can't speak to plot (although I have dark suspicions), but the writing style is so bad that I would be ashamed of it if I had written it, and I'm not a published author.
I know I sound like a literary snob, but honestly, I'm not. I mostly read science fiction, a genre not exactly known for its great literary merit (though I think people do undersell that aspect of it). The book -- make that the excerpts, suffer from three serious flaws.
The first is the sheer quantity of "saidisms." Saidisms (prounounced said-is-emss) are modifying the word said. "she said, grumpily" or "he said, honestly" or "she said, wearily." Saidisms have two problems. In the first place, they make the prose clunky. In something like Buffy, the prose should be snappy, quick and funny. You can't get that effect if every sentence contains a saidism, it slows down the dialolg. The other problem is that is insults the reader -- or demonstrates a lack of skill on the part of the writer. In almost every case, the reader should know how the speaker is speaking. If a character is grumpy, it's really not necessary to say, "she said, grumpily." There are rare cases where saidisms are useful, but just look at the sheer number of them in the Sunnydale section.
As long as we're dialog, allow me to mention the second issue which is just wrong. The writer does not have the characters voices. We know and love these characters, and one of the characteristics we know and treasure is their unique "voice," the way in which they speak. In a Buffy episode, you could read a script without attributions, and be able to pick out which characters speak which lines. One of the extras on the DVDs has an author talking about this issue of unique voices. She had a line that she'd written for Willow, which she rewrote to give to Xander because she thought that Xander didn't have enough to do. When Joss saw he script. he pointed to that line and asked her if that line hadn't originally been for Willow. They put it back in Willow's lines.
The third problem is manifests is tthat the author has no gift for exposition. Exposition is explaining the back story, explaining the things that the characters already know but that the audience doesn't. Exposition is really hard. One of BtVS exceptional strengths, in fact, is the grace and economy with which they work exposition into episodes. Without ever feeling like you've been lectured, whole worlds have been laid out for you, credible and interesting, and you never get bored. That whole Whitechapel beginning is a vast lump of exposition that is indigestible. There's no story for what seems like forever. Buffy episodes don't start slow, they start with action and move fast. Large expositional lumps are exactly contrary to the style of BtVS. Even if it weren't, large expositional lumps are still a bad idea. They encourage the reader to put down the book. How many times do you really want Lonodon fog to be described? How necessary is it to describe the poverty of Whitechapel? At minimum, exposition should move the story forward, not cause it to break suddenly to clue you into something.
in the end, I want to justify reviewing a book based on excerpts. The flaws I saw in the excerpts are so identifiable, and so basic, that it makes me want to stay a mile away. At best, this is extremely amateur prose. The plot might be very good, but the effort of reading that prose makes even the most brilliant plot uninteresting.
Rating: Summary: Good book Review: I had heard alot of people didnt like this book but I decided to read it anyways and im glad I did . This book stays very true to the show and lets you really see what the gang's thoughts were during this time . Buffy/ Spike fans (like myself) might get tired of Buffy's constant disgust of her relationship with Spike , but if you've watched the show you will know this is nothing new but it kind of pushes it. One thing I really liked is that it does show that Buffy cant resist Spike's charms for long. Also I really liked Willow's story in this book , we get to see both sides of her in this .. Willow who's doing fine on the outside to everyone else but also the magic addict who is about to go over the edge ! All in all I say its very worth the reading .
Rating: Summary: A Buffy Classic Review: I have read quite a few Buffy books and this is the one that stands out. Buffy fights Jack the Ripper, can it get any better? I recommend this book to all Buffy fans.
Rating: Summary: BUFFY THE VASMPIRE SLAYER "BLOOD AND FOG" Review: I have this book, too. It is a really really great book to read. I know that Buffy was after this bad guy called "Jack the Ripper"....and forgotten what it was all about. I need you to read the book yourself to see what happens.
Rating: Summary: This Is Spike!!!! Review: I have to say that most of the negative reviews for this book are way, way off course. They pretty much say that Spike isn't Spike as he was in season six, as when this book was placed, and that author Nancy Holder doesn't know what she is doing. Ms. Holder is the premiere Buffy book author. You better believe she knows what she is doing. The awkwardness that existed between Buffy and Spike, the confusion that Buffy felt for him, and the making love aspect of it, is all there. What book were those people reading?. What season did they see?. Obviously, they are not well tuned Buffy fanatics. If they were, they would of seen that season six Spike was there. And the story that went on with him and Buffy is definitley here. The negative bashing saying otherwise is beyond ridiculous with no solid proof to back it up. Anyways, this is a real nice, dandy of a book. When I first heard that it would be of Jack The Ripper and Spike and Buffy, excitement grew. There are flashbacks galore as we go back to the 1880's London with Spike, Angelus, Dru, and Darla, and a creepy monstrosity that is Jack The Ripper. I won't say who or what he is. I will save that for you. A mysterious fog has come and enveloped Sunnydale. Unlike any fog anyone has ever seen. It brings a strange presence, known only as Jack, to the town. He is looking to open the hellmouth and destroy mankind. The descriptions of old London and the time is very good. The accents and language are spot on. Present day Buffy parts are very well done. Then again, it's Holder. She knows what to do and how to do it. It is a very entertaining read, and it feels like Buffy. Most of all, all of the season six traits are there and done appropriatley. This is one of the better adult Buffy books in a while. All fans should enjoy this.
Rating: Summary: Great Book, with lots of Spike and Buffy and Spike Review: I liked this book alot it has alot of Buffy and Spike and Spike and Dawn interaction. It was really enjoyable to read. My only problem was that the writer didn't seem to really understand what the lack of a soul and the chip in the head meant for Spike. The editors should have picked up the mistakes when reviewing it.
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