Rating: Summary: An essential book for your BtVS library! Review: "Ghost Roads" is the second installment in one of the best BtVS trilogies out there, "The Gatekeeper Trilogy". Set in early season 3 of BtVS, this book makes use of all the Scoobs (OMG! Even XANDER! How crazy is that?!?), introduces new villains and heroes (like the Gatekeeper and Il Maestro) and brings back old favorites (Spike and Dru, back when Spike was HER lapdog instead of Buffy's). The Scoobs split into two teams to try and stop Il Maestro from bringing forth choas with parallel storylines that eventually interwine at the climax and then leave you hanging. Although a bit boring and slow-paced at first, "Ghost Roads" quickly takes off in the middle with Giles, Xander, Oz and yes, even Joyce getting into tons of wacky misadventures. A must have even for a so-so BtVS fan.
Rating: Summary: The Gatekeeper Trilogy just keeps getting better Review: "The Ghost Roads," the second book in The Gatekeeper Trilogy, is even better than the first volume in this epic Buffy the Vampire Slayer story. The Ghost Roads of the title are a network of inter-dimensional shortcuts that allow Buffy, Angel and Oz to travel quickly to Europe to search for the son of the dying Gatekeeper. What they do not know is that Spike and Drusilla have the boy and are looking to make a deal with the Sons of Entropy. Meanwhile, back in Sunnydale, the Flying Dutchman has appeared off shore causing problems for Giles and the rest of the Scooby Gang. Even worse, the Sons of Entropy have kidnapped Joyce Summers in an effort to force the Slayer to return so Buffy can be sacrificed by Il Maestro to the greater glory of his demon overlord and the end of the world as we know it.Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder really hit their stride in this original novel. The tendency to work too many quips and one-liners in the first volume, a perpetual problem in these Buffy novels, is reduced to the perfect level. This is due in large part to the fact that the writers have clearly upped the ante on the serious side of the scale. What makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer one of the best shows on television is that in addition to the clever quips and innovative fight sequences there is drama acted out on an operatic level (the highpoint of which was Buffy having to slay Angel). Golden and Holder are working on that level in this book: Giles has to leave behind students to die during an escape, Angel tortures a wounded man to get vital information, and Joyce deals with the idea of sacrificing herself so that Buffy can save the world. Consequently, this is NOT a Buffy book FOR YOUNGER READERS. Things get pretty heavy here and the characters have to deal with these issues. If anything, Golden and Holder go too far with their characterizations of the Scooby Gang, certainly beyond even where the characters are at the start of Season 5. Willow is still not as powerful of a witch at the start of Season 5 as she is in this story, neither has Xander yet to get past his comic relief stage nor did Cordelia become this accepting of her role in the scheme of things until she ended up working with Angel in L.A. I think they are closer to the mark with Joyce's acceptance of Buffy being the Slayer, but that is due more to the character's relative disappearance from the show in the last year than anything else. Let me make this clear: I consider these all worthwhile character developments and eventually the television version will get there, but Golden and Holder are clearly ahead of the game at this point. However, I fully appreciate the authors taking the characters and their relationships seriously. I would love to see them try their hand at an actual script for the show. Many of the Buffy books read like rejected scripts, storylines they would never bother to film that add little to the characgers or the mythos of the series. The Gatekeeper Trilogy provides two completely worthy ideas that Joss Whedon might incorporate down the line. The first is the role of the Gatekeeper, a magical being who is responsible for binding up various monsters and demons, which is to say a Champion for Good, similar to the Slayer but certainly a unique idea. The second is the Ghost Roads, not just as a rationale for getting the characters out of Sunnydale to find the big bad evil but also as a way for the characters to confront the past, as in the first volume when Angel sees the shade of Jenny Calendar. Again, this is just testimony to the quality of both the conception and the execution of this trilogy.
Rating: Summary: An essential book for your BtVS library! Review: "Ghost Roads" is the second installment in one of the best BtVS trilogies out there, "The Gatekeeper Trilogy". Set in early season 3 of BtVS, this book makes use of all the Scoobs (OMG! Even XANDER! How crazy is that?!?), introduces new villains and heroes (like the Gatekeeper and Il Maestro) and brings back old favorites (Spike and Dru, back when Spike was HER lapdog instead of Buffy's). The Scoobs split into two teams to try and stop Il Maestro from bringing forth choas with parallel storylines that eventually interwine at the climax and then leave you hanging. Although a bit boring and slow-paced at first, "Ghost Roads" quickly takes off in the middle with Giles, Xander, Oz and yes, even Joyce getting into tons of wacky misadventures. A must have even for a so-so BtVS fan.
Rating: Summary: The Gatekeeper Trilogy just keeps getting better Review: "The Ghost Roads," the second book in The Gatekeeper Trilogy, is even better than the first volume in this epic Buffy the Vampire Slayer story. The Ghost Roads of the title are a network of inter-dimensional shortcuts that allow Buffy, Angel and Oz to travel quickly to Europe to search for the son of the dying Gatekeeper. What they do not know is that Spike and Drusilla have the boy and are looking to make a deal with the Sons of Entropy. Meanwhile, back in Sunnydale, the Flying Dutchman has appeared off shore causing problems for Giles and the rest of the Scooby Gang. Even worse, the Sons of Entropy have kidnapped Joyce Summers in an effort to force the Slayer to return so Buffy can be sacrificed by Il Maestro to the greater glory of his demon overlord and the end of the world as we know it. Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder really hit their stride in this original novel. The tendency to work too many quips and one-liners in the first volume, a perpetual problem in these Buffy novels, is reduced to the perfect level. This is due in large part to the fact that the writers have clearly upped the ante on the serious side of the scale. What makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer one of the best shows on television is that in addition to the clever quips and innovative fight sequences there is drama acted out on an operatic level (the highpoint of which was Buffy having to slay Angel). Golden and Holder are working on that level in this book: Giles has to leave behind students to die during an escape, Angel tortures a wounded man to get vital information, and Joyce deals with the idea of sacrificing herself so that Buffy can save the world. Consequently, this is NOT a Buffy book FOR YOUNGER READERS. Things get pretty heavy here and the characters have to deal with these issues. If anything, Golden and Holder go too far with their characterizations of the Scooby Gang, certainly beyond even where the characters are at the start of Season 5. Willow is still not as powerful of a witch at the start of Season 5 as she is in this story, neither has Xander yet to get past his comic relief stage nor did Cordelia become this accepting of her role in the scheme of things until she ended up working with Angel in L.A. I think they are closer to the mark with Joyce's acceptance of Buffy being the Slayer, but that is due more to the character's relative disappearance from the show in the last year than anything else. Let me make this clear: I consider these all worthwhile character developments and eventually the television version will get there, but Golden and Holder are clearly ahead of the game at this point. However, I fully appreciate the authors taking the characters and their relationships seriously. I would love to see them try their hand at an actual script for the show. Many of the Buffy books read like rejected scripts, storylines they would never bother to film that add little to the characgers or the mythos of the series. The Gatekeeper Trilogy provides two completely worthy ideas that Joss Whedon might incorporate down the line. The first is the role of the Gatekeeper, a magical being who is responsible for binding up various monsters and demons, which is to say a Champion for Good, similar to the Slayer but certainly a unique idea. The second is the Ghost Roads, not just as a rationale for getting the characters out of Sunnydale to find the big bad evil but also as a way for the characters to confront the past, as in the first volume when Angel sees the shade of Jenny Calendar. Again, this is just testimony to the quality of both the conception and the execution of this trilogy.
Rating: Summary: I loved walking the ghost roads! Review: Another hit from the double act who brought you out of the madhouse. I loved this book so much I've already ordered the 3rd book.I only hope spike is in it as he is unintentionally the funniest character in the book!
Rating: Summary: Ghosts Roads are excellent reading for any age. Review: C. Golden & N. Holder have once again captured the magic of Buffy's world. This novel is in no way only for young adults. It deals with the dynamics of the slayerettes and the growth of evil in the world in a mature yet action-packed novel. While the continunity line is different than the BTVS show it in no way takes away from the story line. BUFFY ROCKS! As does all of the books written by C. Golden and N. Holder for this series. Good slaying. LOVED BUFFY? Read the Laurell K. Hamilton series about Anita Blake vampire executioner. It starts with Guilty Pleasures. 8 books so far in the series. Also L. Hamilton has a web site with ties to the Buffy sites. Check it out! Also read the Vicki Nelson series by Tayna Huff 1st book is Blood Price. 5 books so far in series. Also read Brian Lumley's Necroscope series. Approx. 10 books is series. They Thirst by Robert McCammon% stakes also Under the Fang edt. By same author is amazing. By for now fellow fans
Rating: Summary: Well worth your money! :) Review: Even though I haven't read the 1st one the 2nd and 3rd of these series were well worth my money. I think that these books were very good. The story line and plot was grest and I think that you should read it! :)
Rating: Summary: Amazing Buffy book! Review: Excellent story, I couldn't put it down. Can't wait till final book comes out. I love the way each character has their own adventure, and the story is vividly haunting. A must-read for any Buffy fan.
Rating: Summary: Can't wait for the final thriller in this trilogy!!! Review: Ghost Roads helped me to make sense of Out of the Madhouse. The story the authors have woven for us is quite intricate, and by the end of the first book I was really scratching my head. After Ghost Roads, I understand what's going on and the spell is upon me. These are by far the best Buffy tales I've read yet. I give it 5 stars and a cloud of exploding vampire dust. Woohoo!
Rating: Summary: run, buffy, run! Review: Ghost Roads is a heck of a lot better than Out of the Madhouse- there are actual conversations in this novel & not just a bunch of action sequences piled up on one another. The plot gets more interesting as Oz, Angel & Buffy follow the ghost roads in search of the heir to the Gatekeeper. Willow, Giles, Cordelia & Xander try to keep things in check back home in Sunnydale. Of course, the Sons of Entropy are out in full force & as a refreshing change of pace Spike & Dru are thrown into the mix. Typical of the Buffy books, this one is fast & easy to read & 100% avoidable if you haven't seen every episode of Buffy a gazillion times already. I only read them because I'm Buffy deprived- purely a guilty pleasure.
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