Rating: 
Summary: Great read, but a warning for Spike fans!
Review:
The book itself is very well written, the plot is intricate and interesting and the authors show a vast wealth of knowledge over demons and all things magical which makes the book all the better. There's those great Buffy one liners, and the other characters get some great lines in too. Plus Buffy and Angel seeing eachother again, whoo hooo!!
However there were a few things that lessened my enjoyment of this book namely the out of date characterization. One of the authors seems to have let his love of Evil Spike get in the way of current events. It's a Spike bashing jamboree and everybody gets involved, even Buffy. In the tv series however, Buffy hasn't been bashing Spike in this harsh of a manner since before she died. The author clearly didn't see the ep where Spike told Buffy he knew she would never love him but he was grateful that she treated him like a man. In this book she treats him like a piece of garbage.
I've recently been watching the season of Buffy that this book seems to be set in and have noticed several glaring errors ( Giles still runs the magic shop but in the show he gave it to Anya before he left for England after Buffy died.)
But those can still be forgiven. All and all not a bad book, but still can't ignore the Spike bashing.
Rating: 
Summary: Monster Mash
Review: "Monster Island" is only the second book in the Buffy/Angel series of books to have been originally released in hardback. The only other one was the Buffy book, "Immortal". Why this is, I don't know, but I got the just released paperback. The tale is written by one of the premiere handlers of Buffy fiction, Christopher Golden. He co-wrote it with Thomas E. Sniegpski. One knows that the characters are going to be handled well and written for accordingly with Golden involved. This is a Buffy/Angel crossover novel, and the best one to do so so far. The story is large and quite epic. Someone, or something, is killing of half breed demons in Sunnydale at an alarming rate. A ways away in the City Of Angels, the same thing is happening there. Angel realizes that the connection strikes a lot closer to home and soon Buffy and her gang are in L.A. to fight alongside Angel and his compadres. The character of Doyle, who figured prominently in the first 8 episodes of "Angel", is part of the plot and it's a most welcome connection. The big finale takes place on a magical island filled with all sorts of races of demons. Buffy and the others must fight the great evil before thousands of half breeds are slaughtered. The meshing of the two worlds just runs smoothly here. It always does, but this one has almost everyone getting together, except for Giles, Anya, and Dawn. The characters are all written as they would be on the show by the most knowing of standards. There are demons galore here, and just may be one of the most demon packed series in the franchise. I can't tell you when it is placed, as in what seasons, because there is no information on that given. Buffy talks about being brought back from the dead, which would mean season 6. But there is a point in the book where Wesley says they had just broke Faith out of jail, which happened in season 4 of "Angel", which ran during season 7 of "Buffy", but there is no Connor, who was a regular member during season 4 of "Angel", and a couple characters visit the ruins of Sunnydale High, which was restored in season 7 of "Buffy", so who knows when it actually takes place. Did anyone follow that?. There's a number of things here and there that a Buffy/Angel fan would remember and get. Sure to put a smile on your face. The story is one of the strongest in the line of books, and is written solidly with a sharp eye for detail and characterization. Each individual series of books, Angel and Buffy, keep getting better and better. And when they crossover like this, it's just pure golden. Christopher, that is.
Rating:
Summary: For Whom the Slayer Toils
Review: A music teacher of mine once observed that the greatest examples of each musical era come after the end of that era. While that is arguable, there is no question that 'Monster Island' is an outstanding example of Buffy literature coming out too late for it to be anything but a poignant reminder of our favorite vampire slayer.It is set in the time period after Buffy's final return from the dead, and before the onset of Willow's own difficulties. Not the best of times, but one of relative peace before things finally come completely apart. Also of interest is that Chris Golden and Tom Sniegoski have chosen to bring Buffy and Angel together in an unusual struggle. One in which the folk they are fighting to save are demons. It shouldn't be any surprise that demons are liable to the same social dysfunctions that humans fall victim to. In this case, the onset of a racial purity movement threatens the existence of demons of mixed (part human) heritage - as well as those who support them. In Sunnydale, a string of grim murders draws the Scooby gang into the nets of General Axtius, a Brachen demon who (oddly enough) was Doyle's father before he took up the flag of 'demonic cleansing.' Then Axtius shifts his focus to Los Angeles, where he is distracted from his cause by his efforts to wreak revenge on Angel, whom he blames for Doyle's death. Realizing that the problem is bigger than either her or Angel, Buffy comes to Los Angeles, where the join forces. Eventually traveling to a mysterious island where those demons who have come to value peace have set up a safe retreat. There they must make a last stand against the hordes of General Axtius. Golden and Sniegoski have proven themselves a powerful writing team of several occasions, but 'Monster Island' may be their finest hour. Not only is there a strong plot, but the character interaction - especially as the Sunnydale and Los Angeles contingents adjust to each other - is remarkable. The story underlines the changes all of the character have gone through, and provides interesting insights into some of the less character. Great plot, writing, characters, and the sweet bitterness of nostalgia for something that will never happen again. If you are ever going to read a Buffy book put this on your must read list.
Rating: 
Summary: Author is out of touch with the show..
Review: Another in a long list of Buffy books which are shockingly out of touch with the show after season 3. Don't waste your money if you want portrayals that are honest to Buffy's, Spike's, and Angel's character evolution. You'll be particularly offended if you're a Spike fan.
Rating:
Summary: Love it
Review: I like this book it was asome i like that it had all the characters going to angel except for dawn and anya and giles. It was cool that it was something about doyle. Now i'm reading the next crossover cursed so far i liked all the crossovers. Hope they make more crossovers.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but redundant
Review: I loved the story line of this book, and hope to see more Angel/Buffy crossovers in the future. It kept me guessing and turning the pages. I seriously could not put it down.
The reasoning behind four stars instead of five though rests soley on the redundancy of the way charicaters were introduced almost every other page. For instance the fact that Lorne is a green demon with red eyes, horns, who prefers to dress in pastel suits was seemingly mentioned every time he had dialogue in the book. Though this may not seem like a bad thing it has the effect of slowing the story down and can be frustraiting to a reader interested in what happens next.
Aside from this often times annoying quality of the book I loved the way Golden and Co. seperated the teams and jumped from one local to the other, a great soapopera-esque way to create suspense, that was carried out masterfully.
I would definate recommened this book, if not for the literary value, than for the sheer fun of being a Buffy or Angel fan. -Vee
Rating:
Summary: Good but redundant
Review: I loved the story line of this book, and hope to see more Angel/Buffy crossovers in the future. It kept me guessing and turning the pages. I seriously could not put it down.
The reasoning behind four stars instead of five though rests soley on the redundancy of the way charicaters were introduced almost every other page. For instance the fact that Lorne is a green demon with red eyes, horns, who prefers to dress in pastel suits was seemingly mentioned every time he had dialogue in the book. Though this may not seem like a bad thing it has the effect of slowing the story down and can be frustraiting to a reader interested in what happens next.
Aside from this often times annoying quality of the book I loved the way Golden and Co. seperated the teams and jumped from one local to the other, a great soapopera-esque way to create suspense, that was carried out masterfully.
I would definate recommened this book, if not for the literary value, than for the sheer fun of being a Buffy or Angel fan. -Vee
Rating:
Summary: Good start, boring finish
Review: I really enjoyed the first half of this book. There were a lot of great character moments and it was interesting to see characters who weren't usually together interact. Buffy and Gunn's pissing contest was especially amusing. I also loved all the shout outs to Doyle. However, the second half of the book gets bogged down in the plot and it drags a lot. There were also a few major printing mistakes. One page is omitted entirely and another is printed twice. Still, the book does bring nearly the entire casts of Buffy and Angel together in a coherent and believable manner which isn't an easy feat. If you are looking for a good crossover book then you may want to give this one a try.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping thrill ride!
Review: I whipped through this book in just a few days, despite it being over 400 pages long. It has non-stop action, great cliffhangers and it leaves you feeling breathless. I have to give the writers props for juggling so many characters. On top of the cast of Buffy (Buffy, Willow, Xander, Tara, Dawn, Giles, Anya, Spike) and the cast of Angel (Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Fred, Gunn, Lorne) are a bunch of characters created just for the book. Even though there are so many people, it never feels crowded. On the contrary, it makes the book that much more exciting. Plus, the writers created characters have so much personality and background that they could easily have been a part of either series. I bought this book because I love both shows and because I enjoy reading the books. The idea of a giant cross over book was exciting. However, the back cover of the book is very misleading about the plot of the book. It basically sums up the first two chapters. Also, it was unclear when this book was supposed to be taking place. It was as if the writers couldn't decide when they wanted it to have happened. From the fact that Buffy has recently come back from Heaven, that Spike is in love with her, that Connor does not yet exist and that Wes is still a trusted member of the group, I figure that it is at the beginning of Buffy's sixth season ang therefore Angel's third season. However, there are problems with this knowledge. There were glaring errors in the timeline of both series. It is mentioned numerous times that Angel's gang had ALREADY met Tara. But Tara never came into contact with anyone on "Angel" (even Angel himself) while she was alive. There are many of these mistakes in the book. The last thing I'll mention is what another reviewer said about a page being missed. This is true. Page 367 is missing and page 368 is repeated. I hope this gets fixed in later printings. Overall, a great book!
Rating:
Summary: A Book of Buffy and Angel Goodness (plus some monsters!)
Review: Monster Island doesn't have a Historian's note but from the story, I would say it is set at the beginning part of Season Six of Buffy and Season Three of Angel. One of the best highlights of Monster Island is that it is a crossover series AND it successfully brings the on screen characters from two different series, who have never or rarely interacted into a context that works. The chemistry is great and you get to see how each of the Sunnydale Gang would work with the LA Crew. Fred and Tara's interaction is great as is the Buffy/Angel/Spike sparks that hint in later Season Six and Buffy and Gunn's interaction. The book also hints at Willow's magic increasing in power. In Monster Island, Giles, Dawn and Anya play minor roles so don't expect to see much from there. The basic plot is interesting as it draws on old Buffyverse history and Angel history. The authors certainly know their demons as the book makes numerous references to seen demons as well as introducing new ones.The most interesting reference is probably Doyle's father and the plot of the Nazi-demon concept is brought into again but on a much larger scale. Definitely a good read for those wondering what would ever happen if Sunnydale met LA.
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