Rating: 
Summary: Could have been the best Buffy novel -- but it isn't
Review: A book with an interesting premise and some clever writing that could have been the best Buffy novel to date, but that ultimately misses the boat. The Aztec god plot is interesting, and some of the characterizations of regular characters are good, but the use of Angeles for Angelus is extremely distracting, and the most important character -- Buffy -- fails to convince. Not a total waste of time, but not the greatest read either.
Rating: 
Summary: Fast paced and exciting!
Review: Based on an historical premise this book presented an insight into a time long ago that we no longer consider. Buffy is at her best and her friends stand by her to the end. Well written, I read this book in a few days. Young people will love it--my word on it.
Rating: 
Summary: A good time waster
Review: Despite some of the fairly negative comments from other reviewers, I enjoyed this book. The plot's a little flimsy, and Gallagher can overwrite just a wee tad. But on the positive side, Gallagher shows every sign of actually having watched the TV series and of having some knowledge of the characters she's supposed to be writing about (unlike some other Buffy authors). She's very good at capturing Buffy, Angel and Giles, and her Cordelia -- despite having somehow slipped back into first series le bitche grande mode -- is a high point. Her Willow is not as good. (It's strange how Buffy novelists have so much trouble capturing the wily Willow charms. Perhaps it's because Willow, more than any other character, really needs Alyson Hannigan's flittery speech patterns to bring her fully to life.) I'm unlikely to read this again, but it did pass a quiet Sunday afternoon very pleasantly indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Aztec Hell
Review: Diana Gallagher is the best writer of the Buffy books (everyone's overrated opinion of Holder and Golden notwithstanding), and this is the best of her titles. I was ready to give up on the series altogether, until I read this one.Most of the Buffy authors simply hew to the T.V. formula, making their entries nothing more than an episode that wasn't filmed. Such an approach is certainly acceptable, but it's much more interesting when the author can develop the characters in a more mature light, as Gallagher does. The only criticism I have of this book is that its apocalpytic ending is a slight bit over the top, but it's quite satisfying for all of that. Buffy is up against Tezcatlipoca, the "Smoking Mirror" of Aztec mythology, who seduces the weak and the jealous into assisting his plans for recreating the world in his own image. Gallagher presents an extremely well-drawn loser character prefiguring the T.V. series' Jonathan, who manages to be both evil and genuinely pathetic. Recommended for fans, and as a starter book to interest the newbies.
Rating:
Summary: Aztec Hell
Review: Diana Gallagher is the best writer of the Buffy books (everyone's overrated opinion of Holder and Golden notwithstanding), and this is the best of her titles. I was ready to give up on the series altogether, until I read this one. Most of the Buffy authors simply hew to the T.V. formula, making their entries nothing more than an episode that wasn't filmed. Such an approach is certainly acceptable, but it's much more interesting when the author can develop the characters in a more mature light, as Gallagher does. The only criticism I have of this book is that its apocalpytic ending is a slight bit over the top, but it's quite satisfying for all of that. Buffy is up against Tezcatlipoca, the "Smoking Mirror" of Aztec mythology, who seduces the weak and the jealous into assisting his plans for recreating the world in his own image. Gallagher presents an extremely well-drawn loser character prefiguring the T.V. series' Jonathan, who manages to be both evil and genuinely pathetic. Recommended for fans, and as a starter book to interest the newbies.
Rating: 
Summary: This book could be the screenplay for a movie. AWESOME!!!!!!
Review: Diane has the buffy characters down pat. Not only do you get more insight on Buffy and the whole cast, you also get an action packed story. Since I'm anxiously awaiting the start of the Buffy and Angel new season, this book does wonders for my Buffy addiction. Long live Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel and the Slayerettes)!!!
Rating:
Summary: Out of the darkness
Review: From Cortez to Mr Trick this book is filled with grand adventures and heart wrenching danger. It might even get you extra credit in history. The Aztec mythology provides an interesting background and exciting new challenges for the slayer and her slayettes. Buffy's dream predicting the death of someone near to her clouds her actions and brings her close to death herself. The plot poses the question if it comes down to saving the world or someone she loves which will Buffy choose? After the book is done I believe readers will find themselves wondering what they would see if they had the opportunity to gaze into the smoking mirror. It can be the source of late night speculation with friends over warm soda and cold pizza. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: The problem with trying to write a tie-in novel...
Review: I do not envy the writers who try to jump into the Buffy phenomenon. It must be amazingly difficult to write an engaging, exciting novel when you are unable to change characters or situations in any major way. Add to this the fact that you must mimic someone else's characterizations rather than being free to create your own, and the task becomes even more daunting. However, I have to believe that it can be done better than this. The characters feel very forced. I have read fanfiction that had a better grasp of the characters' speech patterns and behavior. For example, Cordelia was just a bit too biting, Xander a bit too useless, and Giles' feelings for Jenny a bit too overblown. We only see Giles mourn for Jenny once on the show and though I believe that he did it more off camera, I cannot believe that he was thinking about her with the degree of purple prose that Ms. Gallagher uses. The other problem is the actual events of the story. I have read on other reviews that the author is accurate in her use of this mythology. If so, it would be refreshingly rare and I applaud this. However, I had trouble believing the rest of the story. I understand the desire to make a story which is bigger than just another episode of the series, but this is not the way to do that. The events of the finale would have had lasting repercussions on the town of Sunnydale that would have affected the later episodes of the series. You simply cannot do this when you are writing within an established and ongoing world. In general, I would be happier with this series of novels if the authors would stop trying to create bigger monsters and explosions, and start getting deeper into the characters. In my mind the characters, their relationships, and their emotions is what the show is really all about. The demons are just the backdrop.
Rating:
Summary: The problem with trying to write a tie-in novel...
Review: I do not envy the writers who try to jump into the Buffy phenomenon. It must be amazingly difficult to write an engaging, exciting novel when you are unable to change characters or situations in any major way. Add to this the fact that you must mimic someone else's characterizations rather than being free to create your own, and the task becomes even more daunting. However, I have to believe that it can be done better than this. The characters feel very forced. I have read fanfiction that had a better grasp of the characters' speech patterns and behavior. For example, Cordelia was just a bit too biting, Xander a bit too useless, and Giles' feelings for Jenny a bit too overblown. We only see Giles mourn for Jenny once on the show and though I believe that he did it more off camera, I cannot believe that he was thinking about her with the degree of purple prose that Ms. Gallagher uses. The other problem is the actual events of the story. I have read on other reviews that the author is accurate in her use of this mythology. If so, it would be refreshingly rare and I applaud this. However, I had trouble believing the rest of the story. I understand the desire to make a story which is bigger than just another episode of the series, but this is not the way to do that. The events of the finale would have had lasting repercussions on the town of Sunnydale that would have affected the later episodes of the series. You simply cannot do this when you are writing within an established and ongoing world. In general, I would be happier with this series of novels if the authors would stop trying to create bigger monsters and explosions, and start getting deeper into the characters. In my mind the characters, their relationships, and their emotions is what the show is really all about. The demons are just the backdrop.
Rating: 
Summary: Awful! Worst Buffy book ever!
Review: I have read all of the Buffy novels so far, and I'm sorry to say that this is, without a doubt, the worst of them. Usually I have to fight to put them down. This one I had to fight to keep picking up. The author is obviously not very familiar with the characters, and it shows in how unconvincingly they and their descriptions come across. I couldn't believe it when she repeatedly referred to Angel's vampire persona as "Angeles" -- I'm also shocked that the editor (assuming there was one) didn't catch that. The worst thing about this book, however, is the author's infatuation with run-on sentences and adjective-heavy descriptions of everyone and everything. This adds to the unconvincing portrayal of the characters and makes the book unnecessarily difficult to get through. There are a lot of Buffy novels set to release in the next few months. If you're going to skip one, this is the one you probably won't miss.
| 
