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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: These Our Actors

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: These Our Actors

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.29
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: And now my new favorite
Review: OK, Little Things was my favorite, but this book was better by far. The reason? SPIKE. After so many books where he was just mentioned as an afterthought, the writers are finally getting around to him. And this writer clearly knows how to play on his dual character. Other reviewers have mentioned the lack of Buffy and most of her friends, but I was just thrilled by it. Actually, there is less of Willow than the cover suggests. This is a book for Spike fans, and hopefully the first of many, many to come. Unless Buffy is with Spike (or Angel), she is just of no interest. But, when she is with either of these guys, it doesn't get any better. For all you who love Buffy herself, hey, you've got dozens of books.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending. The last 5 or 6 pages left me thinking my book was defective, and something was missing. What the heck actually happened there?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good book, bad ending
Review: Spike is one of my favorite characters and Willow is awesome too. I really did enjoy reading this book. But sadly, it was ruined by what I found to be a very abrupt and confusing ending. I'm still really not sure of what happened. Would anyone like to explain it to me? Anyway, this is a good book to choose if you're looking for an easy, light read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Fool for Love" one of your favorite Buffy episodes?
Review: Then grab this one up, fast. Spike fan? Grab this up faster. (though sorry, no Spuffy action in this one) Love any episode of Angel or Buffy where it goes into flashback of the time where Angel and Darla decide to 'make' some family? Grab this up.

The book (which I didn't want to pick up at first because of the weak title)spends at least half the time (maybe more, I confess after awhile I skimmed the present day story so I could get back to the 1800s) flashing back to when William met Cecily and got his heart stomped on. There's some of the scenes from 'Fool for Love', but it goes much further into the backstory-- you find out what happened to Spike after he rose, Angel and Dru teaching him how to hunt, his plan for revenge against Cecily and her family for humiliating him-- which works out much differently then he planned--... and oh yeah, *exactly* how he got his nickname.

The present day story, involving mainly Willow and a haunted theater (with Spike jumping in to help when he discovers an old enemy is tied in with this) is decent, and has its moments (such as Willow starting to think Spike is hot at one point, then catching herself when she remembers she's gay) but the book is worth buying for the Spike backstory. Angel is around, but only as evil Angelus. Well written, interesting, nasty, and true to the characters. I read 'Pretty Maids All in a Row' a while ago, thinking it was part of a series, and then was really bummed when I found out it was the only Buffy tie-in novel that focused mainly on them. This book is, at least, the next best thing.

So, worth picking up just for the backstory... which would make a great movie, by the way (Joss, are you listening?). You may want to save this one and wait to read it after the series is no more and brilliant back story episodes like Fool for Love are, sadly, just a memory. This one's a keeper.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: What Could Have Been
Review: This book could have been great. It really could have been. The storyline was actually quite good. It was interesting, and after the first couple of chapters I had high hopes. Hooray! A Willow-centric story! Hooray! Spike's pre-vampire days! The transformation from "William the Bloody Awful" to Spike was wonderfully done. I liked finding out what happened to Cecily. However, I felt the characterization of Willow, while usually dead-on, didn't quite fit.

I will freely admit, or shout from the rooftops, that I am a Willow/Tara fan. 100%. So ... where was Tara? Willow finds Tara's "moral high ground [...] annoying"? I think that would be Dark Magic Willow talking, not Season 5 Willow. They are rooming together, yet they have seperate beds? Rooming with my girlfriend in college, the first think we did was push the beds together. She worries that Tara won't believe her "phantom of the theater" stories? She freely dips into Tara's books and magical stuff, but Tara doesn't seem to be a part of Willow's life, aside from a nice scene in Chapter One (so enticing with the snuggling and dancing and neck-kissing...), one in Five, and another in Chapter Seven. Those scenes gave me hope that it would be done right. Those scenes made me think Willow would not ever, ever think that Spike was remotely attractive. Or endearing. Ick. Then thinking that "Tara wouldn't like that" ... well ... it's out of character, that's why!

Now, I didn't buy the book strictly because I am a Willow/Tara fan. I do love Willow on her own. I will buy a book with Willow on the cover without mention of Tara on the back cover. (And let's face it, how often is Tara mentioned on the back cover of a Buffy book? Um, never?) But I was hoping it would be more than it was.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: excellent book
Review: This book is great. Interesting plot all the way through to the end. One of the few books that actually portrays Spike accuratly. I was quite impressed. This book is a must have for fans of the show and especially of Spike.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: the two coolest Buffy characters
Review: This book was awesome mainly because of the story being about Willow and Spike. These Our Actors was a great book, but it was awesome because these two were the ones it focused on. The story line is great. I love the way it tells Spike's story from the past. It filled in a lot of blanks and questions I've had about the show. And I love how Willow is the one that solves it all w/ the help of Spike.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: This a GREAT BOOK!!
Review: This is mostly about Willow, who is in love with witchcraft. Willow and Buffy don't have a lot in common, and when Buffy drops drama. Willow kinda gets upset. Spike who is an evil vampire, was in to this magick witch stuff, before being a vampire. Spike starts to notice how good Willow is with her witchcraft. Willow life is indanger when ghost start to appear. So Willow has to figure out a way to leave drama, before it takes here life.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Frayed Knot
Review: This one would more appropriately be headed "Willow the Wicca Witch Woman," than "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - Buffy, Xander, Giles, Tara and Anya have virtually nothing more than cameo appearances in this story, and Dawn isn't in it at all. It's almost entirely about Willow and Spike - and Spike's earliest vampire family, Angelus, Darla and Drusilla.

The story is two overlapping stories told simultaneously, one being that of Willow discovering some untoward witchiness in Sunnydale U.'s theater in the present day, the other being that of Spike's transition from William, "the bloody bad poet," to Spike the Bloody, the Big Bad Vampire, and his exploits in London of 1880. One of Spike's first adventures as a vampire was to take revenge against those who slighted him, which included the unrequited object of his affections, Cecily Addams - whose father, through black magic, is still alive and well in Sunnydale, a hundred and twenty years later. Spike has unfinished business with Addams, and Willow has to discover and prevent the theatrical ritual Addams presently intends to use for purposes unknown, the result of which will be catastrophic. The whole thing has something to do with the summoning of the Greek Fates and Furies, by whose power the fabric of the entire world could fray and become unraveled.

The plot is good, and so is the writing - but the combined effect of the overlapping stories in two different time frames and the bizarre absence of Buffy (not to mention everyone else) from the entire proceedings weakens the whole, considerably. The actual pairing of Willow and Spike for this particular adventure is credibly enough handled, but it occurs too late in the book to be fully developed or to be of much interest. When all is said and done, not a whole lot really happens in either of the stories being told, and the finale comes out of nowhere and is over almost before it starts, proving to be rather anticlimactic.

This is not one of the stronger entries in the book series. However, it is well-written and an easy read. Fans of the Buffy series' seminal vampire family - Darla and Angelus, Spike and Dru - will definitely love it. Newer readers will want to start with a stronger title, before trying this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Buffy book so far
Review: This was the first Buffy book that I read. I picked it up on a whim, and ended up reading it in about 3 days. I could not put it down. The book flashes back on Spike (one of my favorite characters) which tells more about his background. The whole storyline keeps you interested and flows really well. If you like Spike (aka: William the Bloody) I recommend Pretty Maids all in a Row.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fans of Spike Finally we Rejoice in the details of his Past.
Review: Told from two different characters, Willow(witch) and Spike(vampire, this book was definately well worth the money and time spent. A very detailed look into Spike's past, which we get a small glimpse of in the 5th Season during episode titled, 'Fool For Love', the book, this book in fact goes deeper into that episode's facts and gives a long look at before his vamp days and right after.
So enthralled in the chapters with his story, I almost forgot Willow's tale was intertwined with his. Each chapter is told from 1880 London with Spike and then back to 2000 Sunnydale with Willow. Alternating back and forth. Just when you think neither story has to do with the other, they are meshed and then both become even more intriguing, which I didn't think was possible.
Willow brings us to her drama class during the 2000 fall semester in college and shows us a weird side to acting. Feeling like she'd been bitten by the acting bug, she gets very involved in the production of the plays and finds more than she bargained for. Drama has a link to magick and its not very pretty. In fact, she finds that the ancient Greeks were actually invocations to the Gods.
The appearance of a ghost or two doesn't spook the witch, but something else does...Spike's interest in the arts.

Spike takes us on a ride through 1880 London while he was still human and when he was fascinated with the arts and the stage. We get an in depth look at his life before and after he was a notorious vampire known as William the Bloody. When he sees Willow's interest at her college drama class present time, Spike is shocked to see a link to his and is determined to set ghosts to rest...
Willow and Spike must figure out the puzzle before its too late...before they both have to exit stage left....

Tracy Talley~@


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