Rating: 
Summary: Bite Sized
Review: Here we are in the fifth season and Buffy is trying to be a step in mom to Dawn and the world's only working Slayer at the same time. Dawn's grades are suffering, and the Scooby team steps in to help her study for a history test. This provides enough distractions that Buffy nearly misses one of Sunnydale's more peculiar invasions. The new, conscientious Spike manages to get her attention long enough to show here a pair of recent corpses with the strangest bite marks...Imagine if you will a group of cute little pixies (complete with glamour and glow) who will totally captivate you. Or rather, that's what they do until the fangs come out and they start to munch on your bloodstream. These mischievous little critters also happen to be fairies from your worst nightmare. Moesta creates an entirely new kind of fairy tale. As Buffy says, "Welcome to Tinkerhell." It turns out that Anya was instrumental in the making of these tiny fanged people some 500 years ago. While their appearance in Sunnydale is pure coincidental, one sight of Xander's favorite retired vengeance demon is all the pixies need to become fixated on getting their own vengeance. Buffy to the rescue, and she quickly finds out that slaying several hundred micro-vampires is a task that requires the ingenuity of the entire team. Xander sets a new high mark for inventive slaying with his invention of pixie ping-pong. Rebecca Moesta is new to Buffy novels, but she catches on quite quickly. She does overdo Willow's ending everything in 'y' thingy, nearly making the witch insufferably cute. At one point she actually has Willow saying, "We've all noticed you've kind of been not so much with the perkiness of slayering." Sheesh! English lies dying by the wayside. Other than this particular fetish the characters ring true, and the plot moves along swiftly. Most readers will enjoy the extended focus on Anya and Buffy's much-avoided visit to the dentist. Moesta is a writer who prefers to throw a lot at the reader and work in quick jabs. This is quite a change from the recent fiction that has been written from the fifth season, and is quite entertaining. Perhaps this isn't the pinnacle of Buffy lit, but it is well worth pursuing.
Rating:
Summary: Bite Sized
Review: Here we are in the fifth season and Buffy is trying to be a step in mom to Dawn and the world's only working Slayer at the same time. Dawn's grades are suffering, and the Scooby team steps in to help her study for a history test. This provides enough distractions that Buffy nearly misses one of Sunnydale's more peculiar invasions. The new, conscientious Spike manages to get her attention long enough to show here a pair of recent corpses with the strangest bite marks... Imagine if you will a group of cute little pixies (complete with glamour and glow) who will totally captivate you. Or rather, that's what they do until the fangs come out and they start to munch on your bloodstream. These mischievous little critters also happen to be fairies from your worst nightmare. Moesta creates an entirely new kind of fairy tale. As Buffy says, "Welcome to Tinkerhell." It turns out that Anya was instrumental in the making of these tiny fanged people some 500 years ago. While their appearance in Sunnydale is pure coincidental, one sight of Xander's favorite retired vengeance demon is all the pixies need to become fixated on getting their own vengeance. Buffy to the rescue, and she quickly finds out that slaying several hundred micro-vampires is a task that requires the ingenuity of the entire team. Xander sets a new high mark for inventive slaying with his invention of pixie ping-pong. Rebecca Moesta is new to Buffy novels, but she catches on quite quickly. She does overdo Willow's ending everything in 'y' thingy, nearly making the witch insufferably cute. At one point she actually has Willow saying, "We've all noticed you've kind of been not so much with the perkiness of slayering." Sheesh! English lies dying by the wayside. Other than this particular fetish the characters ring true, and the plot moves along swiftly. Most readers will enjoy the extended focus on Anya and Buffy's much-avoided visit to the dentist. Moesta is a writer who prefers to throw a lot at the reader and work in quick jabs. This is quite a change from the recent fiction that has been written from the fifth season, and is quite entertaining. Perhaps this isn't the pinnacle of Buffy lit, but it is well worth pursuing.
Rating: 
Summary: True to Character...Would've Been a Great Episode....
Review: I am a HUGE fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and had never read a book on the series and tried one out. Am I glad I did! Wow! Just like watching the show itself! The characters were true to form and came off genuine. I could just hear their unique quips and voices while I read. This one in particular is somewhere in the 5th Season, I am guessing near the middle more or less.
For those of you who are fans of the show, it's after Buffy's mom dies, during the height of Xander and Anaya's romance, after Spike's declaration of love but before Dawn's capture as the 'Key' and during Willow and Tara's affair, albiet when Tara began telling Willow she shouldn't be doing so much magick. My guess, near the middle to end of the 5th Season(the HellGod Glory Season). The plot here? Big baddies that come in little packages. Should've been an episode. A troupe of winged sprites come to Sunnydale to create chaos.
Buffy is having a hard time dealing with her mother's death and the responisbility of raising and protecting her 15 year old sister Dawn, not to mention being the Slayer and having to save the world too many times to count. More problems arise when Spike discovers mini-demons wreaking havoc in Weatherly Park. Not just that, but she realizes she has no dental insurance and her toothache is interfering in her Slayer duties! How to combat the problem? Think small...very small.
The Scoobies are doing there best to help her, but Anaya and Xander are being held hostage by a plague of ants, Willow is determined to fix everything with magick, Giles is fixated on a parking ticket, Dawn is desperately trying to fit in somewhere and the smitten vampire Spike is trying to impress the Slayer.
Thinking things can't get worse, they do, this is Sunnydale afterall. Buffy must stop the winged menaces, save the Scoobs, take care of her tooth and keep a lovesick vampire at bay all in a weekend's time. Too much for the Slayer? Not at all...just don't sweat the small stuff...literally. Hysterical, creative and action-packed. True to form. Fans of the Scoobie gang with Spike as a side-kick will love this one as I did. I love when Spike came into the scene and became part of the group even though a lot of fans missed Angel, I thought Spike was a breath of fresh air and enticed me to watch every week and I became addicted. He is true to character in this book, with all the witty lines and 'Spike moments' intact. All the characters were very well written and I couldn't ask for better. Ms. Moesta did a fine job of bringing the show to book form and kept all the characters intact and even giving us a more detailed look into their thoughts and minds. I will definately look into the rest of the books!
Rating:
Summary: True to Character...Would've Been a Great Episode....
Review: I am a HUGE fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and had never read a book on the series and tried one out. Am I glad I did! Wow! Just like watching the show itself! The characters were true to form and came off genuine. I could just hear their unique quips and voices while I read. This one in particular is somewhere in the 5th Season, I am guessing near the middle more or less.
For those of you who are fans of the show, it's after Buffy's mom dies, during the height of Xander and Anaya's romance, after Spike's declaration of love but before Dawn's capture as the 'Key' and during Willow and Tara's affair, albiet when Tara began telling Willow she shouldn't be doing so much magick. My guess, near the middle to end of the 5th Season(the HellGod Glory Season). The plot here? Big baddies that come in little packages. Should've been an episode. A troupe of winged sprites come to Sunnydale to create chaos.
Buffy is having a hard time dealing with her mother's death and the responisbility of raising and protecting her 15 year old sister Dawn, not to mention being the Slayer and having to save the world too many times to count. More problems arise when Spike discovers mini-demons wreaking havoc in Weatherly Park. Not just that, but she realizes she has no dental insurance and her toothache is interfering in her Slayer duties! How to combat the problem? Think small...very small.
The Scoobies are doing there best to help her, but Anaya and Xander are being held hostage by a plague of ants, Willow is determined to fix everything with magick, Giles is fixated on a parking ticket, Dawn is desperately trying to fit in somewhere and the smitten vampire Spike is trying to impress the Slayer.
Thinking things can't get worse, they do, this is Sunnydale afterall. Buffy must stop the winged menaces, save the Scoobs, take care of her tooth and keep a lovesick vampire at bay all in a weekend's time. Too much for the Slayer? Not at all...just don't sweat the small stuff...literally. Hysterical, creative and action-packed. True to form. Fans of the Scoobie gang with Spike as a side-kick will love this one as I did. I love when Spike came into the scene and became part of the group even though a lot of fans missed Angel, I thought Spike was a breath of fresh air and enticed me to watch every week and I became addicted. He is true to character in this book, with all the witty lines and 'Spike moments' intact. All the characters were very well written and I couldn't ask for better. Ms. Moesta did a fine job of bringing the show to book form and kept all the characters intact and even giving us a more detailed look into their thoughts and minds. I will definately look into the rest of the books!
Rating:
Summary: Buffy and the Scoobies do a deadly dance with Queen Mab
Review: I am pretty open minded and when it comes to the willing suspension of disbelief I will accept a lot of things in the name of a compelling narrative. But I have to admit that in "Little Things," author Rebecca Moesta goes over the line for me. A troop of fairies arrive in Sunnydale and it seems the wee folk intend to turn the never peaceful city into their own version of Tinkerhell. Okay, no problem with that idea (homage to Swift combined with the Blue Fairy as a psycho), but it seems Buffy has a toothache. Not only that, it is apparently the any kind of a toothache kind of toothache (as opposed to the not just any kind of toothache). If there had been some explanation forthcoming for this curious chink in the Slayer's healing and recuperative powers then I could have rendered a judgment via-a-vis the aforementioned willingness to suspend disbelief. Ultimately it seems the breach in the wall being explored has more to do with the Summers family's financial problems in the post-Joyce era. But enough of this rant. After reading Mel Odom's complex tale in "Crossings" and Christopher Golden's mini-epic in "The Wisdom of War," Rebecca Moesta's summer Buffy the Vampire Slayer tale is like a wind sprint. The pacing is as fast as any BtVS novel I can recall reading and the average length of a chapter must be around six pages (perfect for taking short breaks at work to find out what happens next or to read in trips up and down in the elevator to procure liquid/salty/chocolate refreshment). Fans of Spike should be forewarned that although the Big Bad appears on the cover he is not the focal character in "Little Things." (See? I made it to the third paragraph before "complaining" about the cover this time around.) The fairies are in town because of the beckoning call of the Hellmouth, but then they discover an old friend and things take a turn towards revenge. Moesta likes the research thing (along with a certain Monty Python movie) and readers will find out about the "real" origins of fairies. This is one of those BtVS novels where the quips and pop culture references come fast and furious (I cannot share my favorite with you because it gives away a wee bit too much of the plot). In terms of characterization I think Moesta does a nice job on Willow (Buffy is distracted by that toothache you see) and especially Xander, who has a couple of nice serious moments. However, despite coming up with a nice brush with the law for Giles, she does have the Watcher being a bit too nice to Spike (that cannot be right). Anya is once again almost relentlessly oblivious to social convention and any form of propriety, but this is certainly a constant pitfall in the Buffy Mythos and there are a couple of nice scenes where she remembers the good old days. I especially like the creative ways in which Moesta comes up with Buffy and the Scoobies to take on the wee folk, especially for the grand finale when the group does one of its better "Wild Bunch" impersonations. Who would not want a Slayomatic? "Little Things" is a quick read, so do not take this as your only book on a trip because you might be able to get it read between the time you get to the airport and the plane actually takes off. For that matter, you could probably read it while waiting for the dentist...
Rating:
Summary: Buffy and the Scoobies do a dance with Queen Mab
Review: I am pretty open minded and when it comes to the willing suspension of disbelief I will accept a lot of things in the name of a compelling narrative. But I have to admit that in "Little Things," author Rebecca Moesta goes over the line for me. A troop of fairies arrive in Sunnydale and it seems the wee folk intend to turn the never peaceful city into their own version of Tinkerhell. Okay, no problem with that idea (homage to Swift combined with the Blue Fairy as a psycho), but it seems Buffy has a toothache. Not only that, it is apparently the any kind of a toothache kind of toothache (as opposed to the not just any kind of toothache). If there had been some explanation forthcoming for this curious person in the Slayer's healing and recuperative powers then I could have rendered a judgment via-a-vis the aforementioned willingness to suspend disbelief. Ultimately it seems the breach in the wall being explored has more to do with the Summers family's financial problems in the post-Joyce era. But enough of this rant. After reading Mel Odom's complex tale in "Crossings" and Christopher Golden's mini-epic in "The Wisdom of War," Rebecca Moesta's summer Buffy the Vampire Slayer tale is like a wind sprint. The pacing is as fast as any BtVS novel I can recall reading and the average length of a chapter must be around six pages (perfect for taking short breaks at work to find out what happens next or to read in trips up and down in the elevator to procure liquid/salty/chocolate refreshment). Fans of Spike should be forewarned that although the Big Bad appears on the cover he is not the focal character in "Little Things." (See? I made it to the third paragraph before "complaining" about the cover this time around.) The fairies are in town because of the beckoning call of the Hellmouth, but then they discover an old friend and things take a turn towards revenge. This is one of those BtVS novels where the quips and pop culture references come fast and furious (I cannot share my favorite with you because it gives away a wee bit too much of the plot). In terms of characterization I think Moesta does a nice job on Willow (Buffy is distracted by that toothache you see) and especially Xander, who has a couple of nice serious moments. However, despite coming up with a nice brush with the law for Giles, she does have the Watcher being a bit too nice to Spike (that cannot be right). Anya is once again almost relentlessly oblivious to social convention and any form of propriety, but this is certainly a constant pitfall in the Buffy Mythos and there are a couple of nice scenes where she remembers the good old days. Moesta likes the research thing (along with a certain Monty Python movie) and readers will find out about the "real" origins of fairies. I especially like the creative ways in which Moesta comes up with Buffy and the Scoobies to take on the wee folk, especially for the grand finale when the group does one of its better "Wild Bunch" impersonations. Who would not want a Slayomatic?
Rating:
Summary: The Big "Little" Bad
Review: Interesting scenario.... fairy vampires!
This book was a very fast read, zoomed right through it. It was fairly entertaining, containing the major "Fairy Vampire" storyline and several small everyday problems, ranging from a toothache to ant infestation.
The characters are written well, acting as they would in the series.
I have yet to come across a Buffy novel I actually dislike. This book is entertaining, light reading.
Rating:
Summary: Vampires, Fairies and Slayers...Oh My!
Review: Okay, so years ago Anya tossed a vampire demon into a group of forest fairies. Said fairies are suddenly tiny little vampires who after many years become LOTS of little vampire fairies. Years later they wind up in Sunnydale with revenge on their mind and looking to hunt down Anya. Best way to do this is to take her boyfriend, so Xander is suddenly captive of a bunch of Tom Thumb vampires and the Scoobies and Spike are having to hunt him down. Each of the Scoobies are having their own small problems from parking tickets to toothaches, making a group of rather bothered heroes. Spike is still chipped and snarking at everyone and the whole gang is cutting up like always. The action is fast paced and the book is a good addition to the Buffy genre, even if there aren't any big revelations or deep content to it. It's a light hearted bit of fluff that teenagers will enjoy and that I enjoyed for the Spike content.
Rating:
Summary: better than Holder and Golden
Review: This novel is better than the other so called "Based on Television Hit Series" novels by Holder and Golden. Unlike Holder and Golden, this author does not add some excessive weird modifications of the original character from the tv series. Spike is just acting like he is in the TV. It is really cool that Spike like in the tv series is willing to help Buffy (he is always willing to die for her and lit'bit). I am not sure about Holder but I know Golden doesn't like Spike. For Holder she is either doesn't watch the tv series or just like Golden loves to bash Spike character. Fox should banned their novels from being published!! I love this author and I am hoping Moesta can come up with more of her BTVS books.
Rating:
Summary: Not Bad
Review: This was my first time reading a Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel, and I wasn't disappointed. Normally, I cringe when I see "based on the hit TV series" at the bottom of the front of a novel. Ick. They might as well just put, "Don't bother reading this, ..." However, four things actually inspired me to pick up this book and read it: 1) My recently renewed interest in the TV series. 2) My extreme boredom at work [I work at a bookstore and this book just happened to be sitting on the shelf, looking un-boring]. 3) My growing interest in anything having to do with fairies. And finally, 4) My infatuation with Spike, who appears on the cover. Of course, the reading level is considered "young adult" which my reading level, well, isn't, but hey it made for a very quick read (I got most of it done during my 8-hour shift.). I actually liked the story - a troop of "vampire fairies" that comes to Sunnydale to bleed everyone dry. Sure, it's not the same as watching the show, but it did supply me with a couple hours of entertainment. It certainly didn't turn me off to reading other Buffy "based on the hit TV series" books. (Especially if Spike is on the cover. Hehe.)
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