The Xander Years, Volume 2

Rating:
Summary: "Did I Mention I'm Having a Strange Night?"
Review: From the very beginning of the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Nicolas Brendan has played the role of Xander Harris, the only character on the entire show that didn't have super-powers, yet was surrounded by Slayers, witches, werewolves, Watchers, demons and mystical balls of energy placed in human form. Xander however, was just Xander.

In this second volume of "The Xander Years" three more episodes are transcribed from teleplays into novel form by Jeff Mariotte. They are taken one each from the first three seasons and are "The Pack" by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer, "Go Fish" by David Fury and Elin Hampton, and "The Zeppo" by Dan Vebber. They are framed by short introductions in which Xander drives around Sunnydale in his car pondering on the landmarks and his involvement in Buffy's life, and thankfully each episode actually centers on Xander. Often these 'trilogies' based on a character have nothing to do with the character involved ("The Willow Files" for example included "Dead Man's Party", an episode that didn't really concern her character specifically). Here however, a Xander fan can find pure-concentrated Xander.

In "The Pack", the ingenious writers of the show highlight the theme of high-school bullying and cruelty by having five of its students possessed by the spirits of hyenas. Unfortunately Xander is one of them, and Willow, Buffy and Giles create a plan to remove the spirit from him - whilst being hunted by the Pack themselves.

"Go Fish" concerns the Sunnydale High swim team, who are disappearing one by one. To watch the remaining team members more closely Xander volunteers to join the team, and is soon exposed to the swim coach's secret. This story is of special significance since it is one of the few times he gets to save Buffy's life instead of the other way around.

Finally "The Zeppo" is the quintessential Xander episode, possibly of the entire seven season run of the show. In just one night Xander gets a car, resurrects the dead, looses his virginity, is held at knife-point, takes on three zombies and faces down a bomb-toting lunatic - all whilst the rest of the gang battles the Apocalypse. It is his episode above any others, and best displays his role within the group: the unspoken hero that simply does his job without demanding recognition. It also gives us the phrase "The Zeppo", which baffled me when I first heard it, but Mariotte explains its meaning within the narrative.

Xander's other trademark characteristic is his uncanny ability to attract demon women, which oddly doesn't come much into these three stories (unless you count Cordelia), so if you want some of that try volume one of "The Xander Years". Mariotte has a brisk, clear style that highlights Xander's virtues and shortcomings, and like all these character-based books has four double-sided pages of coloured photographs.

I've always had a soft spot for Xander, and out of all the relationships/friendships on the show it was the connection between Xander and Buffy that fascinated me the most. Although I have nothing to back this up, I've always been of the opinion that his failure with women was simply because he never really gave up his love for Buffy. But that belongs in a fan fiction, whilst this is a great item for any Xander-fan, as is volume one. Is a third volume forthcoming?

Rating:
Summary: The continuing misadventures of Xander the "Zeppo" Harris
Review: Jeff Mariotte has the writing honors in this novelization of three episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" focusing on the dubious exploits of Xander Harris. Since Mariotte worked on the Second Volume of "The Watcher's Guide," he obviously has more than a passing familiarity with the Buffy mythos in general and the tribulations of Xander in particular. Chapters 1-5 cover "The Pack" from Season 1, in which Principal Flutie is devoured by students. Chapters 6-10 cover "Go Fish" from Season 2, where Xander suddenly becomes a stud on the swimming team. But the prize of the collection is Season 3's "The Zeppo," covered in Chapters 11-15 plus the epilogue, where Xander is left to his own devices while Buffy and the Scooby Gang face another end of the world type monster. Xander has to deal with a new car, a friendly gang of dead guys, and has a memorable encounter with Faith. Mariotte uses the ending from "The Zeppo" (a reference to the fourth and least necessary of the original Marx Brothers) as the fitting finale to the prologue/interludes he wrote to tie the three episodes together. A very classy move on this part; he could not improve on that moment and he did not waste time trying. Hopefully Mariotte will be entrusted with more such novelizations in the future. So, if you have downloaded the first volume of the Xander Years as an e-book, you will enjoy the second effort even more.

Rating:
Summary: The continuing misadventures of Xander the "Zeppo" Harris
Review: Jeff Mariotte has the writing honors in this novelization of three episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" focusing on the dubious exploits of Xander Harris. Since Mariotte worked on the Second Volume of "The Watcher's Guide," he obviously has more than a passing familiarity with the Buffy mythos in general and the tribulations of Xander in particular. Chapters 1-5 cover "The Pack" from Season 1, in which Principal Flutie is devoured by students. Chapters 6-10 cover "Go Fish" from Season 2, where Xander suddenly becomes a stud on the swimming team. But the prize of the collection is Season 3's "The Zeppo," covered in Chapters 11-15 plus the epilogue, where Xander is left to his own devices while Buffy and the Scooby Gang face another end of the world type monster. Xander has to deal with a new car, a friendly gang of dead guys, and has a memorable encounter with Faith. Mariotte uses the ending from "The Zeppo" (a reference to the fourth and least necessary of the original Marx Brothers) as the fitting finale to the prologue/interludes he wrote to tie the three episodes together. A very classy move on this part; he could not improve on that moment and he did not waste time trying. Hopefully Mariotte will be entrusted with more such novelizations in the future. So, if you have downloaded the first volume of the Xander Years as an e-book, you will enjoy the second effort even more.

Rating:
Summary: The continuing misadventures of Xander "the Zeppo" Harris
Review: Jeff Mariotte has the writing honors in this novelization of three episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer focusing on the dubious exploits of Xander Harris. Since Mariotte worked on the Second Volume of "The Watcher's Guide," he obviously has more than a passing familiarity with the Buffy mythos in general and the tribulations of Xander in particular. Chapters 1-5 cover "The Pack" from Season 1, in which Principal Flutie is devoured by students. Chapters 6-10 cover "Go Fish" from Season 2, where Xander suddenly becomes a stud on the swimming team. But the prize of the collection is Season 3's "The Zeppo," covered in Chapters 11-15 plus the epilogue, where Xander is left to his own devices while Buffy and the Scooby Gang face another end of the world type monster. Xander has to deal with a new car, a friendly gang of dead guys, and has a memorable encounter with Faith. Mariotte uses the ending from "The Zeppo" (a reference to the fourth and least necessary of the original Marx Brothers) as the fitting finale to the prologue/interludes he wrote to tie the three episodes together. A very classy move on this part; he could not improve on that moment and he did not waste time trying. Hopefully Mariotte will be entrusted with more such novelizations in the future.

Rating:
Summary: The continuing misadventures of Xander "the Zeppo" Harris
Review: Jeff Mariotte has the writing honors in this novelization of three episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer focusing on the dubious exploits of Xander Harris. Since Mariotte worked on the Second Volume of "The Watcher's Guide," he obviously has more than a passing familiarity with the Buffy mythos in general and the tribulations of Xander in particular. Chapters 1-5 cover "The Pack" from Season 1, in which Principal Flutie is devoured by students. Chapters 6-10 cover "Go Fish" from Season 2, where Xander suddenly becomes a stud on the swimming team. But the prize of the collection is Season 3's "The Zeppo," covered in Chapters 11-15 plus the epilogue, where Xander is left to his own devices while Buffy and the Scooby Gang face another end of the world type monster. Xander has to deal with a new car, a friendly gang of dead guys, and has a memorable encounter with Faith. Mariotte uses the ending from "The Zeppo" (a reference to the fourth and least necessary of the original Marx Brothers) as the fitting finale to the prologue/interludes he wrote to tie the three episodes together. A very classy move on this part; he could not improve on that moment and he did not waste time trying. Hopefully Mariotte will be entrusted with more such novelizations in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Another nice trio of Xander episodes
Review: Like the first volume of this "sub-series," these are truly episodes that focus on the troubled life of Xander Harris. "The Zeppo" is my favorite, mainly because it strikes my funny bone head-on to think that Coredlia actually knows about the Marx Brothers. Actually, I figured that particular allusion went over the heads of the vast majority of the Buffy audience. But it is nice that Joss tosses a bone to us older fans every once in a while. Anyhow, for my money this is one of the better Buffy novelizations.

Rating:
Summary: Another nice trio of Xander episodes
Review: Like the first volume of this "sub-series," these are truly episodes that focus on the troubled life of Xander Harris. "The Zeppo" is my favorite, mainly because it strikes my funny bone head-on to think that Coredlia actually knows about the Marx Brothers. Actually, I figured that particular allusion went over the heads of the vast majority of the Buffy audience. But it is nice that Joss tosses a bone to us older fans every once in a while. Anyhow, for my money this is one of the better Buffy novelizations.

Rating:
Summary: Another nice trio of Xander episodes
Review: Like the first volume of this "sub-series," these are truly episodes that focus on the troubled life of Xander Harris. "The Zeppo" is my favorite, mainly because it strikes my funny bone head-on to think that Coredlia actually knows about the Marx Brothers. Actually, I figured that particular allusion went over the heads of the vast majority of the Buffy audience. But it is nice that Joss tosses a bone to us older fans every once in a while. Anyhow, for my money this is one of the better Buffy novelizations.

Rating:
Summary: Coming of Age
Review: The novelization of these three particular teleplays creates a wonderful coming of age story. Xander grows from a 16 year old with raging hormones to an 18 year old discovering his own worth. Mr. Mariotte's back story is excellent. It bridges stories from the first, second and third seasons skillfully. Even if a person had not seen the television series they could follow the progression of events from one story to the next. It is a fun read and a must read for Xander fans.

Rating:
Summary: Xander in simplicity
Review: This addition to the Buffy series and to the Xander-centeredXander Years part of the series captures the true essence of thecharacter Xander.From his hyena stage in his sophomore year (The Pack) to his experienceas with swimmers-turned-fish (Go Fish) to being the odd man out (The Zeppo), this book is an overall celebration of Xander's true self.