The Warslayer

Rating:
Summary: If you like kick action heroines...
Review: "The Warslayer" might as well be titled, "Glory McArdle comes of age." It's fast, funny, and tells a rousing story of mistaken identity, second chances, and for a woman who honestly believes in her own incompetence to find out she's wrong after all.

The story is as follows: Glory MacArdle is a former Olympic quality gymnast-turned-actress. She's a TV actress, sort of a Xena set in the Elizabethan era, and she's good at what she does. But she was picked more for her gymnastic ability than for her acting, and she wonders why people are making such a big deal of her, right before the Allimir mistake _her_ for her character. Once taken from her familiar surroundings, Glory has a choice; she can go back home, and doom the Allimir to lingering death, or she can fight, even though she's not really competent. (The Allimir have no other options; it's her or no one at all.) It's a fairly standard "mistaken identity" ploy, but Ms. Edghill renders it much better than average because of the witty dialogue, strong characterization, pop culture references, and Glory's search for meaning.

One other reviewer said he found none of that. Funny, I remember a dream sequence where Glory was facing her idealized self -- and the idealized self told her she was doing fine, and on the right road. And I remember a whole lot of other stuff, where Glory tells the remaining Allimir about how she's not really competent to fight -- but then, realizing how incompetent the rest of them are, chooses to stay and fight _for_ them. That shows strength of character; she could have just gone home.

Another reviewer was rather upset that Ms. Edghill had written this book, rather than another "Sword of Maiden's Tears" novel. Considering how well this novel was written, I don't understand that. This is not filler; it _is_ light, but it's not total fluff, and it does have a moral. The bad guys lose, and the good guys win, despite the heroine's lack of belief in herself. What's wrong with that?

I think it's a triumph, mostly because it _is_ a departure. And although this book could have been straight satire, and I'd have enjoyed it immensely due to Ms. Edghill's writing skills, I'm glad she didn't choose to do that. Instead, she went for a real plot, with real, identifiable goals, and managed to get me to empathize with a young, thin, glamorous woman (when I'm anything but these things) because of Glory's search for inner meaning as well as her place in the world.

Because Glory tries so hard to help the Allimir, even though she knows she's not competent, and because the plot is so well-executed by Ms. Edghill, I'd give this book at least four stars. I'd give it four and a half, if there was a way to do that, because it is very deftly done, and more to the point, it shows how someone _can_ rise to the occasion -- with just the right impetus.

As for the sequel possibilities, it might be nice to see; if "Xena: Warrior Princess" can spin off all sorts of stuff, why can't Rosemary Edghill?

And the episode guide at the end was a very nice addition, too. Gave me some extra chuckles, and that's always welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Good, funny, light twist on the Coming of Age premise
Review: "The Warslayer" might as well be titled, "Glory McArdle comes of age." It's fast, funny, and tells a rousing story of mistaken identity, second chances, and for a woman who honestly believes in her own incompetence to find out she's wrong after all.

The story is as follows: Glory MacArdle is a former Olympic quality gymnast-turned-actress. She's a TV actress, sort of a Xena set in the Elizabethan era, and she's good at what she does. But she was picked more for her gymnastic ability than for her acting, and she wonders why people are making such a big deal of her, right before the Allimir mistake _her_ for her character. Once taken from her familiar surroundings, Glory has a choice; she can go back home, and doom the Allimir to lingering death, or she can fight, even though she's not really competent. (The Allimir have no other options; it's her or no one at all.) It's a fairly standard "mistaken identity" ploy, but Ms. Edghill renders it much better than average because of the witty dialogue, strong characterization, pop culture references, and Glory's search for meaning.

One other reviewer said he found none of that. Funny, I remember a dream sequence where Glory was facing her idealized self -- and the idealized self told her she was doing fine, and on the right road. And I remember a whole lot of other stuff, where Glory tells the remaining Allimir about how she's not really competent to fight -- but then, realizing how incompetent the rest of them are, chooses to stay and fight _for_ them. That shows strength of character; she could have just gone home.

Another reviewer was rather upset that Ms. Edghill had written this book, rather than another "Sword of Maiden's Tears" novel. Considering how well this novel was written, I don't understand that. This is not filler; it _is_ light, but it's not total fluff, and it does have a moral. The bad guys lose, and the good guys win, despite the heroine's lack of belief in herself. What's wrong with that?

I think it's a triumph, mostly because it _is_ a departure. And although this book could have been straight satire, and I'd have enjoyed it immensely due to Ms. Edghill's writing skills, I'm glad she didn't choose to do that. Instead, she went for a real plot, with real, identifiable goals, and managed to get me to empathize with a young, thin, glamorous woman (when I'm anything but these things) because of Glory's search for inner meaning as well as her place in the world.

Because Glory tries so hard to help the Allimir, even though she knows she's not competent, and because the plot is so well-executed by Ms. Edghill, I'd give this book at least four stars. I'd give it four and a half, if there was a way to do that, because it is very deftly done, and more to the point, it shows how someone _can_ rise to the occasion -- with just the right impetus.

As for the sequel possibilities, it might be nice to see; if "Xena: Warrior Princess" can spin off all sorts of stuff, why can't Rosemary Edghill?

And the episode guide at the end was a very nice addition, too. Gave me some extra chuckles, and that's always welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Oh, too bad!
Review: I am a die-hard Rosemary Edgehill (Eluki Bes Shahar) fan,
but this one let me down. Compared with her delightful,
original, and unfairly truncated Twelve Treasures series and
her wonderful Bast mysteries, this novel was a clunker.
Its framing device is clumsy and just doesn't work, and
Glory/Vixen doesn't crack wise as naturally and realistically
as a typical Eluki heroine. Even Eluki's collaborations
with Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey seem more her own
style. I even liked her Wiccan romance novel better!
Ah, Eluki, what happened?

Rating:
Summary: Oh, too bad!
Review: I am a die-hard Rosemary Edgehill (Eluki Bes Shahar) fan,
but this one let me down. Compared with her delightful,
original, and unfairly truncated Twelve Treasures series and
her wonderful Bast mysteries, this novel was a clunker.
Its framing device is clumsy and just doesn't work, and
Glory/Vixen doesn't crack wise as naturally and realistically
as a typical Eluki heroine. Even Eluki's collaborations
with Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey seem more her own
style. I even liked her Wiccan romance novel better!
Ah, Eluki, what happened?

Rating:
Summary: Nice idea but doesn't cut it
Review: I'll give this an extra star for a great concept - but that only brings it up to 3 stars because I didn't like the presentation.

It's standard, almost to the point of cliche, to comment in a fiction book how a fiction book would gloss over all those little realistic details that have to happen in everyday life. This book didn't skip over them and that's what I don't think I liked. It was too realistic. I don't want realistic in my fiction, I want dramatic, astounding and amazing. I want to escape reality for a little while, not wallow in it.

I just didn't get drawn in and immersed. I somehow remained outside looking in, knowing I was outside.

You have to admire the attention to detail of someone who creates an actual episode guide (includign some with bad reviews) for a show that only exists in a fictional book. But that doesn't mean you necessarily want to read said episode guide. Somehow I think Buffy's ratings are secure if this is the competition.

Rating:
Summary: What to Do When the Script is Real
Review: I'm not sure what I expected when I picked this book out. Rosemary Edghill is best known to me as the author of three excellent mystery stories, starring a witch named Bast, set in contemporary New York. These are some of my favorite mysteries. Edghill has also written some fantasy and romance, that I liked a bit less. 'Warslayer' is something else entirely, the story of what happens when a gymnast turned television Buffy clone is kidnapped and transported to a world where evil is winning, and where the people have no idea how to defend themselves.

At first I thought Edghill was completely serious about the Buffy/Xena clone called Vixen the Slayer, whose real name is Gloria McArdle. Fortunately, Gloria has no illusions about her ability to rescue the Allimir. However, while Gloria is unfit to take on the blackhearted Warmother, the Allimir are truly incompetent in conflict. As a result, an entire world of people has been reduced to 400 individuals who spend most of their time fleeing from badness. When Gloria is inadvertently shanghaied by three wizards (Belegir, Englor, and Helevrin), she realizes that, if she does nothing, the world of Erchane will end with her in it.

Gloria (aka Glory) does better than expected, coping with bear-rats, magic swords and invisible things that burn down cities. As she progresses from unwilling visitor to very angry defender of the Allimir, she matures as a person, coming to question some of her old values. Unlike Buffy and Xena who change only reluctantly, Glory is willing to learn and adapt without any excess theater. I may have started out wondering if I was going to be able to stand this jock with the dyed red hair, but in the end, I was a fan. Glory is a hero because she doesn't try to be one.

Edghill, who has been a bit off-stride for the past few years, seems to have regained her powers. Perhaps it is the return to first person narrative and the use of interior monologue. Her writing is smooth and comfortable, and the tale told with a light, humorous touch. I would have liked to see a bit more development in the characters around Glory, but the book holds much promise. I have hopes that Edghill will follow through with more titles in this series. I think you will feel the same way.

Rating:
Summary: What to Do When the Script is Real
Review: I'm not sure what I expected when I picked this book out. Rosemary Edghill is best known to me as the author of three excellent mystery stories, starring a witch named Bast, set in contemporary New York. These are some of my favorite mysteries. Edghill has also written some fantasy and romance, that I liked a bit less. 'Warslayer' is something else entirely, the story of what happens when a gymnast turned television Buffy clone is kidnapped and transported to a world where evil is winning, and where the people have no idea how to defend themselves.

At first I thought Edghill was completely serious about the Buffy/Xena clone called Vixen the Slayer, whose real name is Gloria McArdle. Fortunately, Gloria has no illusions about her ability to rescue the Allimir. However, while Gloria is unfit to take on the blackhearted Warmother, the Allimir are truly incompetent in conflict. As a result, an entire world of people has been reduced to 400 individuals who spend most of their time fleeing from badness. When Gloria is inadvertently shanghaied by three wizards (Belegir, Englor, and Helevrin), she realizes that, if she does nothing, the world of Erchane will end with her in it.

Gloria (aka Glory) does better than expected, coping with bear-rats, magic swords and invisible things that burn down cities. As she progresses from unwilling visitor to very angry defender of the Allimir, she matures as a person, coming to question some of her old values. Unlike Buffy and Xena who change only reluctantly, Glory is willing to learn and adapt without any excess theater. I may have started out wondering if I was going to be able to stand this jock with the dyed red hair, but in the end, I was a fan. Glory is a hero because she doesn't try to be one.

Edghill, who has been a bit off-stride for the past few years, seems to have regained her powers. Perhaps it is the return to first person narrative and the use of interior monologue. Her writing is smooth and comfortable, and the tale told with a light, humorous touch. I would have liked to see a bit more development in the characters around Glory, but the book holds much promise. I have hopes that Edghill will follow through with more titles in this series. I think you will feel the same way.

Rating:
Summary: Familiar Themes Done With Humor
Review: I've enjoyed every book I've read so far by Rosemary Edghill, and this one is no exception.

As others have mentioned, this lead character in this book, Gloria (Glory) McArdle, is an amalgam of the lead characters of "Xena, Warrior Princess" and "Galaxy Quest", and plays the TV role of a ninja vampire slayer known as Vixen the Slayer. What makes this a fun book is that Glory tries to make it perfectly clear to the three mages (who inadvertently abduct her during their search for a hero to save their people) that she is not the hero they are looking for, she only plays one on TV. She doesn't try to disguise her lack of heroic capability, which is a refreshing change of pace. She's a woman who knows her limitations but who is put in an extrodinary situation, where she can either choose to rise to the challenge or walk away.

This book is a fast, funny and enjoyable read. There are many tongue-in-cheek pop culture references, and Glory has a wry sense of humor, especially when it comes to her Vixen costume and the importance of a sidekick. This book isn't going to reveal the secrets of the universe or dramatically change your life. It will, however, provide a few hours of good entertainment. Hopefully, it'll become a series. I, for one, want to read more about Glory's adventures

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: In Warslayer, the author starts with an intriguing premise: What if people from another universe mistook the actress playing an action-adventure heroine for the real thing? And what if that actress were secretely yearning for the opportunity to become her alter ego? In Warslayer, a peaceful trio from another universe arrive to recruit a hero from our world. They approach Glory Mac Cardle, an actress in the TV series "The Incredible True Adventures of Vixen the Slayer". Mistaking the actress Glory for her super hero alter-ego Vixen the Slayer, they ask her help to defeat the Warslayer. Glory turns them down, but then is accidentally transported to this other universe. Once there, she gets the opportunity she's subconciously been waiting for: To become Vixen fulltime. The premise is amusing, but the author never takes full advantage of it. What begins as a satire of butt kicking TV series heroines like Buffy and Xena, quickly lapses into just another action adventure. Don't expect any self examination as Glory takes on the personna of the killer Vixen. There is no hint that Glory was a misfit in modern society, who needed adversity to bring out her heroic side. The alternate universe, its inhabitants, the villianess and the heroine herself are not developed. If you want something more than a comic book plot, skip this book. If you are a Xena fan looking for a quick read, this book is just fine. If you are a fan of author Rosemary Edghill, skip this book and read her book "The Sword of Maiden's Tears" instead.

Rating:
Summary: Miss XENA? Then come, Camrado -- LIVE THE LEGEND!!!
Review: Now that Xena's dead and Buffy's working for Chickie-Beef, what's a girl to do for some butt-kickin' fun? Read The Warslayer, that's what! Get past the dorkie cover -- this book is great! Glory MacCardle is a gymnast-turned-TV-action-star, swapping kicks and punches with evil in "The Incredibly True Adventures of Vixen the Slayer" -- a show that owes lots to both Xena and Buffy and makes no bones about it. Then one day Glory gets tapped for a bigger role than mere leather-clad-icon -- a role it takes Vixen the Slayer to fill! I won't spoil the story for you, but trust me, The Warslayer's the most fun I've had since Xena turned in her chakrum. There's also a series guide, so you can argue over the respective merits of the various Vixen episodes. IS "Mommy for a Day" really the worst Vixen episode ever filmed? Decide for yourself!