*Book source ~ Library
Series ~ Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author ~ Christopher Golden
Publisher ~ Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Published ~ 1 October 2000
Genre ~ Paranormal | Media Tie-In
Pages ~ 305
My Rating ~ 4 bites
Drusilla’s 80th birthday (of becoming
a vampire) is approaching and Spike wants to get her something especially nice.
For the first time Dru has actually asked for a specific item, so he sets out
to find it. As WWII breaks out in Europe, Spike and Dru travel to Norway to
seek out a myth, a legend, the ancient Skrymir. They’re surprised he’s actually
alive and even more surprised when he strikes a deal with them: kill the Slayers-in-training
and then the Slayer and he’ll give them Freyja’s Strand, a magical necklace
that allows the wearer to shapeshift. Since that sounds like quite a fun time,
Spike and Drusilla agree and set their killing spree in motion.
The current Slayer and her Watcher are called to
London when the Council realizes what Spike and Drusilla are doing. Determined
to stop the murderous fiends before the line of Slayers is lost, Sophie and
Yanna head back to Europe to put an end to their trail of bloodshed. But events
are working against them and hope is fading. Will this be the end of the Chosen
Ones?
Any fan of the show, and of Spike and Drusilla
in particular, will love this story. Happening from March to September in 1940,
long before they make their way to Sunnydale, this is the evil duo who revels
in slaughter. And make no mistake, it’s creatively gory. Well-written and told
from several POVs I think Christopher Golden hit Spike and Drusilla’s
personalities and dialogue on the head. I had no problem picturing them in full
technicolor, as if this were several episodes of the show. I particularly liked
Sophie. It’s nice to get in the head of a Slayer other than Buffy or Faith. My
only complaint is one that irks me, extremely so. There is a detail towards the
end, and I will not spoil it here, that is off from the show in a big way.
Not.Happy. I really hate when media tie-ins don’t match the show in fundamental
and important details. It may not bother others, but I took off a whole bite
for it, hence a 4 instead of 5. However, this was an entertaining read even
with that disappointment. I would definitely check out more of Golden’s work.
Ah, bummer ! Anyway, I'm a *huge* fan of Spike (and Drusilla), so I'll happily jump into that novel ! Thanks very much for sharing :D
ReplyDeleteI've read some graphic novels, but this is the first actual book I've read in the Buffyverse. I think you'll love it. I loved it right up to that one important detail. It may not bother you though. Enjoy! :)
Delete