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Highlander II · 1st December 2002, 05:37 PM

Yes - those Buffy-based books -

anyone else out there read any of these?

They are TERRIBLE -

The only one I've read that was any good at all was "These Our Actors" - which focused on Willow and Spike -- and oddly, it was co-authored by an author I don't like much - Ashley McConnell - now how's that for irony?

Christopher Golden needs to go learn the art of drama and action and rewrite "Spike & Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row" - too much extemporaneous, superfluous junk in that book - blah

And this "Unseen" trilogy that I've been plodding through - blah blah bla-biddy-blah -- the local newspaper is more exciting and they don't report on anything -- this trilogy has tried too hard to cram too much stuff into these books - the whole thing could have been done in one 300 page book, not 3 300 page books - that's 600 pages too many -- not to mention that half the characters are out of character anyway -- Spike is all wrong (not to mention the authors of this trilogy didn't do any better using him in the story than the BtVS writers ever have), Gunn doesn't sound quite right (not that I'm actually reading all of those parts, I'm mostly skimming), heck, even Wes and Giles are off, a little bit on Buffy and Angel too, the only character that they've actually gotten on the nose, is Riley - and he's boring anyway - not real feat to make him like that in the books --

This trilogy also suffers one of the maladys the shows themselves suffer - TOO MANY CHARACTERS! Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Tara, Riley, Anya, Joyce, and Spike for the Scoobies, and Angel, Cordy, Wes, Gunn, Phantom Dennis, Kate, and Faith for the Angel crew (ok - so, Faith doesn't quite show up until the 3rd book and way far in, but still, she's there) - that's just too damned many ppl - not to mention all the OTHER characters - the 'sub-characters' who get far too many pages devoted to telling us nothing about them - lots of long drawn out descriptions of nothing, mostly --

Oh - and don't even get me started on "PMaiaR" - ack what a bad book ---

BTW - if anyone really wants to know why I'm still reading these - 2 reasons - 1) I bought them, best not let them go to waste, entirely, 2) I needed to practice my speedreading - these are good for that -

have fun - and do NOT read these books - except "These Our Actors" - that one's fun ---

angelle myst · 2nd December 2002, 04:35 AM

Buffy books i've read - Book of Fours and Obsidian Fate.

*sigh* Obsidian Fate is the one i'm reading at the moment. They spelt Angelus wrong, they spelt it 'Angeles'

and its really annoyed me. I've only read a couple of chapters and i'm already annoyed but i'll have to finish it, its an annoying habit of mine, i cant leave a book unfinished.

I read Book of Fours first, i think its a book thats part of a series but can be read on its own, which is what i did. It was really good, it told us more about the Slayers before Buffy and the Watchers of Kendra and two other Watchers of Slayers before Buffy and there relationships. And it tied all the slayers lives togehter in a cool way

It was really quite fascinating right up until the end when it got a bit confusing but its worth a read, i might even get the other books that came before it.

xxx

Highlander II · 2nd December 2002, 04:16 PM

Well, I finished "Long Way Home" - book 3 - and it ended so stupid! argh! actually - the story didn't end - it just STOPPED - how bad is that?

I mean open endings and loose ends are ok - but not THAT open! ack!!!!!!

here's the ending in spoiler tags:

Okay - they get all the missing kids back home, then Buffy and friends get back, but Spike is apparently missing - w/ no explanation - until some weird-ass flashback to 1880 the night he was to be sired, and he's planning to have Dru sire him, then he bolts and leaps through a portal - and and and -- yeah - that's it - that's where it ends - Spike jumps through some portal leading from 1880 to - who-knows-where...

- like I said - really bad ending --- I was so mad I almost threw the book across the room!

My exact words upon finishing the thing -- "Oh, for crying out loud!" <chuck> tossed the book - I've never been so angry finishing a book before! gah!

angelle myst · 2nd December 2002, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Highlander II
Well, I finished "Long Way Home" - book 3 - and it ended so stupid! argh! actually - the story didn't end - it just STOPPED - how bad is that?

I mean open endings and loose ends are ok - but not THAT open! ack!!!!!!

here's the ending in spoiler tags:

Okay - they get all the missing kids back home, then Buffy and friends get back, but Spike is apparently missing - w/ no explanation - until some weird-ass flashback to 1880 the night he was to be sired, and he's planning to have Dru sire him, then he bolts and leaps through a portal - and and and -- yeah - that's it - that's where it ends - Spike jumps through some portal leading from 1880 to - who-knows-where...

- like I said - really bad ending --- I was so mad I almost threw the book across the room!

My exact words upon finishing the thing -- "Oh, for crying out loud!" <chuck> tossed the book - I've never been so angry finishing a book before! gah!

Thats really annoying

did the author do it to make way for a sequel?

xxx

Highlander II · 2nd December 2002, 10:47 PM

no - this was the final book in a 3 book series -

I was more than a little annoyed - and I will NOT be reading any more of Nancy Holder's works -- NONE!

I'd sooner sit through Angel crooning Barry Manilow --

angelle myst · 2nd December 2002, 11:04 PM

lol well i'll remember not to get that particular series of books then :rolly2:

Is that that Mandy song? *cringe*

xxx

obcooke · 3rd December 2002, 02:12 AM

[Sammy O'Neill: i'll have to finish it, its an annoying habit of mine, i cant leave a book unfinished.]

You know I used to have that same habit. Then I read a really bad book by Desmond Morris. I kept thinking that something interesting would eventually happen. I figured that if they published it, something must be in it. - I was wrong.

That cured me of having to finish books. After that I dropped books that weren't keeping my interest.

[Highlander II: the story didn't end - it just STOPPED - how bad is that?]

I felt the same way about Stephen King's THE STAND. I read this huge book and I felt that the end was a real cop-out.

The hand of God literally comes down and wipes out the bad guys, saving the good guys.

I haven't read any of the Buffy books. I like the show too much to let some hack muck it up or let them clutter up my memory of Buffy lore with stuff that only happens in books.

[Sammy O'Neill: Is that that Mandy song? *cringe*]

Good memory, Sammy!

Highlander II · 5th December 2002, 07:42 PM

Yeah - well, I don't think I'll be reading any more - I've read all the ones I bought, and I'm not getting more - they're not good - they're poorly written - they only get published b/c Buffy fans will buy them - and I can't believe I read the ones I have after that travesty of "Pretty Maids All in a Row" --

but - someone rec'd "These Our Actors" - and that one was nicely done - so, if you feel the burning need to read a BtVS book - read that one --

oh - and about "the Stand" - remind me never to read that -- egad what an ending -- how lame ---

angelle myst · 9th February 2003, 07:20 AM

I just bought a new book the other day, actually it's four Buffy books in one, it's called the Lost Slayer, i've only read the first 3 books of it so far but it is so great! They have the characterization of Faith slightly off (and also the author seems to think that when Buffy dies a new Slayer is called, but didn't they make the same mistake in an S7 ep?) anyway point is it is worth a read! It may give you back a little faith in the Buffy book world H2

xxx

Highlander II · 9th February 2003, 06:00 PM

Lost Slayer - which one is that?

B/c isn't there a book out there that does kind of a 'history of slayers' prior to Buffy?

Not that I'm gonna go run out and grab ANY BtVS books that aren't a Watcher's Guide or a Script Book anytime soon - but was just curious --

angelle myst · 9th February 2003, 08:25 PM

Yeah there are but i haven't read any. The slayer prior to Buffy was one called Lucy Hanover i think and she, the character, appears in The Lost Slayer and The Book of Fours.

The Lost Slayer isn't the book i don't think, it's what they named the collective of four books that go together, if you give me a while i could get the names of the four seperate books.

xxx

1st December 2002, 05:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
Highlander II There can be only one!! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 9,408	The Books -- Yes - those Buffy-based books - anyone else out there read any of these? They are TERRIBLE - The only one I've read that was any good at all was "These Our Actors" - which focused on Willow and Spike -- and oddly, it was co-authored by an author I don't like much - Ashley McConnell - now how's that for irony? Christopher Golden needs to go learn the art of drama and action and rewrite "Spike & Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row" - too much extemporaneous, superfluous junk in that book - blah And this "Unseen" trilogy that I've been plodding through - blah blah bla-biddy-blah -- the local newspaper is more exciting and they don't report on anything -- this trilogy has tried too hard to cram too much stuff into these books - the whole thing could have been done in one 300 page book, not 3 300 page books - that's 600 pages too many -- not to mention that half the characters are out of character anyway -- Spike is all wrong (not to mention the authors of this trilogy didn't do any better using him in the story than the BtVS writers ever have), Gunn doesn't sound quite right (not that I'm actually reading all of those parts, I'm mostly skimming), heck, even Wes and Giles are off, a little bit on Buffy and Angel too, the only character that they've actually gotten on the nose, is Riley - and he's boring anyway - not real feat to make him like that in the books -- This trilogy also suffers one of the maladys the shows themselves suffer - TOO MANY CHARACTERS! Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Tara, Riley, Anya, Joyce, and Spike for the Scoobies, and Angel, Cordy, Wes, Gunn, Phantom Dennis, Kate, and Faith for the Angel crew (ok - so, Faith doesn't quite show up until the 3rd book and way far in, but still, she's there) - that's just too damned many ppl - not to mention all the OTHER characters - the 'sub-characters' who get far too many pages devoted to telling us nothing about them - lots of long drawn out descriptions of nothing, mostly -- Oh - and don't even get me started on "PMaiaR" - ack what a bad book --- BTW - if anyone really wants to know why I'm still reading these - 2 reasons - 1) I bought them, best not let them go to waste, entirely, 2) I needed to practice my speedreading - these are good for that - have fun - and do NOT read these books - except "These Our Actors" - that one's fun ---

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2nd December 2002, 04:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
angelle myst Ash Join Date: May 2002 Location: Yorkshire, England. Posts: 1,772	Buffy books i've read - Book of Fours and Obsidian Fate. sigh Obsidian Fate is the one i'm reading at the moment. They spelt Angelus wrong, they spelt it 'Angeles' and its really annoyed me. I've only read a couple of chapters and i'm already annoyed but i'll have to finish it, its an annoying habit of mine, i cant leave a book unfinished. I read Book of Fours first, i think its a book thats part of a series but can be read on its own, which is what i did. It was really good, it told us more about the Slayers before Buffy and the Watchers of Kendra and two other Watchers of Slayers before Buffy and there relationships. And it tied all the slayers lives togehter in a cool way It was really quite fascinating right up until the end when it got a bit confusing but its worth a read, i might even get the other books that came before it. xxx

2nd December 2002, 04:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
Highlander II There can be only one!! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 9,408	Well, I finished "Long Way Home" - book 3 - and it ended so stupid! argh! actually - the story didn't end - it just STOPPED - how bad is that? I mean open endings and loose ends are ok - but not THAT open! ack!!!!!! here's the ending in spoiler tags: Okay - they get all the missing kids back home, then Buffy and friends get back, but Spike is apparently missing - w/ no explanation - until some weird-ass flashback to 1880 the night he was to be sired, and he's planning to have Dru sire him, then he bolts and leaps through a portal - and and and -- yeah - that's it - that's where it ends - Spike jumps through some portal leading from 1880 to - who-knows-where... - like I said - really bad ending --- I was so mad I almost threw the book across the room! My exact words upon finishing the thing -- "Oh, for crying out loud!" <chuck> tossed the book - I've never been so angry finishing a book before! gah!

2nd December 2002, 10:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
Highlander II There can be only one!! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 9,408	no - this was the final book in a 3 book series - I was more than a little annoyed - and I will NOT be reading any more of Nancy Holder's works -- NONE! I'd sooner sit through Angel crooning Barry Manilow --

2nd December 2002, 11:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
angelle myst Ash Join Date: May 2002 Location: Yorkshire, England. Posts: 1,772	lol well i'll remember not to get that particular series of books then :rolly2: Is that that Mandy song? cringe xxx

3rd December 2002, 02:12 AM	#7 (permalink)
obcooke OB-Wan Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 1,357	[Sammy O'Neill: i'll have to finish it, its an annoying habit of mine, i cant leave a book unfinished.] You know I used to have that same habit. Then I read a really bad book by Desmond Morris. I kept thinking that something interesting would eventually happen. I figured that if they published it, something must be in it. - I was wrong. That cured me of having to finish books. After that I dropped books that weren't keeping my interest. [Highlander II: the story didn't end - it just STOPPED - how bad is that?] I felt the same way about Stephen King's THE STAND. I read this huge book and I felt that the end was a real cop-out. The hand of God literally comes down and wipes out the bad guys, saving the good guys. I haven't read any of the Buffy books. I like the show too much to let some hack muck it up or let them clutter up my memory of Buffy lore with stuff that only happens in books. [Sammy O'Neill: Is that that Mandy song? cringe] Good memory, Sammy!

5th December 2002, 07:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
Highlander II There can be only one!! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 9,408	Yeah - well, I don't think I'll be reading any more - I've read all the ones I bought, and I'm not getting more - they're not good - they're poorly written - they only get published b/c Buffy fans will buy them - and I can't believe I read the ones I have after that travesty of "Pretty Maids All in a Row" -- but - someone rec'd "These Our Actors" - and that one was nicely done - so, if you feel the burning need to read a BtVS book - read that one -- oh - and about "the Stand" - remind me never to read that -- egad what an ending -- how lame ---

9th February 2003, 07:20 AM	#9 (permalink)
angelle myst Ash Join Date: May 2002 Location: Yorkshire, England. Posts: 1,772	I just bought a new book the other day, actually it's four Buffy books in one, it's called the Lost Slayer, i've only read the first 3 books of it so far but it is so great! They have the characterization of Faith slightly off (and also the author seems to think that when Buffy dies a new Slayer is called, but didn't they make the same mistake in an S7 ep?) anyway point is it is worth a read! It may give you back a little faith in the Buffy book world H2 xxx

9th February 2003, 06:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
Highlander II There can be only one!! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 9,408	Lost Slayer - which one is that? B/c isn't there a book out there that does kind of a 'history of slayers' prior to Buffy? Not that I'm gonna go run out and grab ANY BtVS books that aren't a Watcher's Guide or a Script Book anytime soon - but was just curious --

9th February 2003, 08:25 PM	#11 (permalink)
angelle myst Ash Join Date: May 2002 Location: Yorkshire, England. Posts: 1,772	Yeah there are but i haven't read any. The slayer prior to Buffy was one called Lucy Hanover i think and she, the character, appears in The Lost Slayer and The Book of Fours. The Lost Slayer isn't the book i don't think, it's what they named the collective of four books that go together, if you give me a while i could get the names of the four seperate books. xxx