This was not a big winner for me

I read a review that said this book was a must for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fans and that the narration was really good and I can't really agree with that. While I enjoyed the thought of a book set in the world of Buffy, it didn't quite live up to my expectations of a great book or a very good listen for me.

Okay, I'll start with the story itself...It was okay, I just can't call it good/great. There wasn't anything about the characters in the story that made me really like/love them or particularly relate to them, and that is pretty key for me in any story, whether fantasy or realistic. If I don't care enough about the characters, then I just don't end up being very invested in the story and what happens to the people in the book. I love YA, but I felt like these kids were a little too immature for me. I will say it did make me want to go back and watch old episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" though, so mission accomplished with that.

I was not a fan of the narration. From the very beginning I kept toying with returning the book and just getting the ebook so I could read it myself instead. The narrator was very deliberate and kind of slow in the way she spoke, to the point that it almost sounded robotic to me. Maybe others will enjoy it as much as the other reviewer I saw did, but I just struggled with it the whole way through. I literally stopped playing it and almost logged in to Audible to return it at least 3 times but in the end I kept going.

I hate to leave a negative review, but I just felt like this audiobook missed the mark and since I only saw one review when I looked at it, I thought it might benefit someone else to have a heads-up...

19 people found this helpful

Moronic. Don't waste your time, money or Audible c

I realized that as a man in his 40's that I was not the target audience for this book, but being a huge "Buffy" and Whedon fan, I thought I'd give it a shot. If you are reading "Slayer" in hopes of recapturing some of the magic of the Buffy Whedonverse save your time and your Audible credit for something else.
The characters were one-dimensional archetypes, the story-line was heavily derisive with an obvious conclusion ("Chekov's Gun" much?), and the prose was puerile. Also, the narration by Madeleine Maby was uninspired at best. Ms. Maby's acting was so familiar (unoriginal) that I checked her list of previous works to remind me where I had heard her voicework before. (The answer to that was "I hadn't".) Also, how does a voice actor get a job narrating a book in which a third of the characters are Irish, without being able to do a passable Irish accent?

I don't write many negative reviews. Usually If a book stinks I just return it.
Readers of this review may ask "It's a YA book set in the universe of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", what did you expect?
My answer to that query would be, "Not much, but more than this."

9 people found this helpful

A must for Buffy fans

I found the story very compelling and the characters well developed. I was scared that I would not enjoy this at all as a die-hard Buffy fan. But, I have to admit that it was such a good story and the narrator was also very good. 5/5 stars

8 people found this helpful

I wanted it to be better

It's no small order asking someone to continue the Buffyverse. But it's such a big ask that it seems the storyline and writing should have been very heavily vetted by the PTB. There is something missing in this book and I think it's, in a word, joy. It's joyless. The characters don't feel bonded. They don't like being themselves and they don't like each other. If you look at Buffy, the characters have a lot more joy and fun and generally like being around each other. Nina, on the other hand, is so alienated and self-peotective and angsty, and so is everyone else in the castle. Being a watcher in an old castle, even a ragtag bunch, should be a lot more fun and cool than this. It continues like this into the following book, which I'm reading now, and it bothered me so much that it hadn't changed, and the character hadn't grown, that I had to come back and write this review.

Ultimately I don't really want to spend time with Nina, or Artemis, and that's the kiss of death. The author has been given the privilege of writing in the Buffyverse and I feel like she hasn't internalized the good writing lessons we can all learn from Buffy. I'll keep reading though, and hope for something to change.

2 people found this helpful

Left me wanting more!

I listened to this audible on my walks and runs and loved every minute of it. I would walk more just to keep listening. Kiersten White is an amazing writer and storyteller. Loved this novel.

2 people found this helpful

great new chapter in the buffy-verse

If you were ever a fan of the iconic show.
Or became a fan through the comics.
Or have never heard if Buffy Summers, slayers, Watchers, or hellmouths.
This book is great fun and funny! Very much looking forward to the sequel. and many more to come.

2 people found this helpful

YES

This book is every BTVS fans dream come true. I LOVED it. I was a little nervous to start it, because I was afraid it would feel off somehow, since the buffyverse has been my life for so many years now. But this is honestly a perfect addition to the fandom, and I can't wait for the next book. I'm totally hoping for a spinoff tv-series based on this series.

2 people found this helpful

Gerrrrrargggg

A nice little slayer story. Easy to listen to. I will follow the series. The end.

2 people found this helpful

Buffy Fans will Enjoy!

As a fan of the Buffy verse I enjoyed this story and finished within a week. I loved the other side of the Buffy verse that wasn’t much explained (the counsel) and loved the mentioning of Buffy and her friends throughout and how much this story stayed true to the Buffy verse while at the same time creating new characters.

1 person found this helpful

Hooked

I’ve been a long time fan of Buffy since I was a child and I’ve played the two video games and read a lot of the graphic novels. I re-watch the series once a year. This book brings me right back into that world and I can’t wait for the second. The performance was great a well.