The Book of Fours (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Nancy Holder (Author) "For India Cohen the Vampire Slayer, her return to awareness came like the switch of a light..." (more)
Key Phrases: vampire slayer, Christopher Bothwell, Ghost Roads, Cecile Lafitte (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Strictly for fans of the immensely popular TV series, this third hardcover spinoff novel from Stoker Award-winner Holder (Dead in the Water and numerous mass market Buffy books) remains faithful to formula. Here the four teenage heroines and dedicated "Slayers" indulge in "girl-talk" about mall-shopping, clothing, cosmetics, high school and boys when they aren't fighting vampires, trolls, demons and even an attractive ancient female villain, whom they attack with kung fu kicks, uppercuts, right crosses and straight faces at all times. Willow, Buffy's best friend, gets killed in an auto accident, but since she's vital to the show, it's no surprise when Willow returns. Buffy's "cured" vampire boyfriend, Angel, adds some male interest. The book has some, albeit negligibly little, humor, primarily implicit in the irony of a small, mythically American town, Sunnydale, Calif., being overrun by a throng of scenery-wrecking monsters. Too often this detracts from the eponymous star, as Buffy and her Slayers engage in endless, brainless action. The book should carry a warning label that it is unsuitable for anyone older than 16 to read unless accompanied by a child. Still, it is nice to know the world is safe from Evil. (Apr. 3) Forecast: The release of this tie-in novel is particularly timely, as a bidding war (and attendant media coverage) is brewing over the rights to this hit series, which Warner Brothers may or may not renew.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
The ghosts of Slayers past come to Sunnydale in this latest novel based on the hit TV show and set during the show's third season. Certain elements are out of whack in Sunnydale; hurricanes, flash floods, and fires plague the town. The Slayers, Buffy and Faith, as well as their friends, realize something supernatural is behind the natural disasters when mysterious axe-wielding figures appear amid the chaos. The spirits have been summoned by a powerful sorceress to kill the Slayers and feed their essence to the Gatherer, a being made up of pure evil. If the Gatherer manages to kill and feed on both Slayers, it will rise from the box in which it is imprisoned, leading to eternal chaos. In order to defeat the Gatherer, Buffy and Faith must call upon the ghosts of Kendra and India, two slain Slayers who encountered the Gatherer in their lifetimes. Full of the action and wit characteristic of the popular television series, The Book of Fours is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743412419
• ISBN-13: 978-0743412414
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #525,966 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This one's a bit complicated..., May 7, 2001

By	Alex H (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Fours (Hardcover)

Like I said, a bit complicated. But let us not dwell on its complicatedness. First the good bits. The plot for a start. Its so perfectly 'Buffy' that they could have based an entire season of the TV show around it. It jumps on you right from the prologue (which, by the way, is one of the best bits) and doesn't let up. The flashbacks are (whilst slightly too numerous) beautifully written and provide a great insight into slayers of the past and present, something which the show has failed to do a lot of the time.

However the slight downside to this book is that it requires the reader to keep his or her concentraition levels at level that resembles Buddhist monks. If they don't the result is nausea followed by bleeding from the ears followed by sudden cranial explosion, (or you might just lose the plot, which is also irritating). This especially true of the final chapter which I had to read 4 times before I got the jist of it.

So in conclusion, a super good read which I am happy to award 5 stars.

Oh wait, hang on. Oh yeah, half a star off for unnecessary over complication and half a star off for the really bad Seth Green joke which contained all the subtlety of being hit in the face with a sledgehammer.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slayers, Watchers, and demons Oh my!, April 8, 2001

By	algerina "algerina" (Saint Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Fours (Hardcover)

As always Nancy Holder delivers an action packed story. The Book of Fours is a complex tale of slayers past and present. A great evil the Gatherer sends out his wanderers of fire, water, air and earth to kill the slayers. His victory will end the line of slayers forever.

There are many elements to recommend this book to readers. The plot is interesting. Set in the time frame of the third season, Angel and Buffy are still together. Ms Holder has provided the tortured couple some lovely moments. Buffy and Faith take on some unique monsters as the story begins. The description of this particular battle is not to be read on a full stomach. It is both exciting and terribly humorous. The author also details the evil as it grows from nothingness to a great power with the help of a flea and a sparrow. It is almost poetic. The final battle is vivid. The action is heart stopping.

I can't give this novel five stars because for everything I enjoyed about it I found that it had too many characters, too many subplots, and too many flash backs. This is the first book of the Buffy the Vampire Series that I can only recommend to fans who have seen the television series or who have read the excellent Gatekeeper's Trilogy co-authored by the same author. Someone new to the tale of the chosen one, the mythology of the slayer would be confused or not understand the full impact of the plot.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Earth, Air, Water and Fire, May 11, 2001

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Book of Fours (Hardcover)

We're used to strange events in Sunnydale, but the latest problems make it doubtful that there will be a Sunnydale in the near future. An unstoppable forest fire, hurricanes, downtown tidal waves and a gratuitous earthquake pummel the unlucky city, and the Slayer and her faithful companions begin to smell a rat, or several rats. Buffy, Faith (appearing for the first time) and even poor Willow find themselves having nightmares, the very same nightmares. And the keep running into very irritated mummies with unpleasantly sharp axes.

Giles investigates and realizes that a universal bad hair day is in the works. The mummies are called the Wanderers, serving a prehistoric evil known as the Gatherer. To make matters worse, a voodoo queen and a gangster demon are also chasing Slayers. Not just the two current slayers, but their immediate predecessors India Cohen and Kendra become tangled up in the demonic plot. Even Willow and Cordelia must become directly involved in what becomes a titanic struggle to prevent the Gatherer from conquering Sunnydale and the rest of the world.

This is a complex plot, rich in parallel threads and frantic action. Perhaps a bit too complex. Prepare to have to pay attention. No one is quite who they seem to be and our young heroines must face magic and betrayal before they can confront their opponents.

Lately some of the Buffy chronicles have been slightly short on plot, but Nancy Holder has served up one of her best. At a time when the television series seems bogged down in one tragedy after another, it's a true relief to settle down with a Buffy story that is about the strength and courage that is the hallmark of Buffy and her companions.

The book provides a great mix of story and Slayer lore that will delight all fans. Despite the many zigzags taken by the plot, Holder manages to keep everything working together. This one's a keeper. Hopefully the author will figure out how to put Sunnydale back together again in time for the next novel.