Customer Reviews

Deep Water (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was going to give Deep Water 3 stars about half way through the book. To be honest, I wasn't really that interested in how they were going to help Ariel the selkie girl. But, when the merrows from the water came in and starting terrorising the town of Sunnydale, that is when this book starts to get really encapturing with it's plot. Willow really takes the lead in this book, with Buffy actually working fantastically as a supporting character just this once, her sarcastic lines and cool comebacks have never been quite so clever. But, that's not all that is clever about this book. The mythology is amazing. I can see why it took two people to write this book, because the myths and legends tale, also the old Celtic and Irish stories must've been very hard to put into a modern day novel that would enthral everyone. Not only that, but they have to work out all those Buffy--kickin' moves, of course! There is no shortage of action, that all comes at the end, but mostly, this is a story about the old legends of selkies, which, suprisingly, is fabulous. If I could flaw this book, I would say that the character of Dr. Lee is annoying and unnecessary and sometimes it just becomes a little bit...stupid. Buffy: Deep Water remains a good fantasy.

Deep Waters brings a unique twist to the Buffy novels by introducing a Selkie and Merrows, both ancient sea creatures. A Selkie is a shape-shifting seal girl and Merrows are nasty creatures similar to mermaids. Willow, on one of her environmental rescue efforts, comes across a dainty oil clad creature and returns her to the library to learn what it is and how to get it back to the ocean. During their research, they discover she is a selkie and that her skin must be cleaned of oil before she can be returned to her natural habitat.

The Merrows, who also were affected by the oil spill, are downright nasty creatures and begin to kill people and wreak havoc on Sunnydale. It's up to Buffy and the gang to keep the town safe from the Merrows and at the same time restore the Selkie (given the name Ariel) to her natural environment.

The book is very funny at times due to some great dialog. There's also alot of Celtic history provided along with the good old fashioned bad guy slaying. Buffy fans will not want to pass this one up.

I thought Deep Water was good, but not the best Buffy book written.(I would know, I've read them all) It held it's own, and the characterizations were good. I thought Oz didn't get enough play, and the turf war between vampires and other mythological creatures wasn't very original(it was a turf war with fareies in Unnatural Selection, a previous Buffy book)The child selkie making Giles mushy was a cute idea though, and the references to Buffy's other bad experiences with water were a nice touch. Overall, I thought it was a slightly above average book in the series.

Willow takes the lead in this novel. I enjoyed the use of the celtic mythology. Giles cast in the role as babysitter was a hoot. It is a fresh approach to the hellmouth. I was disappointed that Angel took a backseat in the action. I would have thought that he would have been more involved because of the Irish connection. But the story is strong and the characters well developed. The emotions run high. As Cordelia says "Love removed so suddenly seems to demand an equally strong emotion to replace it...like hatred". Readers should find themselves strongely drawn to this book as the scoobie gang is drawn to the selkie. I recommend it.

Not only am I a big Buffy fan but I am also a huge fan of all of the creatures that dwell within the ocean. I think that is one of the biggest reasons why I really enjoyed this book. Buffy and friends end up meeting Ariel (nickname deriving from the popular Disney film) when Willow discovers her while helping clean up an oil spill on one of Sunnydales beaches. Through out the book Buffy and the gang battle monsters, do their research into the things that dwell beneath as well as Buffy has time to reflect on the fact that she had died previously by drowning at the hands of the Master (flashback to the Harvest and thanks to Xander for the resusitation). This fact in the end helps Buffy overcome her fear of water and to be able to defeat the big "baddie" in the end. There was a lesson here within the pages as there is in most Buffy books, if you face something that you are afraid of, it is not as frightening anymore. The fact that we run away from what we are afraid of, makes that thing more powerful. All in all, I enjoyed this book and am glad to be able to add it to my "Buffy" library.

Set in the third season, Willow gets involved in helping rescue animals after an oil tanker leaks near Sunnydale. Among the usual birds Willow finds a naked young girl clutching an oil soaked pelt. The girl is a selkie, a seal-like creature that can appear human. The oil on her pelt is preventing her from retreating back to the sea. The Selkie's magical nature makes magic a requirement for the cleaning. As Willow and Giles try to determine how to help Ariel (the selkie) the rest of the gang soon finds there is other trouble afoot.

Ariel is not the only magical creature to come ashore. Some sort of predator has also come ashore. This predator attacks human and vampire alike. The vampires are running scared at the new threat and that does not bode well for Sunnydale. Soon it becomes hard to work on Ariel's problem without fighting off the new predators. How will Willow get Ariel back to sea? How will Buffy and Angel eliminate the new predatory threat? Who else seems to be tracking down Ariel? You will have to read the book to find out.

This writing team has struck gold again with their dead-on characterizations and use of fascinating mythological elements that wouldn't normally get play on the show. The love that these authors have for the show comes through clearly on the page. Suspenseful fun with a good dose of humor -- highly enjoyable!

DEEP WATER

By Laura Anne Gilman & Josepha Sherman (2000)

RATING: 4/5 Stakes

SETTING: Season Three

CAST APPEARANCES: Buffy, Giles, Willow, Oz, Xander, Cordelia, Angel, Joyce, Willy

MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Ariel (selkie), Dr. Julian Lee (marine researcher)

BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "Willow's soft spot for critters finds her spending a cold winter morning along the coast as part of a volunteer rescue team, cleaning up an oil spill that has damaged the marine habitat. While climbing over some rocks, she discovers another unexpected victim of the spillage--a selkie, a shape-shifting seal girl who won't be able to return to the sea until the oil is removed from her coat. Willow takes the creature back to the library so that Giles and the Slayerettes can help her to restore her magickal coat. However, though `Ariel,' as the posse dubs her, is endearing in her innocence, Buffy can't quite shaker her innate suspicions of the creature whose nature, like the ocean, is ever changing. Unfortunately, the spill has forced more than a selkie from the cold water. Merrows look very much like traditional mermaids--with one important and fatal difference. As if things weren't complicated enough . . ."

REVIEW

The basic plot of Deep Water is relatively simple--Willow discovers a young selkie that has taken the form of a ten-year old girl. Stranded on the beach because of oil on her coat, the selkie is unable to return home unless Willow and Giles can discover a way to return the coat to its natural state. Of course, nice selkies aren't the only denizens of the ocean--a band of bloodthirsty merrows has decided to make the beaches of Sunnydale their home. Throw a semi-crazed marine biologist and a war between merrows and vampires into the mix, and you have all the makings of what could be a rather cheesy addition to the Buffy canon. Indeed, Deep Water isn't even the first time the Scooby Gang has faced monsters from the ocean--the Season Two episode "Go Fish" featured a demonic swim team similar in essence to merrows.

However, the authors of Deep Water somehow make the book work. Not only is the story well plotted and paced, the novel contains a rarity among Buffy books: real humor and strong dialogue. Of particular interest is the portrayal of Buffy's jealousy over Giles' father-like bond with the selkie girl. Cordelia has some great moments in the book and the turf-war between merrows and vampires is exciting and bloody--indeed, it's one of the only times I can ever remember cheering for Sunnydale's most-pummeled inhabitants.

Although Deep Water isn't a deep or moving novel, it does contain the wit and action of a solid Buffy episode and is therefore worth picking up.

This was yet another good Buffy book. In the story, the groupis trying to protect a young selkie girl and return her to her home in the sea. I thought the characterizations were very good. The characters acted and spoke like on the show, unlike in the previous Buffy book, Resurrecting Ravana, which was a little weak when it came to characterizations. I would also like to comment on how much the authors have improved since their other Buffy book, Visitors.

The authors have told a highly enjoyable Buffy tale and got the characterizations dead on! I've read all the novels to date, and I've been disappointed that some of the more recent authors have been unable to get the characters right. I would be happy to read another Buffy tale by these writers.