Customer Reviews

Door to Alternity: The Unseen Trilogy, Book 2 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel crossover)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The second in the cross over series, The Unseen, The Door to Alternity leaves the reader wanting more. Picking up the story of gang war fare, corrupt cops, new monsters and disappearing teens; this book enlarges on each plot line. As Buffy and Angel learn the source of each problem they are drawn deeper into danger and closer together. Angel admits to himself that he and Buffy share the same soul, the same heart. Buffy struggles with her relationship to Riley now that Angel is back in her life. The Sunnydale gang finds it difficult to accept a new and improved Cordelia.

The pages crackle with action, gang fights and monster attacks. Everyone gets a chance to jump into the fray.

Tara's concern for Willow adds a nice layer of romance. The authors use Anya to provide the comic relief.

I recommend this book to all Buffy and Angel fans. I can't wait for number three.

Buffy continues to try and help Salma, a wealthy friend of Willow's, find her missing brother Nicky, who is involved with a very dangerous gang - and who has found himself in too deep with some deadly magic. Meanwhile, Cordelia tries to discover just how a young runaway girl disappeared into thin air. Things are further complicated when Salma herself disappears. Buffy and Angel discover they are both dealing with cases of missing kids who simply vanished. But Buffy must return to Sunnydale when she learns of a sudden outbreak of demonic activity there. She discovers the demons are coming out of portals from another dimension. Meanwhile, Angel discovers a young girl named Alina, who is the daughter of two renegade Communist scientists from the Soviet Union. Alina's parents have manipulated her into using her powers to cause the missing kids to be sucked into portals - and in the process, she has accidentally unleashed a plague of monsters upon this dimension. This thrilling second novel in Unseen, the Buffy and Angel crossover trilogy, was just as good as the first. I cant wait until the third book is released.

this one is kind of disappointing if you are thining (oh about time an angel buffy crossover). the 2 are in the book but they spend too much time in seperate places for me. this book however does have an up to date account of the 2 series up and until last season which is a refreshing change. the story continues with teenagers disappearing in la right in front of their friends. meanwhile in sunnydale, monsters of all types and sizes keep coming through a portal and keeping the scooby gang occupied. to make matters worse the gang warfare between the mexicans and the russinas escalate out of control. between bad cops on the take, gang warfare, missing teens and' monsters this book was quite intertaining. it gives all of our favorite characters from both shows a part to play and they come through brilliantly. hopefully in season three our vampire slayer and her vampire will work together more. these always made some of the best books. if you doh't beleive me read "child

of the hunt". arguably one of the best buffy books written.

When I reviewed the first volume of this series, "The Burning," I remarked the Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte had introduced enough plot complexity to last for several more volumes. After all, we had monsters striking from the shadows, street gangs, bad magic, refinery fires, wannabe vampires, and corrupt cops to work with. "Door to Alternity," rather than starting to resolve all this activity, introduces even more.

In Los Angeles it becomes clear that more and more teenagers and children of wealthy families are vanishing without a trace. Vanishing right in front of their friends. To add to the turf wars of the Hispanic gangs, the Russian Mafiya enters into the fray intent on claiming the streets for their own. Willow and Dona Pilar struggle to provide magical support for Buffy and Angel and track down Nicky and Salma Salidad as well. Gunn enters that fray as well, trying to keep the street people he protects from being destroyed in the gang war that is shaking Los Angeles.

Sunnydale fares no better. Giles finds that sightings of monsters has increased into the hundreds. Portals open and demons and other creatures come pouring out. It takes takes everything the remaining members of the home team (Giles, Tara, Spike, Xander and Anya) have to keep from being overwhelmed. Giles is forced to recall Buffy and Riley back to Sunnydale to help stop the onslaught.

Believe me, this is just the beginning. The plot will take several surprising turns before the gang can begin to understand the complex threat they are faced with. If Buffy and Angel cannot act together, events will continue to spin more and more out of control. Riley introduces complitations and challenges galore for Buffy, as she must come to understand her own feelings for both the men in her life. Tara also begins to play a more significant part as Willow's cohort and magical aid.

The authors, unused to dealing with the more mature characters of this trilogy still have some struggles with personalities. Buffy's quips are funny, but slightly immature. Riley's conversation is still mostly glorious hunk instead of wise warrior. Tara's personality is much as it is acted in the show, which I have always felt was a bit too week. But all these flaws are understandable, and Holder and Mariotte's characterizations are much less stilted than those in "The Burning." Without a doubt "Door to Alternity" is a worthy sequel. A classic one sitting read. I'm looking forward to the final installment.

"Door to Alternity," the second in the "Unseen" Buffy/Angel crossover trilogy, offers us an explanation for why people are disappearing in Los Angeles while monsters are popping up all over the place in Sunnydale. But what is more interesting is what we discover to be the power behind the opening of these doors to "alternity," as Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte offer an interesting twist on the downfall of the Soviet Union. Now we understand why the Russian Mafiya has been playing so prominent a role in the proceedings. However, overall "Door to Alternity" is pretty much a holding pattern for the Vampire Slayer and her former beau, as well as the supporting players. By the end of the book is it finally time for Buffy and Angel to go do something about it and all you can say is "About time."

The idea of "alternity" is certainly interesting, but the explanation gets held off for over 200 pages and there is no exploration of the concept in this novel. For those of us who were so impressed by "The Ghost Roads," the second book in the first Buffy the Vampire Slayer trilogy, "Door to Alternity" suffers in comparison, but to be fair, most Buffy books would. Among the supporting cast Wesley has a couple of nice moments, Willow gets to be a bird (but does not get to learn as much as I would have wished from Dona Pilar), Anya continues to say the wrong things (usually about sex) at each and every opportunity, and Gunn gets to take a road trip to Sunnydale. But now that this second book has put (almost) all the pieces in place, it is time to see if Holden and Mariotte can put it into high gear for the finale.

Mainly seems to be setting things up for the finale. Had some moments I found intriguing, and some interesting perspective on Buffy/Angel during the time of Buffy/Riley, but its nowhere near up to the level of the Christopher Golden/Nancy Holder collaborations.

I LOVE Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Angel...but these books were SO boring to me. I could hardly get through them.

this is a very good book,better that the burning and how i survived my summer vacation.I cant wait till long way home.As a a massive fan of buffy i have very book and by far this is the best i would reccomend this book the only wierd thing is the pairing of willow and riley,but all in all a very good book I GIVE THIS 5 STARS.

the next book, the Long Way Home was better. I didn't buy The Burning, but I don't think I missed much. This book just wasn't very interesting to me. The Long Way Home wasn't even that great, but it was better than this book. It's missing something that I can't quite put my finger on.

UNseen the Trilogy is awesome. Two(soon to be three) of the best Angel/Buffy novels I have ever read.