Customer Reviews

Immortal: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I stumbled upon "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series this fall and am hooked(and "Angel" too). I spotted the book "Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Immortal" at the local library new book section and had to read it. Now I'm hooked on the books. This book was hard to put down. I lost a lot of sleep enjoying the story line. I enjoyed the today lingo that matched the TV Buffy's dialog nuances. I felt like I was watching the TV Buffy show in my mind's eye while reading with the added gift of knowing everyone's thoughts that only reading can provide. My only wish is that I had been a fan from the beginning of the whole story line. But catching up will be fun. The only thing I wondered about this new book published just recently, was why Buffy was still a Senior in High School when the TV series has her a Freshman in College.

With most stories of the battle between good and evil what makes the story is the quality of the villain. While Veronique, the "Immortal" vampire is not on the level of The Master of Hannibal Lecter, she does create some interesting possibilities for her encounter with Buffy in this novel by Michael Golden and Nancy Holder. Empowered by her demon overlords the Triumvirate, Veronique passes from the body of one vampire to the next every time she has been dusted, picking up more information about the Slayer and her fighting style with each and every encounter. Meanwhile, Veronique and her minions are preparing for the Triumvirate to take form in this dimension at which point wackiness will ensue and eventually she will get to drink the blood of the last man on Earth. Unfortunately, Buffy Summers is a bit preoccupied at the moment since her Mom is hospitalized and has to undergo a biopsy. Of course, given the death of Buffy's mom during season five, this subplot regarding Joyce now has an additional resonance. In this story its purpose is to put the Slayer between a rock and a hard place: the world is going to an end (again) and her mother is going under the knife. Golden and Holder create a situation in which Buffy can legitimately say "no" to doing her duty.

Once again Golden and Holder have proven that their tag-team efforts at written Buffy novels set the standard for everybody else. You have to wonder if "Immortal" movie provided some inspiration for what happened to Joyce Summers this season on the series or if this is simply a case of great minds thinking alike. However, I do think they could have utilized Veronique's abilities a bit more creatively and exploited them to much greater effect. Since this novel has vampires ghoulishly robbing graves, it does have several scenes that are up there on the gross scale compared to other Buffy books. As always, the authors are concerned with exploring the depths of her characters, so that Buffy, preoccupied with thoughts of her mother's mortality cannot stop thinking about how time and death are relatively meaningless concepts to Angel. The Buffy/Joyce relationship comes across nicely in this story. Golden and Holder also continue to explore the past, both in terms of previous Slayers (two of whom appear in the book) and Angel B.B. (Before Buffy). "Immortal" is another first-rate Buffy novel from two writers who fully understand the Buffy mythos.

This book took my breath away. The old evil, kill it and it returns again and again. An impossible love deny it and it returns over and over again.

I admired the way the authors wove creative mythology, the stories of Angel's past and the trauma of Joyce's illness together to create an excellent story. Mr Golden and Ms Holder present one of the best representations of the Buffy/Angel relationship. I have actually marked the pages so I can go back and reread the passion and pain these two star crossed lovers face. Angel's confession that he can't bear to think of Buffy's death and that he has actually considered turning her, thus granting her immortality is chilling.

It's almost redundant to say that a Golden/Holder book sparkles with action and mystery. Even if you have never seen an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel pick up this book, Any reader will enjoy this book. Any fan will embrace it. After reading this novel, a reader will come away considering their own mortality. I know I did. Can I give it six stars? Please.

Golden and Holder have long been the most talked-about, most respected, and let's face it: the best Buffy-authors around. This book let's them shine again and show everyone how they got that reputation. This is easily the greatest Buffy novel since the Gatekeeper Trilogy, and Veronique is such a great villain that you end the book just WISHING that they'd incorporate her into the show. The flashback interludes are well-written and the characters are all written true enough that you'd think Joss Whedon himself wrote it. All in all, a great book, one that any Buffy fan should enjoy.

I ordered this book off the internet for christmas, but when I recieved it in the mail I automatically started reading it and my parents couldn't wrap it because I couldn't put it down. The book is great if your into things about just straight vampires and everything, but if your like me and want more of a Buffy Angel plot and about where they can't be together because Angel is a vampire....this probably wouldn't be a book for you because there was little of that. But all in all......it was a great book!

I LOVE this book! It was one of the best buffy books I've read! If you haven't read it yet may I suggest you stop reading this review and go get it! The story line was awsome! The climax was awsome! Overall it deserves an award! So that's why I gave it 5 stars! :)

Storyline was OK, although focused a bit too much on Xander/Angel and xander/Cordelia, saw relatively little of Willow, Oz and Giles. Rating dropped significantly though because book doesn't fit into the program, which just bugs me. Season 3 yes, but where? Xander and Cordy have split, so post Lovers Walk. Willow mentions evil twin so post Dopplegangerland. Giles still a Watcher so before Helpless, conflicts with being after Dopplegangerland. No Wesley? He came in Bad Girls (also pre-Dopplegangerland). No Faith (given Buffy's situation, Faith would be called until she publically went rogue in Enemies)? So the novel doesn't quite fit into the established Buffyverse, which I find irritating. Couple that with Buffy dying during the novel. Slayers can't temporarily die without drastically affecting the continuity (ie another is called). May not apply to a once-dead Slayer, but if not, this needs to be revealed in the series, not a novel. I'd probably give this a lower rating for my enjoyment (ie a 2), but I've been a bit generous as I'm unusually ticked off by continuity glitches

Immortal
Christopher Golden & Nancy Holder (1999)

RATING: 3/5 Stakes

SETTING: Season Three

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

MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Veronique (immortal vampire); Queenie (demon groupie), Catherine, Ephialtes, Konstanti, Pepper Roback (vampires); Triumvirate (demon); Angela Martignetti (1862 Slayer); Peter Toscano (1862 Watcher); Leah Coleman (doctor); Tergazzi (demon), Lucy Hanover (as ghost)

BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "During a routine slaying, Buffy encounters a vampire named Veronique who knows the Slayer's name and can anticipate her attack. One who doesn't have the proper respect for Mr. Pointy. One who cannot die. If slain, she will reincarnate in a new body. An invincible demon is the last thing Buffy needs right now. Joyce Summers is about to undergo a serious operation, calling up all of her daughter's fears about her own mortality. Angel wants to comfort Buffy, but her mother's crisis underscores the difference between them: he wil live forever, while she will grow old . . . or die young. Torn between her duties as a daughter and as the Chosen One, Buffy needs the support of her friends to help her solve a rash of grave robberies, head off an influex of new vampires, and take Veronique down once and for all. For Veronique is on a mission-to bring about the unification of her masters, the Triumvirate, into one all-powerful demon that will drink the blood of the last man on earth. . . ."

REVIEW

The best part of Immortal is actually one of the subplots. Foreshadowing Buffy Season 5, Joyce becomes increasingly sick and ends up in the hospital with a cancer scare and facing major surgery. Buffy's feelings of uselessness and Joyce's attempt to minimize the seriousness of her condition fits in well with the characters' personalities. It's powerful stuff and well-written.

The main plot of the book is about a vampire named Veronique's attempts to summon her demon master(s) the Triumvirate. Veronique has a nifty little ability: everytime she gets dusted, she reincarnates in the body of the next vampire sired in the area. Veronique's bad-guy personality is fairly standard, but admittedly it's hard to come up with completely original villains. However, the idea that the villain's main goal is to summon a giant demon was already pretty over-used at the time the novel was written and now I hope it's a plot idea we can lay to rest for future Buffy books.

As usual, Golden & Holder have a strong grasp on the characters' personalities and dialogue. Action scenes are crisp and match well with those in the show. I have mixed feelings about the authors' penchant for backstory (in this book alone we have scenes set in: ancient Constantinople, 1872 Greece, and 1940s America). It's a handy way to give characters depth and avoid exposition, but at times it can be hard to care about the characters in the flashbacks.

All in all, Immortal is a solid effort but not at the top of the list.

Jhaeman's Buffy Reviews (http://www.geocities.com/jhaeman)

(c) 2006 Jeremy Patrick (jhaeman@hotmail.com)

I loved this book! The story lines where exciting! Veronique is an anchient vampire that cannot die, but be passed on from body to body, and when she comes to Sunnydale the scooby gang finds her to be more than one slayer can handle. But that's not Buffy's main concern. Joyce Summers, her mother is very sick and it could be life threating. I find this book to be a very good read, Holder and Golden once again provide a exciting storyline with convinceing charecterization. I'm sad to see they won't be doing any more colloborations after this. But I look forward to their individual books.

I could not put this book down. I make it a rule to only read scary and suspenseful books, like Dean koontz and Stephen King, and this book really fit into that genre. I think this coul be made into a great movie. Too bad Eliza Dushku has already been in the show because I could picture her for the last body Veronique inhabited. I thought the authors had the characters down pat, and knew exactly what they would say in a given situation. This was wonderfully written, and I could picure everything that was happening. this is a must read book for Buffy fans, and anyone else who likes scary books.