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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Buffy and the Scoobies do a deadly dance with Queen Mab, August 10, 2002
This review is from: Little Things (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am pretty open minded and when it comes to the willing suspension of disbelief I will accept a lot of things in the name of a compelling narrative. But I have to admit that in "Little Things," author Rebecca Moesta goes over the line for me. A troop of fairies arrive in Sunnydale and it seems the wee folk intend to turn the never peaceful city into their own version of Tinkerhell. Okay, no problem with that idea (homage to Swift combined with the Blue Fairy as a psycho), but it seems Buffy has a toothache. Not only that, it is apparently the any kind of a toothache kind of toothache (as opposed to the not just any kind of toothache). If there had been some explanation forthcoming for this curious chink in the Slayer's healing and recuperative powers then I could have rendered a judgment via-a-vis the aforementioned willingness to suspend disbelief. Ultimately it seems the breach in the wall being explored has more to do with the Summers family's financial problems in the post-Joyce era. But enough of this rant. After reading Mel Odom's complex tale in "Crossings" and Christopher Golden's mini-epic in "The Wisdom of War," Rebecca Moesta's summer Buffy the Vampire Slayer tale is like a wind sprint. The pacing is as fast as any BtVS novel I can recall reading and the average length of a chapter must be around six pages (perfect for taking short breaks at work to find out what happens next or to read in trips up and down in the elevator to procure liquid/salty/chocolate refreshment). Fans of Spike should be forewarned that although the Big Bad appears on the cover he is not the focal character in "Little Things." (See? I made it to the third paragraph before "complaining" about the cover this time around.) The fairies are in town because of the beckoning call of the Hellmouth, but then they discover an old friend and things take a turn towards revenge. Moesta likes the research thing (along with a certain Monty Python movie) and readers will find out about the "real" origins of fairies. This is one of those BtVS novels where the quips and pop culture references come fast and furious (I cannot share my favorite with you because it gives away a wee bit too much of the plot). In terms of characterization I think Moesta does a nice job on Willow (Buffy is distracted by that toothache you see) and especially Xander, who has a couple of nice serious moments. However, despite coming up with a nice brush with the law for Giles, she does have the Watcher being a bit too nice to Spike (that cannot be right). Anya is once again almost relentlessly oblivious to social convention and any form of propriety, but this is certainly a constant pitfall in the Buffy Mythos and there are a couple of nice scenes where she remembers the good old days. I especially like the creative ways in which Moesta comes up with Buffy and the Scoobies to take on the wee folk, especially for the grand finale when the group does one of its better "Wild Bunch" impersonations. Who would not want a Slayomatic? "Little Things" is a quick read, so do not take this as your only book on a trip because you might be able to get it read between the time you get to the airport and the plane actually takes off. For that matter, you could probably read it while waiting for the dentist...
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
True to Character...Would've Been a Great Episode...., December 19, 2002
This review is from: Little Things (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am a HUGE fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and had never read a book on the series and tried one out. Am I glad I did! Wow! Just like watching the show itself! The characters were true to form and came off genuine. I could just hear their unique quips and voices while I read. This one in particular is somewhere in the 5th Season, I am guessing near the middle more or less. For those of you who are fans of the show, it's after Buffy's mom dies, during the height of Xander and Anaya's romance, after Spike's declaration of love but before Dawn's capture as the 'Key' and during Willow and Tara's affair, albiet when Tara began telling Willow she shouldn't be doing so much magick. My guess, near the middle to end of the 5th Season(the HellGod Glory Season). The plot here? Big baddies that come in little packages. Should've been an episode. A troupe of winged sprites come to Sunnydale to create chaos.
Buffy is having a hard time dealing with her mother's death and the responisbility of raising and protecting her 15 year old sister Dawn, not to mention being the Slayer and having to save the world too many times to count. More problems arise when Spike discovers mini-demons wreaking havoc in Weatherly Park. Not just that, but she realizes she has no dental insurance and her toothache is interfering in her Slayer duties! How to combat the problem? Think small...very small.
The Scoobies are doing there best to help her, but Anaya and Xander are being held hostage by a plague of ants, Willow is determined to fix everything with magick, Giles is fixated on a parking ticket, Dawn is desperately trying to fit in somewhere and the smitten vampire Spike is trying to impress the Slayer.
Thinking things can't get worse, they do, this is Sunnydale afterall. Buffy must stop the winged menaces, save the Scoobs, take care of her tooth and keep a lovesick vampire at bay all in a weekend's time. Too much for the Slayer? Not at all...just don't sweat the small stuff...literally. Hysterical, creative and action-packed. True to form. Fans of the Scoobie gang with Spike as a side-kick will love this one as I did. I love when Spike came into the scene and became part of the group even though a lot of fans missed Angel, I thought Spike was a breath of fresh air and enticed me to watch every week and I became addicted. He is true to character in this book, with all the witty lines and 'Spike moments' intact. All the characters were very well written and I couldn't ask for better. Ms. Moesta did a fine job of bringing the show to book form and kept all the characters intact and even giving us a more detailed look into their thoughts and minds. I will definately look into the rest of the books!
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27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spike - finally, August 5, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Little Things (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Mass Market Paperback)
This was a decent book in its own right, but we are finally moving on to having more of Spike in the Buffy books. Since he is the best character by FAR, this is a welcome change, and the book was GREAT.
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