These Our Actors (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) [Mass Market Paperback]

Dori Koogler (Author), Ashley McConnell (Draft Writer)

Book Description

Series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Curtain Call

Willow Rosenberg is disappointed when her best friend Buffy, aka the Chosen One, decides to drop drama class in order to concentrate on her Slaying. Willow decides to stick with the class on her own, however, and this once-shy wallflower is pleased to find herself way bitten with the acting bug.

It's no surprise to Buffy and the Scoobs, then, when Willow decides to pitch in with the drama club's latest production. Of course, Sunnydale being Hellmouth Central, Willow soon discovers a link between drama and magick; in fact, many ancient Greek performances were actually invocations to the Gods. Spike, who in his pre-vamp days had been a great patron of the arts, confirms this fact. He "also" takes an unusual level of interest in Willow's extracurricular activities. When strange paranormal occurrences -- and the appearance of a ghost or two -- threaten Willow's safety, the witch starts to wonder if it isn't time to exit, stage left....

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743400372
• ISBN-13: 978-0743400374
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spotlight on Spike, October 3, 2002

By 

J. Davitt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: These Our Actors (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Mass Market Paperback)

Like other reviewers, the ending puzzled me. I reread it several times and still didn't get it. However, the rest of the book was good enough that it didn't matter as much as it might have.

This was an expanded 'Fool For Love' in a way, the episode in which we first meet William with his doomed love for Cecily. Having that story fleshed out and seeing the consequences of her rejection of William was fascinating. The scenes with the four vampires were very enjoyable.
I didn't miss Buffy; Willow is a strong enough character to carry a story and Spike is too; when you have both of them, that's plenty to keep fans happy.
The book was well written and the characters were true to those on the show.
Just a pity about those last few pages.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars And now my new favorite, September 25, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: These Our Actors (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Mass Market Paperback)

OK, Little Things was my favorite, but this book was better by far. The reason? SPIKE. After so many books where he was just mentioned as an afterthought, the writers are finally getting around to him. And this writer clearly knows how to play on his dual character. Other reviewers have mentioned the lack of Buffy and most of her friends, but I was just thrilled by it. Actually, there is less of Willow than the cover suggests. This is a book for Spike fans, and hopefully the first of many, many to come. Unless Buffy is with Spike (or Angel), she is just of no interest. But, when she is with either of these guys, it doesn't get any better. For all you who love Buffy herself, hey, you've got dozens of books.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending. The last 5 or 6 pages left me thinking my book was defective, and something was missing. What the heck actually happened there?

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wasted potential, September 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: These Our Actors (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Mass Market Paperback)

Being a Spike fan, I was excited to see a book that would have him in a prominent role. In this, I wasn't disappointed. However, I can say that the story of Spike's past was the main reason I kept reading the book.

The beginning starts off slowly, and includes some unnecessary information--often repeated throughout the book--that doesn't add to the meaning or plot of the story. Willow's section is the most tedious, partly due to the difficulty in making her a vibrant character on paper. In contrast, the characterizations in the Spike section were very well done, and the sub-plot was engaging.

The idea behind the story was a good one. If the ending had been less confusing and muddled, and had tied the two plotlines together with much more of a dramatic punch, then it would have been an excellent Buffy novel. As such, it's only worth reading if you want to know more about who Spike was before, and immediately after, being turned into a vampire.