Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great book for Spike fans, July 22, 2005
Spark and Burn is a great 'Buffy' book. Most of the story takes place during the episode 'Lessons' when Spike is insane in the school basement. I liked that the entire book is told from Spike's point-of-view. Spark and Burn has a lot of flashbacks from early season two in it. I liked that Spike was spying on the Scoobies during the episodes 'Inca Mummy Girl' and 'Reptile Boy';it was really interesting to see what he thought of Buffy, Xander, Willow, Angel, and Giles back then. This book also tells you the story of how Spike ended up on the submarine with Angel in 1943. Diana G. Gallagher has a really good understanding of all the characters and the history of the show, and that helps make this book great. I highly recommend Spark and Burn to everyone who likes Spike or just a good book.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Deja Spike All Over Again, May 5, 2006
This book fails for a number of reasons, none of which is the writing. Gallagher puts in an honest effort, and if good writing was all it took to create a great story, Spark and Burn would be a success. Unfortunately, the problem with the book appears right on the front cover, where we are promised an 'original novel,' and it never goes away.
If you watched the series and read the books (or even the comic books) you have a pretty good idea of Spike's history. First a bad poet, and then a really bad vampire. Drusilla's lover, and then, by an odd twist Buffy's. Villain, tormented soul, and finally, a hero. What Gallagher has done is recap all of this in 240 pages or so, during which you never learn anything very new. Instead we start out in the school basement during Spike's madness after regaining his soul and travel from flashback to even further flashback until this cruel biography is done.
The story, jumping from one frame to another never gels. The truth is, that there really isn't a story here, just an interior monologue and a series of pastiches. Just Simon & Schuster so intent in capitalizing on Spike's draw as a character that they forgot that Spike is interesting because his part in the Buffyverse. Mooning over The Slayer and enduring The Other's attempt to destroy his mind really isn't what Spike is about, and the book has all the fire of a collection of postage stamps from a country you don't care about.
The best I can say is avoid this book, which is a flat effort at best, but keep an eye out for Diana Gallagher's books. Somewhere inside of her is a good book trying to get out. Unfortunately, Spark and Burn isn't it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
just plain bad , April 1, 2006
I agree with most of the other reviews, this book was horrible. I read the discription on the back of the book and was instantly interested ( being a huge spike fan ) and bought it. but I was very disapointed, the whole thing is just flash backs that come directly from the show and the autor didnt add anything. I would rather just watch the show!!! Plus the flash backs are out of order, leaving you confused. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK, YOU WILL REGRET IT.
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