This is where we discuss the last part of Blood & Fog 
-
Thank you for visiting Buffy-Boards. You obviously have exceptional taste. We just want you to know that:
1. You really should register so you can chat with us!
2. Fourteen thousand people can't be wrong.
3. Buffy-Boards loves you.
4. See 1 through 3.
Come on, register already!
Blood & Fog: Week 3 (chapters 7-9 + epilogue)
- Thread starter Taake
- Start date
I think it got worse in the third section. First, it really annoys me how many times the author says something is like in a movie or like on TV in this book.
I loved Giles and Olivia on the case of the missing diary. But, seriously? A knife deflects a fireball? Really?
And just too many show references. Plus she referenced something from one of her own other books, like we would know what it is. Meanwhile all the stuff from the actual show she explains like we don’t know what it is.
And the thing with Willow at the end…ugh. I hate Willow and I still thought it was terrible.
I wish they had done more of a parallel between London 1888 and Sunnydale. Like have mysterious murders that are eerily like the Jack the Ripper killings, that lead them down the path to who Jack is. Not this, “I remember this fog” garbage. It was more convoluted that it needed to be.
I loved Giles and Olivia on the case of the missing diary. But, seriously? A knife deflects a fireball? Really?
And just too many show references. Plus she referenced something from one of her own other books, like we would know what it is. Meanwhile all the stuff from the actual show she explains like we don’t know what it is.
And the thing with Willow at the end…ugh. I hate Willow and I still thought it was terrible.
I wish they had done more of a parallel between London 1888 and Sunnydale. Like have mysterious murders that are eerily like the Jack the Ripper killings, that lead them down the path to who Jack is. Not this, “I remember this fog” garbage. It was more convoluted that it needed to be.
IndianaSolo221
Potential
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2020
- Messages
- 167
I just finished the book, and I'm ready to give my (final?!) thoughts:
I think the biggest issue with the novel is that it spends too much time on the set up. Anyone who's read the book by now has probably seen S6 enough times that they don't need to be re-introduced to the characters, and it feels like wasted space to have long scenes establishing character dynamics that we should already understand. Jack's backstory was also a bit long and drawn out. A lot of time is spent elaborating on how the fog is affecting Sunnydale, which could've worked great, but there's so much, "the fog this, the fog that," that it grows stale by the latter half of the book. The last three chapters were good, but I wasn't as convinced as I wanted to be that this Great Battle was so big and earth-shattering. If it had been given more time and thought, maybe? I don't mind the foreshadowing to Dark Willow, but it happens so fast and would have been better if it was more subtle. Overall, the novel's pacing was the biggest drawback to me. That, and the crazy amount of typos.
I liked the chapters that we got in London 1888, I feel like those were the most well-developed and gripping, especially from the perspective of the Fanged Four. I honestly wish we had gotten more of that, because the book teases Spike's teaming up with Elizabeth, but even that plot point doesn't last very long. I grew to like Elizabeth's character and I think more could have been done with her. I actually think the Scoobies stayed in-character for the majority of the novel. I loved that we got to see Buffy, Spike, and Tara fight alongside each other, and I could easily picture shirtless Spike with a flamethrower 😏
The book is good, not great. There's just too much holding it back for it to be a great read to me, and even after I've finished it I just feel...meh? I'm glad I read it, as I've really enjoyed discussing it with everyone here. But I don't see myself reading it again. I don't want to discourage anyone else from loving this book though; it's a good Buffyverse story, just not my personal favorite.
I think the biggest issue with the novel is that it spends too much time on the set up. Anyone who's read the book by now has probably seen S6 enough times that they don't need to be re-introduced to the characters, and it feels like wasted space to have long scenes establishing character dynamics that we should already understand. Jack's backstory was also a bit long and drawn out. A lot of time is spent elaborating on how the fog is affecting Sunnydale, which could've worked great, but there's so much, "the fog this, the fog that," that it grows stale by the latter half of the book. The last three chapters were good, but I wasn't as convinced as I wanted to be that this Great Battle was so big and earth-shattering. If it had been given more time and thought, maybe? I don't mind the foreshadowing to Dark Willow, but it happens so fast and would have been better if it was more subtle. Overall, the novel's pacing was the biggest drawback to me. That, and the crazy amount of typos.
I liked the chapters that we got in London 1888, I feel like those were the most well-developed and gripping, especially from the perspective of the Fanged Four. I honestly wish we had gotten more of that, because the book teases Spike's teaming up with Elizabeth, but even that plot point doesn't last very long. I grew to like Elizabeth's character and I think more could have been done with her. I actually think the Scoobies stayed in-character for the majority of the novel. I loved that we got to see Buffy, Spike, and Tara fight alongside each other, and I could easily picture shirtless Spike with a flamethrower 😏
The book is good, not great. There's just too much holding it back for it to be a great read to me, and even after I've finished it I just feel...meh? I'm glad I read it, as I've really enjoyed discussing it with everyone here. But I don't see myself reading it again. I don't want to discourage anyone else from loving this book though; it's a good Buffyverse story, just not my personal favorite.
Joan the Vampire Slayer
That banner is fire.
Cohen
Hellhound
See, I like the easter eggs from Buffy Novelverse because for avid novel readers, the references are nice. But I agree that 90% of the Buffy novel audience has seen the show so wasting page space explaining things that happen in show is much.
This is really common in the Star Wars books too.
Like one book was almost entirely continuations of plot lines started in another book. I can understand how that might come off as tacky to some people, but personally I love that sort of stuff. Makes it feel more rewarding to engage with the material
Me: ”do they baby Dawn too much?”
The book immediately puts her in danger. In her house too. Fine fine. Dawn’s in trouble, must be Tuesday
Spike acknowledging that Buffy will die sooner or later, I liked that. When your immortal whatever lifespan she has is bound to be short.
I thought the fog was genuinely scary. So I didn’t mind the set up. Also, oh Spike, oh Dru, of course they tried to make their own fog, lol.
Also damn, Anya is old, I keep forgetting that she is literally 100s if years beyond even Angel and Darla. 800!
Poor Paul. Oh to be a shrink in Sunnydale.
I actually really liked the end, it was a bit rushed but most of these are. I thought it was clever to foreshadow Dark Willow.
All in all, I thought this was a good book, not my favorite, and the Jack/Thak stuff makes me feel like I won’t re-read it. However, I did enjoy it and I’m glad to finally have read a season 6 novel and that it felt in sync with the season’s vibes.
I took notes while reading, but as I have the e-version I am not sure which pages this is refering to or what I was trying to say, so just enjoy whatever this means: ”Ramping it up, this. Harper felt quote exciting”
The book immediately puts her in danger. In her house too. Fine fine. Dawn’s in trouble, must be Tuesday
Spike acknowledging that Buffy will die sooner or later, I liked that. When your immortal whatever lifespan she has is bound to be short.
I thought the fog was genuinely scary. So I didn’t mind the set up. Also, oh Spike, oh Dru, of course they tried to make their own fog, lol.
Also damn, Anya is old, I keep forgetting that she is literally 100s if years beyond even Angel and Darla. 800!
Poor Paul. Oh to be a shrink in Sunnydale.
I actually really liked the end, it was a bit rushed but most of these are. I thought it was clever to foreshadow Dark Willow.
All in all, I thought this was a good book, not my favorite, and the Jack/Thak stuff makes me feel like I won’t re-read it. However, I did enjoy it and I’m glad to finally have read a season 6 novel and that it felt in sync with the season’s vibes.
I took notes while reading, but as I have the e-version I am not sure which pages this is refering to or what I was trying to say, so just enjoy whatever this means: ”Ramping it up, this. Harper felt quote exciting”
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Carpe Spuffy!
Sorry I've ben MIA, but I have been reading. I'll be back with my final thoughts tonight.
But for now, I leave you with some interesting facts on the continuity (from BuffyVerseWiki):
But for now, I leave you with some interesting facts on the continuity (from BuffyVerseWiki):
- The events of this story take place during Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, after the episode "Tabula Rasa".
- Buffy and Willow are still unaware who froze the security guard Rusty, Willow is struggling with her magic addiction and Buffy is having liaisons with Spike, suggesting a placement between "Wrecked" and "Gone".