Week 4: chapters 14-epilogue
- Thread starter Taake
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IndianaSolo221
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Chapter 14 throws us back to the "Xander in Africa" part of the book. Again, this was probably my favorite part of these last few chapters, even if it felt a little weird towards the end. I don't mind the addition of spirit-Tara (if you could call her that?), but the intervention of the Slayers didn't hit me like I wanted it to.
Here's the part of the book where the Immortal became the most suspicious for me. He continues to say that he will lend a hand to Buffy and Co., but then all this has happened and he's just like š¤·āāļø . I never trusted him. Also the whole "Tara gave Willow the ability to love" felt super icky. As I said, I really didn't mind Tara's helping Xander, but the fact that it was used to grant Williow the ability to love Kennedy just feels yuck. We all know that Tara would want Willow to be happy, so why can't we just have a story where Willow can move forward on her own? It doesn't mean she loves/loved Tara any less, it just means she's learning to be happy again.
It was at this point that the last part of the novel became so bloated. These books usually get off to a good start for me, but I feel like all these threads could have easily been spread throughout two more books. They try to set the stakes so high with so little time left in the book, and it just falls flat for me. Not every story has to be an end-of-the-world phenomenon. I just want some simple Buffyverse stories where the stakes are reasonable for the novel in question. I love Oz, but his addition here was unnecessary. I think Holder was going for "here's these characters moving on" and I respect that, but I don't think we needed Oz to come back just yet. And then we get to the point where the Immortal finally shows his true colors, and I really thought that should have been coming sooner, but it works fine. Buffy has a ghost-child-thing with Angel and Spike. Interesting concept, one I would love to see explored further, but here it just felt like someone's fanfiction spliced with this book š. Again, I really don't mind the concept, but this novel wasn't the place for it.
And then the battle just...ends? And they think Buffy is dead? But she's not, and everyone lives to fight another day. The ending was fine, but I think until I here everyone else's responses that's all I have to say about the book.
Here's the part of the book where the Immortal became the most suspicious for me. He continues to say that he will lend a hand to Buffy and Co., but then all this has happened and he's just like š¤·āāļø . I never trusted him. Also the whole "Tara gave Willow the ability to love" felt super icky. As I said, I really didn't mind Tara's helping Xander, but the fact that it was used to grant Williow the ability to love Kennedy just feels yuck. We all know that Tara would want Willow to be happy, so why can't we just have a story where Willow can move forward on her own? It doesn't mean she loves/loved Tara any less, it just means she's learning to be happy again.
It was at this point that the last part of the novel became so bloated. These books usually get off to a good start for me, but I feel like all these threads could have easily been spread throughout two more books. They try to set the stakes so high with so little time left in the book, and it just falls flat for me. Not every story has to be an end-of-the-world phenomenon. I just want some simple Buffyverse stories where the stakes are reasonable for the novel in question. I love Oz, but his addition here was unnecessary. I think Holder was going for "here's these characters moving on" and I respect that, but I don't think we needed Oz to come back just yet. And then we get to the point where the Immortal finally shows his true colors, and I really thought that should have been coming sooner, but it works fine. Buffy has a ghost-child-thing with Angel and Spike. Interesting concept, one I would love to see explored further, but here it just felt like someone's fanfiction spliced with this book š. Again, I really don't mind the concept, but this novel wasn't the place for it.
And then the battle just...ends? And they think Buffy is dead? But she's not, and everyone lives to fight another day. The ending was fine, but I think until I here everyone else's responses that's all I have to say about the book.
Just finished and what the frick was this!? It literally read like (not good) fanfiction and just felt like a total deus ex machina to end the story. If in a bizarre fashion. Iām just shaking my head because this did not feel like it suited the rest of the narrative and just left me feeling: āwhat?ā
Also, I donāt see why we needed a ātheyāre here. The fourā (Angel, Spike, Gunn and Illyria) connection. It felt so forced.
I get that Holder had to stay within the confines of what we learn of the Scooby gang in Angel s5, but this just wasnāt it.
Agreed, I was thinking this too. There are so many plot points and characters, it shouldāve been a trilogy or something, just do to the story justice. And maybe to find a solution that didnāt require a weird mystical threesome magic angel child.
All in all, it just felt too shallow. The story just amped it up and keep moving, but it does so at the cost of the characters depth and my, as a reader, ability to care. What - Buffy got like one paragraph to react that Spike is still alive? But there was like a page on the cellphones the Immortal and his cronies usedā¦
I was excited for what this book could be, but I really wouldāve preferred wither a trilogy or for this to have been on a much smaller scale in terms of the battle theyāre facing. Anyone reading this is probably in it for the characters, spend time on them and their relationships, less time on the mythology behind the villain and the inconquerable odds of the fight. So I was really disappointed and canāt say I enjoyed it at all after the first part.
The final book in the Buffyverse novels is āDark Congressā, and if it follows on thisā¦ letās just say I wonāt buy the paperback (as I did for this one) but might check it out on my book app.
Oh, and I feel sad Oz and his werewolf pack got dragged into all of this.
And as mentioned before, not pleased about visions of Tara. Just let Willow move on naturally, this was not necessary.
Cohen
Hellhound
Ugh. It was so dull. It seemed very anti-climactic. I loved the beginning but I think, as stated previously, Holder did too much to try to hold to the information from Angel Season 5. And I almost wish she would have disregarded it. Especially because we already know Andrew is an unreliable narrator, and he was lying when Angel and Spike talked to himāboth times, so he could have been lying about the information he gave them in regards to the Scoobies.
I really see the story potential, though. And this could have been a much better story if given the time.
I do know Dark Congress is unrelated to this book, so thereās hope with that one!
I really see the story potential, though. And this could have been a much better story if given the time.
I do know Dark Congress is unrelated to this book, so thereās hope with that one!
Oh it is, I thought it was a continuation to this. Hm, maybe I'll give it a try too eventually.
Cohen
Hellhound
Yeah it was written separately. Itās been almost 17 years since I read it, I think, but I want to say there is more of a cohesive story? I still have my copy from when it was published so I definitely liked it then!