Friday, February 24, 2006

Short Book Review

Reading is one of my big big hobbies. I love to read. Its mostly huge fantasy trilogies with names you can't pronounce that i like. And a map...its got to have a map and/or an index at the back.
I also like Charles Dickens and Stephen King.
This weeks finished book is 'Wicked Willow Omnibus' by Yvonne Navarro.
I was and am a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Throughout its 7 year run it was always pretty entertaining. I do hate the way book stores always have the Buffy novels in the childrens section ..... but that is a rant for another day.
This one is the omnibus edition of 3 books and runs to a fairly impressive 800 pages (or thereabouts). Its set around the time when Tara was killed and Willow went a wee bit funny. OK a big bit funny.
Like a lot of tie in novels its not very good. Its not awful...just not very good.
The writer has, in her defence, perfectly caught some the issues that made Buffy so good. The interplay between the characters is pretty much spot on. Some of the banter between Xander and Anya is as comical as it was on screen. She also knows her stuff and the continuity is also first rate with no huge mistakes that i can find.
Its just well, not very good.
The writer seems to find any excuse to show of her knowledge of the show by introducing characters who have no bearing on the plot whatsoever. e.g. Spike, Oz, Amy (the rat) and even Riley pop up and one point or another. Tara appears as a ghost for the length of the entire book!
The plot moves along nicely enough but just dosen't ring true for me. In a nutshell its all about Willows attempts to resurrect Tara.
Giles is paralised. Giles, Dawn and Zander are almost killed on one occassion. The Magic Box is reduced to rubble on at least 2 occasions. There are no consequences of this?
All in all its entertaining enough....but just nothing special.
I would give it 2 out of 5. If i were writing for one those over priced magazines. Which i not, obviously!