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Buffyverse Novels #64
Angel: Vengeance
Even if it takes an eternity, he will make amends.... MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN Los Angeles is a city divided between the haves and the have-nots, and those that have it seem to have it tanned good looks, fit physiques, celebrity, flashy cars, high-tech toys, and then some. It's no wonder, then, that the have-nots easily tire of standing on the sidelines. Enter Lily Pierce, a motivational speaker whose New Life Foundation is sweeping the country. Her mantra is "Erase doubt. Erase fear. Become pure of purpose. Perfect in execution. Attain your dreams." Cordelia is unimpressed by Lily's spiel, but she never expected that the self-help guru is guarding a secret of mythic proportions. Even Wolfram and Hart want to stop the insanity -- and incredibly, they're looking to Angel for help. But is Lily's promise of a perfect world too tempting for Angel to conquer?
338 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
245 people want to read
About the author
Scott Ciencin
178 books77 followersScott Ciencin was a New York Times best-selling novelist of 90+ books. He wrote adult and children's fiction and worked in a variety of mediums including comic books. He created programs for Scholastic Books, designed trading cards, consulted on video games, directed and produced audio programs & TV commercials, and wrote in the medical field about neurosurgery and neurology. He first worked in TV production as a writer, producer and director. He lived in Sarasota, Florida with his wife (and sometimes co-author) Denise.
(Also wrote under the pseudonyms Nick Baron and L.J. Oliver)
(Also wrote under the pseudonyms Nick Baron and L.J. Oliver)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 9, 2023
This is an original tie-in novel for the television series Angel, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off. It's set in the second half of the second season and includes several of the recurring characters like Lilah and David from the show in addition to the regular crew of Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley. The big-bad is Lily Pierce, a motivational speaker who's gaining nationwide popularity, who happens to have been better known in days long gone by as Lilith. Wolfram & Hart have come to Angel for help... it's a good set-up, and the book is fun and well-plotted. Cue the cello!
January 26, 2025
This takes place in the second half of Angel's second season.
This is #14 of the tie-in novels and for those of you who have not watched Angel, it isn't very spoiler-filled. Back in season 1, the character of Doyle was killed off in a heroic fashion and another character from the parent show of BTVS came on.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce was Buffy's Watcher after Giles was fired but then Wes in turn got fired and came to L.A. like Cordelia. Towards the end of the first season, the character of Charles Gunn first appeared as well as David Nabbit but to a lesser degree that he didn't become a main character but he shows up here in Vengeance.
The evil law firm of Wolfram & Hart has Lilah Morgan asking the team of Angel Investigations to procure an item for them despite Angel not trusting them completely. This item is in the possession of a woman named Lily Pierce, a motivational speaker for the New Life Foundation, who just so happens to be having a big gala that night.
David has asked Cordelia to be his date even though she doesn't believe in the spiel Lily gives all her clients but there will be a lot of Hollywood elite there to further her career.
Before all of this, we are introduced to Lily Pierce in a prologue where she talks to a doctor she knows. He has learned that the next patient he is to perform surgery on was the man who killed his daughter in a hit and run a decade earlier so he asks Lily for advice as to whether he should let the man die on his operating table.
He does and later that night, Lily appears at his house and seduces the doctor before sucking out his soul. The former ethical doctor is now a servant of the clearly demonic Lily and we learn very earlier just how demonic Lily is thanks to Lilah informing Angel and Company on just who they will be stealing from.
Lillith, the mother of all demons.
Yep, in 2002 before Supernatural took on the mother of all monsters and the religious aspects of the world.
The concept of this book seems like it would be very interesting when I read the back of it but as I got further into the story...it became even more complex than it needed to be. At least for me because I started sort of just skimming through the pages because as I tried to stay focused...the more bored I became.
That's bad because most of these Angel tie-in novels have been good.
Even getting to the third act and the climax was a real struggle and the ending just sort of fizzled out like a defective firework.
Out of these five that I have read, I would say Vengeance is the weakest one. I don't know if any of the other second season set novels are better as this is the first one I have found but all of the first season one books piqued my interest in finding more.
There are nine other books before Vengeance was published and of course many after since Angel was around for five seasons so if I find any out in the wild of HPB like I did this one, I'll still give them a shot.
However...I don't think I would recommend this one.
This is #14 of the tie-in novels and for those of you who have not watched Angel, it isn't very spoiler-filled. Back in season 1, the character of Doyle was killed off in a heroic fashion and another character from the parent show of BTVS came on.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce was Buffy's Watcher after Giles was fired but then Wes in turn got fired and came to L.A. like Cordelia. Towards the end of the first season, the character of Charles Gunn first appeared as well as David Nabbit but to a lesser degree that he didn't become a main character but he shows up here in Vengeance.
The evil law firm of Wolfram & Hart has Lilah Morgan asking the team of Angel Investigations to procure an item for them despite Angel not trusting them completely. This item is in the possession of a woman named Lily Pierce, a motivational speaker for the New Life Foundation, who just so happens to be having a big gala that night.
David has asked Cordelia to be his date even though she doesn't believe in the spiel Lily gives all her clients but there will be a lot of Hollywood elite there to further her career.
Before all of this, we are introduced to Lily Pierce in a prologue where she talks to a doctor she knows. He has learned that the next patient he is to perform surgery on was the man who killed his daughter in a hit and run a decade earlier so he asks Lily for advice as to whether he should let the man die on his operating table.
He does and later that night, Lily appears at his house and seduces the doctor before sucking out his soul. The former ethical doctor is now a servant of the clearly demonic Lily and we learn very earlier just how demonic Lily is thanks to Lilah informing Angel and Company on just who they will be stealing from.
Lillith, the mother of all demons.
Yep, in 2002 before Supernatural took on the mother of all monsters and the religious aspects of the world.
The concept of this book seems like it would be very interesting when I read the back of it but as I got further into the story...it became even more complex than it needed to be. At least for me because I started sort of just skimming through the pages because as I tried to stay focused...the more bored I became.
That's bad because most of these Angel tie-in novels have been good.
Even getting to the third act and the climax was a real struggle and the ending just sort of fizzled out like a defective firework.
Out of these five that I have read, I would say Vengeance is the weakest one. I don't know if any of the other second season set novels are better as this is the first one I have found but all of the first season one books piqued my interest in finding more.
There are nine other books before Vengeance was published and of course many after since Angel was around for five seasons so if I find any out in the wild of HPB like I did this one, I'll still give them a shot.
However...I don't think I would recommend this one.
July 14, 2015
That was good. I enjoyed that much more than I was expecting too. It was a very good Angel adaption. The characters were written well and in line with their TV counterparts and the storyline was actually rather good too. It was easy to read and actually went quickly and smoothly. Overall recommended. 4 Stars.
November 19, 2021
While this book captures the essence of Angel and the gang, the story falls flat. An over done villain in this genre. The book could've easily cut 100 pages and be fine.
August 1, 2010
This was a very interesting tie in novel for the Angel series; it would have made an excellent episode. :0)
Lily Pierce is a motivational speaker who is looking to harvest perfect souls through her “New Life” Foundation. What a great cover for a Demon. Suck in the people who are looking for redemption and then help mould their souls until they are exactly what she needs for her ultimate plan. Lily is so ultimately evil that even Wolfram and Hart are trying to stop her and try to enlist Angel to help them, but as usual Wolfram and Hart also have an ulterior motive, they want the Serpent Hand for themselves.
Lily or Lilith as she is called claims to be the first mate of Adam in the garden who was enticed by the serpent, before she was removed from the garden and Eve was made to take her place. Lily hates all humanity and wants to rid the planet of its presence.
Angel takes the case, not to help Wolfram and Heart but as a temporary truce to save the world. Wes, Cordy, Gunn and David Nabbit are all along for the ride.
Lily Pierce is a motivational speaker who is looking to harvest perfect souls through her “New Life” Foundation. What a great cover for a Demon. Suck in the people who are looking for redemption and then help mould their souls until they are exactly what she needs for her ultimate plan. Lily is so ultimately evil that even Wolfram and Hart are trying to stop her and try to enlist Angel to help them, but as usual Wolfram and Hart also have an ulterior motive, they want the Serpent Hand for themselves.
Lily or Lilith as she is called claims to be the first mate of Adam in the garden who was enticed by the serpent, before she was removed from the garden and Eve was made to take her place. Lily hates all humanity and wants to rid the planet of its presence.
Angel takes the case, not to help Wolfram and Heart but as a temporary truce to save the world. Wes, Cordy, Gunn and David Nabbit are all along for the ride.
July 20, 2008
As far as Buffy/Angel books go, this one is pretty good. Not great literature, obviously, but the story line is interesting, the ideas behind it sound, the characters pretty spot on to canon, and the ending satisfying.
Lilith as the baddie was fun, though I'm glad in the end that it really had nothing to do with Adam, Eve and the Apple. And at the risk of sounding corny, I believe in the power of compassion.
Definitely a book I would consider re-reading.
Lilith as the baddie was fun, though I'm glad in the end that it really had nothing to do with Adam, Eve and the Apple. And at the risk of sounding corny, I believe in the power of compassion.
Definitely a book I would consider re-reading.
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August 22, 2008Vengeance by Scott Ciencin
September 9, 2012
One of the better Angel books. Heavy on action, drama, intensity and one-liners. Fun and entertaining. Would've made a great episode (or two or three).
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews