Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Apocalypse Memories

Buffyverse Novels #82

by Laura J. Burns, Melinda Metz

TIME'S UPWillow is back in Sunnydale, but she's terrified: She knows her powers will be needed soon, but she's afraid that if she uses them, it's back to being the Big Bad. She can feel something strange happening, but the other Scoobies don't seem to notice. Everybody's dealing with their own issues -- Buffy's got a new crush, Dawn and Buffy have been bickering, and Xander's intent on getting Willow to use her magicks again.

Willow's instincts are right on. A wolf in sheep's clothing has set off a series of freakish events: rivers running with blood, flash storms, and the arrival of an unbelievable supernatural being. The apocalypse has begun. While the world falls to pieces around them, the Scoobies -- including Giles, back from England -- have to decide what is most important to them. There's one last hope: a secret spell with dangerous side effects. But is Willow ready to use her powers?

Genres: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Vampires, Paranormal, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Tv, Fantasy

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published March 2, 2004

About the author

Laura J. Burns has written more than thirty books for kids and teens, touching on topics from imaginary lake monsters to out-of-control Hollywood starlets. (Those two things have more in common than you'd think.)

With Melinda Metz, she has also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Their next book is THE LOST MAP OF CHAOS, coming in 2018!

Laura lives in New York with her husband, her kids, and her exceptionally silly dogs.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun Willow-centric story set early in the last year of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show. It's just a little hard on the dire, melodramatic side, but that's probably just a reflection of the direction that the show was going. (Remember when the gang was pondering about the plural form of the word "apocalypse"?) The earlier stories were lighter and more entertaining but Burns and Metz (those cool folks who brought the truth of Area 51 to light!), do a good job of putting the then-current gang through their paces.

[Shona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this gift as a present in Charity Shop Secret Santa this year, so whoever was doing the gifting for me definitely knows me incredibly well.

Can't believe this book's weird plot is entirely about an angel coming to Sunnydale and there isn't a single joke about Angel himself.

[Cnnblogger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I the only women who wants to be Buffy?

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above average Buffy book. You know Buffy and the Scoobs will save the world, and yet towards the end I was on the edge of my seat wondering if they really would manage to succeed this time.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this is definitely one of the better tv tie ins. I did think Buffy's attitude to Spike was odd. This book is set just after Same Time, Same Place and she makes no reference the the events in Seeing Red. Way too cuddly for my liking so soon into the season. However, some of the other character work was really good. Spike, Willow and Xander were especially well done.

[LJP1610 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anya and Spike were on point. the story itself was weak, Giles was completely out of character. i sense a YAY SPIKE in the writers here. buffy tells him ;thank you for getting a soul for me'

[Laura Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this willow focused story. It is set right after the eps. in season 7 season of buffy called same time same place. I think this has become my favorite buffy tie in novel. I have always enjoyed willow and zander friendship and this book was prefect. I also love the storyline in this book so much! Very happy I read it!

[tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost did not make it through this one. I love reading the Buffy novels to get myself out of a slump but oh boy. This one was like someone had never watched the show and just had whoever doing whatever they needed to progress the plot. Why is Giles doing research on Willow's laptop, why is Xander saying aberration?! Just. Oof. No thanks.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Normally I love Buffy novels. But the story just felt flat to me.

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, fun buffy read. Takes place in early season 7. Stays very true to the characters. A good read for any Buffy fan.

[Sarah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely really enjoyed this book. I found the authors had captured each character rather well. I would read again!

[Maggie Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was not expecting my childhood rapture anxiety to be soothed by a Buffy book, but here we are.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a massive Buffy fan of course I read as many of the books as I could get my hands on. Naturally, some are better than others, getting the right voice for the characters, giving them a convincing "big bad" to fight, and making it seem impossible until the end when they triumph.
Maybe it's because I was older when I read this, the glean and shine had worn off a little, I was (am) more discerning than my teenage self, better able to understand when something doesn't fit, or feel right for a character. Whatever it was, I didn't love this one as much as other Buffy books I've read. Yes, it is great to get a better insight into how Willow is dealing with her magic post being the "big bad" of season 6, however, it felt to saccharine for my liking. If you're a fan, give it a go, why not, but if you're only just exploring the Buffy-verse, start with something else first.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book totally blew my mind! Usually the "creatures" responsible for bringing about an apocalypse in the Buffyverse are total baddies, right? Well, what happens when an angel (a good guy) is responsible for bringing the world to an end?
Angelic Micheal takes his work very seriously but at the same time you can't help but love him.
There are religious themes also used in the story that I found fascinating; what makes a person good or evil? Poor Spike!
Apocalypse Memories is one of the best books based on the show.

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[Wendi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my favorite TV show of all time, and I miss it. A LOT. Season Eight has been coming out on comic book serials, but it's only one a month and 20-30 pages, mostly of pictures of Buffy kicking or smashing monsters/demons. So I've started reading the mass market novels. This one is well-written, with a clever plot and all the things that makes Buffy endearing -- witty banter and strange incidents included. Also, the author keeps her adjectives to a minimum, which is sometimes a problem in these books. I know reading these books are geeky fanatical. But I don't care!

[Ceejay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel. This book takes place after Willow's return from England. Willow is,of course, worried how she will be received. She's worried about her possible use of magic. But then something horrific happens! This book has one of the best twists in a Buffy novel that I've read in a long time. It's really amazingly clever. I don't believe in telling what happens in a novel. But, if you love Buffy and the gang, I'm willing to bet that you'll love this book!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was not sure I was going to like this book. For me it took a while to get going and I found it a little slow at first. However, I ended up enjoying it and found it to be a good Buffy adaptation. The characters were done well and you got the feel for them and they acted as you would expect them from the tv show. It was just the story which was a little slow to get going. 4 stars. In the end a decent tv tie-in novel.

[Lukas Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sure, it's pretty much just published Buffy fanfiction but whatever, it's still enjoyable to be with the characters again.

I did actually like the idea of this being the 'real' apocalypse that had been pre-destined since the beginning of time...it would be interesting to read a real novel dealing with the same situation.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better Buffy stories I've read. Of course it didn't hurt that Spike was in a lot of the action and he has a soul and they were halfway nice to each other. Buffy and Spike forever!
Anyway, the angel bit was a bit of a curve ball. Good people find him attraction while evil people see him as scary. Definitely interesting.

[Rachel Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. The authors did a good job of making sure the characters acted just like on the show. It felt like reading a lost episode instead of published fanfiction like some tv tie in's. Anything Buffy related does not disappoint me anyways.

[Becca Sneed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It would probably be a good story even outside of the Buffy universe.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting later season Buffy take

[bluetyson]

isbn,original

[♡ Jeri's Book Attic ♡ Jeri the Romance Bibiliophile ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]