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Buffyverse Novels #25
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Paleo
Prehistoric Hysteria! Buffy Summers and her gang know that Sunnydale is a haven for outsiders, whether of the supernatural or strictly adolescent variety. Shy transfer student Kevin Sanderson is no exception. But Kevin instantly finds a mentor in Daniel, a paleontologist and fellow dino-phile at the Sunnydale Museum of Natural History. When Buffy starts hearing rumors of alligators in the sewers, she has to wonder about Kevin and Daniel's hobbies.
Meanwhile, the Slayerettes are having extracurricular excitement of their own. Alysa, a hotshot talent agent, wants to represent the Dingoes, and she's offering the Scooby Gang fame and fortune. If she's legit, it could be Oz's big break. But Buffy's too busy to run a background check -- Daniel and Kevin have reanimated an ancient creature with a new agenda...an agenda that begins and ends with the destruction of the Slayer....
Meanwhile, the Slayerettes are having extracurricular excitement of their own. Alysa, a hotshot talent agent, wants to represent the Dingoes, and she's offering the Scooby Gang fame and fortune. If she's legit, it could be Oz's big break. But Buffy's too busy to run a background check -- Daniel and Kevin have reanimated an ancient creature with a new agenda...an agenda that begins and ends with the destruction of the Slayer....
257 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 31, 2002
7 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Navarro
127 books173 followersYvonne Navarro is the author of Concrete Savior, Highborn, AfterAge, deadrush, Final Impact, Mirror Me and a bunch of other books, plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels and tie-in novels for Hellboy, Elektra, and others."
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 19, 2023
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This book is based on the television show. What is the one thing that this universe never covered when it basically covered everything from vampires to an Incan mummy to gods. Yep. You guessed it. Dinosaurs. Basically this book is Buffy goes all Jurassic Park.
Going into this book I was adamant that this could not work. Come on. Dinosaurs in this universe. But I am here to tell you that it does. It is not high brow literature. It is meant to capture the essence of the show and it does. It captures the supernatural as our characters deal with the everyday aspects of normal teenage life. One can tell that the author either was a fan of the show or did his homework as he captured the vibe of the show. The characters were portrayed correctly. As for the dialogue for which the show is known for. It was close. The author tried to capture the show's amazing sense of dialogue but that is a tall order. And the story works perfectly for this universe as it incorporates the supernatural element. The heart of the matter is the message which is on full display here. How do you deal with being the new kid on the block. There was also a minor plot of dealing with the next step in life with a major decision. I wish this was fleshed out a little more. It was serviceable but needed more detail.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. By every right this should not work. I am always up for a Buffy/Oz adventure and this one delivers. I never knew I needed to see Buffy battle a baby dinosaur but now I need to see it visually. This book was a fun time that allowed me one more adventure with beloved characters.
This book is based on the television show. What is the one thing that this universe never covered when it basically covered everything from vampires to an Incan mummy to gods. Yep. You guessed it. Dinosaurs. Basically this book is Buffy goes all Jurassic Park.
Going into this book I was adamant that this could not work. Come on. Dinosaurs in this universe. But I am here to tell you that it does. It is not high brow literature. It is meant to capture the essence of the show and it does. It captures the supernatural as our characters deal with the everyday aspects of normal teenage life. One can tell that the author either was a fan of the show or did his homework as he captured the vibe of the show. The characters were portrayed correctly. As for the dialogue for which the show is known for. It was close. The author tried to capture the show's amazing sense of dialogue but that is a tall order. And the story works perfectly for this universe as it incorporates the supernatural element. The heart of the matter is the message which is on full display here. How do you deal with being the new kid on the block. There was also a minor plot of dealing with the next step in life with a major decision. I wish this was fleshed out a little more. It was serviceable but needed more detail.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. By every right this should not work. I am always up for a Buffy/Oz adventure and this one delivers. I never knew I needed to see Buffy battle a baby dinosaur but now I need to see it visually. This book was a fun time that allowed me one more adventure with beloved characters.
June 18, 2020
So, you can take something you like and ask yourself how it can better and the answer is almost always to add dinosaurs, right? Baseball would be more exciting, meatloaf would taste better, and the trains would run on time. Navarro added dinosaurs to Buffy and here you go. Good Oz side-story, too.
June 17, 2025
As with all tie-ins, I'll start by acknowledging where in the visual canon universe timeline this takes place. Like most novels set in the early s03 era, this is all a bit nebulous. It should be sometime post 3x04, due to Angel's presence in the story, but pre-3x08 "Lover's Walk," considering there are hints that Xander and Cordelia are still dating. However, there is no mention of Faith even in passing, and while it is mentioned that Angel's relationships with the rest of the Slayerettes are pretty tenuous, there is nowhere near the level of discomfiture that fits with this visual period of the show. In terms of publishing date, it was released in September 2000, which means VERY early days of s05, but I think it's much like the last Buffy tie in I read, Ghoul Trouble, which came out in October 2000, but was likely penned much earlier. That's the only justification I can think of for why a story that's set in s03 doesn't have any of the logical emotional beats, despite being released a year after the completion of that plot line.
Now, for the book itself.
This is not my first time reading this particular Buffy novel, but my memories of the book from the first time I read it were hazy, and I mostly remembered that I thought it ridiculous. And I wasn't wrong about it being ridiculous, but I think that in a much more complimentary light than I did on my initial outing with it. To be fair, this novel started out on the back foot for me that first time. You see, I actually got it a bit later after its publication. I got it as an Easter present from my parents in 2002, when I was 14, along with the first two Roswell High novels and 2 Roswell tie in novels. And when I was 14, my Buffy hyperfixation was starting to die down a bit and Roswell (which was in its final season) was really taking the fore in my brain. (And right after that show ended, Alias came along with its whopper of a s01 finale and took its place for the following four years until DW came along when I was a freshman in college.) So, I get this particular Buffy novel, along with these other four books, and my family heads down to New Bern, NC for spring break vacation. And I spent the first day locked in my designated bedroom in the condo, going from one Roswell book to the next. And when I got to the end of the second book of Roswell High (there were ten total and my parents had gotten me first two), I was buzzing. Like, practically vibrating in whatever chair I was sitting in. But I couldn't read the next book! I had read all the Roswell my parents had gotten me. All I had left to read was this one Buffy novel.
And have you ever been a person or known a person whose brain is hyperfixating on one thing but has to force it to focus on something else? It is a stepping stone to automatic hatred of that other thing.
Did it help that this particular book was focused on dinosaurs? No. Cos that was never my thing. My brother? Sure. He had a dinosaur phase. Not me though. (In fact, I had him read this book after I did. He too thought it ridiculous, but he at least had fun with it at the time.)
And then Buffy and co. are barely in it for the first 100+ pages. We're stuck hanging out with these selfish paleontology nerds who want to get famous, and I just DID.NOT.CARE. And when Buffy and the gang did show up, they're talking about Dingoes Ate My Baby possibly getting an agent, but the agent seems shady. While I do like that this turns out to not be anything supernatural, but is instead just bad person being bad, and I do like Oz getting to take a semi-lead in this story, the plot line is kind of oddly placed. It doesn't quite gel as well as it could, and the time it takes to make it relevant to the rest of the story just isn't worth it. I feel like there are other real life issues we could have given to Oz that would let him still be a focal point while not making the switch between our bad guys of the week and the Scooby Gang feel so jarring.
I do want to some pro points to Navarro. The story plot is ridiculous, but it never feels like she's not taking it seriously. It would look very naff onscreen, but in literary form it's allowed to be gory. The deaths in this are disgusting and visceral, and there's even a vampire dusting in this one that made me go, "Hey! That was cool!" Another pro is that Navarro took the time to tie this book in with a previous Buffy tie-in novel (one of my favorites), Child of the Hunt. It's rare that any tie in novel references another, especially when it's by a completely different author, so I enjoy it when it happens. It adds a layer of validity to the extended universe timeline that is overlooked most of the time. Also, despite my complaining about it the first time I read it, I do like that Navarro spends so much time with our one off villain characters. They feel like real people in her story -- they have a purpose to what they're doing and each of them has different goals and expectations of what succeeding at it would mean for them. I didn't have space in my brain for it at 14, but revisiting it at 37, I appreciate the complexity and intentionality of the characters I spent most of my time with, even if they weren't the characters I usually come to the novels for.
Also, giving Oz an interest in something other than music was a lot of fun. The show doesn't go into Oz's back story very much (even when he was part of the starring cast for a year and a half), so getting a little nugget of it here was a real treat. Having him talk so much made his voice sound off cos Oz should never talk more than short sentences imo, but it also made sense for him to be the one who had the knowledge the group needed this time around. And having him and Buffy be the main fighting duo and Navarro spending time on that very undeveloped onscreen friendship was much appreciated by me. I love all the members of the Scooby Gang and the varying ways those relationships intersect and divide so exploring this rarely explored aspect of that dynamic was a good time for me.
Not perfect and, plot wise, not really my thing, but an enjoyable afternoon read nonetheless.
Now, for the book itself.
This is not my first time reading this particular Buffy novel, but my memories of the book from the first time I read it were hazy, and I mostly remembered that I thought it ridiculous. And I wasn't wrong about it being ridiculous, but I think that in a much more complimentary light than I did on my initial outing with it. To be fair, this novel started out on the back foot for me that first time. You see, I actually got it a bit later after its publication. I got it as an Easter present from my parents in 2002, when I was 14, along with the first two Roswell High novels and 2 Roswell tie in novels. And when I was 14, my Buffy hyperfixation was starting to die down a bit and Roswell (which was in its final season) was really taking the fore in my brain. (And right after that show ended, Alias came along with its whopper of a s01 finale and took its place for the following four years until DW came along when I was a freshman in college.) So, I get this particular Buffy novel, along with these other four books, and my family heads down to New Bern, NC for spring break vacation. And I spent the first day locked in my designated bedroom in the condo, going from one Roswell book to the next. And when I got to the end of the second book of Roswell High (there were ten total and my parents had gotten me first two), I was buzzing. Like, practically vibrating in whatever chair I was sitting in. But I couldn't read the next book! I had read all the Roswell my parents had gotten me. All I had left to read was this one Buffy novel.
And have you ever been a person or known a person whose brain is hyperfixating on one thing but has to force it to focus on something else? It is a stepping stone to automatic hatred of that other thing.
Did it help that this particular book was focused on dinosaurs? No. Cos that was never my thing. My brother? Sure. He had a dinosaur phase. Not me though. (In fact, I had him read this book after I did. He too thought it ridiculous, but he at least had fun with it at the time.)
And then Buffy and co. are barely in it for the first 100+ pages. We're stuck hanging out with these selfish paleontology nerds who want to get famous, and I just DID.NOT.CARE. And when Buffy and the gang did show up, they're talking about Dingoes Ate My Baby possibly getting an agent, but the agent seems shady. While I do like that this turns out to not be anything supernatural, but is instead just bad person being bad, and I do like Oz getting to take a semi-lead in this story, the plot line is kind of oddly placed. It doesn't quite gel as well as it could, and the time it takes to make it relevant to the rest of the story just isn't worth it. I feel like there are other real life issues we could have given to Oz that would let him still be a focal point while not making the switch between our bad guys of the week and the Scooby Gang feel so jarring.
I do want to some pro points to Navarro. The story plot is ridiculous, but it never feels like she's not taking it seriously. It would look very naff onscreen, but in literary form it's allowed to be gory. The deaths in this are disgusting and visceral, and there's even a vampire dusting in this one that made me go, "Hey! That was cool!" Another pro is that Navarro took the time to tie this book in with a previous Buffy tie-in novel (one of my favorites), Child of the Hunt. It's rare that any tie in novel references another, especially when it's by a completely different author, so I enjoy it when it happens. It adds a layer of validity to the extended universe timeline that is overlooked most of the time. Also, despite my complaining about it the first time I read it, I do like that Navarro spends so much time with our one off villain characters. They feel like real people in her story -- they have a purpose to what they're doing and each of them has different goals and expectations of what succeeding at it would mean for them. I didn't have space in my brain for it at 14, but revisiting it at 37, I appreciate the complexity and intentionality of the characters I spent most of my time with, even if they weren't the characters I usually come to the novels for.
Also, giving Oz an interest in something other than music was a lot of fun. The show doesn't go into Oz's back story very much (even when he was part of the starring cast for a year and a half), so getting a little nugget of it here was a real treat. Having him talk so much made his voice sound off cos Oz should never talk more than short sentences imo, but it also made sense for him to be the one who had the knowledge the group needed this time around. And having him and Buffy be the main fighting duo and Navarro spending time on that very undeveloped onscreen friendship was much appreciated by me. I love all the members of the Scooby Gang and the varying ways those relationships intersect and divide so exploring this rarely explored aspect of that dynamic was a good time for me.
Not perfect and, plot wise, not really my thing, but an enjoyable afternoon read nonetheless.
July 7, 2023
Far too simple of a story for what is a 260 page book. I realize a book and an episode of television are different things, but surely a novelization based on BtVS should probably mirror an episode of the show in its pacing and plotting. Takes nearly a hundred pages before anything truly of note happens and by then everything seems to happen a little too conveniently. A side plot involving Oz's band is barely given much attention and seems to only exist to somehow emotionally mirror the relationship and motivations of Daniel and Kevin, the original characters created for this book and our essential protagonists. With regards to the BtVS characters, I wouldn't say any of them are written out of character (although Oz's sudden interest and knowledge of dinosaurs is bizarre). That said, they aren't written particularly well either. The author just can't seem to grasp the humor of the show and as a result a lot of the dialogue is tough to read. I know this is supposed to be an Oz book as evidenced by the cover, but it kinda sucks the degree to which Buffy and the rest of the gang are barely present until the last third. By then it's too late to get anything really satisfactory in terms of character plotting.
All that said, this is BtVS with dinosaurs so that's pretty cool.
All that said, this is BtVS with dinosaurs so that's pretty cool.
April 11, 2023
This was a solid 3, closer to 4 than 2. I kind of groaned at the idea of dinosaurs on Buffy but the execution here was mostly good. The author definitely wanted to make an Oz-centered story and the possible new band manager/opportunity for stardom was a nice way of fleshing out a part of his character that was never super developed on the show.
Shoehorning Oz as a dinosaur expert was a bit less on character but I could still go with it. At the end when Oz is basically giving Buffy directions and using super wolf skills at will (something these books always do way more than the show did) it lost me.
The supporting characters here are a new student, a former student and the singer of Dingoes at my Baby. Again for the most part the execution here was solid with the only part feeling off being that the high school lid would have so many dinosaur eggs hidden at his house.
My guess is this would take place in season 3 after episode 7.
Shoehorning Oz as a dinosaur expert was a bit less on character but I could still go with it. At the end when Oz is basically giving Buffy directions and using super wolf skills at will (something these books always do way more than the show did) it lost me.
The supporting characters here are a new student, a former student and the singer of Dingoes at my Baby. Again for the most part the execution here was solid with the only part feeling off being that the high school lid would have so many dinosaur eggs hidden at his house.
My guess is this would take place in season 3 after episode 7.
May 6, 2024
This one started off a little different, in that it felt like we were largely following the "guest star" characters, with the Scooby gang being almost a supporting role, which worked well for me as it avoided some of the questionable writing of the characters that can sometimes crop up. But then about halfway through, once the dino-demon is properly introduced, it's all Scoobies all the time.
It was largely fine, although a lot of the battle consisted of just following dinosaurs round.
Also, a slightly odd subplot with Oz's band that didn't really go anywhere and then was just quickly tied up in about 3 pages at the end of the book, with a very loose parallel tying it together to the main plot.
Overall it was fine, but sort of made me wonder how a whole book would look if the Scoobies were just guest stars. I think it would make it a lot easier to read.
It was largely fine, although a lot of the battle consisted of just following dinosaurs round.
Also, a slightly odd subplot with Oz's band that didn't really go anywhere and then was just quickly tied up in about 3 pages at the end of the book, with a very loose parallel tying it together to the main plot.
Overall it was fine, but sort of made me wonder how a whole book would look if the Scoobies were just guest stars. I think it would make it a lot easier to read.
June 2, 2017
I miss Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I'm working my way thru the novels based on the show, and on the Angel show. My review for this book is pretty basic. If you love the Buffy gang,and if you love dinosaurs, look no further! This is the book for you! It's a great read. It's a fun read. Dinosaurs AND Buffy !!!!!
May 14, 2024
1.5 stars. Buffy and dinosaurs? Not for me.
Seemed like it was all about the authors knowledge of dinosaurs that they wanted to show off. Would have been a good story but not in the Buffyverse.
Was good to see a lot of Oz, but the whole band manager storyline was pointless.
Seemed like it was all about the authors knowledge of dinosaurs that they wanted to show off. Would have been a good story but not in the Buffyverse.
Was good to see a lot of Oz, but the whole band manager storyline was pointless.
July 16, 2019
Review to come.
March 1, 2022
I miss Buffy so much! Loved the timeframe of this one, as Oz played a big part in it.
December 8, 2022
One of the most boring Buffy novels I've read but a good one if you like Oz.
April 15, 2011
This was an exciting read for me but that could partially be related to the fact that one of my favourite series has been crossed with dinosaurs in a sense, which I find fascinating on their own. :0)
A dig journal is found by a fame seeking palaeontologist in the boxed crates of the Sunnydale museums basement, where Daniel has been sent to catalogue all old artefacts to basically keep him out of everyone else's hair. Daniel is bitter, greedy and unwilling to work hard to make something of himself. He finds an unusual spell in this old dig journal that's supposed to bring forth life in return for a wish. Just to Daniels luck Kevin has moved to town and has a wonderful Collection of fossilized eggs what better to try the spell out on then a baby Dino.
As usual nothing in Sunnydale ever works out easily and madness, mayhem and destruction soon follow. The scoobies have to work together to try and get to the bottom of what's going on, but will they be able to find anything about how to deal with dinosaurs in any of Giles's books?
A dig journal is found by a fame seeking palaeontologist in the boxed crates of the Sunnydale museums basement, where Daniel has been sent to catalogue all old artefacts to basically keep him out of everyone else's hair. Daniel is bitter, greedy and unwilling to work hard to make something of himself. He finds an unusual spell in this old dig journal that's supposed to bring forth life in return for a wish. Just to Daniels luck Kevin has moved to town and has a wonderful Collection of fossilized eggs what better to try the spell out on then a baby Dino.
As usual nothing in Sunnydale ever works out easily and madness, mayhem and destruction soon follow. The scoobies have to work together to try and get to the bottom of what's going on, but will they be able to find anything about how to deal with dinosaurs in any of Giles's books?
June 9, 2014
The Paleo (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3 #5) by Yvonne Navarro
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most perfect novels. It has many chapters that talks about teenage high school girl who is vampire hunter. This girl has big power. I read this book and saw the movie. However, the vampire killers are people who have the strength and speed superhuman. I like the part that Buffy and her friends go to school and show normal for their families while fighting vampires and monsters in the night. I totally enjoyed this, loved every page. I really enjoyed when I read it. Finally, this book very a simple enough story and no one has ever written like this novel. When I finished read book l told my sister to read this book better than see the movie.
August 1, 2016
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
August 2, 2013
Whats not to like. Buffy and Dinosaurs yay!
I totally enjoyed this, loved every page. It was so much fun and Yvonne Navarro really knows how to bring the character's alive. She captures them also well that you can see and hear all of them in your head. They all act and say exactly what you would expect from the characters on TV.
The story was excellent as well. An old dig journal found in the archive of Sunnydale's Museum and a demon who posses dinosaurs and tries to resurface every 60 years. Really good. If you love Buffy you can't go wrong here. Super fun.
I totally enjoyed this, loved every page. It was so much fun and Yvonne Navarro really knows how to bring the character's alive. She captures them also well that you can see and hear all of them in your head. They all act and say exactly what you would expect from the characters on TV.
The story was excellent as well. An old dig journal found in the archive of Sunnydale's Museum and a demon who posses dinosaurs and tries to resurface every 60 years. Really good. If you love Buffy you can't go wrong here. Super fun.
May 9, 2017
Ever wonder what would happen if Buffy were up against dinosaurs?
February 25, 2019
Good story
July 17, 2016
Fun little romp, in the midst of a strong tv season. Double fun for those dinosaur loving types - the author did some great research.
January 20, 2018
the dinosaur stuff i boring i dont care, im reading this for buffy not friend of the week characters. i was about to give up until buffy and giles FINALLY came in at chapter 3. dont think im going to like this.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews