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Buffyverse Novels #63
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Wisdom of War
DARKNESS AND LIGHT The Creature from the Black Lagoon's less attractive cousin has hit the Sunnydale scene, and Buffy and Co. are all over the new threat. So the Scoobs are stunned, naturally, when members of the Watcher's Council arrive, explaining -- or rather, insisting -- that they've got the matter "under control." Enter Faith. The Council has found a way to spring the rogue-but-repentant Slayer from jail to combat the water beast, and she is enjoying her stint as "the Good One." Buffy, a self-declared independent operator for quite some time, thinks she is going to have to do a little digging. What connection could the Council have to these horrific creatures? There's some soul-searching in store for the Slayer. Even if Buffy is ready to align with the Council, is this a battle worth fighting?
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 25, 2002
2 people are currently reading
599 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Golden
798 books2,960 followersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 19, 2023
This is a novel set within the continuity of the problematical fifth season of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. It's one of the longer books in the prose series, but I thought Golden did a good job of keeping it interesting all the way through. The Watchers Council returns and figures heavily in the story, and Faith steals the show. It's among the best of the Buffy books, with both a gusty grrr and an emphatic arrrgh.
November 30, 2021
5 stars
Nice to see Buffy and Faith working together. The introduction of the Order of the Sage or whatever it is called was interesting. Quentin Travers does not seem to be a very good guy.
Can't wait to read more Buffyverse novels!!!!
Nice to see Buffy and Faith working together. The introduction of the Order of the Sage or whatever it is called was interesting. Quentin Travers does not seem to be a very good guy.
Can't wait to read more Buffyverse novels!!!!
December 25, 2015
My rating is 3.5 stars.
A book based on the television series. This takes place during the fifth season. Something is driving out all the vampires from Sunnydale and Buffy and the Scoobies investigate. They find out a big bad is trying to enter this dimension and it could be their toughest foe to date.
My first concern when reading a media tie-in novel is the characters and I had no problem with their portrayal in this book. In fact, this book delved into their personalities and relationships more than most media tie-in novels and I enjoyed that aspect. As of the story we have two warring sides of monsters and throughout the story we are not sure which side are the good guys. Throw in the Council and Faith and we have an enjoyable story in this universe. I did think the first half of the story was enjoyable but the second half is when this book is terrific. The final battle was excellent and that is why I raised my rating that extra half star.
I admit I enjoy books where I get to spend some more time with beloved characters. If you are the same you will not be disappointed with this novel.
A book based on the television series. This takes place during the fifth season. Something is driving out all the vampires from Sunnydale and Buffy and the Scoobies investigate. They find out a big bad is trying to enter this dimension and it could be their toughest foe to date.
My first concern when reading a media tie-in novel is the characters and I had no problem with their portrayal in this book. In fact, this book delved into their personalities and relationships more than most media tie-in novels and I enjoyed that aspect. As of the story we have two warring sides of monsters and throughout the story we are not sure which side are the good guys. Throw in the Council and Faith and we have an enjoyable story in this universe. I did think the first half of the story was enjoyable but the second half is when this book is terrific. The final battle was excellent and that is why I raised my rating that extra half star.
I admit I enjoy books where I get to spend some more time with beloved characters. If you are the same you will not be disappointed with this novel.
September 15, 2020
The Wisdom of War by Christopher Golden (2002)
This book tales place during Season 5 and Buffy and gang must be on a break from fighting Glory and her minions.
We join, Buffy, Willow, Xander and the rest of the Scooby gang on a rare day at the beach relaxing and just being Californians. As this is Sunnydale and prone to weird happenings, there seems to be large number of sea lions on the beach and more trying to make their way to the beach and rocks, doing there best to get clear of the water.
This is the day after Buffy investigated, fought and killed a weird sea creature and hearing a prophetic warning from a grizzled seaman. Buffy is hoping the attack by the sea creature is a once of occurrence, but this is Sunnydale after all.
Soon there seems to be more and more attacks from sea creatures, but strangely some humans, seem to be changing into a strange and violent sea creature different than what Buffy fought in the bar at the beginning of all these happenings.
What is going, on with people disappearing, and changing into sea monsters and other sea creatures more concerned with these sea monsters than with actual people. Then who shows up requesting Buffy’s help, non other than The Watcher Council. Without explaining anything to anyone’s liking and demanding Buffy follow their orders, The Watchers Council is sent packing.
They soon find a willing recruit in rogue slayer Faith, trying to make her peace with her wicked past.
Buffy wants answers on who to fight and why she should be fighting them and until she gets there answers she is reluctant to follow The Council or the newly discovered Order of the Sages.
The book follows Buffy search for truth and along the way she discovers, not all is as it seems, and you need to fight for the right reasons. Slayer is all about fighting, death, and the way of the warrior but before this is over Buffy will find out it is important to know which battles to choose.
The scooby gang faces two camps of demons and creatures and also an evil as old as mankind itself, and they may not get out of this one without many deaths. Will Faith be fighting with our hero’s or on her own with the council. The book examines ones choices in war and battles, are slayers just mindless soldiers or do they think about what the consequences could be from defeating this “foe”
If you enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show and have read any of the novels that have been written you will enjoy this book.
This book tales place during Season 5 and Buffy and gang must be on a break from fighting Glory and her minions.
We join, Buffy, Willow, Xander and the rest of the Scooby gang on a rare day at the beach relaxing and just being Californians. As this is Sunnydale and prone to weird happenings, there seems to be large number of sea lions on the beach and more trying to make their way to the beach and rocks, doing there best to get clear of the water.
This is the day after Buffy investigated, fought and killed a weird sea creature and hearing a prophetic warning from a grizzled seaman. Buffy is hoping the attack by the sea creature is a once of occurrence, but this is Sunnydale after all.
Soon there seems to be more and more attacks from sea creatures, but strangely some humans, seem to be changing into a strange and violent sea creature different than what Buffy fought in the bar at the beginning of all these happenings.
What is going, on with people disappearing, and changing into sea monsters and other sea creatures more concerned with these sea monsters than with actual people. Then who shows up requesting Buffy’s help, non other than The Watcher Council. Without explaining anything to anyone’s liking and demanding Buffy follow their orders, The Watchers Council is sent packing.
They soon find a willing recruit in rogue slayer Faith, trying to make her peace with her wicked past.
Buffy wants answers on who to fight and why she should be fighting them and until she gets there answers she is reluctant to follow The Council or the newly discovered Order of the Sages.
The book follows Buffy search for truth and along the way she discovers, not all is as it seems, and you need to fight for the right reasons. Slayer is all about fighting, death, and the way of the warrior but before this is over Buffy will find out it is important to know which battles to choose.
The scooby gang faces two camps of demons and creatures and also an evil as old as mankind itself, and they may not get out of this one without many deaths. Will Faith be fighting with our hero’s or on her own with the council. The book examines ones choices in war and battles, are slayers just mindless soldiers or do they think about what the consequences could be from defeating this “foe”
If you enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show and have read any of the novels that have been written you will enjoy this book.
September 11, 2025
I didn’t expect a Buffy tie-in to be so much fun, but here we are, after reading a Supernatural tie-in giving now the chance to one of the Buffy original novels.
The story is pretty simple: there is something evil lurking in the sea, and people are mutating into monsters with tentacles and many mouths. Buffy and the gang will try to stop the evil and avoid turning themselves into monsters.
Buffy was never a series that made much sense (any series long enough, and with fantasy/sci-fi elements, ends up being overcomplicated over-the-top) so don’t expect for everything to make sense. But Golden has done a pretty good job in making the proceedings enjoyable, with an acceptable pace and nice writing. The characters are there, more or less as their series counterparts, so, if you like the series, you will enjoy this way more that if you don’t know who Buffy, Willow, Xander and the rest are (this story happens during season five of Buffy).
On the down side, this is a little bit too long, with too many situations that kind of repeat themselves (oh, no, someone else turned into a monster with mouths and tentacles!) and with an ending that is just OK.
The best: Buffy! She was a pretty cool character
The worst: a little bit too long
6/10
(English; original)
The story is pretty simple: there is something evil lurking in the sea, and people are mutating into monsters with tentacles and many mouths. Buffy and the gang will try to stop the evil and avoid turning themselves into monsters.
Buffy was never a series that made much sense (any series long enough, and with fantasy/sci-fi elements, ends up being overcomplicated over-the-top) so don’t expect for everything to make sense. But Golden has done a pretty good job in making the proceedings enjoyable, with an acceptable pace and nice writing. The characters are there, more or less as their series counterparts, so, if you like the series, you will enjoy this way more that if you don’t know who Buffy, Willow, Xander and the rest are (this story happens during season five of Buffy).
On the down side, this is a little bit too long, with too many situations that kind of repeat themselves (oh, no, someone else turned into a monster with mouths and tentacles!) and with an ending that is just OK.
The best: Buffy! She was a pretty cool character
The worst: a little bit too long
6/10
(English; original)
February 20, 2018
good read most read
April 3, 2014
Enjoyed that. Another good Buffy novel. Christopher Golden has written quite a few and it shows he is always spot on with his characters and background references. Story was good, with warring demons, the involvement of the Watcher's Council and the return of Faith from prison. Only minus was it seemed to be a bit slow which is why 4 not 5 stars.
February 25, 2019
Sold entry in the catalog
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews