What do you think?
Rate this book
Buffyverse Novels #62
Buffy. Theater des Grauens. Im Bann der Dämonen.
Mysteriöse Vorfälle ereignen sich bei den Theaterproben an der Sunnydaler Universität. Ein Wesen mit magischer Vergangenheit scheint sich an den Requisiten zu vergreifen: verfärbte Schminke, rutschige Bühnenbretter, Schwerter ohne Schutzkappen - und dann immer wieder diese unheimliche Stimmen. Treibt etwa ein Geist sein Unwesen in dem Theater oder handelt es sich nur um harmlose Scherze?
Während sich Buffy ganz auf ihr Jägerinnen-Dasein konzentriert, versucht Willow, den geheimnisvollen Vorkommnissen während der Proben auf die Spur zu kommen. Nur sie wittert die Gefahr, die von dem Theater ausgeht, und droht dessen Bann zu erliegen.
Gemeinsam mit Spike, dessen nicht-vampirische Vergangenheit auf merkwürdige Weise mit den mysteriösen Vorfällen im Theater verflochten ist, betritt sie die Bretter des Grauens.
Während sich Buffy ganz auf ihr Jägerinnen-Dasein konzentriert, versucht Willow, den geheimnisvollen Vorkommnissen während der Proben auf die Spur zu kommen. Nur sie wittert die Gefahr, die von dem Theater ausgeht, und droht dessen Bann zu erliegen.
Gemeinsam mit Spike, dessen nicht-vampirische Vergangenheit auf merkwürdige Weise mit den mysteriösen Vorfällen im Theater verflochten ist, betritt sie die Bretter des Grauens.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 11, 2023
This is a novel based on the television series but it's not really a Buffy book, it centers on two of the support characters, Spike and Willow. There are two storylines that eventually meet, Spike in London when he's trying to adapt to his new vampire status and Willow becoming immersed in the dramatic world of theatre. I thought the contemporary scenes were very realistically portrayed, and the voices of both characters rang true. The ending is very poorly executed and unsatisfying, but it's a fun read until it gets there.
May 5, 2010
An enjoyable enough story, and the authors found the voices for Willow, Spike and Dru -- I question everyone else, but those were the main characters for this story anyway.
It centers around Willow's Drama class (the one Buffy had to drop when she needed to take care of Dawn and actually get a job, in addition to being The Chosen One) and the story of how William became Spike. It jumps between Sunnydale in 2000 and London 1880. I enjoyed the London story a bit more, as it was the Spike story (and I do so love him...even now) It took a little bit for the stories to get going, and to weave into each other, but when they did, the last 100 pages of the book read like lightning flashes.
I would recommend this book to Buffy fans, specifically those who liked Will and Spike.
It centers around Willow's Drama class (the one Buffy had to drop when she needed to take care of Dawn and actually get a job, in addition to being The Chosen One) and the story of how William became Spike. It jumps between Sunnydale in 2000 and London 1880. I enjoyed the London story a bit more, as it was the Spike story (and I do so love him...even now) It took a little bit for the stories to get going, and to weave into each other, but when they did, the last 100 pages of the book read like lightning flashes.
I would recommend this book to Buffy fans, specifically those who liked Will and Spike.
August 7, 2020
It’s the Buffy universe, so 5 stars is basically automatic. It’s more like 4.5 though, just because the very last 8 pages (the big ‘battle’ too) was a bit all over the place. I couldn’t tell you what happened or how the people who made it out survived but hey, it’s Buffyverse. Still enjoyed it a lot! The Willow/Spike dynamic is one of my favourites and it was fun to read more adventures with those two :)
February 7, 2018
I can't resist a Buffy novel! And one focusing on Willow and Spike - not your usual combination of heroes, but it kind of worked.
I absolutely loved the premise of the story. It focuses on the history of the theatre - that the first 'plays' were actually rituals used to summon Gods and spirits. Although over the years the power has been diluted, using the correct incantation can do the same thing. Willow discovers this while taking a drama class at Uni, where she comes under the influence of a professor - one that Spike knew a long, long time ago.
Sadly, I don't think the author's did the concept justice. The chapters set in Ye Olde London, when Spike was still human, were completely distracting and a waste of time. Buffy fans will know his back story and new readers don't really need to know it in quite so detailed a way, as it only really impacts on the modern day situation towards the end ... and I guessing that most readers would have guessed who the professor is long before the big reveal!
The chapters set in the modern era were full of fun and adventure, just like a TV episode. It was good to see Willow get her own story, and it sort of fitted in with the series it's set against. I loved the fact that she was so angry about getting a fake 'A' when she wanted a fake 'A+' - so Willow!
But the ending, for me, was mangled. The big showdown happened in half a chapter and even though I read it twice, I'm not sure that I got it. Something seemed to have been missed out or maybe it was just so anti-climatic. I mean, I don't even know what happened to the professor - I guess our heroes won, but I'm not sure who! I can't help thinking that if the authors had dropped some of Spike's back story, there would have been more room for a more satisfying ending.
That said, it was still an enjoyable read and any visit to the Buffyverse is worth doing.
I absolutely loved the premise of the story. It focuses on the history of the theatre - that the first 'plays' were actually rituals used to summon Gods and spirits. Although over the years the power has been diluted, using the correct incantation can do the same thing. Willow discovers this while taking a drama class at Uni, where she comes under the influence of a professor - one that Spike knew a long, long time ago.
Sadly, I don't think the author's did the concept justice. The chapters set in Ye Olde London, when Spike was still human, were completely distracting and a waste of time. Buffy fans will know his back story and new readers don't really need to know it in quite so detailed a way, as it only really impacts on the modern day situation towards the end ... and I guessing that most readers would have guessed who the professor is long before the big reveal!
The chapters set in the modern era were full of fun and adventure, just like a TV episode. It was good to see Willow get her own story, and it sort of fitted in with the series it's set against. I loved the fact that she was so angry about getting a fake 'A' when she wanted a fake 'A+' - so Willow!
But the ending, for me, was mangled. The big showdown happened in half a chapter and even though I read it twice, I'm not sure that I got it. Something seemed to have been missed out or maybe it was just so anti-climatic. I mean, I don't even know what happened to the professor - I guess our heroes won, but I'm not sure who! I can't help thinking that if the authors had dropped some of Spike's back story, there would have been more room for a more satisfying ending.
That said, it was still an enjoyable read and any visit to the Buffyverse is worth doing.
March 30, 2024
I loved this book, my favorite buffyverse novel I’ve read yet. There are 2 timelines: one w/ Willow and her theatre class and one w/ Spike/Dru/Angel/Darla going more in depth about Spike’s turning and first experiences as a vampire. I love Willow, but this timeline was so incredibly well written and the climax and final action scene really tied everything together in a super dark but satisfying way. The season 5 timeline portion was mostly really well done as well but the final action scene struggled to bring it home as well as the vamp timeline did. It honestly left me with more questions then answers on how on earth Willow resolved all that and the ending is a tad vague for my taste. BUT overall I loved the vampire timeline so much that it’s a 5 stars for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It focused on Willow and Spike, and expanded on the episode “Fool for Love”. I wish they spent more time on the endings for the Buffy books, because they feel abrupt. I was enjoying the story so much that I hoped for more regarding Cecily and her father being reunited.
July 2, 2021
A really good book that totally crapped out on the ending. :(
(For fans of Buffy, she hardly appears in this - Willow and Spike take the lead.)
(For fans of Buffy, she hardly appears in this - Willow and Spike take the lead.)
September 10, 2023
SPIKE AND WILLOW ARE THE ULTIMATE BROTP
June 16, 2015
A book based on the television series. This isn't your typical media tie-in book as the titular character is not part of the book as she makes several short cameos. This book deals with Willow and Spike. This book explores two different storylines and meshes them at the end. The first story is Willow enrolls in a drama class and she notices that something is amiss. The second storyline is the exploration of Spike becoming a vampire and his first weeks as being a vampire. This was explored during the show but this book goes into more detail.
The highlight of this book was Spike's story. The author did a great job with the characters of Spike, Angelus, Dru, and Darla. I really enjoyed depth of the story and how each character was portrayed esp. Angelus. Even though it was Spike's story, it was Angelus calling the shots. There is one minor problem with this plot. It contradicts with facts that was later explored on the show. I am going to guess this wasn't the author's fault. Maybe this novel was written before the episode was aired. If you can get by this discrepancy, this particular plot was very enjoyable.
The Willow story was decent and I liked how it was eventually weaved in with Spike's story. The problem and which forced me to lower my rating from four stars to three was the ending. It was very abrupt and lackluster. I had to read it twice because I thought I missed something. A shame too that the last five pages brought down my enjoyment.
This was a nice foray into this universe. Fans of Spike or Willow will especially enjoy this book as they take center stage. I recommend only reading this book if you have prior knowledge of this universe.
The highlight of this book was Spike's story. The author did a great job with the characters of Spike, Angelus, Dru, and Darla. I really enjoyed depth of the story and how each character was portrayed esp. Angelus. Even though it was Spike's story, it was Angelus calling the shots. There is one minor problem with this plot. It contradicts with facts that was later explored on the show. I am going to guess this wasn't the author's fault. Maybe this novel was written before the episode was aired. If you can get by this discrepancy, this particular plot was very enjoyable.
The Willow story was decent and I liked how it was eventually weaved in with Spike's story. The problem and which forced me to lower my rating from four stars to three was the ending. It was very abrupt and lackluster. I had to read it twice because I thought I missed something. A shame too that the last five pages brought down my enjoyment.
This was a nice foray into this universe. Fans of Spike or Willow will especially enjoy this book as they take center stage. I recommend only reading this book if you have prior knowledge of this universe.
March 30, 2015
This is a really great Buffy the Vampire Slayer book. This is a really great horror novel. Some of the Buffy books, as enjoyable as they are, tend to be formula novels. The plot that Ashley McConnell and Dori Koogler came up with is quite unique. Willow is the main chaaracter in the modern day part of the tale, and Spike is the main charater in the part of the story that takes place in the late 1800's in London.I refuse to deal with spoilers, so I can't give too much of the plot away. Willow's part of the story deals with a theater course she's taking at college. Spike's part of the story deals with a good deal of his life before,and right after becoming a vampire. Have no fear, because like all good English novels, the separate stories will blend together.
I highly recommend this novel! With a little tweak here and there, this book could be released again as a straight horror novel. Do give it a try!
I highly recommend this novel! With a little tweak here and there, this book could be released again as a straight horror novel. Do give it a try!
May 18, 2010
Spoiler...I didn't like how they changed part of Spike's history. He didn't kill Cecily as far as Buffy History goes. If he did, she wouldn't have been on the show as Helfrek (I know that's spelled wrong, but you know who I mean.) Its obvious in the show that when Helfrek shows up at Buffy's birthday party that no one can leave that she is Cecily from Spike's past. Even in the comic books they keep to that, Helfrek tells Spike that Cecily was just a creation to get at the people from his group, to pay some Vengeance...being a Vengeance Demon and all. I know writers have the right to write what they want...but I don't like when they change some of the show's history. Its not that had to go along with it, is it?
April 9, 2014
It was okay, but I was actually a little disappointed with this book. The characters were well written and in line with the tv show. Spike is one of my favourite characters and I enjoyed the background on him, in fact for me I enjoyed the flashbacks better than the present day storyline! I found the book seem to finish rather abruptly and I am not quite sure how it was resolved. I also found the way it was written with one chapter in the present and the next in the past a little annoying! I was just getting into certain parts when you got flung easy from it. 3 stars and definitely not one of the better Buffy books.
May 10, 2014
Although the writers understood the characters and the dialogue was realistic enough, the storyline left a lot to be desired! It was great the way it flitted between Spikes past as a new vampire in London, to modern day UC Sunnydale but the story was somewhat fragmented and not fully formed and this meant the ending was not much of a 'battle' or a 'fight'.
The ending was disappointing and the whole book ended up feeling quite convoluted, the only redeeming feature was the insight to Spikes first few weeks as a vampire and the dialogue was an honest representation of each character! 3 out of 5 stars from me!
The ending was disappointing and the whole book ended up feeling quite convoluted, the only redeeming feature was the insight to Spikes first few weeks as a vampire and the dialogue was an honest representation of each character! 3 out of 5 stars from me!
December 8, 2013
A very different kind of Buffy book...meaning I think the word Buffy is only printed 10 times or so. This book is 100% Willow and Spike! Which at first I was annoyed with, but it worked out well. I recommend to any big Spike fan as it gives a lot of background on his character. My only complaint about this book was how quickly the big evil ended after 300 pages of build up. But good over all.
August 17, 2007
When I first read this book, I was a big Spillow shipper, so to read a book featuring their interaction was awesome. But the thing I really loved most about this book was the interperatation of that scene from "Fool for Love" with William and Cecily... you gotta read it, if only for that part.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
November 10, 2015
It's okay. It's got some cute stuff and I like Spike getting into the acting thing. But the follow-through has problems.
October 9, 2011
It would've been better if they had stuck to the William (aka Spike) and Drus shizz.. not Willow and Tara shizz... XD
May 3, 2012
Well, I wrote part of it, so I'm prejudiced.
February 25, 2019
Cool idea for this one
August 1, 2012
Good Spike & Willow novel. The ending didn't make sense, it felt rushed. Spike's backstory was slightly wrong, but still a good novel.
June 11, 2013
awesome!!!!!!!
September 24, 2015
Eh, it was a fun read and better written than some Buffy trade paperbacks. The ending was anticlimactic for me.
January 15, 2016
This is a really great example of a media tie in. It is mostly very well written and the characterisation is consistent with the show. Fantastic plot- i'd recommend to Buffy fans.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews