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The Gatekeeper Trilogy #3
Sons of Entropy
Led by Il Maestro, the evil Sons of Entropy are assaulting the mansion that holds back the realm of monsters and stealing the life force from the besieged Gatekeeper. Can Buffy safeguard the Gatekeeper's 11-year-old heir, the only one able to prevent the ultimate destruction of humanity?
Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1999
11 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Golden
799 books2,936 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 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 26, 2016
08/05/09 - I give this book 3.5 stars. I don't think I need to write a full review for this book, my feelings are pretty much the same as for the previous two books in the series (see my review for Out of the Madhouse and Ghost Roads). I really enjoyed them in my mid to late teens, but the writing is no longer quite good enough for my tastes.
June 13, 2017
5 stars
Yay!!!! Glad they defeated Il Maestro. Hope the new Gatekeeper will be good. RIP last Gatekeeper.
Can't wait to read more Buffyverse novels!!!!!
Yay!!!! Glad they defeated Il Maestro. Hope the new Gatekeeper will be good. RIP last Gatekeeper.
Can't wait to read more Buffyverse novels!!!!!
December 7, 2023
Disappointed with the final installment.
I reckon if it were only two books instead of three, as it all felt too drawn out and dragged in places that didn't need to be and the ending was lackluster despite all the build up towards it, such a let down :(
I reckon if it were only two books instead of three, as it all felt too drawn out and dragged in places that didn't need to be and the ending was lackluster despite all the build up towards it, such a let down :(
July 11, 2024
Dear lord…
July 11, 2024
No book featuring the Loch Ness Monster should be this tedious.
October 16, 2009
Good for what they were for: beach reading.
January 9, 2016
The writing wasn't really up to scratch and ultimately I found the ending something of a disappointment.
August 18, 2022
This was a nice enough conclusion to the trilogy, but I do feel like it maybe didn't need to be a trilogy. This book was already about 50 pages shorter than the previous two, and even so it felt like it was spinning its wheels a little in the final climax. It felt a little weird to separate Buffy from the rest of the gang and essentially be facing two villains, and what felt like the more 'showstopper' fight was the one that Buffy wasn't involved in at all. And Buffy's fight seemed to end pretty... abruptly considering (I guess?) it was supposed to be the true villain behind the entire plot.
Saying that - it was a nice, quick read, and it felt like for the most part the characters were true to the characters we know and love, so I will give it bonus points for that!
Saying that - it was a nice, quick read, and it felt like for the most part the characters were true to the characters we know and love, so I will give it bonus points for that!
February 20, 2018
wow Christopher golden you are a great writer thank you for taking the time to write this book no spoilers. just walk down memory lane and remember when buffy was great
May 1, 2019
This my favourite series of Buffy novels and anyone that enjoys the show would probably enjoy this book
June 29, 2019
Interesting ending to the end of the trilogy and kept me on my toes till the end with plots twists galore!
October 31, 2021
The final book of the Gatekeeper Trilogy. A new Gatekeeper is found and the portals to Hell are closed….again, with the help of Buffy, Angel and all the Scoobies.
March 13, 2022
Non-stop action, great Buffy charm, satisfying end to the trilogy.
June 16, 2024
Brilliant. My favourite books so far.
December 30, 2009
How I Came To Read These Books: being a Buffy fan, it was only natural I turned to read some of the books. I think I also read one that was based on the series’ premiere, but I preferred the original stories. Call it published fan fic.
The Plot: I can’t separate these three books particularly well this late in the game, so let’s summarize. There’s a whole lot of wacky going on in Sunnydale, more than usual. Rather than one big bad, it seems a rain (of toads, quite literally) of chaos is coming down in Sunnydale, and Buffy is having a tough time handling it, especially with her watcher hospitalized abroad. The gang goes on a road trip (!) much like any Babysitters Club novel, and ends up in Boston where a ‘gatekeeper’ is watching over a psychedelic mansion with doors leading to endless rooms of ‘ghost roads’ that house things not meant for our world. Unfortunately said gatekeeper is ailing, and they need to track down his heir to take over the family business. This leads to a further trip for Buffy, Angel, and Oz to travel the ghost roads and find Jacques – all the while being thwarted by the Sons of Entropy who are hell bent on causing mass chaos. Clearly the breakdown of the mansion would satisfy this need. Back in Sunnydale apparently there are some pirates looking to recruit people to their dead or alive crew (very Pirates o the Caribbean). The final book of the trilogy is essentially the big final battle and everything that leads up to it.
The Good & The Bad: Call me uncouth, but I enjoyed this series when I read it back in the day. It took my favourite familiar characters and thrust them into a world beyond Sunnydale, something the show never accomplished. Although no one seems in quite as much mortal peril as you would hope, these books were major page turners. Really though, it’s mostly fun to see the characters out of their element (Sunnydale) and taking on the worldwide spread of evil. It was just on such a larger scale than anything the show ever did really, other than maybe Glory. The writing might not be amazing (I recall them stealing phrases from the show and using the terms “a beat” as in “waited a beat” way too many times) and the characters are flat because you’re expected to have a fan’s wealth of knowledge, plus the story is a little far-fetched and sweeping, even for a fantasy Buffy novel, but it’s still fun for fans!
The Bottom Line: Like I said…it’s like published fan fic.
Anything Memorable?: Not really
50-Book Challenge?: Nope
The Plot: I can’t separate these three books particularly well this late in the game, so let’s summarize. There’s a whole lot of wacky going on in Sunnydale, more than usual. Rather than one big bad, it seems a rain (of toads, quite literally) of chaos is coming down in Sunnydale, and Buffy is having a tough time handling it, especially with her watcher hospitalized abroad. The gang goes on a road trip (!) much like any Babysitters Club novel, and ends up in Boston where a ‘gatekeeper’ is watching over a psychedelic mansion with doors leading to endless rooms of ‘ghost roads’ that house things not meant for our world. Unfortunately said gatekeeper is ailing, and they need to track down his heir to take over the family business. This leads to a further trip for Buffy, Angel, and Oz to travel the ghost roads and find Jacques – all the while being thwarted by the Sons of Entropy who are hell bent on causing mass chaos. Clearly the breakdown of the mansion would satisfy this need. Back in Sunnydale apparently there are some pirates looking to recruit people to their dead or alive crew (very Pirates o the Caribbean). The final book of the trilogy is essentially the big final battle and everything that leads up to it.
The Good & The Bad: Call me uncouth, but I enjoyed this series when I read it back in the day. It took my favourite familiar characters and thrust them into a world beyond Sunnydale, something the show never accomplished. Although no one seems in quite as much mortal peril as you would hope, these books were major page turners. Really though, it’s mostly fun to see the characters out of their element (Sunnydale) and taking on the worldwide spread of evil. It was just on such a larger scale than anything the show ever did really, other than maybe Glory. The writing might not be amazing (I recall them stealing phrases from the show and using the terms “a beat” as in “waited a beat” way too many times) and the characters are flat because you’re expected to have a fan’s wealth of knowledge, plus the story is a little far-fetched and sweeping, even for a fantasy Buffy novel, but it’s still fun for fans!
The Bottom Line: Like I said…it’s like published fan fic.
Anything Memorable?: Not really
50-Book Challenge?: Nope
December 10, 2013
The third book in a trilogy that takes place in the Buffyverse. The other two must be read to understand what is going on. I believe the authors did a good job with the characters and I enjoyed that they included a character from the show that was used a handful of times. The problem with this novel is that there was too much action. Sometimes, less is more and I felt like there were scenes that did not contribute to the arc of the story. If this story was condensed into two books instead of a trilogy, it would have been a great read. That being said, if you are looking to revisit tv characters, this is one of the better books to do so.
March 14, 2012
I read this book and the two others in the trilogy when I was watching Buffy for the first time in middle school. Truthfully, I don't remember a whole lot about the plot or writing, but I do know they kept me engaged enough to read the other two books.
Since I remember enjoying them as a kid, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and a 3/5.
Since I remember enjoying them as a kid, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and a 3/5.
April 17, 2020
This trilogy suffers from too much backstory about the new characters and it failed to make me have any feelings for those characters.
Aside from that it was a decent read once. I've read it twice. The first time I skipped the backstory.
Skipping the backstory you miss nothing and it improves the series.
Aside from that it was a decent read once. I've read it twice. The first time I skipped the backstory.
Skipping the backstory you miss nothing and it improves the series.
November 26, 2015
Believe I read the whole Gatekeeper trilogy during the latter part of 2002, as it was then that I bought them as a boxed set.
Although I remember little about the storyline 13 years on, I do recall that the author did a good job in bringing the TV characters to life on page. I admired his original plot ideas, yet I was engaged by the story, rather than enthralled.
Although I remember little about the storyline 13 years on, I do recall that the author did a good job in bringing the TV characters to life on page. I admired his original plot ideas, yet I was engaged by the story, rather than enthralled.
November 29, 2015
Considering it was the last of the trilogy it wasn't as good as expected. It felt like the story went on and on, when it didn't need to. It seemed like they added a lot more in just to make a few extra pages in the end. It also just seemed absolutely silly that Buffy was scared of the demon, couldn't fight it ect, only to punch it in the eye for it to die! I just felt like none of it made sense.
December 11, 2010
Action packed plot certainly keeps you gripped.
March 18, 2012
I read this so long ago I can't do a true review but I do remember enjoying it.
February 25, 2019
Good ending, one of the highlights of the Buffy books so far
February 2, 2013
I read absolutely everything & anything buffy, and this trilogy was the best of the lot. Would of loved to see this televised.
Read
May 24, 2013awesome!!!
April 15, 2017
The Gatekeeper Trilogy is my favorite of all of the Buffy/Angel prose stories. All of the characters from the show are used to good effect, new conventions are introduced and blended well, and the whole thing progresses to a very satisfying conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews