Spikecentric Buffyverse Novels

[PokerKitten]

Spike traditionally hasn't seen much action in the official novels of the 'verse, but the tide may be turning.

In self-sacrificing mode, and to prove that such books would sell (even though we always knew they would!), I purchased the novel Spark and Burn by Diane G Gallagher.



Before you even get started you can tell from the episode credits at the front what kind of a book it's going to be. It is mostly made up of more or less direct lifts from episodes, and this makes the whole a bit bland.

However, the interpretation of scenes and motivations are very Spike-positive and with the benefit of hindsight, the author is able to carry them off pretty convinvingly. It's just a pity that so much of the book is taken up with rehashes, because when she gets the chance to slip in some original stuff and fill some gaps in Spike's history, the scenes are lively and enjoyable and left me wanting more of them (the lead-up to the submarine shenanigans, for instance).

There are also some interesting little snippets about the De Soto, and about Dalton (although that fizzled out too soon for me). And my goodness, it seems William/Spike is a... socialist in essence! Hurrah, lol.

I like flashbacks enormously, but sometimes you are left dizzy from the number of them here, in rapid succession. Spike is basically crazy in the basement and with stimulation from the First in many guises he's remembering the past (although not with the effect the lame old First intended, I'm sure!).

And the author builds her case for Spike being fascinated and intrigued by Buffy from the get-go, and not just because she's the Slayer. She pinpoints the times when he had the upper hand over her and chose not to take it... because, well, he was smitten from the start. It takes him a while to realise it, but all his crazy backtracking and memories lead him to acknowledge it. Spuffies will approve!

So it was okay; it makes a nice starting point for any more pro-Spike novels we might get. But let's hope if there are any they are allowed to be a little more original.

Oh, and if anyone fancies a read, let me know and I'll recycle it to you.

[twistedspike]

I treated myself to this book too ;D

I really loved the way it filled in some of the blanks in between original scenes from the episode. Like what he did when he fled Sunnydale High in School Hard up until he was in the warehouse.
The writer did alter little things though like calling Angel his grandsire rather than his sire in the original ep.
PKs right though if you don't like to read through a rehash of old news you probably wouldn't like it.
I personally like this style of writing and anything that doesn't push Spike into the background gets my vote. ;D

[DeeDee]

I have the book as well but not read it yet the cover is too yummy though ;D ;D

[PokerKitten]

I mentioned in the Merchandise thread a while back that there was a book in the works about Nikki Wood, and that although Spike would be in it - of course - it wasn't about him, it was about her. Well, that's still the case but... the way they are marketing it, you'd never know!

Take a look at the author's LJ to see the cover and why it has been done

[Cyrus]

author says

There's a part of me that's disappointed that Nikki isn't actually on the cover, but back in the real world, Spike is an immensely popular character who sells books. And it's a nicely designed cover. Me happy author.

But we've seen 2 different actresses play "Nikki", so which would they put on the cover? Spike is more popular so yeah makes sense.

[PokerKitten]

That's true, and I thought that was a crying shame at the time anyway. But an artist could have come up with amalgam of the two, I'm sure, and we would have known who and what the book was about straight away. It's just seems a wee bit dishonest to me to feature one character on the cover when he isn't the main thrust of the book (apologies for using the word thrust with the image of Spike. I don't know what came over me ).

[PokerKitten]

Ah well, maybe not as dishonest as I originally feared, as apparently there will be mucho Spike, and some of it written from his POV. More info HERE

[PokerKitten]

There's a very enthusiastic review for Blackout in the new edition of SFX mag (and they are hard to please, sometimes).