Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC of Slayer in exchange for an honest review.

Kiersten White is a brilliant author, having never watched any Buffy growing up, the author is what drew me to request this book. I found this one to be a really solid addition to the "Buffyverse" - but that's the opinion from someone who isn't familiar with Buffy. There was a lot of explanation of past and context that never made me confused or feel that I was missing a part of some bigger picture. Nina was an amazing YA heroine, on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance of herself. This was good, but as someone who isn't that familiar with Buffy or her past adventures, this book fell a little flat. I do think though that fans of Buffy will find this a fun treat! I also think this would be a great introduction to the slayer world as a younger reader.

This book takes place in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe and is a sort of continuation of it, occurring some years after Buffy kills magic. The story follows Nina, who has a twin sister named Artemis; they have grown up at Watcher's Academy, where students are trained to be guides for Slayers. Nina doesn't care much for being a Watcher, preferring to work on her natural talent for healing. Until she learns that she might be the next Slayer.

This book really throws you in the middle of things without giving much guidance. I read about 25% in, hoping I'd be given some context I could better understand, but I really didn't get anything other than convoluted exposition. I think this book is really great for die-hard fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer who just need a refresher or quick explanation of how the world has changed since Buffy. However, I was only ever a casual watcher years ago, so I've forgotten most things that happened.

I never really developed much of a connection to any of the characters. There are some that are mildly interesting (I particularly liked Rhys and his love of books), but I didn't care much for Nina herself. She has the Chosen One Syndrome that so many other YA heroines have: they wax on about how they're not as pretty or smart as some other girls (in this case, Nina compares herself to her own sister), but they're also somehow the Chosen One because reasons. It's not a trope I particularly enjoy, so it also made this book harder to get into. When Nina discovered she was possibly the next Slayer (shocking, I know), I simply didn't care enough to keep reading.

Again, I think this book would work great for die-hard fans of Buffy who know the show and universe inside and out. For someone who just remembers some names and things, or is completely unfamiliar with it, I don't think the book is as reader-friendly.

I was given a advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will start but admitting that I am not a Buffy fan. So a lot of the plot was confusing to me as it referenced a lot to the TV show. Outside of that, I found the plot a little slow and didn’t grab my attention as much as I would have liked. I didn’t love the book but I didn’t hate it either.

The writing was great and the characters were likeable (aside from Nina always saying how much she hates Buffy) but I had trouble getting into it and trouble finishing it.

I would just like to preface my review by saying I was never a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I was more of a Veronica Mars fan. So, when I was approved to review Slayer I was confused as to why I requested it in the first place. After reading it, I’m happy I did.

Since I haven’t watched the show or been spoiled for any of the big plot points in the universe, I expected to be lost regarding the world building and lore. However, White delivers a flawless explanation of the lore established in the show and, from what I understand, the comic books. I never felt lost or confused as to the previous events that led to what the characters in Slayer are now dealing with. I enjoyed this as a first time reader, though long time fans may find this information tedious.

The main character, Nina, is easily the best part of the novel. Nina is different from all the Watchers around her. Nina’s instincts trend towards healing instead of fighting, but all of that changes when she becomes the final Slayer. Nina is then forced to reckon with two polarizing aspects of herself as she learns whom she is and her place in the new world all while redefining already established relationships. I loved Nina’s personal journey and it’s the reason I rated the novel four stars.

The family dynamics in Slayer play a large role in Nina’s characterization as well as the overall plot. I felt frustrated and annoyed on Nina’s behalf. I felt like her thoughts and actions were completely justified throughout the novel. Lack of communication is a trope often used in young adult novels to precipitate a big reveal of twist. White employed that tactic here in terms of the family dynamics. This also helped fuel my frustration and annoyance.

The pace in Slayer is relatively consistent throughout, however a little near the end before the climax the story drags. I found myself skimming through pages just to get to the explosive finale. The ending is exciting, action packed, and well worth the effort of slogging through the slower setup.

Overall, Slayer is a fun addition to the Buffyverse for new fans and old alike. Though, I think long time fans may find more enjoyment with this one.

Okie Dokie, Buffy fans! Just preorder this baby, right now!! Because you are not going to be disappointed! This story is Buffyverse canon, for anyone who is curious and I highly expect that anyone who enjoyed the original story will enjoy this as well. That being said, I wouldn’t say you’d need to have been a fan of Buffy to enjoy Slayer, it is completely awesome all on it’s own.

Slayer was action packed and adventurous. It featured strong, independent, complex ladies and hard life-altering decisions! I loved our new gang of characters, and their family and friendship dynamics!! This book was intense and light-hearted, scary and funny! I’d totally suggest it to anyone who enjoys badass lady characters, demon-hunting, stories about friendship, and school/training montages.

Mini review:

Trigger warning: Mention of world ending, mention of fire, attempted murder, and seemingly neglectant parent. Up till the point I read.

DNF

I received this E-ARC via Simon and Schuster and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two years ago I attempted to read And I Darken by this author. It didn't work for me. Though I really liked her writing style and kept on eye on her works. Slayer sounded mildly interesting. Although I am not a Buffy fan (never watched the show and don't plan too). I figured it could still be good. Unfortunately it didn't work for me.

The beginning was really good! Something I've noticed with this author. I was hooked and intrigued! Then there was the first chapter. Nina apparently really hates Buffy and mentions so about 5 times in one page. Now I know that I've never seen the show, but this was still a huge turnoff for me. That and Nina just wasn't that interesting of a character.

There is some information about the world and the events of Buffy to go on. So it's not necessary to watch the tv show. Upon getting a good idea of the world I found that I wasn't that interested. I feel that I have read better worlds.

One thing I will give this book is that it's an easy read. I probably could have read the entire book. Also I did like the other characters. Just not Nina. There's good chance she will develop. I'm just not interested.

Overall this was personal. I do still recommend. This'll be great for Buffy fans.

OH.MY.GOD.  I am back in the Buffyverse, this is a fangirl dream.  When I heard this book was coming out I was wary but excited and of course, requested the arc.   

Full disclosure, I'm a mega Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan - I've seen the series more times then I'm willing to admit and I quote and talk about the show all the time, even to this day.  It's literally my all-time favorite series so I was quite nervous that Slayer would be a hot mess, not even going to lie.  Thankfully I was wrong.  

We start the story with the Watchers hideout, which I thought was a really cool idea.  We've never really seen what goes on or what all comes into play for all the people training to become a Watcher, and even more interesting, how everything that Buffy and the Scooby gang decisions affected them in the long term.  The story sets up all the characters and gives us some background of what has been going on in the Buffyverse, which is pretty essential for the readers who have never watched the show because it does take place AFTER the series.  Kiersten lays it all out for you though and it's very accessible.  We meet our slew of characters, obvious new Scooby gang potentials and throw in a demon or two and we have our plot line for the first in the series. 

Nina, the Watcher's resident medic and over-sheltered young girl turns out early on to be the Slayer.  What I particularly liked is that it didn't play out the exact same way as the first season of Buffy.   She had similar but different obstacles and she has a support system from the very start, unlike Buffy.  Nina is also not quite as impulsive as Buffy but she's certainly as stubborn. I did want to slap her a few times but not as much as I constantly wanted to slap Buffy, so that is a bonus right there!

The side characters are all enjoyable for the most part and they all had very distinct personalities.  I can't say that I love them like I love the original Scooby gang but I think they are off to a good start.  My one problem with this book was the watcher/romance.  Nina's Watcher wasn't very cool - he was very typical in many of the YA series love interests we see and it felt pretty bland for me.  The romance didn't take up a great deal of the book though and I did like how it ended. 

Overall, I think this is a very nice start and for all you Buffy fans - YES! There are lots of mentions of Buffy and the gang (yes, even Spike!) and past situations they were in.  There is no shortage of fandom love.  Kiersten White knew her stuff and she didn't forget to give the long-time fans lots to get nostalgic over.

I've been a HUGE Buffy fan since the show first aired. I adore Buffy and the whole slayer lore. I even met my husband through a chatroom dedicated to all things Buffy. So when I heard this ARC was available from S&S on Netgalley, I jumped up and down with joy. I should've tamped down my expectations.

I say with all sincerity to the author, "You tried your best but it wasn't good enough."

The whole "I hate Buffy" mantra throughout the book grated on my nerves. I get Nina is a watcher's daughter and she blames Buffy for her father's death but c'mon. *rolls eyes* Buffy is a hero and always will be.

The pace of the story was snail-slow. Really? Giles was making tea in the time it took me to finish a page.

What I loved: the show's references. It was fun to see and hear the names of those I've loved/hated over the years. Consistency throughout which I appreciated.

What I loathed: can Nina's mother be anymore cruel? She makes Joyce seem like an uber-loving mother of the year.

I also disliked the cliffhanger ending. I'm sorry to say I don't think I'll be reading any further in the series.

If you didn't like Buffy and want to see how Marti would've taken the series if she was allowed to continue the series (season 5 and 6 BtVS), you'll love the hate party here.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Simon and Schuster Canada via Netgalley in the hopes I'd review it.

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

My Rating: 3 stars

When I’m about to start reading a book, I do my very best to go into it without any expectations. But being a giant fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer since I was a preteen, I couldn’t stop myself from going into Slayer and being a little more hopeful than I usually let myself be. There’s always a mixture of excitement and concern when you’re having expectations with a book.

I didn’t need to be concerned AT ALL! White did an outstanding job at capturing the feel of the original show. Now that being said, this book is following an entirely new cast of characters and they’re all in completely different situations (and locations) from the show. But what White did was infuse all of the Whedon-esque humour and action that we all grew to love in the Buffyverse.

Being such a big fan of Buffy, I can’t rightly judge whether or not people who weren’t fans of the original show will enjoy this book or not. But I would like to think you don’t need to be a fan to fall in love with White’s story.

You have a sweet girl who winds up being able to kick serious butt. She also goes through some amazing character development. There’s also friendships, family relationships, teen angst, demons, laugh-out-loud humour, an intense mystery, and MUCH more that I won’t divulge in case it’s considered a spoiler.

If you’re a fan of Buffy don’t hesitate for one second... preorder it NOW! Right now! This minute!

If you never watched the show, I would hope you would give this book a try. It was a lot of fun and very exciting.

I enjoyed every minute of this read and I’m already eagerly awaiting book 2.

***Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of Slayer by Kiersten White from NetGalley and the publishers for review purposes. Thank you to them!

I was late to the Buffy-verse. I never watched the show when I was growing up, and I still haven’t seen the movie. I started watching the show in university thanks to a friend who had all of the seasons on DVD and got through several seasons which inspired me to go out and seek the rest of the show myself. I still haven’t seen all of Angel, and I haven’t ready any of the comics, and I’ve only watched through the show once, but I loved it. I fell in love with the characters and the stories that they were telling, so when I heard that Kiersten White was writing a novel set in the Buffy-verse, I was super excited. When I saw it on NetGalley, requested it, and actually received an eARC, I was so excited.
I went into this book with decently high expectations considering I had never read anything by Kiersten White. The idea of the book was something that intrigued me and I couldn’t help but get excited. Ultimately, I was super happy with the book, giving the novel 5/5 stars.
Slayer is the story of Nina. Nina comes from a family of Watchers, and her father was actually Buffy’s first Watcher. The Watcher ranks are much diminished and so they are in hiding in a castle in Ireland. Nina is training to be a healer, which is not something that is highly prized amongst the Watchers, but Nina herself has never really been highly prized amongst the Watchers. Things have always been all about her sister Artemis who was being trained to be a full on Watcher but failed the test. Their father is long dead, and their mother is somewhat distant with Nina, and this is something Nina struggles with. There is something else that Nina is struggling with: something seems to have changed within her. Ever since Buffy destroyed magic two months ago, and Nina was splattered with demon-goo, she’s felt different. But what’s wrong?
I loved this book. There were certain things that I didn’t understand because I wasn’t completely up to date on all of the shows and comics, and there were things that I was missing out on. However, I still enjoyed it. The characters were great and the banter felt very natural and gave me the Buffy vibe I was craving. The story stands well enough on it’s own even if you have a minimal knowledge, because, as I said, I loved the story. The writing was engaging and absorbing. I wanted the characters to succeed, or fail as the case might be for the ones I didn’t like. The family relationships in this book were especially interesting to me. Artemis and Nina are twins, and I have always been very interested in the sibling bonds between twins. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Nina and the other characters in the story. She was a character that I really related to.
The only major complaint that I had about this book was that I was confused because I didn’t have enough experience with the aspects of the world that came after the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It made me want to go seek those things, Angel and the comics, out so that I could learn more about what was going on. That being said, you can read it without doing those things; I just think it would add a bit of enjoyment to the story.
Slayer comes out on January 8th, 2019. I highly encourage you to go pick it up if any thing about it has caught your interest. I think that you will enjoy it, and that you won’t regret it if you do.
Thanks again to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me early access to the eARC.

What you think you're getting.in Slayer is a fun YA novel that takes place in Joss Whedon's Buffy Universe in which you'll may get fun flashbacks/flash forwards or minor interactions with those characters you know and love. Sounds perfect, right?! Well, Slayer is not that book so keep looking.

The first 90% of the book we have to constantly listen to main character Nina's inner monologue about how much she hates Buffy summers, which pretty much resembles that scene from the live action Grinch Movie (you know the one) "hate, hate, hate, loathe entirely". It gets old really fast, like we get it. Then within the last few pages, so totally turns around and respects/relates to Buffy whom she hated the whole time!

The plot is easily predictable and full of the typical YA troupes (brooding love interest and bad poetry anyone?) which means that even if you wanted to move past the Buffy hating, and no run in's with other characters from the TV show, it still isn't great.

I'm really disappointed in this one.

** I received an ARC of this book from Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

4/5

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer growing up and this book really brought back a lot of memories, while still feeling brand new. The amount of Buffy references were amazing, and I loved how at first they seemed like just small things in the story, but by the end the Buffy references really came to have meaning to this story in their own way.

I really enjoyed the main character, Nina. Watching her struggle with her new Slayer power and what that means for her family and the world in general was interesting. I liked how she wanted to heal the people in the world, and what that meant for a girl who is a Slayer and essentially born to hunt bad guys. The inner struggles felt real to me. That said, there were a few times she made decisions that were a bit frustrating, but they always came from a good place.

I found the structure of the book in the first 40% a little hard to follow at times, although I’m sure this is just because it’s an arc copy and not a finished copy.

That said, I found the pacing itself for the first 40% a little odd, but after that first 40% I found it much easier and I found the whole book very enjoyable. I absolutely flew through the last half of the book.

I definitely found a few things pretty predictable, but although I had predicted aspects of them, I still found myself surprised by aspects of them as well.

I really enjoyed the side characters. They were well fleshed out and most of them were complex characters that I really grew to understand and root for.

Also, I’m a sucker for books with twins. Loved the interesting relationship between the twins being explored.

All in all, I found this book very nostalgic and enjoyable to read. And after the end of this book, I really can’t wait for the sequel.

If you like vampire or demon stories, or grew up watching Buffy, I absolutely recommend giving this a try.

Thanks again to Simon and Schuster Canada for the arc!

I have never watched Buffy but I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed to story and the action. I think that fans of Buffy, or those who have watched the shows, will really enjoy it!

Ahh let me just start off by saying there's absolutely no parts of this that I disliked. If you're looking for an unbiased review, look elsewhere. I'm a huuuuge Buffy fan and was super excited when I heard of this novel. I tried everything to get my hands on an ARC and when I did I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed every second and I thought this story will also be accessible to people who've never even watched Buffy. There are many familiar names and events, but they're all explained in a way that make it easy for everyone to follow. I'll put my thoughts on the plot/characters below and will try to avoid spoilers, but read them at your own risk.

First of all, I love how I get to revisit a universe I know so well and loved dearly in a completely new way. The idea of a Watcher school was genius and something I didn't even know I wanted. The book was full of plot twists and action, there's no way anyone is getting bored while reading this. I also loved how well the author was able to capture what I feel is the essence of Buffy. There's this perfect balance between badass fight scenes, humor and angst. It was everything I wanted and more.

Second, the CHARACTERS. I love Athena Jamison-Smythe will all my heart. I love Artemis (sometimes) and Rhys and Cillian and Doug and Leo and I even learned to love Honora by the end of the book. Even the supporting characters were really likeable, in my opinion.

Anyways, I feel like I'll spoil everything if I keep talking so I'll just leave it at this. This is a must-read for any Buffy fans out there!! Such a fun, action-packed book and I can't wait for the second one.

I’m extremely on the fence about this book. When I heard about a new book in the buffy-verse about a slayer that was awaken when the rest were at the end of the television series. As much as I enjoyed the story I felt like the main character was constantly putting buffy down. When you pick up a book expecting it to be pro buffy because that’s what is what most will be buying it for. As you read the book you begin to understand more about the reasons but I think it was just a bit to much. Especially at the start. If you’re a die-hard buffy fan you will probably feel the same but the book does get better as the story unfolds. I’m happy to see publishers bringing more stories for new generations and I kind of feel like that’s what this story does. While it takes place only a few months after the series and comics continue on the story, its nice to see a novel for people who may not be into comics be able to see an idea of what happens next in the Buffy-verse.

The characters remind me a bit a the scooby crew which I liked. There is a good balance between the secondary characters and the main character Nina. As her life changes so does everyone’s around her and I feel the author was able to incorporate a lot of things that made people fall in love with the buffy series stronger there. Nina got on my nerves the same way Buffy did at times in the show. While I didn’t like some parts of the book I would have to say it is a solid story and helps open up for more possible books. I wanted to love this book and give it 5 stars but I just can’t. It just didn’t fully meet up with my expectations but I still enjoyed most of it. it is still worth the read.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Kiersten White does a great job of revealing the world of Slayers from the eyes of Watchers. I really liked seeing the Slayer world expanded and seeing how other people viewed Buffy and her actions. I did like the plot of this book as there was a bit of a mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat.

While I did find the characters to be a bit too flat, I did enjoy reading about their emotional struggles. The main character, Nina, has spent her life healing people but when she finds out she is a Slayer, Nina is at war with her instincts to kill and her medical instincts. I feel like White wrote the tension between these characters and in their emotional struggles really well. I did find myself getting annoyed that Nina let people push her around a lot. She is THE SLAYER and yet, she's letting other people make decisions for her and it was kind of frustrating that she has so much power that she didn't use. I did find that I was confused about how Nina is the last Slayer, but maybe I missed something. I also found Nina's major embarrassment regarding her crush to be super immature and cringey.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series! The end of this book was so classic Buffy so I'm looking forward to more.

I received an e-Galley copy of Slayer in exchange for an honest review.

HOO BOY. Slayer is a 90's kid's dream come true. I can't tell you how much I ADORED Buffy the Vampire Slayer when it first hit the screens, and this book was a nostalgic trip back in time with a delicious modernized twist. Kiersten White is a master of her craft, and taking on one of the most beloved genre shows of all time and writing an original spinoff is a huge risk, but it paid off. The book was a BLAST. The characters were fun, the chemistry was fantastic, and action scenes were masterfully crafted. Overall a fun, quick read that leaves you hungry for more.

The thing about changing the world is that different people are going to have different ideas about what should come next. I often reflected, reading the comic book series <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/893319660">Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8</a></i>, on how perfect I found the ending of the television series and how <i>Season 8</i> was completely and utterly different to what I wanted to happen next. This preconception of mine makes a novel like <i>Slayer</i> a hard sell. On the one hand, I love the idea of more <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>, and something adjacent to the original series (like, say, <i>Angel</i> season 5) appeals more than a direct continuation of Buffy’s story. On the other, <i>BtVS</i> was so of its time, so perfectly a television show, so connected to the actors involved, that I don’t know that any continuation within that same world would work for me.

So to start with, there’s my bias: the idea of a <i>BtVS</i> continuation is so appealing and yet the possibility of living up to my hopes is so meagre as to leave me cynical about the whole endeavour. Enter <i>Slayer</i> by Kiersten White, a young adult novel set in the post-<i>Season 8</i> world but with a new set of characters doing something entirely new. The blurb is a little misleading – Nina is the last Slayer <b>called</b> rather than the <b>last Slayer</b> absolutely – but this is a story about a new Slayer with her own set of companions and her own struggles.

Let’s start with the positives. There is a point, about a third of the way into the book, when things start <b>happening</b> and it gets pretty good. In the second half of the novel, as the twists start unravelling and the hidden agendas of many of the characters are revealed, I was lapping it up and I raced through the second half of the novel in a few days. It helped that a lot of the later chapters seem to be shorter (or maybe I just read them faster?) which added to the pace, but by that point I was really enjoying it.

The flip side to this enjoyment is that part of my problem in the earlier chapters is that it was just so obvious to me what those twists and turns were going to be and I was just waiting for them to happen. Now, it’s very possible that this could be my own particular familiarity with certain narrative tropes, but there were only maybe two or three twists that I didn’t get (depending on what you count; only one really surprised me). And then there’s that first third, which was understandably world-buildy and back-referency, but I also found quite dull and led to my more cynical responses to <i>BtVS</i> continuation media gaining the upper hand.

Perhaps my biggest problem with the book, though, were the very minor issues that kept on cropping up that I really wish <b>didn’t</b> bother me, but do. Some are more significant that others. The novel is set in Ireland, presumably in 2005/06, about two years after the end of <i>BtVS</i>, although it’s unclear which side of the Irish border we’re on (Dublin is two hours’ drive away). This border issue is only a problem because at one point one of the characters pulls out pound notes, which haven’t been legal tender in the UK since the mid-1980s while Ireland has been part of the Euro since 2002, so these shouldn’t be currency in a time when Facebook exists (post-2004) and Australia is in Eurovision (post-2015). I was also about as impressed with the attempts to represent accents on the page as I have been with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/893775170?book_show_action=false">other <i>BtVS</i> spin-off media</a>. With these things, your mileage my vary – as I said, my cynicism had been activated by the earlier parts of the novel.

Overall, though, what <i>Slayer</i> has is <b>potential</b>. Yes, that was on purpose, but it also reflects how the novel sets up a character I cared about, a situation that’s a little more interesting, and the possibility of developing the <i>BtVS</i> narrative in a way that could be quite good (i.e. conform more to my preconceived hopes). I’m certainly not <b>completely</b> sold based on this starting point, but I’m willing to admit that I have my preconceptions about how the <i>BtVS</i> narrative should continue that the comics didn’t fulfill and that gave <i>Slayer</i> an uphill struggle for my affection. By the end of the novel, it’s making progress, but it hasn’t quite crested that hill yet; it’s got enough altitude, though, that I’m happy to give the sequel a shot.

A book set in the Buffyverse was an immediate yes please for me!! As a HUGE BtVS fan, I can't tell you how excited I was for this book, and for me it did not disappoint! I really loved everything about this book. The concept was really interesting, the fact that the main character grew up within the Watcher community and already had a pre-existing history with Buffy Summers. I enjoyed the character development, and the mystery of who the villain was. I also love that it ended with the set up for more, because I need more!!

I think what I loved about this book is there is reference to the show, and it is canon to what happened there as well as the first set of comics. But I feel like you might not need to have watched the show to enjoy the book as well. Maybe it's the complete biased BTVS lover in me that thinks that. I do think that fans of the show will enjoy this book/series, and I'm hoping that it will also bring about new fans as well. I thought it was fantastic!! As a bookseller, I can't wait until it comes out in stores so I can start recommending it to as many people as possible!