This was such a fun book to read. The author has beautifully woven reality and fantasy to create a perfectly blended world in which a woman is a van while a kid just wants ice cream. There is plenty of excitement, action and an epic battle but there is also a touching core message around chosen families and the ties that bind people who love one another.

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines is everything I love about fantasy wrapped into one page-turning, action-packed story. If you’re a fan of clever world-building, snappy dialogue, and heroes who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, this book is an absolute treat.

The plot is full of twists and turns, but it’s the characters that really drive the story. Hines excels at making even the most battle-hardened slayers feel real, flawed, and relatable. Each character is dealing with their own baggage, their own challenges, and watching them navigate these obstacles—both external and internal—was what kept me hooked. The dynamics between the group of slayers is so well done, full of banter, loyalty, and a surprising amount of heart.

What really stands out to me in Slayers of Old is how Hines subverts typical fantasy tropes. The slayers, while skilled and tough, aren’t invincible or all-knowing. They make mistakes. They second-guess themselves. And that makes the stakes feel even higher, especially as they’re up against dangerous, mysterious enemies from a time long past.

The world-building is immersive without being overwhelming. Hines drops just enough detail to make you feel like you’re truly stepping into this universe, but never bogs you down in too much lore. There’s a balance between action, character development, and world-building that kept me engaged from start to finish.

By the end, I was both satisfied with the resolution and hungry for more. Slayers of Old has the perfect mix of humor, heart, and epic adventure. If you love fantasy that’s both fun and meaningful, I highly recommend this one—it’s a wild ride from beginning to end.

A fantastic read! I greatly enjoyed Slayers of Old, and it was exactly as advertised: a cross of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Golden Girls. I enjoyed every little nod to Buffy I spotted, and the whole book felt like an episode of Buffy. I highly recommend this book for all BTVS fans. It was fun, exciting, nostalgic, and just a little tragic. I truly hope to someday see Slayers of Old in theatre.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jim C Hines and DAW for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an extremely charming cosy-ish fantasy book about a group of retired magical beings who are forced to come out of retirement to save the world.

The characters were the strongest element of this story, I felt very attached to all of the main and side characters (even the house). I would read a whole series of books following various adventures if Hines were to write more!

I’d recommend this to fans of less intense fantasy such as ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ or ‘Rivers of London’.

Hines latest is delightful, focusing on an older cast of heroes than usual. The shifting viewpoints worked really well to tell the story, and helped get me attached to all the characters quickly.

This one is a lot of fun and has an urban fantasy feel. There are a *lot* of lightly changed (but in a creative way) things that we've seen before so you get a familiar comfort (e.g. one of the characters is quite similar to a Slayer from Buffy, but there's a divine twist to it and a different backstory, one of the characters is a wizard (but gets most of his power from his house)), but there's also the twist that the protagonists are older and allegedly 'retired'. The personalities are all well drawn, all 3 main characters get viewpoint chapters with their different voices, and there are various plotlines that tie more or less to one of the characters and then bring in the others. I would love to see this as a series but it also works on its own.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

I saw retirement age ex-chosen ones with an Eldritch-cat on the cover and I knew I had to read this book.

This book was so unexpectedly funny. I obviously expected it to have humour based on the premise, but didn't expect it to be this good. And wile this was a funny book, it also delivered on the emotional scenes very well and those things are very hard to do at the same time. Funny quips can easily undercut emotional moments, but this book let those moments breathe.

The found family trope and how it was interwoven with the sentient house trope worked great and were very touching. All of the characters were so loveable.

I also really appreciated some of the themes the book explored that wouldn't have been possible (or believe) with a younger cast of characters.

I loved all the cats in the book, especially Squidward and Chunk.

Definitely one of the weirder lover stories I've read. Especially a certain dream sequence.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes A Man Called Ove. It provides the same great balance of funny and emotional writing.

Great comical fantasy novel with lots of magic and things that go bump in the night. Loved the strong female leads and focus on sixty something year old characters. Thank you to the author, enjoyed this a lot. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I adored this cozy mystery, featuring three retired former “slayers” of evil. It’s told in the perspective of the three main characters. I thought the characters were fantastic and the story was great. I had a hard time putting this one down and I had a hard time saying goodbye to it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This will be out in October! Make sure to add it to your calendar.

Slayers of Old is clearly, obviously Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfic, with Jennifer Winter, a Hunter of Artemis, standing in for Buffy Summers; a demon whose name begins with An-; a teenage group of monster-killers--here the Slay Team replaces the Scoobies--a Watcher (oops, Guardian) from a Council of old white men who get teen girls to fight evil for them, and who has a relationship with the Slayer's--I mean Hunter's--mom, a Bad Xander whose name is, in fact, Alex, a Faith stand-in (Hope), and so much more. That said, part of the fun of reading it was finding the references and Easter eggs and being happy about the changes introduced--the more diverse Slay Team beats the mostly-white Scoobies for representation by a long shot. And it's a fun read! Jennifer, Annette (a succubus), and their magician friend Temple share a magic house/bookshop in Salem, where they have a mostly quiet life among the other supernatural folks of the area, until they're suddenly attacked and have to fight for their families, friends, and home. I loved the Artemis of this book, who likes Beyonce and Taylor Swift, and the characters are nicely developed and individual. There's banter and quips and good fighting scenes, and teamwork and community coming together in the best ways possible. I'm delighted to recommend it to my readers!

Jenny Winter: Former Hunter of Artemis. Nurse to all kinds of magical creatures. Co-owner of bookstore and gift shop.

Temple Finn: 99-year-old sorcerer. Magically bound to his house. Lactose is now his enemy.

Annette Thorne: Half-succubus. PI Detective. Grandma.

All of them have saved the world on multiple occasions. Can they do it one more time?

#ThxNetGalley #JimC.Hines #SlayersofOld

"All this because you'd rather bring a world-devouring forgotten god to out doorstep than go to therapy."

Ex Hunter of Artemis, half Succubus retired private investigator and a sorcerer own a book and trinkets shop, sound like a start of a joke huh? But it's actually start of a great book with unique, greatly fleshed out characters. The humor was top notch, the three main characters were such a delight to follow and their friendship and squabbles made me laugh so many times I lost track, all of them witty and intelligent. The three seniors were such a breath of fresh air, even though they are quite far along in their lives, they still have the youthful spirit that can not be squelched by arthritis or hot flashes.

There were so many crazy good things in this book, such as Cthulhu-like kitty, possessed van, goddess who loves getting tributes in form of pop song and a sentient house!

I loved how the house is ingrained in their lives and helps them with everyday mundane stuff such as providing bigger closets, additional rooms for quests, opening and closing doors when one needs it, but also offering protection from those who want to harm them.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review, I absolutely loved it!

This was such a fun and cozy read! It took me back to my childhood of watching Buffy. I 1000% enjoyed every single word of this book and it's definitely on my favorites list for 2025.

I really liked this book. It checks the boxes for a cozy read but there is a lot more action and danger than would be expected, and the stakes were literally the fate of the world. That’s a lot to ask of two middle-aged retired monster hunters and a ninety-nine year old wizard with a sentient house. Jenny was a Hunter of Artemis ridding the world of monsters until she had an epiphany about the ethics of turning a thirteen year old girl into a weapon. It’s been twenty years and she and her friend Annette, a half demon P.I. who chased down the supernatural but now wants to reconnect with her family live with the wizard Temple selling books and gifts in Salem. Unfortunately someone from the past has some unresolved issues and is trying to open a way for an Elder God. There is a lot of action and danger, a very few swear words; but there is child endangerment, if that triggers you. It is a cozy, though, so it ends well. The characters are likable and understandable, the story moves along at a brisk pace and the ending is satisfying while leaving room for further adventures. Thanks go to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can definitely recommend Slayers of Old to anyone who wants something different—a story with older and retired heroes, family/found family. The story is told through different POVs, so it never gets old.

thank you to DAW books and netgalley for the arc! worth noting i was initially denied this request..never give up on your dreams, kids! DAW came through in the end and ensured i got to read it. my intuition was screaming five stars from the start, and it was absolutely right.

obsessed with how jim c hines looked at the golden girls and said “what if they could also banish a hellbeast with a salt circle and some passive aggressive banter”

slayers of old is a cozy contemporary fantasy full of monsters, magic, and mature women who are not here for your nonsense unless your nonsense includes ancient curses, sentient houses, or enchanted knitting needles. it’s giving chosen ones but make it postmenopausal. our heroines are long retired from saving the world and now run a bookstore in salem, massachusetts. peaceful right? wrong. their basement may or may not be a doorway to the underworld. there’s a tentacle kitten. and someone keeps summoning things that should absolutely not be summoned without at least a group chat and a backup plan.

it’s heartfelt. it’s hilarious. it’s quietly radical. jim c hines gives us older protagonists with actual depth and doesn’t reduce them to quirky side characters or grandma tropes. they are powerful, petty, compassionate, and tired in the most relatable ways. like temple says, “for everything there is a season. i’m deep into winter, and it’s getting colder.”

jenny is an absolute icon. she’s giving chaotic good with a side of emotional depth and honestly? i’d follow her into any portal, cursed basement, or senior discount lunch special.

quote that lives rent free in my head:
“all this because you’d rather bring a world-devouring forgotten god to our doorstep than go to therapy.”

please give me more stories where heroes can have gray hair, a bad knee, and still take down a demon before noon.

this is a book i will 100% read again. i’ve already preordered my copy and can’t wait for the audiobook!

It’s been a few years since I’ve read a book by this author, so I was happy to see a book I’d love to read by him. This latest is a standalone (tragedy, really), and it stars three “older” people who were Chosen Ones who retired for one reason or another. I just loved all three of them; they had such distinct personalities and went about life in different but still similar ways. When a new threat is brought to their attention, they all have to come out of retirement and go to battle with some new friends. I really wish this wouldn’t be a standalone, but I understand the author’s the one who makes that decision. There’s just so much potential. Anyway, this is a fun, well-written, captivating novel that in turns makes you laugh, get a little squeamish, and tear up a little. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This book immediately drew me in with a Buffy the vampire slayer meets golden girls lol. Chosen ones who have already saved the world and done their time coming out of retirement. I’m here for it!! I need more tentacle kitty lmao. Not to mention they own a bookstore together in Salem MA. Such a cute read. From the golden girls style banter, action scenes, and magic. This is one of my favorite of all time. A must read.

I have read a number of Jim C. Hines' novels and he never fails to bring the story to life. I admit the ending had me sniffling a little. No spoilers though. I appreciated the way Hines balanced the story and the character's relationships. Both the positive and negative relationships. I have a feeling that these will be vital in future books. I look forward to reading more installments of this world.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars, no notes!

Slayers of old is absolutely delightful and one of my favourite things I’ve read this year.

It is rare to find such a genuinely different, funny and quirky fantasy and I loved every minute. A stone cat called chunk, a van possessed by the spirit of an overprotective mother, Lego portal spells and a gang of teen demon hunters with holy water in squirt guns are just some of the shenanigans you can expect from this one.

Jenny winter is obviously based on Buffy Summers right down to having a gang of friends in high school that she trained to kill monsters. It always comes across as a love letter to the Slayer though rather than a parody and I liked looking out for little references to the show.

This book is the one I’m going to buy as a Christmas present for the people that I’m not 100% sure what they like, it has a lot of humour, fantasy, mystery, plot twists and just a dash of nostalgia, I can’t imagine who wouldn’t love it.

Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I'm so glad I stuck with this one! I'll admit, the beginning was a little hit-or-miss for me, but the reviews were all raves so I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did because I loved it in the end, and am really hoping he'll decide to turn it into his next series!

This one was a riff on so many fun things - Buffy and wizards and demons of old - but the way the characters were presented is what really sold me. I loved the relationships and struggles that felt all-too-human, even when the individuals involved were not. Once I fell into the world Hines created, I was hooked. The pacing and plot kept my attention and were very entertaining, but it was the personalities that really drove this one for me. The writing is a delicious blend of snarky and dark and mysterious - and I sincerely hope to see more of it!

This was incredible, and so much fun!

Slayers of Old is a tale of three retired champions who must dust off their arsenals to face evil one last time, and it’s easily one of the best books I’ve read in years. The heart, the humor, the danger, it all makes for a heady, joyful experience that put me in my feels. If you enjoy books about found family, this one’s for you.

The 3 main characters won me over immediately. Jenny, a retired Hunter of Artemis, is caring, thoughtful, and impressively badass. Temple, a fading wizard, is as crotchety as he is sentimental. And Annette, a retired PI who’s half-Succubus, is a sassy, flirty thunderstorm. I loved all three characters, but Annette Thorn was my favorite by far. Something about her reminded me (loosely) of Patsy Stone from AbFab in the very best way.

The prose was tight and effective, the plot was twisty and fun, and the dialogue was delightful. The world-building was ridiculous, and I loved every minute of it. And did I mention the humor? I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of Jim C. Hines before. This is a new fave read for me, and I can’t wait to check out his previous works!

If you were ever a fan of Buffy and Angel, this book should be like a slap of nostalgia to the side of the head. This is a loving homage to those monster of the week episodes with a retired Buffy Summers — er, Jenny Winters — living in a magical house with Anette, a Codelia/Anya character who is half succubus and a grandmother of two, and a Temple, 99 year old wizard who is more Giles than Willow. There are demons, werejaguars, and worst of all, teenagers.

The writing is good and the humor is mild enough, with the story taking priority over the sass and quips. Jenny’s bond with Artemis, the goddess who gives her her powers — speed, strength, scent, and so on — is sweet, and Temple’s bond with the house is a nice touch. I especially liked the slowly evolving tribe of mice living in the attic.

There’s a lot of action here, a fair bit of magic, but the focus is more on the bond of love and friendship these three people have shared for years. The adventures they’ve been on, the sufferings they’ve endured as supernatural people in a world of all too human family and friends, and the disillusionment of realizing that just because people have powers and authority doesn’t make them the good guys, and that getting older kind of sucks.

it’s fun, it’s a quick read, well written and with excellent pacing. There are no lulls where the story drags, and no scene lasts too long. There’s enough attention given to each of the three of them to make them feel like real people, not just shadows of a TV show. Honestly, this was a lot of fun and I can see myself coming back for a re-read. (I would also kill for a continuing series set in this world.)

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you so much to DAW for sending me an arc of Slayers of Old, it was such a delight to read!

Slayers of Old follows a trio of former chosen ones, now all retired and living together running a bookstore. They're all still powerful in their own right, but have decided to turn away from saving the world to face other challenges: being a grandmother, struggling with arthritis, blurring lines between your mind and your sentient house (alright, maybe that last one isn't that mundane).

The story bounces between the three protagonists and Hines does a great job differentiating each character's internal voice so that I was never confused even though the whole book is first person. I don't think I could pick a favorite POV: I loved Jenny's earnestness, Annette's snark, and Temple's occasionally grumpiness, all by themselves but particularly when they were all mixed together in a group. The characters all have depth individually, but with every conversation, you can also see how much history they have with each other.

Slayers of Old is incredibly funny, full of dry wit and acknowledgements of the reality that would underlie even the most magical of stories.

“She’ll be hungry after this. She’ll need something dead to eat.”

“Are you about to send me to forage for corpses and lingering souls?”
“I was going to grab the leftover pastrami from the fridge. I’m pretty sure that’s dead. But if you want to go grave-digging, don’t let me stop you.”

The writing overall was funny, but the dialogue was really where it shone through the most for me. It's occasionally absurd, often based in some sort of magical element, and had me smiling throughout the whole book.

“Pah, I refuse to die on a Friday.”

“It’s Saturday.”

“Saturday, you say? Maybe it’s good you woke me up. Saturday’s are tricky.”

While the characters and the humor are prominent, this cozy book also has an engaging plot full of action. I often struggle with cozy books that don't manage to mesh a larger plot with the comforting aesthetic. Slayers of Old does a perfect job balancing both, with the plot and the characters driving each other, meshing cozy and conflict amazingly.

The humor is woven throughout, but Hines also does an amazing job building a heartfelt story that had me holding back emotion even the second time I read through it. You can feel the genuine love that each character holds for each other, protecting their found family just as fiercely as they fight for the world.

“In my early years, I’d assumed I would die fighting monsters. I’d thought that assumption made me stronger. Somewhere along the way, I’d outgrown my fatalism and decided I wanted a life. I even began to believe I deserved one. I’d built a home and a family”

Slayers of Old is a story that pushes back on the traditionally teenage heroes and stories that end after the world is saved. The heroes are old, they're tired, but they're still as nuanced and powerful as ever.

Every wonder what happens to all the Chosen Ones/Scooby Gang when they grow old? Well now you can find out. A used bookstore built into a very old house that has been in Temple’s family for generations and infused with all of the previous generations magics. Temple is a very old sorcerer living with two roommates; Jenny and Annette. Jenny is a former Hunter of Artemes, she was taught at a young age to hunt all monsters but now she heals them in the kitchen and works in the bookstore. Annete is a half succubus retired PI that is working on repairing her relationship with her son and keeping her two grandchildren in her life. When a young man shows up in the store the morning after an attack on one of the friendly local monsters everyone goes on alert that he is the one attacking them. The POV rotates between the three and each of them have regrets about their lives. The story uses a lot of urban fantasy mythos and is a fun read. I’m really hoping there will be more to read about in the future.

I love the premise of the story. 3 former "heroes", Temple, Annette and Jenny are the residents/owners of the Second Life bookstore. The home is a character in itself being sentient and a protector to residents. The cast of characters begins with the unlikely trio of a wizard, a succubus & a hunter as they are thrown back in the ring due the prophetic dream of a young hunter who has recently arrived in the city of Salem.

For me is a cozy, nutty, wholesome read.

Please give us more books like this, this humorous fantasy version of a magic Thursday Murder Club featuring fleshed out and adorable senior magical characters, cats, big evil, and action.
I laughed a lot and I would be very happy to read another book featuring hunters, succubus, and a magical house
Witty, gripping, and a lot of fun.
Please make this a series!
Highly recommended
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.5 Stars

*I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was advertised as Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls, and after reading I can tell you it very much reads as "what happens if you let Buffy Summers grow up?". We alternate between 3 POVs - 1) Jenny, a "Hunter of Artemis" who is a thinly veiled reference to Buffy Summers, to the point that many of her past adventures read like Buffy fan fiction (I do not mean this in a bad way, but the character of Hope is clearly meant to be Faith; Alex is clearly meant to be Xander; etc.). 2) Annette, a succubus turned PI turned grandmother, trying to do right by her grandkids (and who, to me, reads as a grown up Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). and lastly 3) Temple Finn, an elderly Merlin-like wizard past his prime. Each of our MCs have retired from saving the world...until they are dragged back in. A teenager with prophetic dreams (and I really wish we saw more of him I loved him as Jenny's apprentice); teenagers messing with magic they shouldn't - including Annette's grandkids; an old friend from Jenny's past who's decided to go Scooby-Doo villain; and something is weakening Temple's magic.

This is definitely a cozy fantasy, and I really enjoyed the characters. The ending was a bit rushed (compared to how slow the build of the first half was), and it was a pretty predictable resolution, but it was a fun and cute story about building (and rebuilding) your life, about living with your past mistakes and making a better future (and a little bit about breaking the cycles that made you). The side characters and world building were very fun.

I highly recommend this read for fans of cozy fantasy and/or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I guess saving the world from Eldritch terrors is a good enough reason to come out of retirement.

A magic house, a group of older monster hunters, a kooky wizard - what else could you ask for?

This was a fun read from start to finish and I’m left wanting more. I want more lore from the younger days of Jenny, Annette and Temple. So many bizarre events were mentioned and they would be cool to read about.

I enjoyed the chemistry between all the characters, you could tell that they really cared about each other.

The pacing was easy to follow and everything followed the story without too many diversions.

I can’t get over how many oddities that just made me laugh - the mice, the cat, the sentient house.

This is a must read for people who enjoy a little cosmic horror, magic, and fantasy.

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines was everything I needed and more. It was fun, nostalgic and cute. I love the idea of meeting heroes once they have turned old to see what their life is like. (Calm and cosy in a magic house, running a magic bookstore).

Slayers of Old is a flirt with us who grew up with Buffy and other young (female) heroes saving the world again and again. Jenny, Anette and Temple Finn are a lovely elderly bunch and I loved to get to know them. Even if Temple Finn rarely remembers to get dressed in the morning.

But one can only stay out of trouble for a limited amount of time. Of course the adventure turn up in the shop, a young hero and his haunted car have turned up to save the day. Except he got the prophecy mixed up a little. And the adventure can begin, but this time its about protecting their home, and grand children, and everyone they hold dear.

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the Scooby Gang aged into retirement and opened a quirky bookstore in Salem, Slayers of Old has your answer. Imagine Buffy hung up her stakes, bought some orthopedic inserts, and teamed up with Blanche Devereaux and Gandalf’s crankier cousin to run a shop that accidentally sits on a hellmouth. That’s the vibe here—and it’s absolutely delightful.

Jim C. Hines delivers a charming blend of humor, heart, and eldritch horror, all wrapped up in a cozy cardigan. Jenny, Annette, and Temple aren’t your average monster-slayers anymore—they’re older, wiser, and frankly too tired for this nonsense. But when ancient tentacled nightmares start seeping through the basement and turning teenagers into eyeball piñatas, well, retirement plans get postponed.

The magic system is a little like your grandma’s kitchen—nobody explains how it works, but somehow it always results in something comforting, a little chaotic, and occasionally on fire. Temple’s house (which is arguably the fourth main character) is a creaky, reality-bending wonder that rearranges itself like a toddler hyped on sugar and Minecraft. It even spawns new rooms as needed, which is more than my apartment has ever managed.

Where Slayers of Old really shines is in the character chemistry. The banter between the trio is warm, hilarious, and occasionally veers into “I-need-a-minute-to-recover-from-that-joke” territory. These are characters who’ve seen some stuff, and their friendship reflects that—equal parts shared trauma, deep affection, and knowing exactly when to insult each other’s cooking.

Yes, the stakes are a little softer here. You never truly worry that the world will end (it’s not that kind of book), but there’s comfort in that. It’s the fantasy equivalent of knowing your favorite sitcom will wrap things up in 22 minutes, with just enough peril to keep you invested and just enough magic mice to keep things weird.

And the ending? Satisfying with a twist of “oh wait, that actually worked?” Perfect.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, blood-drenched grimdark epic… keep walking. But if you’re here for found family, second chances, sarcastic wizards, magical real estate, and a haunted van with unresolved maternal issues, Slayers of Old is your next favorite read.

It’s Golden Girls meets Buffy, with more battle scars and better snacks. Highly recommended.

A very entertaining urban fantasy that will have eagle-eyed Buffy fans spotting hundreds of references and jokes - but let me reassure you, they are tied in so smoothly to the world of the book that you're never pulled out of the story by them, only amused if you catch one. A non-Buffy fan could read this cold and be just as entertained and pulled along by the fast pace and the wonderfully well-rounded characters. It's a very cosy book for one that deals with an HP Lovecraft-style apocalypse, and one that was a real pleasure to read.

I first read this book because anything involving Golden Girls is bound to be spectacular.
I was mostly imagining the girls reminiscing about their past with Sophia as like the eldest mentor.

I'm glad my prediction was way off. Each of the main characters were old, retiring, and had their own personality. It wasn't like trying to paint an old person in gold, they each had their own nuances and complaints that made them feel so real and easy to imagine.

How apocalypses and deadly world ending monsters is just a casual tuesday, and who needs deadly magic when you can use it to fix phones and arcade cabinets.

One of the best feel good casual reads so far.

When I saw the description for Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines, I was intrigued. Tagged as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls,” it sounded like it was right up my alley. Okay, I wasn’t much of a Buffy fan but I did like The Golden Girls, and the thought of retired people with magical powers called on one more time to save the world had some appeal. As a retiree, I know how easy it is for older people to get written off by society. I also understand the challenges encapsulated by the expression “I’m not as young as I used to be.” Coming to grips with fading powers of any sort is never easy.

Slayers of Old portrays an aging wizard named Temple, a former Hunter of Artemis, Jenny, and a part-demon, Annette, who is trying to improve her relationship with her son Blake and grandchildren Morgan and Ava. Hines varies the viewpoint characters as the chapters progress, which moves the action along and keeps the reader in the know about events as they transpire.

Along the way, there are challenges and threats, a mystery to be solved, and encounters with magical creatures like selkies and animated gargoyles. The overarching story involves a high-stakes battle against an existential threat, but there are also sub-themes about relationships, love, betrayal, guilt, and self-acceptance. The story also explores the importance of doing what we can to make things better, even if the battle seems endless or futile.

There is plenty of humor to go around, and Hines also builds in some interesting notions like a magical house that protects those within it, a ghostly parent sticking around to ensure her son gets on the right path, and magically enhanced mice.

Readers who like stories involving magical characters, mythology, high-stakes plots, and lots of laughs along the way should enjoy Slayers of Old.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Buffy-like with menopause, a demonic GILF, and a really freaking old wizard who likes to bake live together and run a book store. And then the monsters and eldritch abominations keep showing up.

This book is a lot of fun. There are references to past adventures and witty quips, along with the pains of getting older and being part of a large paranormal community. Anyone watched Buffy The Vampire Slayer as a teen/young adult is about the right age to find these characters incredibly relatable.

Does not include nearly enough of the tenta-kitty on the cover.

This was such a unique concept!!! I LOVEd every second I spent with this book, The characters were hilarious!

funny, contemporary, welldone book with some great feelings and interesting vibes and i would definitely recommend. each of the chosen ones is a well-done character! 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Did you love Buffy when the show first aired but now find yourself a little more middle aged and less teenagery? Then this book will be perfect for you! 30 years ago a chosen slayer walked away from her life as a human weapon. Now running a bookshop with a half succubus grandma and an elderly wizard with sleep apnea the trio is called back into action when they are wrapped up in a plot that might destroy the world yet again. Must be a Tuesday. Five stars!

From beginning till end a fantastic, heartwarming and funny book. Slayers of Old follows three retired adventurers who have a second-hand bookshop. While they try to have a relaxing life, the next apocalypse is just around the corner.

I loved the characters in this book. They were funny and relatable and I got to read a perspective that is not usually found in fantasy books. Their love for each other was so heartwarming to read. A found family like anyone would wish for.

Definitely one of my favourite fantasy books I've read this year!