Buffy the Vampire Slayer Novel

Nancy Holder's BTVS novels read like the best episodes of the television series; they're scary, fun, and engaging. This particular novel is uses a premise that echoes Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, but does so with engaging twists and turns that play with the characters as they have been delineated over the course of the TV show. Truly creepy.

"Carnival of Souls" by Nancy Holder is a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" story that takes place during Season 2 somewhere in between "What's My Line? Part 2" where Kendra shows up and "Surprise" when Angel becomes Angelus. Those are episodes 10 and 13 from that season, so this is a small window of opportunity. Oz is conspicuous by his absence, but Joyce Summers is around for a lot of the fun and Jenny Calendar plays a key role. There are references to both "Halloween" and "The Dark Age," so things are pretty consistent on that basis, although Holder does have some fun hinting that there is a military group that has a boss rather than a leader somewhere in the Sunnydale area. But this is the point where Buffy and Angel have not done anything yet, and nobody knows that Xander and Cordelia are involved in a non-romantic romance. The idea is that something wicked evil this way comes, namely Professor Caligari's Traveling Carnival. Nobody in Sunnydale remembers when the carnival rolled into town of why the creepy calliope music is making everybody show up whether they want to or not. The first Sunndyale High students to make it are the Hahn twins, a pair of geeky sophomores, who check out the Hall of Mirrors and are now parading through the halls of the school like they are the most beautiful people on the planet. So Buffy, Angel, Giles and the rest of the Scoobies decide they need to check out the carnival themselves. Once there it becomes clear that everybody who attends the carnival leaves it a changed person, only they are not aware of the change. Also, it appears that what attraction you visit at the carnival has something to do with the nature of the change. Go through the Hall of Mirrors and you are suddenly bursting with pride at your personal appearance. Try your luck at the coin toss and you will not only be completely out of money, you will be consumed by greed. The next thing we now Angel is feeling quite lusty towards Buffy, Giles is getting angrier by the moment, Willow is wracked with envy, and Xander has become a total glutton. Does anybody remember the Seven Deadly Sins? Because those appear to be what is going on here and if you want to know to what end go back a take a gander at the title of the book. There is a lot going on in Holder's book and actually I think she ends up putting to much into it before it is all over. Professor Caligari's Traveling Carnival is interesting enough without tossing in the Rising, another one of these unknown threats that could signal another end of the world scenario in the mix. Also, there is one more recurring character that shows up, although I do not really think he is necessary to the story and does not really have a moment that justifies his involvement. But he has a dog-thing named Le Malfaiteur that has a French accent, which appeals to me because he makes Cordelia scream. I was going back and forth on the pluses and minuses of the book, however, in the end I rounded up on t

Professor Caligari and his carnival comes to town. Not at all original. But once you start reading, the not-well thought out Caligari becomes secondary to the Scoobie gang's dynamics. Buffy and friends (plus Cordelia) have a wonderful rapport with each other. The gang must solve the puzzle of why Sunnydale classmates are acting strange. Of course, it's the carnival, which steals souls by making the funseekers act out their worst deadly sin (out of the seven, and the book makes sure you remember there are 7 deadly sins by having the bad guys have the number on them somewhere, like on their cloths). Cordelia is hilarious as a greedy would-be robber. Buffy is all of 16, proud to be the Slayer and thinking pretty much only about smooching with Angel. Angel has some lusty (PG-13) thoughts about Buffy, though, so you really feel the age difference between the two. Also, if you wondered how the human families of the vampires (who were once Sunnydale citizins) Buffy slays cope with the disappearance of a loved one, you'll get a partial answer here. Some spelling mistakes, and luckily no retconning, to include Dawn. I found it a good read, and I like the Scoobie interaction.

This has to be the most interesting Buffy storyline for a book. Nancy Holder kept this book true to the show. All the characters are well written. Their interaction is great too. I love seeing how all the Scoobies act with their new personalities. This book has a strong Mother/Daughter relationship between Buffy and Joyce unlike the last book. The only downside to this book is there are a couple Buffy history mistakes. If you like Buffy, you will like this book. You should defintaly pick this book up. It wont dissapoint. Nancy Holder knows the show well. And Giles gets cats!

This book was a fun read. It brings back the nostalgia of season two, pre-Angelus, with some slight fore-shadowing of future events. Each of the gang get affected by one of the seven deadly sins, which ever one they may have a slight weakness in. How they act when affected is interesting. I only wish it had more of Angel in it, but this is a Buffy book.