Dark Mirror

If it isn't enough that Angel is scheduled to be part of a coming apocalypse, now Angel Investigations must deal with the Seven Sinners, a demon cult that intends to hijack that apocalypse and substitute one of their own - 'The Remorse,' which is something akin to a wave of world destroying guilt. To accomplish this the Sinners must create doubles of a select group of characters, drawn from both the good and evil sides of the coming conflict. From the first moments of the story, when the residents of the Hyperion watch a private eye shoot himself, the Angel team must deal with an enemy that can look like anyone they know. In particular, each other. And every double is intent on killing its original. This we have a dark comedy where the only way to be sure that people are really who they seem to be is to have them sing for Lorne. If you can be sure that Lorne is Lorne. Craig Shaw Gardner is a prolific writer who has proven his capabilities with several mainstream series as well as the 'specialty' trade of such as the Angel/Buffy books. He brings a measure of balance to these books, less interested in creating yet another marathon adventure than he is in putting together something that really does merit being called a novel. It is almost unexpected to be reading an Angel story that actually takes a look into the interior motivations of the lesser characters, and spends some time scene building. As such, Dark Mirror stands out both for an interesting plot and for its unique portrayals of Fred and Lilah. This is much more of a team book than other Angel efforts as well. Nobody gets to hog the spotlight. The flaw of the book is a weak ending in an otherwise solid effort. Along the way on is lead to expect something of a battle royal type ending. Yet, while the characters might feel they are in a last ditch struggle, Gardner doesn't quite communicate that feeling to the reader - things are a bit too cut and dry. Still, I feel this is one of the better Angel books and a worthwhile read even if just for its interesting portrayal of Lilah.

In Dark Mirror, Angel Investigations must face a group of demons capable of becoming duplicates of anyone they get close to -- complete with their personality and memories. The duplicates just happen to reflect their darker, angrier selves. And their duplicates are out to destroy them.The book is well written and fast paced. The character portrayals are strong and the interrelationships are accurate for the timing of the book (clearly early in season 4). Gardner does a good job of capturing the strained relationship between Wesley and Angel Investigations, the complex relationship between Wesley and Lilah and Conner's confusion about who he is and what (and who) he should believe. The ending seems to wrap up quickly (...). But, really, that mirrors the format of a one hour television series, where all is neatly wrapped up in the last 10 minutes. It is, in essence, exactly what we expect and saying that gives away nothing of the plot! I was a little unclear about how the characters knew how to put a final end to their duplicates (and I won't go into that as it does give something away). I'll just say that I didn't see that part explained -- it may have been edited out or I may just have missed it, as I did read the book in a hospital waiting room.If you like Angel or Angel books, I'd recommend this book. Its exactly what it should be; a fast paced adventure, true to the characters and the story. Its sure to make for an enjoyable afternoon of reading.

Enter Angel the Second. And Fred 2.0. And Wesley Redux. And so on. A steady parade of perfect clones arrives at Angel Investigations, none of them looking for help. They want the original models dead. And if Angel, Lorne and the others can't band together to find out where the replicas are coming from and why, a murder spree that starts in their lobby might spread to the entire city. But how do you defeat an opponent who knows your thoughts, battle plans, your doubts, your darkest fear?