Slayer: A Totally Awesome Collection of Buffy Trivia

While it is much advised to also purchase Keith Topping's more comprehensive guide, this small diamond in the rough is appealing in it's own way. Some of the general information *is* found within Topping's larger body of work on Buffy, however, this smaller guide has more of a fun and frisky vibe. One of my favorite features of this guide is the in-depth look at Spike, and the journey and struggles his character had to go through, including his deeply-rooted love for the Slayer and the repercussions it had on both himself and Buffy. In separate installments throughout the book, Topping explores different aspects of Spike's life in order to better understand the man (...er, vampire) he eventually became. From the day Drusilla sired him and saved him from mediocrity, as Spike himself so eloquently put it, to their love affair that spanned centuries, to his fateful arrival in Sunnydale, and on down the line through the major events in Spike's life. As a Spike fan, I find Topping's take on the subject fascinating. This is an easy read, and a must-have for Buffy fans. Keith Topping is a self-made Buffy expert, and the book includes fun features such as "Top 10" and "Top 25" lists. For example, there is a "25 Best Episodes" list (according to Keith Topping's opinion, of course, but he's mostly right), and a "Top 20 Most Creative Deaths". If you want a full in-depth Buffy guide with comprehensive episode guides and trivia to boot, then buy "The Complete Slayer". If you just want a light read with some fun inside info, then this is the one for you. I personally recommend owning both, as I do, but it's up to you.

This is a great little collection of Buffy trivia, cleverly categorized and fun to read. However, if you've already picked up Keith Topping's outstanding same-titled episode guides, "Slayer", you won't see anything here you haven't seen before. While it's worth a look for the Buffy-obsessed, and its much smaller size makes it more accessible as a reference for trivia games, you can get all it contains and much more by reading "The Complete Slayer", Topping's compilation of three previous books that contains his wonderful tour of every episode of Buffy, and then goes on to explore the life the series has outside its 7-year television run in books, comics, the internet, fan fic, philosophy/education, and more. Still, this is a fun way to spend some time, and the only reason I can't give it 5 stars is because the material is gleaned (often word for word) from the larger works. Topping's take on the Buffyverse is thoughtful, sensitive, often hilarious, and always interesting, and his attention to detail is amazing. He has some great sources that provided behind-the-scenes details most of us wouldn't know about otherwise. Even if you've read the episode guides, you won't be disappointed here, but you'll probably experience some serious deja vu.