Spark and Burn - A Mini Suki-Review
Continuing my efforts to read and review all the Buffy and Angel novels ever published, here is my opinion on Spark and Burn.
Today I finished reading the newest of the Buffy books: Spark and Burn. This book, written by Diana G. Gallagher, is Spike centric and takes place during the start of season 7 when Spike is going loopy in the school basement.
The story is a mixture of his basement madness and flashbacks to Spike's past, triggered by the voices and personas that the First used to twist Spike's already fragile mind.
The spark refers to Spike's soul and the book basically is him sorting through his thoughts about how he came to want and get the spark and also how the need to regain his soul was or wasn't all about Buffy.
Now, if you can ignore the Spuffy aspect this is actually quite a good read. I expected to find a book that had him simpering after his slayer, but I was pleasantly surprised to that this isn't what the book achieves. What it does achieve is showing how Spike comes to realise his own worth and also his similarities to the long dead William.
And you know why I really liked this little novel? It had lots of Xander!!!! The flashbacks included a classic moment when Angel offered Xander as an appetiser in School Hard. These fairly long flashes then continued to show Spike stalking the gang, for one reason or another, in other episodes. Meaning, we see Spike's perspective on episodes that he wasn't even in, but was in the background watching.
We see him lurking at the Bronze on the night that Willow is an Eskimo and Xander is with Ampata. Spike decides to watch Xander for a spot of light entertainment.
Also, we see Spike lurking when Xander had to wear the wig and bra etc at that Delta Cappa peta feta bupa bumper party - or whatever it's called. Spike compares this humiliation to his own at the hands of Cecily's friends. He decides to let Xander live out of a certain amount of respect. We even get the impression that Spike would have intervened if Xander hadn't had any friends to turn to (not that he did).
Oddly, a tiny bit later, we discover that Spike has taken and killed the man that humiliated Xander. I nearly cheered at my office desk!
So, in conclusion, I REALLY enjoyed this book and I'll probably even read it again one day (And it's not often I make that claim!) It showed Spike in a light that I really liked. I enjoyed seeing episodes from such a different angle. I enjoyed finding out some A to B plot points (such as how Spike ended up on the submarine) And I loved the 'only a slasher can see it' Spander subtext that probably wasn't even there. ~g~
Yup, buy it, read it, tell the world how wonderful it is and then wonder why The Queen of The Slayers couldn't have been this good. Oh, I haven't reviewed that yet, have I? ~bg~ Oh, boy. I'll save that for another day and hope to god that I can still remember it. Not that I want to!
Today I finished reading the newest of the Buffy books: Spark and Burn. This book, written by Diana G. Gallagher, is Spike centric and takes place during the start of season 7 when Spike is going loopy in the school basement.
The story is a mixture of his basement madness and flashbacks to Spike's past, triggered by the voices and personas that the First used to twist Spike's already fragile mind.
The spark refers to Spike's soul and the book basically is him sorting through his thoughts about how he came to want and get the spark and also how the need to regain his soul was or wasn't all about Buffy.
Now, if you can ignore the Spuffy aspect this is actually quite a good read. I expected to find a book that had him simpering after his slayer, but I was pleasantly surprised to that this isn't what the book achieves. What it does achieve is showing how Spike comes to realise his own worth and also his similarities to the long dead William.
And you know why I really liked this little novel? It had lots of Xander!!!! The flashbacks included a classic moment when Angel offered Xander as an appetiser in School Hard. These fairly long flashes then continued to show Spike stalking the gang, for one reason or another, in other episodes. Meaning, we see Spike's perspective on episodes that he wasn't even in, but was in the background watching.
We see him lurking at the Bronze on the night that Willow is an Eskimo and Xander is with Ampata. Spike decides to watch Xander for a spot of light entertainment.
Also, we see Spike lurking when Xander had to wear the wig and bra etc at that Delta Cappa peta feta bupa bumper party - or whatever it's called. Spike compares this humiliation to his own at the hands of Cecily's friends. He decides to let Xander live out of a certain amount of respect. We even get the impression that Spike would have intervened if Xander hadn't had any friends to turn to (not that he did).
Oddly, a tiny bit later, we discover that Spike has taken and killed the man that humiliated Xander. I nearly cheered at my office desk!
So, in conclusion, I REALLY enjoyed this book and I'll probably even read it again one day (And it's not often I make that claim!) It showed Spike in a light that I really liked. I enjoyed seeing episodes from such a different angle. I enjoyed finding out some A to B plot points (such as how Spike ended up on the submarine) And I loved the 'only a slasher can see it' Spander subtext that probably wasn't even there. ~g~
Yup, buy it, read it, tell the world how wonderful it is and then wonder why The Queen of The Slayers couldn't have been this good. Oh, I haven't reviewed that yet, have I? ~bg~ Oh, boy. I'll save that for another day and hope to god that I can still remember it. Not that I want to!