NileQT87
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Post by NileQT87 on Feb 19, 2017 1:05:06 GMT
Surprisingly, many of these that I've read are quite good. It's refreshing after how OOC and awful the so-called 'canon' comics are that these books are gloriously in-character, often containing scenes that really add something in regards to character moments. I only have access to the books that have been made, ahem, available, but some nice soul has come to the rescue fairly recently.
These tie-in novels were published between 1997 and 2007.
Okay, admittedly, there are an awful lot of faires and carnivals coming to Sunnydale. That's always amusing. Though I think I've read all of those now. How I Saved My Summer Vacation went a long way to salvaging When She Was Bad by actually explaining why Buffy was so haunted by the Master all summer, as well as building up the fact that Angel was helping Giles and Jenny all summer. Child of the Hunt was also one of my favorites, as I thought it was really atmospheric. As my favorite character is Angel, I've been incredibly pleased by how he's been treated in all of the novels I've chosen to read.
I started a calendar project many years ago where I try to map out when everything happens using episodes, scripts (including deleted scenes), comics and books. There are lots of hints for days of the week, dates, events and such that are useful. It's helpful sometimes to realize how many days something occurs over and how crossover episodes fit together. It mostly all fits together so far, though, yes, season 3 is getting reaaally tight. Halloween Rain is obviously the famous exception that doesn't fit the timeline because it was written before it was understood that the show seemed to start in the winter 1997 semester, not fall 1996. And of course, the books that got undone by fetid season 8.
The novels I've read (or rather, let reader software--I like the Bridget voice--read to me):
1998-01 - Buffy - Coyote Moon
1998-08 - Buffy - Blooded
1998-10 - Buffy - Child Of The Hunt
1998-12 - Buffy - Return To Chaos
1999-01 - Buffy - Gatekeeper 1 - Out Of The Madhouse
1999-03 - Buffy - Gatekeeper 2 - Ghost Roads
1999-05 - Buffy - Gatekeeper 3 - Sons Of Entropy
1999-11 - Buffy - Sins Of The Father
2000-04 - Angel - Not Forgotten
2000-08 - Buffy - How I Survived My Summer Vacation
2001-05 - Buffy & Angel - Unseen 1 - The Burning
2001-06 - Buffy & Angel - Unseen 2 - Door To Alternity
2001-08 - Buffy & Angel - Unseen 3 - Long Way Home
2002-12 - Angel - The Longest Night
2003-03 - Buffy & Angel - Monster Island
2003-04 - Angel - Sanctuary
2006-01 - Buffy - After Image
2006-04 - Buffy - Carnival Of Souls
2006-10 - Buffy - Portal Through Time
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Feb 20, 2017 8:23:26 GMT
Thanks for the list, Nile! I am going to have to read them. And thanks for going to the trouble of putting them into order/cannon. I did just find out about Angel/Buffy tie-in novels, I recognize some of the titles, but I think there are more. I do remember seeing a list of Angel tie-in novels too. Do you know about those? Just trying to be helpful  Buffy novels Wiki link: link Angel novels Wiki link: link |
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NileQT87
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Billowy Coat, King of Pain
@nileqt87
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Post by NileQT87 on Feb 20, 2017 8:52:56 GMT
This isn't a complete list. Those are just the ones I've read! I have a lot more (not a complete set, sadly), but I haven't read them all yet. I really need to start on the AtS ones, but I've been focusing on the high school years ones and crossovers so far. The non-Angel ones are a tougher sell for my attention span, and most actually do have him because the BtVS line kept writing about the high school era for years instead of the current seasons, but I'll have to get around to those eventually, too. And I'm actually quite fond of the original tie-in comics BEFORE Joss stepped in and turned them to crap. Some of those issues are quite darling or interesting. It's really quite shocking how the non-canon writers during the show's run actually wrote everyone in character when they didn't have carte blanche to do anything they wanted and were confined to fitting things into the shows' continuity. And they actually bothered with plotting the fantasy/supernatural/horror side of the story, along with that more confined character development (character moments). The current comics kind of suck with that. The books sometimes went a little bit big (like, Sunnydale would have to remember that!) and the budget would never have worked on television sometimes, but it was still in the style of the show tonally. But some of those books have some really great material like in Monster Island where Buffy thinks about bad father figures (the book deals with Doyle's demon father) and reveals that Angel did discuss his father issues with her, which she compares to her situation with Hank. It's one of those moments you just wish had been in the show, because it's something these characters had in common so much. And the atmosphere in Child of the Hunt makes it one of my favorites of the books. It also features another Slayer who was once in a strange, unorthodox relationship and was also a mother (Lucy Hanover, who originated in the early WB adverts, with her homunculus son, Roland, with the Erl King). There are also sometimes these amazing little moments like Angel having beer with Giles, hoping he can taste it, but he can't, Angel protecting Buffy from looking as the Wild Hunt goes by, telling her she can't look (which if you look at them, you'll be taken away) and Cordy sneaking into Buffy's room to get supplies and running into Joyce. And as I mentioned, How I Spent My Summer Vacation redeemed Buffy's bad behavior in When She Was Bad by making it actually make sense, as well as building up Angel, Jenny and Giles' friendship before the Angelus fallout. Another one of my absolute favorite moments is when Angel spots Jenny on the Ghost Roads and wonders if this is where his soul goes (it's a sort of afterlife full of people with unfinished business) when he isn't ensouled. I'm currently reading Portal Through Time, which has time-travel and vampires trying to stop Buffy from ever being called and to bring back the Master (which starts with them murdering her before she's called, but then they move on to murdering Slayers in the past, which includes trips to Celtic Wales during the Roman invasions, Ancient Sumer, the Civil War and the French Revolution). The Gatekeeper trilogy likewise had Buffy actually getting to do some world travel (with Angel and Oz, which is an interesting combination). If anyone wants what I've got, PM me.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2017 9:14:04 GMT
Nile, have you ever read Queen of the Slayers? I really, really hated that book.
Also, omfg, I knew your name sounded familiar. I just went to your youtube. I've been watching your BtVS/AtS amv since you started making them over 11 years ago!!!!!!
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NileQT87
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Billowy Coat, King of Pain
@nileqt87
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Post by NileQT87 on Feb 20, 2017 9:19:41 GMT
LOL, yes, I did make some fanvids (all those Elvis ones). Sadly, YouTube killed 3 of my 5. I uploaded some fanvids from mostly dead sites, too. And I've been running around the fandom since 2005 (started watching in summer 2004). I'm also the proud owner of one of the most ridiculously large fandom playlists on YouTube (3,200+): www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCD8E689E063A7235Yeah, I haven't read that one, but I've heard bad things. The other ones so far have been really good, though. I think I've been so burned on the post-shows continuity that I almost have a gut aversion to reading anything from it (even fanfiction is a hard sell). I live in the happy bubble that is within the shows' timeline. |
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Feb 20, 2017 10:37:08 GMT
Among my collection are...
BtVS:
‘Immortal’
‘Sins of the Father’
‘Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row’
‘The Book of Fours’
‘Oz: Into The Wild’
‘Blood and Fog’
‘Carnival of Souls’
AtS:
‘City Of’
‘Redemption’
‘Shakedown’
‘Avatar’
‘The Summoned’
‘The Longest Night’
‘Sanctuary’
‘Endangered Species’
‘Nemesis’
‘Dark Mirror’
BtVS/AtS crossovers:
‘Monster Island’
‘Seven Crows’
‘Cursed’
I can’t recall if I actually ended up reading all of them or just planned to and didn’t get around to it, but I remember liking ‘Immortal’, ‘Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row’ and ‘The Longest Night’.
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NileQT87
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Billowy Coat, King of Pain
@nileqt87
Posts: 532
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Post by NileQT87 on Feb 20, 2017 12:12:21 GMT
Here's what I've got total (the computer file version) and not just what I've read/am reading:
1997-09 - Buffy - The Harvest
1997-11 - Buffy - Halloween Rain
1998-01 - Buffy - Coyote Moon
1998-03 - Buffy - Night Of The Living Rerun
1998-07 - Buffy - The Angel Chronicles 1
1998-08 - Buffy - Blooded
1998-10 - Buffy - Child Of The Hunt
1998-12 - Buffy - Return To Chaos
1998-12 - Buffy - The Angel Chronicles 2
1999-01 - Buffy - Gatekeeper 1 - Out Of The Madhouse
1999-02 - Buffy - The Xander Years 1
1999-03 - Buffy - Gatekeeper 2 - Ghost Roads
1999-04 - Buffy - Visitors
1999-05 - Buffy - Gatekeeper 3 - Sons Of Entropy
1999-06 - Buffy - Unnatural Selection
1999-08 - Buffy - The Angel Chronicles 3
1999-09 - Buffy - Obsidian Fate
1999-10 - Buffy - Immortal
1999-10 - Buffy - Power Of Persuasion
1999-11 - Buffy - Sins Of The Father
1999-12 - Angel - City Of...
2000-01 - Buffy - Resurrecting Ravana
2000-02 - Buffy - Deep Water
2000-03 - Buffy - Prime Evil
2000-04 - Angel - Not Forgotten
2000-04 - Buffy - The Xander Years 2
2000-06 - Angel - Redemption
2000-06 - Buffy - Here Be Monsters
2000-07 - Buffy - The Evil That Men Do
2000-08 - Angel - Close To The Ground
2000-08 - Buffy - How I Survived My Summer Vacation
2000-09 - Buffy - Paleo
2000-10 - Angel - Shakedown
2001-01 - Buffy - Revenant
2001-01 - Buffy - The Willow Files 2
2001-02 - Angel - Avatar
2001-04 - Buffy - The Book Of Fours
2001-04 - Buffy - The Faith Trials 1
2001-05 - Buffy & Angel - Unseen 1 - The Burning
2001-06 - Buffy & Angel - Unseen 2 - Door To Alternity
2001-06 - Spike & Dru - Pretty Maids All In A Row
2001-08 - Buffy & Angel - Unseen 3 - Long Way Home
2001-08 - Buffy - The Lost Slayer 1 - Prophecies
2001-09 - Buffy - The Lost Slayer 2 - Dark Times
2001-10 - Buffy - The Lost Slayer 3 - King Of The Dead
2001-11 - Buffy - The Lost Slayer 4 - Original Sins
2001-12 - Angel - The Summoned
2002-02 - Buffy - The Journals Of Rupert Giles 1
2002-05 - Oz - Into The Wild
2002-07 - Buffy - The Wisdom Of War
2002-09 - Buffy - These Our Actors
2002-12 - Angel - The Longest Night
2002-12 - Buffy - The Cordelia Collection 1
2003-01 - Buffy - Tales Of The Slayer 2
2003-02 - Angel - Impressions
2003-03 - Buffy & Angel - Monster Island
2003-04 - Angel - Sanctuary
2003-05 - Buffy - Blood And Fog
2003-06 - Buffy - Chosen
2003-07 - Buffy & Angel - Seven Crows
2003-08 - Buffy - Chaos Bleeds
2003-09 - Buffy - Mortal Fear
2004-03 - Buffy - Apocalypse Memories
2004-05 - Angel - Dark Mirror
2004-05 - Buffy - Wicked Willow 1 - The Darkening
2004-06 - Buffy - Wicked Willow 2 - Shattered Twilight
2006-01 - Buffy - After Image
2006-04 - Buffy - Carnival Of Souls
2006-08 - Nikki - Blackout
2006-10 - Buffy - Portal Through Time
2006-12 - Buffy - Bad Bargain
2007-08 - Buffy - One Thing Or Your Mother
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2017 19:51:49 GMT
Nile, yes I was very entertained by that playlist on countless occasions!
Queen of the Slayers was horrible. As far as my other books, they're all in storage right now but I've read a lot of these mentioned above.
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Post by PreachCaleb on Feb 20, 2017 23:49:43 GMT
I've only read Spike & Dru: Pretty Maids in a Row. It was fun and enjoyable.
Right now, I'm reading Buffy/Angel: Cursed, which is jumping back and forth between following Angel and Spike in Europe in the past, and in LA and Sunnydale in the present.
It takes place right after "As You Were."
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Feb 22, 2017 23:15:09 GMT
Thanks for the info, Nile.
Yeah, I understand what you mean about living in a bubble, lol. You've got me really interested in reading all of these (Lucy Hanover? She sounds interesting). And books do allow for bigger action and stuff that requires a big budget on TV shows, so it's cool to see what writers come up with in the Buffyverse that is not restricted because of a budget. I was (and still kind of am) annoyed at When She was Bad because of Buffy's attitude, so if How I Survived My Summer Vacation helps flesh out the episode, not to mention developing a relationship between Giles, Jenny, and Angel, then that one is definitely on my list.
PreachCaleb, I recognize you from Imdb, nice to see you here! |
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