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The second book is the series is 301 pages long and most of it is padding. The plot line of a LA gang war between Mexican and Russian gangs takes precedence as the corrupt LAPD cops plot of book 1 is dealt with in a few sparse paragraphs scattered throughout the novel. We do find out what is causing the teenagers to vanish in LA and the monsters/goblins/trolls/giant ants/moonmen and Snow White to rampage through Sunnydale.
Two psychic scientists from the defunct USSR are using their extremely gifted psychic daughter as part of a plot to resurrect the USSR. Meanwhile Buffy's gang and Angel's gang (Phantom Dennis included) work together. Willow does witchy stuff with Dona Pilar and it becomes even more clear that Willow has no respect for Wiccan traditions - something that has to come back and bite her on the ass soon, while Riley sulks over his lack of superpowers and there are lots of monster-killing scenes. Add in foreshadowing of the season 5 Spike/Buffy 'romance', hints of Willow's fall into darkness in season 6, Xander sulking over Buffy's geisha like devotion to Riley and Tara actually being useful.
The gangbangers plot seems like something out of 'Miami Vice' and is tedious, wannabe gangbanger Nicky recants his desire to be a gangbanger a bit too late while his sister Salma is trapped in another dimension. But the most annoying thing of all is Riley. Buffy constantly dwells on how cute he is, the authors refer to him constantly as a 'soldier' and Riley is constantly upset at Angel's existence/Buffy's past with Angel/any mention of Angel/the fact he doesn't have superpowers anymore and the fact Buffy is The Slayer. It seems like every other page Buffy has to 'make it up' to Riley for the fact she is The Slayer or the fact that someone has said Angel's name. It is nauseating that Buffy is reduced to some Lewinsky like love slave to a chronically insecure jerkstick playing at soldier boy who insists she love him the way he wants her too. And apparently the creators of Buffy still don't understand why fans stood up and applauded when Riley was finally fecked off the show in the episode 'Into The Woods'.
Anyway nothing really happens in this book, but events seem like they'll pick up in book 3 as Faith will be in it. Nice.
When will the books move into season 6? Considering Buffy died and was yanked out of HEAVEN by stupid Willow, Joyce is dead, Dawn exists, Riley has beggared off, Giles has left and Willow will be the season 6 villain - I'd rather read books set in season 6 than endure page after page of Riley sulking over Angel.
For completists - though Riley haters may enjoy the scene where he is attacked by a demonic tree.
P-Con VI March 27th/28th/29th 2009
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