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Chaos Bleeds
By James A. Moore (2003)
RATING: 3/5 Stakes
SETTING: Season Six
T.V. CHARACTER APPEARANCES: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Faith, Ethan Rayne, Anya, Tara, Spike, The First, Sid the Dummy
MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Cassandra Rayne
BACK OF THE BOOK SUMMARY: “Life on the Hellmouth—a.k.a. Sunnydale, California—has always involved a steady parade of demons intent on ruining Buffy Summers’s nightlife. Staying at the top of her game means Buffy’s racked up some powerful enemies. Now an old nemesis has returned: Ethan Rayne, a college ‘friend’ of Giles’s, has arrived in Sunnydale, and this time he actually wants Buffy’s help. Not surprisingly, he’s run afoul of The First—an ancient evil that predates humankind. And now The First has made Ethan a deal he can’t refuse: ultimate power. All he has to do is lure Buffy into battle. With their sanity on the line, the gang is going to need all the help they can get. Enter Spike and Faith . . .”
REVIEW
Chaos Bleeds is the only Buffy book ever to tie in with a video game (released for PS2 and Gamecube in 2003). The plot involves The First blurring the walls between dimensions so that Buffy and Co. have to fight old enemies they thought were dead (like Kakistos) and sinister versions of themselves (e.g., vampire Tara, evil Giles, etc.). The key to stopping The First is assembling the scattered body parts of an ancient warrior named Cassandra Rayne and along for the ride are allies Faith, Ethan Rayne, and Sid the Dummy (from the Season One episode The Puppet Show, in his only novel appearance).
The book is actually better than I thought it would be and isn’t slavishly devoted to recreating ever level of the video game. It is, however, very action heavy and contains only serviceable dialogue. The guest stars are okay, but they lack enough personality in the novel to make them really stand out and the “evil versions of the heroes” plot was handled better in The Lost Slayer. All in all, this was okay but nothing special.
By James A. Moore (2003)
RATING: 3/5 Stakes
SETTING: Season Six
T.V. CHARACTER APPEARANCES: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Faith, Ethan Rayne, Anya, Tara, Spike, The First, Sid the Dummy
MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Cassandra Rayne
BACK OF THE BOOK SUMMARY: “Life on the Hellmouth—a.k.a. Sunnydale, California—has always involved a steady parade of demons intent on ruining Buffy Summers’s nightlife. Staying at the top of her game means Buffy’s racked up some powerful enemies. Now an old nemesis has returned: Ethan Rayne, a college ‘friend’ of Giles’s, has arrived in Sunnydale, and this time he actually wants Buffy’s help. Not surprisingly, he’s run afoul of The First—an ancient evil that predates humankind. And now The First has made Ethan a deal he can’t refuse: ultimate power. All he has to do is lure Buffy into battle. With their sanity on the line, the gang is going to need all the help they can get. Enter Spike and Faith . . .”
REVIEW
Chaos Bleeds is the only Buffy book ever to tie in with a video game (released for PS2 and Gamecube in 2003). The plot involves The First blurring the walls between dimensions so that Buffy and Co. have to fight old enemies they thought were dead (like Kakistos) and sinister versions of themselves (e.g., vampire Tara, evil Giles, etc.). The key to stopping The First is assembling the scattered body parts of an ancient warrior named Cassandra Rayne and along for the ride are allies Faith, Ethan Rayne, and Sid the Dummy (from the Season One episode The Puppet Show, in his only novel appearance).
The book is actually better than I thought it would be and isn’t slavishly devoted to recreating ever level of the video game. It is, however, very action heavy and contains only serviceable dialogue. The guest stars are okay, but they lack enough personality in the novel to make them really stand out and the “evil versions of the heroes” plot was handled better in The Lost Slayer. All in all, this was okay but nothing special.
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