Colony

FROM THE ARCHIVES (Buffy book reviews)

COLONY

Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz (2005)

RATING: 4/5 Stakes

SETTING: Season Two

CAST APPEARANCES: Buffy, Xander, Principal Snyder, Cordelia, Willow, Giles, Oz, Angel, Joyce, Harmony, Amy, Jenny Calendar

MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Victoria Belakane (villain)

BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: “Because of the high incidences of death and violence, the Mayor of Sunnydale has invited a woman called Belakane to speak at Sunnydale High School. Her program, ‘Be the Ultimate You!’ builds self-esteem in teenagers. But Belakane is a demon antlike queen, whose test—and subsequent nurturing of the skills she discovers—is simply part of her plot to enlist workers to build her colony, and to find mates to help her populate it. Soon Sunnydale High is full of kids with only one trait each: aggressive Slayer, brainy Willow, helpful Oz . . .and Belakane has only just begun. . . ."

REVIEW

Colony is a strong entry in the line of “Stake Your Destiny” choose-your-own-adventure Buffy novels. The main plot thread enlists the reader in stopping inspirational-speaker Victoria Belakane from turning Sunnydale High into a giant ant farm, while the subplot pits the Slayer against a Sleaniman demon, a dimension-hopping brute with a surprising vulnerability. Much like its predecessors, Colony is a hard book to win—I died three times before deciding it was review-writing time.

In addition to an original and well thought-out plot, Colony boasts accurate characterization and fun, inventive dialogue. Xander’s transformation into an enormously obese figure of rippling fat is a classic combination of disgusting and hilarious, and the portrayal of high school assemblies is spot-on. Fans of the “Stake Your Destiny” line should try this one out.