BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: �During a routine slaying, Buffy encounters a vampire named Veronique who knows the Slayer�s name and can anticipate her attack. One who doesn�t have the proper respect for Mr. Pointy. One who cannot die. If slain, she will reincarnate in a new body. An invincible demon is the last thing Buffy needs right now. Joyce Summers is about to undergo a serious operation, calling up all of her daughter�s fears about her own mortality. Angel wants to comfort Buffy, but her mother�s crisis underscores the difference between them: he wil live forever, while she will grow old . . . or die young. Torn between her duties as a daughter and as the Chosen One, Buffy needs the support of her friends to help her solve a rash of grave robberies, head off an influex of new vampires, and take Veronique down once and for all. For Veronique is on a mission�to bring about the unification of her masters, the Triumvirate, into one all-powerful demon that will drink the blood of the last man on earth. . . .�
REVIEW
The best part of Immortal is actually one of the subplots. Foreshadowing Buffy Season 5, Joyce becomes increasingly sick and ends up in the hospital with a cancer scare and facing major surgery. Buffy�s feelings of uselessness and Joyce�s attempt to minimize the seriousness of her condition fits in well with the characters� personalities. It�s powerful stuff and well-written.
The main plot of the book is about a vampire named Veronique�s attempts to summon her demon master(s) the Triumvirate. Veronique has a nifty little ability: everytime she gets dusted, she reincarnates in the body of the next vampire sired in the area. Veronique�s bad-guy personality is fairly standard, but admittedly it�s hard to come up with completely original villains. However, the idea that the villain�s main goal is to summon a giant demon was already pretty over-used at the time the novel was written and now I hope it�s a plot idea we can lay to rest for future Buffy books.
As usual, Golden & Holder have a strong grasp on the characters� personalities and dialogue. Action scenes are crisp and match well with those in the show. I have mixed feelings about the authors� penchant for backstory (in this book alone we have scenes set in: ancient Constantinople, 1872 Greece, and 1940s America). It�s a handy way to give characters depth and avoid exposition, but at times it can be hard to care about the characters in the flashbacks.
All in all, Immortal is a solid effort but not at the top of the list.
