Publisher's Weekly Review
Strictly for fans of the immensely popular TV series, this third hardcover spinoff novel from Stoker Award-winner Holder (Dead in the Water and numerous mass market Buffy books) remains faithful to formula. Here the four teenage heroines and dedicated "Slayers" indulge in "girl-talk" about mall-shopping, clothing, cosmetics, high school and boys when they aren't fighting vampires, trolls, demons and even an attractive ancient female villain, whom they attack with kung fu kicks, uppercuts, right crosses and straight faces at all times. Willow, Buffy's best friend, gets killed in an auto accident, but since she's vital to the show, it's no surprise when Willow returns. Buffy's "cured" vampire boyfriend, Angel, adds some male interest. The book has some, albeit negligibly little, humor, primarily implicit in the irony of a small, mythically American town, Sunnydale, Calif., being overrun by a throng of scenery-wrecking monsters. Too often this detracts from the eponymous star, as Buffy and her Slayers engage in endless, brainless action. The book should carry a warning label that it is unsuitable for anyone older than 16 to read unless accompanied by a child. Still, it is nice to know the world is safe from Evil. (Apr. 3) Forecast: The release of this tie-in novel is particularly timely, as a bidding war (and attendant media coverage) is brewing over the rights to this hit series, which Warner Brothers may or may not renew. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
The ghosts of Slayers past come to Sunnydale in this latest novel based on the hit TV show and set during the show's third season. Certain elements are out of whack in Sunnydale; hurricanes, flash floods, and fires plague the town. The Slayers, Buffy and Faith, as well as their friends, realize something supernatural is behind the natural disasters when mysterious axe-wielding figures appear amid the chaos. The spirits have been summoned by a powerful sorceress to kill the Slayers and feed their essence to the Gatherer, a being made up of pure evil. If the Gatherer manages to kill and feed on both Slayers, it will rise from the box in which it is imprisoned, leading to eternal chaos. In order to defeat the Gatherer, Buffy and Faith must call upon the ghosts of Kendra and India, two slain Slayers who encountered the Gatherer in their lifetimes. Full of the action and wit characteristic of the popular television series, The Book of Fours is sure to be a crowd pleaser. --Kristine Huntley