Resurrecting Ravana (Buffy the Vampire Slayer S.) Paperback – Import, 1 January 2000

Buffy is one of relatively few TV series that I'd bother watching in the first place, and one of perhaps only a handful that I'd watch more than once. It features a nearly perfect blend of horror, drama, comedy, and action that seems both reminiscent of its time (the late '90s and early 2000s) and yet somehow timeless in its ability to entertain an audience. It's refreshing, therefore, to return to Sunnydale and the world of Buffy with this novel (yes, it was published while the show was still on, but it's a return for me in the sense that I've only just read it).Set sometime in the middle of the show's third season (not that it really matters, as neither the novel nor the show will spoil very much of each other), the book features the usual cast of characters. One of the things that always makes me nervous about tie-in novels is that they often don't seem to get the characters quite right, but the characters here actually sound like their on-screen selves, so the reader feels very much like they've stepped back into familiar territory.The plot is at once original and appropriate to the franchise, featuring a Big Bad that's big enough and bad enough to justify a full-length novel without overshadowing the show's own villains. And though most of the characters are high school students, it reads very much like a grown-up novel, including more than a few little in-jokes and nods to people who've been fans of the horror genre for decades. Indeed, as much as it feels very much like a Buffy episode, it definitely feels a bit more like one of the more horror-heavy ones. While there are undoubtedly some funny moments, this book emphasizes and highlights the darker side of the franchise, which makes perfect sense given the author is master horror writer Ray Garton.Yeah, one could criticize the book for being a bit too predictable in a couple of its twists and turns, but that never seems to detract from the reading experience. Despite the fact that I saw much of the ending coming well ahead of time, I still found it to be a page-turner that kept me thoroughly entertained from the first page to the last. This was the first of the Buffy tie-in novels I've read, but if it's any indication of the overall quality of the series, it certainly won't be the last.

Red eye, morphing, ravenous little Indian (not Native)demons who hide under the bed;ready to turn anyone into non-thinking hateful human beings as the demons rub their bellies in anticipation for dinner. "Resurrecting Ravana" is indeed a dark novel, not for children. It reads like a horror novel, which one could never turn into an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Garton doesn't insult the Buffy fan reader, by placing reminders all over the place about what the characters did in the past. It's not necessary, because Buffy, Giles and the Scooby gang face several adversaries. Even our favorite daper chap, Ethan Rayne makes an appearance. Grayston has succeeded in creating a mature novel that definately makes the reader squirm with delight.

The reason I gave this book a low rating is that much it relates to the Big Bad's past 1100 years of life. Also, stupid origin.But the Sunnydale parts were great. People in the town are behaving oddly. Too men who have friends and neighbors for over fifty years begin an argument that ends with one killing the other. And the winner? he's dinner. Case after case of besties turning beasties keep the story rolling. Two teachers get deadly physical with one killing the other in the cafeteria in spite of Oz & Xander's attempt to stop them. The teacher who killed soon became the teacher who was eaten. And then, it happens to Buffy and Willow.So is is the new teacher, Ms. Daruwalla the reason the Rakshasa, minions of the evil god Ravana, are turning friend against friend, parent against child? Willow certainly HOPES not, but she's getting less sure by the day.There is only ONE way to stop this immortal enemy of Rama - and time is running out!