What's the best way to approach Newman's brilliant new addition to his reinvention of the Dracula myth? Is it to expect an eccentrically plotted, flesh-tingling horror tale with some stunningly orchestrated (and grisly) set pieces? Or is it look for a highly intelligent, post-modern riff on the vampire concept, stuffed full of clever and witty references to both real-life and fictional characters? Actually, it's both. Since the groundbreaking Anno Dracula, Newman has not been content to turn out merely efficient and atmospheric thrillers (although he can do that as effortlessly as anyone in the genre); clearly what excites him is to extrapolate elements of an over-familiar genre into a richly textured picture of a society: Victorian England in Anno Dracula, and a fascinatingly realised Rome in the late 1950s in this latest book. Into this world of La Dolce Vita, paparazzi and coins in fountains, Newman injects his highly individual spin on a society in which vampirism is endemic. The jet setters, intellectuals and vampires of the Eternal City are talking about the forthcoming marriage of Count Dracula (in Italian exile from Transylvania) to the Moldavian Princess Asa Vajda. Some speculate that this is the first step in Dracula's master plan: to reassert his supremacy as Lord of the Undead. But this is essentially a backdrop to Newman's real story--an implacable, terrifying and enigmatic figure known as the Crimson Executioner is bloodily dispatching vampires in the city. Coming closer and closer to some grim revelations is Newman's insecure journalist heroine Kate, but the masterstroke here is the involvement of undead British secret agent Bond. However, this isn't quite Ian Fleming's sardonic character: and the other literary characters finding themselves involved in the operatic blood-letting include Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley, among many others. The brilliance and wit with which Newman reinvents these characters and incorporates them into his own outrageous narrative will probably make it difficult to ever see them in the same light again. But never do these mordantly funny reinventions overwhelm the inexorable progress of the plot, and Kate, struggling with her own vampirism, is a heroine as richly characterised as any in mainstream fiction. And when it comes to delivering the goods in terms of the gruesome, Newman has few equals:

Something she'd never seen before happened to Malenka. Pockets of blubber bulged under Malenka's skin, inflating her face, her belly, her thighs, her torso, her arms. She ballooned, splitting like overcooked sausage. White stuff, veined with red, bubbled out of her rent skin. Her dress exploded.

--Barry Forshaw

The league of nearly extraordinary gentlemen, 02 Dec 2007
The great Alan Moore isn't the first writer to have come up with the idea of recycling old pulp literary figures in new works (as Kim Newman somewhat grumpily pointed out in a brief afterword to Seven Stars). Here Newman continues the vampire cycle started in Anno Dracula with his second sequel. I have to start by saying that I'm a Kim Newman fan, and I'd love to have given this mostly excellent novel 5 stars... unfortunately whilst 95% of this novel is as marvellous as you'd expect from a writer of his calibre, it suffers from the same flaw as his The Bloody Red Baron: the ending is frankly a bit of a damp squib. The prose is outstanding, the characterizations are outstanding, the concept is outstanding... but it's almost as if once he's decided on the setting of the novel the plot itself comes as something of an afterthought and consequently ends up building up to, well, not that much. This was frustrating - but just about forgiveable - in The Bloody Red Baron if you viewed it as an allegory on the waste of life in WW1, but here it's just frustrating.

Having said all this I'm still glad that I read this novel, and not just for the very brief but hilarious appearance of one Anthony Allosius Hancock as an embittered vampire artist (stolen straight from Hancocks film The Rebel)! However Anno Dracula still easily remains Newman's best vampire novel by far, so if you've never read Kim Newman, Anno Dracula is the one novel of his that you MUST read.

Fun, Frightening, Fabulous, 16 Jun 2000
Bloody brilliant! Kim Newman has to be one of the best writers in the UK today, he writes so effortlessly, with wit, style and immagination. DRACULA CHA CHA CHA is a wonderful confection of horror, dark humour and real pathos, He manages to take other people's characters like the vampire Bond and take them beyond the framework of the original writer's work, but doesn't really change them, just makes them fit his wonderful world. A really fun read.

Newman doing what he does best..., 23 May 2000
After the very slight fall off of Bloody Red Baron, Kim Newman is right back on form with a ritzy, fast moving take on Rome in the 50s. Think Frederico Fellini meets Calvino meets Ian Flemming, with literary gags and cultural illusions falling like warm rain. Loved it.

An stylish creation that's not just horror, 18 May 2000
Imagine a world where vampires can wander out in daylight, where they are co-existing side by side with warm blooded humans and where being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you evil. Welcome to the fantastic world of Kim Newman. If all you know about vampires is what you've seen on "Buffy", then here is a wonderful creation that combines a huge range of information from vampire myth, movie and stories.

But even better is Newman's twisted use of people from fact, fantasy and fiction from across the board. Here we've got a 007 who has been boosted by vampire blood, so it's a bloody mary(perhaps) shaken not stirred. A human user called Tom Ripley, who'll take advantage of anyone human or vampire. And a myriad of other figures from every genre you can remeber and some you can't.

If you don't like horror this is the book for you, because it looks at a world where vampires may drink blood, but have just as many problems as the rest of us (in this case a serial killer who can take them down, as well as dealing with the death of a loved one, growing older, growing up.) This is wonderfully written, exceptionally humane horror/fantasy and one of the most inventive books of the year.

The league of nearly extraordinary gentlemen, 02 Dec 2007
The great Alan Moore isn't the first writer to have come up with the idea of recycling old pulp literary figures in new works (as Kim Newman somewhat grumpily pointed out in a brief afterword to Seven Stars). Here Newman continues the vampire cycle started in Anno Dracula with his second sequel. I have to start by saying that I'm a Kim Newman fan, and I'd love to have given this mostly excellent novel 5 stars... unfortunately whilst 95% of this novel is as marvellous as you'd expect from a writer of his calibre, it suffers from the same flaw as his The Bloody Red Baron: the ending is frankly a bit of a damp squib. The prose is outstanding, the characterizations are outstanding, the concept is outstanding... but it's almost as if once he's decided on the setting of the novel the plot itself comes as something of an afterthought and consequently ends up building up to, well, not that much. This was frustrating - but just about forgiveable - in The Bloody Red Baron if you viewed it as an allegory on the waste of life in WW1, but here it's just frustrating.

Having said all this I'm still glad that I read this novel, and not just for the very brief but hilarious appearance of one Anthony Allosius Hancock as an embittered vampire artist (stolen straight from Hancocks film The Rebel)! However Anno Dracula still easily remains Newman's best vampire novel by far, so if you've never read Kim Newman, Anno Dracula is the one novel of his that you MUST read.

Fun, Frightening, Fabulous, 16 Jun 2000
Bloody brilliant! Kim Newman has to be one of the best writers in the UK today, he writes so effortlessly, with wit, style and immagination. DRACULA CHA CHA CHA is a wonderful confection of horror, dark humour and real pathos, He manages to take other people's characters like the vampire Bond and take them beyond the framework of the original writer's work, but doesn't really change them, just makes them fit his wonderful world. A really fun read.

Newman doing what he does best..., 23 May 2000
After the very slight fall off of Bloody Red Baron, Kim Newman is right back on form with a ritzy, fast moving take on Rome in the 50s. Think Frederico Fellini meets Calvino meets Ian Flemming, with literary gags and cultural illusions falling like warm rain. Loved it.

An stylish creation that's not just horror, 18 May 2000
Imagine a world where vampires can wander out in daylight, where they are co-existing side by side with warm blooded humans and where being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you evil. Welcome to the fantastic world of Kim Newman. If all you know about vampires is what you've seen on "Buffy", then here is a wonderful creation that combines a huge range of information from vampire myth, movie and stories.

But even better is Newman's twisted use of people from fact, fantasy and fiction from across the board. Here we've got a 007 who has been boosted by vampire blood, so it's a bloody mary(perhaps) shaken not stirred. A human user called Tom Ripley, who'll take advantage of anyone human or vampire. And a myriad of other figures from every genre you can remeber and some you can't.

If you don't like horror this is the book for you, because it looks at a world where vampires may drink blood, but have just as many problems as the rest of us (in this case a serial killer who can take them down, as well as dealing with the death of a loved one, growing older, growing up.) This is wonderfully written, exceptionally humane horror/fantasy and one of the most inventive books of the year.

Not worth your hard earned cash!!, 23 May 2004
When I read the reviews for this book which came to an average score of about 5 stars I really thought this was going to be good.
I was wrong.
The book is very slow and the plot lines aren't exactly breath taking! The whole sub plot with Anya in my opinion just doesn't feel right although Anya's soliqueys are well written. The fight scenes can get a bit dull and I found my mind drifting off to other things as I read them.
Also theres the part where Angel comes in. The book is set in series 5 but it acts as if it is series 2 or 3. The whole Buffy and Angel love story is OVER!! I wish writers would stop coming back to it.
Overall I don't think it is really worth your hard earned cash. Go buy the Buffy books by Chris Golden and Nancy Holder which are superb!
Thanks for reading. :)

A new vampire shows up in Sunnydale looking for Buffy, 22 Nov 2002
WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT READ THE BOOK DESCRIPTION ABOVE OR THE BACK COVER OF THIS BOOK! YOU WILL REGRET IT. HEED MY WARNING MORTALS OR KNOW A HANDY WICCA WITH A SPELL OF FORGETFULLNESS!

Talk about having a book spoiled. I should have known better, but I looked at the back cover of "Tempted Champions" before I read it and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of Yvonne Navarro's latest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel. Usually I am smart enough to just pick up a book and start reading, but unfortunately this time that was not the case. This is important because not only does Navarro have a first rate twist for the vampire that shows up in town hoping to put the bit on Buffy, but also she saves the revelation for the climax of the novel. If the author has a surprise for the reader when they are more than halfway through the novel, then the people assigned the job of writing the tantalizing description on the back of the book should not give the game away, including the heroine's big dramatic choice at the end. Sheesh.

Ironically, "Tempted Champions," which is set during the LAST part of the show's fifth season (not the beginning as the historical note claims), hit the shelves the same week that we saw the "Hell's Bells" episode from season six. This is ironic because in both D'Hoffryn shows up in Sunnydale and offers Anya a chance to go back to work as a vengeance demon. We might be wondering what sixth season Anya will say but obviously we know what fifth season Anya told her former demon overlord. However, Navarro does an excellent job of having Anya work out her feelings. Anya has been the most problematic character on BtVS; when she first turned human she still had an edge to her, but then she was flunking math and was going with Xander to the prom, and by the time she showed up in that bunny outfit she had become the show's comic relief. Often I find the character overwritten, especially in terms of her preoccupation with sex (I am talking strictly the writing her, I find nothing to fault in Emma Caulfield's captivating performance). However, in "Tempted Champions" Navarro presents a more fully developed characterization of Anya that is a strength of the book, albeit the major subplot.

The main plot involves the mysterious Celina who has arrived in Sunnydale to take down Buffy. Celina has crossed paths with both Angel and Spike in the past, although under different names, but with nearly fatal results for the guys in both instances. What is Celina's secret? Well, hopefully you will discover it when you read the book (and avoid the spoilers), because it makes their final confrontation quite dramatic. As she did with Anya, Navarro manages to crystallize Buffy's thoughts at a critical juncture on some rather heavy subjects. Angel shows up in Sunnydale to help Buffy weather this particular storm and at first I thought it was an unnecessary crossover. But Navarro surprised me by making it integral to the story's climax. She also deals explicitly with one of my biggest concerns for this particuarly story, which is why Celina agreed to be turned into a vampire, obliterating my reservations about the character. "Tempted Champions" is Navarro's finest BtVS novel that compares favorably to "The Lost Slayer" serial novel. I only wish I had been able to fully enjoy it without the specter of that stupid back cover.

The league of nearly extraordinary gentlemen, 02 Dec 2007
The great Alan Moore isn't the first writer to have come up with the idea of recycling old pulp literary figures in new works (as Kim Newman somewhat grumpily pointed out in a brief afterword to Seven Stars). Here Newman continues the vampire cycle started in Anno Dracula with his second sequel. I have to start by saying that I'm a Kim Newman fan, and I'd love to have given this mostly excellent novel 5 stars... unfortunately whilst 95% of this novel is as marvellous as you'd expect from a writer of his calibre, it suffers from the same flaw as his The Bloody Red Baron: the ending is frankly a bit of a damp squib. The prose is outstanding, the characterizations are outstanding, the concept is outstanding... but it's almost as if once he's decided on the setting of the novel the plot itself comes as something of an afterthought and consequently ends up building up to, well, not that much. This was frustrating - but just about forgiveable - in The Bloody Red Baron if you viewed it as an allegory on the waste of life in WW1, but here it's just frustrating.

Having said all this I'm still glad that I read this novel, and not just for the very brief but hilarious appearance of one Anthony Allosius Hancock as an embittered vampire artist (stolen straight from Hancocks film The Rebel)! However Anno Dracula still easily remains Newman's best vampire novel by far, so if you've never read Kim Newman, Anno Dracula is the one novel of his that you MUST read.

Fun, Frightening, Fabulous, 16 Jun 2000
Bloody brilliant! Kim Newman has to be one of the best writers in the UK today, he writes so effortlessly, with wit, style and immagination. DRACULA CHA CHA CHA is a wonderful confection of horror, dark humour and real pathos, He manages to take other people's characters like the vampire Bond and take them beyond the framework of the original writer's work, but doesn't really change them, just makes them fit his wonderful world. A really fun read.

Newman doing what he does best..., 23 May 2000
After the very slight fall off of Bloody Red Baron, Kim Newman is right back on form with a ritzy, fast moving take on Rome in the 50s. Think Frederico Fellini meets Calvino meets Ian Flemming, with literary gags and cultural illusions falling like warm rain. Loved it.

An stylish creation that's not just horror, 18 May 2000
Imagine a world where vampires can wander out in daylight, where they are co-existing side by side with warm blooded humans and where being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you evil. Welcome to the fantastic world of Kim Newman. If all you know about vampires is what you've seen on "Buffy", then here is a wonderful creation that combines a huge range of information from vampire myth, movie and stories.

But even better is Newman's twisted use of people from fact, fantasy and fiction from across the board. Here we've got a 007 who has been boosted by vampire blood, so it's a bloody mary(perhaps) shaken not stirred. A human user called Tom Ripley, who'll take advantage of anyone human or vampire. And a myriad of other figures from every genre you can remeber and some you can't.

If you don't like horror this is the book for you, because it looks at a world where vampires may drink blood, but have just as many problems as the rest of us (in this case a serial killer who can take them down, as well as dealing with the death of a loved one, growing older, growing up.) This is wonderfully written, exceptionally humane horror/fantasy and one of the most inventive books of the year.

Not worth your hard earned cash!!, 23 May 2004
When I read the reviews for this book which came to an average score of about 5 stars I really thought this was going to be good.
I was wrong.
The book is very slow and the plot lines aren't exactly breath taking! The whole sub plot with Anya in my opinion just doesn't feel right although Anya's soliqueys are well written. The fight scenes can get a bit dull and I found my mind drifting off to other things as I read them.
Also theres the part where Angel comes in. The book is set in series 5 but it acts as if it is series 2 or 3. The whole Buffy and Angel love story is OVER!! I wish writers would stop coming back to it.
Overall I don't think it is really worth your hard earned cash. Go buy the Buffy books by Chris Golden and Nancy Holder which are superb!
Thanks for reading. :)

A new vampire shows up in Sunnydale looking for Buffy, 22 Nov 2002
WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT READ THE BOOK DESCRIPTION ABOVE OR THE BACK COVER OF THIS BOOK! YOU WILL REGRET IT. HEED MY WARNING MORTALS OR KNOW A HANDY WICCA WITH A SPELL OF FORGETFULLNESS!

Talk about having a book spoiled. I should have known better, but I looked at the back cover of "Tempted Champions" before I read it and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of Yvonne Navarro's latest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel. Usually I am smart enough to just pick up a book and start reading, but unfortunately this time that was not the case. This is important because not only does Navarro have a first rate twist for the vampire that shows up in town hoping to put the bit on Buffy, but also she saves the revelation for the climax of the novel. If the author has a surprise for the reader when they are more than halfway through the novel, then the people assigned the job of writing the tantalizing description on the back of the book should not give the game away, including the heroine's big dramatic choice at the end. Sheesh.

Ironically, "Tempted Champions," which is set during the LAST part of the show's fifth season (not the beginning as the historical note claims), hit the shelves the same week that we saw the "Hell's Bells" episode from season six. This is ironic because in both D'Hoffryn shows up in Sunnydale and offers Anya a chance to go back to work as a vengeance demon. We might be wondering what sixth season Anya will say but obviously we know what fifth season Anya told her former demon overlord. However, Navarro does an excellent job of having Anya work out her feelings. Anya has been the most problematic character on BtVS; when she first turned human she still had an edge to her, but then she was flunking math and was going with Xander to the prom, and by the time she showed up in that bunny outfit she had become the show's comic relief. Often I find the character overwritten, especially in terms of her preoccupation with sex (I am talking strictly the writing her, I find nothing to fault in Emma Caulfield's captivating performance). However, in "Tempted Champions" Navarro presents a more fully developed characterization of Anya that is a strength of the book, albeit the major subplot.

The main plot involves the mysterious Celina who has arrived in Sunnydale to take down Buffy. Celina has crossed paths with both Angel and Spike in the past, although under different names, but with nearly fatal results for the guys in both instances. What is Celina's secret? Well, hopefully you will discover it when you read the book (and avoid the spoilers), because it makes their final confrontation quite dramatic. As she did with Anya, Navarro manages to crystallize Buffy's thoughts at a critical juncture on some rather heavy subjects. Angel shows up in Sunnydale to help Buffy weather this particular storm and at first I thought it was an unnecessary crossover. But Navarro surprised me by making it integral to the story's climax. She also deals explicitly with one of my biggest concerns for this particuarly story, which is why Celina agreed to be turned into a vampire, obliterating my reservations about the character. "Tempted Champions" is Navarro's finest BtVS novel that compares favorably to "The Lost Slayer" serial novel. I only wish I had been able to fully enjoy it without the specter of that stupid back cover.

guess what happens next....., 15 Mar 2007
although this book is fairly obvious what happens it does give an interesting read. i havent read a bufyy books that centers souly around dinos as of i can remember (ive got nearly all of the uk ones!)so it does give a different perspective on the show. this gives buffy something different to fight as lets face it she has killed everything except evil wales with feet!!

id like to see some other novels from this author, how about evil wales with feet?? no?? just a thought.....

dont waste your energy !, 19 Aug 2001
being a buffy fan i couldnt wait to get into paleo, but i shouldnt have bothered. athough the plot was fairly interesting i found it hard to get into unlike the other buffy books i`ve read by yvonne which i couldn`t put down. i thought the book rambled on a lot and the start was basicly boring talking about how bored a boy was in a museum of artifacts.the story started to pick up halfway through but i thought the ending was fairly obvious. all-in-all i wouldn`t waste my energy if i where you, but don`t let it put you off other books by yvonne navarro cause usually she`s a great writer.

Not a very entertaining read, 23 Jul 2001
Having heard good things about Yvonne Navarro's work/books, I couldn't wait to read this one and see for myself. I shouldn't have wasted the enthusiasm. The basic plot of this book was enjoyable, but the book was very hard to get into, and seemed to ramble. Once into the book it wasn't bad, but I found the ending to be very predictable. The whole book seemed quite rushed, and it wandered away from the storyline. My advice is, if you have alot of free time on your hands, attempt to read it, but if not, then don't waste the energy.

A very intresting Buffy story with vampires and dinosaurs!, 05 Sep 2000
This story was very good for a number of reasons as not only was it a very enjoyable story with all the characters from the show but it also introduced something Buffy has never came up against - Dinosaurs. The story sees a new student at Sunnydale High - Kevin who teams up with Daniel who works at the Museum. Daniel finds a journal from 1939 which contains a spell to resurrect something and he uses Kevin's most prized possession - a dinosaur egg. The spell works and Daniel dumps Kevin but now Daniel has to create another 3 which break loose and cause mayhem in Sunnydale and it is up to Buffy and the gang to save the day. Meanwhile, Oz's band is close to being signed with a talent agent but with other things taking their time, tehy don't have time to make a background check on her! The novel is well written and it is not only intresting and enjoyable but it is also very funny - just like the show - Recommended!

The league of nearly extraordinary gentlemen, 02 Dec 2007
The great Alan Moore isn't the first writer to have come up with the idea of recycling old pulp literary figures in new works (as Kim Newman somewhat grumpily pointed out in a brief afterword to Seven Stars). Here Newman continues the vampire cycle started in Anno Dracula with his second sequel. I have to start by saying that I'm a Kim Newman fan, and I'd love to have given this mostly excellent novel 5 stars... unfortunately whilst 95% of this novel is as marvellous as you'd expect from a writer of his calibre, it suffers from the same flaw as his The Bloody Red Baron: the ending is frankly a bit of a damp squib. The prose is outstanding, the characterizations are outstanding, the concept is outstanding... but it's almost as if once he's decided on the setting of the novel the plot itself comes as something of an afterthought and consequently ends up building up to, well, not that much. This was frustrating - but just about forgiveable - in The Bloody Red Baron if you viewed it as an allegory on the waste of life in WW1, but here it's just frustrating.

Having said all this I'm still glad that I read this novel, and not just for the very brief but hilarious appearance of one Anthony Allosius Hancock as an embittered vampire artist (stolen straight from Hancocks film The Rebel)! However Anno Dracula still easily remains Newman's best vampire novel by far, so if you've never read Kim Newman, Anno Dracula is the one novel of his that you MUST read.

Fun, Frightening, Fabulous, 16 Jun 2000
Bloody brilliant! Kim Newman has to be one of the best writers in the UK today, he writes so effortlessly, with wit, style and immagination. DRACULA CHA CHA CHA is a wonderful confection of horror, dark humour and real pathos, He manages to take other people's characters like the vampire Bond and take them beyond the framework of the original writer's work, but doesn't really change them, just makes them fit his wonderful world. A really fun read.

Newman doing what he does best..., 23 May 2000
After the very slight fall off of Bloody Red Baron, Kim Newman is right back on form with a ritzy, fast moving take on Rome in the 50s. Think Frederico Fellini meets Calvino meets Ian Flemming, with literary gags and cultural illusions falling like warm rain. Loved it.

An stylish creation that's not just horror, 18 May 2000
Imagine a world where vampires can wander out in daylight, where they are co-existing side by side with warm blooded humans and where being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you evil. Welcome to the fantastic world of Kim Newman. If all you know about vampires is what you've seen on "Buffy", then here is a wonderful creation that combines a huge range of information from vampire myth, movie and stories.

But even better is Newman's twisted use of people from fact, fantasy and fiction from across the board. Here we've got a 007 who has been boosted by vampire blood, so it's a bloody mary(perhaps) shaken not stirred. A human user called Tom Ripley, who'll take advantage of anyone human or vampire. And a myriad of other figures from every genre you can remeber and some you can't.

If you don't like horror this is the book for you, because it looks at a world where vampires may drink blood, but have just as many problems as the rest of us (in this case a serial killer who can take them down, as well as dealing with the death of a loved one, growing older, growing up.) This is wonderfully written, exceptionally humane horror/fantasy and one of the most inventive books of the year.

Not worth your hard earned cash!!, 23 May 2004
When I read the reviews for this book which came to an average score of about 5 stars I really thought this was going to be good.
I was wrong.
The book is very slow and the plot lines aren't exactly breath taking! The whole sub plot with Anya in my opinion just doesn't feel right although Anya's soliqueys are well written. The fight scenes can get a bit dull and I found my mind drifting off to other things as I read them.
Also theres the part where Angel comes in. The book is set in series 5 but it acts as if it is series 2 or 3. The whole Buffy and Angel love story is OVER!! I wish writers would stop coming back to it.
Overall I don't think it is really worth your hard earned cash. Go buy the Buffy books by Chris Golden and Nancy Holder which are superb!
Thanks for reading. :)

A new vampire shows up in Sunnydale looking for Buffy, 22 Nov 2002
WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT READ THE BOOK DESCRIPTION ABOVE OR THE BACK COVER OF THIS BOOK! YOU WILL REGRET IT. HEED MY WARNING MORTALS OR KNOW A HANDY WICCA WITH A SPELL OF FORGETFULLNESS!

Talk about having a book spoiled. I should have known better, but I looked at the back cover of "Tempted Champions" before I read it and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of Yvonne Navarro's latest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel. Usually I am smart enough to just pick up a book and start reading, but unfortunately this time that was not the case. This is important because not only does Navarro have a first rate twist for the vampire that shows up in town hoping to put the bit on Buffy, but also she saves the revelation for the climax of the novel. If the author has a surprise for the reader when they are more than halfway through the novel, then the people assigned the job of writing the tantalizing description on the back of the book should not give the game away, including the heroine's big dramatic choice at the end. Sheesh.

Ironically, "Tempted Champions," which is set during the LAST part of the show's fifth season (not the beginning as the historical note claims), hit the shelves the same week that we saw the "Hell's Bells" episode from season six. This is ironic because in both D'Hoffryn shows up in Sunnydale and offers Anya a chance to go back to work as a vengeance demon. We might be wondering what sixth season Anya will say but obviously we know what fifth season Anya told her former demon overlord. However, Navarro does an excellent job of having Anya work out her feelings. Anya has been the most problematic character on BtVS; when she first turned human she still had an edge to her, but then she was flunking math and was going with Xander to the prom, and by the time she showed up in that bunny outfit she had become the show's comic relief. Often I find the character overwritten, especially in terms of her preoccupation with sex (I am talking strictly the writing her, I find nothing to fault in Emma Caulfield's captivating performance). However, in "Tempted Champions" Navarro presents a more fully developed characterization of Anya that is a strength of the book, albeit the major subplot.

The main plot involves the mysterious Celina who has arrived in Sunnydale to take down Buffy. Celina has crossed paths with both Angel and Spike in the past, although under different names, but with nearly fatal results for the guys in both instances. What is Celina's secret? Well, hopefully you will discover it when you read the book (and avoid the spoilers), because it makes their final confrontation quite dramatic. As she did with Anya, Navarro manages to crystallize Buffy's thoughts at a critical juncture on some rather heavy subjects. Angel shows up in Sunnydale to help Buffy weather this particular storm and at first I thought it was an unnecessary crossover. But Navarro surprised me by making it integral to the story's climax. She also deals explicitly with one of my biggest concerns for this particuarly story, which is why Celina agreed to be turned into a vampire, obliterating my reservations about the character. "Tempted Champions" is Navarro's finest BtVS novel that compares favorably to "The Lost Slayer" serial novel. I only wish I had been able to fully enjoy it without the specter of that stupid back cover.

guess what happens next....., 15 Mar 2007
although this book is fairly obvious what happens it does give an interesting read. i havent read a bufyy books that centers souly around dinos as of i can remember (ive got nearly all of the uk ones!)so it does give a different perspective on the show. this gives buffy something different to fight as lets face it she has killed everything except evil wales with feet!!

id like to see some other novels from this author, how about evil wales with feet?? no?? just a thought.....

dont waste your energy !, 19 Aug 2001
being a buffy fan i couldnt wait to get into paleo, but i shouldnt have bothered. athough the plot was fairly interesting i found it hard to get into unlike the other buffy books i`ve read by yvonne which i couldn`t put down. i thought the book rambled on a lot and the start was basicly boring talking about how bored a boy was in a museum of artifacts.the story started to pick up halfway through but i thought the ending was fairly obvious. all-in-all i wouldn`t waste my energy if i where you, but don`t let it put you off other books by yvonne navarro cause usually she`s a great writer.

Not a very entertaining read, 23 Jul 2001
Having heard good things about Yvonne Navarro's work/books, I couldn't wait to read this one and see for myself. I shouldn't have wasted the enthusiasm. The basic plot of this book was enjoyable, but the book was very hard to get into, and seemed to ramble. Once into the book it wasn't bad, but I found the ending to be very predictable. The whole book seemed quite rushed, and it wandered away from the storyline. My advice is, if you have alot of free time on your hands, attempt to read it, but if not, then don't waste the energy.

A very intresting Buffy story with vampires and dinosaurs!, 05 Sep 2000
This story was very good for a number of reasons as not only was it a very enjoyable story with all the characters from the show but it also introduced something Buffy has never came up against - Dinosaurs. The story sees a new student at Sunnydale High - Kevin who teams up with Daniel who works at the Museum. Daniel finds a journal from 1939 which contains a spell to resurrect something and he uses Kevin's most prized possession - a dinosaur egg. The spell works and Daniel dumps Kevin but now Daniel has to create another 3 which break loose and cause mayhem in Sunnydale and it is up to Buffy and the gang to save the day. Meanwhile, Oz's band is close to being signed with a talent agent but with other things taking their time, tehy don't have time to make a background check on her! The novel is well written and it is not only intresting and enjoyable but it is also very funny - just like the show - Recommended!

Brilliant, 02 Apr 2008


What every horror fan needs - this book is brilliant , there is every film u could wish for in here, from the silent prototypes , to the classics, to the obscure. It has great pictures and a summary of each decade, it is a wonderful book , I love it

A handsome and very readable guide, 06 Jul 2007
This is one of the most excellent guides to horror film written for laymen such as myself that I've read to date. Starting with a brief introduction to the genre and its roots in Gothic literature, it ranges from early silent films - the usual suspects such as Der Golem and Cabinet of Dr Caligari, as well as rarer treats as Haxan - to films made in 2005. Over 300 films are covered with at least a substantial paragraph each - all informative and entertainingly written (including a hilariously wry take on the reactionary moral stance of Exorcist) - and the book is richly illustrated throughout with well-chosen stills from many of these films. Interspersed among these individual entries are substantial essays on various sub-genres (zombie films, giallo, serial killers etc), influential authors (HP Lovecraft, Stephen King etc), and each decade from the 1930s onwards has its own chapter with an introductory essay summarising the best and worst trends of that decade. This would make a very handsome present for any fan of horror, and speaking for myself I have spent many enjoyable evenings browsing and dipping into the book - either finding out what it has to say about old favourites, or discovering many new titles to hunt for.

Comprehensive guide for the un/initiated horror fan, 03 Nov 2006

I think this book does a very good job at what it sets out to be - unlike other writings on horror films (often just factual or too academic) the writers value above all else the enjoyment of watching the films - and they aim to pass this on to others. In a scene that (maybe) sometimes totes obscurity as a badge of honour, I found this generous spirit refreshing - as well as being intelligently written, it invites you to watch more and fires up, for me, a deeper interest. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to get past the recent Hollywood re-makes and to get into the real routes of the genre. (I showed it to my friend who is a die hard fan too - he wanted to borrow it instantly, so the book's got a lot going for it).

The league of nearly extraordinary gentlemen, 02 Dec 2007
The great Alan Moore isn't the first writer to have come up with the idea of recycling old pulp literary figures in new works (as Kim Newman somewhat grumpily pointed out in a brief afterword to Seven Stars). Here Newman continues the vampire cycle started in Anno Dracula with his second sequel. I have to start by saying that I'm a Kim Newman fan, and I'd love to have given this mostly excellent novel 5 stars... unfortunately whilst 95% of this novel is as marvellous as you'd expect from a writer of his calibre, it suffers from the same flaw as his The Bloody Red Baron: the ending is frankly a bit of a damp squib. The prose is outstanding, the characterizations are outstanding, the concept is outstanding... but it's almost as if once he's decided on the setting of the novel the plot itself comes as something of an afterthought and consequently ends up building up to, well, not that much. This was frustrating - but just about forgiveable - in The Bloody Red Baron if you viewed it as an allegory on the waste of life in WW1, but here it's just frustrating.

Having said all this I'm still glad that I read this novel, and not just for the very brief but hilarious appearance of one Anthony Allosius Hancock as an embittered vampire artist (stolen straight from Hancocks film The Rebel)! However Anno Dracula still easily remains Newman's best vampire novel by far, so if you've never read Kim Newman, Anno Dracula is the one novel of his that you MUST read.

Fun, Frightening, Fabulous, 16 Jun 2000
Bloody brilliant! Kim Newman has to be one of the best writers in the UK today, he writes so effortlessly, with wit, style and immagination. DRACULA CHA CHA CHA is a wonderful confection of horror, dark humour and real pathos, He manages to take other people's characters like the vampire Bond and take them beyond the framework of the original writer's work, but doesn't really change them, just makes them fit his wonderful world. A really fun read.

Newman doing what he does best..., 23 May 2000
After the very slight fall off of Bloody Red Baron, Kim Newman is right back on form with a ritzy, fast moving take on Rome in the 50s. Think Frederico Fellini meets Calvino meets Ian Flemming, with literary gags and cultural illusions falling like warm rain. Loved it.

An stylish creation that's not just horror, 18 May 2000
Imagine a world where vampires can wander out in daylight, where they are co-existing side by side with warm blooded humans and where being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you evil. Welcome to the fantastic world of Kim Newman. If all you know about vampires is what you've seen on "Buffy", then here is a wonderful creation that combines a huge range of information from vampire myth, movie and stories.

But even better is Newman's twisted use of people from fact, fantasy and fiction from across the board. Here we've got a 007 who has been boosted by vampire blood, so it's a bloody mary(perhaps) shaken not stirred. A human user called Tom Ripley, who'll take advantage of anyone human or vampire. And a myriad of other figures from every genre you can remeber and some you can't.

If you don't like horror this is the book for you, because it looks at a world where vampires may drink blood, but have just as many problems as the rest of us (in this case a serial killer who can take them down, as well as dealing with the death of a loved one, growing older, growing up.) This is wonderfully written, exceptionally humane horror/fantasy and one of the most inventive books of the year.

Not worth your hard earned cash!!, 23 May 2004
When I read the reviews for this book which came to an average score of about 5 stars I really thought this was going to be good.
I was wrong.
The book is very slow and the plot lines aren't exactly breath taking! The whole sub plot with Anya in my opinion just doesn't feel right although Anya's soliqueys are well written. The fight scenes can get a bit dull and I found my mind drifting off to other things as I read them.
Also theres the part where Angel comes in. The book is set in series 5 but it acts as if it is series 2 or 3. The whole Buffy and Angel love story is OVER!! I wish writers would stop coming back to it.
Overall I don't think it is really worth your hard earned cash. Go buy the Buffy books by Chris Golden and Nancy Holder which are superb!
Thanks for reading. :)

A new vampire shows up in Sunnydale looking for Buffy, 22 Nov 2002
WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT READ THE BOOK DESCRIPTION ABOVE OR THE BACK COVER OF THIS BOOK! YOU WILL REGRET IT. HEED MY WARNING MORTALS OR KNOW A HANDY WICCA WITH A SPELL OF FORGETFULLNESS!

Talk about having a book spoiled. I should have known better, but I looked at the back cover of "Tempted Champions" before I read it and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of Yvonne Navarro's latest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel. Usually I am smart enough to just pick up a book and start reading, but unfortunately this time that was not the case. This is important because not only does Navarro have a first rate twist for the vampire that shows up in town hoping to put the bit on Buffy, but also she saves the revelation for the climax of the novel. If the author has a surprise for the reader when they are more than halfway through the novel, then the people assigned the job of writing the tantalizing description on the back of the book should not give the game away, including the heroine's big dramatic choice at the end. Sheesh.

Ironically, "Tempted Champions," which is set during the LAST part of the show's fifth season (not the beginning as the historical note claims), hit the shelves the same week that we saw the "Hell's Bells" episode from season six. This is ironic because in both D'Hoffryn shows up in Sunnydale and offers Anya a chance to go back to work as a vengeance demon. We might be wondering what sixth season Anya will say but obviously we know what fifth season Anya told her former demon overlord. However, Navarro does an excellent job of having Anya work out her feelings. Anya has been the most problematic character on BtVS; when she first turned human she still had an edge to her, but then she was flunking math and was going with Xander to the prom, and by the time she showed up in that bunny outfit she had become the show's comic relief. Often I find the character overwritten, especially in terms of her preoccupation with sex (I am talking strictly the writing her, I find nothing to fault in Emma Caulfield's captivating performance). However, in "Tempted Champions" Navarro presents a more fully developed characterization of Anya that is a strength of the book, albeit the major subplot.

The main plot involves the mysterious Celina who has arrived in Sunnydale to take down Buffy. Celina has crossed paths with both Angel and Spike in the past, although under different names, but with nearly fatal results for the guys in both instances. What is Celina's secret? Well, hopefully you will discover it when you read the book (and avoid the spoilers), because it makes their final confrontation quite dramatic. As she did with Anya, Navarro manages to crystallize Buffy's thoughts at a critical juncture on some rather heavy subjects. Angel shows up in Sunnydale to help Buffy weather this particular storm and at first I thought it was an unnecessary crossover. But Navarro surprised me by making it integral to the story's climax. She also deals explicitly with one of my biggest concerns for this particuarly story, which is why Celina agreed to be turned into a vampire, obliterating my reservations about the character. "Tempted Champions" is Navarro's finest BtVS novel that compares favorably to "The Lost Slayer" serial novel. I only wish I had been able to fully enjoy it without the specter of that stupid back cover.

guess what happens next....., 15 Mar 2007
although this book is fairly obvious what happens it does give an interesting read. i havent read a bufyy books that centers souly around dinos as of i can remember (ive got nearly all of the uk ones!)so it does give a different perspective on the show. this gives buffy something different to fight as lets face it she has killed everything except evil wales with feet!!

id like to see some other novels from this author, how about evil wales with feet?? no?? just a thought.....

dont waste your energy !, 19 Aug 2001
being a buffy fan i couldnt wait to get into paleo, but i shouldnt have bothered. athough the plot was fairly interesting i found it hard to get into unlike the other buffy books i`ve read by yvonne which i couldn`t put down. i thought the book rambled on a lot and the start was basicly boring talking about how bored a boy was in a museum of artifacts.the story started to pick up halfway through but i thought the ending was fairly obvious. all-in-all i wouldn`t waste my energy if i where you, but don`t let it put you off other books by yvonne navarro cause usually she`s a great writer.

Not a very entertaining read, 23 Jul 2001
Having heard good things about Yvonne Navarro's work/books, I couldn't wait to read this one and see for myself. I shouldn't have wasted the enthusiasm. The basic plot of this book was enjoyable, but the book was very hard to get into, and seemed to ramble. Once into the book it wasn't bad, but I found the ending to be very predictable. The whole book seemed quite rushed, and it wandered away from the storyline. My advice is, if you have alot of free time on your hands, attempt to read it, but if not, then don't waste the energy.

A very intresting Buffy story with vampires and dinosaurs!, 05 Sep 2000
This story was very good for a number of reasons as not only was it a very enjoyable story with all the characters from the show but it also introduced something Buffy has never came up against - Dinosaurs. The story sees a new student at Sunnydale High - Kevin who teams up with Daniel who works at the Museum. Daniel finds a journal from 1939 which contains a spell to resurrect something and he uses Kevin's most prized possession - a dinosaur egg. The spell works and Daniel dumps Kevin but now Daniel has to create another 3 which break loose and cause mayhem in Sunnydale and it is up to Buffy and the gang to save the day. Meanwhile, Oz's band is close to being signed with a talent agent but with other things taking their time, tehy don't have time to make a background check on her! The novel is well written and it is not only intresting and enjoyable but it is also very funny - just like the show - Recommended!

Brilliant, 02 Apr 2008


What every horror fan needs - this book is brilliant , there is every film u could wish for in here, from the silent prototypes , to the classics, to the obscure. It has great pictures and a summary of each decade, it is a wonderful book , I love it

A handsome and very readable guide, 06 Jul 2007
This is one of the most excellent guides to horror film written for laymen such as myself that I've read to date. Starting with a brief introduction to the genre and its roots in Gothic literature, it ranges from early silent films - the usual suspects such as Der Golem and Cabinet of Dr Caligari, as well as rarer treats as Haxan - to films made in 2005. Over 300 films are covered with at least a substantial paragraph each - all informative and entertainingly written (including a hilariously wry take on the reactionary moral stance of Exorcist) - and the book is richly illustrated throughout with well-chosen stills from many of these films. Interspersed among these individual entries are substantial essays on various sub-genres (zombie films, giallo, serial killers etc), influential authors (HP Lovecraft, Stephen King etc), and each decade from the 1930s onwards has its own chapter with an introductory essay summarising the best and worst trends of that decade. This would make a very handsome present for any fan of horror, and speaking for myself I have spent many enjoyable evenings browsing and dipping into the book - either finding out what it has to say about old favourites, or discovering many new titles to hunt for.

Comprehensive guide for the un/initiated horror fan, 03 Nov 2006

I think this book does a very good job at what it sets out to be - unlike other writings on horror films (often just factual or too academic) the writers value above all else the enjoyment of watching the films - and they aim to pass this on to others. In a scene that (maybe) sometimes totes obscurity as a badge of honour, I found this generous spirit refreshing - as well as being intelligently written, it invites you to watch more and fires up, for me, a deeper interest. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to get past the recent Hollywood re-makes and to get into the real routes of the genre. (I showed it to my friend who is a die hard fan too - he wanted to borrow it instantly, so the book's got a lot going for it).


It's a brilliant read for fans and non fans alike, 16 Aug 2002
This book will please fans of Buffy as it is told from the point of veiw of one of the main charactors, Willow Rosenberg, the book keeps true to Willow's on-screen shyness and portrays her well. It covers 3 memorable episodes, "Gingerbread", "Doplegangland" and "Graduation Day Part 1" all of which feature Willow as a "main" charactor. The book stays true to the on screen episodes but is yet different as they are told by Willow. Willow's Computer Diary, this is added between each account, tells Willows thoughts and feelings and is insight into the popular charactor.
People who are new to Buffy will also enjoy this novel as it explains events clearly and portrays Willow as an interesting and unusual charactor.

Very enjoyable, 23 Apr 2001
It just proves that you can never judge a book by it's cover, it kinda looked like you're typical teenage girly book, but it was actually quite good, a lot like the series and when Willows feelings came into it it seemed more real than most teen love stories (even though her boyfriend was a werewolf). The first two stories were very much about Willow, but the third seemed to centre more around Buffy. The stories didn't feel long enough, although at least they didn't drag on and get boring.

Amonst the best, 02 Mar 2001
For some reason the novelisations of Buffy episodes tend to be better than the original novels, probably a testement to a combination of the brilliance of the material the authors have to work with and the quality of the authors selected. If you like the show you'll like the book, it adds a real extra dimension to the episodes.

This book is cool!!, 23 Jan 2001
I thought this book was great well that is a typical characteristic of all buffy books anyway. the novelization of the three televised episodes of the buffy shows works really well. the book includes the whole scooby gang plus a lot of parents(MOO) this book is really cool the characterization is really good and so is the plot this book is a credit to the author and a must for all Willow and Buffy fans its a right laugh and its really cool.

A brilliant follow up to the Willow Files 1, 21 Jan 2001
This book is a brilliant read, it has been based on three Buffy episodes: Gingerbread, Doppelgangland and Choices. The book concentrates on Willow which makes a change. All in all, a very good book, worth the price

The league of nearly extraordinary gentlemen, 02 Dec 2007
The great Alan Moore isn't the first writer to have come up with the idea of recycling old pulp literary figures in new works (as Kim Newman somewhat grumpily pointed out in a brief afterword to Seven Stars). Here Newman continues the vampire cycle started in Anno Dracula with his second sequel. I have to start by saying that I'm a Kim Newman fan, and I'd love to have given this mostly excellent novel 5 stars... unfortunately whilst 95% of this novel is as marvellous as you'd expect from a writer of his calibre, it suffers from the same flaw as his The Bloody Red Baron: the ending is frankly a bit of a damp squib. The prose is outstanding, the characterizations are outstanding, the concept is outstanding... but it's almost as if once he's decided on the setting of the novel the plot itself comes as something of an afterthought and consequently ends up building up to, well, not that much. This was frustrating - but just about forgiveable - in The Bloody Red Baron if you viewed it as an allegory on the waste of life in WW1, but here it's just frustrating.

Having said all this I'm still glad that I read this novel, and not just for the very brief but hilarious appearance of one Anthony Allosius Hancock as an embittered vampire artist (stolen straight from Hancocks film The Rebel)! However Anno Dracula still easily remains Newman's best vampire novel by far, so if you've never read Kim Newman, Anno Dracula is the one novel of his that you MUST read.

Fun, Frightening, Fabulous, 16 Jun 2000
Bloody brilliant! Kim Newman has to be one of the best writers in the UK today, he writes so effortlessly, with wit, style and immagination. DRACULA CHA CHA CHA is a wonderful confection of horror, dark humour and real pathos, He manages to take other people's characters like the vampire Bond and take them beyond the framework of the original writer's work, but doesn't really change them, just makes them fit his wonderful world. A really fun read.

Newman doing what he does best..., 23 May 2000
After the very slight fall off of Bloody Red Baron, Kim Newman is right back on form with a ritzy, fast moving take on Rome in the 50s. Think Frederico Fellini meets Calvino meets Ian Flemming, with literary gags and cultural illusions falling like warm rain. Loved it.

An stylish creation that's not just horror, 18 May 2000
Imagine a world where vampires can wander out in daylight, where they are co-existing side by side with warm blooded humans and where being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you evil. Welcome to the fantastic world of Kim Newman. If all you know about vampires is what you've seen on "Buffy", then here is a wonderful creation that combines a huge range of information from vampire myth, movie and stories.

But even better is Newman's twisted use of people from fact, fantasy and fiction from across the board. Here we've got a 007 who has been boosted by vampire blood, so it's a bloody mary(perhaps) shaken not stirred. A human user called Tom Ripley, who'll take advantage of anyone human or vampire. And a myriad of other figures from every genre you can remeber and some you can't.

If you don't like horror this is the book for you, because it looks at a world where vampires may drink blood, but have just as many problems as the rest of us (in this case a serial killer who can take them down, as well as dealing with the death of a loved one, growing older, growing up.) This is wonderfully written, exceptionally humane horror/fantasy and one of the most inventive books of the year.

Not worth your hard earned cash!!, 23 May 2004
When I read the reviews for this book which came to an average score of about 5 stars I really thought this was going to be good.
I was wrong.
The book is very slow and the plot lines aren't exactly breath taking! The whole sub plot with Anya in my opinion just doesn't feel right although Anya's soliqueys are well written. The fight scenes can get a bit dull and I found my mind drifting off to other things as I read them.
Also theres the part where Angel comes in. The book is set in series 5 but it acts as if it is series 2 or 3. The whole Buffy and Angel love story is OVER!! I wish writers would stop coming back to it.
Overall I don't think it is really worth your hard earned cash. Go buy the Buffy books by Chris Golden and Nancy Holder which are superb!
Thanks for reading. :)

A new vampire shows up in Sunnydale looking for Buffy, 22 Nov 2002
WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT READ THE BOOK DESCRIPTION ABOVE OR THE BACK COVER OF THIS BOOK! YOU WILL REGRET IT. HEED MY WARNING MORTALS OR KNOW A HANDY WICCA WITH A SPELL OF FORGETFULLNESS!

Talk about having a book spoiled. I should have known better, but I looked at the back cover of "Tempted Champions" before I read it and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of Yvonne Navarro's latest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel. Usually I am smart enough to just pick up a book and start reading, but unfortunately this time that was not the case. This is important because not only does Navarro have a first rate twist for the vampire that shows up in town hoping to put the bit on Buffy, but also she saves the revelation for the climax of the novel. If the author has a surprise for the reader when they are more than halfway through the novel, then the people assigned the job of writing the tantalizing description on the back of the book should not give the game away, including the heroine's big dramatic choice at the end. Sheesh.

Ironically, "Tempted Champions," which is set during the LAST part of the show's fifth season (not the beginning as the historical note claims), hit the shelves the same week that we saw the "Hell's Bells" episode from season six. This is ironic because in both D'Hoffryn shows up in Sunnydale and offers Anya a chance to go back to work as a vengeance demon. We might be wondering what sixth season Anya will say but obviously we know what fifth season Anya told her former demon overlord. However, Navarro does an excellent job of having Anya work out her feelings. Anya has been the most problematic character on BtVS; when she first turned human she still had an edge to her, but then she was flunking math and was going with Xander to the prom, and by the time she showed up in that bunny outfit she had become the show's comic relief. Often I find the character overwritten, especially in terms of her preoccupation with sex (I am talking strictly the writing her, I find nothing to fault in Emma Caulfield's captivating performance). However, in "Tempted Champions" Navarro presents a more fully developed characterization of Anya that is a strength of the book, albeit the major subplot.

The main plot involves the mysterious Celina who has arrived in Sunnydale to take down Buffy. Celina has crossed paths with both Angel and Spike in the past, although under different names, but with nearly fatal results for the guys in both instances. What is Celina's secret? Well, hopefully you will discover it when you read the book (and avoid the spoilers), because it makes their final confrontation quite dramatic. As she did with Anya, Navarro manages to crystallize Buffy's thoughts at a critical juncture on some rather heavy subjects. Angel shows up in Sunnydale to help Buffy weather this particular storm and at first I thought it was an unnecessary crossover. But Navarro surprised me by making it integral to the story's climax. She also deals explicitly with one of my biggest concerns for this particuarly story, which is why Celina agreed to be turned into a vampire, obliterating my reservations about the character. "Tempted Champions" is Navarro's finest BtVS novel that compares favorably to "The Lost Slayer" serial novel. I only wish I had been able to fully enjoy it without the specter of that stupid back cover.

guess what happens next....., 15 Mar 2007
although this book is fairly obvious what happens it does give an interesting read. i havent read a bufyy books that centers souly around dinos as of i can remember (ive got nearly all of the uk ones!)so it does give a different perspective on the show. this gives buffy something different to fight as lets face it she has killed everything except evil wales with feet!!

id like to see some other novels from this author, how about evil wales with feet?? no?? just a thought.....

dont waste your energy !, 19 Aug 2001
being a buffy fan i couldnt wait to get into paleo, but i shouldnt have bothered. athough the plot was fairly interesting i found it hard to get into unlike the other buffy books i`ve read by yvonne which i couldn`t put down. i thought the book rambled on a lot and the start was basicly boring talking about how bored a boy was in a museum of artifacts.the story started to pick up halfway through but i thought the ending was fairly obvious. all-in-all i wouldn`t waste my energy if i where you, but don`t let it put you off other books by yvonne navarro cause usually she`s a great writer.

Not a very entertaining read, 23 Jul 2001
Having heard good things about Yvonne Navarro's work/books, I couldn't wait to read this one and see for myself. I shouldn't have wasted the enthusiasm. The basic plot of this book was enjoyable, but the book was very hard to get into, and seemed to ramble. Once into the book it wasn't bad, but I found the ending to be very predictable. The whole book seemed quite rushed, and it wandered away from the storyline. My advice is, if you have alot of free time on your hands, attempt to read it, but if not, then don't waste the energy.

A very intresting Buffy story with vampires and dinosaurs!, 05 Sep 2000
This story was very good for a number of reasons as not only was it a very enjoyable story with all the characters from the show but it also introduced something Buffy has never came up against - Dinosaurs. The story sees a new student at Sunnydale High - Kevin who teams up with Daniel who works at the Museum. Daniel finds a journal from 1939 which contains a spell to resurrect something and he uses Kevin's most prized possession - a dinosaur egg. The spell works and Daniel dumps Kevin but now Daniel has to create another 3 which break loose and cause mayhem in Sunnydale and it is up to Buffy and the gang to save the day. Meanwhile, Oz's band is close to being signed with a talent agent but with other things taking their time, tehy don't have time to make a background check on her! The novel is well written and it is not only intresting and enjoyable but it is also very funny - just like the show - Recommended!

Brilliant, 02 Apr 2008


What every horror fan needs - this book is brilliant , there is every film u could wish for in here, from the silent prototypes , to the classics, to the obscure. It has great pictures and a summary of each decade, it is a wonderful book , I love it

A handsome and very readable guide, 06 Jul 2007
This is one of the most excellent guides to horror film written for laymen such as myself that I've read to date. Starting with a brief introduction to the genre and its roots in Gothic literature, it ranges from early silent films - the usual suspects such as Der Golem and Cabinet of Dr Caligari, as well as rarer treats as Haxan - to films made in 2005. Over 300 films are covered with at least a substantial paragraph each - all informative and entertainingly written (including a hilariously wry take on the reactionary moral stance of Exorcist) - and the book is richly illustrated throughout with well-chosen stills from many of these films. Interspersed among these individual entries are substantial essays on various sub-genres (zombie films, giallo, serial killers etc), influential authors (HP Lovecraft, Stephen King etc), and each decade from the 1930s onwards has its own chapter with an introductory essay summarising the best and worst trends of that decade. This would make a very handsome present for any fan of horror, and speaking for myself I have spent many enjoyable evenings browsing and dipping into the book - either finding out what it has to say about old favourites, or discovering many new titles to hunt for.

Comprehensive guide for the un/initiated horror fan, 03 Nov 2006

I think this book does a very good job at what it sets out to be - unlike other writings on horror films (often just factual or too academic) the writers value above all else the enjoyment of watching the films - and they aim to pass this on to others. In a scene that (maybe) sometimes totes obscurity as a badge of honour, I found this generous spirit refreshing - as well as being intelligently written, it invites you to watch more and fires up, for me, a deeper interest. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to get past the recent Hollywood re-makes and to get into the real routes of the genre. (I showed it to my friend who is a die hard fan too - he wanted to borrow it instantly, so the book's got a lot going for it).


It's a brilliant read for fans and non fans alike, 16 Aug 2002
This book will please fans of Buffy as it is told from the point of veiw of one of the main charactors, Willow Rosenberg, the book keeps true to Willow's on-screen shyness and portrays her well. It covers 3 memorable episodes, "Gingerbread", "Doplegangland" and "Graduation Day Part 1" all of which feature Willow as a "main" charactor. The book stays true to the on screen episodes but is yet different as they are told by Willow. Willow's Computer Diary, this is added between each account, tells Willows thoughts and feelings and is insight into the popular charactor.
People who are new to Buffy will also enjoy this novel as it explains events clearly and portrays Willow as an interesting and unusual charactor.

Very enjoyable, 23 Apr 2001
It just proves that you can never judge a book by it's cover, it kinda looked like you're typical teenage girly book, but it was actually quite good, a lot like the series and when Willows feelings came into it it seemed more real than most teen love stories (even though her boyfriend was a werewolf). The first two stories were very much about Willow, but the third seemed to centre more around Buffy. The stories didn't feel long enough, although at least they didn't drag on and get boring.

Amonst the best, 02 Mar 2001
For some reason the novelisations of Buffy episodes tend to be better than the original novels, probably a testement to a combination of the brilliance of the material the authors have to work with and the quality of the authors selected. If you like the show you'll like the book, it adds a real extra dimension to the episodes.

This book is cool!!, 23 Jan 2001
I thought this book was great well that is a typical characteristic of all buffy books anyway. the novelization of the three televised episodes of the buffy shows works really well. the book includes the whole scooby gang plus a lot of parents(MOO) this book is really cool the characterization is really good and so is the plot this book is a credit to the author and a must for all Willow and Buffy fans its a right laugh and its really cool.

A brilliant follow up to the Willow Files 1, 21 Jan 2001
This book is a brilliant read, it has been based on three Buffy episodes: Gingerbread, Doppelgangland and Choices. The book concentrates on Willow which makes a change. All in all, a very good book, worth the price

An excellent book about an excellent movie., 05 Dec 1999
Newman's book is an excellent companion to one of my favourite movies. His inciteful scene by scene analysis is fascinating, allowing us not only an insight into the movie but also into the people behind it. A must buy for Cat People fans and a necessary addition to the libraries of movie students everywhere.

The league of nearly extraordinary gentlemen, 02 Dec 2007
The great Alan Moore isn't the first writer to have come up with the idea of recycling old pulp literary figures in new works (as Kim Newman somewhat grumpily pointed out in a brief afterword to Seven Stars). Here Newman continues the vampire cycle started in Anno Dracula with his second sequel. I have to start by saying that I'm a Kim Newman fan, and I'd love to have given this mostly excellent novel 5 stars... unfortunately whilst 95% of this novel is as marvellous as you'd expect from a writer of his calibre, it suffers from the same flaw as his The Bloody Red Baron: the ending is frankly a bit of a damp squib. The prose is outstanding, the characterizations are outstanding, the concept is outstanding... but it's almost as if once he's decided on the setting of the novel the plot itself comes as something of an afterthought and consequently ends up building up to, well, not that much. This was frustrating - but just about forgiveable - in The Bloody Red Baron if you viewed it as an allegory on the waste of life in WW1, but here it's just frustrating.

Having said all this I'm still glad that I read this novel, and not just for the very brief but hilarious appearance of one Anthony Allosius Hancock as an embittered vampire artist (stolen straight from Hancocks film The Rebel)! However Anno Dracula still easily remains Newman's best vampire novel by far, so if you've never read Kim Newman, Anno Dracula is the one novel of his that you MUST read.

Fun, Frightening, Fabulous, 16 Jun 2000
Bloody brilliant! Kim Newman has to be one of the best writers in the UK today, he writes so effortlessly, with wit, style and immagination. DRACULA CHA CHA CHA is a wonderful confection of horror, dark humour and real pathos, He manages to take other people's characters like the vampire Bond and take them beyond the framework of the original writer's work, but doesn't really change them, just makes them fit his wonderful world. A really fun read.

Newman doing what he does best..., 23 May 2000
After the very slight fall off of Bloody Red Baron, Kim Newman is right back on form with a ritzy, fast moving take on Rome in the 50s. Think Frederico Fellini meets Calvino meets Ian Flemming, with literary gags and cultural illusions falling like warm rain. Loved it.

An stylish creation that's not just horror, 18 May 2000
Imagine a world where vampires can wander out in daylight, where they are co-existing side by side with warm blooded humans and where being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you evil. Welcome to the fantastic world of Kim Newman. If all you know about vampires is what you've seen on "Buffy", then here is a wonderful creation that combines a huge range of information from vampire myth, movie and stories.

But even better is Newman's twisted use of people from fact, fantasy and fiction from across the board. Here we've got a 007 who has been boosted by vampire blood, so it's a bloody mary(perhaps) shaken not stirred. A human user called Tom Ripley, who'll take advantage of anyone human or vampire. And a myriad of other figures from every genre you can remeber and some you can't.

If you don't like horror this is the book for you, because it looks at a world where vampires may drink blood, but have just as many problems as the rest of us (in this case a serial killer who can take them down, as well as dealing with the death of a loved one, growing older, growing up.) This is wonderfully written, exceptionally humane horror/fantasy and one of the most inventive books of the year.

Not worth your hard earned cash!!, 23 May 2004
When I read the reviews for this book which came to an average score of about 5 stars I really thought this was going to be good.
I was wrong.
The book is very slow and the plot lines aren't exactly breath taking! The whole sub plot with Anya in my opinion just doesn't feel right although Anya's soliqueys are well written. The fight scenes can get a bit dull and I found my mind drifting off to other things as I read them.
Also theres the part where Angel comes in. The book is set in series 5 but it acts as if it is series 2 or 3. The whole Buffy and Angel love story is OVER!! I wish writers would stop coming back to it.
Overall I don't think it is really worth your hard earned cash. Go buy the Buffy books by Chris Golden and Nancy Holder which are superb!
Thanks for reading. :)

A new vampire shows up in Sunnydale looking for Buffy, 22 Nov 2002
WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT READ THE BOOK DESCRIPTION ABOVE OR THE BACK COVER OF THIS BOOK! YOU WILL REGRET IT. HEED MY WARNING MORTALS OR KNOW A HANDY WICCA WITH A SPELL OF FORGETFULLNESS!

Talk about having a book spoiled. I should have known better, but I looked at the back cover of "Tempted Champions" before I read it and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of Yvonne Navarro's latest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel. Usually I am smart enough to just pick up a book and start reading, but unfortunately this time that was not the case. This is important because not only does Navarro have a first rate twist for the vampire that shows up in town hoping to put the bit on Buffy, but also she saves the revelation for the climax of the novel. If the author has a surprise for the reader when they are more than halfway through the novel, then the people assigned the job of writing the tantalizing description on the back of the book should not give the game away, including the heroine's big dramatic choice at the end. Sheesh.

Ironically, "Tempted Champions," which is set during the LAST part of the show's fifth season (not the beginning as the historical note claims), hit the shelves the same week that we saw the "Hell's Bells" episode from season six. This is ironic because in both D'Hoffryn shows up in Sunnydale and offers Anya a chance to go back to work as a vengeance demon. We might be wondering what sixth season Anya will say but obviously we know what fifth season Anya told her former demon overlord. However, Navarro does an excellent job of having Anya work out her feelings. Anya has been the most problematic character on BtVS; when she first turned human she still had an edge to her, but then she was flunking math and was going with Xander to the prom, and by the time she showed up in that bunny outfit she had become the show's comic relief. Often I find the character overwritten, especially in terms of her preoccupation with sex (I am talking strictly the writing her, I find nothing to fault in Emma Caulfield's captivating performance). However, in "Tempted Champions" Navarro presents a more fully developed characterization of Anya that is a strength of the book, albeit the major subplot.

The main plot involves the mysterious Celina who has arrived in Sunnydale to take down Buffy. Celina has crossed paths with both Angel and Spike in the past, although under different names, but with nearly fatal results for the guys in both instances. What is Celina's secret? Well, hopefully you will discover it when you read the book (and avoid the spoilers), because it makes their final confrontation quite dramatic. As she did with Anya, Navarro manages to crystallize Buffy's thoughts at a critical juncture on some rather heavy subjects. Angel shows up in Sunnydale to help Buffy weather this particular storm and at first I thought it was an unnecessary crossover. But Navarro surprised me by making it integral to the story's climax. She also deals explicitly with one of my biggest concerns for this particuarly story, which is why Celina agreed to be turned into a vampire, obliterating my reservations about the character. "Tempted Champions" is Navarro's finest BtVS novel that compares favorably to "The Lost Slayer" serial novel. I only wish I had been able to fully enjoy it without the specter of that stupid back cover.

guess what happens next....., 15 Mar 2007
although this book is fairly obvious what happens it does give an interesting read. i havent read a bufyy books that centers souly around dinos as of i can remember (ive got nearly all of the uk ones!)so it does give a different perspective on the show. this gives buffy something different to fight as lets face it she has killed everything except evil wales with feet!!

id like to see some other novels from this author, how about evil wales with feet?? no?? just a thought.....

dont waste your energy !, 19 Aug 2001
being a buffy fan i couldnt wait to get into paleo, but i shouldnt have bothered. athough the plot was fairly interesting i found it hard to get into unlike the other buffy books i`ve read by yvonne which i couldn`t put down. i thought the book rambled on a lot and the start was basicly boring talking about how bored a boy was in a museum of artifacts.the story started to pick up halfway through but i thought the ending was fairly obvious. all-in-all i wouldn`t waste my energy if i where you, but don`t let it put you off other books by yvonne navarro cause usually she`s a great writer.

Not a very entertaining read, 23 Jul 2001
Having heard good things about Yvonne Navarro's work/books, I couldn't wait to read this one and see for myself. I shouldn't have wasted the enthusiasm. The basic plot of this book was enjoyable, but the book was very hard to get into, and seemed to ramble. Once into the book it wasn't bad, but I found the ending to be very predictable. The whole book seemed quite rushed, and it wandered away from the storyline. My advice is, if you have alot of free time on your hands, attempt to read it, but if not, then don't waste the energy.

A very intresting Buffy story with vampires and dinosaurs!, 05 Sep 2000
This story was very good for a number of reasons as not only was it a very enjoyable story with all the characters from the show but it also introduced something Buffy has never came up against - Dinosaurs. The story sees a new student at Sunnydale High - Kevin who teams up with Daniel who works at the Museum. Daniel finds a journal from 1939 which contains a spell to resurrect something and he uses Kevin's most prized possession - a dinosaur egg. The spell works and Daniel dumps Kevin but now Daniel has to create another 3 which break loose and cause mayhem in Sunnydale and it is up to Buffy and the gang to save the day. Meanwhile, Oz's band is close to being signed with a talent agent but with other things taking their time, tehy don't have time to make a background check on her! The novel is well written and it is not only intresting and enjoyable but it is also very funny - just like the show - Recommended!

Brilliant, 02 Apr 2008


What every horror fan needs - this book is brilliant , there is every film u could wish for in here, from the silent prototypes , to the classics, to the obscure. It has great pictures and a summary of each decade, it is a wonderful book , I love it

A handsome and very readable guide, 06 Jul 2007
This is one of the most excellent guides to horror film written for laymen such as myself that I've read to date. Starting with a brief introduction to the genre and its roots in Gothic literature, it ranges from early silent films - the usual suspects such as Der Golem and Cabinet of Dr Caligari, as well as rarer treats as Haxan - to films made in 2005. Over 300 films are covered with at least a substantial paragraph each - all informative and entertainingly written (including a hilariously wry take on the reactionary moral stance of Exorcist) - and the book is richly illustrated throughout with well-chosen stills from many of these films. Interspersed among these individual entries are substantial essays on various sub-genres (zombie films, giallo, serial killers etc), influential authors (HP Lovecraft, Stephen King etc), and each decade from the 1930s onwards has its own chapter with an introductory essay summarising the best and worst trends of that decade. This would make a very handsome present for any fan of horror, and speaking for myself I have spent many enjoyable evenings browsing and dipping into the book - either finding out what it has to say about old favourites, or discovering many new titles to hunt for.

Comprehensive guide for the un/initiated horror fan, 03 Nov 2006

I think this book does a very good job at what it sets out to be - unlike other writings on horror films (often just factual or too academic) the writers value above all else the enjoyment of watching the films - and they aim to pass this on to others. In a scene that (maybe) sometimes totes obscurity as a badge of honour, I found this generous spirit refreshing - as well as being intelligently written, it invites you to watch more and fires up, for me, a deeper interest. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to get past the recent Hollywood re-makes and to get into the real routes of the genre. (I showed it to my friend who is a die hard fan too - he wanted to borrow it instantly, so the book's got a lot going for it).


It's a brilliant read for fans and non fans alike, 16 Aug 2002
This book will please fans of Buffy as it is told from the point of veiw of one of the main charactors, Willow Rosenberg, the book keeps true to Willow's on-screen shyness and portrays her well. It covers 3 memorable episodes, "Gingerbread", "Doplegangland" and "Graduation Day Part 1" all of which feature Willow as a "main" charactor. The book stays true to the on screen episodes but is yet different as they are told by Willow. Willow's Computer Diary, this is added between each account, tells Willows thoughts and feelings and is insight into the popular charactor.
People who are new to Buffy will also enjoy this novel as it explains events clearly and portrays Willow as an interesting and unusual charactor.

Very enjoyable, 23 Apr 2001
It just proves that you can never judge a book by it's cover, it kinda looked like you're typical teenage girly book, but it was actually quite good, a lot like the series and when Willows feelings came into it it seemed more real than most teen love stories (even though her boyfriend was a werewolf). The first two stories were very much about Willow, but the third seemed to centre more around Buffy. The stories didn't feel long enough, although at least they didn't drag on and get boring.

Amonst the best, 02 Mar 2001
For some reason the novelisations of Buffy episodes tend to be better than the original novels, probably a testement to a combination of the brilliance of the material the authors have to work with and the quality of the authors selected. If you like the show you'll like the book, it adds a real extra dimension to the episodes.

This book is cool!!, 23 Jan 2001
I thought this book was great well that is a typical characteristic of all buffy books anyway. the novelization of the three televised episodes of the buffy shows works really well. the book includes the whole scooby gang plus a lot of parents(MOO) this book is really cool the characterization is really good and so is the plot this book is a credit to the author and a must for all Willow and Buffy fans its a right laugh and its really cool.

A brilliant follow up to the Willow Files 1, 21 Jan 2001
This book is a brilliant read, it has been based on three Buffy episodes: Gingerbread, Doppelgangland and Choices. The book concentrates on Willow which makes a change. All in all, a very good book, worth the price

An excellent book about an excellent movie., 05 Dec 1999
Newman's book is an excellent companion to one of my favourite movies. His inciteful scene by scene analysis is fascinating, allowing us not only an insight into the movie but also into the people behind it. A must buy for Cat People fans and a necessary addition to the libraries of movie students everywhere.

Starts off strongly but falls apart towards the end (minor spoilers within), 13 Jun 2007
As a schlock horror, it has a well developed and pretty intricate plot that ties in the different members of the Nielson family - from the Nobel Laureate father Cameron (destroyed by the Monster in the McCarthy Hearings), to the drug taking, drop-out sister Judi (whose unpleasant death triggers the plot), to the genius half-brother composer Cameron Jnr (for whom the Monster was an evil childhood imaginary friend) to Anne herself, whose investigations into her sister's death bring her face to face with the monster. I will say however, that I found the tie-ins between the Monster and Cameron Jnr and Judi weren't nearly as well-thought out or satisfying as those with the father (which I found to be very imaginative and credible).

The Monster is given a strong background and sense of history, and he at least has a motivation for the whole killing, mind-sucking thing that you can buy. I particularly liked the backstory relating to his existence as the King of Cats and his apparent demise at the hands of three warriors - very chilling. Where I thought the Monster fell down though was in the motivation for his hatred of the Nielsons. It seems to stem essentially from his wanting revenge against an Older Monster who was serving as patron to Cameron Snr and rather than go against her, he decides to take it out on Cameron, Snr and his family. As motivations go, it's a little tenuous and whilst I understand the Monster wanting to suck the genius out of Cameron, Snr, I don't get why he wanted the waster daughter, Judi.

Where it falls apart for me is in the final section where the Monster weaves a nightmare scenario for Anne based on her father's most famous play and forces her to believe that she's a character within that production. I found these scenes pretentious (particularly with the references to real life actors who had been in the supposed movie version of the play) and it really halted the action. If the intention was to have Anne confront and defeat the Monster within his own dream world, then I wish it had been played out in another way because this really smacked of Kim Newman simply wanting to wave his movie geek credentials around.

As a horror novel, it fulfils the gore quotient quite nicely - all the head ripping and dismemberment does make you shudder from time to time. There's also a particularly nasty scene where a man buggers another man with an unpeeled carrot and then eats it. You have to read it to believe it.