Demons of the Hellmouth: A Guide for Slayers by Rupert Giles (2015)

The Gist:

The world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a world half full… of monsters. There also spirits and normal, but unscrupulous, people if you fancy a bit of variety. A TV show is only as good as the bad guys the heroes have to fight. This helps explain why the series was so popular but, sometimes, it’s a bit hard to keep track of all of them. If only there were a handy guide to all- oh wait, there is!

The Review:

I’ll say this right off the bat; if you don’t like Buffy the Vampire Slayer you have no taste you should walk on by. The same goes for fans of the series looking for new material as well. This isn’t some new adventure for Buffy and her friends; it’s a celebration of the villains and the lore of the series.

In terms of style, the book is basically Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on steroids. Purportedly written by Buffy’s mentor/father figure Rupert Giles, it details the various monsters and villains in an attempt to act as a guide for future slayers. Also like Fantastic Beasts, the pages include little notes and annotations from Buffy, Willow, Xander and Faith.

The tone of these notes (as well as Giles’ own writing) makes it clear why getting Nancy Holder to write this was a smart move. As an experienced writer of the Buffyverse, she can really make you hear the character’s voices as you read.

In terms of the information we get about the characters and setting, little of it is new. Most of it is information lifted directly from the show, albeit repackaged engagingly. But then again, that’s probably the point of the book in the first place.

The Verdict:

Demons of the Hellmouth isn’t a ground breaking return to the world of Buffy, and it won’t convert people who don’t like the series. What it is, however, is a love letter to the series that pitted a petite, blond girl against monsters and had them run away from her. So if you’re trying to settle an argument about how a certain villain was finished off or you just want relive the show’s highlights without breaking out the boxset, this is for you.

Publisher: Titan Books

Released: 4th September 2015