Product Description

When a video game becomes all too real, its possible outcomes turn deadly. Can Buffy, Xander and Anya save its players from crossing the line...? Buffy and Dawn are finding it difficult to adjust now that their mother has gone. Buffy is reluctant to take on the role of parent, and she and Dawn are arguing more than usual. Because of this, Buffy fails to notice some strange behaviour among the video-game crowd in Sunnydale. One of Xander's friends starts acting crazy outside the cinema -- laughing and babbling to himself, muttering that he can't be stopped -- and as Xander and Anya investigate, it becomes clear that people who have been testing a new video game are similarly affected. As the Slayer attempts to put all of the pieces together, Anya is abducted into an alternate demon universe. Buffy has to find a way to get her back to Sunnydale before the game is over, for good...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #449668 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
Mel Odom has written over 60 books which include the novelization of the movie BLADE and original novels for both the Buffy and Angel series.

Customer Reviews

A Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel with two good endings
WARNING: Once again, we begin with a sincere warning not to read the copy that appears on the back cover and above describing the content of this novel. Apparently they write such things before the books are really written, which certainly explains why some of the recent BtVS one have been so off base.

"Crossings" is Mel Odom's second "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel after last year's "Revenant," although his contribution to the "Tales of the Slayer, Volume 1" was the best of that rather uneven collection. This latest effort takes place in the wake of Joyce Summer's death during Season 5 and while at first it seems that Buffy's problems with Dawn is but a major subplot it becomes a critical part of the novel's payoff. But because the Slayer's sibling does not show up until well into the story you are distracted by the problem at hand, which involves a demon who wants to ascend character level (I am beginning to get the hang of the Buffy CCG). However, "Crossings" is one of those novels were everything comes together in the end for the big payoff. So while Buffy and Willow are tracking a Craulathar demon who collects body parts from corpses, Xander and Anya are trying to enjoy a "Star Trek" film festival, and Giles and Tara are attending a taping of the television program "Othersyde," they are all just picking up threads of Odom's narrative.

Odom does an excellent job of maintaining the pace of this story, which takes place in the course of one night. Even as he adds more characters into the mix he keeps all of his balls in the air and you are never left wondering what is happening with anybody at any given moment. "Crossings" comes close to the actual pace of a television episode (it could not be because diversions and lavender eyes will cost big time special effects bucks).

However, the main strength of this effort is Odom's characterization. The picture of Xander and Anya on the cover might be somewhat arbitrary (they just used Buffy and Dawn on the cover of "Sweet Sixteen"), but they are probably the two characters that Odom captures best, mainly because in both cases he reigns in their senses of humor; most BtVS novel writers give Anya way too much free reign, but Odom keeps her from going off the deep end. There is also a scene between Buffy and Dawn that is actually better than anything we have seen on television between the two, which really makes me realize that they need to do more with Dawn than making her the damsel in distress. Odom even has her actually do something constructive in the course of the adventure.

I also like Odom's attention to detail, which is also reflected in the careful construction of his story. There is a point in the story where a pair of binoculars pops up. Admittedly, this is a small thing, but pay attention to how much sense it makes and why there should be more such things in the BtVS universe. He also has a hysterical scene when a TV medium has a more ghostly encounter, a guy who insists on calling the Slayer "ma'am," a pretty good pay off line for the Slayer's big kill, and not one but two good endings to his novel. Given the limitations that are placed on the writers of BtVS novels (e.g., do not write about the season's main villain, do not have anything really important happen, etc.), "Crossings" is a more than solid effort. Odom is really hitting stride and the auspices are pretty good that his next BtVS novel could be something pretty special.