I have always been and will always be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan (says my signed picture of James Marsters). So when this book showed up on NetGalley I had to jump on it since I enjoyed the first so very much. There are times of course that the characters seem dull or lifeless but it doesn’t happen very often—I have found in most YA books this happens at some point or another. I get bored very quickly so it may not even be the authors fault but my own—my mind tends to go a mile a minute no matter what I am doing. Besides these little bits here and there the book was exceptional in every way. It brought me back to my childhood while watching Buffy and made me feel a part of the story all over again.

The setting is thoughtful, and it definitely puts the reader into the moment and into the world. The world building was great and a fantastic way to showcase what was made in the original show and movies. I bet that Buffy would be absolutely proud to have the characters and world in this book mesh with her own. Nina seems to be doing very well after Artemis was gone and I can see a lot of character growth here without that character. It does tend to be hard when you lose characters from the first book to the second but I do not think it was hard here. I feel like Nina and the story took off even without some original characters coming back to them. Artemis was not my favorite character nor it seems many others—she was a royal piece of work and it shows. She ran away from Nina because she was jealous. This seems typical with my own students as they run away from others when they show their “powers”.

This book as well as slayers will be in my “upper” YA section for my middle school students as they are always looking for a good vampire book. I have a lot of them picking up Twilight again but I want to have something else for them that they can enjoy. It also lends itself to having a strong female character at the helm who takes no crap from anyone else at any time—even her mother. So this book will have a great standing in my library when I am able to get it. I’m sure many of my students will be taking this one out just as much as they have taken out Slayer.

This ended up being a browser download, so I didn't read it. That said, I'm very excited for publication. The star rating is based on my star rating for <i>Slayer</i>.

If you know a teen girl in your life who would love Buffy, youshould definitely hand them Slayer and Chosen. The two books work really well together, which to be honest I wasn’treally expecting from a spin-off novel duology (maybe in light of that young-DCseries?).  I should have known KierstenWhite could deliver.  White clearly livesand breathes the Scoobiverse, and I loved Nina’s approach to being a slayerafter having expected not to be. 

It’s a little more angsty than I, a near-32 year old,readily handle, but that’s ok.  It’s not reallymeant for me. 15 year old me would have eaten it up with a spoon.  If you’re not well-versed in all of Buffy andAngel (and a smidge of the comics), you might find the Easter eggsdistracting.  That’s it, that’s mycriticism.  The rest was a delightful romp that had the same DNA as the high school era-Buffy shows.

Ignore the stars. I don't know how to star this and I don't use them, anyway.

*ARC Received from Publisher and NetGalley*

**HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD*

This will publish on my site, goodreads, etc..... today. I'm not sure how it will look exactly. I'm working on it now. But I don't think I can get around the spoilers, so it will be labeled as such- so I'm giving plenty of warning...

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There is one big flaw with Chosen.

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Leo.



I don't deal in spoilers. So, if I'm going to deal in spoilers, you have to know there is a serious reason why. This is a serious reason. Obviously, there was always going to be spoilers for the first book in Kiersten White's Buffyverse spin-off, Slayer. But for me to deal in spoilers for the second installment, chosen (Slayer #2), before it is even out? I didn't see that coming. But you have fair warning. There is a major spoiler coming. And there are serious reasons why. If you don't want to read them, turn around and go home, now.

Just know that there is A LOT to love about Chosen. I say that with all sincerity. However, there is also a glaring, undeniable and irrevocable issue with Chosen. Maybe it will be my opinion only, and that is fine. However, I believe it to be an issue that cannot be overlooked for more than just the obvious reason, which is why I have to discuss it. That is also why this review is about ten days late (also, because this isn't the most wonderful time of the year for everyone- people need to start sucking it up and have a little more empathy- it isn't just something one, "gets over"). At one point, I actually was going to write two separate reviews. But then, I just decided to bite the bullet. So that is your very simple explanation and fair warning. With that, get out now or read further at your own risk.

Hear Me Out.

I don't even know why I subtitled this "here me out." I'm not being fair to myself. One I wrote a rant on my issues with characters waltzing back from death, for a reason. It is enough. Two. The more I think about this, it isn't just about dead being dead. There is a compounded problem on here and that is simple. WHY FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS UNHOLY IS THE SOLUTION TO EVER ISSUE A BOY. WHY? And while I didn't technically write I separate rant post on that little poke of the stake, I did end up writing a rant within a post, when I did the wine all you want tag. Because the whole forced relationships, forced boys forced all of it is out of hand.

So that brings me to the whole problem with Chosen. LEO. And this is going to be a bit backwards, and I might regret how this whole post is structured later, I don't know. But if this gets confusing... scroll down and find the part about Artemis and come back and then that might help. Because I've struggled over this review for too long. I don't know what else I can do with it at this point.

So, on top of Leo was dead at the end of Slayer and now 1/3 into Chosen? Leo isn't dead. Leo not being dead makes that a plot ploy that I'm just tired of and then it also makes him a solution for a problem he shouldn't be the solution of because that is too easy. Why does a boy have to fix Nina? Why not sisters? Why not just Nina? Why does Leo have to come back from the fucking mouth of a demon to fix Nina? I MEAN WHAT THE EVER LOVING HELL?! IS THAT. And let me break this down further because truly there are just too many layers of wrong with it. In fact, the more I write, the more I find wrong with Leo's coming back from the dead.

Hi Angel! Um. Bye Angel?

Ok. Fine. I'm an Angel geek. I watched Angel before I watched Buffy and I can own that but there was something very special about the way Leo and Nina ended at the end of Slayer. And for me? ME OF ALL PEOPLE- me who is sick of the relationship crap (see above) to say that? You know you have done something special. By the way what I just said? This whole point, really? It can make all of you people rolling your eyes in the back of your head so hard that you can see the back of your skulls right now, bring them back to full frontal view. It is proof that this isn't just an anti-relationship point. Because if it is done right and it isn't forced- great.

Ok part of Slayer was cringey to me, but I didn't mention it because I knew that was a me thing.

But the end? The end was a spectacularly done. And here is part of why, but maybe even this is a me thing because maybe only I saw this (but I couldn't mention it in the review of Slayer because serious spoilers).

So. Season 1 Episode 9 (Yeah, I'm going there) of Angel: Hero. It is an iconic episode when Doyle sacrifices himself and kisses Cordelia, passing along his connection to the powers that be (and his visions of who needs saving). Fair enough, he didn't turn her into a slayer and these visions gave her debilitating migraines. But still. I thought there was a deep connection between the two ideas. BUT DOYLE DIDN'T GET TO COME BACK.

And when Cordelia sees the video, he was making, on top of the kiss and his actions? She has to wrestle with all those feelings of guilt, regret and think about the kind of person she was and the anger of Doyle passing this connection to her without asking first. Because who wants that pain in the ass?

But that whole thing got thrown out the window the second we find out Leo is alive. Ok Leo is alive and dying. Except. Of course. Leo never dies. Duh. So, there's that problem.

Nina and Chosen's Core

Chosen, at its heart, is a brilliantly crafted, emotionally charged, character driven book. Critical to the success of any character driven book is creating intimate connections between readers and characters.

We want the brave, elite and fantastical writers to rip our hearts out because there aren't many braves enough to do so. So, when they do, don't walk back on it. Don't cheapen it by making it a plot trick. For 1/3 of the book Nina is tearing herself apart over the myriad of emotions she felt at the end of Slayer and it is beautifully written.

When Leo returns, it takes away that entire piece of the book like a magic trick. It doesn't get to work that way. For a while I tried to play it off because hey, Buffy died how many times on the show? But. No.

It was obvious that the messiness of Leo's death was the cog in Nina's character ARC. But once he was alive? It didn't matter. There was a couple of chapters of her being mad at him and pouting over putting her through that torment and then *poof* done. She gets her answers, her watcher and closure in the space of a breath.

How do you just take Nina’s whole story arc away- her motivation, her driving force, her problem, her everything in the space of a breath, the removal of a death? You can’t. It doesn’t work. It breaks my heart to say it. But Nina is the main character and her demons can't just be snapped by Thanos.

Her demons, her changed Slayer powers, pretty much everything she is battling centers around the end of Slayer, which is Leo and his mother. The betrayal, his giving his mother up, giving Nina her Slayer powers back and then her leaving him to “die.” The guilt, broken heart, anger, bizarre nature of the returned Slayer powers, betrayal, it is all messing with her and churning her into one big hot mess. And for 1/3 of the book her and Artemis are going to explode. And then Artemis keeps going and *poof* Nina is solved when they find Leo alive.

And here is the other issue with Leo coming back, Leo solving Nina and the whole thing. It takes away from the power of everyone else's storyline. There are other characters that go through major change and have wonderful stories. Like...

Artemis

While everyone, including the reader, is diverted into worrying about Nina and what her reborn Slayer powers have done, are doing to her, Artemis is in her own private hellmouth. No one wants to be powerless. Feeling like your world is spinning out of your own control is like trying to breath underwater.

White wrote Artemis with such ferocity that I ached for her every bad decision and wrong turn. I have lived her life for a very long time. I have learned, in the hardest ways imaginable, that when we feel like we have lost control of what is most important to us, we often try to gain power in the most damning ways imaginable. And boy did Artemis walk that line in spades.

Her storyline gave the title of this book a double-edged sword. All through Slayer, Nina felt like Artemis was chosen by her mother, by everyone while Nina was relegated to the sidelines. And now Artemis feels like those the script has switched. But as White so delicately puts it in Slayer




Being chosen is easy. Making choices will break your heart.




Because the truth is, we have control over so much in our lives. Do we prioritize what is important in our lives? Do confront things or take the easy way out to avoid conflict at all costs, no matter the collateral damage? Do we eat right? Do we budget our money? Do we maintain relationships and protect those that are hurting? Do we volunteer or withdraw?

But when you feel without power, instead of looking for choices that make sense? We often seek out the type of blinding and obsolete power that we think will wrap us in a safety but in reality, will cause more pain and the type of fear in others that makes our lives more chaotic, more out of control and isolated than it was to start with. And this is the path that Artemis chooses through her decisions, in Chosen.

Watching her step-by-step is truly cringe-worthy. If I could have reached through the book and grabbed hold of her I don’t know if I would have knocked her out or hugged her. But I would have stopped her one way, or another. Her pain was palpable and her choices to ease it were on a collision course with everyone who could truly help her heal.




Artemis and Honora

And Honora? Oh, poor Honora. I know she's easy to hate. But don't.

She doesn't give Artemis an easy solution to the demons and pain. She isn't Leo. She just wants to make her girl whole. And she is too blind to see that what Artemis thinks will make her whole will actually destroy everything she is and everything she loves. And see, at least that is a relationship that is grounded in some form of reality.

Because. One? HONORA DIDN'T DIE. Two? That is more likely a scenario. Love is blinding. We are more likely to give into and buy into those we love rather than put our foot down for their own good. And that is what she does. She enables. She doesn't intend harm. She truly loves Artemis.

Unfortunately, enabling is often the gravel used to pave that road of good intentions that leads to hell.

<Honora's> eyes narrow. "No one gets to make me feel powerless... I'm not powerless and neither are you."

"I am, though," <Artemis> whispers, trying not to let her voice break. "The whole world makes me feel powerless. That's why I have to change it."

"Change what?" Honora asks.

"The world."

Honora sighs. "You need this."

Artemis nods, her face still against Honora's shoulder.

She lets go and pulls out her phone. "My girl wants a hellgod's power, my girl's getting a hellgod's power."

So, Artemis doesn't get the *poof* relationship solution. And neither should Nina.

Cillian

Oh, how I feared for Cillian throughout Slayer. I don’t know why, but I thought he was going to be the big fatality. He was too perfect a character. The ying to Rhys’ yang. Everything about him was lovable. His empathy, his easy-going nature, his compassion, his ability to take things like- we’ve been dating for how long and now you tell me there are demons and what not in the world, in stride- he was written too perfect- but he survived.

And now. Well wow. What a storyline he was given. And assuming there is another installment to come, I would read it for no other reason than to see what happens with Cillian next. And I think I’ve spoiled enough of Chosen to say all of what happens with Cillian.

But if you think he got handed a boat load of information having to find Doug, and learn about all the evil in the world in Slayer? That was a walk in the park compared to what he learns in Chosen. There is a lot more of his backstory to learn when mom arrives back in town and his relationship with Rhys develops a great deal. And that is all in the middle of a huge bomb that drops in his lap.

Trouble!

On top of all that? Doug is still Coldplay loving Doug who gets a kitten that he names… Trouble. <le sigh> And we get to spend a lot of time with Doug, who gets some spitting super happy drugging powers… so there’s that. There is a traitor among our crew… a big bad, but of course, two mommy dearests, now (when Cillian’s mom comes back to town) and, well, you know. Leo.

PLUS… Cameos! More Buffy- and not so much on the hating, FAITH (I always did love Faith) … oh and pssstttt…. OZ!

Grrr... Argh!

It is just a shame because if you can’t tell, I really LOVED Chosen. But Leo. I just can’t past it. And I almost wrote two reviews for those who didn’t want the spoiler except it just never made sense, which is why this took so long to post. The other two are for later in the month. But this one is out on the 7th. I could’ve posted it a week ago. I just couldn’t get it together. I don’t deal in spoilers.

But I had to bite the bullet and just label it so that those who didn’t want to read the spoilers knew to avoid it because I just feel robbed. And one more time... not just because death is death. But because, like I said above, why always a boy? Why not sisters? Or why can’t Nina just be strong enough to get through it and help Artemis? I don’t know but the whole thing, just wreaked. There isn't any other way to say it.

Had Leo stayed dead their fates would have collided in a much more epic way. As sisters, together. Through almost killing each other, maybe they would have figured it out together. They are twins. But we are robbed of finding out. Because. Leo. And that turned what was an otherwise incredible book into a what would have been book.

Will I be here for another installment? Yes. Definitely. Will Leo’s presence always irk me? Yes. Definitely.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the characters of this book. They were super relate-able in a very unreadable universe. I do wish I would have gotten a bit more back story on the characters and that the story had been deeper than it was. It fell a bit shallow for me.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley or allowing me to review this title.

This series is a must read for any Buffy fans! I was sad when the series (and angel) ended. The comic books were good but I feel like I’m back in the Buffyverse! I read the first copy from my local library and I was so excited to receive this advance copy. Thanks again.

Last month I finally sat down and read Slayer, the first book in Kiersten White’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer-inspired series. I’ve actually never watched an episode of Buffy (hangs head in shame), but even without prior knowledge of Buffy and her world, I still very much enjoyed Slayer. White does a wonderful job bringing this world to life for me and I loved the characters, especially White’s additions to the Buffy universe.

Nina, the scrappy new Slayer that is the focus of White’s series is such an easy character to root for, so after meeting her in the first book, I was eager to follow her character’s evolution in Chosen, the second book in the series. Chosen picks up right where Slayer leaves off and while it is just as action-packed as the first book, it is also more of an emotional read. I don’t want to give away any spoilers from the first book for those who haven’t read it yet, so I’ll just say that Nina experiences both loss and betrayal in Slayer and is still dealing with the emotional fallout in Chosen. Nina is subsequently in kind of a dark place in this second book, but she still has plenty to keep her mind occupied, what with mastering her newly found Slayer abilities, creating demon sanctuaries, and of course, saving the world from yet another impending apocalypse.

My only real gripe about the sequel was Nina’s sister, Artemis. I actually quite liked Artemis for the most part in the first book, but she frustrated me to no end in Chosen. Her jealousy of Nina leads her to make some selfish and just plain awful decisions. I found her disappointing, not just because of how her petty actions impacted Nina so much but also because they had real and potentially deadly consequences and she just couldn’t get past her own jealousy to see that.

Chosen successfully continues the magic of the first book in the series and I hope that White will continue the journey with a third book. If demons, vampires, and a scrappy heroine trying to save the world from pending doom, all with a side of family drama, appeals to you, I would definitely recommend Kiersten White’s wildly entertaining Slayer series.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.



Kiersten White returns to the Buffiverse with Chosen, the sequel to her hit sensation Slayer! Now you know me, I LOVE VAMPIRES! Buffy was a favorite show of mine for sure and I love being back in this world and being back with Nina and her friends! It's a bit of a struggle to remember that these events are taking place "shortly" after the finale of Buffy, at least the first book did, so you add in a few extra months of events between this one and the first book and it's still relatively close to the series finale of Buffy where Sunnydale is taken off the map!


But as I said, this is Nina's story! Nina has been struggling these last few months. Leo's dead, her sister, Artemis ran off with her girlfriend, who Nina really, really hates, and then there's the fact that her newly returned slayer powers have been acting kind of wonky lately. It's hard for Nina to fully control the rage and anger inside of her and that shows through her fighting skills when dealing with the bad guys.


Nina and her friends have turned the Watcher Society on its head, at least in their neck of the woods. Now their stronghold is sanctuary for demons and the like. They do their best to keep everyone safe and happy. Until weird things start happening in the surrounding areas, supernatural types are going missing. Nina takes it upon herself to investigate despite the untold danger.



Meanwhile we see Artemis dealing with her own struggles and her thirst for a chance to belong, to be needed, to be a hero. She misses the days when everyone thought it was her who would be a slayer. She and Honora decide to take on some questionably odd jobs, all the while Artemis has a plan in mind to get everything that she needs.



This was a rather exciting read! I love reading about vampires, but I loved reading a Buffiverse book even more because OH MY GOD THE NOSTALGIA! Yes, you will see faces from Buffy again! I was particularly happy to see one, I mean, I know Kiersten kind of revealed it on twitter awhile back, but I won't say what particular face appears that had me giddy! Lol. I was tickled with "their"--because yes, I will use improper pronouns to avoid spoilers--idealized ending. Like where "they" went after Sunnydale and all that!



It's hard to say if this is a duology or something longer. I am leaning more towards duology, because I thought I heard that at some point, but this one does end in a way that will leave you completely satisfied! Is there room for more? Of course! But every major tidbit is resolved so there's no cliffhanger or questions left at the end that make you wonder.


This is definitely a series that will appeal to Buffy fans everywhere! I mean, it's a fresh new story yet still based in the Buffiverse we all know and love! Plus Buffy makes a cameo every now and then, so what's not to love? Plus VAMPIRES!! I mean that right there should be having you pick this one up asap!


I never realized how much I needed more Buffy in my life until I read this series! It's so fun and fresh! Nina is a heroine you can get behind and root for! She's sarcastic, kind, and just the kind of girl you can relate to as she struggles accept her newfound powers and journey. If this is the end of the road for us with her, I will say that it was a happy journey!



Overall Rating 5/5 stars



Chosen releases January 7, 2020

I absolutely loved Slayer so I was impatiently waiting for this book - it did not disappoint! I have to admit I had never watched Buffy before reading Slayer, but I decided to watch a couple episodes and I love how both books have the same “vibe” as the television series. So much fun to read this!
In Chosen, the new and last Slayer Nina is still learning how to use her powers and recover from the events that took place in the previous book Slayer. But, because she is the Slayer, life is never easy or dull. Nina is not only dealing with family issues, like her twin sister Artemis being gone plus a distant mother who is at the Watchers castle with her. She is dealing with getting her Slayer powers back from an evil succubus, the darkness inside herself, and a new threat.

Chosen begins where Slayer left us, with several characters we already met and some new faces. The best part of this series is how good White is at transporting the reader back to being a teenager. Nina is completely believable and relatable as a teen torn up after losing Leo and feeling abandoned by her sister. She is learning and growing into her role as Slayer and that means making mistakes along the way.
White is a masterful writer and she’s made me a complete Buffy fan!

First of all, thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGlley for sending me an eARC of this book!

I was such a huge fan of Slayer, but it left off on a note that could have left the book as a standalone or let it continue into a series. Of course, I am very excited to see it as a series!

While Slayer focused on the whole world-ending Buffy world plot, I think I enjoyed where Chosen went. Chosen focuses on Nina and the Watchers inclusion of demons. Their castle has since become a sanctuary, and though their resources are stretched thin, they do everything in their power to provide safety to demons who otherwise have nowhere else to go.

Only problem? Nina’s Slayer instincts are heightened, and everything in her is telling her to kill. Since the whole Succubus fiasco and Artemis left the confines of the castle to live with her girlfriend and Nina’s archnemesis, nothing is the same.

Artemis is planning something big, and every time Nina runs into her, her sister looks like she’s turned to the dark side. Artemis just once to be the hero again, but with her sister as the Slayer, she seems to think there’s only one way to do it.

Unlike the first book in the duology, Chosen flips from Nina’s 1st person to third person to focus in a bit more on Artemis’ story. Do I like Artemis? No, but I think it’s nice to see a different perspective and to understand why Artemis is doing what she is! I really loved this book for a few reasons:

1. We didn’t focus a whole lot on love interests.
2. We got to interact with more characters from the Buffyverse
3. We saw more of Doug and Cillian, and less of Leo and Rhys (sorry, Rhys!)

Overall, I think though this one was slower, I liked the focus on the characters over plot. Knowing who almost everyone is and seeing the growth in those relationships was really nice. I do kind of wish it was a trilogy, but overall I really enjoyed this one!

Growing up watching Buffy and being a big fan our the show I was externally excited for this series. And Kiersten White did not disappoint in this series. The second book picked up where the first one ended, it started out a little slow. But in the end I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Great end to the series.

Kiersten White really hits her groove with the second installment of the Buffy the Vampire spin-off series. While the first book, Slayer, was an entertaining 3 stars, Chosen, reminded me of the best of the Buffy series. It was funny, angsty, and action packed. The relationship between sisters, Nina and Artemis, was engaging. Particularly Artemis's struggle with having so little power compared to her Slayer sister. The romance between Nina and Leo was charming as were the side little romances that received just enough attention from the author to make readers care about the outcomes. The ending was seismically big, a la season two of Buffy, and highly rewarding. I look forward to the next foray into the Buffy-verse by White. (4 stars)

Chosen is the sequel to Kiersten White's first novel, Slayer, set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer world. Picking up right where the first novel left off, readers will be glued to their seats as they continue Nina's journey. The characters are outstanding. The plot is fantastic. And the callbacks to the original series are to die for. All fans of Buffy will want to get their hands on this book series asap! And if you haven't yet been introduced to the Buffy world, this could be a fun introduction to what will end up being your favorite franchise. Highly recommend this series!

A Slayer's work is never done! CHOSEN picks up after the minor Hellmouth incident at the end of SLAYER, and Kiersten White's second foray into the Buffyverse takes a twist as Nina and the next generation of Watchers turn the castle into a demon sanctuary. But with Nina's arch-nemesis on the run with Nina's twin sister, a demon kidnapping scheme, and someone in the castle plotting to use the twins to destroy the world, things are getting...a little messy. Beautifully executed cameos from original characters from the show punctuate this paranormal adventure that explores themes of family and mental health in a way that does Joss Whedon proud. As with the first book, CHOSEN is a wonderful introduction to Buffy's world for newcomers and a must-read for fans.