I'm a huge Buffy fan. Whether it's watching the movie or the TV show, or reading any of the Buffyverse books that come out, I'm there.

I was excited to read the first book in this series and even more excited to read this one (boy do I wish there was a third!) The cast of characters fit in with Buffyverse but are not doppelgangers. This isn't the case of just renaming what we already have. It's inventive and interesting intriguing and I wish I had an entire series of this and then we got a TV show.

The two sisters, Nina and Artemis, have a complicated relationship and one that evolves through the books. We have the usual fighting evil, it is Buffy!, but the bigger part of the story is the community of people together, how the sisters react with each other, what they do in a post-Buffy world.

As always, character depth and development drives the story for me, but there's tension, intrigue, and humour as well.

The ending really sums up what the series is about:

"Prophecies and ancient forces have tried to claim me. Generations of tradition have tried to steer me. Trauma and fear have tried to stop me. But today, right now? I'm exactly who I'm supposed to be."

I would recommend reading the first one before you read this one but it's not 100% necessary; it might make this one more difficult though. And the first one's amazing so go for it.

Honestly I don’t have an interest in reading this book anymore and I want to be more selective with what I request.

You will need to read this first book in this series Slayer in order to understand the dynamics between the characters especially Nina and Artemis. Plus there are quite a few events that define what happens in this book so you really need to read the first book.

The Slayer and Watchers are back, with a whole new bad and a whole new apocalypse that threatens the world:

Nina is trying to accept her new role in life as a slayer instead of a medic, and trying to change what the Watchers have been taught to do for generations and this includes being accepting of certian types of demons. Nina has decided to change the castle into a sanctuary where slayer and demons can co-exist and help each other. Nina just hopes that she is doing the right thing, so much is now on her shoulders, especially with Artemis fleeing the castle and Nina feeling even more darkness inside of her, so much she is having trouble controlling it. There also seems to be a new threat emerging, something to do with a strange triangle that seems to be popping up everywhere something bad happening and everything points to the apocalypse.

I feel like this is a Must Read for those who Loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer growing up, even though most of the comments surround Buffy are basically bashing her or really undermining what she had done for the whole (Honestly I feel at time White hated Buffy as a character) but it is an interesting world nonetheless. In this book there are more appearances and nods to characters that were both in Buffy and Angel series which I liked as it was like revisiting shows that I loved growing up.

I liked that there were POV from both Nina and Artemis, and I found that Artemis POV was a bit more interesting as she does act more grown up than Nina at time. Additionally, many of Artemis' POV were darker and more mature in nature so I think that had to do with why I enjoyed them more. I found that Nina's POV were thinking about a boy and being mad at Artemis. Also I love Doug as a character, there is something about his ability to smell how people are feeling, and letting people know that they are off and his overall love of Cold Play that I just loved him as a character.

I have one main problem with this book is that we know who the bad guy is right from the beginning, I wish that there would have been hints or something about someone that they trust betraying them. Instead we find this out basically at the beginning of the book and as the reader we are waiting for the main characters to figure this out and this completely takes away from the overall suspense of the book. It even takes away from the manipulation, because you know that it's manipulation.

I enjoy this series as it takes me back to the world of Buffy and I really enjoy this world. I am looking forward to seeing where White takes this series.

Enjoy!!!

Chosen is the second novel in the Slayer series by Kiersten White.

Nina always believed she was a watcher but following the events of Eve trying to start a new hell mouth, her twin sister Artemis leaving the watchers and losing the boy she loves, she must now begin a new chapter of her life. After deciding to give refuge to other paranormal beings, she starts to notice a dark side growing within. With the help of her friends, she still has Nina begins to investigate a new threat starting that seems to have a connection to Seans drug ring and also someone she’s close to as well.

Chosen definitely has a sequel feeling. You have to know what events have previously taken place in slayer for the book to make sense. However, it seemed to be the same kind of story repeating itself, just with different bad guys. That lost me a bit. I’ve always been a big fan of Buffy but these stories just never felt tied in enough. While there are slayers in this one, its not so much slayer themed but more just someone with powers trying to save the world. The only things that really tied it into the slayer universe for me were character cameos and the references to Buffy. The story itself wasn’t too bad but would have been more enjoyable if it hadn’t been tied to such a big name and world previously built.

Overall, I would say this is an alright story and has a little bit of adventure but I’m not sue I would read more that came out in this series.

I fell in love with Kiersten White’s written take on the belovedly cheesy 1990’s television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Staying true to the terrible humour and original characters continued in her sequel, Chosen. There’s more characters from the show introduced including the awkward but smart werewolf Oz as well as the badass fighter, Faith. It added both authenticity and quirk. Chosen also features a villainous badboy god with a surprising lineage connection from someone in the first novel.
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“His stomach rumbles in response to my thoughts. ‘No offence, Nina, love, but you are barely a snack these days. More like an after-dinner mint. One of those unwrapped bitter mints that’s been in a tin for years, and when you try to pull it out, its stuck to 3 others, and you know you don’t want it, but you’ve already committed, so you pop it in your mouth and regret every decision you’ve ever made that brought you to that point.’

‘I think I should be offended by that.”
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Once again Doug steals the show and for me that’s what kept me reading this book. He’s hilarious!
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“The void beyond reality?’ Cillian navigates the forest dirt road far faster than is safe. ‘Demons. Total nutters, the lot of them.’

‘I like Doug.’ Rhys checked his bow.

I bounce impatiently in the back. ‘Everyone likes Doug. It’s biologically impossible to dislike.”
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The first thing I noticed (because it was REALLY hard to miss) was Nina’s strong emotions over Leo’s death despite how little romance there was between them in Slayer. It became annoying to read very quickly because she barely knew the guy. I didn’t feel her connection to him in Slayer and their complicated history and relationship seemed to stem from very little interaction which made the romance stiff and suffering from a case of insta-love. I needed more scenes with them to see their relationship how Nina saw it, that way I probably could have seen where her strong attachment came from when it came to her character in this book. But that just wasn’t present. The rushed and patchy romance near the end which spread to the epilogue wasn’t enough to fix this aspect of the story as a whole, unfortunately. Although I was disappointed by the romance, I was not let down by Nina herself. She continued to grow and really meld into her role as a slayer.

“I fold my arms over my chest protectively. Much as I’d love to give up this guilt, I need it. It drives me, directs me. And combats the anger. If I could live guilt-free with what I’ve done, I’d be a monster.”

Just having Nina confess something like this shows how much she has changed since book 1. She’s truly embraced her role and her responsibility bestowed upon her. She also became wiser and she started to speak as well as act like a true leader, what a Slayer should be.

“You don’t have to fight. I wouldn’t ask that of you. You always have a choice here! It’s the only thing I can offer her, the thing that all slayers are denied. A Choice.”

This quote really spoke to me and this redeemed the whole flat romance bomb that occurred. Nina is incredibly wise and this distinction and choice of action was an impressing decision on White’s part and I’m glad that’s the way Nina’s character grew. Bravo!

One more thing that really caught my eye in Chosen, was Nina’s strained relationship with her mother. They don’t have the best bond and this quote really summed everything up. Plus, I’m also a cashier at a grocery store so for me this really hit home because this is exactly how people react. A great comparison!

“Working together is already awkward enough. She’s trying to be my mom again, but she doesn’t really know how to, so it comes across like those aggressively friendly employees at grocery stores who constantly ask how you are and if you need help and if you’re finding everything okay, and all you can do is smile and answer back in the same bright voice when really you know where the cereal is, thank you very much.”

Imogen’s plotting at the end of Slayer gave me so much hope for this sequel. She seemed so determined to get revenge and I was really looking forward to her and her villainous embrace. But instead she was overshadowed by this introduction to a hell god. All that build from Slayer and the final declaration at the cliffhanger took a backseat to this new character and that was disappointing.

But one thing that Kiersten White’s novels never fall short of is the writing. I’ve read countless books and every time I read hers, the writing is always incredible. Chosen is no exception.

“Why is it so early?’ Jade enters the room, trailing sleep like car exhaust in her wake.”

This screams originality and is an incredibly well-written description!

I found the story read slow, only picking up near the end. I didn’t really like the weird Artemis story arc and for some reason I still don’t care very much for Honora.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH
Even though I liked the first one better I still hella enjoyed this. This book was exactly what I needed after my last read. It was funny, full of action and surprises, a little bit of romance, and Buffy, and slayers, and demons! I completely devoured.

It was great to be back in the Buffy universe with this one. I really liked Nina as a character, as well as her relationship with her sister. I'm a little bit sad that this is only a duology, but I liked the way the story concluded.

I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and when I found Slayer, I knew I would love this series! I was not wrong! This series is spectacular and I only wish that there was a third book! Chosen concluded the series well enough, but it was so fun being back in the Buffy universe! I can’t wait to read some other books by this author!

This was a fun book and I enjoyed it a lot more than the first book. One thing this book and this series does well is the action and the tension between the characters. I loved the relationship between Nina and her sister Artemis. I think the author does a good job of developing that relationship and showing the love and the tension between the two. Their mom is the worst and I really struggled with her character, which is something I think the author intended.
Overall a fast paced YA book that I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy fantasy series with demons. It had some Shadowhunter vibes to it that I enjoyed!

Thank you NetGalley for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

REVIEW ☆☆☆
I went into Chosen not realizing it was a second book, so I was basically lost. The plot was interesting and the characters were unique and well developed. I think that overall this type of content is just not my thing, but the right audience will no doubt love it.

A continuation of a series you loved is always a conflicting situation. You are excited to be part of that world again, but fear that the new addition to the story could not possibly measure up to what you remember. I think that Kiersten White manages to avoid this with her Slayer series. She gives fans something that both works with and sits along side the original series.

A large part of what worked about both Slayer and Chosen for me is that we are following brand new characters set in the same world. We can take what we love about the original and remember it fondly without irreversibly breaking it. The new characters keep the story feeling new while still feeling known.

Nina reminded me a lot of Faith. Nina struggles with being a slayer and, in particular, the darkness inside her. She makes a lot of really bad choices. She also has things in common with Buffy though. She relies on her friends to help her through, and really does what to make the right choice even if that isn't always possible.

The side characters are some of the most easily loved. Doug, a demon who loves Coldplay, was a personal favourite. Nina's friends become important to the plot in a similar fashion to the Scoobies and that enriched the story for me.

The love story was one of my favourite elements of this series. It has the same epic scope that made me love the Buffy and Angel relationship so fiercely. There are many love stories being told and all of them resonated with me in their own way.

My only real issue as I was reading was the character of Artemis. I felt like I understood Nina's motivations and character. I did not feel that Artemis was fleshed out in the same way. I wanted more from her and a deeper insight into what was driving her in this book. I did appreciate that the sister relationship was a central part of the story arc but I just didn't feel as connected to Artemis.

Nostalgia is baked into the premise of this series and the way it is used it masterful. There are some cameos that had me entirely losing my cool. Kiersten White captures the essence of these beloved characters that it felt like coming back home in a way. My emotions were always in the surface and that is because of the respect and care that was shown to the story and characters I love completely. I do not want to ruin any if the surprises but rest assured that fans of the television show will be satisfied. The amount of inside jokes (with a brilliant one included towards the end) warmed my heart and delighted me to no end.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans should immediately pick up this series. It is like returning to Sunnydale in a way but through the perfect means. It allows those perfect memories of the show to remain untainted while still giving us more of the world we love. It is exactly what I hoped it would be, I am just sad we have to leave these new characters so soon.

I loved reading this book! I'm not a hard core Buffy fan, but I watched the movie and the show, and I really enjoy Kiersten White's writing, and I really enjoyed the first book! And watching Nina deal with the strangeness of her powers after they were held by Eve was so entertaining to read!

In this book, we do learn more about Cillian, including the fact that there's more about them that even he knew. And it's kinda an important part of the plot! The rest of the gang has some good screen time, like Doug, I loved Nina and Doug's London adventure!

We do met other Slayers in this book in person, and Nina does have a few more Slayer dreams, with both Buffy and Faith, as well as an encounter with Oz, which was pretty fun. And then we were also in Artemis' head on and off. And while I felt for her, well, I could see the train wreck coming a mile away! But it was so entertaining to read!

That ending, yeah, it was really nice to read! Things worked out pretty well, it was satisfying, and it solved their problems. And I'm pretty sure this is a duology, so we won't have more from this series, most likely. Which is a little sad, because I enjoy reading about these characters!

This book was a fantastic read, I enjoyed it from beginning to end!

Hmmm... that was underwhelming. I just adored the first book in the Slayer series and was really looking forward to Chosen. Unfortunately Chosen felt very meh, could it be the winter blues getting to me? I think it was just missing the charm the first book had. Chosen still had the banter . We got to see more of our favourite original characters such as Buffy and Faith etc. Which was my favourite part yes I am sucker for nostalgia. What I didn't like was the lack of character development I mean you expect some growth in book two but I felt like they took one step forward and two steps back. Also the story started off with a punch I felt it was an action packed as the first one and found some parts just dragged.

Overall Chosen was unfortunately for me fell into the second book syndrome.

Edit: just found out this is a duology, so now I'm even more disappointed.

bleh.. i love buffy but this spin-off series really isn't it for me.

i was hoping that after being disappointed with the first book, chosen would be better, but i really just don't like these characters. at all. i've wanted artemis gone since book one and as book two continued, i was just begging someone, anyone to kill her. also every character's motivation was irritating. i still hate pretty much every relationship in this book except for nina and doug's friendship. i'm relatively neutral in regards to cillian and rhys...

i dont know. this book seemed dramatic for no reason.

also i was really uncomfortable when oz showed up for 5 minutes... when actual buffy characters show up it starts feeling like fanfic.

oh well.. kiersten white is still one of my fav authors

I really enjoyed the first book, Slayer, and I was really looking forward to Chosen, however, I did not enjoy it as much as Slayer. I found Chosen a bit slower to start and therefore more difficult to get into. There was action but not as much as in Slayer and slower paced. Still a decent read but not as good as Slayer, unfortunately.

This book was only read, honestly, because I got the ARC for it. I had no strong feelings for this series in general, if were being honest.

This book wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. I think this way mostly because it’s a story I’ve heard before, it’s a story that maybe I’m too old for (yes, I’ll finally admit there are books that maybe are too YA for me after all).

The story was better in this book than in Slayer, the characters were more interesting and got to be themselves more. This being said, the teenage-vibe the characters have was too juvenile for me. I see my own genre of books changing and think this might be one of those reasons.

If there is a third book, I can’t imagine reading it unless of course I get an ARC and because I’m that person. I feel the need to finish series, even if they don’t appeal to me anymore. Let’s just call it morbid curiosity!

I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and found Slayer, and now Chosen, to honour that world so well. Chosen is is the conclusion to an exciting duology where twins Nina and Artemis are struggling to find where they fit into a world without magic, their roles within a seemingly broken culture of Watchers and Slayers, and what it really means to save the world. I loved the cameo's from characters from the show (Oz!) and reading this definitely made me want to revisit Buffy and the Scooby gang. A very fun read!

This book was exactly what I needed after my last read. It was funny, full of action and surprises, a little bit of romance, and Buffy, and slayers, and demons! I completely devoured and loved it!

Warning, though: you need to have read book 1 to understand this one, because Nina refers often to events happening in the previous book. But if you haven't watched all the Buffy episodes, you'll be fine!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was good. I liked how the characters grew in this one, their dialogue was more mature in this one which was hard to read in the first.
There's some exciting twists and turns in this one, it made it interesting to watch events unfold and question who will win? There's a lot of sister drama, obviously, and I enjoyed it.
The new characters introduced in this book were fun and I was happy to see the old characters again too.
The ending was good, I'm not sure if there's a third book, there could be or there could not be. It was nicely tied up. I'd be happy for a third installment.
I think Honora got some much needed shine in this book. She wasn't all bad, you got to see parts of her that made you like her and understand her better. I ended up really liking her relationship with Artemis. They really complement each other.
The book was a fast read, it didn't drag on forever and was well done. I'm glad I kept with it. It was worth it.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy!

Great sequel! It was so much fun to come back to these characters and learn more about the Buffy-verse, as I did not watch the show when I was younger. Kiersten's writing style is still as amazing and lets you connect to the characters, especially Nina.