In Every Generation by Kendare Blake - Starting September 3rd 2021

[T.J.]

The first in an all-new series by New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake continues the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer featuring the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.

A new Slayer for a new generation...

Frankie Rosenberg is passionate about the environment, a sophomore at New Sunnydale High School, and the daughter of the most powerful witch in Sunnydale history. Her mom, Willow, is slowly teaching her magic on the condition that she use it to better the world. But Frankie’s happily quiet life is upended when new girl Hailey shows up with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack, and all the Slayers—including Buffy, Faith, and Hailey’s older sister Vi—might be dead. That means it’s time for this generation’s Slayer to be born.

But being the first ever Slayer-Witch means learning how to wield a stake while trying to control her budding powers. With the help of Hailey, a werewolf named Jake, and a hot but nerdy sage demon, Frankie must become the Slayer, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her Aunt Buffy, before she’s next.

Get ready for a whole new story within the world of Buffy!

[T.J.]

Well, I'm not sure I'm the right audience for this book.

Do I love Buffy?



But I only watched the series sporadically back in the late 90s, and not in the correct order -- I mean those were the pre-netflix, pre-binging days and stuff. Sure I definitely loved the series, and it is clearly my cup of tea, but I'm missing a lot of the references in the first chapters.

I do have the first two seasons of Buffy on DVD and have been planning to watch them, but I think these references I'm missing when reading this book are from the final season (which I didn't see much of -- sorry, my bad).

[T.J.]

I made the mistake of participating in the group buddy read for Lord of the Flies which started a few days before this one, and Blake’s writing style juxtaposed with Nobel Prize Winner for Literature and Booker Prize Winner William Golding’s style reveals a quality contrast (to Blake’s disadvantage). I know it may not be a fair comparison, but I didn’t set up the buddy read schedule... 😉 (besides Lord of the Flies was Golding’s first work and Blake has written a bunch of stuff, so she should have more experience) 😂.

[Ashley W]

T.J. wrote: "I made the mistake of participating in the group buddy read for Lord of the Flies which started a few days before this one, and Blake’s writing style juxtaposed with Nobel Prize Winner for Literatu..."

I am starting Lord if the Flies soon. Since I have the whole month to get it started, it wasn't a priority right away. I would hate to be reading them at the same time and comparing the writing. Blake wouldn't hold up to those standards.

Nearly all the references in the first chapters are from later in the TV series (I've watched the series three times. I love it so much.) The part about Oz and Willow are from season 2-3, but that's about it. Not sure how much that will affect the rest of the book. I'm only at 10% so far.
(view spoiler)[ Spike as a Watcher cracks me up. He's so the opposite. The whole thing about the Scythe/power of the Slayer getting Willow pregnant is so weird, even by Buffy standards. lol (hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Ashley wrote: "I am starting Lord if the Flies soon. Since I have the whole month to get it started, it wasn't a priority right away. I would hate to be reading them at the same time and comparing the writing."

Smart move. I advise waiting. I read LoftF as a teen and it left a lasting impression on me. Now reading it again decades later, I'm amazed how it still speaks to me.

This book couldn't grab me at the beginning -- and I'm pretty sure it was because of the Buffy reference dumping, most of which I didn't get. I'm sure they're fun for the real Buffy fans, though.

I think the book might start off better if it were written to engage in the beginning not just the die-hard fans, but also the wanna-be fans, like myself, and even (dare-i-say?) the uninitiated...



Ashley wrote: "Nearly all the references in the first chapters are from later in the TV series (I've watched the series three times. I love it so much.) The part about Oz and Willow are from season 2-3, but that's about it. Not sure how much that will affect the rest of the book. I'm only at 10% so far."

That's what I figured. So you do belong to the target audience. I'm happy to say at 19% I'm feeling more included in the insider circle...

[Ashley W]

T.J. wrote: "Ashley wrote: "I am starting Lord if the Flies soon. Since I have the whole month to get it started, it wasn't a priority right away. I would hate to be reading them at the same time and comparing ..."

Yeah, I agree this isn't a book for the 'wanna-be fans' but I think that since it's a continuation of the series, they just wanted to put that out there in the beginning. Since there are so many books that take place during the series, they wanted to make the distinction.
But as long as you get this story, and I think (view spoiler)[ once the three of them split from the older part of the group (hide spoiler)] the story will be separate from the show.

[T.J.]

Chapter 1-4 (12%):
(view spoiler)[
Ashley wrote: "Spike as a Watcher cracks me up. He's so the opposite. The whole thing about the Scythe/power of the Slayer getting Willow pregnant is so weird, even by Buffy standards. lol"

lol! I agree. So out of character for Spike. But he was always one of my favorite characters, so I'm enjoying his getting an important role here.

I highlighted some of the references I didn't understand:
"The original slayer," her mom blurted out finally. "The essence of the original slayer is your... other parent..."

"That Frankie was conceived when I channeled the energy of the slayer through the scythe," Willow explained... (9%)

I take it from your comment, this was not from the series? What about the Spikespolsion? I'm guessing that took place in one of the final episodes of the final season?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

T.J. wrote: "Chapter 1-4 (12%):

Ashley wrote: "Spike as a Watcher cracks me up. He's so the opposite. The whole thing about the Scythe/power of the Slayer getting Willow pregnant is so weird, even by Buffy sta..."

(view spoiler)[ Those were in the series, mostly the final two episodes. Willow actually becoming pregnant wasn't in the series, and it sounds like her birth takes place a little over a year after the show ends. The Spikespolsion would have been the final episode of Buffy. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

I'm getting so behind on my Buddy Reads, but this one is good so far.
I'm only at 13% but I really like this new generation of characters. (view spoiler)[ I like that Frankie is an eco-witch, because I haven't read anything like that before. It's a really fun take on magic, and there is no way to really compare her to her mother because she would never get that level without going dark. Jake is kind of a meh character for me so far. I think I would rather read about Oz than him. (hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Ashley wrote: "I'm getting so behind on my Buddy Reads, but this one is good so far.
No worries -- I'm parallel reading about 6 other books at the same time. My daughter asked me to buddy read Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows with her and I'm a third of the way through. What a fantastic book. Tough break for Kendare Blake that I'm now not only comparing her writing style with William Golding's, but also J.K. Rowling! (lol!)

Ashley wrote: "I'm only at 13% but I really like this new generation of characters. [spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[
I agree. I like the eco-witch bit as well. Also not finding much depth in Jake yet.
(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Chapter 10 (30%):
(view spoiler)[
I'm starting to appreciate the characters' differences. And I really see the appeal of Frankie -- shy, nerdish, almost friendless, insecure, small, easily overlooked, lacking confidence -- as the new slayer.

Frankie is kind of an antithesis of Buffy. Instead of mini-skirts and high healed boots, we get hoodie and sport pants. Instead of a fully made-up stunning beauty, like Buffy, looking like she's stepping out for a night of clubbing, we get pimpled chin and chap-sticked Frankie. It's nice. It's refreshing.

Then we have Hailey for contrast. Confident, beautiful, brave, a bit rebellious. I wonder if she has any powers. And then we have Jake, who still hasn't got much depth, but he's helpful, sweet, and loyal. Hopefully we'll get more out of him.
(hide spoiler)]

It's definitely a fun read so far.

[Ashley W]

Chapter 12
(view spoiler)[ I'm not even sure what to think of this anymore. I think I would appreciate this a lot more if I weren't such a fan of the show. It's so weird to me that they would make Frankie wait for Jake before she went slaying again. The very idea that a Slayer would need a guy along would have been insulting to Buffy, Faith, Kendra, and all the potentials. And whenever it seems like these characters are moving on with their own story, an older character has to make a random throw back- like Willow with the sweaters. Feels like Blare just had a random list of points on the show and made a bet that she could work them all into the story somehow. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

Chapter 14
(view spoiler)[ Within those couple chapters the story moved along so much. Now that there is a demon to fight, something that they have to defeat, I think there will be more to the new characters (and Spike) and less about the old ones. I really want to see what Frankie, Hailey, and Jake can do on their own. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

Chapter 20
(view spoiler)[ All the talk of Willow and Oz is getting old. She made it very clear that she was a lesbian when she got with Tara. I do see some romance emerging with Jake and Hailey though. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

Chapter 22
(view spoiler)[ Well, now I need to know which one it is that Grimlock loves errrrg That's been the best part of the story so far. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

Chapter 26
(view spoiler)[ I love that Jake said he wasn't just a dog but he had a toy earlier. lol This whole bickering between Spike and Grim is wasting time. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

Chapter 31
(view spoiler)[ I can't believe Faith is dead. I refuse to believe it. Faith wouldn't go out like that. She just can't. (hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Ashley wrote: "Chapter 12
[spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[
Ashley wrote: "Chapter 12: I'm not even sure what to think of this anymore. I think I would appreciate this a lot more if I weren't such a fan of the show. It's so weird to me that they would make Frankie wait for Jake before she went slaying again. The very idea that a Slayer would need a guy along would have been insulting to Buffy, Faith, Kendra, and all the potentials. And whenever it seems like these characters are moving on with their own story, an older character has to make a random throw back- like Willow with the sweaters. Feels like Blare just had a random list of points on the show and made a bet that she could work them all into the story somehow.

I agree totally. But I thought it might be better if I had seen all the seasons.

On the one hand, I like how vulnerable and insecure Frankie is (as a slayer, and as a teenager), because it makes her relatable, but I also didn't like that she had to wait for Jake -- and meanwhile, more and more people are falling victim to the vampires.

I also had a problem with the concept that the Countess doesn't usually feed on slayers because they were woman, who were subservient to men -- that may just be one daemon's opinion, but I get the feeling that it might also be the author's opinion, and I don't see it that way. Buffy was clearly in charge and ran the show. Frankie is not doing that yet, but hopefully she will...

(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Ashley wrote: "Chapter 14
[spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[
Ashley wrote: "Chapter 14: Within those couple chapters the story moved along so much. Now that there is a demon to fight, something that they have to defeat, I think there will be more to the new characters (and Spike) and less about the old ones. I really want to see what Frankie, Hailey, and Jake can do on their own.

I am enjoying the story more with all the action, but I am still anxious to see the new characters develop into their own.

(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Ashley wrote: "Chapter 20
[spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[
Ashley wrote: "Chapter 20: All the talk of Willow and Oz is getting old. She made it very clear that she was a lesbian when she got with Tara. I do see some romance emerging with Jake and Hailey though.

I know! It looks like the author is not accepting Willow's preferences and is maybe going to force a romance between Willow and Oz on us -- I certainly hope not! Or maybe it is just Frankie who doesn't accept this... we'll see.

I thought it was clear from chapter one, that Frankie and Jake would get together. It might be a nice twist if Hailey steps in though -- could cause some tension between the girls...

I had the feeling that Hailey and Sigmund were going to spark some flames.

(hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

T.J. wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Chapter 20
[spoilers removed]"

Ashley wrote: "Chapter 20: All the talk of Willow and Oz is getting old. She made it very clear that she was a lesbian when she got with Tara. I do se..."

(view spoiler)[ It may very well be Frankie seeing what she wants to see with Willow and Oz, but I think that will be something further in the series. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley W]

Finished
(view spoiler)[ I wasn't too keen on this book in the beginning, or even in the middle. However, the parts toward the end when Frankie, Hailey, and Jake were more independent gave me some hope. I didn't like that the plot seemed to change in the middle of the book from this demon on Instagram to focus on the Countess. I understand how they were tied together, but I would have preferred more consistency. Really wish that the newer characters had been more the focus rather than so much about the older ones. (hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Sorry, I'm a little behind. I started too many books this month...

I'm 60% finished. I'll finish soon and then read and comment on your final comment.

[T.J.]

Finished
(view spoiler)[
I really dragged my feet on finishing this. I really really wanted it to be good. But, alas...

So at first I thought that I was just not part of the target audience, but after reading your comments, I realize that this books speaks neither to casual Buffy fans, such as myself, nor to die-hard Buffy fans, such as you. It seems to me that it would speak even less to readers who have never seen Buffy, sooooo... a bit of a disappointment.

I found Frankie's awkward, geeky slayer character endearing, as set apart from Buffy's cool, calm and collected slayer-character type. This could have been an interesting and entertaining contrast, bringing us into a new generation of slayers.

But it seems to me that the author could not decide if the story was about the new generation or about Buffy's generation -- and the information dropping from the Buffy series was awkward and ineffective -- and did not bring the story forward at all, but rather dragged it back every time it started to get interesting.

There was some excitement towards the beginning of the second half and then again at the end, but I agree with you that these two story-lines (insta-demon and countess) didn't flow together, but felt rather artificially pasted together.

And let's talk about predictability. Nothing unexpected happened.
Vi's appearance at the end was not an "omg! revelation", but rather a "huh, okay, well, that happened" moment for me. Sure it could have been Buffy appearing instead, but it wasn't. So what happened to Buffy? I will likely never know because I'm not planning to read the sequel. It just didn't pull me in -- and there are so many great books out there that have pulled me in, so...

And the whole Grimloch story was part predictable (handsome brooding daemon) and part hard to swallow (Frankie & and Team trusting him so easily -- after all they know about demons and evil beings).

I did a google image search:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" brooding handsome

and just as I expected got a whole page of pics of Spike and Angel. So what does Grim bring to the table, I ask you? Well, nothing new. One more handsome brooding demon to tempt our slayer.

Is he trustworthy? No way to know at this point, but Frankie just invites him into her training session to see what she can and can not do after barely having met him? Come on! That is just ridiculous! And nobody objects? There is absolutely no reason to run such a risk before really knowing whether he is worthy of her trust. He could easily be helping her to win her trust, so that he can use her for some ulterior motive (to backstab the countess, to eat Frankie's heart, to... who knows what? ) Clearly Frankie is no Buffy (she doesn't have the underworld street-smarts), but Willow should be a bit more skeptical -- and careful.

The best part of the story, I thought, was insecure, self-conscious Frankie finding her way and developing into her own. She doesn't repeat Buffy's patterns, but creates her own path -- and this is endearing and admirable.

The story the happened above and beyond Frankie's development, however, was disappointing.
(hide spoiler)]