Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

So, while there are seemingly dozens of Buffy the Vampire Slayer tie-in novels that were published during the show’s run (I’ve never read any of them, but have quite a few squirreled away on my Maybe Someday Soonish™️ shelf), to the best of my knowledge, Kiersten White’s new book, Slayer, is one of the first to be published after the show ended.

Additionally, I gather (Google) that those earlier tie-in novels are…debatably canon, while Slayer is definitely considered canon. This book takes place shortly after season eight of Buffy…which was a comic book. One that I started, but never finished. There’s literally like five of these “seasons” that I’ve not (fully) read, and Buffy is my favorite show OF EVER!!

So maybe someday I’ll make those comics a priority. But it is not this day.

I had someone ask me on Bookstagram whether Slayer could be read without ever having seen Buffy. That’s a hard question for me to answer, if for no other reason than it just wasn’t my experience. I mean, the short answer is yes, you definitely could. I think White did a really great job of tying her story into the overall Buffyverse, and there is no shortage of references and little nods to the show and its characters. But like I said, I’m coming into this having not read all the comics that made up season eight, and I was able to follow right along.

/world’s longest intro

This is the story of Nina, a teenager who kinda-sorta trained as a Watcher, then took it upon herself to become the medic in the Watcher’s Castle which has been magically relocated near Dublin. But soon enough, Nina discovers she is actually a slayer. And could potentially wind up being the last slayer.

Like ever.

Nina has a twin sister named Artemis, and really, their relationship is the beating heart of this novel. They’re incredibly close, but also very different. Artemis is the consummate overachiever, doing so much in the castle beyond her Watcher training. Everyone relies on Artemis, perhaps a little too heavily.

Much of this book is about Nina learning to rely a bit more on herself, and to trust her new-found slayer instincts. And also to accept being a slayer in the first place, as she doesn’t hold them in very high regard (Buffy least of all). There’s so much cleverness about the way White chose to write Nina. Her instincts as a healer are going to sometimes be at odds with her responsibilities as a slayer. Sometimes slayers have to make some really shitty choices in the name of vanquishing evil, and it’ll be interesting to see how this theme plays out going forward in the series. Either way, a slayer/healer is a pretty righteous mix, no?

Nothing comes easy to Nina in this book. At all. There are threats both inside & outside of the castle, there’s hellhounds, there’s that boy she had a big crush on but now wishes he was dead (except not really), there’s the *checks notes* Coldplay demon…*ahem*…yes, the Coldplay demon.

This was a blast to read, and I’m thrilled to have new stories told within this universe. Kiersten White’s love of this world is plain to see in the text, and she really captures the angsty/snarky/emotional spirit of the show, while also creating a totally new space for new fans. I really enjoyed this one!!