ENDANGERED SPECIES
Angel
By Nancy Holder & Jeff Mariotte
Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster) - October 2002
ISBN 0743450701 HB
Horror / TV Tie-In

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.com
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Moving along a little further in time in this series, this book is set during the first half of the third season, so the gang is all here and is one of the strongest entries for this series in print, hence the hardcover status. Prepare for a roller coaster ride as Cordelia's latest vision reveals that the team's old nemesis Faith is in danger, and big-game-hunter-with-a-difference Chaz Escober strolls into the hotel. He is looking for his (vampire) wife Marianna, who wants to organize a hunt to cap them all with a slayer as prey and the couple's own private island as a venue. Wolfram and Hart are in the picture too, as is nun-turned-vampire Benedicta who wants to bring a new evil into the world that will make all vampires unbelievably powerful. In short, just another day for Angel Investigations!

As usual, expect a heady mix of horror, humor and action that this series delivers without fail; a book to devour in one gulp, perhaps. Also, as usual, this book has a tendency to portray the characters the way they ought to be and has the wimpish Wesley holding his end up and a streetwisecracking Gunn who does more than just stand still quietly or rush about. This is one way in which the books are superior to the series and the writers tend to portray things how, as maybe many fans see it, they ought to be instead of as they are in the series. Highly readable, and although it probably won't stay in the mind very long, this is an above-average adventure that will give any fan reading pleasure.