I have to agree with a reviewer on GoodReads. Like her, I love Spike--all the more reason I was disappointed, because this novel is basically a novelization, a recap, of his backstory and those events in the Buffy episodes in which Spike was featured. In the front of the book Gallagher even lists those 27 episodes she used for material. This read like filler to me, like a lazy copy and paste job without any style or fresh insights to redeem it. This will be my fourth Buffy book. It's decent--better written than Queen of the Slayers, less entertaining than the Spike-centric Blackout and not nearly as impressive as the Faith novel Go Ask Malice. Not a keeper by any means. ( )

Relatively good Buffy spin-off. Not so much a new story as an elaboration and explanation of the character of Spike. ( )