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buffywantbooks's review against another edition
3.0
The plot of this book is based entirely around Spike getting Drusilla an enchanted finger so she doesn’t break up with him. He’s very stupid and I love him ❤️
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, blood, death
"We're not the good guys. Do we look like good guys? We're the worse guys--the thoroughly awful guys who are so bad we make other bad guys look...stupid. And also bad women."
Bloody Fool for Love by William Ritter is a Spike prequel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This was such a fun read! I have always loved BTVS and Spike, so it was wonderful to read more about him. This was a short and easy read that I definitely recommend to any Buffy fans.
We follow Spike, Drusilla, and Darla in London in 1901 after Angel has gotten his soul and abandoned them. Spike has just killed a Slayer and is feeling on top of the world until they get back to London and are pretty bored. Spike wants to give Dru everything he can to make her forget about Angel and focus more on him, so he plans a ridiculously stupid caper to steal a relic of finger that is supposed to help focus Dru's premonitions. As you would imagine, it all goes to hell (pun intended) when a demon syndicate interrupts and takes it for their boss, a Hastam demon.
We get a vampire/demon heist! As strange as it is to say about murderous vamps and demons, this was a lighthearted romp. Spike is impulsive and simpering for Dru, makes bad decisions and biting comments (pun intended again). I wouldn't say there is much substance, but we do get some nice full circle moments, and his relationship with Dru is quite sweet if a little sadistic. We even get to see a badass female werewolf and various interesting demons.
I may not love Spike's relationship with Buffy in the show, but he is an entertaining character and much better with Drusilla. Bring on more Buffy (Spike) stories!
"We're not the good guys. Do we look like good guys? We're the worse guys--the thoroughly awful guys who are so bad we make other bad guys look...stupid. And also bad women."
Bloody Fool for Love by William Ritter is a Spike prequel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This was such a fun read! I have always loved BTVS and Spike, so it was wonderful to read more about him. This was a short and easy read that I definitely recommend to any Buffy fans.
We follow Spike, Drusilla, and Darla in London in 1901 after Angel has gotten his soul and abandoned them. Spike has just killed a Slayer and is feeling on top of the world until they get back to London and are pretty bored. Spike wants to give Dru everything he can to make her forget about Angel and focus more on him, so he plans a ridiculously stupid caper to steal a relic of finger that is supposed to help focus Dru's premonitions. As you would imagine, it all goes to hell (pun intended) when a demon syndicate interrupts and takes it for their boss, a Hastam demon.
We get a vampire/demon heist! As strange as it is to say about murderous vamps and demons, this was a lighthearted romp. Spike is impulsive and simpering for Dru, makes bad decisions and biting comments (pun intended again). I wouldn't say there is much substance, but we do get some nice full circle moments, and his relationship with Dru is quite sweet if a little sadistic. We even get to see a badass female werewolf and various interesting demons.
I may not love Spike's relationship with Buffy in the show, but he is an entertaining character and much better with Drusilla. Bring on more Buffy (Spike) stories!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
beauty_amongst_thorns's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
paulineerika's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.5
Not a bad caper/heist novel and there were some fun little references to BtVS (Miss Edith's origin story!), but overall, it didn't quite feel like Ritter captured the voices of Spike, Drusilla, and Darla well enough.
teganbeesebooks's review against another edition
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. YAAAAAS. THANK YOU EDELWEISS.
bookbabe_92's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kkaste's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ladyfives's review against another edition
5.0
Drusilla considered. "Do you know that feeling you get," she asked, "when you're killing somebody, and they haven't quite given up? That fleeting moment when you know they're already dead, but they still haven't figured it out yet?"
"We were talking about where we'd like to live," said Spike.
"Yes," said Drusilla. "That's where."
Unholy hell this was SO GOOD! Ritter was the right man for the job with his quippy writing and willingness to write truly silly, borderline-campy scenes. Also, it was a heist novel all along, which I love—especially when you throw some supernatural fiends in there.
Something that always irked me about BtVS was that its big hyped-up villains almost always ended up looking weak and unbelievable at best, stupid and cartoonish at worst (mix of having to wrap their stories up quick, poor special effects, and all the snark?). Spike still strikes me as a victim of that. So it’s great to see him here—believably the vampire who killed two slayers, but still love-sick, chaotic, careless, and clever.
kamisha's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
booksonawire's review against another edition
4.0
When I saw this on my library shelf I had to grab it, I'm totally down for a Spike series! It was fun revisiting Spike, Drusilla, and Darla. Hope to see more of these in the future and the only thing I wish for is narration by James!!