Slayer by Kiersten White – review

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. 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.

It probably goes without saying that I'm a massive Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I was so excited to read something new set in the same world and this book slotted into the mythology really well.

Kiersten White obviously loves the series too and that really comes across in Slayer. The story followed on seamlessly from the end of Season 7 and incorporated details from the series throughout. The dialogue was also in keeping with the TV show's witty, entertaining style. The Irish setting was a nice touch, as it differentiated the books from the familiar California landscape.

I enjoyed the storyline of Nina getting used to her powers and what it means to be a slayer. The whole story was a really fun read, exploring familiar tropes from the series as well as some new elements.

This is a really promising start and I'll look forward to the next instalment. In the meantime, I've heard great things about The Conqueror's Trilogy by Kiersten White so I might get started on those...


Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's UK for the review copy!