by Nancy Holder
First published 2000
Buffy Summers expects another routine patrol in Sunnydale. Instead, she encounters something far more dangerous than the usual vampires lurking in the shadows. An ancient vampire sorceress has awakened, one who possesses abilities that make her nearly impossible to defeat. This demon can leap from one human host to another, turning innocent people into weapons against the Slayer. Worse yet, the sorceress seems to know Buffy's fighting patterns and strategies before she makes them. Every move Buffy plans, her enemy anticipates. Every attack she launches, the sorceress counters. As bodies pile up and the sorceress grows stronger with each new host, Buffy realizes she's facing an opponent who has learned to think like her. The familiar streets of Sunnydale become a deadly chess match where Buffy must reinvent her entire approach to slaying. With innocent lives hanging in the balance and her usual tactics useless, Buffy discovers that defeating this ancient evil will require her to become something she's never been before.
Genres: fantasy, horror, supernatural, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: ancient-evil, chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Sunnydale
Period: Season 3
309 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Content warnings: violence