[Rachel’s Review]: Chosen (Slayer #2) by Kiersten White

Chosen
by Kiersten White
Pages: 368
Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Release Date: January 9th 2020
Genres: Urban Fantasy, YA
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC, eBook
Goodreads

“Will get Buffy fans up in their feels.” —Entertainment Weekly on Slayer

Nina continues to learn how to use her slayer powers against enemies old and new in this second novel in the New York Times bestselling series from Kiersten White, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Now that Nina has turned the Watcher’s Castle into a utopia for hurt and lonely demons, she’s still waiting for the utopia part to kick in. With her sister Artemis gone and only a few people remaining at the castle—including her still-distant mother—Nina has her hands full. Plus, though she gained back her Slayer powers from Leo, they’re not feeling quite right after being held by the seriously evil succubus Eve, a.k.a. fake Watcher’s Council member and Leo’s mom.

And while Nina is dealing with the darkness inside, there’s also a new threat on the outside, portended by an odd triangle symbol that seems to be popping up everywhere, in connection with Sean’s demon drug ring as well as someone a bit closer to home. Because one near-apocalypse just isn’t enough, right?

The darkness always finds you. And once again, it’s coming for the Slayer.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is how you end a series folks!! Chosen is the second in Kiersten White’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, the first of which, titled “Slayer” came out in January 2019. I’m a simple girl, I see “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and i’m on-board, no questions asked but this one knocked it out of the park. This post will contain spoilery allusions to book one in the series so go read it first!

I read Slayer in January and I enjoyed it! I thought it was a fun story with relatable characters and great nods to the original series. It picked up where the Buffy comics ended (which required some research on my part because I only read two of the comics) with one final Slayer being called in the split second before magic was banished. Nina, the last Chosen One and daughter of Buffy’s first Watcher, is witty and strong and loves her family more than anything. While I enjoyed the book it did waver for me in some areas and felt low-stakes until the very end.

Chosen, on the other hand, was brilliant. Nina is mostly over her Buffy hate but is majorly drowning in guilt and self-doubt after the death of her boyfriend/Watcher and is trying to deal with the fact that is is just chock-full of rage. Part of that is her Slayer powers feeling dark and wrong somehow since being returned to her, and part of that is her sister taking off with her mean girlfriend and Nina trying to run a demon sanctuary basically by herself without killing anyone. When a new threat gathering major power and twin sister Artemis seemingly on the wrong side of the fight, Nina is wondering if the final Watcher prophecy has actually been solved after all.

Chosen was full of some of my favorite parts of original Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Struggles with mental health and the darkness within, grappling with the moral choices of slaying and what gives Slayers the authority to decide who lives and who dies, laconic werewolves in beat up vans , and the decision of what is more important: your family or the world.

My only struggle with this was one of my favorite characters showing up (so many good cameos in this series!!) and feeling like he was a bit out of character, but once he popped back out of the story again I was hooked. This book has plenty of action, but a lot of the lead up is very introspective and about Nina’s struggle with who she is and where she fits. The last 100 pages had my heart pounding and I wish we could get even more books from White set in this world! If you’re a Buffy fan this is a don’t miss!