CC: Prisms Series by Mad-Hamlet

["The Watcher" <thewatcherau@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Prisms Series

http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~shadow27/madhamlet.htm

Without giving too much away (even though it's revealed early on in the
first part) the Prisms series deals with a delicate topic. It also makes
great use of changing perspectives and POVs. There's enough information in
the story and enough identifying characteristics that it's easy to identify
who's POV is being used without gratuitous tactics being employed by the
author.

First Spike (Black) then Buffy (Blue), Giles (Violet), Xander (Green),
Willow (Orange), Everyone (Red), Someone VERY interesting (Yellow) and
finally Buffy & Willow (White)

First off I'd have to say that I really liked all the parts for varying
reasons and it's great to see a writer who is confident enough in their
grasp on all the characters to have a stab at writing from all of their
perspectives. It's not as easy as one might think.

If pushed to name a favourite I'd probably have to say Black, Yellow or Red.

To digress slightly, I've seen a fair bit of "Spike bashing" for want of a
better term in light of the Season 5 ending Spike/Buffy ship/non-ship.
People are pulling out all manner of reasons why Spike can't be with Buffy
etc.. and to a large extent getting down on the character. well I have to
say in terms of pure storytelling Spike is an AWESOME character and Joss
(and the rest of the writers) for the most part use him REALLY well. Being
who (and what) he is he's able to say (and do) a lot of things that other
characters can't. And he's played brilliantly by James Marsters. Even though
I live in Australia I've seen the first two eps (Bargaining and After Life)
and a number of my suspicsions have been confirmed but more about that
later.

In this fic (or series) you get a bit of a look at how good a "plot device"
Spike is, along with the wide range of possibilities available for writers
with him. A few of the more traditional writers should take note, a long
with some of the more agressive redemptionists who'd love to see him turned
into a fluffy bunny (then the only person he'd scare would be Anya). So many
kudos to Mad-Hamlet for the excellent Spike utilisation.

Onto the Yellow. which I won't say too much about coz I don't want to ruin
the story for anyone. But this is an EXCELLENT "chapter" for any number of
reasons the least of which being what WASNT said. It goes to show the power
of omission in writing. The readers have an imagination (especially if they
are Buffy Fans) and you needn't always fill in all the blanks for them.
Whilst not overly long it conveys so much and meshes in beautifully with the
remainder of the story. Filling in an aspect that is all too often left out
in the Buffyverse. More kudos to Mad-Hamlet

And finally Red. Red is the almost obligatory (for a buffy story) "battle
scene" of sorts and is VERY well executed, both technically, with MULTIPLE
POV changes, and storywise with a strong pacing and rhythym. To a certain
extent it's the finale of the story with the two following chapters being
somewhat akin to season 4's "Restless" (without the bizzare dreams and
certainly no guys with cheese) as epilogues of a sort.

Even though when categorising the fic it'd be placed firmly amongst the
Buffy/Willow fic it's in now way centric to either character. Whilst it does
revolve around a certain event. All the characters are given plenty of room
to move and depth. Unlike a number of recent fics I've read which will have
a single scene just to have that character present in the story. Mad-Hamlet
hasn't needed to by ignoring the characters who weren't involved. Once again
more authors should take note.

Speaking of characters that weren't involved. It brings me to the point of
canon. The Gospel According To Joss and Marti. Well Mad-Hamlet much be an
avid churchgoer coz for such and UN-canon fic it's amazingly true to the
series characterisations and reactions and in some instances past events.
I'll say right here and now I really like this.

I read plenty of non canon and even some alternate universe fic and don't
have a problem with it (hell I just finished a story where Tara was a
vampire) but unless very nessecary for the story I really like to see the
characters true to themselves as they are on the show. Afterall that's why I
keep watching it coz I like the characters. Besides it also gives you a
benchmark of sorts to see how the story is going. Anyway Well done once
more to Mad-Hamlet.

OK well I was gonna wait and publish these all at once but I suppose I'll
get this out there now.

Until Next Time

-TW



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