Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 3: Guarded by Andrew Chambliss

Guarded by Andrew Chambliss

2013, Dark Horse

Series: Volume 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9

Goodreads / Amazon

Rating

Synopsis: In a bold move to give disenfranchised Slayers a meaningful societal role (with pay), Kennedy recruits Buffy to act as bodyguard for high-profile clientele. But unlike the other recruits, Buffy struggles to abandon her Slaying instincts and looks for demony threats where none lie (much to Kennedy's dismay). So it's only natural that her first job is to protect a tech mogul who just so happens to be running from demon assassins!

The Good: I've always liked Kennedy (which is a major sin in the Buffy loving world) and really enjoyed seeing her in the forefront of this volume. Kennedy is making the world work for her, something we always knew she's excel at. Buffy is floundering (as always). So Buffy goes to work for Kennedy. I loved seeing Buffy attempt a normal job that works with her slayer abilities. I loved seeing her struggle with no longer being the Chosen "One" and now being just another slayer in a world chock full of them, and not being the best at dealing with day to day issues.

The Bad: Billy the vampire slayer. Yay for including more gay characters. Boo for making a weird situation out of it. There are men who slay vampires, but they aren't slayers. I appreciate what they're trying to do here, but calling him a slayer, just because he's attracted to dudes is ridiculous. Men don't have the powers bestowed upon a slayer. Billy doesn't have the power either, because sexuality doesn't define gender. Slayers are women. Kennedy is a lesbian and that didn't take away her slayer abilities. It has nothing to do with who you love and you can't just go around calling every person a slayer when they clearly haven't been mystically called.