Spike and Drusilla, perhaps the most popular of the colorful cast of villains on television's Buffy the Vampire Slayer , star in a novel that predates the series by about 50 years. The happy-go-lucky vampires are seeking a powerful necklace that is in the possession of an ancient demon, Skrymir. In exchange for the necklace, Skrymir wants Spike and Drusilla to seek out and kill potential slayers: girls who might become vampire slayers if the current slayer, Sophie, is killed. The pair happily accept the task, and in scenes that manage to be both chilling and humorous, hunt down and kill these potential slayers, until their fight brings them face to face with the current slayer herself. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see Spike and Dru wreaking havoc in their pre-Buffy days; the fact that the novel stands on its own without most of the Buffy principals is a testament to the strength of these characters.