I had no idea these two collaborated on a book. Three apparently, since this is the first in a series, and a continuation of the world in that movie Willow. Which I've never seen, and therefore, the impact of the prologue is rather lost on me, beyond knowing these characters had a Big Adventure together.
Most of the book is set 15 years later, after some force destroyed many places of mystical power. Willow, now going by Thorn, has been roaming the world, studying the destruction and generally cutting himself off from everyone. He decides to visit the kingdom that's the current home of the "Sacred Princess", prophesied to be some big deal, who he saved when she was a baby in the movie. Things do not go well.
Lots of characters are introduced and then killed, many places described as being of great importance are summarily and easily destroyed by the "Deceiver', who Thorn may have discerned the identity of by the end of this book, but I haven't a clue. It's meant to establish the stakes, but it was hard to care overmuch since we'd only just been introduced to most of the deceased.
It's also hard to have much faith in Thorn as a protagonist, and Claremont and Lucas don't do themselves any favors there, either. Thorn doubting himself I can roll with. Nearly every other character questioning him or essentially calling him a fool or a complete dumbass, makes things trickier. If no one has faith in this guy, and he's getting outflanked at basically every turn, avoiding destruction by narrow margins, it's hard to be impressed.
The worst part of the book is a section maybe halfway through, where Thorn is imprisoned in a dungeon where a chaotic force is bound. The force offers its help, if Thorn will help it in turn. OK, fine. But the force is interwoven into the castle so completely Thorn keeps getting distracted and watching what's going on with other characters. Which drags the whole thing out interminably. Just get on with the favor so Thorn can return to being an active participant! Watching a character watching other characters is boring as shit and made me want to throw the book across the room.
Claremont seems to have the stronger influence, or maybe I'm just more in tune with his tics. The Sacred Princess being a young woman with extraordinary power who the villain (who may be some non-corporeal force of chaos) attempts to mold and turn into a weapon it can manipulate. Characters' natures being fundamentally altered in dramatic ways. Lots of scenes of characters becoming connected to some larger awareness, some different conception of space and time, and nearly losing themselves to it. Thorn nearly gets controlled by an ancient mountain that was destroyed and would have stood there and rebuilt it however long that took, because he was operating on its time.
'Mayhap was, but y' didn't know it, is all. No crime in tha', Drumheller, not even shame. I don't expect a young'un on his first cruise t' know the taste of a rogue wind, nor how t' handle it. Nor a rogue deal an' how t' keep it from goin' wrong. Their job's t' watch an' learn. Tha' applies to wizards, too, I 'spect. If tha's na' good enough f'r y', though' - a casual flick of the wrist sent the stiletto from his hand to the table before Thorn, with enough force to sink the blade an inch deep into its polished surface - if y' miss y'r friends so much, then by all means join 'em.'
2 comments:
I'd forgotten about these books. I've never read them, but I spotted them in a bookshop around 2003. There's a Willow sequel series coming soon to Disney+; I wonder if it will incorporate anything from these books?
My guess would be the Disney+ series will stick to the movie. That seems like the approach Disney took with Star Wars.
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