Wicked Willow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wicked Willow trilogy were three original novels based on the U.S. television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the UK, an omnibus of the entire trilogy was later released.
Contents |
[edit] Wicked Willow: The Darkening
First of the trilogy.
The Darkening | |
First edition cover |
|
Author | Yvonne Navarro |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Wicked Willow |
Genre(s) | Horror novel |
Publisher | Pocket Books |
Publication date | May 4, 2004 |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 288 pp |
ISBN | ISBN 0-7434-8996-9 |
Preceded by | Blood and Fog (Buffy novel) |
[edit] Plot summary
Tagline: 'A new power is rising in Sunnydale'.
Characters: Include; Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, Dawn and Giles
Struggling with an increasing addiction to magic, Willow is crushed to find she cannot stop using her powers for the one she loves. It grows worse, however, when Tara is shot and killed by Warren, who had been trying to shoot Buffy. Losing herself in grief, Willow allows herself to be overwhelmed by the powers of dark magic. Determined to get revenge on those responsible for Tara's death, she begins her descent into evil. In the woods outside of Sunnydale she extracts a terrible price from Warren, Tara's murderer, by flaying him alive. Buffy, Xander and Anya arrive too late to stop her. Revenge is not enough to satisfy a grief-stricken Willow. Her friends hope to halt her trail of vengeance and magic-collecting before Willow does more damage.
[edit] Continuity
- While it is supposed to be set at the end of BtVS's sixth season, immediately after Villains, the story is placed in a parallel universe to that established by Buffyverse canon. It moves from this event into an alternative set of events than the ones that took place on the screen.
[edit] Wicked Willow: Shattered Twilight
Second of the trilogy.
Shattered Twilight | |
First edition cover |
|
Author | Yvonne Navarro |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Wicked Willow |
Genre(s) | Horror novel |
Publisher | Pocket Books release_date = June 22, 2004 |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 272 pp |
ISBN | ISBN 0-7434-9236-6 |
[edit] Plot summary
Tagline: 'A new power has risen in Sunnydale'.
Characters: Include; Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, Dawn and Giles
Willow's own coven has turned against her. Willow is condemned for saving Buffy from an evil phantom and for not adequately protecting other coven members. Willow must devise a way to restore their confidence in her, and reinforce her power.
In truth, she battled the phantom because Tara's ghost asked her to do it, even though it would lower her status in the coven. Willow seeks infallible magic.
Buffy and the Scoobies still hope to fight back, yet do not want to lose Willow forever.
[edit] Continuity
- Continues an alternative storyline than the one that emerged on screen after Villains. The story continues from 'The Darkening.'
[edit] Wicked Willow: Broken Sunrise
Third of the trilogy.
Broken Sunrise | |
First edition cover |
|
Author | Yvonne Navarro |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Wicked Willow |
Genre(s) | Horror novel |
Publisher | Pocket Books |
Publication date | August 24, 2004 |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 352 pp |
ISBN | ISBN 0-7434-9237-4 |
Followed by | Apocalypse Memories (Buffy novel) |
[edit] Plot summary
Tagline: 'A new alternate history trilogy'.
Characters: Include; Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, Dawn and Giles
Tara's ghost has disappeared. Willow suspected it was something she had done or that the universe was again conspiring to hurt her. She soon learns that the Scoobies are responsible.
Willow desperately wants Tara to return. She misses the spectre's company and Tara's ghost is needed to perform a resurrection spell Willow hopes to use to bring Tara back to life. Her first impulse is to bring wrath upon the heads of her old friends, but the coven reminds her that in the past Willow's anger has controlled her, leading to subsequent failure. Willow must use an alternate idea to regain Tara's spirit and perform the spell to bring her back to life.
Meanwhile, the Scoobies want to drain Willow's dark magic, and release fellow Scoobs Spike and Oz from enslavement. Willow's anger is deep; she may stop at nothing to carry out her plans.
[edit] Continuity
- Continues an alternative storyline than the one that emerged on screen after Villains. The story continues from 'Shattered Twilight.'
[edit] Trivia of the trilogy
- While the story received mixed reviews from fans, many appreciated the alternate reality idea. Other fans wished it had been taken further and admonished the author for not deviating further from Buffyverse canon. Many anonymous reviewers on Amazon.com wrote negative reviews for the third book, and Yvonne Navarro responded with an article titled, 'Rant,' about the reviews. She made four key points:
- The reviewers at Amazon failed to use proper grammar,
- Editors forced certain story decisions upon her
- Publisher deadlines were to blame for typos
- Critics of the book should attempt to write their own Buffy books
[edit] Canonical issues
- Buffy/Angel books such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. Some fans consider them stories from the imaginations of authors and artists, while other fans consider them as taking place in an alternative fictional reality. However unlike fan fiction, overviews summarising their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by both Fox and Joss Whedon (or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy/Angel merchandise.
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: January 2002 - Spring 2002 (non-canon = italic) |
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Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.13 Dead Things |
L.A., 2002 | Angel book: Fearless |
L.A., 2002 | A3.13 Waiting in the Wings |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.14 Older and Far Away |
L.A., 2002 | A3.14 Couplet |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.15 As You Were |
L.A., 2002 | A3.15 Loyalty |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.16 Hell's Bells |
L.A., 2002 | A3.16 Sleep Tight |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.17 Normal Again |
L.A., 2002 | A3.17 Forgiving |
L.A., 2002 | Angel comic: Spike: Old Times |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.18 Entropy |
L.A., 2002 | A3.18 Double or Nothing |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.19 Seeing Red |
L.A., 2002 | A3.19 The Price |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.20 Villains |
Sunnydale, 2002 | Buffy books: Wicked Willow |
L.A., 2002 | A3.20 A New World |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.21 Two to Go |
Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.22 Grave |
L.A., 2002 | A3.21 Benediction |
L.A., 2002 | A3.22 Tomorrow |
[edit] External links
[edit] Wicked Willow Controversy: Yvonne Navarro vs Amazon reviewers
- Yvonne Navarro's article titled, 'Rant', about anonymous Amazon reviews of her Dark Willow trilogy
- Whedonesquers comment on Yvonne Navarro's article titled 'Rant'
- Amazon.com - Reviews for Wicked Willow I: The Darkening
- Amazon.com - Reviews for Wicked Willow II: Shattered Twilight
- Amazon.com - Reviews for Wicked Willow III: Broken Sunrise
[edit] Reviews
[edit] Book I
- Litefoot1969.bravepages.com - Review of this book one by Litefoot
- Teen-books.com - Reviews Book I
- Shadowcat.name - Review of book 1
[edit] Book II
- Litefoot1969.bravepages.com - Review of this book two by Litefoot
- Teen-books.com - Reviews Book II
- Shadowcat.name - Review of book 2
[edit] Book III
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