Willow: A Novel

by Lucasfilm

In a magical land, a poor farmer is entrusted with the care of an infant who is destined to become a good and wise queen and bring about the downfall of the evil sorceress who is the present queen.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Media Tie In, Childrens, Young Adult

125 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Lucasfilm is among the world’s leading entertainment service companies, a pioneer in visual effects and sound across multiple mediums, and is home to the legendary Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
Founded by visionary filmmaker George Lucas in 1971, Lucasfilm established itself as a “rebel base” of sorts in San Francisco’s Bay Area, a place the filmmaker chose to “shake up the status quo…of how movies were made and what they were about.” It was a defiant departure from the Hollywood mainstream and a more conducive atmosphere to cultivate his independent spirit of filmmaking.
With money earned from his third motion picture, 1977’s blockbuster Star Wars, Lucas was able to construct Skywalker Ranch in San Francisco’s North Bay in the early ‘80s, a place where filmmakers could work together sharing ideas and experience.

Reviews

[⚔️ Mythica ⚔️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t read movie novelisation’s often but I love Willow and novelisations can have extra scenes and dialogue..not really the case here, there’s a couple of extra things but nothing that changes the story overall and the dialogue is pretty much word for word of the film. Still a fun,quick read and now I’m itching to watch the film again and maybe finally read the Shadow War trilogy sitting on my shelf ⚔️

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great adaptation of a beloved movie. I learned the names of some creatures and spells.

[Steven Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exhilarating read! If you have children, this is a must read. The excitement of an underdog achieving everything in a world of monsters, magic, and mayhem is a thrill ride. You know it is a truly great story when you hit that last page and do not know if you should laugh, cry, or rejoice! Why not all three? I did! All hail Willow Ufgood!

[Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sister Alayna hunted this edition of Willow down for my Birthday. It remains a source of happiness in my book collection. :-) I am a huge fan of George Lucas' Shadow Wars series, however Willow doesn't reflect the series at all. I would simply watch the movie, and then read the Shadow War series, and leave this book alone.

[Reesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. To be clear, the story of Willow is amazing, definitely a 5-star story and a 5-star film. However, this book isn't much of a novelization. This is more like a dictation of each action that occurred and each line that was spoken in the movie.

I've always loved novelizations of films and even TV episodes because they tend to add an entire extra layer to what you've already seen, discussing motivation, feelings, and internal thoughts that weren't covered on screen. They also tend to fold in "missing" scenes or sometimes actual scenes that were filmed but later cut.

This novel doesn't do much if any of that. It just states each thing that happened in the film, each line that was spoken, and doesn't even manage to grasp the best comedic moments or changes in tone or body language that add meaning on the screen.

I suppose I shouldn't have been expecting much when I saw how small the book was, but I'm ultimately disappointed. I'd suggest just watching the film again instead of reading this. Or, maybe a very young kid totally obsessed with Willow would like it..?

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually read books that are based on screenplays. However, I chose to do so with this one since I went on to read the Shadow War series which is based on characters from the movie. The book is pretty much exactly like the movie with a couple of small exceptions. I loved the movie so I liked the book too.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. No real revelations that weren't in the movie - a deleted scene and some info about Sorsha's father, and that's it. Other than that, the dialogue is very nearly word for word from the film, so if you've seen it as many times as I have, you can read this thing super duper fast.

[Celina and Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome