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Wicked Willow #3
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wicked Willow III - Broken Sunrise
The Ghost of Tara has disappeared. At first Willow thought it was because of something she'd done -- or worse, that the universe was again conspiring to hurt her. But it's almost impossible to keep secrets from a witch, especially one as powerful as Willow, and ultimately she learns that Buffy and the gang are the culprits.
Willow desperately wants Tara back. Not only does she miss her immensely, the spirit's presence is necessary to perform the resurrection spell Willow's been working on. Though her first impulse is to charge off and bring her wrath down upon the heads of her old friends, her coven reminds her that in the past, when Willow has allowed anger to control her, she has failed. Willow must develop an alternate plan to regain Tara's spirit and perform the spell.
Buffy and the Scoobies hope to drain Willow's power, and release Spike and Oz from their enslavement. But Willow's anger is endless, and it seems she'll stop at nothing in her fight to bring Tara back, no matter what the cost....
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2004
3 people are currently reading
419 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Navarro
127 books174 followersYvonne Navarro is the author of Concrete Savior, Highborn, AfterAge, deadrush, Final Impact, Mirror Me and a bunch of other books, plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels and tie-in novels for Hellboy, Elektra, and others."
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 22, 2020
The Wicked Willow trilogy is an alternate storyline from Buffy's sixth season in which Willow attempts to bring back Tara, her one true love who's been cruelly murdered. Naturally, the further she delves into dark sorcery the deeper into the dark side she slips, and the consequences for her and her friends intensifies. The books definitely need to be read in order, as it's more of a long novel split into three parts than a true trilogy. The second volume tends to sag a bit, but it's overall a compelling and well-paced story. Navarro does a good job of portraying the characters in a convincing manner, and takes the reader on a realistic return to Sunnydale. I can't think of any particulars I can mention that wouldn't be spoilerish, but I'll say that I enjoyed the trip.
August 11, 2010
The first book of the trilogy was the best. This one ended up re-hashing the episode the trilogy was based on and basically ended the same -- kind of a let down really. An alternate history should change the history - not warp it around to end the same.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2025
Wow. At first, I was going to give this trilogy three stars, because I think the story could’ve gone deeper and still kept to the constraints of the Buffyverse plot; however, after reading about the author’s experience getting this trilogy out there and the challenges of dealing with her publisher and everyone in between, I’m going to go ahead and give this five stars.
Having to produce and edit a creative work under those conditions is ridiculous and then to take blame from an angry readership on top of that? Forget it.
Frankly, I’m angry for Navarro and I hope she found her way into better projects and more understanding readers after this. I just discovered this trilogy, and I’m glad to see there are people supporting her many years after its completion.
Navarro’s response to the poor reviews: https://www.yvonnenavarro.com/rant.htm
Having to produce and edit a creative work under those conditions is ridiculous and then to take blame from an angry readership on top of that? Forget it.
Frankly, I’m angry for Navarro and I hope she found her way into better projects and more understanding readers after this. I just discovered this trilogy, and I’m glad to see there are people supporting her many years after its completion.
Navarro’s response to the poor reviews: https://www.yvonnenavarro.com/rant.htm
November 28, 2016
This is based on the television series and is an alternate reality story. This is the third book of a trilogy and the others should be read before this one. In this one, Willow is still grieving her loss of Tara's ghost to the Scoobies. She puts into action of getting Tara back and making her alive again.
I liked this trilogy on a whole and this was more than a satisfying conclusion to it. Once again I had no problem with visualizing the characters of the television series. This book had several callbacks to the television series and they were used terrifically. I especially liked the use of the Gnarl and Willow's connection to this demon. I thought the author did a great job with having this trilogy go full circle and fans of the television series will recognize and enjoy the finale.
I know this is not serious literature but it does what it is suppose to do. I was able to spend time with characters from my favorite television show and it was a new story to me. I am pleased with that and fans of the show will probably enjoy this trilogy.
I liked this trilogy on a whole and this was more than a satisfying conclusion to it. Once again I had no problem with visualizing the characters of the television series. This book had several callbacks to the television series and they were used terrifically. I especially liked the use of the Gnarl and Willow's connection to this demon. I thought the author did a great job with having this trilogy go full circle and fans of the television series will recognize and enjoy the finale.
I know this is not serious literature but it does what it is suppose to do. I was able to spend time with characters from my favorite television show and it was a new story to me. I am pleased with that and fans of the show will probably enjoy this trilogy.
February 18, 2025
As the final book in the Wicked Willow trilogy, Broken Sunrise brings Willow’s intense journey to a thrilling conclusion, and while it stays true to the heart of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe, it does have some moments that might leave fans feeling conflicted.
Willow’s grief over losing Tara's ghost takes center stage in this book, and the emotional depth that Navarro brings to her character is impressive. Willow’s struggle to bring Tara back from the dead, even at the cost of her own soul, is both heartbreaking and captivating. The stakes are high as Willow battles not only her friends but also her own darker impulses. The tension between Willow and Buffy, and the Scoobies in general, is palpable, and it's easy to see why this story would make for a compelling season arc.
Navarro does a great job with the Buffy callbacks, particularly with the inclusion of characters and demons that long-time fans will recognize. I particularly appreciated the use of the Gnarl and how Willow’s connection to this demon is explored in this installment. These references help keep the book grounded in the world we love, even as the story diverges into darker territory.
That being said, the book doesn’t quite avoid some of the pitfalls that come with writing an alternate reality. Some readers may feel that the ending, though satisfying, echoes the TV show a little too closely. While there are certainly stakes in this narrative, the eventual resolution can feel a bit too familiar, especially for those hoping for a bigger divergence from the series canon. Willow's journey is emotional, but some moments in the first half of the book do feel a bit repetitive or slow as she second-guesses herself, which may frustrate readers who want her to embrace the darker path fully.
Despite these minor drawbacks, Broken Sunrise wraps up the trilogy in a way that honors the emotional core of Willow’s character. Fans of the show will find it satisfying enough, and for those who love diving deeper into the Buffy universe, it's an engaging and emotional ride. Just don’t expect it to offer a drastically different ending from the show.
Overall, it's a strong and fulfilling conclusion to the trilogy, though it could have gone a bit further in breaking free from the show’s narrative constraints.
Willow’s grief over losing Tara's ghost takes center stage in this book, and the emotional depth that Navarro brings to her character is impressive. Willow’s struggle to bring Tara back from the dead, even at the cost of her own soul, is both heartbreaking and captivating. The stakes are high as Willow battles not only her friends but also her own darker impulses. The tension between Willow and Buffy, and the Scoobies in general, is palpable, and it's easy to see why this story would make for a compelling season arc.
Navarro does a great job with the Buffy callbacks, particularly with the inclusion of characters and demons that long-time fans will recognize. I particularly appreciated the use of the Gnarl and how Willow’s connection to this demon is explored in this installment. These references help keep the book grounded in the world we love, even as the story diverges into darker territory.
That being said, the book doesn’t quite avoid some of the pitfalls that come with writing an alternate reality. Some readers may feel that the ending, though satisfying, echoes the TV show a little too closely. While there are certainly stakes in this narrative, the eventual resolution can feel a bit too familiar, especially for those hoping for a bigger divergence from the series canon. Willow's journey is emotional, but some moments in the first half of the book do feel a bit repetitive or slow as she second-guesses herself, which may frustrate readers who want her to embrace the darker path fully.
Despite these minor drawbacks, Broken Sunrise wraps up the trilogy in a way that honors the emotional core of Willow’s character. Fans of the show will find it satisfying enough, and for those who love diving deeper into the Buffy universe, it's an engaging and emotional ride. Just don’t expect it to offer a drastically different ending from the show.
Overall, it's a strong and fulfilling conclusion to the trilogy, though it could have gone a bit further in breaking free from the show’s narrative constraints.
March 8, 2018
Well, there were a few new things happening and in some ways this is the best of the 3 Dark Willow books. In the end though it was exactly the same ending as the TV show. Maybe that would be OK, I loved the show after all, but the Willow character is so inconsistent here; the things she does, says, feels and believes would not lead her to such a simple path change – she is too far gone, very different from the TV Willow.
I have no objection to Buffy books that live outside the official universe but I think they should add to the information we have, they should fill in gaps or imagine background or fill out details of events the viewer is only told of in passing, rather than repeat and distort.
An unsatisfying 3 books.
I have no objection to Buffy books that live outside the official universe but I think they should add to the information we have, they should fill in gaps or imagine background or fill out details of events the viewer is only told of in passing, rather than repeat and distort.
An unsatisfying 3 books.
April 8, 2023
I remember reading this series years ago that I enjoyed it. I’m not going to lie I’m a huge BTVS fan so I did indulge in a few books after the series wrapped. I loved this 3 parter because I always feel as though “Wicked Willow” almost could have and should have been a full season or half season baddie.
I’m sure the idea was there and thus these 3 books being born. I’ve been thinking about taking a re read.
I’m sure the idea was there and thus these 3 books being born. I’ve been thinking about taking a re read.
February 3, 2016
In this final installment of the triology, Willow goes on the offensive against Buffy and company. She calls up demons that eat people alive; they paralyze them, then they rip off pieces of their skin and other body parts and eat them while the person is still alive.
Tara's ghost is still there and that issue is resolved.
SPOILER: In the end, though, everything returns to the ending in the TV series where Willow tries to call up a dark tower to destroy the earth and is stopped by Xander.
Which means, as far as I care, the trilogy is pretty much wasted. They started from where things were in the TV series and move to where things were in the TV series. As an "alternate reality" story, it doesn't work. All the meanness Willow was supposed to have was really save up for the final book in the series. The Willow of the first two books kept second-guessing herself to the point where she wasn't really evil; the Willow in the third book really is evil.
If they wanted to do an alternative reality story, then do that. I basically feel like I wasted my time reading the series.
Tara's ghost is still there and that issue is resolved.
SPOILER: In the end, though, everything returns to the ending in the TV series where Willow tries to call up a dark tower to destroy the earth and is stopped by Xander.
Which means, as far as I care, the trilogy is pretty much wasted. They started from where things were in the TV series and move to where things were in the TV series. As an "alternate reality" story, it doesn't work. All the meanness Willow was supposed to have was really save up for the final book in the series. The Willow of the first two books kept second-guessing herself to the point where she wasn't really evil; the Willow in the third book really is evil.
If they wanted to do an alternative reality story, then do that. I basically feel like I wasted my time reading the series.
August 24, 2014
This third book in the Wcked Willow series was a great ending to a great trilogy! As in the previous two books, Ms Navarro has captured the whole "Buffy thing" perfectly. I know that I will remember this trilogy for a while. The old it'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry tag really applies to this series. Three cheers, five stars, and a 21 gun to Yvonne Navarro and the Wicked Willow Trilogy !!!!! (Oh, and 5 exclamation point, too.)
March 24, 2015
I really enjoyed this triology. Is it a great work of litteraure? No, but it was very entertaining and better than I would have thought of a book like this. This is my first buffy-story in book form, but it won't be my last.
February 25, 2019
Close to a cool series
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews