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Willow
In a mythical land where magic is real...
Willow Ufgood leads a quiet life. He farms his land, he cares for his family, and he dreams of being a magician. But a tiny, laughing baby is about to turn Willow's life upside down.
Her name is Elora Danan. Only a few months old, she has already escaped great danger before arriving in Willow's backyard. And now an even more desperate journey is beginning for her.
Elora Danan was born to fulfill an ancient prophecy—to overthrow the evil sorceress Bavmorda and end her reign as Queen of Nockmaar. Now Bavmorda, her ruthless minions, and her vicious Death Dogs are searching frantically to find and destroy Elora first.
Willow must take Elora to safety. Along the way, he is joined by two mischievous brownies, a renegade warrior, and a good sorceress. Through fierce battles and narrow escapes, his perilous quest leads Willow toward a cataclysmic confrontation with the formidable Bavmorda, one that will test his courage—and his emerging magic powers—to the fullest.
Willow Ufgood leads a quiet life. He farms his land, he cares for his family, and he dreams of being a magician. But a tiny, laughing baby is about to turn Willow's life upside down.
Her name is Elora Danan. Only a few months old, she has already escaped great danger before arriving in Willow's backyard. And now an even more desperate journey is beginning for her.
Elora Danan was born to fulfill an ancient prophecy—to overthrow the evil sorceress Bavmorda and end her reign as Queen of Nockmaar. Now Bavmorda, her ruthless minions, and her vicious Death Dogs are searching frantically to find and destroy Elora first.
Willow must take Elora to safety. Along the way, he is joined by two mischievous brownies, a renegade warrior, and a good sorceress. Through fierce battles and narrow escapes, his perilous quest leads Willow toward a cataclysmic confrontation with the formidable Bavmorda, one that will test his courage—and his emerging magic powers—to the fullest.
126 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
84 people want to read
About the author
Joan D. Vinge
134 books447 followersJoan D. Vinge (born Joan Carol Dennison) is an American science fiction author. She is known for such works as her Hugo Award-winning novel The Snow Queen and its sequels, her series about the telepath named Cat, and her Heaven's Chronicles books.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 13, 2023
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 ⚔️
February 27, 2021
A great adaptation of a beloved movie. I learned the names of some creatures and spells.
April 7, 2021
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!
April 12, 2010
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.
May 25, 2024
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..?
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..?
May 8, 2008
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.
January 18, 2015
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.
May 11, 2011
Awesome
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews