Shadow Moon (novel)

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Shadow Moon
Shadow Moon (novel).jpg
AuthorChris Claremont, George Lucas
Cover artistCiruelo Cabral
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesChronicles of the Shadow War
GenreFantasy literature
Published1995 (Bantam Spectra)
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages464
ISBN0-553-57285-7
OCLC35177828
813.54
LC ClassPS3562 .U234
Followed byShadow Dawn 

Shadow Moon is a fantasy novel written by Chris Claremont and George Lucas.[1] Published in 1995, it was the continuation of the 1988 motion picture Willow. This is the first book of the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, followed by Shadow Dawn and Shadow Star.

Plot[]

Willow Ufgood is worrying over planting his crops for the harvest, once again in the life of a farmer. He falls asleep, distraught over not being able to attend a party for Elora Danan, of whom he served as protector about a year ago. He dreams that night of riding on the back of a great dragon, who drops him off at Tir Asleen. After bantering with Madmartigan and Sorsha, during which Sorsha bestows upon him a new name, "Thorn Drumheller," he continues on to see Elora and give her a gift that he has created: a teddy bear with crystal eyes that Willow says will protect her when he is not there to do so. Leaving the sleeping child with her gift, he converses with the two brownies, Rool and Franjean, and leaves.

He wakes up the next morning to find two Brownies sitting at the end of his bed and that a horrific cataclysm has wiped out 12 areas in the world, including Tir Asleen.

The novel then jumps forward in time 11 years with Willow now going by Thorn Drumheller. During the intervening time he has left his people behind and been investigating what caused the cataclysm with the aid of the Brownies Rool and Franjean and Eagles Bastian and Anele.

In the present Thorn is investigating a mountain destroyed by the cataclysm. Upon returning to his camp he after completing his investigation he is met by the pathfinder Geryn Havilhand and almost immediately attacked by death dogs. After fighting off the death dogs Thorn learns that Geryn has been sent by the King of Angwyn, the Kingdom where Elora Danan currently resides, to find Willow Ulfgood and bring him to Angwyn to celebrate Elora's ascension on her thirteenth birthday. Thorn agrees to accompany Garyn, who has not realized Willow and Thorn are the same person, back to the kingdom.

Thorn and his companions then travel by ship with captain Maulroon, are transferred to a different boat captained by Morag with the Wyr crewman Ryn to Angwyn. During their travels they encounter the Thunder Riders, warriors from a different Kingdom, who appear to also be looking for Willow. Upon reaching the bay of Angwyn Thorn remarks on how deep the bay is and how as a result silting should not be a problem despite the number of rivers which flow into it. Before arriving in port the Eagles take their leave of Thorn as the Thunder Riders hunt them for sport and are viewed as an ill omen by the Eagles.

After arriving in port Thorn is accompanied by Geryn to the fortress in Angwyn. When he arrives at the gates of the Fortress he is accused of being an imposter and is told that the real Willow has already arrived for the celebration of Elora's ascension. Thorn is then thrown in a dungeon rumoured to be haunted by a demon as there are no living creatures in the dungeon.

Reception[]

RPGnet's reviewer described Shadow Moon as "good, solid and in part confusing as hell. Claremont and Lucas pack the details in and ratchet up the drama with unbelievable stunts and rescues."[2]

In 2019–20, Shadow Moon featured on the podcast series 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back, which reads literature of low quality. The two hosts, and Michael J. Nelson, described it as the worst book they had read so far, even worse than Sean Penn's Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff.[3]

References[]

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