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Hawthorne Saga #2
Will Power
While on the run fromÌýEmpire guards, Will HawthorneÌýand his band of thieves are transported to a mysterious land that noneÌýof them recognize orÌýknow how to get home from. Turns out that they've landed right in the middle of a battle between goblins and humans. Their human allies are practically storybook counterparts to the rough sorts they knew in Stavis, speaking in high-flown prose, dressed to the height of fashion, and dripping with wealth and social propriety. Will's companions are quite taken by these fine folks, but the Fair Folk are appalled by Will's unorthodoxy.
At first Will does whatever he can to try to squirm into their good graces, but just when his efforts are feeling totally futile, he begins to wonder if these too-perfect courtiers and warriors have anything to offer beyond their glamour and their burning hatred of the goblins.ÌýBut is there any recourse forÌýWill and his friends once it turns out that the humans who are sheltering them may notÌýbe on the right side ofÌýtheir eternal conflict?
Will Power is a funny and fleet-footedÌýstand-alone fantasyÌýfeaturingÌýthe charactersÌýreaders grew to love in Act of Will in an all-new adventure about the danger of first impressions.
At first Will does whatever he can to try to squirm into their good graces, but just when his efforts are feeling totally futile, he begins to wonder if these too-perfect courtiers and warriors have anything to offer beyond their glamour and their burning hatred of the goblins.ÌýBut is there any recourse forÌýWill and his friends once it turns out that the humans who are sheltering them may notÌýbe on the right side ofÌýtheir eternal conflict?
Will Power is a funny and fleet-footedÌýstand-alone fantasyÌýfeaturingÌýthe charactersÌýreaders grew to love in Act of Will in an all-new adventure about the danger of first impressions.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 30, 2011
The first thing you should know about William Hawthorne (aka Will) is that he's an actor. He's unabashedly self-serving, considers himself more clever and charming than he is, and profoundly enjoys his creature comforts.
Unfortunately, those character traits get him into trouble more often than not.
In ACT OF WILL, PoV narrator Will joined a small mercenary group after being branded a rebel, and they had some wild adventures (even if it did focus more on the traveling than the adventure part...). In WILL POWER, their story continues; however you won't have any trouble jumping right into the action without having read ACT OF WILL.
Right off the bat our friends find themselves on the run from the local authorities, and separated from each other—because of Will's ineptness. When a mysterious ambassador offers escape from town, Will is suspicious, but his friends take the offer at face value. However, it isn't long before they find themselves magically transported to another place and time. We don't know why or how or even the ambassador's motives. All we know is that this place is hostile...and crawling with goblins.
Part Elizabethan, part Gothic, and part high fantasy, the blending of genres into a twisted farce has a potentially large audience. Hartley pokes fun at high fantasy tropes and his prose is engaging and clever—which makes up for what the book lacks in plot and flimsy world-building.
Will's narrative is funny without being over-the-top goofy; unfortunately it was sometimes a little distanced and the use of modern colloquialisms threw me off, so I initially had a hard time getting into it.
There are six people in the main group, all from the first book. Renthrette and Garnet are brother and sister with a mysterious past who've had to live their lives by the sword in order to survive. Orthos and Mithos are both cool guys who are handy to have in a fight, but unfortunately we don't see them for the majority of the novel. Lishe, the group leader plays a key, but brief role. You'll have to go back to ACT OF WILL to really get to know those three. And then there's Will: instigator, troublemaker, whiner...potential savior?
When they arrive in a strange new world, they're saved from a pack of wolves by Sorrail, the too-good-to-be-true warrior of the 'Fair Folk'. The Fair Folk are blond, blue-eyed humans who live in the white city, and are trying to protect their people and land from:
Goblins, who are are pretty much anyone not one of the Fair Folk, with a few distinguishing characteristics and abilities. They have wolf and bear mounts. The lands they live in have turned from beautiful forest into dismal swampland. It's pretty obvious they're the bad guys. But is it...?
Don't forget the high fantasy trope twisting. That pretty much sets up the plot for you right there. Hartley drags it on and on, although not without charm. Will unravels the inconsistencies of the Fair Folks' behavior, and it takes too long, but his antics and witty observations are their own amusement. Assuming he won't completely annoy you as the main character (he seems like the kind of guy you'll either love or hate).
Is WILL POWER super duper good reading? Well, the prose is fun and the situation is interesting and the genre twisting is entertaining; but the pacing issues, absent main characters from the first book, and lack of explanations almost gave it a mediocre rating. So don't look at the story too closely. It's fun and fluffy and good clean fun, but sometimes that's just what you need.
Recommended Age: 15+ for comprehension more than content; YA male readers with discerning parents may particularly enjoy it
Language: Other than some colorful insults reminiscent of Shakespeare, nada
Violence: Briefly here and there, but decently done
Sex: Will wishes he had more success with the ladies, alas for him, nothing more than innuendo
Unfortunately, those character traits get him into trouble more often than not.
In ACT OF WILL, PoV narrator Will joined a small mercenary group after being branded a rebel, and they had some wild adventures (even if it did focus more on the traveling than the adventure part...). In WILL POWER, their story continues; however you won't have any trouble jumping right into the action without having read ACT OF WILL.
Right off the bat our friends find themselves on the run from the local authorities, and separated from each other—because of Will's ineptness. When a mysterious ambassador offers escape from town, Will is suspicious, but his friends take the offer at face value. However, it isn't long before they find themselves magically transported to another place and time. We don't know why or how or even the ambassador's motives. All we know is that this place is hostile...and crawling with goblins.
Part Elizabethan, part Gothic, and part high fantasy, the blending of genres into a twisted farce has a potentially large audience. Hartley pokes fun at high fantasy tropes and his prose is engaging and clever—which makes up for what the book lacks in plot and flimsy world-building.
Will's narrative is funny without being over-the-top goofy; unfortunately it was sometimes a little distanced and the use of modern colloquialisms threw me off, so I initially had a hard time getting into it.
There are six people in the main group, all from the first book. Renthrette and Garnet are brother and sister with a mysterious past who've had to live their lives by the sword in order to survive. Orthos and Mithos are both cool guys who are handy to have in a fight, but unfortunately we don't see them for the majority of the novel. Lishe, the group leader plays a key, but brief role. You'll have to go back to ACT OF WILL to really get to know those three. And then there's Will: instigator, troublemaker, whiner...potential savior?
When they arrive in a strange new world, they're saved from a pack of wolves by Sorrail, the too-good-to-be-true warrior of the 'Fair Folk'. The Fair Folk are blond, blue-eyed humans who live in the white city, and are trying to protect their people and land from:
Goblins, who are are pretty much anyone not one of the Fair Folk, with a few distinguishing characteristics and abilities. They have wolf and bear mounts. The lands they live in have turned from beautiful forest into dismal swampland. It's pretty obvious they're the bad guys. But is it...?
Don't forget the high fantasy trope twisting. That pretty much sets up the plot for you right there. Hartley drags it on and on, although not without charm. Will unravels the inconsistencies of the Fair Folks' behavior, and it takes too long, but his antics and witty observations are their own amusement. Assuming he won't completely annoy you as the main character (he seems like the kind of guy you'll either love or hate).
Is WILL POWER super duper good reading? Well, the prose is fun and the situation is interesting and the genre twisting is entertaining; but the pacing issues, absent main characters from the first book, and lack of explanations almost gave it a mediocre rating. So don't look at the story too closely. It's fun and fluffy and good clean fun, but sometimes that's just what you need.
Recommended Age: 15+ for comprehension more than content; YA male readers with discerning parents may particularly enjoy it
Language: Other than some colorful insults reminiscent of Shakespeare, nada
Violence: Briefly here and there, but decently done
Sex: Will wishes he had more success with the ladies, alas for him, nothing more than innuendo
February 24, 2018
One of the worst books I have ever read.
May 1, 2012
This was a gift from a friend. This is book 2 featuring Will Hawthorne, and I haven't read the first one; but my friend pays no attention to which volume in a series a book might be.
It wasn’t at all necessary to have read the first book of the set to understand the world of this story. Things were pretty straightforward, and there was enough explanation of necessary characters and elements.
This book surprised me. When the “goblins� appeared, I thought it would be yet another Lord of the Rings ripoff, but I was wrong. I liked the central message. I don’t want to post spoilers; let’s just say this book twists certain high fantasy (and social) conventions and preconceptions. And I loved the bears.
The author’s style is pleasant to read, and he employs some clever and/or lovely turns of phrase. The action sequences are vivid, and there’s some genuine emotion.
The narrator and central character, Will Hawthorne, is somewhat unreliable, very much into self-preservation, but also rather self-derisive. He’s the first one to tell you that he really isn’t the heroic warrior type, although he manages to acquit himself fairly well in a pinch. He also loves the printed word, and his adventures in the library are charming.
The other characters have some interesting traits, although they aren’t quite as vivid as Will because we’re seeing them through his eyes and he is very much the main character of his own story.
I would have liked a more decisive ending that would’ve made the book more of a stand-alone part of a whole. I liked this; but I don’t have immediate plans to hunt down the first volume, nor will I lose any sleep awaiting a third. I may read them at some later point when I’ve cleared off my shelves somewhat, though.
It wasn’t at all necessary to have read the first book of the set to understand the world of this story. Things were pretty straightforward, and there was enough explanation of necessary characters and elements.
This book surprised me. When the “goblins� appeared, I thought it would be yet another Lord of the Rings ripoff, but I was wrong. I liked the central message. I don’t want to post spoilers; let’s just say this book twists certain high fantasy (and social) conventions and preconceptions. And I loved the bears.
The author’s style is pleasant to read, and he employs some clever and/or lovely turns of phrase. The action sequences are vivid, and there’s some genuine emotion.
The narrator and central character, Will Hawthorne, is somewhat unreliable, very much into self-preservation, but also rather self-derisive. He’s the first one to tell you that he really isn’t the heroic warrior type, although he manages to acquit himself fairly well in a pinch. He also loves the printed word, and his adventures in the library are charming.
The other characters have some interesting traits, although they aren’t quite as vivid as Will because we’re seeing them through his eyes and he is very much the main character of his own story.
I would have liked a more decisive ending that would’ve made the book more of a stand-alone part of a whole. I liked this; but I don’t have immediate plans to hunt down the first volume, nor will I lose any sleep awaiting a third. I may read them at some later point when I’ve cleared off my shelves somewhat, though.
March 14, 2012
Will Power is a solid follow-up to Act of Will, although in some sense the characters regress in growth at the beginning so that new growth is more about catching back up to where they started. In many ways it is a similar book: Will and "friends" are thrust into a situation which they do not understand, his companions view it with glassy-eyed "this is the way it is" and Will views it with skepticism and sarcasm. Eventually it all comes to a head and Will helps save the day, almost despite himself. The book pokes fun at common fantasy tropes, but never deviates from the model of the first book.
The end of the book has both an unsatisfying part, where not a single character bothers to ask (or even show interest) in one of the most obvious (unanswered) questions of the whole story, and a strangely satisfying part where a probably unexpected-twist has consequences that sets up the potential for a future book (which may or may not be forthcoming). This isn't to say the story ends with a "needs to be answered" cliff-hanger. It's a reasonably satisfying ending in its own right, but it does point toward a future if the author continues with the series.
Those who liked the first book will probably like this one; those who did not like the first one will find nothing here to change their mind.
The end of the book has both an unsatisfying part, where not a single character bothers to ask (or even show interest) in one of the most obvious (unanswered) questions of the whole story, and a strangely satisfying part where a probably unexpected-twist has consequences that sets up the potential for a future book (which may or may not be forthcoming). This isn't to say the story ends with a "needs to be answered" cliff-hanger. It's a reasonably satisfying ending in its own right, but it does point toward a future if the author continues with the series.
Those who liked the first book will probably like this one; those who did not like the first one will find nothing here to change their mind.
October 5, 2010
Although I do not typically read fantasy, I looked forward to this novel, having already read . This book is fast-paced and contains much of the adventure of Hartley's earlier book, but without as much humour. The group of adventurers is split up for much of the book, so Will does not have as much opportunity for witty repartee. Further, I was irked by the deus ex machina plot device of the "ambassador" early in the book, who whisks the group away from danger and into the main plotline of the book. Even in a fantasy, I feel that some plotlines are unbelievable. The ending clearly indicates that a sequel is to follow. I expect that I will read it, but hope that Will's character will be given more opportunity to shine.
December 10, 2013
I met A.J. Hartley at a Renaissance festival, of all places. I'd never heard of his work but I decided to give this one a shot (he didn't have any copies of "Act of Will", unfortunately). I'm glad I did! It was a nice light read, and very entertaining. I'll be looking for more of Mr. Hartley's books!
December 12, 2010
Much more far fetched than the first Will title, so it had a completely different feel. But still enjoyable.
September 3, 2021
Self-centered titled character is an entertaining unreliable narrator.
I alternated between disliking Will Hawthorne and REALLY disliking him, between the times he made me laugh as only a full-of-himself 18-year old theatre major can - times when I shake my head and like him just a little. Dr. Hartley does an excellent job of recreating the feel of a Shakespeare farce, complete with a moral ending, but in a prose-fantasy format.
(Checked out through my local library - support your libraries!)
The spoilers are all editing comments - things that most other people don't care about, but part of the reason the book has only a three-star rating instead of a four.
I alternated between disliking Will Hawthorne and REALLY disliking him, between the times he made me laugh as only a full-of-himself 18-year old theatre major can - times when I shake my head and like him just a little. Dr. Hartley does an excellent job of recreating the feel of a Shakespeare farce, complete with a moral ending, but in a prose-fantasy format.
(Checked out through my local library - support your libraries!)
The spoilers are all editing comments - things that most other people don't care about, but part of the reason the book has only a three-star rating instead of a four.
July 25, 2023
This book was way better than the first novel. Will is very much a caricature of all the heroes he has played on stage. In real life, he is not brave, honest, loyal, or good - but in his mind, he is. As dumb luck would have it, he does tend to get by alright, but that is mostly due to the supporting characters around him. I liked the mystery/mind altering elements to this story and how it was figured out at the end as well.
May 19, 2020
Must read fantasy, relies on uniqueness over nostalgia, something every good fantasy does.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
March 19, 2023
Great book where assumptions are proved false, and what seems to be up is actually sideways. And careful what you wish for, it may not turn out to be what you expect
October 17, 2010
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT .
Will Power is A.J. Hartley’s second book about actor-turned-adventurer Will Hawthorne. It’s a direct sequel, beginning just a month after the events in Act of Will, but a reader could easily enjoy this book without reading Act of Will.
In Will Power, Will and the gang are swept away to what appears to be a parallel universe in which goblin-like creatures are threatening the beautiful people of Phasdreille. But all is not as it seems, and Will finds himself needing to solve a mystery and, at the same time, confronting some of his own prejudices.
If you enjoyed Act of Will, you’ll probably enjoy Will Power. It’s a very similar book, but perhaps a little too similar for my taste. While the writing style and dialogue continues to be spot-on perfect, some of what was refreshingly unique about Act of Will starts to feel a bit stale in its sequel. Most noticeably, the plot of Will Power contains many of the same elements as the first novel’s plot does: reluctant adventure, mystery about what’s motivating and powering a race of people that are acting strangely, a companion thought to be dead, Will sneaking into a forbidden room and having a flash of insight that saves the day, etc.
The characters remain the same, too. There is no development in any of them � Will’s sarcasm, selfishness, and cowardice were charming at first, but there were times in Will Power that his personality started to annoy me. Most of the other characters are sketchily drawn, so there isn’t anyone to heartily root for. While I enjoy laughing at Will (the novel is truly funny), I can’t really love him.
Unfortunately, this lightness affects the tension of the novel, too. Because it’s a comedy, the “scary� moments don’t evoke much fear. The evil isn’t very frightening, the conflict is solved and dissipated quickly, and the constant humor and lack of character development makes the novel feel more like an episode of Scooby Doo (complete with moaning zombies).
But if you’re looking for a light fantasy novel with a bit of mystery, A.J. Hartley’s Will Hawthorne series is a good place to go. The writing is excellent and funny, and Will is a� “special� hero. His adventures are sure to please those looking for a quick enjoyable read.
Will Power is A.J. Hartley’s second book about actor-turned-adventurer Will Hawthorne. It’s a direct sequel, beginning just a month after the events in Act of Will, but a reader could easily enjoy this book without reading Act of Will.
In Will Power, Will and the gang are swept away to what appears to be a parallel universe in which goblin-like creatures are threatening the beautiful people of Phasdreille. But all is not as it seems, and Will finds himself needing to solve a mystery and, at the same time, confronting some of his own prejudices.
If you enjoyed Act of Will, you’ll probably enjoy Will Power. It’s a very similar book, but perhaps a little too similar for my taste. While the writing style and dialogue continues to be spot-on perfect, some of what was refreshingly unique about Act of Will starts to feel a bit stale in its sequel. Most noticeably, the plot of Will Power contains many of the same elements as the first novel’s plot does: reluctant adventure, mystery about what’s motivating and powering a race of people that are acting strangely, a companion thought to be dead, Will sneaking into a forbidden room and having a flash of insight that saves the day, etc.
The characters remain the same, too. There is no development in any of them � Will’s sarcasm, selfishness, and cowardice were charming at first, but there were times in Will Power that his personality started to annoy me. Most of the other characters are sketchily drawn, so there isn’t anyone to heartily root for. While I enjoy laughing at Will (the novel is truly funny), I can’t really love him.
Unfortunately, this lightness affects the tension of the novel, too. Because it’s a comedy, the “scary� moments don’t evoke much fear. The evil isn’t very frightening, the conflict is solved and dissipated quickly, and the constant humor and lack of character development makes the novel feel more like an episode of Scooby Doo (complete with moaning zombies).
But if you’re looking for a light fantasy novel with a bit of mystery, A.J. Hartley’s Will Hawthorne series is a good place to go. The writing is excellent and funny, and Will is a� “special� hero. His adventures are sure to please those looking for a quick enjoyable read.
January 26, 2017
Stylistically, Professor Hartley has created a somewhat eclectically archaic world
for us to adventure through in accompaniment to his heroes. An entertaining mix of places and individuals with the flavor of the Elizabethan, the Gothic, and the sometimes hard to categorize populates the narrative, written in the first person from Will Hawthorne's perspective. But our inability to 'peg' this time and these places, while at the same time being more than faintly all too familiar with them is the result of a clever device on Hartley's part. And it's the use of that very device that makes it an unusually fresh approach in my opinion. Hartley is able to remain true to his atmosphere with rich and vivid descriptions of the surroundings, situations, battles, creatures, and ancient weaponry, yet allows the reader to settle into an easy, comfortable, narrative realm, through the modern linguistic expressiveness and colloquialisms of his lead character, Will--and far from clashing, the style winds up complementing itself over and over.
Following the events through the eyes of Will Hawthorne, Will Power transports us to ancient lands of Goblins who use bears as horses, wolves that seem to understand what you're thinking, and a gleaming White City where King and court seem all too concerned with outward appearances. Therein lies a theme commented on by Hartley. But the commentary isn't heavy handed. It's intertwined so well within the story line that the denouement, held close enough to the vest to more than support the lessons we might learn, still comes as a shock to the senses, surrounded by the events Hartley so deftly and vividly describes for us. In reality, though we might sometimes wish to ignore their existence, we Know these strange characters for who and what they are--and the realization can come to us as a little unsettling, even though we must nod in assignation as we read. This is one of the qualities I have come to admire about Hartley as a writer; he instructs as well as entertains
for us to adventure through in accompaniment to his heroes. An entertaining mix of places and individuals with the flavor of the Elizabethan, the Gothic, and the sometimes hard to categorize populates the narrative, written in the first person from Will Hawthorne's perspective. But our inability to 'peg' this time and these places, while at the same time being more than faintly all too familiar with them is the result of a clever device on Hartley's part. And it's the use of that very device that makes it an unusually fresh approach in my opinion. Hartley is able to remain true to his atmosphere with rich and vivid descriptions of the surroundings, situations, battles, creatures, and ancient weaponry, yet allows the reader to settle into an easy, comfortable, narrative realm, through the modern linguistic expressiveness and colloquialisms of his lead character, Will--and far from clashing, the style winds up complementing itself over and over.
Following the events through the eyes of Will Hawthorne, Will Power transports us to ancient lands of Goblins who use bears as horses, wolves that seem to understand what you're thinking, and a gleaming White City where King and court seem all too concerned with outward appearances. Therein lies a theme commented on by Hartley. But the commentary isn't heavy handed. It's intertwined so well within the story line that the denouement, held close enough to the vest to more than support the lessons we might learn, still comes as a shock to the senses, surrounded by the events Hartley so deftly and vividly describes for us. In reality, though we might sometimes wish to ignore their existence, we Know these strange characters for who and what they are--and the realization can come to us as a little unsettling, even though we must nod in assignation as we read. This is one of the qualities I have come to admire about Hartley as a writer; he instructs as well as entertains
April 30, 2013
Much like the previous book in the Hawthorne Saga, Act of Will, Will Power is a light and fun read. It continues to follow the adventures of William Hawthorne. By the time you pick up this second book you've decided you like Will otherwise you probably wouldn't have grabbed this book. Will is an unusual and reluctant hero - more reluctant that most reluctant hero's really. However, he is also oddly brave for someone who claims to only be interested in keeping himself alive.
This episode of the saga has Will and his adventuring friends entering a different nation filled with bear riding Goblins that are at war with a majestic and beautiful city full of majestic and beautiful people. Almost immediately Will and his friends get split up so that Orgros and Mithos, the two main warriors of the party are lost, and Garnet and the Party leader are also missing which just leaves Will and Renthrette to navigate the war and to figure out a way to survive and return home to Stavis.
Nothing about the book is particularly suprising as you read it but Heartley spins a fun tale and Will manages to do some amazing things in spite of himself. If you're looking for a quick and fun fantasy novel or series then this book, and the Will Hawthorne Series should be right up your alley.
I actually liked this book a little better than the previous even though there are some scnees where I think Will's friends are unreasonably hard on him that annoyed me. I'd have given this a 3.5 star rating if I could.
This episode of the saga has Will and his adventuring friends entering a different nation filled with bear riding Goblins that are at war with a majestic and beautiful city full of majestic and beautiful people. Almost immediately Will and his friends get split up so that Orgros and Mithos, the two main warriors of the party are lost, and Garnet and the Party leader are also missing which just leaves Will and Renthrette to navigate the war and to figure out a way to survive and return home to Stavis.
Nothing about the book is particularly suprising as you read it but Heartley spins a fun tale and Will manages to do some amazing things in spite of himself. If you're looking for a quick and fun fantasy novel or series then this book, and the Will Hawthorne Series should be right up your alley.
I actually liked this book a little better than the previous even though there are some scnees where I think Will's friends are unreasonably hard on him that annoyed me. I'd have given this a 3.5 star rating if I could.
October 8, 2014
Not as good as "Act of Will," but it also tries a little harder plot-wise, creating more author challenges.
I've never much cared for the plot device that the ambassador represents, and after reading this I like it even less, but since it more or less brackets the plot I'll let it go.
I thought it was a tad unsubtle, almost offensively so, that [major spoiler, you have been warned] but I am older than most readers and maybe don't need to be reminded that such things happened.
Will matures nicely in this. At first I grew tired of his blunders and wimpiness, and with the slow pace I was about to pack it in when things picked up and the plot started to twist a bit.
I didn't care for the development of Renthrette, but I'll write that off as a matter of taste and accept that she isn't a [bad word] but just has a very narrow view of life (as do her colleagues).
Better ending than most complex plots. The scene at the castle wrapped up well, and the overall framing scene was, well, OK I guess.
I'm not sure I'll go for #3 if there is one.
I've never much cared for the plot device that the ambassador represents, and after reading this I like it even less, but since it more or less brackets the plot I'll let it go.
I thought it was a tad unsubtle, almost offensively so, that [major spoiler, you have been warned] but I am older than most readers and maybe don't need to be reminded that such things happened.
Will matures nicely in this. At first I grew tired of his blunders and wimpiness, and with the slow pace I was about to pack it in when things picked up and the plot started to twist a bit.
I didn't care for the development of Renthrette, but I'll write that off as a matter of taste and accept that she isn't a [bad word] but just has a very narrow view of life (as do her colleagues).
Better ending than most complex plots. The scene at the castle wrapped up well, and the overall framing scene was, well, OK I guess.
I'm not sure I'll go for #3 if there is one.
November 4, 2016
This is a continuation of Will's adventures. This time his life is in danger thanks to greedy people and more magic than you can shake a stick at.
In this story, Will learns not to trust everything at face value. His persistence pays off when he challenges the status quo and is disgusted at times by the people in the White City. The bad guys this time are these ogre-like creatures who the blonde and blue eyed people of the White City say they've been trying to break into their city and take over.
The truth is much more deeper than that. I do commend Will for sticking to his guns and having the will to uncover everything at the risk of getting himself killed. I think I liked this one more than I did the first one. The relationships were more defined and Will finally grew a set of balls. He was, probably for the first time in his life, a hero.(
In this story, Will learns not to trust everything at face value. His persistence pays off when he challenges the status quo and is disgusted at times by the people in the White City. The bad guys this time are these ogre-like creatures who the blonde and blue eyed people of the White City say they've been trying to break into their city and take over.
The truth is much more deeper than that. I do commend Will for sticking to his guns and having the will to uncover everything at the risk of getting himself killed. I think I liked this one more than I did the first one. The relationships were more defined and Will finally grew a set of balls. He was, probably for the first time in his life, a hero.(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2016
OK, I put this on my sci-fi shelf for a couple of elements that weren't in the first book. One was the consideration of how we can be mistaken in our first contact with "aliens." We can fear them needlessly, or we can accept them as "friends" only to learn otherwise later. Then there's just a touch of time travel in the conclusion of the story. The first book was purest fantasy.
There were some times when I though the story tending to drag a bit - too much thinking and too little action - but the last few whirlwind chapters made up for that fault (if fault it was).
I think that one could read this book without reading the other one first, but it does help to have the back-story on the members of Will's company.
I don't own this book - like the companion book, it goes first to my friend who has a son named Will, then back to the little free library.
There were some times when I though the story tending to drag a bit - too much thinking and too little action - but the last few whirlwind chapters made up for that fault (if fault it was).
I think that one could read this book without reading the other one first, but it does help to have the back-story on the members of Will's company.
I don't own this book - like the companion book, it goes first to my friend who has a son named Will, then back to the little free library.
July 23, 2016
Will Power is A.J. Hartley’s second book about actor-turned-adventurer Will Hawthorne. It’s a direct sequel, beginning just a month after the events in Act of Will, but a reader could easily enjoy this book without reading Act of Will.
In Will Power, Will and the gang are swept away to what appears to be a parallel universe in which goblin-like creatures are threatening the beautiful people of Phasdreille. But all is not as it seems, and Will finds himself needing to solve a mystery and, at the same time, confronting some of his own prejudices.
If you enjoyed Act of Will, you’ll probably enjoy Will Power. It’s a very similar book, but perhaps a little too similar for my taste. While the writing style an... Read More:
In Will Power, Will and the gang are swept away to what appears to be a parallel universe in which goblin-like creatures are threatening the beautiful people of Phasdreille. But all is not as it seems, and Will finds himself needing to solve a mystery and, at the same time, confronting some of his own prejudices.
If you enjoyed Act of Will, you’ll probably enjoy Will Power. It’s a very similar book, but perhaps a little too similar for my taste. While the writing style an... Read More:
January 6, 2011
Liked this adventure and its anti-hero, Will Hawthorne. Washed up actor becomes hapless hero in medieval society where "goblins" and "fair folk" battle for supremacy. Seems to also be a statement about current wars and the US, as well as racism and mistaken assumptions.
September 16, 2016
I enjoyed the further adventures of these adventurers. The story closely parallels human history and reminds us to think for ourselves and to really see when we look.
I liked the action and the dialogue, but Will tends to be quite verbose in the narrative and that left me skipping paragraphs.
I liked the action and the dialogue, but Will tends to be quite verbose in the narrative and that left me skipping paragraphs.
October 21, 2010
Enormous improvement over the first, which I really struggled getting thru. Excellent deconstruction of the usual fantasy tropes, funny, and lots of fun, to boot.
December 5, 2011
3 and a half. I never knew where this book was headed. It was good to be kept guessing. The last few chapters kept piling on the revelations. I'll look for something else by Hartley.
April 2, 2012
Yeah, I liked the first book much, much better. After awhile, I was like, "Okay, who cares?" That is NEVER a good feeling while reading a book...
September 6, 2014
weird but good!
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