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Chronicles of the Shadow War #3
Shadow Star
In Shadow Moon and Shadow Dawn, George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, and Chris Claremont, author of the bestselling X-Men adventures, created a new world of myth, magic, and legend unlike any before. Now they bring their epic trilogy to an unforgettable conclusion in a novel of blazing imaginative brilliance...
Elora Danan has done the unthinkable. She has slain the dragons that were the embodiment of the soul of Creation. It was a desperate act--the only way to save the dragons from the Deceiver, who would have used them to rule the Realms. Yet in Elora's possession are two last dragon eggs. To protect them, Elora spellbinds herself to her faithful companions Thorn Drumheller, the Nelwyn sorcerer and her sworn guardian, and Khory Bannefin, the long-dead woman warrior whose body is inhabited by a demon's offspring. It is a dire spell that ensures none of them will betray their cause...even at the cost of their lives. And if one of them dies, the magic of the eggs is lost forever.
Pursued through a land of shadow predators by the dreaded Black Rose, the Deceiver's commando assassins, Elora and her allies must reach the free city-state of Sandeni. There they will be reunited with old friends: the brownies Franjean and Rool, the eagles Anele and Bastian, and the young warrior-scribe Luc-Jon. But Sandeni is besieged by mighty armies fueled by the Deceiver's sorcery, warrior wizards, and engines of evil magic. With defeat all but certain, Elora must convince the Sandeni people to continue the fight. What she doesn't tell them is that the greatest enemy lies within her. For the Deceiver is her own dark twin from a potential future of unimaginable evil...an evil that lies dormant in Elora's soul. And the only way Elora can stop the future is to befriend an enemy whose insatiable appetite for destruction could destroy all of Creation. Or is that, too, part of the Deceiver's plan?
Seamlessly weaving together the many strands of this rich tapestry, Shadow Star is guaranteed to satisfy its many fans...and leave them breathless.
Elora Danan has done the unthinkable. She has slain the dragons that were the embodiment of the soul of Creation. It was a desperate act--the only way to save the dragons from the Deceiver, who would have used them to rule the Realms. Yet in Elora's possession are two last dragon eggs. To protect them, Elora spellbinds herself to her faithful companions Thorn Drumheller, the Nelwyn sorcerer and her sworn guardian, and Khory Bannefin, the long-dead woman warrior whose body is inhabited by a demon's offspring. It is a dire spell that ensures none of them will betray their cause...even at the cost of their lives. And if one of them dies, the magic of the eggs is lost forever.
Pursued through a land of shadow predators by the dreaded Black Rose, the Deceiver's commando assassins, Elora and her allies must reach the free city-state of Sandeni. There they will be reunited with old friends: the brownies Franjean and Rool, the eagles Anele and Bastian, and the young warrior-scribe Luc-Jon. But Sandeni is besieged by mighty armies fueled by the Deceiver's sorcery, warrior wizards, and engines of evil magic. With defeat all but certain, Elora must convince the Sandeni people to continue the fight. What she doesn't tell them is that the greatest enemy lies within her. For the Deceiver is her own dark twin from a potential future of unimaginable evil...an evil that lies dormant in Elora's soul. And the only way Elora can stop the future is to befriend an enemy whose insatiable appetite for destruction could destroy all of Creation. Or is that, too, part of the Deceiver's plan?
Seamlessly weaving together the many strands of this rich tapestry, Shadow Star is guaranteed to satisfy its many fans...and leave them breathless.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1999
13 people are currently reading
1173 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,269 books881 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 11, 2011
Why did I read the whole series? Why did I hate myself?
February 14, 2018
I love this whole series! I think this book draws nicely off the other two and the story is wrapped up very nicely.
January 20, 2010
...and this is a positive masterclass in how to take a really hackneyed idea and make it feel completely new.
Structurally, I think this is the weakest of the three. But that's inevitable when you get to the third part of a trilogy (just ask Philip Pullman!) There are an awful lot of loose ends to tie up, and, not content with that, they decide to add an entire massive backstory that was strictly unnecessary (I think that pretty much the whole thing could have been resolved without needing the Khory subplot at all.) Not to mention the borderline racism of the Chengwei who don't exactly have a terribly original culture, not to mention very few redeeming qualities (unlike all the other "bad guys" in the story, who are often given proper motivational reasons for their actions.)
And, having been quite subtle previously, there are a couple of occasions here when they feel it necessary to club the reader over the head with one specific concept so that when the relevant moment actually arrives it doesn't feel like the clever resolution that it should. Not that it still isn't clever, but I felt a little less impressed than I might have done if they had let me work it out for myself.
The setpieces are fantastic (the defence of the Fort is gripping, and the showdown in the Crystal Palace is very vividly realised), and once again the characters are well-drawn and they all get their moment in the spotlight.
The climax feels rushed (although I think that is part of the point - in a sense we already know what is going to happen, so why dwell on it?) Although the way revelation about Elora's parentage and the Deceiver's true story are both ever-so-brilliantly stuck right in the middle of it is nothing short of genius. But the epilogue is nigh-on perfect.
An under-rated series, in my opinion. If you're looking for something a bit different, give this a go.
Structurally, I think this is the weakest of the three. But that's inevitable when you get to the third part of a trilogy (just ask Philip Pullman!) There are an awful lot of loose ends to tie up, and, not content with that, they decide to add an entire massive backstory that was strictly unnecessary (I think that pretty much the whole thing could have been resolved without needing the Khory subplot at all.) Not to mention the borderline racism of the Chengwei who don't exactly have a terribly original culture, not to mention very few redeeming qualities (unlike all the other "bad guys" in the story, who are often given proper motivational reasons for their actions.)
And, having been quite subtle previously, there are a couple of occasions here when they feel it necessary to club the reader over the head with one specific concept so that when the relevant moment actually arrives it doesn't feel like the clever resolution that it should. Not that it still isn't clever, but I felt a little less impressed than I might have done if they had let me work it out for myself.
The setpieces are fantastic (the defence of the Fort is gripping, and the showdown in the Crystal Palace is very vividly realised), and once again the characters are well-drawn and they all get their moment in the spotlight.
The climax feels rushed (although I think that is part of the point - in a sense we already know what is going to happen, so why dwell on it?) Although the way revelation about Elora's parentage and the Deceiver's true story are both ever-so-brilliantly stuck right in the middle of it is nothing short of genius. But the epilogue is nigh-on perfect.
An under-rated series, in my opinion. If you're looking for something a bit different, give this a go.
February 9, 2021
I bought this 20 years ago and it's been taunting me from my to-be-read pile ever since. The problem was that the first two in the series weren't terribly compelling. Even with both Chris Claremont and George Lucas involved. Even with Willow Ufgood and Elora Danan. They were just a bit dull.
20 years on, this wasn't any better. At least I was able to gallop through it. The fight scenes when they finally arrive are exciting enough even if they feel a little weightless. Claremont knows how to lather up the soap like he did over a couple of decades for Scott Summers, Jean Grey and Logan and he's using all his wily arts here... it just doesn't add up to very much. I guess things tied themselves up in a fairly neat bow but I'm just glad that I finished something I started in the 90s.
Now roll on the new Willow TV series with Warwick Davis which will totally ignore everything in these books.
20 years on, this wasn't any better. At least I was able to gallop through it. The fight scenes when they finally arrive are exciting enough even if they feel a little weightless. Claremont knows how to lather up the soap like he did over a couple of decades for Scott Summers, Jean Grey and Logan and he's using all his wily arts here... it just doesn't add up to very much. I guess things tied themselves up in a fairly neat bow but I'm just glad that I finished something I started in the 90s.
Now roll on the new Willow TV series with Warwick Davis which will totally ignore everything in these books.
May 30, 2018
Oh man, I'm finally done with the series. The thing that I thought would happen happened. It basically ended how I thought it would, though there were a few surprises. It could have been a really good book instead of three long ones but what fantasy series isn't a trilogy by default nowadays?
Liked the little nods and bits to the original Willow, though I would have appreciated that they could have called him Willow in the Coda. He no longer needed the Thorn nom de guerre after all, the war was over.
Liked the little nods and bits to the original Willow, though I would have appreciated that they could have called him Willow in the Coda. He no longer needed the Thorn nom de guerre after all, the war was over.
January 21, 2013
Fantastic end to the series - it all culminates to a great ending, built up from the details drawn out through the series. I love the descriptiveness and all of the intertwining stories. These fantasy series require some memory skills but overall, worth it!
I love all the characters but Thorn really resonates, he is so detailed and true to his nature through the story. The brownies provide great humour and Luc-Jon is a wonderful love interest. All in all, worth your time.
I love all the characters but Thorn really resonates, he is so detailed and true to his nature through the story. The brownies provide great humour and Luc-Jon is a wonderful love interest. All in all, worth your time.
September 15, 2011
Horrible! It was the worst ending they could have possibly thought of. It was silly, not a very good twist, and the concept was just ludicrous. I don't know, maybe people liked it, I just didn't at all. I felt the characters became dull, the focus was on all the wrong things, and then the villain seemed awkwardly powerful only to find out at the end that there was not a very good or for that matter not even a very clear motive for the whole thing. It kind of makes you wonder why bother with the whole story if the villain is going to end up this lame (those of you who have read my review for the second one and who have finished this one will probably know why I HATED the ending). I don't know, no disrespect to people who liked it but I did not. My advice, if you are like me and need closure to all the books or series you read, than read this fast and get it over with, otherwise, ignore this book and google the ending.
May 11, 2007
The only thing that kept this book from getting a 5-star review in my opinion is Claremont's love of the phrase "beat a tattoo" and the fact that--in an effort to emphasize the drama--every creature or race spoken of is "much more dangerous than it looks." If we are to believe Claremont's depiction of the world of Willow, one wonders how any life could evolve in such a deceptively perilous environment.
Nonetheless, this is a good close to a fun series, and a worthwhile epilogue to Willow.
Nonetheless, this is a good close to a fun series, and a worthwhile epilogue to Willow.
June 11, 2020
The authors (including George Lucas) set out to write a sequel to Willow, a movie that they both apparently hated with a burning passion. They immediately kill all the main characters from the movie, except the title character, who they rename (because they really don't want to remind anyone about the movie) and have permanently abandon his family (because screw the wife and kids he just wanted to live peaceful with in the movie) and focus primarily on dead dragons and the baby princess, now grown up and utterly insufferable.
gave-up-on
June 2, 2019I actually gave up on this book.
I sat and thought about it, realized that now they're making a show (or supposed to be), why should I bother figuring out how this ends?
I admit it was getting confusing but at this moment, I feel like George Lucas stepped in and starting putting a tighter rein on plot direction. Still, it was confusing for me to understand what was happening to everyone.
In the end, Elora probably saves the world. I just don't know how she does it nor do I care.
I sat and thought about it, realized that now they're making a show (or supposed to be), why should I bother figuring out how this ends?
I admit it was getting confusing but at this moment, I feel like George Lucas stepped in and starting putting a tighter rein on plot direction. Still, it was confusing for me to understand what was happening to everyone.
In the end, Elora probably saves the world. I just don't know how she does it nor do I care.
October 3, 2009
Best of the trilogy. I was interested all the way through. The author's writing style is still a little confusing. There was on part that I reread 3 or 4 times and I still don't know how something happened. Other than the little bit of confusion I really enjoyed the end of the Shadow War novels.
March 6, 2008
A great finish to the shadow war chronicles
September 12, 2008
The final chapter in the Shadow War saga. A great close to a great series.
March 8, 2011
See my review for Shadow Moon.
September 19, 2011
everyone downs on this book/series as much as the movie. I loved the movie it brought me fantasy on TV/Movie Screen. While not great it filed in more of the world of Willow.
December 30, 2012
This was the best of the series by far. Great job of pulling all the details of the story together and tying up the loose ends. Long live the dragons.
December 29, 2012
The end of the series . It is great .....
July 30, 2013
see book 1
January 19, 2019
I have honestly no idea what happened in this book.
January 26, 2021
SPOILER ALERT – NOT A GOOD READ
Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn and Shadow Star – I’m reviewing all in toto, as my opinions on each volume are very, very similar.
In a word. . . Disappointing. Clumsy. Disjointed. Difficult. Wordy. Messy. Tedious. Taxing. Tiring. Frustrating.
Well, that’s ten words, but grinding through this trilogy became more of a personal quest for completion rather than any semblance of a pleasurable reading experience. While I have no idea what the collaborative balance and division of labor was between Claremont and Lucas, the books were just a hard read.
The plot line was on one hand overly thin, and yet the story narrative itself was overly complex and detailed – piling on massive amounts of unnecessary detail in some sections (diluting the core writing), and in others making huge leaps of plot or narrative without any connective tissue. Many times in all three books I had to flip back and re-read pages trying to figure out how the story suddenly got from A to B, and in many cases I was left in the dark.
While there were no glaring MacGuffins, the plot device of “magic pouch that delivers whatever you need” consistently danced on that edge, but you can forgive it in a fantasy novel. However, the large gaps in the narrative leaves out huge chunks of ‘connective tissue’ that would more successfully advance the story, round out the plot and the characters, and make the overall read less painful.
I finished Shadow Moon with a 2-star rating. By the time I completed the trilogy I must go back and “One Star” the entire lot, then head to the used book store to unload these disappointments on some future sucker.
Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn and Shadow Star – I’m reviewing all in toto, as my opinions on each volume are very, very similar.
In a word. . . Disappointing. Clumsy. Disjointed. Difficult. Wordy. Messy. Tedious. Taxing. Tiring. Frustrating.
Well, that’s ten words, but grinding through this trilogy became more of a personal quest for completion rather than any semblance of a pleasurable reading experience. While I have no idea what the collaborative balance and division of labor was between Claremont and Lucas, the books were just a hard read.
The plot line was on one hand overly thin, and yet the story narrative itself was overly complex and detailed – piling on massive amounts of unnecessary detail in some sections (diluting the core writing), and in others making huge leaps of plot or narrative without any connective tissue. Many times in all three books I had to flip back and re-read pages trying to figure out how the story suddenly got from A to B, and in many cases I was left in the dark.
While there were no glaring MacGuffins, the plot device of “magic pouch that delivers whatever you need” consistently danced on that edge, but you can forgive it in a fantasy novel. However, the large gaps in the narrative leaves out huge chunks of ‘connective tissue’ that would more successfully advance the story, round out the plot and the characters, and make the overall read less painful.
I finished Shadow Moon with a 2-star rating. By the time I completed the trilogy I must go back and “One Star” the entire lot, then head to the used book store to unload these disappointments on some future sucker.
November 14, 2020
I would rate the three book series as good, but not great. The characters were well written and memorable. But throughout, the situations the characters found themselves in jumped around with not much transition between scenes. Maybe because the author is so well known for his comic books.
October 29, 2018
Love it!
July 17, 2019
A great finish to this movie sequel book trilogy. I loved the atypical ending for our heroes.
January 8, 2021
A magnificent conclusion to this trilogy. I’m so glad to have been able to go deeper into the world of “Willow”. I highly recommend this book for any fan of Willow and fantasy.
March 28, 2021
J'ai apprécié cette dark trilogie mais la traduction, pardon, c'est une catastrophe!!! Dommage, cela gâche tout!
February 26, 2022
I grew up watching the movie Willow and thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy which continues the story of Elora Danan and Willow Ufgood. I wish it would come out in epub.
October 19, 2022
A slow read, but I liked the ending, the very end of the ending..music is hope and live. Thank you, Elora Danan.
October 3, 2023
The best part is that I never have to read it again.
July 31, 2025
Only got a few hours into the audiobook. The story wasn't what I was looking for and the channel didn't finish uploading the book so I won't be finishing this one.
August 10, 2016
One of the craziest and most imaginative fantasies I've ever read. A truly magical book.
In this third volume of the Shadow War Chronicles, Lucas and Claremont pull out all the stops. All of the elements of the two previous installments plus a whole slew of new ones come into play, building to a truly epic climax -- not the usual epic fantasy mega-battle, but a journey through time & space that connects the whole thing to the movie, "Willow" (1988), and ties all the complex strands of the trilogy together. Allusions to classical and religious mythology, folklore and fairy tales (Elora even does a Cinderella bit scrubbing the floors of a crystal castle), history and literature fly fast and furious alongside cheeky references to movies, including Lucas's own!
It's wild, colorful, genre-busting stuff. If you're tired of the old epic fantasy cliches, give this trilogy a try. It really is "something else".
In this third volume of the Shadow War Chronicles, Lucas and Claremont pull out all the stops. All of the elements of the two previous installments plus a whole slew of new ones come into play, building to a truly epic climax -- not the usual epic fantasy mega-battle, but a journey through time & space that connects the whole thing to the movie, "Willow" (1988), and ties all the complex strands of the trilogy together. Allusions to classical and religious mythology, folklore and fairy tales (Elora even does a Cinderella bit scrubbing the floors of a crystal castle), history and literature fly fast and furious alongside cheeky references to movies, including Lucas's own!
It's wild, colorful, genre-busting stuff. If you're tired of the old epic fantasy cliches, give this trilogy a try. It really is "something else".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews