Wicked Willow: Shattered Twilight (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Paperback)

There were a couple of interesting ideas in "The Darkening," such as when Willow acquires Spike and Oz, the latter kept in a perpetual werewolf state, but nothing happens with them. The book is essentially a holding action and by the end of the book when the characters take stock of their respective situations they will still pretty much were they had started with the exception being Giles being paralyzed. More importantly, the first book did not end with a big hook that had you in a frenzy to read book two (like at the end of both of the first two volumes in "The Lost Slayer" series). The expectation was that in "Shattered Twilight" the story would kick into gear, but for every step forward there is at least one counter step backwards and sometimes more.

For the second book in a row Willow's primary goal of putting together a coven and gathering enough power to resurrect Tara has her spinning her Wicca wheels. There is no sense of momentum but rather a clear idea that things are coming apart for Willow. How many variations can you have on a conversation where Willow says she is going to bring Tara back and the Ghost of Tara says, no, do not do that, and Willow says she will? Meanwhile the Scoobies are trying to get Giles up on his feet again, something that also happens a couple of times, while worrying about stopping Willow, although they finally admit they do not know exactly what they are stopping her from doing. It is Anya, of all people, who finally poses the key question, which, was not posed previously because there was not a character around who could answer it before it is finally asked (that will make sense when you read the book).

The fatal flaw in this book can best be seen in Navarro's key character addition in "Shattered Twilight." After having problems with one mystical beast, Willow creates a new monster from the lore of legend to go forth and kill Buffy and the Scoobies. There is a wicked twist in that she corrupts another former Scoobie into being her creature of vengeance. However, for this to happen requires something significant to happen off stage, as it were. This is a rather important development and it is tossed off in a few sentences. I need at least a chapter or an extended sequence before I am going to allow this sort of development, even in an alternate-history trilogy.

On top of this Navarro plays with the rules for her mystical creature. I do not want to give away what it is, but in everything I have read and heard these are soulless creatures, so putting a soul (or whatever) in it is against the rules. The idea is that doing this is a horrifying act that will hurt Buffy (before the creature kills Buffy), but it turns out to be an Achilles heel sort of deal. The Willow that just about destroyed the earth at the end of Season Six of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" before Xander told the yellow crayon story was a super witch who took down just about everybody who stood in her way. This one keeps messing up so much that you stop thinking of her as being a serious threat.

At the end of "Shattered Twilight" there is a chance for a big finish. Giles comes up with a plan to turn the tables on Willow. You then have the set up for Willow to discover what has happened and get really, really angry. Instead, Willow gets really angry without knowing what has happened. Again, one step forward and one step back. The same thing applies to the characterizations. Navarro does a good job with making Anya a force in the machinations of the Scoobie gang, but at the same time turns Xander into the bothersome jokester of seasons long past.

I will complete the trilogy when the third volume, "Broken Sunrise," comes out. I will do this, not because I am really interested in what is going to happen, but because I think that once I have read the entire thing I will be able to figure out how the entire "Wicked Willow" trilogy could have been reworked into one above average "BtVS" novel instead of what I fear will be three below average ones.

One of the things I found particularly interesting is that Buffy and the Scoobies actually don't understand what Willow is trying to do, and have managed to cause far more destruction than Willow would have done on her own. This dichotomy between an evil Willow who is really only seeking to create life, and the Buffy team keeps building. This keeps Willow a believable and almost sympathetic character while forcing us to look at Buffy, Giles, and company in a different way. The ending of this volume is particularly touching.

This focus on the moral dilemmas of the characters is unusual in a Buffyverse book. Willow, Buffy and Giles all must deal with difficult decisions, and their actions do not necessarily work for the best. As much as the publisher paints this as a Wicked Willow series, it is considerably more than that. No one is totally innocent, everyone makes a dreadful mistake or two. However, even as the interior dialog gathers momentum, the pacing seems to slow a bit. Shattered Twilight seems to get stuck in the pattern of attack and withdraw that began in The Darkening.

Still, while I experienced moments of tedium in the reading, the over all effect was compelling enough to hold my interest. Yvonne Navarro's effort has redefined Willow's character within an understandable framework. She certainly isn't the only person I know who it the thought they could undo a tragedy wouldn't do everything in their power to do exactly that. At the moment crosses over the line towards the inhuman, she offers proff of her real human depths. While this new, complex Willow will bother some fans, I think it's an illuminating development in one of my favorite characters.