Customer Reviews

Will Power

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Will Power, second in a series of fast-paced fantasy novels by A J
Hartley, makes its debut on the bookstore shelves today. I write "series" in the
hopeful assumption that Hartley has plans for continuing the saga of one Will
Hawthorne--actor, poet, playwright, con man, and now full-time reluctant adventurer. Hawthorne's somewhat checkered rise to stardom as a young Elizabethan-style actor of plays and self-proclaimed pithy purveyor of pentameter poesy, was rudely interrupted in the first installment, Act of Will, leading to new employment as front man for a band of, in Will's modest opinion, much too heroic adventurers.

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.

Hartley has also seen fit to aptly furnish his saga with a back story. In the author's words:

--Like the first volume, Act of Will, it [Will Power] has been translated from
the original Thrusian--as preserved in the now famous Fossington House
Papers--with the aid of notes left by the Elizabethan translator Sir Thomas
Henby. As readers of the first manuscript will quickly see, the second volume is
different in key respects from the first, and raises still more vexing questions
of provenance, locale, and issues of how much of the narrative--if any--is
derived from fact.--

He then goes on to promise the results of further investigation in a series of
academic papers to be published in issues of Philological Quarterly
--HA!--Though he doubts that a general reader would be very much interested.
-- What a hoot.
This is the type of well-rounded attention to detail I came to expect from Hartley,
becoming familiar with his work after having fortunately stumbled upon his mystery novel,
What Time Devours. And it's what makes Will Power read with the veracity of a mysterious and exciting in-but-out-of-this-world
historical chronicle, rather than pure fantasy.
(See my review of "What Time Devours":[...])

Although I must admit, upon finishing the copy of Will Power provided by the Publisher (Tor/Forge),
I immediately began a quest to find book #1 --Act of Will, and purchased and read Act of Will on my own.
Will Power certainly holds up to its billing as a 'stand-alone' fantasy novel. But trust me, if you're a fantasy
fan, you too will be looking for more from Professor Hartley, past or future.
This book, as well as all of his others, no matter the genre, is recommended reading. JM

The Diamond Empire guards have Will Hawthorne and his gang of thieves at the Waterman, he knows they are lost as the doors crash open. However, they escape as they scatter across the city. Will owes his life to Mithos. At the Fisherman's Arms, they meet Ambassador Linassi who manages to get them out of the city.

When Linassi's coach stops, Will or Mithos has no idea where they are as this land is different than anything he has ever seen. He and his comrade are welcomed by the Fair Folk who are at war with the Goblins. Since the fair Folk are very nice to them and look human while the enemy looks like a horror version of Goblins, the outsiders assume they are on the side of the good guys. However, Will begins to doubt what he initially accepted as gospel although the beer is quite good.

This is a superb tale as the antihero manages to land in one misadventure after another. The story line is incredibly fast-paced and the incidents purposely exaggerated. With the jocular escapades, fans will toast (with beer of course) as A.J. Hartley cleverly weaves throughout the strong saga a warning to never judge a book by its cover as Will begins to wonder who the monsters truly are

Harriet Klausner

I read a lot of non-fiction. Books on business, theology, and history dominate my reading table. So when I take some time to read a novel, I am very particular about what I read. I don't get a chance to read them very often so I want to make sure I choose novels that I am really going to enjoy.

I knew when I picked up A.J. Hartley's Will Power that I had made an excellent choice. And every single page confirmed my decision.

I read the first book in the Will Hawthorne series, Act of Will, and loved it so on one level, Will Power was an easy choice. But you know how things often go with sequels; the second book is rarely as good as the first. There are notable exceptions of course, but the exceptions prove the rule. I will add Hartley's book to the list of exceptions.

Hartley is a craftsman and writes in a way that makes it obvious that he is a man with a deep and profound love and respect for the power of art in general and the written word in particular. As a consequence, his prose is tight and powerful and he doesn't waste even a syllable as he weaves his story.

Like the first novel in the series, Will Power impresses me with the way it is paced. The reader is carried along on a thrill ride roller coaster one minute and then a slow boat down a river the next. This creates an excellent reading experience that makes the book almost impossible to put down. In fact, I stayed up until well after midnight reading one night because I just couldn't let the story go. Or rather, because the story wouldn't let me go. I finally closed the book due to exhaustion but picked it up as soon as I could the following day.

More than once during my reading of Will Power I found myself literally laughing out loud at the dialogue or the hilarious situations Will Hawthorne had gotten himself into. Then, at other times, I was literally holding my breath or shouting at the open pages of the book because I was so enthralled with the action in the story I felt like I was right in the thick of it.

I can only imagine that Hartley's theater background (he is the Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a director as well) is what makes him such an engaging novelist. The dialogue in this novel certainly reminds one of something a good playwright would craft. It is always purposeful, rich and appropriate to the character speaking it.

Combine all of this and you have a fine story, excellently told, and a reading experience that will leave you wanting more.

This is my first comment on one of A.J. Hartley's books on Amazon but I could not resist spreading the word about this second, in the new series of Will Hawthorne adventures. The books are not your typical fantasy tales. They are more a combination and evolution of George MacDonald Fraser's, Harry Flashman, adventurer,cad and hero, and Neil Gaiman's, Neverwhere, surrealistic,disorienting environments. "Will Power" is well written for a fast paced- can't put it down read! You don't particularly have to read "Act of Will", the first book in the hopefully long series of adventures...but you will want to anyway so take your pick and enjoy...they are both great adventures!!

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.

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.

***Read this and other reviews on our blog Elitist Book Reviews.***

I acquired this book directly from the author, after learning that he is a novelist. My initial skepticism was completely blown away from the moment I started reading this book. To me, the writing style and the author's sense of humor are the true rewards of this book. In this age and time, the author transports us to a whimsical and alternate period of time that comes alive with his words. The wit and self-deprecating style of the protagonist poke fun in an otherwise mythical setting. Just for the writing style alone, the book is worth it. The author is masterful with words and he applies them with masterful strokes to create this novel, a true work of art. I look forward to continuing my literary journey with this author.

I started Will Power on a plane flight, and when I got home I could not stop reading, ignored all the work I should have been doing, and then proceeded to stay up until I was finished. Will, (our narrator, former thespian, turned swashbuckling adventure, albeit very reluctantly, and who would much rather be drinking beer, good beer, than saving the day) charms us with a great sardonic voice. He is the anti-hero, and knows it. I love him and also want to beat him upside the head for being such an idiot. Interesting worlds, fun supporting cast, wonderfully intelligent writing, and some really nice twists in plot that kept me guessing. I enjoyed the first book of the series, Act of Will, and was absolutely delighted with the continuation of the saga, may there be many more adventures. Please, Mr. Hartley, please!

There was a point when I stopped reading Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series when I realized that the entire plot of the book rested on the main characters refusing to speak honestly with each other ... leading to some kind of book-long entanglement. It popped me right out of the world and got me thinking about the writing. Something similar happened to me with Will Power but it took me a while to put my finger on it.

One ingredient was the awkward setup. Will is able to expertly tell when someone is lying by using his long experience as an actor, but in a key story setup, is scammed by the acting of a character described as the Empire's least competent intelligence officer.

Despite all the repeated exposure to magic, including wielding it himself during the climax of the previous book, Will is unable to comprehend that magic has been used to transport the party during a key scene, continuously whining about the impossibility of being anywhere but where they had been transported from, at one point suggesting that perhaps map makers had left off mountains from the maps they'd been consulting to focus on other, more important features...

Over and over again, he acts like an ass, insulting, offending, being worse than useless. That's tiresome when the book's written from his point of view. I finally gave up reading.