The second book (Shadow Dawn) makes almost zero reference to any of the main characters in the film Willow, aside from a single paragraph in the first chapter and a couple of later mentions of Bavmorda being a psycho hose beast;
Bards told the story better, but they were supposed to, that was their
profession. Each time she heard it, there was some new twist, an even
more fantastical adventure to add spice to the retelling. Much more
romance, for example, between Madmartigan and Sorsha, the wayward
warrior and the princess who turned from evil to good for love. And
Elora's guardian, her godfather, the Nelwyn sorcerer Willow Ufgood,
assumed a majesty of bearing, a force of command that would have done
a Daikini warlord proud.
I've just finished flicking through the Third (and final) book in the series; Shadow Star. About halfway through the book, Elora reminisces about her relationship with Willow, Madmartigan and Sorsha;
She took no action against Madmartigan and Sorsha; the elves saved her
the trouble. So it went, year after year, generation upon generation.
Because she lost faith in her generals, she trained herself in all the
warriors' arts. When she grew convinced that Willow was rousing the
local wizards to rebellion, she mastered their arts as well. And
remembering the breadth of Bavmorda's power, it was the most logical
progression from the craft of white magic to that of black.
Later in the book, there's a substantial subplot involving a time travel device in which Elora sees (and fights) Bavmorda and Kael.
The Resonator initiated another pulse and with it another timeslip, to
the seminal moment of Elora's infancy, when Kael had stolen her away
from Thorn and his companions and galloped her to Nockmaar to be
sacrificed. True, an army had followed hot on his heels, composed of
the survivors of those great castles who'd already fallen to
Bavmorda's sorcery, the latest being gallant Galadoorn, but Kael gave
it little thought. Nockmaar had never fallen that he knew of, and
would never fall while he held command.
Of course, it did, the very next morning, as Kael's men were hoodwinked into chasing Thorn and Fin Raziel across the plain, only to
have the army they believed transformed entirely into pigs rise up out
of hidey-holes dug in the ground, fully restored and spoiling for
vengeance.
It was an epic battle, between Sorsha and her mother (Sorsha lost), between Fin Raziel and the woman who'd been her best friend (Fin lost), and finally between the Nelwyn who wanted to be a wizard
and the greatest demon sorceress of her age. With a little bit of
luck, some dexterous sleight of hand, and a fatal moment of clumsy
footwork from the opposition, Thorn won the day and saved Elora's
life. The Ritual intended for her consumed Bavmorda instead, utterly
and completely.
