Act of Will

Act of Will

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Act of Will is a boisterous fantasy adventure that introduces us to Will Hawthorne, a medieval actor and playwright who flees the authorities only to find himself inextricably bound to a group of high-minded adventurers on a deadly mission. Will travels with them to a distant land where they are charged with the investigation and defeat of a ruthless army of mystical horsemen, who appear out of the mist leaving death and devastation in their wake.

In the course of Will’s uneasy alliance with his new protectors, he has to get his pragmatic mind to accept selfless heroism (which he thinks is absurd) and magic (which he doesn’t believe in). Will must eventually decide where his loyalties really lie and how much he is prepared to do–and believe–to stand up for them.

Reviews

“[A] clever page-turner… In small, swift ‘scenes,’ Hartley deftly proves that people you shouldn’t trust at your back can be the best ones to have at your side.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This fantasy by a Shakespearean scholar tells the story of hapless young actor William Hawthorne in a fictional world that, not unlike Elizabethan England, brims with intrigue…. Hartley’s prose is so graceful, his narrative so taut, and his battle scenes so exciting and well described [and] all this is especially true of the compulsively readable second half, which unfolds with remarkable elegance and power.” —Booklist

“Adventure meets a hero who just won’t shut up in this fast-talking charmer of a novel.” —Kate Elliott, bestselling author of Spirit Gate

“I was amazed by these vividly knowledgeable adventures of a youth living by his wits in a world much like Elizabethan England.” —David Drake, bestselling author of The Gods Return

“Action and intrigue with an unlikely band of heroes, coupled with deliciously ironic humor.” —Gail Z. Martin, author of The Summoner, on Act of Will

“Not only is Hartley’s novel well paced, with enough twists and turns to keep most thriller fans satisfied, he avoids the missteps of most attempts to cash in on the Da Vinci Code zeitgeist…. This slam-bang title is a very fun, surprisingly satisfying read.” —Publishers Weekly on On the Fifth Day

“A.J. Hartley is a rare discovery: a writer capable of challenging a reader as much as he thrills. His latest novel, On the Fifth Day, careens at a breathless pace from dark crypts to exotic sunlit shores.

Full of historical mystery, rife with intrigue and suspense, here is a tour-de-force sure to keep pages turning deep into the night.” —James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of Black Order

“Adventure meets a hero who just won’t shut up in this fast-talking charmer of a novel.” —Kate Elliott, bestselling author of Spirit Gate

“I was amazed by these vividly knowledgeable adventures of a youth living by his wits in a world much like Elizabethan England.” —David Drake, bestselling author of The Gods Return

About the Author

British-born writer A. J. Hartley is the bestselling author of a dozen novels including Sekret Machines: Chasing Shadows (co-authored with Tom DeLonge) and the YA fantasy adventure Steeplejack from Tor Teen. As Andrew James Hartley he is also UNC Charlotte’s Robinson Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare, specializing in performance theory and practice, and is the author of various scholarly books and articles from the world’s best academic publishers including Palgrave and Cambridge University Press. He is an honorary fellow of the University of Central Lancashire, UK. As well as being a novelist and academic, he is a screenwriter, theatre director, and dramaturge. He is married, with a son, and lives in Charlotte.

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Books By A. J. Hartley