The Night Watch Series

The Night Watch Series Sergei Lukyanenko Date: 2007   —   Book Night Watch product page Day Watch product page Twilight Watch product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy (translated)

This Russian series has given birth to a trilogy of European movies that have won great acclaim. It is about the long battle between the forces of the Light and the Dark, in the form of people called the Others. The Others are those who can go into the Twilight, and once they are initiated there, the Twilight draws out which side the Other will be upon. If truth be told, the mental state of the Other at that moment is the guiding factor, so the forces of the Light and the forces of the Dark watch very carefully for potentials, each hoping to initiate a person at the correct time.

Both sides have to be circumspect in their dealings, as a long-held truce is in place to keep both sides in check. Thus the forces of the Light have the Night Watch, to look over the dealings of the Dark, while those of the Dark have the Day Watch, to look over the dealings of the Light. An Other who works for the Night Watch may not turn a person toward the path of good without allowing an Other of the Dark a similar level of intervention. Both sides are watched over by the Inquisition, members of both sides who are alll too aware of the tragedy that an imbalance could cause.

This is backstory. Also part of the setting is the essential distinction between the two forces, that those of the Light truly believe that they are shepherding ordinary humans for an overall better world, while those of the Dark feel as though personal freedom is the most important ideal. It is worth noting that neither side requires attendance, and that the Light is, perhaps, a bit understaffed for the Night Watch, while the Dark has no trouble getting volunteers— or with going through them in a rather callous fashion.

This series primarily centers around the actions of Anton Gorodetsky, a member of the Night Watch who has only been an Other for perhaps seven years, and is thus still fairly human in his attitudes. There are several novellettes in each volume, each one leading to the final confrontation. Lukyanenko is quite clever in setting these confrontations up; none of them are quite what they seem, and all are plotted in a way that suggests mystery rather than dark fantasy. Anton is, in most of these tales, not supposed to be the central character, but he ends up understanding, perhaps, how the intricate machinations of both sides could lead to tragedy if comething goes wrong. He is in the position of the simple man who unravels the truth.

These novels, naturally enough, are set in and around Moscow, but aside from that, and the occasional hints of Russian history dropped in, there is little to confuse an American reader. Much props to the translator for his work on this series. Also do not be fooled by the copyright dates as these books were primarily written before 2002; a few cultural notes might seem strange otherwise.

One more note: these books are marketed as fantasy/horror, but in truth I found nothing in them as dark as, say, Charles De Lint. Certainly nothing on the level of Stephen King. So please, do not avoid them on that account.

On a Night Like This

Ellen Sussman
Fiction

This is a surprisingly gentle novel about death, loss, and love. Blair Clemens, mother of sixteen-year-old Amanda, has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of using this as a descent into sorrow, Sussman uses this premise to show how second chances are never too late. The relationship between the mother and daughter is very realistic, including the absolute love broken by sullen silences. Complicating the issue is Luke Bellingham, a high school classmate who tracks down the "lost soul" who inspired his Academy Award-winning screenplay, and whose younger wife has recently left him. (Her actions, when she is drawn into the story, show how truly juvenile she is, and how much growing up she has yet to do.)

Blair and Luke feel an attraction toward one another, an attraction they are afraid to deal with in the face of death and confusion. The novel follows them as they attempt to find a way to have a happy ending, something that they feel is impossible, but which the novel somehow makes plausible.

****/*****

A Tangled Web

Lucy Maud Montgomery
Fiction, Young Adult

The Darks and the Penhallows have intermarried so long that they are all but one clan. That clan has an undisputed leader - Aunt Becky, the crotchety old lady with a sharp tongue and a photographic memory of all the embarrasing moments that the Darks and Penhallows would rather forget. She calls them all together to give away her posessions, including the heirloom everyone longs for, the (truth be told) rather ugly jug of long-dead Helen Dark. Her snarky comments and ability to give each person the object of least desire draws out the tension, until she announces that the jug will not be given away for another year, with a minor member of the clan in charge of the envelope of instructions.

The next year is filled with hilarious undergoings, as people change their habits in order to compete for the jug, a competition for which no one knows the rules. Long-term bachelors decide to get married; foul-mouthed men swear off swearing; engagements are made, broken, and stolen - and all because of the jug. And, of course, in trrue Montgomery fashion, those who deserve happiness end up with it and those who do not are left out in the cold. And you, too, will be waiting to hear the fate of the jug.

*****/*****

The Last Place

Laura Lippman
Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

What would you do with a pedophile? Pretend to be underage, meet him in a bar, slip him his own date-rape drug, then use a depilatory cream to remove all the hair from his body? That's what Tess Monaghan did... and now she's in anger-management counseling after the jerk pressed charges. So when her friend Whitney gives her a research job - investigating domestic killings - she jumps at the chance to be active instead of sitting and brooding.

But the five cases don't seem to be related. In fact, one of the "victims" is still alive. But as Tess starts investigating the reasons these cases were given to her, she finds out that they are related more closely than she thought... and there could be a serial killer on the loose. One who has her picked out to be next.

Lippman's prose is engaging, and quickly draws you in. The moments spent in the mind of the stalker seem so reasonable that one can imagine the justifications that such a killer makes in his own mind. Tess comes across as principled and yes, a little angry, but who wouldn't want to see people get what they deserve? All in all, this is an entertaining read.

****/*****

A Faint Cold Fear

Karin Slaughter
Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Let me begin by saying what a great name "Slaughter" is for a mystery writer. This book all but lives up to the name, as character after character gets killed, usually in highly graphic fashion.

Sara Linton is a medical doctor and coroner, and she gets called to the scene of an apparent suicide while on an outing with her pregnant sister. During her examination of the body, her sister is stabbed, leading her to believe that the suicide could be faked. As more and more people die (and the university president scrambles to cover up the deaths), Sara and her ex, Jeffrey, scramble to put together the clues needed to stop the killer.

This is apparently the third book in the series, and we have been introduced to the characters before. Nevertheless, there is plenty to draw in a new reader, especially one who is apt to watch CSI or other fairly graphic material.

***/****

To Catch a Cat

Marian Babson
Fiction, Mystery

You know the drill. In an effort to win favor with the local kids in a new town, our eleven-year-old has to perform some stunt in order to 'join the gang.' This stunt is usually designed to be scary to the person in question, so he has to climb a tree (he's afraid of heights) and break into a house in order to steal (for a day or two) a particular cat. And of course, the owners are home.

However, in this case, the man has a literally murderous temper, and our protagonist Robin, while grabbing the cat, hears and sees a few things he shouldn't, and is spied in return. He runs away, and because he is nervous about the relatives he is staying with, says nothing, leaving the murder to be blamed on an "intruder." The rest of the novel is an exercise in suspense to see who will be discovered first, Robin or the murderous husband.

As with many of Marian Babson's "mysteries", there is no real mystery to be solved. She just ups the tension in little notches, setting up near misses and misconceptions and interior monologues of the murderer until you realize that there's no way the two cannot meet, and one can only hope that there are police at the scene when the final meeting does occur.

***.5/*****

Murder At the Cat Show

Marian Babson
Fiction, Mystery

Marian Babson is a master of the genteel English murder. Not that the deaths in question are quiet - in this novel, the victim is clubbed over the head and shoved into the tigers' cage - but the novels themselves are more about the people than the victim. Often, there is no mystery to the identity of the murderer, or the protagonist is not the one who solves the case, but the novels are interesting in spite of - or because of - that.

In this novel, Doug Perkins has been hired to do publicity for a cat show. He doesn't care for cats, which as any cat lover can tell you means that the proper cat will find him before the novel's end. The show has bickering 'stage mom' cat owners, a pair of barely-tame tigers, and an emerald-eyed golden statue... a perfect setup for murder. Which, of course, happens to one of the most obnoxious members of the show - and the owner of the cat who has attached herself to Doug.

As with most of Babson's books, this one is under 200 pages and a quick read. If you like cats, give it a go, and if you loathe cats, the antics of the show members could be fairly amusing.

****/*****

Chronicles of Avonlea

Lucy Maud Montgomery
Fiction, Children's

L.M. Montgomery's stories are all about finding happiness. These, of course, are no exception, and include stories such as an old lady, poor but proud, discovering love in the shape of the daughter of a man she once loved, two people who haven't spoken in fifteen years finally making up, and a man-hater and a woman-hater finding out that they're perfect for one another. There's no real surprises in this kind of compilation, but that's not what these books are for. If you like Montgomery's writing, these little stories are perfect for quick reads.

****/*****

The Blue Castle

Lucy Maud Montgomery
Fiction, Young Adult

Valancy Stirling, known for some reason as "Doss" to her family, is a cowed and miserable twenty-nine at the beginning of this book. All her life she has done as she has told, foregoing pleasure and happiness in order to be bossed around by her domineering mother and hypochondriac aunt. She's always been put down and bossed around, but she has one little bit of her soul left to herself, and that little bit allows her to sneak off to see a doctor - of her choice, not her family's - when she is feeling chest pain. And then she gets a letter from him telling her she has only a short while left to live.

What follows is a fairly plausible blooming of someone who has discovered that she has nothing left to fear. She allows herself to say the sarcastic (and often very funny things) she has thought about her stuffy family to their faces, because she no longer fears getting cut out of the will. She goes off to nurse a dying young woman, whom her family scorns for her out-of-wedlock child, because she no longer fears having to endure her mother's hurt silences. And she finds herself drawn to a man of whom her family strongly disapproves - because they don't know his past, they assume he is criminal - and does not fear her family's censure. There is only one fear left to her, that she should "die before she lived." Of course, she takes care of the 'living' part quite well.

Since this is a L.M. Montgomery book, the reader can of course assume that all will turn out for the best without knowing exactly how. Likewise, the typical Montgomery theme of a repressed individual who finds happiness is well developed. Montogmery only has a few themes, but in this book they are well-developed and worth a look.

****.5/*****

Magic For Marigold

Lucy Maud Montgomery
Fiction, Children's

Those fans of Anne of Green Gables will find much to recognize in this book. There is an imaginative, vibrant girl in a household with stern (though loving) adults; she gets into and out of trouble; her imagination worries her elders. However, there is less vigor than in the Anne books. Magic For Marigold is a vignette novel; there seems to be no clear direction or story arc, and a reader who expects great revelations or character development will be disappointed.

Montogmery's descriptive powers are still going strong with this book, so it should be enjoyable for those who think the process of reading is as necessary as the destination of a concrete plot.

***/*****

Fool's Fate

Robin Hobb
Fiction, Fantasy
3rd in series of 3; also last in series of 9

The Tawny Man trilogy, the third that Robin Hobb has set in this particular world, has a different feel than the two previous trilogies. First of all, it takes place in a much shorter period of time; the total action of the three books takes place in a matter of months rather than years. This has two effects - it allows for more in-depth development of the action that does take place, and it makes the books feel shorter. Secondly, much of the world-shaking urgency is gone, because unlike the previous series, there is no large-scale war developing. Everything is on a smaller, more personal scale.

The Farseer (Assassin) series, the first, was Hobb's 'bastard prince' trilogy, where we are introduced to FitzChivalry. Her second, the Liveship trilogy (and her 'swashbuckling pirate series'), was set much further south and was seemingly unrelated at first. And I feel very, very stupid that I did not realize the significance of one particular character until it was all but spelled out for me. This trilogy ties the two previous ones together firmly.

Why am I spending so much time talking about the leadup to this book? Because you shouldn't read it without reading the others first, of course. This book is a culmination of the previous eight, and much of what happens loses its significance without the larger context. The climax actually happens fairly early, because the author needed time to tie up the series. I saw a lot of complaints on Amazon about the "happy ending" from people who don't believe that life is like that; Hobb has been giving us loose ends and hard endings for eight books, so I believe that the happy ending is finally justified. (I also feel that the vast majority of people in life end up with "happy endings", but that is a subject for another post.)

I found that certain occurrences in the novel were inevitable, given the fact that FitzChivalry is finally growing up (and about time; he's nearly forty.) There were certain consequences of actions taken years ago that I hadn't considered, however, and Hobb exploits them to good advantage. Mostly, I find this book very satisfying on a deep level, and that's probably because I finally don't feel like I want to slap some sense into the protagonist. Hobb has tied up the series in such a way as to make the reader feel that they don't need more, a 'happily ever after' ending that makes sure that any further books would feel like an intrusion.

If you've made it this far, you deserve this book. If you've never heard of Robin Hobb, you deserve to check her out. But start with the first.

*****/*****

James and the Giant Peach

Roald Dahl
Fiction, Fantasy, Children's

James Henry Trotter is a happy little boy in a house by the sea until his parents are eaten up (in broad daylight, mind you) by an escaped rhinocerous. Prepocerous? Of course! Dahl's storyline does not require logic or any other of those tiresome adult strategies for turning a simple novel into a literary exercise; it merely requires something horrible and shocking that is out of the experience of children. After his parents' death, James is sent to live with his miserly aunts Sponge and Spiker, who resemble their names. And after four years of misery (in the original editions, James is depicted in exactly the same outfit at four and at eight, with it obviously outgrown and worn in the latter case), a chance for hope occurs in the shape of a bald little magician, who gives James a bag full of something which will make wonderful things happen to him. However, when James spills the bag, the peach tree (with assorted insects) is the beneficiary, which allows James a chance for adventure and happiness at last.

As in most Dahl books, those who are good-natured are rewarded in the end, while evildoers get their comeuppance (in Sponge and Spiker's case, that comeuppance is a well-deserved flattening.) It is a classic through and through.

*****/*****

Gates of Winter

Mark Anthony
Fiction, Fantasy
Fifth in a series of six

It all comes back to Travis. His travel to the past made it so that one of the Stones of power was in two places at once. That opened up a rift that allowed the dark god Mohg to influence Earth. That also brought Jack Greystone to Castle City, where he would later befriend Travis, and make him a runelord, one who would become the prophecied Runebreaker, the one to destroy the world...

Of course, Travis doesn't want to destroy the world. He'd settle for destroying Duratek, except that he's out of resources and is homeless at one of the coldest times of the year in Denver. And it's a bit hard to come up with a good plan when you're cold and hungry.

Grace isn't much better off. She's in charge of the defense at Gravenfist Keep, the best point to defend from the Pale King's assault. However, the bulk of the force may not get there in time, and though she has the key to the keep's magical defenses, she has no idea how to use it.

Anthony has a way of putting in absolutely ludicrous moments that set the scene precisely. My particular favorite is a group of stalwart knights wandering around a forest, sniffing the trees... because Grace just said that they smelled like butterscotch, and they're curious to see what she meant.

Everything comes to a head in this book. The prophecies get fulfilled, the battles get fought, the visions come to fruition. And yet this is not the last book in the series...

*****/*****

Blood of Mystery

Mark Anthony
Fiction, Fantasy, 'Weird Western' portion
Fourth in a series of six

When I read the premise of the book, I wasn't sure how Anthony could pull it off. One group of characters ends up in 1883 Colorado, fer cryin' out loud. However, not only does the conclusion of the previous book make such a premise perfectly reasonable, the effects of the journey are far-reaching, and the hoary old time travel cliché of having the same object in two places at once is so very important (though don't blink, you'll miss why) that it explains how most of the series happened in the first place.

Did that make sense? Anytime you bring time travel into the mix, it immensely complicates the language...

While our intrepid band of time travelers is stuck in the last heyday of a mining town, dealing with prejudice, vigilante justice, and a blood sorcerer, the rest of the group is working to prepare for the Last Battle, when the armies of the dark god Mohg will break out and clear his passage for him to destroy the world. If Travis doesn't do it first. Which revelation means that even the good guys aren't on his side, so when he comes back, he'll have to avoid them both.

Highly enjoyable, and surprisingly plausible. And it's getting harder to do spoiler-free reviews as the series progresses...

****.5/*****

The Dark Remains

Mark Anthony
Fiction, Fantasy
Third in series of six

What do you do with a badly wounded knight? Take him to the ER, of course. In this installment of the Last Rune series, Dr. Grace Beckett has made the decision to take her Eldhish companion Beltan to Earth because, frankly, the medical facilities on Eldh leave much to be desired. She and Travis have to hide from the authorities, as they have been so kindly described as 'dangerous fugitives' by the Duratek corporation, which seems to be taking over a shell-shocked Denver. And Beltan is in a coma - at least, until he disappears.

If that weren't bad enough, back on Eldh the familiar companions have to travel south to find out about a powerful magic that has started killing off the New Gods...

Most of this book is devoted to the parallel stories taking place on Earth and on Eldh. Denver residents will recognize the topography and be able to place Duratek's base of operations to within a few blocks. And yes, there really is a godforsaken piece of land known as Commerce City - it usually smells like sulfur. It's an ironic underscoring that non-natives won't notice.

In this book, the protagonists finally get some self-confidence (a bit delayed, as they're both in their thirties) and a little willingness to use their powers as necessary. We get introduced to a new form of magic, blood sorcery, and its consequences. (One of which is that you end up scarred. The blood has to come from somewhere, after all.) And there's a different method of travelling between the worlds, one that non-magical groups like Duratek can utilize. If only they can synthesize the right ingredient.

As with all of these books, Anthony's writing style speeds up at the conclusion, and it is very important that you note the details, because if you miss them, the finale will make no sense.

****/*****

Keep of Fire

Mark Anthony
Fiction, Fantasy
Second in series of six

It's interesting to read customer reviews of Mark Anthony's books, because people either love his work or hate it. There's very little in-between. That said, I think that the books gain momentum as the series progresses and that Anthony's writing style is suited to the subject material. His handling of characters, particularly in interaction and dialogue, is increasingly similar to David Eddings, but in my view that's a good thing. (I certainly don't read Eddings for original plots.)

In this second book, Travis Wilder has returned to Earth while Grace has remained behind on Eldh. Even though Travis has slipped back into his life rather easily (it's one of those towns where so many people end up when they're escaping their pasts that people don't ask questions) there are indications that all is not well. A man comes to his bar and bursts into flame; there's the thoroughly creepy corporation Duratek, and a mysterious plague starts appearing - on both worlds.

And you get your first hints that Travis is the focus of a prophecy that says that he will destroy the world...

One of the most original aspects of this series is the degree of interaction between the worlds. Most series simply use one world as a stepping platform for the other, a sort of shorthand to get the reader to identify with the characters. Moreover, when the protagonists are given magical capabilities, their first instinct is to not want it. I've read several complaints about such "whininess" but being afraid of power is a very human reaction.

My one complaint about this series is the way that Anthony draws out certain revelations about the protagonists. It plays very well cinematically - one can almost see the fragmentary flashbacks as they are described - but a reader occasionally gets the sense of just tell us already! Still, this is a nice continuation of the series, and one that whets your appetite for more.

****/*****

Beyond the Pale

Mark Anthony
Fiction, Fantasy

Full disclaimer: I happen to be an acquaintance of Mark's (he's a sweetie), and this is why I looked into this first book. However, I continued with the series on its own merits. You'll find a number of complaints on Amazon about its derivative tendencies, but in most of those cases the posters are mistaking certain parallels for pure derivation ('There's runes SEALING off a PRISON, so it MUST be derivative of Jordan!')

This first book starts off with the hoary old cliché of people from our world pulled into a fantasy world, where they must save the day, yadda yadda. However, there's a few differences right from the start, beginning with the fact that the protagonists are first threatened in our world by creatures from the other - or to be more exact, by creatures that have been directly influenced by that other world, but are from ours. Though this interesting development is not dealt with in this initial novel, one gets the sense that such crossovers are not entirely unheard of. And then there's Brother Cy's Apocalytic Traveling Salvation Show, a revival circus that has a more practical view of the darkness it's fighting than you might expect...

This is Anthony's first novel, and it shows in a few places. Certain Dark Secrets from the protagonist's pasts are telegraphed to the point where you just want them to get out and be dealt with, already. Sometimes the dialogue is a little stilted. The first time I read this book, it seemed to start off slow. The second time, I did not notice, because what had seemed to be a slow opening was actually fairly important in terms of character development. Overall, however, the book is well-written; to compare its flaws to the polished novels of veteran writers is unfair - but when it is done, Anthony's book actually comes off fairly well.

Anthony's first love is anthropology and old towns in the hills, and this book was his first attempt to display it. I recommend this book for people who enjoy fantasy on its own merits but not for those who dislike any fantasy series that hints of another; in epic fantasy, archetypes abound, and you will think you've read this before, even though it might surprise you.

***.5/*****

Ella Enchanted

Gail Carson Levine
Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

The story of Cinderella has been told time and again through every form of media. Levine's story puts a new twist upon the old; instead of cheerfully doing everything she is told, Ella is not happy at all. But she still does everything she is told to, because she can't help it. She was blessed at birth by a well-meaning fairy to be obedient, and she has to do anything she is told to.

Her mother knows, and is careful to only phrase things as requests, but when she dies, and Ella's father remarries, her stepsisters quickly discover her secret and torment her. What makes it worse is that Ella and the young prince of the country are falling in love, and Ella knows that her curse could only be a liability to the kingdom. Yet Ella's every effort to end the enchantment backfires, and she is left in the clutches of her money-greedy stepmother...

Gail Carson Levine's books are justifiably popular with teenaged girls, as they are honest and unflinching about the internal struggles that any girl has to deal with (even when they are externalized into fantastic settings.) They can easily be read and enjoyed by adults as well - at least, adults who are not afraid to admit that they like fairy tales from time to time.

****.5/*****

Every Secret Thing

Laura Lippman
Fiction, Thriller

This novel cuts to the heart of a question we have yet to answer: How can children be killers? Two little girls, seemingly normal, encounter a baby in a carriage, all alone, and take her. The baby is not found alive, and when the truth comes out, the girls are imprisoned until they reach majority. The novel takes place after they are released - and another little girl disappears, leaving the reader to wonder if killers, however young, can be rehabilitated.

Lippman's novel is intriguing in that there are no truly sympathetic characters for most of the book. She introduces the mother of the abducted and slain infant, and she is shrewish and selfish, wanting the girls to suffer for what they did - and she doesn't care if they are rehabilitated or not. The single mother of the "nice girl" could have been merely an eclectic, principled teacher, but Lippman shows us how she looks down on her students and worries about how people will see her when her daughter comes home. She also displays an inability to understand her daughter's longing for popularity and acceptance, and never quite grasps why her daughter isn't more eclectic and unique - like herself. The "bad girl's" family isn't worth much text, but the little there is shows them to be the epitome of "white trash." And the girls themselves are an enigma, their years of incarceration making them withdrawn and difficult to connect with.

Somehow these unlikeable characters are made compelling through Lippman's prose, and the book is propelled toward the truth of the first baby's death. As in real life, however, there are few happy endings, and one wonders how lives so deceptively strong can be so fragile.

****.5/*****

Buried Evidence

Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
Fiction, Thriller

Things aren't going so well for DA Lily Forrester. Her divorced husband is sinking into insolvency and drunkenness. Her daughter's rapist is out on parole and possibly stalking her. And when her ex is accused of fatal hit-and-run, he pressures her to help him - or he'll expose a deed from the past that, while justified, will ruin her career and send her to prison.

I think the most amazing part about this book is that with such an involved and seemingly ludicrous premise, the author manages to pull off a plausible story. Lily is an amazingly strong character, and the story reflects that, but it also shows that she has her moments of idiocy or ill-temper, and that those moments often happen around her ex-husband, as though he manages to bring out her worst. Her ex is an ass, not totally irredeemable, but weak and likely to continue in the easy path despite his love for those who might get hurt by his actions.

The story works because within its context, it is solid in its assumptions. It does not give too much detail, and its foundations are based upon characters that are likely to jump to conclusions based on their personalities. It's a nice quick read.

***.5/*****