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Watchers
Sacred sites, secret messages, ancient aliens, global conspiracy and...dragons!
Tilly Greenway has always had unsettling dreams that predict future events. When she has a dream asking her ‘Who watches the Watchers?’ over and over again it sets off a chain of events that lead her and her stepbrother Zack on a dangerous quest.
They discover that a sinister shadow-government called HORUS along with their creepy alien allies, The Others, are planning a horrifying fate for mankind. Only the Guardians can stop HORUS. But who are the Guardians? And why do they need Tilly and Zack?
In a world of fake news, phony flood evacuations and the constant threat of terror alerts, Tilly and Zack discover that aliens are complicated, that magic still exists and that dragons are real and are on their side.
They have to find the mysterious ME Keys that were hidden more than three thousand years ago. As they work with the Guardians to find the first key, HORUS is hot on their heels. Headed by the calculating Director of Terror who uses her department of psychic spies to track Tilly and Zack's every move, the result is uncertain and leads to a nail-biting finale on the peak of Glastonbury Tor.
Will Tilly figure out how to activate the key? And even if she does, will it be enough to stop The Others?
Tilly Greenway has always had unsettling dreams that predict future events. When she has a dream asking her ‘Who watches the Watchers?’ over and over again it sets off a chain of events that lead her and her stepbrother Zack on a dangerous quest.
They discover that a sinister shadow-government called HORUS along with their creepy alien allies, The Others, are planning a horrifying fate for mankind. Only the Guardians can stop HORUS. But who are the Guardians? And why do they need Tilly and Zack?
In a world of fake news, phony flood evacuations and the constant threat of terror alerts, Tilly and Zack discover that aliens are complicated, that magic still exists and that dragons are real and are on their side.
They have to find the mysterious ME Keys that were hidden more than three thousand years ago. As they work with the Guardians to find the first key, HORUS is hot on their heels. Headed by the calculating Director of Terror who uses her department of psychic spies to track Tilly and Zack's every move, the result is uncertain and leads to a nail-biting finale on the peak of Glastonbury Tor.
Will Tilly figure out how to activate the key? And even if she does, will it be enough to stop The Others?
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
First published April 3, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 1, 2018
In the middle of a government conspiracy by some otherworldly dark forces to take over mankind, Tilly and Zack are caught in an adventure unlike any other! While I originally thought the writing was a bit simple and childish at some points, the further I read the style seemed to mesh better with the deepening plot on the other side. In fact, I have quite changed my tune to say that I now think the writing is quite brilliant! So stay with it. I was also impressed with the historical references at the end of the story. Well done!
April 6, 2011
Fantastic read. Exciting, thought provoking and also very beautifully written with lovely descriptive scenes. It's meant to be a young adult book but is just as much an adult read. The story is a great mix of fantasy and alternate history combined with a Dan Brown type conspiracy thriller pace and plot. I liked it better than Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings! (It has echoes of both those books) and also I found it more satisfying than Dan Brown as it feels like you actually do get more real 'hidden history' type answers from this book. It's part of a series and I can't wait for the next book....
October 10, 2011
I loved this book. It was very exciting, had moments of beauty, moments of politics, and dragons :) The pages where we meet Llewellyn were almost poetry and seemed to be inspired by Dylan Thomas. I know nothing about this author, but they know how to write a nice story.
April 24, 2013
This book took me a long time to read – I got it for Christmas and only finished it in April, having gone weeks at a time without reading it. As you may guess, I wasn’t exactly gripped by it and only really ploughed through to the end because I don’t like leaving books unfinished.
To be honest, I would never have chosen this book for myself. I’m not a big fantasy fan and had I seen it in a bookshop, I would have been put off by the overly fantasy-ey front cover. But it was specifically chosen for me because it is partly set in the Vale of the White Horse, near where I live and work, so I gave it a go.
My main problem with this book was the quality of the writing. While not a huge fan of fantasy, I am capable of enjoying any genre, really, so long as it’s well written. Unfortunately, I found ‘Watchers’ very childishly written (and that’s nothing to do with its intended audience – some of my favourite books are children’s books!). I found the characters lacking in depth and some of them are downright stereotypical – such as Major de Beer, the English toff who ends every sentence with ‘What!’, and Marvin Kowalski, the obese, rich, Stetson-wearing Texan who interrupts meetings to complain that he’s hungry. Apart from the obvious stereotypes, there is little differentiation between the voices of most of the human characters. The two main ‘magical’ characters, Ambrose and Amairisian, have exactly the same archaic, stiffly formal voice (they both start speeches by saying ‘I have much to tell you’). The dragons speak in an infantile way that I found silly for such supposedly ancient and noble creatures (I also found it strange that they woke up after several thousand years speaking perfect modern English).
Another thing that irked somewhat me came near the end of the book, when Tilly is looking for the red key in the Chalice Well Garden. She has been given a riddle to help her find it: ‘Below a bole/Above a bowl/That ever spills/Yet ever fills… Seek in a wall/Above a wall/That does not fall… Thorn, cup and yew/Will help you through…’ etc. etc. And as she walks through the garden, oh look! A giant YEW tree, and underneath that, the sloping ground has turned the stream into a WATERFALL, and underneath that, the pressure of the waterfall has hollowed out one of the stones so that it resembles a BOWL. The author describes this scene at some length, Tilly is described as feeling ‘drawn’ to it… yet she still walks on past it and continues searching elsewhere. Even though it’s clearly the place described in the riddle, the reader is still supposed to believe that Tilly doesn’t so much as consider it. I found this rather unsubtle.
I didn’t dislike everything about this book – I liked the idea of an alternative history, now forgotten, in which humans were originally created and enslaved by aliens. I liked the idea of magical creatures living unseen in modern-day Britain, and I liked the way that famous landmarks (Avebury, Silbury Hill, etc.) were incorporated into the story. I must also give the author credit for making me want to go to Glastonbury again and visit the Chalice Well Gardens, as they do sound lovely. Ultimately, while I liked some of the concepts in 'Watchers', the writing let it down for me (I have tried not to be too harsh on this book, as dragons and unicorns are not my cup of tea, but there is no excuse for bad writing) and I am unlikely to want to read the rest of this series.
To be honest, I would never have chosen this book for myself. I’m not a big fantasy fan and had I seen it in a bookshop, I would have been put off by the overly fantasy-ey front cover. But it was specifically chosen for me because it is partly set in the Vale of the White Horse, near where I live and work, so I gave it a go.
My main problem with this book was the quality of the writing. While not a huge fan of fantasy, I am capable of enjoying any genre, really, so long as it’s well written. Unfortunately, I found ‘Watchers’ very childishly written (and that’s nothing to do with its intended audience – some of my favourite books are children’s books!). I found the characters lacking in depth and some of them are downright stereotypical – such as Major de Beer, the English toff who ends every sentence with ‘What!’, and Marvin Kowalski, the obese, rich, Stetson-wearing Texan who interrupts meetings to complain that he’s hungry. Apart from the obvious stereotypes, there is little differentiation between the voices of most of the human characters. The two main ‘magical’ characters, Ambrose and Amairisian, have exactly the same archaic, stiffly formal voice (they both start speeches by saying ‘I have much to tell you’). The dragons speak in an infantile way that I found silly for such supposedly ancient and noble creatures (I also found it strange that they woke up after several thousand years speaking perfect modern English).
Another thing that irked somewhat me came near the end of the book, when Tilly is looking for the red key in the Chalice Well Garden. She has been given a riddle to help her find it: ‘Below a bole/Above a bowl/That ever spills/Yet ever fills… Seek in a wall/Above a wall/That does not fall… Thorn, cup and yew/Will help you through…’ etc. etc. And as she walks through the garden, oh look! A giant YEW tree, and underneath that, the sloping ground has turned the stream into a WATERFALL, and underneath that, the pressure of the waterfall has hollowed out one of the stones so that it resembles a BOWL. The author describes this scene at some length, Tilly is described as feeling ‘drawn’ to it… yet she still walks on past it and continues searching elsewhere. Even though it’s clearly the place described in the riddle, the reader is still supposed to believe that Tilly doesn’t so much as consider it. I found this rather unsubtle.
I didn’t dislike everything about this book – I liked the idea of an alternative history, now forgotten, in which humans were originally created and enslaved by aliens. I liked the idea of magical creatures living unseen in modern-day Britain, and I liked the way that famous landmarks (Avebury, Silbury Hill, etc.) were incorporated into the story. I must also give the author credit for making me want to go to Glastonbury again and visit the Chalice Well Gardens, as they do sound lovely. Ultimately, while I liked some of the concepts in 'Watchers', the writing let it down for me (I have tried not to be too harsh on this book, as dragons and unicorns are not my cup of tea, but there is no excuse for bad writing) and I am unlikely to want to read the rest of this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's about a young girl, Tilly Greenaway who together with her brother wants to save the world from a organisation called ISIS, who has sinister plans. Only a organisation called the Guardians can stop them. But they need Tilly's and her stepbrothers help. The children meet dragons, old gods and other beings on their enthralling quest.
The author does know a lot about the myth and the sacred sites in the UK. So when reading it you learn a lot, too. The descriptions of the sacred sites make you want to visit them again. The book is full of philosophical insights but never gets boring.
I can recommend this book for young adults as well as for adults.
It really is a wonderful fantasy book on a quest which in my opinion can be compared to the great sagas like Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately I finished it very quickly and now I'm waiting impatiently for the sequel.
The author does know a lot about the myth and the sacred sites in the UK. So when reading it you learn a lot, too. The descriptions of the sacred sites make you want to visit them again. The book is full of philosophical insights but never gets boring.
I can recommend this book for young adults as well as for adults.
It really is a wonderful fantasy book on a quest which in my opinion can be compared to the great sagas like Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately I finished it very quickly and now I'm waiting impatiently for the sequel.
August 30, 2012
I bought the UK version while on a trip across the pond... it was a quick read as I was sucked into the plot line. I think kids in 3rd-6th grade would especially enjoy the book. It incorporates interesting concepts and theories and definitely pushes the theme of listening to your heart and instincts. I'm hopeful that the series will stay strong and grow developmentally with the characters and audience much as the Harry Potter series did. I would definitely encourage people who enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, and YA books to get their hands on a copy of Watchers
June 13, 2012
Very interesting book.
Throw together a vast underground conspiracy, a bit of mythology, a feeling like War of the Worlds, a fast pace and a dragon or two you get a book like this one.
Really enjoying it!
The vast underground conspiracy reminds me of the one in Windmills of the Gods by Sydney Sheldon. (Boy that gives my age away doesn't it?)
Though the description states that this is a YA book but I'm really enjoying it.
Throw together a vast underground conspiracy, a bit of mythology, a feeling like War of the Worlds, a fast pace and a dragon or two you get a book like this one.
Really enjoying it!
The vast underground conspiracy reminds me of the one in Windmills of the Gods by Sydney Sheldon. (Boy that gives my age away doesn't it?)
Though the description states that this is a YA book but I'm really enjoying it.
June 17, 2012
Watchers is wonderful! The characters were memorable. Tilly and Zach have to evade some pretty nasty villains and protect some creatures long to have been thought extinct. The mythology, the conspiracy theories, the adventure is all thrilling. Fantasy in a modern setting is always so much fun and the imagery is breathtaking! I can't wait until the next book comes out!
March 7, 2013
A wonderful story! I love the dragons and references to all the ancient, sacred sites in England and Wales, many of which I have visited myself and know them to be special places.
I can´t wait for the next installment and will be recommending the Tilly Greenway books to everyone!
I can´t wait for the next installment and will be recommending the Tilly Greenway books to everyone!
March 12, 2014
Love this book! The author is my best friends dad, so was really excited to read it- loved the story plot and the characters. Recommended to anyone! :)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews