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Twilight Watch
The third book in Sergei Lukyanenko's dark and thrilling Night Watch series—a visionary blend of urban fantasY and riveting thriller, set in contemporary Moscow
Night Watch and Day Watch revealed the "Others," an ancient race of supernatural beings—magicians, shape-shifters, vampires, and healers—who live among us and swear allegiance to either the Dark or the Light. For a millennium, these opponents have coexisted in an uneasy truce, guarding each other and tottering on the brink of war.
In Twilight Watch, the Others face their greatest threat yet. An ancient book of spells with the power to turn ordinary humans into Others has fallen into the wrong hands, threatening to destroy the precarious balance between the forces of Darkness and Light. Now the Night Watch and the Day Watch must cooperate to stop the culprit. Anton, the hero from Night Watch, is back, but when the renegade Other turns out to be closer to home than he expected, the race to prevent global war becomes more urgent than ever. And as Anton gets closer to discovering the true nature of the Others, he begins to question how much of a difference there truly is between the Dark and the Light.
435 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
178 people are currently reading
6593 people want to read
About the author
Sergei Lukyanenko
269 books2,562 followersСергей Лукьяненко (Russian)
Szergej Lukjanyenko (Hungarian)
Sergejs Lukjaņenko (Latvian)
Sergey Lukyanenko
Sergej Luk'janenko (Italian)
Сергей Лукяненко (Bulgarian)
Sergej Lukianenko (German)
Siergiej Łukjanienko (Polish)
Sergej Lukjaněnko (Czech)
Sergei Lukyanenko (as his name appears on books and films in U.S. markets) is a science-fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian, and is arguably the most popular contemporary Russian sci-fi writer. His works often feature intense action-packed plots, interwoven with the moral dilemma of keeping one's humanity while being strong.
Lukyanenko is a prolific writer, releasing usually 1-2 books per year, as well as a number of a critical articles and short stories. Recently his works have been adapted into film productions, for which he wrote the screenplays. He lives in Moscow with his wife Sonia and two sons, Artemiy and Danil, keeps mice as pets and enjoys cooking.
Szergej Lukjanyenko (Hungarian)
Sergejs Lukjaņenko (Latvian)
Sergey Lukyanenko
Sergej Luk'janenko (Italian)
Сергей Лукяненко (Bulgarian)
Sergej Lukianenko (German)
Siergiej Łukjanienko (Polish)
Sergej Lukjaněnko (Czech)
Sergei Lukyanenko (as his name appears on books and films in U.S. markets) is a science-fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian, and is arguably the most popular contemporary Russian sci-fi writer. His works often feature intense action-packed plots, interwoven with the moral dilemma of keeping one's humanity while being strong.
Lukyanenko is a prolific writer, releasing usually 1-2 books per year, as well as a number of a critical articles and short stories. Recently his works have been adapted into film productions, for which he wrote the screenplays. He lives in Moscow with his wife Sonia and two sons, Artemiy and Danil, keeps mice as pets and enjoys cooking.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews
January 5, 2009
I really wanted to finish this before 2008 ended, but travel, a hectic schedule and a new mini-PC conspired against me. Ah well, such is life.
This world is one that is riddled with possibilities. Even though Lukyanenko has been pretty single-minded in his themes throughout the trilogy, there's a lot to work with here. We have two distinct groups of Others, the Light and the Dark, with different character classes, powers, abilities, levels and ambitions. If anyone wanted to write fan fiction or even a role-playing game based on the world of the Night Watch series, they would be able to let their imaginations roam free. It's an open-ended universe, rife with possibility.
So why isn't it is popular worldwide as, say, Harry Potter? Probably because it's more grown-up than the Potter series, and is therefore less attractive.
Don't get me wrong - I liked Harry Potter. But for all its merits, it deals with human-level issues: friendship, family, duty, loyalty. And those are all well and good, and many a great story has been told from those elements. The Night Watch series, on the other hand, deals with harder, less everyday topics, such as the nature of freedom, and the fundamental differences between Good and Evil, if there is any difference at all. The themes in these books are headier, and it's not as easy to look at a Light Other like Anton Gorodetsky and say, "I want to be like him." It's also hard to look at a Dark Other like the vampire Kostya and say, "Oooh, I hate him."
This is because these characters are, more or less, human. The problem with humans is that their motives aren't always clear, and Lukyanenko doesn't tell us everything we need to know to judge them properly. With the exception of Anton, who is a first-person narrator, we don't get into their heads, and so can't completely understand why they do what they do.
In any case, it's an enjoyable series, and this is - as far as I know - the end of it, even though it doesn't need to be.
In this volume we are introduced to some new players, some grand plots and some terrible secrets. There is an Other out there who has knowledge that everyone thought was merely a myth: how to turn an ordinary human into an Other. The ramifications of such power are immense - there are few Others in the world as it is, and they hardly get along. To create new Others at will would mean chaos, death and destruction. All the Others' forces are sent out to find this mysterious person. Trhe Night Watch, the Day Watch and the Inquisition are in search of the impossible.
Anton Gorodetsky, of course, is on the front lines of this, searching for leads in a Moscow apartment complex. What he finds there isn't quite the secret he thought it was, but it is something he never expected.
In the second story of the volume, he meets an ancient witch, Arina, who may have single-handedly destroyed the Soviet Union's potential for greatness. In his search to defeat her, he learns the true nature of the Others, what gives them their power and how they truly interact with the world around them.
And in the third story, the Fuaran has been found - the mythological text with the spell to convert humans to Others - and it will be used in a truly novel manner. But the Other behind the plan that could tip the world into supernatural anarchy is the last person Anton would have ever expected....
As with the other volumes, this one blurs the line between good and evil. It tells us what we already know, but don't really want to admit: that good people can do evil things - start a bloody revolution, for example, or try to brainwash thousands of people - and that evil people can do good - save children from wolves, or avert a chaotic and terrible future. People do things for reasons that are sometimes known only to themselves, not out of a higher allegiance to the abstract concepts of "good" and "evil," but for reasons that are intensely personal.
It is something to be remembered. We have a habit of idolizing and demonising people in this world, elevating them to paragons of virtue or sin, and ascribing motives to them that we think they acted by. But that doesn't work. Even to the end, Anton believes he knows why the holder of the Fuaran wants to convert people into Others - to raise an army and control the world - but he's so very, very wrong. The true reason is much more personal and, oddly, much more human than that.
That is probably the best lesson to be taken from these books. "Good" and "Evil" are tags that we affix to people because it saves us the effort of thinking about them. Behind every act, however, is a personal reason that defies such simplistic labeling. Every saint, every monster, is only human. Just like us. I don't know if knowing that makes the world better or worse, but it at least makes it a little more familiar.
November 15, 2015
I wasn't going to review this book. Mainly because due to the author's vocal opinions on the Ukraine conflict, he has firmly cemented himself onto my "Halfback Flankers" shelf. However, due to some some occurrences in this book that makes me bristle now just thinking about it, consider this a public service announcement.
1. A man's job is to protect and provide for the woman. A woman's job is to protect and provide for the child. This also means that the man may not be able to have a relationship with the child, as he is providing for them both.
I'm sorry, did I teleport to 1950? Sorry mate, just because you are bored hanging out with your wife and child, doesn't mean you get to justify yourself being an arsehole by falling back on antiquated ideals.
2. A wife should quit her job if she is better at her job than her husband. In fact, she shouldn't be better than him at anything, and if she is, she should hide it and pretend it's not there as it makes him feel bad. And they should never talk about it together in case the man feels inferior. And at the end of the book, you should make the man better than the woman as she has decided to go back to work and that's all topsy turvy and shouldn't be allowed, so we will fix it with magic.
Fuck. Off. You tiny, stupid, insignificant, odious man.
Besides Anton being the dick mentioned above, as well as referring to Ukrainians as farmers all the time (how did I not notice in the first two books?) I enjoyed 90% of the book. Just... yeah...
For more reviews visit http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/
1. A man's job is to protect and provide for the woman. A woman's job is to protect and provide for the child. This also means that the man may not be able to have a relationship with the child, as he is providing for them both.
I'm sorry, did I teleport to 1950? Sorry mate, just because you are bored hanging out with your wife and child, doesn't mean you get to justify yourself being an arsehole by falling back on antiquated ideals.
2. A wife should quit her job if she is better at her job than her husband. In fact, she shouldn't be better than him at anything, and if she is, she should hide it and pretend it's not there as it makes him feel bad. And they should never talk about it together in case the man feels inferior. And at the end of the book, you should make the man better than the woman as she has decided to go back to work and that's all topsy turvy and shouldn't be allowed, so we will fix it with magic.
Fuck. Off. You tiny, stupid, insignificant, odious man.
Besides Anton being the dick mentioned above, as well as referring to Ukrainians as farmers all the time (how did I not notice in the first two books?) I enjoyed 90% of the book. Just... yeah...
For more reviews visit http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/
March 1, 2015
Actually, it's 3.5 stars.
“We are our own gods and our own demons.”
Decreasing quality of plot, no character development, no any development. Basically, nothing changed since the first book. It's like Day Watch and Twilight Watch are only plot fillers. At least we find out more about the purpose of Inquisition. Also, the ending saved the book. That plot twist with Anton and Kostya was excellent.
“This was how you wound up in the Inquisition. When you stopped being able to see any difference between Light Ones and Dark Ones. When for you, people weren't even a flock of sheep, but just a handful of spiders in a glass jar. When you stopped believing in the future, and all you wanted to do was preserve the status quo. For yourself. For those few individuals who were still dear to you.”
In the first two books,I thought that the whole purpose of the saga is to break the status quo, but now I know the point is to OBTAIN it despite of both sides wanting to break it. It was fun to see Night Watch, Day Watch AND Inquisition working together.
The first story begins with Anton being married to Svetlana and having a child. Little Nadya is destined to become the greatest Light Sorceress, a new Jesus, but that fact doesn't play a big role in this book. There is an Other out there who has knowledge how to turn an ordinary human into an Other. To create new Others would mean anarchy, destruction and death. All the Others' forces are sent out to find this mysterious person. Anton Gorodetsky is, once again, on the front lines, searching for leads in a Moscow apartment complex with the help of Kostya, man od the Day Watch and Edgar, suprisingly a man of Inquisition. Anton has inner conflict whether turning a human into an Other should be a crime.
In the second story, Anton meets an ancient witch, Arina, who may have single-handedly destroyed the Soviet Union's potential for greatness. While he's trying to decide whether she should be punished or not, he learns what gives Others their power and how they truly interact with the world around them. Arina’s resurfacing causes both Watches to go to great lengths so they could capture her.
Third story shows how the first two are connected. The mythological text with the spell to convert humans to the Others has been found. Once again Anton, Edgar and Kostya work together until the big twist comes.
Seemingly unrelated story at the beginning, becoming the basis for a much larger plot. Anton is again thrust into the center of the story, and does not manage to escape untouched by the events unfolding around him. The story revolves around his inner demons, again, which is getting old and repetitive. Characters in this series tend to change, rather than grow, which makes even harder to understand their motives. Twilight Watch deals with the questionable importance of freedom and the grey differences between Light and Dark. This one blurs the line between good and evil even more than previous volumes. Good people can do evil things, like try to brainwash thousands of people, and vice versa - evil people can do good, like save children from hungry wolves.
“That's the hardest thing of all - never to become cynical, never to lose faith, never to become indifferent.”
Anton still manages to avoid cynism.
Anton is pretty much the same boy he was in the Night Watch, with the exception he is now a family man. He had faced a big change at the end of the book, I hope it'll have influence on his future behaviour. He is my favorite character but at times he bores me.
“We are our own gods and our own demons.”
Decreasing quality of plot, no character development, no any development. Basically, nothing changed since the first book. It's like Day Watch and Twilight Watch are only plot fillers. At least we find out more about the purpose of Inquisition. Also, the ending saved the book. That plot twist with Anton and Kostya was excellent.
“This was how you wound up in the Inquisition. When you stopped being able to see any difference between Light Ones and Dark Ones. When for you, people weren't even a flock of sheep, but just a handful of spiders in a glass jar. When you stopped believing in the future, and all you wanted to do was preserve the status quo. For yourself. For those few individuals who were still dear to you.”
In the first two books,I thought that the whole purpose of the saga is to break the status quo, but now I know the point is to OBTAIN it despite of both sides wanting to break it. It was fun to see Night Watch, Day Watch AND Inquisition working together.
The first story begins with Anton being married to Svetlana and having a child. Little Nadya is destined to become the greatest Light Sorceress, a new Jesus, but that fact doesn't play a big role in this book. There is an Other out there who has knowledge how to turn an ordinary human into an Other. To create new Others would mean anarchy, destruction and death. All the Others' forces are sent out to find this mysterious person. Anton Gorodetsky is, once again, on the front lines, searching for leads in a Moscow apartment complex with the help of Kostya, man od the Day Watch and Edgar, suprisingly a man of Inquisition. Anton has inner conflict whether turning a human into an Other should be a crime.
In the second story, Anton meets an ancient witch, Arina, who may have single-handedly destroyed the Soviet Union's potential for greatness. While he's trying to decide whether she should be punished or not, he learns what gives Others their power and how they truly interact with the world around them. Arina’s resurfacing causes both Watches to go to great lengths so they could capture her.
Third story shows how the first two are connected. The mythological text with the spell to convert humans to the Others has been found. Once again Anton, Edgar and Kostya work together until the big twist comes.
Seemingly unrelated story at the beginning, becoming the basis for a much larger plot. Anton is again thrust into the center of the story, and does not manage to escape untouched by the events unfolding around him. The story revolves around his inner demons, again, which is getting old and repetitive. Characters in this series tend to change, rather than grow, which makes even harder to understand their motives. Twilight Watch deals with the questionable importance of freedom and the grey differences between Light and Dark. This one blurs the line between good and evil even more than previous volumes. Good people can do evil things, like try to brainwash thousands of people, and vice versa - evil people can do good, like save children from hungry wolves.
“That's the hardest thing of all - never to become cynical, never to lose faith, never to become indifferent.”
Anton still manages to avoid cynism.
Anton is pretty much the same boy he was in the Night Watch, with the exception he is now a family man. He had faced a big change at the end of the book, I hope it'll have influence on his future behaviour. He is my favorite character but at times he bores me.
June 27, 2021
Klappentext
„Wächter des Zwielichts“ ist nach „Wächter der Nacht“ und „Wächter des Tages“ der dritte große Roman in Sergej Lukianenkos Bestsellersaga um die so genannten »Anderen« – Vampire, Gestaltwandler, Hexen und Magier –, die seit ewigen Zeiten unerkannt in unserer Mitte leben. Zwei Organisationen obliegt es, den Frieden zwischen den Mächten des Lichts und den Mächten der Dunkelheit zu erhalten. Doch dieser Friede hat nun keinen Bestand mehr – und auf Moskaus Straßen tobt die entscheidende Schlacht ...
Meine Meinung
Dass der Klappentext absolut nichts mit dem Buch zu tun hat, finde ich ein wenig schade. Natürlich gibt es die Wächter der Nacht und die Wächter des Tages - Dunkel und Licht werden überwacht. Das Buch ist wieder in drei Geschichten unterteilt, in dessen Zentrum der lichte Wächter der Nacht Anton Gorodezki steht und man kennt ihn bereits aus den vorherigen Büchern. Anton ist selbstbewusst, klug, hat seine eigene Meinung und ein mittlerweiler starker lichter Magier und hat eine Familie. Er trifft seine eigenen Entscheidungen und ist ein starker Magier und Ermittler der Nachtwache, auch wenn er sie schon kritisiert. Es gibt wieder einige interessante Diskussionen und Informationen, die sich in der finalen Geschichte treffen. Man taucht wieder tief in die Welt ein und lernt neue und interessante Charaktere kennen. Es gibt einige überraschende Wendungen und Entwicklungen, die aber auch zusammenhängen. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm und flüssig zu lesen.
Bewertung
Eine gelungene Fortsetzung, die ihrem Vorgänger in nichts nachsteht und mich wirklich gut unterhalten konnte, daher gibt es verdiente
4,5 von 5 Würmchen
„Wächter des Zwielichts“ ist nach „Wächter der Nacht“ und „Wächter des Tages“ der dritte große Roman in Sergej Lukianenkos Bestsellersaga um die so genannten »Anderen« – Vampire, Gestaltwandler, Hexen und Magier –, die seit ewigen Zeiten unerkannt in unserer Mitte leben. Zwei Organisationen obliegt es, den Frieden zwischen den Mächten des Lichts und den Mächten der Dunkelheit zu erhalten. Doch dieser Friede hat nun keinen Bestand mehr – und auf Moskaus Straßen tobt die entscheidende Schlacht ...
Meine Meinung
Dass der Klappentext absolut nichts mit dem Buch zu tun hat, finde ich ein wenig schade. Natürlich gibt es die Wächter der Nacht und die Wächter des Tages - Dunkel und Licht werden überwacht. Das Buch ist wieder in drei Geschichten unterteilt, in dessen Zentrum der lichte Wächter der Nacht Anton Gorodezki steht und man kennt ihn bereits aus den vorherigen Büchern. Anton ist selbstbewusst, klug, hat seine eigene Meinung und ein mittlerweiler starker lichter Magier und hat eine Familie. Er trifft seine eigenen Entscheidungen und ist ein starker Magier und Ermittler der Nachtwache, auch wenn er sie schon kritisiert. Es gibt wieder einige interessante Diskussionen und Informationen, die sich in der finalen Geschichte treffen. Man taucht wieder tief in die Welt ein und lernt neue und interessante Charaktere kennen. Es gibt einige überraschende Wendungen und Entwicklungen, die aber auch zusammenhängen. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm und flüssig zu lesen.
Bewertung
Eine gelungene Fortsetzung, die ihrem Vorgänger in nichts nachsteht und mich wirklich gut unterhalten konnte, daher gibt es verdiente
4,5 von 5 Würmchen
February 26, 2023
Eine passende Fortsetzung um die Reihe der "Anderen". Im Gegensatz zu den vorigen Bänden begeistert dieser mit gelungenen Plots anstelle purer Action.
September 5, 2022
Ne, ne bih rekla da nižem knjige ovog serijala iz čistog čitalačkog zadovoljstva. Nisam sigurna ni da ga uopšte dosežem sa ovim autorom. Pozdravljam unikatan stil kojim su napisane, to da, ali priče istovremeno mogu biti i filozofski dosadne, i previše zamršene, i nedopisane. Ako kao autor imaš vremena da nonstop iznosiš svoju životnu filozofiju, imaš i prostora da snabdeš čitaoce sa dovoljno informacija tako da bez guglanja reše misteriju koju si stavio pred njih. Ovo je već druga knjiga koja me tera da online jurim objašnjenje kraja, i to me već malo nervira.
Govoreći o životnoj filozofiji, neke ideje autora su me zgrozile svojom zastarelošću i pristrasnošću; mada ako umem u obzir sredinu i vreme u kojem je odrastao, donekle mi je jasno zašto drugačije možda i nije moglo. Ali, izvesno je da ću pročitati sledeću knjigu, i onu tamo. Znam da ću proći i sporedne, i kratke priče. Nije pitanje ni da li ću nastaviti sa knjigama drugih autora u istom univerzumu. Samo eto, nisam sigurna zašto...
Govoreći o životnoj filozofiji, neke ideje autora su me zgrozile svojom zastarelošću i pristrasnošću; mada ako umem u obzir sredinu i vreme u kojem je odrastao, donekle mi je jasno zašto drugačije možda i nije moglo. Ali, izvesno je da ću pročitati sledeću knjigu, i onu tamo. Znam da ću proći i sporedne, i kratke priče. Nije pitanje ni da li ću nastaviti sa knjigama drugih autora u istom univerzumu. Samo eto, nisam sigurna zašto...
March 30, 2009
These stories are all told from Anton's perspective. A good decision to return to a voice the author clearly sympathizes with.
This book picks up a few years after the events of Day Watch, with Anton having married and had a child in the intervening time. His child is fated to become the greatest magic user in centuries, something this story only addresses on the side.
Act one follows Anton as he tries to track down someone who was promised to be made an Other. It is presumed to be impossible, and we are led to believe that whoever made the promise might be forced to withdraw into the Twilight if they do not follow through. An interesting act with an exploration of the oddities of the nouveau riche in Moscow. I enjoyed the descriptions of the contradictions of wealth in Moscow more than I did Anton's investigaion. The story has an apparently straightforward ending.
Act two picks up with Anton taking a vacation in the countryside. He looks into some odd events, and stumbles across an ancient Dark Witch named Arina. It is supposed that she may posses a book that can turn anyone into an Other. Through learning more about Arina, we also learn more about Boris (Anton's boss).
Act three follows on the heels of act two with an opportunistic plot by one of Anton's former friends, a young vampire named Konstantin, who now possesses the Fuaran. An action driven story that follows Konstantin's attempts to equalize the world by making everyone an Other, so no one will have power over another.
The plotting in this book is a bit tighter, with the seemingly unrelated story at the beginning, becoming the basis for a much larger world spanning plot. Anton is again thrust into the center of the story, and does not manage to escape untouched by the events unfolding around him.
This book picks up a few years after the events of Day Watch, with Anton having married and had a child in the intervening time. His child is fated to become the greatest magic user in centuries, something this story only addresses on the side.
Act one follows Anton as he tries to track down someone who was promised to be made an Other. It is presumed to be impossible, and we are led to believe that whoever made the promise might be forced to withdraw into the Twilight if they do not follow through. An interesting act with an exploration of the oddities of the nouveau riche in Moscow. I enjoyed the descriptions of the contradictions of wealth in Moscow more than I did Anton's investigaion. The story has an apparently straightforward ending.
Act two picks up with Anton taking a vacation in the countryside. He looks into some odd events, and stumbles across an ancient Dark Witch named Arina. It is supposed that she may posses a book that can turn anyone into an Other. Through learning more about Arina, we also learn more about Boris (Anton's boss).
Act three follows on the heels of act two with an opportunistic plot by one of Anton's former friends, a young vampire named Konstantin, who now possesses the Fuaran. An action driven story that follows Konstantin's attempts to equalize the world by making everyone an Other, so no one will have power over another.
The plotting in this book is a bit tighter, with the seemingly unrelated story at the beginning, becoming the basis for a much larger world spanning plot. Anton is again thrust into the center of the story, and does not manage to escape untouched by the events unfolding around him.
October 18, 2011
Не мога да не дам 5 звезди на книга, в която го има толкова търсеното от мен - очарованието на фантастиката от времето, когато откривах този жанр - хората, фантастиката на хората, моралът на хората, дилемите на хората, естетиката и етиката, чувствата и разума на настоящето и бъдещето, пътищата пред човека - далеч не на ниво технология, а на ниво именно човек. И това наистина вълнува, а книга, която те замисля и развълнува, е истински добра книга.
September 18, 2007
Whereas the earlier books dwelled on the ethics of the Others' use of their power, the final book in the trilogy focuses more on the larger ethical issues of the mere existence of Others and the power they have. The lower Dark Ones--vampires and werewolves--draw their power directly from victims; where do higher Others get their power? What separates Others from humans and can one be converted into another?
The protagonist--actually, the hero--Anton ponders these questions in the context of his growing ambivelance towards his old mentor, Gesar, his concern over the way his wife gave up her post in the Watch to avoid becoming too powerful to stay with him, and the potential power their two-year-old daughter wields. Along the way he befriends a human who is a perfect friend for him, reigniting his faith in the people the Light Ones are sworn to protect.
Like the other two novels, this one is composed of three independent-ish novellas which read together as a novel. The three stories flow very closely together this time, like the last two in Day Watch.
In the first, Anton is sent undercover--no magic allowed--on a mission to discover who is claiming to be able to change humans into Others--and it offering to sell the service. While working with Dark Ones (his old friend the vampire Kostya) and the Inquisition (the former Day Watchman Edgar and the vampire ) he becomes convinced a powerful Light One is involved and races to beat his allies to the target so he can decide what to do with him or her. It isn't clear to Anton that making an Other, if that is even possible, should be a crime.
The second story involves Anton on vacation a few days later at his mother-in-law's. A powerful witch is discovered in the woods and his generally-friendly encounters with her disturb him, especially the indications that she possesses a legendary book on turning humans into Others. When he find out how her past intertwines with Gesar, Zabulon, the Inquisition, and all of Russia things become very complicated for him and Svetlana and they find their loyalties split several ways.
The third story is a hunt for that legendary book, a copy of which is stolen out from under the nose of the Inquisition. Once again Anton, Inquisitor Edgar, and Kostya work together, leading to a classic train-bound mystery where everyone--even Anton's new friend from the first story--is a suspect.
Philosophical questions aside, although they're really the heart of the book, the mysteries in the first and third story work very well. The resolution in the first story makes sense; the third story clears up some misconceptions and tightens the first story. The mostly-introspective middle tale plays well in a classic folk story way, with all the standard witch-in-the-woods elements plus some added modern fireworks.
The action scenes in this book are back to the pace of the first book. We have none of the fireball-flinging action from Day Watch, but we do get a moderate number of high-fantasy-type spells tossed around. But in the end, the decisions in the combat come back to Anton (and, to a lesser extent, Svetlana), and Anton is the master of minimal intervention. Given a choice between blasting someone and simply distracting them, he would probably find a way to avoid even distracting. It was a powerful message when put up against the first book's questions about how and when to use power. In this book, questioning the ethics of even having power, it resonates even more.
The protagonist--actually, the hero--Anton ponders these questions in the context of his growing ambivelance towards his old mentor, Gesar, his concern over the way his wife gave up her post in the Watch to avoid becoming too powerful to stay with him, and the potential power their two-year-old daughter wields. Along the way he befriends a human who is a perfect friend for him, reigniting his faith in the people the Light Ones are sworn to protect.
Like the other two novels, this one is composed of three independent-ish novellas which read together as a novel. The three stories flow very closely together this time, like the last two in Day Watch.
In the first, Anton is sent undercover--no magic allowed--on a mission to discover who is claiming to be able to change humans into Others--and it offering to sell the service. While working with Dark Ones (his old friend the vampire Kostya) and the Inquisition (the former Day Watchman Edgar and the vampire ) he becomes convinced a powerful Light One is involved and races to beat his allies to the target so he can decide what to do with him or her. It isn't clear to Anton that making an Other, if that is even possible, should be a crime.
The second story involves Anton on vacation a few days later at his mother-in-law's. A powerful witch is discovered in the woods and his generally-friendly encounters with her disturb him, especially the indications that she possesses a legendary book on turning humans into Others. When he find out how her past intertwines with Gesar, Zabulon, the Inquisition, and all of Russia things become very complicated for him and Svetlana and they find their loyalties split several ways.
The third story is a hunt for that legendary book, a copy of which is stolen out from under the nose of the Inquisition. Once again Anton, Inquisitor Edgar, and Kostya work together, leading to a classic train-bound mystery where everyone--even Anton's new friend from the first story--is a suspect.
Philosophical questions aside, although they're really the heart of the book, the mysteries in the first and third story work very well. The resolution in the first story makes sense; the third story clears up some misconceptions and tightens the first story. The mostly-introspective middle tale plays well in a classic folk story way, with all the standard witch-in-the-woods elements plus some added modern fireworks.
The action scenes in this book are back to the pace of the first book. We have none of the fireball-flinging action from Day Watch, but we do get a moderate number of high-fantasy-type spells tossed around. But in the end, the decisions in the combat come back to Anton (and, to a lesser extent, Svetlana), and Anton is the master of minimal intervention. Given a choice between blasting someone and simply distracting them, he would probably find a way to avoid even distracting. It was a powerful message when put up against the first book's questions about how and when to use power. In this book, questioning the ethics of even having power, it resonates even more.
February 27, 2014
Please note: Read and reviewed in 2007.
My Synopsis: This follow-up to the (also amazing) Russian magical reality books Night Watch and Day Watch returns us to Anton's mind and to Anton's relationships with those around him. Focusing on interactions with the mysterious Inquisitors, this book takes Anton further along in his path to understanding that there really is very little difference between Light and Dark and that the shades of Grey they all walk in are probably more suited to all Others than being separated like this.
Synopsis Book 1: In the first of the three "books" that are traditionally found in each of these novels, Anton has to go "undercover" into a community of humans to try to discover who, if anyone, has been told about the Others. Not only is it dangerous for the Others to be revealed, but whomever revealed the Others to this human has also promised to turn this human into an Other him or herself, which is - according to all but the most forbidden of legends - impossible.
Synopsis Book 2: In the second "book," Anton runs across an unregistered and VERY powerful witch as well as several werewolves who were apparently hunting humans while on vacation in his dacha (country house) and has to try to take care of these problems with the help of Svetlana.
Synopsis Book 3: In the third "book," a powerful vampire and member of the Inquisition has been murdered and a book thought to be the stuff of legends, which will allow Others to turn humans into Others themselves, has been stolen from the house of the witch Arina. Anton, with the help of the vampire Kostya and the Inquisitor Edgar, has to try to find the culprit and the book.
My Thoughts: Lukyanenko has created a vivid world in modern-day Russia. He shows us the despair with which many modern Russians live while they try to adapt to a capitalistic society, a method of life that is completely foreign to everything they've ever known before. Through this is shown the plotting of the Watches and Inquisition and the Others, using the humans often as pawns and foils in their games for glory. It is an often bleak outlook (to me). My husband, on the other hand, found the book to have a lot of humor in it - he says there are a lot of instances of outright slapstick. So I guess it is all in how you look at it - there is a situation where Anton has an old out-of-work drunk work on a BMW. He brings in several friends and they completely take apart the car. They get so involved in it that they even forget to get drunk. Me, I found that sad. My husband thought it was hysterical.
At any rate, do NOT miss this amazing series of books. You will not be sorry for reading them.
My Synopsis: This follow-up to the (also amazing) Russian magical reality books Night Watch and Day Watch returns us to Anton's mind and to Anton's relationships with those around him. Focusing on interactions with the mysterious Inquisitors, this book takes Anton further along in his path to understanding that there really is very little difference between Light and Dark and that the shades of Grey they all walk in are probably more suited to all Others than being separated like this.
Synopsis Book 1: In the first of the three "books" that are traditionally found in each of these novels, Anton has to go "undercover" into a community of humans to try to discover who, if anyone, has been told about the Others. Not only is it dangerous for the Others to be revealed, but whomever revealed the Others to this human has also promised to turn this human into an Other him or herself, which is - according to all but the most forbidden of legends - impossible.
Synopsis Book 2: In the second "book," Anton runs across an unregistered and VERY powerful witch as well as several werewolves who were apparently hunting humans while on vacation in his dacha (country house) and has to try to take care of these problems with the help of Svetlana.
Synopsis Book 3: In the third "book," a powerful vampire and member of the Inquisition has been murdered and a book thought to be the stuff of legends, which will allow Others to turn humans into Others themselves, has been stolen from the house of the witch Arina. Anton, with the help of the vampire Kostya and the Inquisitor Edgar, has to try to find the culprit and the book.
My Thoughts: Lukyanenko has created a vivid world in modern-day Russia. He shows us the despair with which many modern Russians live while they try to adapt to a capitalistic society, a method of life that is completely foreign to everything they've ever known before. Through this is shown the plotting of the Watches and Inquisition and the Others, using the humans often as pawns and foils in their games for glory. It is an often bleak outlook (to me). My husband, on the other hand, found the book to have a lot of humor in it - he says there are a lot of instances of outright slapstick. So I guess it is all in how you look at it - there is a situation where Anton has an old out-of-work drunk work on a BMW. He brings in several friends and they completely take apart the car. They get so involved in it that they even forget to get drunk. Me, I found that sad. My husband thought it was hysterical.
At any rate, do NOT miss this amazing series of books. You will not be sorry for reading them.
November 17, 2008
Called Dusk Watch in Russian, Luyanenko firmly establishes himself as leading Russian voice in the fantasy genre.
In this novel, he ties narratives through his unfolding universe of the Light and Dark in a brilliant interplay of motives and game-ending moves that quicken the pace and leave you thrilled
The nice thing is that each of the books so far could have closed out the series. This one goes deeper by exploring existentialism and meaning among the Day Watch and Night Watch.
Nobody's Time
A mystery. Anton is ordered by Gesar to investigate letters sent to the Day Watch, the Night Watch, and the Inquisition threatening to turn a human into an “Other” which should not be possible and would destroy the truce. He is joined by Kostya, a Vampire that Anton knows from his old neighborhood, Edgar and a high vampire/Inquistion member Vitezislav. Because the promise was made by an Other to a human, the Other cannot go back on it without dematerializing. So the hunt is on for who made the promise, why they did (what could a human have over an Other?), and from which side it came from because of its potential to destroy everything.
Nobody's Space
Anton is ordered by Gesar to go on vacation with his wife Svetlana and their daughter who is to be a great sorceress should she decide to join the Watch. In investigating an incident with werewolves, Anton discovers that there may be an unregistered witch in the woods whom is in possession of a very dangerous book that was just a legend. Anton finds the witch, Arina, and discovers why she’s hiding; her role in the Day Watch’s attempt to control humanity in the 1920s and her “sacrifice” to keep the truces. Arina’s resurfacing causes both Watches to go into overdrive to capture her and she tries to escape in a very dangerous and chilling fashion.
Nobody's Power
A classic piece. A few days after the events in the last story, the powers that be (Gesar Anton, Kostya, Edgar, Zabulon and Svetlana) convene upon Arina’s hut to discover Vitezoslav's ashes. Arina is instantly suspected and Anton, Kostya, and Edgar are dispatched on a quest for her. On the train where the suspect is said to be, the killer is revealed with ramifications that threaten the entire order of the universe. The questions of finality, relevance, and power are addressed in a very wonderful way. Beyond the obvious, the deeper meanings are shown for what they are and the conclusion, though tragic, is quite fitting.
In this novel, he ties narratives through his unfolding universe of the Light and Dark in a brilliant interplay of motives and game-ending moves that quicken the pace and leave you thrilled
The nice thing is that each of the books so far could have closed out the series. This one goes deeper by exploring existentialism and meaning among the Day Watch and Night Watch.
Nobody's Time
A mystery. Anton is ordered by Gesar to investigate letters sent to the Day Watch, the Night Watch, and the Inquisition threatening to turn a human into an “Other” which should not be possible and would destroy the truce. He is joined by Kostya, a Vampire that Anton knows from his old neighborhood, Edgar and a high vampire/Inquistion member Vitezislav. Because the promise was made by an Other to a human, the Other cannot go back on it without dematerializing. So the hunt is on for who made the promise, why they did (what could a human have over an Other?), and from which side it came from because of its potential to destroy everything.
Nobody's Space
Anton is ordered by Gesar to go on vacation with his wife Svetlana and their daughter who is to be a great sorceress should she decide to join the Watch. In investigating an incident with werewolves, Anton discovers that there may be an unregistered witch in the woods whom is in possession of a very dangerous book that was just a legend. Anton finds the witch, Arina, and discovers why she’s hiding; her role in the Day Watch’s attempt to control humanity in the 1920s and her “sacrifice” to keep the truces. Arina’s resurfacing causes both Watches to go into overdrive to capture her and she tries to escape in a very dangerous and chilling fashion.
Nobody's Power
A classic piece. A few days after the events in the last story, the powers that be (Gesar Anton, Kostya, Edgar, Zabulon and Svetlana) convene upon Arina’s hut to discover Vitezoslav's ashes. Arina is instantly suspected and Anton, Kostya, and Edgar are dispatched on a quest for her. On the train where the suspect is said to be, the killer is revealed with ramifications that threaten the entire order of the universe. The questions of finality, relevance, and power are addressed in a very wonderful way. Beyond the obvious, the deeper meanings are shown for what they are and the conclusion, though tragic, is quite fitting.
June 19, 2017
This continuation of the Night Watch series combines mystery with an exploration of the differences between humans and Others. It's a wonderful follow-up to the prior books, but would be incomprehensible if you haven't read them.
October 31, 2020
Liked this one ,the best of the series so far 🌙⌚ 🎃🎃🎃
March 31, 2020
Na momente zanimljivo, na momente kao filmovi o Džejmsu Bondu - ništa mi nije jasno ali neka je akcija, da mi skrene pažnju od realnosti. Sviđa mi se osnovna postavka, kao i u prethodnim knjigama, ali nemam strpljenja i koncentracije da zaista razumem te zaplete, obrte i način razrešenja. Nema veze, samo nek' se kotrlja. Ako sad ne čitam ovakve knjige - nikad neću
May 29, 2021
Sergei Lukyanenko is back to full form in the third of the books looking at the Light versus the Dark. Intriguingly this book begins with the joint statements:
In the first, he must investigate a tip that it is possible to change humans into Others. In the second there is an almost fairy tale set up with small children wandering in a forest who meet a lovely lady. The third turns into an unlikely alliance seeking a renegade on a train in what feels like a James Bond-esque thriller at times. All three stories are satisfying alone, but together they build to give new information about Others and humans, Light and Dark. And let us not forget the Inquisition who has a larger role than ever in these stories.
One of the things I enjoy most about these stories is that they show insight into Russian culture and attitudes. For example, Anton never buys anyone a Coca Cola, although he knows they would enjoy it. He buys the Russian cola because he feels there has been enough American takeover of culture. The young routinely go to stay at Young Pioneers camps in the country side which sound something akin to summer camp except that these were begun under the communist regime. Condos that didn't have enough units sold were abandoned by the builders, leaving tenants to make regular payments despite not having a shower or other necessary amenities. Lukyanenko makes a definite statement about communism in this book thanks to analyzing the Others' roles in government.
Most of all, of course, what I enjoy is the compelling story telling which keep me turning the pages until much too late at night. Highly recommended.
This book is of no relevance to the cause of the Light. -- The Night WatchThose statements seem like a clever follow up to those of the first two books but the reader soon realizes that they have more significance than one would think. The three novellas that make up this book are fast-paced, interesting, and pose difficult questions to Anton, from whose perspective they are told.
This book is of no relevance to the cause of the Darkness -- The Day Watch
In the first, he must investigate a tip that it is possible to change humans into Others. In the second there is an almost fairy tale set up with small children wandering in a forest who meet a lovely lady. The third turns into an unlikely alliance seeking a renegade on a train in what feels like a James Bond-esque thriller at times. All three stories are satisfying alone, but together they build to give new information about Others and humans, Light and Dark. And let us not forget the Inquisition who has a larger role than ever in these stories.
One of the things I enjoy most about these stories is that they show insight into Russian culture and attitudes. For example, Anton never buys anyone a Coca Cola, although he knows they would enjoy it. He buys the Russian cola because he feels there has been enough American takeover of culture. The young routinely go to stay at Young Pioneers camps in the country side which sound something akin to summer camp except that these were begun under the communist regime. Condos that didn't have enough units sold were abandoned by the builders, leaving tenants to make regular payments despite not having a shower or other necessary amenities. Lukyanenko makes a definite statement about communism in this book thanks to analyzing the Others' roles in government.
Most of all, of course, what I enjoy is the compelling story telling which keep me turning the pages until much too late at night. Highly recommended.
January 18, 2023
„Duży wilk wyszczerzył kły. Jako ostatnie zmieniały się zęby, w wilczej paszczy ludzkie zęby wyglądały śmiesznie i strasznie zarazem. Przemknęła mi przez głowę myśl, że wilkołaki muszą się obywać bez plomb i koronek. Zresztą, ich organizm jest znacznie mocniejszy od ludzkiego. Wilkołaki nie miewają próchnicy”.
A to podłe zwierzaki! :)
Swieta z córką wypoczywają na wsi. Urlop przebiega bez zarzutu aż do dnia, w którym dwójka dzieciaków z sąsiedztwa spotyka w lesie dziwnie zachowującego się wilka z wilczętami i tajemniczą młodą panią. Wilkołaki i Baba Jaga, do tego wszyscy niezarejestrowani, tylko tego brakowało. Anton Gorodecki przyjeżdża zbadać sprawę, nawet w najgorszych koszmarach nie podejrzewając, jak skończy się cała ta historia. To dopiero będzie kosmos!
Nie spodziewałam się, że trzecia część spodoba mi się bardziej niż poprzednie, ale właśnie tak było. A zakończenie? No, no, Anton, nie pogadasz!
„- Nocny Patrol! Jesteś aresztowany! Ręce za głowę, wciągnąć kły!”
8/10
A to podłe zwierzaki! :)
Swieta z córką wypoczywają na wsi. Urlop przebiega bez zarzutu aż do dnia, w którym dwójka dzieciaków z sąsiedztwa spotyka w lesie dziwnie zachowującego się wilka z wilczętami i tajemniczą młodą panią. Wilkołaki i Baba Jaga, do tego wszyscy niezarejestrowani, tylko tego brakowało. Anton Gorodecki przyjeżdża zbadać sprawę, nawet w najgorszych koszmarach nie podejrzewając, jak skończy się cała ta historia. To dopiero będzie kosmos!
Nie spodziewałam się, że trzecia część spodoba mi się bardziej niż poprzednie, ale właśnie tak było. A zakończenie? No, no, Anton, nie pogadasz!
„- Nocny Patrol! Jesteś aresztowany! Ręce za głowę, wciągnąć kły!”
8/10
April 23, 2018
Con un interesante universo creado, Sergei Lukyanenko nos trae una vez más la historia de Guardianes desde la perspectiva de Anton, que ya la disfrutamos en la primera entrega de la saga siendo, desde mi punto de vista, un acierto aunque no me desagradó la fórmula que creó el autor con la segunda entrega.
En cierta manera, este título se me hizo en parte muy previsible, quitando para mí bastante interés —en especial en la primera parte— aunque por suerte consigue sobreponerse poco a poco en el resto de las páginas.
Sin embargo, aunque los personajes que presenta me parecen buenos, no existe evolución alguna en ellos, algo que para mí resta bastantes puntos.
Si tuviese que decidir cual es el mejor de la trilogía inicial, me quedaría con el segundo volumen por el nuevo enfoque que hay, pero estamos aún así ante una buena novela.
Espero que en el futuro se animen a traducir las siguientes entregas de Guardianes, aunque si no lo han hecho ya lo veo difícil. Por desgracia.
En cierta manera, este título se me hizo en parte muy previsible, quitando para mí bastante interés —en especial en la primera parte— aunque por suerte consigue sobreponerse poco a poco en el resto de las páginas.
Sin embargo, aunque los personajes que presenta me parecen buenos, no existe evolución alguna en ellos, algo que para mí resta bastantes puntos.
Si tuviese que decidir cual es el mejor de la trilogía inicial, me quedaría con el segundo volumen por el nuevo enfoque que hay, pero estamos aún así ante una buena novela.
Espero que en el futuro se animen a traducir las siguientes entregas de Guardianes, aunque si no lo han hecho ya lo veo difícil. Por desgracia.
January 7, 2018
* İlk kitap Gece Nöbeti (Aydınlık Varlıklar), ikinci kitap Gündüz Nöbeti (Karanlık Varlıklar) üstüneydi. Bu kitapta ise Karanlık ve Aydınlık arasında ki Antlaşmayı onurlandıran, gözleyen, uygulanmasını sağlamak adına korku yaratan Enginizasyon'un hikayeye dahiliyetini artırıyor.
*** Yazarın anlatımına aşina olduğum ve başat olan Anton ile devam etmesi, onun aile adamlığını ve idealistliği ile başlayan hikayesini görüyoruz. Fakat aile sahibi olamak gibi radikal bir değişim olsa bile karakterde ki ilerlemeyi çok hafif buldum. Önceki kitapta tanıttığı Edgar ile olan ilişkisinin git-gelli anlatımı ve fikirlerin çatışmasını ise beğendim.
*** Seri genel olarak iyi gidiyor. Şimdi çevrilmiş son romana geldik bakalım.
*** Yazarın anlatımına aşina olduğum ve başat olan Anton ile devam etmesi, onun aile adamlığını ve idealistliği ile başlayan hikayesini görüyoruz. Fakat aile sahibi olamak gibi radikal bir değişim olsa bile karakterde ki ilerlemeyi çok hafif buldum. Önceki kitapta tanıttığı Edgar ile olan ilişkisinin git-gelli anlatımı ve fikirlerin çatışmasını ise beğendim.
*** Seri genel olarak iyi gidiyor. Şimdi çevrilmiş son romana geldik bakalım.
February 14, 2021
1. Satz - Irgendwann zwischen Wyssozki und Okudshawa sind in Moskau die echten Höfe verschwunden.
letzter - Und alles, was wir tun können, ist zu versuchen, nicht zu fallen.
letzter - Und alles, was wir tun können, ist zu versuchen, nicht zu fallen.
November 4, 2009
I've really liked Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch trilogy, but this third book also really irritated me in a couple of ways. I like the way this has all developed -- that the reader's understanding has developed with that of Anton, and that each of the parts are relevant while still being stories unto themselves. I enjoyed that characters who were mentioned earlier, like Edgar and Kostya, become more important as you learn more about the world.
But the "plot twists" are really starting to annoy me. Just once, can it not be Gesar's plot (the Mirror story doesn't count, because it wasn't anyone's plot)? Actually, that's one of the things that really bothers me. For all that we get in the last couple of stories, as we learn more, about the Others all basically being the same and equilibrium being important and so on, and there always being two halves to the truth and blahblahblah, Lukyanenko always basically has the Light Ones coming out on top. I mean, they get Svetlana, they get a second chance at Egor, Anton powers up, they get Anton and Svetlana's daughter, their Messiah figure, they end the trilogy with four Great Magicians, Igor wins the duel with Alisa... The only thing the Dark Ones get is the Mirror, and that's just to equalise the two -- it doesn't let the Dark Others get ahead in any way.
That encapsulates another of the things that annoyed me: Anton's rise in power. At the beginning he's sort of mediocre -- not insignificant, but not the greatest. Yet throughout the story he gets levelled up and levelled up... against the actual rules of the world as we know them originally... for no real reason. It's not plot necessary. He could do everything he needs to do with amulets or by channeling the other Others' power, but no... I'm glad, in one sense, that it means no barrier between him and Svetlana, because Svetlana's a nice character. And the whole problem with them not being equal is kind of understandable, but the problem with Anton is that he's quite a self-centered dick. I didn't mind his initial small rises, so that he remained one of the best characters to see things from and didn't become insignificant, but the fact that he became a magician beyond classification seemed needless.
Which leads me to the way I hated the treatment of Kostya. Apart from the poetic muses in the end about him flying, well, the message is "don't try to prove you're better than people think you are, they'll ignore you and it leads to trouble". Awesome, just awesome. I also found the ending a little confusing, and wasn't sure exactly what Kostya got wrong... In any case, again, Anton being an asshole -- he should have destroyed Kostya rather than let him go to a prolonged, painful death. What a jerk.
Another thing that I found irritating was the disappearance of Olga from the text. In the first book she's an important character, a strong woman, etc. Yet as soon as she becomes Gesar's lover again, she's mentioned a couple of times and the only time I remember hear appearing is to serve Czech beer to Anton! Besides that, she makes a stupid rookie mistake out of essentially female sentimentality and everyone else has to clean up after her! That doesn't sound like the original Olga. And it's weird, because there are strong women in the story -- Olga, Svetlana, Tiger Cub, Arina, even Alisa... But by the end, for various plot reasons, we basically only see Svetlana and know that Olga is supposed to be around there somewhere...
I'm looking forward to reading The Last Watch and seeing what it does with what's there, but the ending of the third book feels quite satisfying -- in the sense that it's conclusive enough -- and I'm not sure what to expect from The Last Watch. It'd have to be pretty damn apocalyptic to build on what's already happened.
But the "plot twists" are really starting to annoy me. Just once, can it not be Gesar's plot (the Mirror story doesn't count, because it wasn't anyone's plot)? Actually, that's one of the things that really bothers me. For all that we get in the last couple of stories, as we learn more, about the Others all basically being the same and equilibrium being important and so on, and there always being two halves to the truth and blahblahblah, Lukyanenko always basically has the Light Ones coming out on top. I mean, they get Svetlana, they get a second chance at Egor, Anton powers up, they get Anton and Svetlana's daughter, their Messiah figure, they end the trilogy with four Great Magicians, Igor wins the duel with Alisa... The only thing the Dark Ones get is the Mirror, and that's just to equalise the two -- it doesn't let the Dark Others get ahead in any way.
That encapsulates another of the things that annoyed me: Anton's rise in power. At the beginning he's sort of mediocre -- not insignificant, but not the greatest. Yet throughout the story he gets levelled up and levelled up... against the actual rules of the world as we know them originally... for no real reason. It's not plot necessary. He could do everything he needs to do with amulets or by channeling the other Others' power, but no... I'm glad, in one sense, that it means no barrier between him and Svetlana, because Svetlana's a nice character. And the whole problem with them not being equal is kind of understandable, but the problem with Anton is that he's quite a self-centered dick. I didn't mind his initial small rises, so that he remained one of the best characters to see things from and didn't become insignificant, but the fact that he became a magician beyond classification seemed needless.
Which leads me to the way I hated the treatment of Kostya. Apart from the poetic muses in the end about him flying, well, the message is "don't try to prove you're better than people think you are, they'll ignore you and it leads to trouble". Awesome, just awesome. I also found the ending a little confusing, and wasn't sure exactly what Kostya got wrong... In any case, again, Anton being an asshole -- he should have destroyed Kostya rather than let him go to a prolonged, painful death. What a jerk.
Another thing that I found irritating was the disappearance of Olga from the text. In the first book she's an important character, a strong woman, etc. Yet as soon as she becomes Gesar's lover again, she's mentioned a couple of times and the only time I remember hear appearing is to serve Czech beer to Anton! Besides that, she makes a stupid rookie mistake out of essentially female sentimentality and everyone else has to clean up after her! That doesn't sound like the original Olga. And it's weird, because there are strong women in the story -- Olga, Svetlana, Tiger Cub, Arina, even Alisa... But by the end, for various plot reasons, we basically only see Svetlana and know that Olga is supposed to be around there somewhere...
I'm looking forward to reading The Last Watch and seeing what it does with what's there, but the ending of the third book feels quite satisfying -- in the sense that it's conclusive enough -- and I'm not sure what to expect from The Last Watch. It'd have to be pretty damn apocalyptic to build on what's already happened.
December 30, 2008
I would imagine that, at some point, Lukyanenko's brilliant fantasy series would hit a road bump or two; how many home runs can he hit before the series fizzles out? Surely at some point one of the books is going to be a disappointment?
Fortunately, Twilight Watch isn't that book. In fact, it's the best so far - again expanding the scope of Lukyanenko's ridiculously textured, intelligent universe, so that it encompasses historical narrative and social discourse in a far more direct fashion than before. Where hints that our world and that of the Others overlapped were peppered artfully throughout the first two books, we are properly confronted here with a heady mix of history, politics and class: fittingly so, as the overarching theme of this book is the idea of freedom and equality and whether that can ever be possible. The main idea, strung through the three novellas that customarily make up these books, is whether a human being can be transformed into an Other - and not a lower Dark Other, like a vampire or werewolf, but a full-fledged Magician.
It's fascinating to see Lukyanenko take a crack at this: each story becomes larger and more compelling than the one preceding it. The first is a detective thriller, pacey and exciting, as our hero Anton hunts down a human who has ambitions to become an Other; the second a study in the history and lore of the Other universe but also a heart-thumping hunt for aged witch Arina; and the third simply explodes the story in every direction when Anton must go up against an old friend in a bid to keep the worlds of Others and humans separate. And it's even more of a thrill to see Lukyanenko's confidence really come through in the writing: the tone of the writing is wry, surprisingly funnier than the first two novels, and just a joy to rip through.
The most coherent, trippy, and breathtakingly intelligent of the series so far. I can't wait to get my hands on The Last Watch.
Fortunately, Twilight Watch isn't that book. In fact, it's the best so far - again expanding the scope of Lukyanenko's ridiculously textured, intelligent universe, so that it encompasses historical narrative and social discourse in a far more direct fashion than before. Where hints that our world and that of the Others overlapped were peppered artfully throughout the first two books, we are properly confronted here with a heady mix of history, politics and class: fittingly so, as the overarching theme of this book is the idea of freedom and equality and whether that can ever be possible. The main idea, strung through the three novellas that customarily make up these books, is whether a human being can be transformed into an Other - and not a lower Dark Other, like a vampire or werewolf, but a full-fledged Magician.
It's fascinating to see Lukyanenko take a crack at this: each story becomes larger and more compelling than the one preceding it. The first is a detective thriller, pacey and exciting, as our hero Anton hunts down a human who has ambitions to become an Other; the second a study in the history and lore of the Other universe but also a heart-thumping hunt for aged witch Arina; and the third simply explodes the story in every direction when Anton must go up against an old friend in a bid to keep the worlds of Others and humans separate. And it's even more of a thrill to see Lukyanenko's confidence really come through in the writing: the tone of the writing is wry, surprisingly funnier than the first two novels, and just a joy to rip through.
The most coherent, trippy, and breathtakingly intelligent of the series so far. I can't wait to get my hands on The Last Watch.
September 23, 2024
This is another entertaining title in Sergei Lukyanenko's "Watch" series, in this case the third title of the sextet. The series describes a world in which there are regular human beings and "others." This last category comes in two "flavors," light and dark. The former are the forces of good, and the latter include werewolves, vampires, and other forces of evil. The Night Watch has been set up for the light others to control the depredations of the dark others, while the Day Watch has been set up for dark others to exercise their evil under some control. In addition, there are inquisitors, who police both the Day Watch and the Night Watch.
Twilight Watch has three interconnected stories about a plot by an unaffiliated (with any Watch, that is) witch who plots to forcibly convert normal human beings to others. Acting for the Night Watch, Anton Gorodetsky investigates the witch and follows in the track of an other who has killed several of the inquisitors.
Twilight Watch has three interconnected stories about a plot by an unaffiliated (with any Watch, that is) witch who plots to forcibly convert normal human beings to others. Acting for the Night Watch, Anton Gorodetsky investigates the witch and follows in the track of an other who has killed several of the inquisitors.
November 9, 2008
I love these books!
In modern Moscow, age old beings called Others still exist. The Light and the Dark Ones called a truce hundreds of years ago and are governed by that treaty. The Nightwatch is the Light Ones’ police force to keep the Dark in Line. The Daywatch is their counterpart. There may be a truce, but the schemes, manipulations, and plans are always in motion.
Anton, a third level magician on his first field operation when Nightwatch begins, is one of my favorite characters in fiction. His melancholy covers up a wistful hope in goodness, that things will work out. He is buffeted by the whirlwinds created by more powerful magicians on both sides of the Others as they plot and counter-plot, but he always makes his own way and tries to do what he thinks is best.
The Russian setting lends an air of difference that U.S. based urban fantasy don’t have, but these are also very original and the source of magic is an ingenious invention. The novels deal with complicated moral questions using vampires, magicians, and other fantasy conventions to answer them, or, more often , ask more questions.
I recommend these wholeheartedly. You. Read. Now.
In modern Moscow, age old beings called Others still exist. The Light and the Dark Ones called a truce hundreds of years ago and are governed by that treaty. The Nightwatch is the Light Ones’ police force to keep the Dark in Line. The Daywatch is their counterpart. There may be a truce, but the schemes, manipulations, and plans are always in motion.
Anton, a third level magician on his first field operation when Nightwatch begins, is one of my favorite characters in fiction. His melancholy covers up a wistful hope in goodness, that things will work out. He is buffeted by the whirlwinds created by more powerful magicians on both sides of the Others as they plot and counter-plot, but he always makes his own way and tries to do what he thinks is best.
The Russian setting lends an air of difference that U.S. based urban fantasy don’t have, but these are also very original and the source of magic is an ingenious invention. The novels deal with complicated moral questions using vampires, magicians, and other fantasy conventions to answer them, or, more often , ask more questions.
I recommend these wholeheartedly. You. Read. Now.
November 23, 2022
"Настоящие дворы исчезли в Москве где-то между Высоцким а Окуджавой."
Podejrzewałem, że trzecia część, skoro pierwsze dwie dotyczyły Światła i Mroku (Ciemności), poświęcona będzie Zmierzchowi- czemuś pomiędzy oboma przeciwstawnymi światami Innych, albo przynajmniej, że dowiemy się więcej o strefie Cienia, do której Inni schodzą. Albo o Inkwizycji. Okazało się, że po części tak jest, lecz raczej chodzi tu o Szarość - zatarcie granic pomiędzy obiema "partiami", ponieważ odmienność magów Światła i Mroku okazuje się złudna. Pod pewnym bowiem względem wszyscy są do siebie bardzo podobni - czerpią siły z trzody, czyli ludzkości. Tyle że jednio są owczarkami, drudzy - wilkami. Anton Gorodecki coraz bardziej traci wiarę w uczciwość tego, co robi. Okazuje się, że Jaśni też mogą załatwiać pewne sprawy dla siebie, posługiwać się nepotyzmem, nadużywać pozycji czy służbowych środków dla prywaty...więc jaka między nimi różnica? (...)
Cała recenzja na stronie: https://nakanapie.pl/recenzje/muzyk-i...
Podejrzewałem, że trzecia część, skoro pierwsze dwie dotyczyły Światła i Mroku (Ciemności), poświęcona będzie Zmierzchowi- czemuś pomiędzy oboma przeciwstawnymi światami Innych, albo przynajmniej, że dowiemy się więcej o strefie Cienia, do której Inni schodzą. Albo o Inkwizycji. Okazało się, że po części tak jest, lecz raczej chodzi tu o Szarość - zatarcie granic pomiędzy obiema "partiami", ponieważ odmienność magów Światła i Mroku okazuje się złudna. Pod pewnym bowiem względem wszyscy są do siebie bardzo podobni - czerpią siły z trzody, czyli ludzkości. Tyle że jednio są owczarkami, drudzy - wilkami. Anton Gorodecki coraz bardziej traci wiarę w uczciwość tego, co robi. Okazuje się, że Jaśni też mogą załatwiać pewne sprawy dla siebie, posługiwać się nepotyzmem, nadużywać pozycji czy służbowych środków dla prywaty...więc jaka między nimi różnica? (...)
Cała recenzja na stronie: https://nakanapie.pl/recenzje/muzyk-i...
March 23, 2013
В “Сумрачен патрул” Лукяненко засилва мрачните краски: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Все по-сумрачно взе да става наоколо. Изчезнала е Светлината на “Нощен патрул”, няма го още мракът на “Дневен патрул”. В нищото между двете пристъпва третата част на една ставаща все по-добра поредица – “Сумрачен патрул”, в който, поне за мен, усещам едно вдълбочаване в социално-политическата ангажираност на Сергей Лукяненко. Видимо той не пише политическа сатира, но в този роман вече категорично се отразява все по-силно гротесковата реалност на постсоциалистическа Русия, бедна, грозна, страшна. Лишена от магия реалност, в която дори и фантазния свят на автора стои някакси изкуствено, някакси натрапен – но това си е лично усещане.
Виж още: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Все по-сумрачно взе да става наоколо. Изчезнала е Светлината на “Нощен патрул”, няма го още мракът на “Дневен патрул”. В нищото между двете пристъпва третата част на една ставаща все по-добра поредица – “Сумрачен патрул”, в който, поне за мен, усещам едно вдълбочаване в социално-политическата ангажираност на Сергей Лукяненко. Видимо той не пише политическа сатира, но в този роман вече категорично се отразява все по-силно гротесковата реалност на постсоциалистическа Русия, бедна, грозна, страшна. Лишена от магия реалност, в която дори и фантазния свят на автора стои някакси изкуствено, някакси натрапен – но това си е лично усещане.
Виж още: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
August 29, 2010
I liked the first two books, I loved this one.
Anton Gorodetsky really comes into his own as a character here. A supernatural Columbo, bumbling through the mysteries and intrigues, trying to puzzle things out, going down the wrong paths, but always finding his way to the solution in the nick of time and making everything right.
The plot, divided into stories as always, focuses on the possibility of human beings turning into Others and the impact this would have on the battle between the watches. We finally see Kostya, Anton's vampire neighbor from his human life, come into the game and face down on Anton, making him question his judgements about vampires.
The stories are gripping and amusing and moving and I can't wait to read the final chapter of the series.
Anton Gorodetsky really comes into his own as a character here. A supernatural Columbo, bumbling through the mysteries and intrigues, trying to puzzle things out, going down the wrong paths, but always finding his way to the solution in the nick of time and making everything right.
The plot, divided into stories as always, focuses on the possibility of human beings turning into Others and the impact this would have on the battle between the watches. We finally see Kostya, Anton's vampire neighbor from his human life, come into the game and face down on Anton, making him question his judgements about vampires.
The stories are gripping and amusing and moving and I can't wait to read the final chapter of the series.
October 5, 2011
Sometimes it takes a book of fiction to teach us about real life.
IF there was a way to give it 4 and a 1/2 stars I would.
To me, definitely the best book of the series! Majestic! haha. But, it has a few story loopholes or well, at least shortcomings, which started annoying me after I finished the book and thought about it.
I won`t go into those details, because really, they don`t matter all that much.
There is a very good social model and theory behind it all. I felt like I learned a lot from the book, even if it is coated with supernaturality and all sorts of not reality. A very grim uptake on the humanity itself too. A loot of thinking fodder.
A very satisfying end.
Will definitely keep an eye on any future books by Sergei. Respect.
IF there was a way to give it 4 and a 1/2 stars I would.
To me, definitely the best book of the series! Majestic! haha. But, it has a few story loopholes or well, at least shortcomings, which started annoying me after I finished the book and thought about it.
I won`t go into those details, because really, they don`t matter all that much.
There is a very good social model and theory behind it all. I felt like I learned a lot from the book, even if it is coated with supernaturality and all sorts of not reality. A very grim uptake on the humanity itself too. A loot of thinking fodder.
A very satisfying end.
Will definitely keep an eye on any future books by Sergei. Respect.
January 14, 2010
Upping the ante yet again, Lukyanenko meditates on the meaning of communism (equality for all) and of freedom. The title of the book refers to the Inquisition, which is a governing body over both the Night and Day Watches. The philosophizing in these books, which concern the dependent aspects of "good" and "evil," is always thought-provoking. And the character of Anton feels like an old friend. The Twilight is always an interesting universe to visit!
August 22, 2017
It really keeps you in from the first page.
I am still amazed by the fact that there have not been any boring or slow pase parts in any od the books so far!
Am a bit confused by the end of the book , i guess i got what happened but i would really like a bit more of explaining , hope to get that from the next sequels like i did in thr 2nd one about the ending od the 1st.
Overall , really recommend!
I am still amazed by the fact that there have not been any boring or slow pase parts in any od the books so far!
Am a bit confused by the end of the book , i guess i got what happened but i would really like a bit more of explaining , hope to get that from the next sequels like i did in thr 2nd one about the ending od the 1st.
Overall , really recommend!
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