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Red #3
The Watchmaker
Old mysteries unravel. New ones emerge. In her haste to return to Optica, Red grows reckless--with spine-tingling results.
BOOK 3 in THE RED SERIES
Sci Fi / Dystopia
Parental rating: Suitable for ages 14 and older. No graphic sexual scenes. No language advisories. Situational violence.
Kindle Edition release date: June 2015
Paperback release date: September 2015
New Cover: August 2017
BOOK 3 in THE RED SERIES
Sci Fi / Dystopia
Parental rating: Suitable for ages 14 and older. No graphic sexual scenes. No language advisories. Situational violence.
Kindle Edition release date: June 2015
Paperback release date: September 2015
New Cover: August 2017
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2015
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Witt
14 books31 followersAmanda Witt's fiction has been called "hottest of all" by Kirkus Reviews and "arresting" by Publishers Weekly. She lives in Texas with her husband, cats, and dog--and, for the first time in a quarter century, no children.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 24, 2015
Another awesome book in the Red series. With each book we get another side of Red, last book I commented on how much she’d changed from meeting her family but now I feel like she’s becoming herself. The beginning of this book was almost nostalgic, I’m starting to realize that there’s a pattern with the Red series, we always awaken with Red and her complicated thoughts and her complicated life.
The first few chapters felt more like contemporary fiction for me, and that’s not a complaint. We see Fiona again, and she’s lovely as usual. But we also see a softer side of Red, she often compares herself to her sister but in a way that doesn’t make her come off as jealous. I mean, no one could blame her for being jealous of her sister. Fiona got a family, and grew up in a [mostly] functional household. Instead we see bonding, as Fiona cares for a weak and ill Red. This is the strength of Fiona, a sister who doesn’t necessarily fight on the battlefield but she does fight in her own right.
Fiona is so well developed and is a much needed character for the story, she’s like the other half of Red and even though it was just her and Red in some scenes it felt like the room had been full of people, full of emotion, and full of characterization. I wouldn’t dare call Fiona useless, in fact, I would wonder how this story came together without her.
One character I found to be quite unique was Angus. There was clearly some thought and characterization poured into him as he stepped up in this book. His language and tone is very different but he still manages to fit in with the rest of the cast. I liked him but I’ll still say that he was definitely weird. Some of his lines made me go…what Angus? What!? But I thoroughly enjoyed him and found him funny, though I doubt that was Witt’s intentions.
I said before that this book felt contemporary in the beginning but it turned out to be the same psychological thriller I loved from book one and two. Don’t hold your breath, the action is there and the thrill is real. This is another adventurous, heart-pounding ride that you’ll have to hold onto something to get through. I loved it from beginning to end and I can’t wait to wrap up the series in book four. Hats off to Witt for giving us a shift in the dystopian genre. I’d just like to point out how much of the story revolves around Optica but doesn’t actually take place there.
We’re not locked in a prison with prisoner characters, we’re given a view from the outside in and it makes for a great story. Well done Witt.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
The first few chapters felt more like contemporary fiction for me, and that’s not a complaint. We see Fiona again, and she’s lovely as usual. But we also see a softer side of Red, she often compares herself to her sister but in a way that doesn’t make her come off as jealous. I mean, no one could blame her for being jealous of her sister. Fiona got a family, and grew up in a [mostly] functional household. Instead we see bonding, as Fiona cares for a weak and ill Red. This is the strength of Fiona, a sister who doesn’t necessarily fight on the battlefield but she does fight in her own right.
Fiona is so well developed and is a much needed character for the story, she’s like the other half of Red and even though it was just her and Red in some scenes it felt like the room had been full of people, full of emotion, and full of characterization. I wouldn’t dare call Fiona useless, in fact, I would wonder how this story came together without her.
One character I found to be quite unique was Angus. There was clearly some thought and characterization poured into him as he stepped up in this book. His language and tone is very different but he still manages to fit in with the rest of the cast. I liked him but I’ll still say that he was definitely weird. Some of his lines made me go…what Angus? What!? But I thoroughly enjoyed him and found him funny, though I doubt that was Witt’s intentions.
I said before that this book felt contemporary in the beginning but it turned out to be the same psychological thriller I loved from book one and two. Don’t hold your breath, the action is there and the thrill is real. This is another adventurous, heart-pounding ride that you’ll have to hold onto something to get through. I loved it from beginning to end and I can’t wait to wrap up the series in book four. Hats off to Witt for giving us a shift in the dystopian genre. I’d just like to point out how much of the story revolves around Optica but doesn’t actually take place there.
We’re not locked in a prison with prisoner characters, we’re given a view from the outside in and it makes for a great story. Well done Witt.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
October 6, 2015
The Watchmaker is the third novel in The Red Series. The stakes begin to grow, some mysteries get answered, but some deeper mysteries begin to emerge about what's behind Optica and the mysterious figures beyond its walls.
I used to be an English prof teaching lit and creative writing, and I appreciate both "high" and well-written popular fiction. This novel series really impressed me. It's an extremely gripping read from the first pages, and works for young adult on up, with enough meat to the plot and characters to keep readers of various ages satisfied. It's set in a near future after something strange and terrible has happened, but it avoids the grim nihilism of so many dystopian novels. There is real evil but there is also hope and light through the darkness. This novel, like the one before, provides some fascinating back story to some of the main characters, along with fresh plot twists and new clues as to what happened to the wider world (being purposefully vague here to avoid spoilers).
The Watchmaker and the series as a whole have many of the elements people expect from a "good read" in this genre -- action, romance, love triangles, mystery, and solid world-building. It's all handled in a fresh way that develops very organically.
The author's writing style is very easy on the ears, written with a sense of what the story would sound like if read aloud around the fire. The main character, beautiful seventeen-year-old Red, is a young woman you can root for but who also has some growing up to do.
The science fiction elements are in the service of fascinating character exploration and psychology. They don't overwhelm the characters and their story. One doesn't even have to like typical science fiction to love this series. It'd probably be better to call it a novel series of the fantastic, though the author is careful to make the futuristic, world-building elements fully plausible.
The Watchmaker and the series as a whole develop beautifully, offering a satisfying series of plot twists and new characters along the way, and conclude with a great ending. I highly recommend.
I used to be an English prof teaching lit and creative writing, and I appreciate both "high" and well-written popular fiction. This novel series really impressed me. It's an extremely gripping read from the first pages, and works for young adult on up, with enough meat to the plot and characters to keep readers of various ages satisfied. It's set in a near future after something strange and terrible has happened, but it avoids the grim nihilism of so many dystopian novels. There is real evil but there is also hope and light through the darkness. This novel, like the one before, provides some fascinating back story to some of the main characters, along with fresh plot twists and new clues as to what happened to the wider world (being purposefully vague here to avoid spoilers).
The Watchmaker and the series as a whole have many of the elements people expect from a "good read" in this genre -- action, romance, love triangles, mystery, and solid world-building. It's all handled in a fresh way that develops very organically.
The author's writing style is very easy on the ears, written with a sense of what the story would sound like if read aloud around the fire. The main character, beautiful seventeen-year-old Red, is a young woman you can root for but who also has some growing up to do.
The science fiction elements are in the service of fascinating character exploration and psychology. They don't overwhelm the characters and their story. One doesn't even have to like typical science fiction to love this series. It'd probably be better to call it a novel series of the fantastic, though the author is careful to make the futuristic, world-building elements fully plausible.
The Watchmaker and the series as a whole develop beautifully, offering a satisfying series of plot twists and new characters along the way, and conclude with a great ending. I highly recommend.
October 10, 2017
Suspenseful
Again she has wrapped you tight into not knowing who and what to trust. I found myself inside Red's head trying to decide who to trust !
Can't wait to read book four!!
Again she has wrapped you tight into not knowing who and what to trust. I found myself inside Red's head trying to decide who to trust !
Can't wait to read book four!!
December 30, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Red finds out what all started this and tries to help her friends before it's too late. I'm going to read the next book immediately. 4 stars
April 27, 2017
Curiouser and curiouser. The third book in the series has so many twists, turns, and surprises that my head is spinning trying to grasp it all. As this mystery begins to unravel, we learn a lot more about each character and start to understand what they've been through. I'll be cheering Red on in the final book as she hopefully will find out who her real friends are. 5 stars for an amazing series by Amanda Witt. I hope she continues to write.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews