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The Watcher: A Companion Novel to Darkling
"I am the rabbit’s child. The acorn and the thistle down. I am Draven Who Does Not Speak. I am the one who has seen." He was the misfit of his village. The quiet boy who was bullied... until he helped save them all. Yet even after the return of the light, he has a secret. Willow has told her tale of how she ended the darkness. Now it is Draven's turn. What happened in the village of Morrot while Willow was away? What bonded her family with the boy with the falcon? How did their lives continue once the darkness ended? The time has come to return to the world of Darkling. K.M. Rice is a national award-winning screenwriter and author who has worked for both Magic Leap and Weta Workshop. The Watcher expands the story of her debut novel Darkling, a young adult dark fantasy that is now also available on audiobook.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2017
2 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Rice
12 books127 followersK.M. RICE is a national award-winning screenwriter and author who has worked for both Magic Leap and Weta Workshop, the latter being responsible for such cinematic epics as The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Her first novel, Darkling, is a young adult fantastical thriller.
Her novella The Wild Frontier is an ode to the American spirit of adventure and seeks to awaken the wildish nature in all of us.
As the producer of the webseries Happy Hobbit, she was also a contributor to J.W. Braun's book Middle-earth Madness.
Her work has recently been featured in the literary journal Passing Through: Stories and Art About the Road Less Traveled.
In the past, she has had her work published in the literary journal Reed Magazine and was also the focus of a feature article in the August 2009 issue of Script Magazine. Her most recent release, The Country Beyond the Forests, is a short story and selected poetry collection showcasing a range of genres and styles.
When not working on her novels or hiking in the woods, she can be found enjoying the company of the many animals on her family ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Her books can be found online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and in-store at Bookshop Santa Cruz.
Several years in the making, her upcoming Afterworld series is set to debut with the first book, Ophelia.
Her novella The Wild Frontier is an ode to the American spirit of adventure and seeks to awaken the wildish nature in all of us.
As the producer of the webseries Happy Hobbit, she was also a contributor to J.W. Braun's book Middle-earth Madness.
Her work has recently been featured in the literary journal Passing Through: Stories and Art About the Road Less Traveled.
In the past, she has had her work published in the literary journal Reed Magazine and was also the focus of a feature article in the August 2009 issue of Script Magazine. Her most recent release, The Country Beyond the Forests, is a short story and selected poetry collection showcasing a range of genres and styles.
When not working on her novels or hiking in the woods, she can be found enjoying the company of the many animals on her family ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Her books can be found online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and in-store at Bookshop Santa Cruz.
Several years in the making, her upcoming Afterworld series is set to debut with the first book, Ophelia.
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January 31, 2024
I had presumed I knew what I was getting into with "The Watcher" as it is very much a companion novel to "Darkling" and while it could work as a stand alone, might feel a little disjointed to someone who accidentally picks this up first. So imagine my surprise when all the assumptions I had about Draven in the first book were ripped out from under my feet. THe central character is a vital piece in the first book and was always noted as the one who saw, who watched, who was the hunter. but we are also seeing this character mostly as the person they will become and through the eyes of a character who sees qualities about him that he is unable--something that in itself is a detail that's important to this book in retrospect.
I also admit to my shame that I didn't have enough faith in Rice as there were times where my interest started dropping off as I started assuming the direction of the novel. Well let this be my lesson.
THis is not a book that is as dramatic as "Darkling". It is far more introspective in some ways. It very much echoes Draven himself in that it is steady, cautious, maybe in places a touch lost. But at its core it's not so much about finding your voice, but stitching the parts of you in place. Once again I have to applaud Rice in her ability to examine the breadth that is the concept of love and the roots that often tangle between friendship and family. People are messy. There aren't always simple terms and boxes to fit those in our lives. It also deals with the process of healing from lifelong and new trauma. Sometimes you just have to let the river take you where it will.
I also admit to my shame that I didn't have enough faith in Rice as there were times where my interest started dropping off as I started assuming the direction of the novel. Well let this be my lesson.
THis is not a book that is as dramatic as "Darkling". It is far more introspective in some ways. It very much echoes Draven himself in that it is steady, cautious, maybe in places a touch lost. But at its core it's not so much about finding your voice, but stitching the parts of you in place. Once again I have to applaud Rice in her ability to examine the breadth that is the concept of love and the roots that often tangle between friendship and family. People are messy. There aren't always simple terms and boxes to fit those in our lives. It also deals with the process of healing from lifelong and new trauma. Sometimes you just have to let the river take you where it will.
Displaying 1 of 1 review