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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I enjoy this series less as a fantasy than as a psychological study in the shifting boundaries of allegiance to a cause, to a king, to one's family, and to one's self.
I love watching this game of chess. I'm never sure how things will go.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you’ve only ever heard of this series via the movie adapations or maybe saw it on the shelf of your local bookstore, you’d be under the impression that it’s horror. Vampires? Dark Ones? The Twilight? One look at the original Russian covers will, aside from making you chuckle, make it very clear that there’s a lot more fantasy in this series than expected.
This reads like an early 2000’s adult Harry Potter series. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. This is the second in the series, and I will continue to read through the entire hexalogy, but it is unintentionally funny at times. The first story gets a little smutty and borders on Edward and Bella levels of romance. The second story has so many lyric references that it feels like when one of those movies from the early aughts fades into a nu-metal song. The third story is a court procedural, if that gives you an idea on the range of themes here.
Despite all of that, I do enjoy exploring this universe of Dark Ones and Light Ones. It’s the classic light vs. dark battle, in a richly featured world with all sorts of machinations and plots. It’s definitely dated and won’t be a masterpiece by literary standards, but it’s a good time.
This reads like an early 2000’s adult Harry Potter series. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. This is the second in the series, and I will continue to read through the entire hexalogy, but it is unintentionally funny at times. The first story gets a little smutty and borders on Edward and Bella levels of romance. The second story has so many lyric references that it feels like when one of those movies from the early aughts fades into a nu-metal song. The third story is a court procedural, if that gives you an idea on the range of themes here.
Despite all of that, I do enjoy exploring this universe of Dark Ones and Light Ones. It’s the classic light vs. dark battle, in a richly featured world with all sorts of machinations and plots. It’s definitely dated and won’t be a masterpiece by literary standards, but it’s a good time.
Again three stories of paranormal people with problems, again very Russian, and again very... dry. Translation issues again, or maybe the writing and story telling style just doesn't work for me as a reader.
Story one picks up Alyssa, witch of the Day Watch and ex-lover of the Dark leader Zabulon. Drained of power after a nasty fight, she's allowed a holiday to recharge her magical batteries, but meets an unexpected lust interest who could be something more.
Honestly, I didn't like Alyssa's narration. I get it; she's a horrible, selfish character who is prone to over-emoting like she's part of a tele-novela and exclaiming.
All the exclaiming!
That and references to putting on make-up/skirts is the only difference between her narration and her male first person cohorts from other stories. She complains about the state of Russia, brands, cars etc just as much as the menfolk, only naturally she falls in love crazy-fast and goes on about it because she's a lady. Of course. It felt too rushed for me, too over the top how the characters react. (Also if you've read the book's English blurb, you've pretty much read the first story already...)
Story two is more original, following some random Other with no memories as he arrives in Moscow with no idea who he is, why he's there, or why he had a huge wadge of dollars in his bag. He thinks he's probably a Dark One, so rolls with it as murders and mayhem happen around him, bringing him to the attention of the Night Watch.
I liked the idea of this one, but the reveal comes way too late to feel satisfying while other details don't make a lot of sense until half way through the next story. I perked up a bit at the presence of the Night Watch gang, but they just hang around the edges and exposition things - though even they don't know what's going on . Also more of that complaining about cars/beer/the state of modern Russian youth. It just wore a little thin to me and slowed the pace of the mystery too much for my liking.
Story three picks up both incidents mentioned in the first two stories and brings us to the Inquisition. Told third person rather than first, we follow Anton of the Night Watch and Edgar of the Day Watch as they both try to figure out what games are being played with them and their respective defendants as a trial is called.
So, Conversations With Others. More of the musings on morality and the general what it means to be Light or Dark in the world of the Watch. Some parts were interesting, such as when the actual plot is being discussed, but it's more a tale of a few characters sitting and thinking about what's going on rather than things happening, if that makes sense. It revels in being clever, showing us how every move has been planned so far in advance even the top players can't always get things to turn out how they want. While it is clever, I didn't find it a riveting read. It does clarify the events of the Chalk of Fate incident from part three of The Night Watch, but again it feels too late and rushed in right at the end.
There's something a bit TV episode about the stories, like they were being told as mini-films with time skips in between where Relationship Things Happened and Political Intrigues Planned. Again, more one for readers who like their moral musings.
Story one picks up Alyssa, witch of the Day Watch and ex-lover of the Dark leader Zabulon. Drained of power after a nasty fight, she's allowed a holiday to recharge her magical batteries, but meets an unexpected lust interest who could be something more.
Honestly, I didn't like Alyssa's narration. I get it; she's a horrible, selfish character who is prone to over-emoting like she's part of a tele-novela and exclaiming.
All the exclaiming!
That and references to putting on make-up/skirts is the only difference between her narration and her male first person cohorts from other stories. She complains about the state of Russia, brands, cars etc just as much as the menfolk, only naturally she falls in love crazy-fast and goes on about it because she's a lady. Of course. It felt too rushed for me, too over the top how the characters react. (Also if you've read the book's English blurb, you've pretty much read the first story already...)
Story two is more original, following some random Other with no memories as he arrives in Moscow with no idea who he is, why he's there, or why he had a huge wadge of dollars in his bag. He thinks he's probably a Dark One, so rolls with it as murders and mayhem happen around him, bringing him to the attention of the Night Watch.
I liked the idea of this one, but the reveal comes way too late to feel satisfying while other details don't make a lot of sense until half way through the next story
Spoiler
(all that Regin Brothers and Fafnir's Talon business... How was I supposed to understand what any of that meant when the characters didn't either?)Spoiler
and Tiger Cub - potentially an interesting female character - getting fridged in a rather dull battle. Meh.Story three picks up both incidents mentioned in the first two stories and brings us to the Inquisition. Told third person rather than first, we follow Anton of the Night Watch and Edgar of the Day Watch as they both try to figure out what games are being played with them and their respective defendants as a trial is called.
So, Conversations With Others. More of the musings on morality and the general what it means to be Light or Dark in the world of the Watch. Some parts were interesting, such as when the actual plot is being discussed, but it's more a tale of a few characters sitting and thinking about what's going on rather than things happening, if that makes sense. It revels in being clever, showing us how every move has been planned so far in advance even the top players can't always get things to turn out how they want. While it is clever, I didn't find it a riveting read
Spoiler
especially when so much depends on characters supposedly expressing love, yet we never really see any of those relationship on screen and I didn't find the Alyssa/Igor whirlwind to be overly believableThere's something a bit TV episode about the stories, like they were being told as mini-films with time skips in between where Relationship Things Happened and Political Intrigues Planned. Again, more one for readers who like their moral musings.
During my trip to London, one of the books I finished was the second installment of the Night Watch series, this time following several members of the Day Watch in three separate stories that are woven together with the looming threat of a war against Light vs Dark.
I received the first two books in the series in a Reddit book exchange. The author is a Kazakh man who moved to Moscow, a frequent setting for the stories. Although I’m sure that I’m missing out on some of the additional context and nuance by reading a translated version of the book, I love the way he builds this world and answers the question about how magical beings would interact with our world.
I received the first two books in the series in a Reddit book exchange. The author is a Kazakh man who moved to Moscow, a frequent setting for the stories. Although I’m sure that I’m missing out on some of the additional context and nuance by reading a translated version of the book, I love the way he builds this world and answers the question about how magical beings would interact with our world.
Degno seguito de "I guardiani della notte", anche dopo questo libro ho avuto l'irrefrenabile istinto di cercare il regista del film e picchiarlo selvaggiamente.
Le vicende si svolgono diverso tempo dopo gli eventi narrati nel primo volume, e questa volta il punto di vista predominante attraverso il quale vediamo le storie è quello dei guardiani del giorno, i famigerati agenti delle tenebre, i cattivi.
Che alla fin fine tanto cattivi non si dimostrano, e fanno capire le loro ragioni.
Ancora una volta il libro si divide in tre racconti, strettamente legati tra di loro (anche se all'inizio potrebbe non sembrare) e con il primo volume. I protagonisti nei due schieramenti bene o male sono gli stessi che abbiamo già conosciuto, le guardie russe, anche se ovviamente l'attenzione, sopratutto nei primi due racconti, sarà focalizzata sulle guardie del giorno.
Alla fine però lascia un po' di amaro in bocca perchè tutto pare ridursi a un gioco di scacchi tra i due capi delle guardie, i due maghi potentissimi della luce e delle tenebre, e tutti gli altri agenti non sono che pedine nelle loro mani. Una specie di complesso gioco "piano Sheldon della luce contro piano Sheldon delle tenebre", che alla lunga rischia di stufare.
Le vicende si svolgono diverso tempo dopo gli eventi narrati nel primo volume, e questa volta il punto di vista predominante attraverso il quale vediamo le storie è quello dei guardiani del giorno, i famigerati agenti delle tenebre, i cattivi.
Che alla fin fine tanto cattivi non si dimostrano, e fanno capire le loro ragioni.
Ancora una volta il libro si divide in tre racconti, strettamente legati tra di loro (anche se all'inizio potrebbe non sembrare) e con il primo volume. I protagonisti nei due schieramenti bene o male sono gli stessi che abbiamo già conosciuto, le guardie russe, anche se ovviamente l'attenzione, sopratutto nei primi due racconti, sarà focalizzata sulle guardie del giorno.
Alla fine però lascia un po' di amaro in bocca perchè tutto pare ridursi a un gioco di scacchi tra i due capi delle guardie, i due maghi potentissimi della luce e delle tenebre, e tutti gli altri agenti non sono che pedine nelle loro mani. Una specie di complesso gioco "piano Sheldon della luce contro piano Sheldon delle tenebre", che alla lunga rischia di stufare.
2nd in the Night Watch Trilogy (actually I think there are 4 now), and still a bloody good read. Dark and light, good and evil supernatural thriller set in Modern day Moscow. I'll be reading the next one. Or two, or however many there are.
I guardiani del giorno, ovvero dall'altra parte della barricata, il mondo visto dalle forze delle tenebre, che poi non si rivelano molto diverse, in opinioni e atteggiamenti, dalle forze della luce.
In fin dei conti, nonostante i loro poteri magici, la vita quasi eterna e bagatelle simili, non sono altro che uomini e donne, e in loro il bene e il male non sono così inscindibilmente divisi come vorrebbero.
E poi c'è l'amore, che spariglia sempre ...
In fin dei conti, nonostante i loro poteri magici, la vita quasi eterna e bagatelle simili, non sono altro che uomini e donne, e in loro il bene e il male non sono così inscindibilmente divisi come vorrebbero.
E poi c'è l'amore, che spariglia sempre ...