| Title | : | New Watch (Night Watch, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0062310070 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062310071 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 371 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2012 |
Now older and more powerful, Light magician Anton Gorodestsky has risen to the top levels of the Night Watch. He is also father to a ten-year-old girl who is destined to become a magician of unprecedented power. When he hears a young boy at the airport screaming that a plane will crash, Anton suspects the child is a prophet—a rare type of Other who portends catastrophe.
If Anton is right, than the boy has awakened a terrifying danger—a rare, multifaced beast that exists to stop the prophecy from coming true. With all of their lives in mortal peril and time running out, Anton must to find a way to keep his gifted young daughter safe . . . and save the Twilight itself.
New Watch (Night Watch, #5) Reviews
-
4,6 stars
This volume of the watch series was even a touch better than its predecessors.
Anton Gorodezki and his family are as usual in the focus of the story.
What I particularly like in this book was the discussion what the magic of the others really means for humanity and the question if the humans wouldn't be much better off without it (i.e. without others controlling human actions with magic).
Also the author expresses very clearly (again) that light (good) and darkness (evil) don't render very different result at the end of the day.
I found the story full of suspense until the very end and I am anticipating to read the very las volume of this series. -
Here's the fifth volume in Lukyanenko's Watch series about the precarious truce between Light and Dark Others and the various goings on related to it in contemporary Moscow. Now, if you don't already know what the Others and the Watches are, you could get away with starting here; there is enough re-capitulation of the basic scenario, but you would be a lot better off starting at the beginning with the Night Watch, where we are introduced to Anton.
Anton is a Light Magician, tasked with ensuring that the people (and creatures) of the Dark do not break the rules of a truce that ended a magical war, as part of the Night Watch. A balancing force, the Day Watch is staffed by Dark Magicians to ensure the Light abide by their side of the bargain.
When we first met him, Anton was young, naive, morally conflicted and somewhat idealistic - but five books later he is fifteen years older, much more experienced and teaching the newbies the ropes - when he is not getting dragged into complicated international intrigues that threaten the status quo for all Others, that is...
The things that stand out here are much the same as in previous books - that is not all the "urban fantasy" trappings but the character of Anton and the contemporary Russian voice of the author.
Taking the latter first, we get a Russian perspective not only on modern Moscow, but on London and Taipei as well. I find this interesting - what does a Russian find remarkable about London and Britain in general? How does that differ from native views and from the views of other foreign visitors? And such Russian views are quite rare - not much contemporary Russian fiction gets translated and published here.
Then - Anton. He's been through a lot and gets put through more here - and it's interesting to see him being contrasted with the new young members of the Watch who are going through similar moral and motivational crises to those he endured in his youth. Which is the main reason why I think it's better to start at the beginning of the series rather than jump in here.
The story itself develops slowly for the first two thirds but the final act makes up for that with a mystery that I only guessed the least important part of and a denouement that was satisfyingly unpredictable. -
Това е от онези книги, които ми чупят костите една по една, а после ги събират и ме замерят с тях.
За никого не е тайна, че книгите за Патрулите са ми страст, а Лукяненко пък беше свързващото звено между мен и една доста голяма вселена от руско фентъзи. Кой знае защо обаче имах някакви резерви точно към новата книга. Бях си свикнала да мисля за Патрулите като тетралогия и ми беше изключително непонятно как, по дяволите, могат да изникнат още сюжетни линии. Подценила съм Лукяненко.
Героите са добре забравените познати лица - подобно на предишните четири книги ставаме свидетели на действието предимно през очите на главния герой Антон Городецки. Тук може би е мястото да отбележа - като избягвам каквито и да било спойлери за хората, които все още не са се добрали до книгата - колко възхитена съм от развитието му като персонаж. Наблюдаваме истинско израстване от онзи маг шесто равнище, с когото се запознахме в "Нощен Патрул", който тъжно къркаше в ергенския си апартамент. Антон влиза чудесно в ролята си не само на Висш, но и на съпруг и баща. Лукяненко ни запознава с проблемите му като се възползва не само от характерното остро чувство за хумор на героя си, но и ни разкрива сцени с малките, злободневни случки, познати на всички ни. Антон попада в задръстване. Антон го спират катаджии. Антон забравя да купи тоалетната хартия. Различни, но не съвсем.
Хареса ми и развитието на тема, която винаги съм виждала като обединяваща в поредицата - отношението Светли/Тъмни, добро/зло, Нощен патрул/Дневен патрул. Светът, отново ни казва Лукяненко, не е само черен или само бял, той е "шарен, на точки". Само като стигнах до тази част, в сърцето ми сякаш гръмна балон с топлина - онова готино аз-бях-прав-през-цялото-време чувство.
Не мога да кажа повече без да разкрия основни моменти от сюжета, затова ще се огранича само с това, че много ми хареса. Можеше повече Завулон, но това е повече егоизъм, защото страшно много го харесвам. Мислех си, че "Последен Патрул" ще е краят, но сега съм убедена - искам още! -
This is one incredibly frustrating book. It is well written, the world-building is superb, and the freaking Tiger has humour. I was seriously not sure whether I could give the book the 4 star rating, until the very last pages. Until the Tiger has shown humour.
The book draws you in. It's fun to read and you are both relieved and sad when it's over (I kind of hope he writes more in the world, there are enough loose ends, but the story is also closed enough to live on its own). And there are moments to the story (the references to the Strugatsky brothers, the tiger, the way Anton overpowers the rogue white Other, and many more) which made me put the book down for a few second and just savour the bubbly feeling of having read something really good they left me with.
Now the frustrating parts, that made me want to leave the book with 2 or even only 3 stars (or not give it a rating at all): Lukyanenko has Opinions with a capital letter, opinions which both intrude into the way he writes characters (his female characters!) and which he sometimes just shoves down the reader's throat (the shower monologue on the Russian soul, the side blows to smoking laws in Europe, the moment Svetlana says that it's different for Anton because he is a man and therefore can get drunk and angry, etc.). They are there not for the story at all, they are just his Opinions. It's kind of sad, because it majorly takes away from the book. It makes me, even though I clearly like it, not want to recommend the book (it also makes me wonder whether he was holding back more in the previous volumes of the series or whether I just read over the passages).
Such an incredibly frustrating book. -
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Magical Reality
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of series, urban fantasy, magical reality
Book Available: April 22, 2014 in
paperback,
Kindle, and
audio book (MP3 or CD)
Trigger Warnings: Danger to child, mention of rape in historical context, killing
My Thoughts: A few years ago, when I read The Last Watch, I thought the series was finished. Fortunately that was not the case. In fact, looking at the Russian language series information, I see that there are a few more books yet to be translated into English and released in the US, and I'm very excited about this.
Lukyanenko is a highly prolific writer, and has very talented translators that allow the ideas behind his stories to come through clearly, which is not always the case in translated literature. As this series continues to unfold, we learn more and more about not only the Others, but also about the magic system and the world created. I think this author is one that all fans of urban fantasy, magical reality, and fantasy will enjoy. The characters are fascinatingly multifaceted and quirky and often not at all what you would expect based upon their introduction. I love that the world is so deeply covered in shades of gray, that there is no real black and white.
If you enjoy complex stories, no moral absolutism, and characters that force you out of your comfort zone, these books are awesome. I do recommend reading the series in order for maximum enjoyment.
Series Information: The Night Watch series
Book 1: Night Watch,
review linked here
Book 2: Day Watch,
review linked here
Book 3: Twilight Watch,
review linked here
Book 4: The Last Watch, read but not reviewed, 5 stars
Book 5: New Watch, available April 22, 2014
Disclosure: I received an ARC (unproofed) copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Walking the streets of our cities are the Others. These men and women are guardians of the Twilight, a shadowy parallel world that exists alongside our own. Each has sworn allegiance to one side, fighting for the Light, or the Darkness. But now, beyond the continuing struggle comes a peril that threatens their very world .
At Moscow airport, Higher Light Magician Anton Gorodetsky overhears a child screaming that a plane is about to crash. He discovers that the child is a prophet: an Other with the gift of foretelling the future. When the catastrophe is averted, Gorodetsky senses a disruption in the natural order, one that is confirmed by the arrival of a dark and terrifying predator.
From the Night Watch headquarters Gorodetsky travels to London, to Taiwan and across Russia in search of clues, unearthing as he goes a series of increasingly cataclysmic prophecies. He soon realises that what is at stake is the existence of the Twilight itself—and that only he will be able to save it. -
I have a real soft spot for these, going back probably a decade or something. In and of itself its really pretty rote urban fantasy, about a heroic, tortured young man working as a sort of supernatural police in Moscow, but somehow it just kind of hangs together for me. There’s some silly bits in here – I have despised the transcription of song lyrics since the Hobbit – but underlying it is some fairly substantive ethical contemplation, as well as a number of surprising narrative choices which I generally enjoyed. Keep.
-
The New Watch started strong, with suspense and adventure, but dragged in the middle and ended with a whimper. Lukyanenko added novel elements to his universe but got carried away with Anton's philosophical musings. While Anton's ideas are mostly insightful and particularly revealing of Russian culture, they are better in smaller doses. Nevertheless, it was a fun ride.
-
Celý de�� si hovorím a nešibe tebe už tak trochu z tých hliadok, Veronika? Túto časť dočítaš a koniec. Dávaš si pokoj. Poupratuješ. Povysávaš. Preložíš iným žánrom. Možno, a nad týmto by si sa mala vážne zamyslieť, by si sa mohla stretnúť s nejakými ľudskými bytosťami.
Prevrátila som oči, ale vediac, že mám pravdu, lebo akonáhle si začnem tykať a oslovovať sa menom je zle, som len letmo nakukla do šestky, reku nech viem, na čo sa môžem tešiť a už-už som sa načahovala za prachovkou keď tu bum, zas ma to vcuclo a ani neviem ako, zrazu som bola na strane 30. -
A change of pace from prior works in this series, New Watch is considerably more philosophical and less action packed. In fact, the novel reminds me a bit of works by Ayn Rand in that plot is very much secondary to exploration of the author's ideas. Lukyanenko's musings are generally interesting, but can occasionally drag. Nevertheless, on balance, Next Watch is interesting enough and sufficiently thought provoking to merit a read.
-
[There are no spoilers in the following review. However, there is a long description of the sentiments that the ending left me with that could potentially be regarded as a spoiler.]
I had read quite a few negative comments about this book, this one year since its publication in English and till I finally purchased and read it myself. I was certain that these people with the negative comments were wrong. I was certain that I would hugely enjoy the book, more than these other people who apparently couldn't get into Lukyanenko's mythology progression, or couldn't understand the elegance of the Russian school of writing.
If anyone had said that I would find the book "inadequate", I'd call them crazy.
This book is inadequate.
It is a severe let down from the previous masterpieces.
To be frank... it feels like it's a massively half-arsed job, rushed and potentially tired.
Don't get me wrong. It's not a bad book. And, my 3-star rating is not to be confused with other 3-star ratings I may give. This is entirely measured against Lukyanenko's greatness. I can't possibly rate it any higher, as his other books, the ones that came before this, are nowhere near this mediocrity.
Lukyanenko had created a wonderful mythology, spanning over 4 books that kept pushing its own limits. The new book seems to be a step towards... nothingness. First off, it's the only book out of the series that I did not manage to read in one go. Somewhere past the halfway mark, the story took a dive. I kept on reading and reading and ... I honestly started thinking that the story that I had been reading up to that point, had been exhausted. I got to believe that another chapter -an entirely different and unrelated chapter- had started. It was so bizarre and to be honest, I totally lost interest in whatever irrelevant thoughts and songs Anton had or listened to.
However, the story spiked after that. I got my enthusiasm back and ate up the last that the book had to offer. I honestly started thinking that maybe I had somehow been unfair. It looked as if the story was going to a massive eruption towards the end. To a peak like none other.
My disappointment when I read Lukyanenko's CHEAP trick to avoid the built-up that he had engineered himself was ... honestly, I can't find a non-aggressive word to describe it. It was f*ing disgraceful. I for one had never expected him to chicken out of what would give the story a much desired ending.
If you'd ceremoniously watched House M.D. for all the years it ran, you can potentially understand the level of BS that is the ending of the New Watch.
Anyway.
It's not a bad book.
It's not a good book either.
It's definitely nowhere near most of the previous books in the series.
To me, it was a huge disappointment. I don't even know where he's left to go with the story after this.
In fact, maybe, just maybe, the entire Watch universe has been explored. Maybe there's nothing more to say.
This new element that the last book brought into play, although seemingly acceptable, it does in fact leave the reader with a "WTF" in his mind.
The "Mirror" was a hugely entertaining invention that galloped the story forward.
The new mechanism is something a writer with much less imagination than Lukyanenko would come up with. -
I got the book yesterday as a gift.
Fr me it was a huge surprise that there was something new published since the last book was called "LAST ___". Anyhow, I liked the book very much.
We are again meeting with the ever-lasting step in of the author. He obviously learned some new things which he wanted to share from the mouth of Anton and he does.
The book is engaging, the character are likable and diverse, the story is in very quick pace and there are a few things that are interesting to read. It is a very quick read. We see some new characters, some old ones. Time does not hold still and people change, even people who are able to get very old, have extra powers and are different. As usual, the books is ana analysis "what makes us human"? Usually, this topic is a lot more favorite to monster stories but fiction and magical fiction dwells in it as well.
As usual, there is nothing inherently original in the analysis regards to good/evil and everything in between but as always, everyone learns these things and finds some bits and pieces by themselves or interpret them differently and wants to share what they have learned. And it is only a plus when the person doing the sharing is a very good writer.
The story is nice and I wonder if there will be other stories, though i still think that the story was more than resolved in the last book. Still, it was quite good. There was te sorrow, the little things that we see and know, especially for us, who are part of the Balkans and to whom the things he writes about are closer to home.
However, I need to put some things that irked me.
First... I have no idea why, but Lukyanenko as an author sucks quite a lot at writing female characters. Not always but in most times. Also, he dislikes some aspects/ideas about women and uses his books to make fun at them and usually by misrepresenting the ideas or by making the people saying them seem idiotic. If it was once or twice, hell,everyone knows someone who has some ideas who argues them badly or simply we find them idiotic. But it is quite consistent and is showing again and again and again in his books, whatever the series. Which, as I said, irks me.
As if he sits down, creates a character and adds as an after-though "also, happens to be a male". His female characters sound and look (to me at least, after decade of reading) as if he sat and thought "she is female... now her character is...". When creating a character, every good writer will tell you, you need to focus on the character itself, gender/sexual preferences/etc. do not define the character. Definitely have an impact but do not define them. It irks me, because I enjoy him as a writer and I am sick and tired of reading books despite of the weird treatment of the characters who happen to be female. I don't understand it very much. It is not that he dislikes women it is as if he... does not understand that women are people and not something completely weird and mysterious, also MOTHERS!!!
Again, this is something that irked me... it could fl completely under your radar or that you do not see them the same way I did.
Enjoy the book! -
One could not believe my excitement this year - another Night Watch book! - But I thought, I mean, the last one was called LAST watch right?
Anyway I love Sergei L's books so was really looking forward to reading this beast. And what can I say? Present was the almost irreverent prose, the grit-ridden metaphors and the odd twists that characterize books in this series.
I guess I was disappointed in the end though, it seems that Sergei wants to keep this series going, but is also struggling to outdo his previous novels. What bugged me the most is
SPOILER ALERT
'New' Watch while promising didn't really eventuate, and while exciting and thoughtful this chapter lacked epic. -
Прозата на Лукяненко е доста мъжка – впечатление, което съм придобила и от други негови книги – и като цяло това за мен е плюс. Солиден екшън, бърза стъпка, остра криминална щипка във всяка история. От „Нощен“, до „Нов патрул“ не останах разочарована в това отношение. Естествено, най-запомнящото се в тези книги е образът на Антон Городецки. Подозирам, че това е самият автор в прикритие и точно затова образът е толкова убедителен и неизменно ти става скъп. Логична и последователна постройка на характера му, постепенно развитие във всеки роман, богат вътрешен свят – друго не ни е нужно. Само дето…ето го и това „дето“. Като всички останали автори с подчертано мъжки тип писане, Лукяненко е много слаб в изграждането на женските образи. Нито една от жените в романите не успях да „видя“, да усетя, а особено пък Светлана – дразнещо двуизмерен образ, който стои като някакъв неизяснен придатък на Антон. Защо точно я обича, как точно я обича, не успях да разбера. Любовната история не само куцаше, а никаква я нямаше, а уж тя е водеща в сюжета – или поне това натъртваше на места авторът. Един път да се бяха прегърнали и целунали в целите тези шест книги, щях да съм доволна, ама не. Едва ли е защото Лукяненко пази и детската си аудитория, сред купищата кървища и откъснати вампирски глави. Просто не е Фицджералд.
По пет звезди за „Нощен патрул“ и „Сумрачен патрул“ и по четири за „Последен патрул“ и „Нов патрул“. В последните две книги Антон започна да става прекалено моралистичен и философията му тръгна извън контекст.
„Дневен патрул“ я прелистих и зарязах. Да, определено не му върви с женските образи. -
„Help me, help me
I'm begging you a long time
This time I need you in the worst way
Oh baby, I'd set my soul on fire”.
Gorodecki znowu w akcji!
(jak zwykle wpakuje się w niezłe bagno i trzeba go będzie ratować)
Na lotnisku jakiś chłopczyk histeryzuje, bo boi się wsiąść do samolotu, wrzeszcząc przy okazji o wielkiej katastrofie lotniczej. Niby normalne, ale Anton Gorodecki od razu wyczuł, że młody to prorok i raczej niekoniecznie warto wybierać się w tę podróż razem z nim. Z prorokami jest jednak jeden mały problem – mają na pieńku z samym Zmrokiem, więc na chłopca czyha niebezpieczeństwo, któremu zaradzić będzie mógł nie kto inny, jak sam Gorodecki.
Niby mi się bardzo podobało, ale trochę za dużo dywagacji polityczno-religijno-filozoficznych w wykonaniu Gorodeckiego i Ariny, no i ten Tygrys jakiś taki strasznie niestraszny. Za to Anton rozczulił mnie akcją powstrzymania niepokornego Jasnego z zastosowaniem pałki bojowej:
„- Nie powstrzyma mnie pan – nakręcał się dalej Walentyn. – Pójdę na Kreml. Akurat dzisiaj prezydent przemawia przed Dumą… i wszystkich ich tam doprowadzę do przytomności. Wszystko policzyłem. Wystarczy mi Siły, żeby odbić każde pańskie zaklęcie, i jeszcze zostanie na masową remoralizację.
- „Sfera Odrzucenia?” – uściśliłem.
- Tak jest. – Walentyn z dumą skinął głową.
- Dobra magia – przyznałem. – Rzeczywiście możesz zablokować każde zaklęcie, jednocześnie zasilając się nim.
Walentyn uśmiechnął się. Wyglądał jak uczniak, który zasłużył na pochwałę surowego nauczyciela.
Nie było sensu dłużej zwlekać. Wsunąłem dłoń do kieszeni kurtki, wyjąłem krótką teleskopową pałkę, machnąłem nią, rozsuwając”.
7/10 -
Slightly disappointing after phenomenal Last Watch. The book has no clear goal and it serves more as plot filler to a sixth book in the series, which hasn't been translated yet. It's so frustrating. It's obvious there is plenty of story left, but it seems as the author is saving most of it for the next sequel. Or he's making room for more than one sequel, I don't know.
While drinking at the airport, Anton sees a boy screaming at his mother that a plane is going to crash. Since the boy is a second or first level uninitiated Other, he suspects the kid is actually a Prophet. As the Night Watch approaches the boy, they find that a powerful creature known as the Tiger is coming to kill him and anyone who hears his first prophecy. Gesar sends Anton on another international trip to learn more about past prophets and attacks by the Tiger.
Anton's job is to ensure the people of the Dark don't break the rules of a truce that ended a magical war. It's vice versa with the The Day Watch. I'm getting a bit tired with same all ambiguity between the Watches. It was fun in the start, but after five books, I feel like I'm reading the same crap over and over again.
There is a whole lot of mistery around the Tiger and the way he remains invincible. Despite the title, there isn't really a New Watch. Gesar is still the boss, Anton is still the protagonist, Svetlana still manages to do nothing more than being a housewife. I still don’t know what this tittle is supposed to mean. Is it perhaps Tiger himself?
Honestly, I started thinking the story is exhausted, at least when it comes to Twilight. I thought everything was told in the Last Watch and I don't think I'm wrong. I don't know what the author will do with the plot after this. Lukyanenko has opinions which intrude in the way female characters and it's bothering me more than ever, like the moment when Svetlana says it's different for Anton because he is a man and therefore can get drunk and angry whenever and however he pleases. As usual, the book explores what makes us human or particularly what makes Others stay humane. It seems that the author wants to keep this series going, but is struggling to outshine his previous novels. Three stories are entwined together by the Tiger and the unheard prophecies and it’s about everlasting dilemma whether the Tiger wants to kill the Prophet or just to motivate him by threatening to kill him. The book simply lacks intensity.
When we first met him, Anton was young, naive, morally conflicted and idealistic. Five books later he's much more experienced and teaching the newbies how not to get dragged into complicated situations which threaten the status quo. It's interesting to see him being contrasted with the young members of the Watch who are going through similar moral crises to those he's been through in his youth. If anything, it was fun to read his character development. It never tires me. -
Maybe the cover should have warned me. I guess the earlier ones were also rather "in your face fantasy", but this is the first one with red laser eyes. It doesn't bode well.
So, spoiler: I did not like it.
I blame the blatant chauvinism, misogyny and toxic masculinity paired with too many info dumps, pseudo-philosophical musings and convoluted storytelling. I just disliked Anton, who has been a great character to follow for four books. But now, it seems, we have arrived at the worst version of contemporary Russia - non-ironic style.
From his weird view on his daughter becoming a woman (at ten, I think...) to the heartfelt advice of a friend to cheat on his wife or at least have a real, violent argument to better the relationship, not to mention an uncomfortable story about a thirteen-year-old girl who was apparently fucked but not raped - never that! - by her far older teacher (because, you know, things are very gray and childhood had not been invented yet) and countless throw away remarks about the nature and character of women and men, I hated everything. And I was offended by the lazyness of it all, the lack of reflection, of intelligent subversion of expectations.
And the story wasn't even worth it, just more weirdly nationalistic dudes standing around and deciding the fate of the world while women are hysteric and, well... female. Even taking away all this gender stuff, it wasn't a good book. It was pretentious, badly paced and the plot only made possible by many people riding the stupid train.
I don't want to blame contemporary Russian Culture, but there was such a clear nationalistic bias that merged with static ideas about gender identity that I can't help but wonder about the author - or at least his intended audience. -
The most recent addition to the "Watches" series, New Watch, does not disappoint. It is the fifth book in the series, and I couldn't wait for the English translation of the book. I bought the Russian edition of the book from a seller in NYC on eBay. Fortunately, I have no problem reading Russian. (For those of you eager to read it in English, the translation is rumored to be available in spring 2013.) I think I read this book faster than any of the other four. As with the previous books, New Watch is made up of three stories, each with a prologue and eight chapters. In this book, each story is quite tightly connected to the previous books and stories. The main character, and narrator, is still Anton Gorodetsky, who is a magician beyond classification. In this book's stories, his daughter, Nadia, plays a larger role. Nadia is ten years old in this book. It's quite interesting to see how "other" children grow up and are taught. The book's main story involves the a prophet and the havoc that prophets create in this world--both for the "others" and for humans. The havoc needs to be controlled, and, to control it, the Twilight literally (yes, literally!) comes to life. As if to complicate matters, the witch, Arina, also returns in this book and plays a not-insignificant role in the main story. This book is another great entry into the "Watches" series, and I am hopeful that there will be many more books from this series to come.
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After rereading the book in 2021 I won‘t change my rating. The book could have been better. That being said, I look forward to reading book 6 as the final one in the series.
2014 review:
I like this series quite a lot and was thrilled to learn that there is a fifth book. It was a good read but thinking of the first four books I was a little disappointed.
In this book Anton is confronted with a new task revolving around prophets and their influence on the existence of the magical world.
I loved the fact that Arina played an important role in the stories again but I guess I liked her more in the other books.
As always the book is divided into three stories - I liked the first one about the little prophet Kesha a lot. But I couldn't see the sense in the second story. It felt as if there was much more to tell but suddenly there was an end. Of course the third story offered some new insights and picked up where the second one was rather weak but I couldn't get over the fact that there were a lot more possibilities.
There were a lot of unused moral implications and I liked the general direction of the book - as well as the remarks on popular literature and culture - but it wasn't enough. I was not as thrilled as in the beginning of the series.
Nevertheless, it was a nice read. -
Le cinquième tome d’une série de fantasy urbaine russe, avec des magiciens, des sorciers, des vampires, et des loup-garous qui s’affrontent secrètement dans les rues de Moscou, et parfois ailleurs. Malheureusement la tendance aperçue dans le tome précédent se confirme ici : ce cinquième tome reste divertissant, mais l'auteur a tendance à enrichir artificiellement la mythologie de son univers pour inventer de nouvelles histoires, sans que cela fonctionne tout à fait. Il manque quelque chose par rapport à la finesse des trois premiers tomes, et c'est dommage. Il ne me reste plus que le sixième et dernier volume à lire, cela devrait m'occuper sur les prochains jours.
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Kapitel 7, letzte Seite
"Wir sollten alle öfter Kinderbücher lesen." -
3,5 ⭐
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Discovering that there was a fifth installment of the Night Watch series came as a surprise to me; I took the title of the fourth book (the Last Watch) at face value.
New Watch is a mixed bag for longtime fans of the series. It has some excellent high points. For me, there's a spell that was first mentioned in "Twilight Watch" that I've been hoping would someday become part of the plot. It finally gets cast in this book and even though its effect only lasts for a few pages, it's the kind of thing that'll leave you thinking about long after you turn the last page.
I also particularly enjoyed the description of the Light Others and Dark Others not as good versus evil (even though that's how our protagonist sees it) but as altruism versus egoism.
What are the downsides? The biggest one for me is that this book lacked the intensity of "Night Watch" and "Day Watch." I liked that the author was willing to explore the nature of the Twilight and talk about what, if anything, lives in that mystical realm . . . but at the same time, there isn't a whole lot in the way of character development for Anton or the other members of the Night Watch. Despite the title, this isn't really a "New Watch." Gesar is still the boss, Anton is still the protagonist, Svetlana still manages to do not much of anything. There are a few interesting scenes of Anton now serving as a teacher for the new generation of Others who are learning about their powers, but the overall presence of anyone "new" here is rather small.
There's also something about Lukyanenko's writing that's become more and more of a distraction in his more recent books. One gets the sense that he really, really does not like Westerners and rather enjoys making subtle digs at their expense.
I understand that this is a Russian author, writing for a Russian audience, and if his particular opinion sticks in my craw, that's my problem as a reader. I'm just also pointing out that this was really the first time that opinion became a distraction. One gets the feeling that it was always there, but Lukyanenko is getting more and more emboldened with those jabs. Maybe it's in response the books have received by Western readers? I'm just speculating. My only point is that it's more noticeable here and it's distracting.
Overall, this was still a fun book and the Night Watch world remains one of my favorite urban fantasy series. My time here was well spent and fans won't be disappointed by this latest adventure . . . but I think back to the fire and intensity of those first few books and I can't help but think that this series deserves to be spectacular. Here's hoping for more in book 6. -
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http://www.azcheta.com/index.php?opti...
Антон Городецки се завръща. Помъдрял?... Може би. Но доколко може да се постави знак за равенство между възрастта, мъдростта и опита? Определено има разлика между Городецки, преследващ вампири-нарушители в „Нощен патрул“ и новият Городецки, който дори не си помисля да прави „човешки глупости“. Продължава да анализира ситуацията от всички страни, но въпреки всичко Антон все още има слабост към хората и тяхното добруване. Затова и е удобна мишена за манипулациите на великите – Хесер, Завулон, Арина.
Лукяненко има навика да се отплесва в разсъждения за руската и човешка душевност при всеки повод, като от време на време дори не си прави труда да ги маскира като разговор между героите, а направо ги пъха в главата на Антон и ходи му търси края. Освен това книгата е създадена по схемата на предишните – подобно на слоевете на Сумрака и тук имаме заговор, прикрит със друг заговор, прикрит с поредица от уж случайни събития, които подтикват героя към действие. И много препратки към Стругацки. Честно казано се чудя дали някога Антон ще успее да се отърси от наивността, която го прави толкова симпатичен герой? Тогава вероятно Лукяненко ще може да завърши поредицата спокойно – нещата ще са се развили според естествения ход на събитията и Антон ще се превърне в Хесер, в Арина – Различен, за когото нито Мрака, нито Светлината са крайности, а безкраен кръговрат. -
Briefly, the growth of Anton continues in fascinating ways. Touching on previous books, we also find out some of the nature of the Twilight itself. Some of the page-long observations of Russia are interesting in an additional context, thanks to to the author's outspoken political views, but they still work well in the story.
Mechanically, this is a three-part story, same as previous books. Technically, Anton's timeline is catching up with the modern day, and his random-play disc player has moved to MP3. The supporting cast are lovingly described, and some have definitely grown and changed since the previous books.
This book is easily 4½ stars, and probably closer to 5. Hoping to go back and reread the whole series soon, starting with a decent review of the first book. Also interested in ranking the books within the series - some storylines are better than others. -
First off, I read the English edition of this novel, titled "The New Watch". I had to order it from amazon.co.uk, because there is no US release date announced.
I liked this well enough, but I think the line-graph of new ideas in this universe is flattening out. We know what magic is, we know what is at all levels of the twilight... It's as if Lukyanenko is struggling to find more "big" mysteries, and then tie them in to little bits of the previous novels to make it feel like they were foreshadowed all along. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely fun, and I really enjoyed being along for the ride, but maybe just because I have all this nostalgia for reading the others in the series and finding out more and more about the rules of magic in this universe. -
Despite the vampires, witches, magicians, and supernatural goings on, it is a story of human sentiment and conviction. This one had a more humorous style than the others in the series, which made for an interesting and enjoyable read.
