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.
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 thrilledThe 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 TimeA 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 SpaceAnton 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 PowerA 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.
What do You think about Twilight Watch (2007)?
Once again this holds three character connected stories following primarily the Night Watch's Anton as he first investigates the accusations that an Other has revealed all to a human and that they have offered to make the human an Other, a feat considered impossible by many. Here the Night Watch, Day Watch and Inquisition have to work together to protect their worlds from the human world with tense results dripping with doubt, distrust and conspiracy. The remaining two stories finds Anton and his holiday cut short as a witch of untold power and no real affiliation is found in the woods where Svetlana and Nadya have been holidaying. And it appears that she has in her possession a book that can in fact create an Other, which falls into wrong and rather inexperienced hands. Once again the writing is superb and the change of feel from the gritty streets of Moscow to the fresh open wilds of the Russian countryside really adds to the depth of the story and the characters that arise, particularly with Arina and her unfettered and unchanged world view. I did miss the presence of some of the earlier female characters, particularly Olga who hasn't made much of an appearance since the Night Watch stories. This did also seem to be weighted towards the side of the Light Ones despite the 'rules' that everything is to be in balance, particularly in the finale of the first story but as is traditional 'good' is meant to prevail over 'evil'. Still, this is an excellent volume that is well worth a read, I just hope the next volume returns to the earlier superbity of the first two volumes.
—Sam
Once again Sergei Lukyanenko did a great job with his Night Watch Series. I haven't touched his series since back in September, because I knew I would blow through this book and sure enough I did. I wanted to hold off till I knew his final book would be released soon so I could read it and then go right to the last one.I don't why I like his writing style so much but I really do. He does a great job of painting good visuals so I can easily see whats happening.Storywise I liked it. The direction he took one character was really interesting and while I was bummed with the way it went I did like how he took what was a minor character and transform it into something more.Overall a great book in a great series. I'm exited/sad with how Final Watch will go.
—Conor Olmstead
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.
—Phleghm
