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First published in Russia in 1998 and later adapted in a popular film in 2004, Sergei Lukyanenko's vastly entertaining novel NIGHT WATCH introduces readers to a parallel reality (centered in Moscow) in which good and evil constantly struggle to maintain a fragile truce, the disruption of which would literally mean the end of the world. This parallel realm, the Twilight, is visible only to Others--vampires, witches, magicians, shape shifters, and even particularly adept computer programmers--who have all pledged their allegiance to either the Light or the Dark. Light and Darkness monitor each other's activities by way of their espionage-style agencies or "watches" (The Night Watch monitors the Dark Ones, and vice versa). While average people go about their days, the Others in both watches have their own responsibilities, namely complex operations and missions which might incrementally shift the balance, once and for all, to one triumphant morality. Without any preamble or exposition, Lukyanenko drops the reader into a remarkably complex world with remarkably complex rules, histories, and problems. The three interconnected novella-length stories which comprise the novel--all narrated by the disillusioned but still idealistic systems analyst and low-level magician Anton Gorodetsky--are chronological, but there are significant time lapses between each tale. Rather than disrupting the narrative, these gaps actually reinforce the reality of this world: the characters all have lives and pasts that exist outside of the bounds of the novel. The first story, Destiny, is by far the best, following Anton as he faces off with rogue vampires, identifies a young Other who isn't yet aware of his own remarkable powers, and attempts to dispel a curse which, if left unchecked, has the potential to ignite another world war. The tale's twisty storyline and fast pace have the feel of a particularly entertaining episode of an action-drama on TV: there's romance, there's danger, there's an epic roof-top battle between dark magicians and hostage-taking vampires--when suddenly everything resolves itself quickly and cleanly, if a bit ironically. Destiny is followed by Among His Own Kind, in which Anton is wrongly accused of murdering several dark magicians and, in order to clear his name, has one night to track down a 'Maverick' Light One on a homicidal rampage in Moscow. Among His Own Kind picks up threads of the the previous story, while upping the ante for action and creatively employed magical sleights of hand. Unfortunately, Lukyanenko loses steam in the last story, All For My Own Kind, in which Anton spends far too much time lamenting the concessions that the Light must make in order to maintain the cosmic balance (apparently Communism failed due to a "little compromise with the Darkness"), and moaning about the futility of trying to save humanity from itself. (There's also an excess of insipid Goth song lyrics throughout this installment.) Nevertheless, with its labyrinthine storylines and abundance of fantastical creatures, this layered morality tale certainly delivers for the Halloween season. And avid fans will be able to further immerse themselves in the Twilight if they so wish: NIGHT WATCH is the first in a tetralogy of novels which follow Anton and other characters through their continued misadventures. § Larissa Kyzer lives in Brooklyn. She completed her Master's degree in Library Science in May 2011.
Reviewed by Larissa Kyzer, October 2011
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