Nightwatch
Nightwatch
Lukyanenko, Sergei.
New York : Miramax Books/Hyperion, c2006.
This bestselling Russian novel contains three separate, but interlinked stories featuring Anton Gorodetsky of the Nightwatch. Told mostly in a first person perspective, we learn of the world of the Others; people gifted, or cursed, with extraordinary powers. Anton works for the Nightwatch, which monitors those Others who have gone to the side of the Dark. Their counterparts are the Daywatch, that monitor the activities of those who are on the side of the Light. Neither side can directly interfere with the lives of mortals, and the stories involve the intrigues, and plots by both sides to do just that.
The stories are well written, with complex narratives and interesting characters. The underlying theme of the work is that of morality, and how far one should go to do good. The translator has done a good job of making the story flow well in English, but keeping the hints of the original Russian "voice" that makes this story different and exotic.
The first of the three stories serves as the basis for the film, which you can find my review of here.