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The Twilight Watch (The Night Watch Trilogy book 3) by Sergei Lukyanenko
01/11/2007 . Source: Sue Davies 
pub: William Heinemann/Random House. 440 page enlarged paperback. Price: £11.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-0-434-01444-6. Buy The Twilight Watch in the USA - or Buy The Twilight Watch in the UK  check out website: www.randomhouse.co.uk
'The Twilight Watch' looks at the continuing relationship between those forces of the dark and the light. These Others are no longer truly human but must maintain a careful watch over the human race. Anton is an agent for the Nightwatch who monitor the activities of the dark Others - the warlocks, vampires and werewolves. The light magicians must licence the activities of the dark in order to maintain the balance of law in the world.
Anton has taken his family out of Moscow. They are staying with his mother-in-law who knows nothing about the Others. His wife, Svetlana, has resigned from the Watch. She monitors their daughter who has astonishing potential to be a 'great one'. The couple think they can enjoy a simple holiday but it is not to be. First, there is the mysterious encounter that some young children have with dogs who might be werewolves and a woman who might be a witch. Then the Boss recalls Anton to the city.
The secrets of the Others have been kept for millennia but someone has broken the silence and revealed all to a human. Worse than that, this 'Other' has offered to turn a human. This time the two watches must join forces to eliminate the threat to the balance of power.
Anton has to join with a young but powerful vampire, Kostya. Once a neighbour and a friend, they are now on the opposites sides of the fence and must overcome their differences to solve the problem.
There are many satisfying twists and turns and general hocus-pocus in this clever book. What comes out strongly is the dark sense of humour that cuts through it. This is a cynical, yet still loving, expose of the society that Russia has become. One example is the apartment that Anton uses whilst checking for the traitor. The exterior is of the new Moscow-promising quality and luxury but the reality is that the apartments are unfinished, lacking even the most basic facilities.
The whole trilogy is an excellent read and each book has a wholeness that many multi-series of books lack. In this way, you do not feel cheated if you pick up any of them and can easily slip into the Moscow twilight. The images are compelling and extremely visceral even though there is rarely any actual violence. The text is witty, obviously appealing to its own citizens judging by the amount of copies sold there. The translation is richly peppered with language that we can understand and immediately draws you into the characters. The existence of the supernatural is dealt with on a practical and straightforward way and with lots of details about life in modern and rural Russia incorporated seamlessly into the narrative this novel is an enthralling read.
Sue Davies
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