Last Watch

Did You Know?

• Last Watch is divided into three stories: Common Cause, A Common Enemy, and A Common Destiny.
• Each story begins with a prologue followed by six numbered chapters and concluding with an epilogue.
• Events in the prologues are written in third person narrative, while the rest of the novel is in first person past tense from Anton Gorodetsky's perspective.

Background

The world of the Others is built on a hidden magical force that certain humans can tap into. These individuals, known as Others, possess the ability to step into the Twilight, a shadowy parallel dimension that exists alongside our own. The Twilight is not a single place but a series of levels, each more difficult to reach than the last. Every Other can access the first level, but only the most powerful can reach the fifth, and a rare few can enter the sixth. The lower levels are harsh and barren, with only blue moss growing in the first, while the fifth and sixth are welcoming, filled with life and vegetation. The greatest mystery in the final story is what lies on the seventh level, a place only the most exceptional magicians can ever hope to reach.

Others are split into two opposing factions: the Light and the Dark. They were once locked in endless war, but after realizing neither side could win and that ordinary humans would suffer too greatly, they signed the Great Treaty. This agreement forces both sides to maintain a balance. If one side uses its power on a human or another Other, the other side is entitled to an equal act of light or dark in response. To enforce the treaty, the Light Others created the Night Watch to monitor the Dark, while the Dark Others formed the Day Watch to watch the Light. Above them both stands the Inquisition, which ensures no side gains dominance, punishing any violation of the treaty. Both Watches also seek out new Others, who must choose between Light and Dark when they first enter the Twilight. Neither Watch may influence this choice, and it is usually final. Only an act of enormous light or dark, like those performed by Merlin or Arina, can change an Other’s allegiance.

Plot summary

Anton Gorodetsky is still getting the hang of his new abilities when Gesar sends him to Edinburgh to help the Scottish Night Watch with a murder case. A young Russian man was found dead in a tourist attraction called the Vampire Castle, and the evidence points to a vampire as the killer. During the investigation, someone tries to take out Anton with remote-controlled guns. Thomas Lermont, the head of the Scottish Night Watch, explains that an artifact was stolen from Merlin's grave. The thieves are using it to break into Merlin's hidden storage, where he supposedly stashed the Crown of All Things. After ordinary humans armed with magical amulets and bullets attack the Night Watch, Thomas and Anton chase a suspect into the Twilight. They make it to the sixth level—a new depth for Anton—but only discover that three individuals are behind everything: a Light Other, a Dark Other, and an Inquisitor. Thomas tells Anton that the seventh level of the Twilight is a paradise where Others can coexist peacefully after death, and that Merlin hid the Crown there. Worried by these events, Gesar sends Anton to Uzbekistan to find Rustam, a contemporary of Merlin and a former friend—later an enemy—of Gesar. While visiting the Uzbek Night Watch, Anton and his hosts are attacked again by humans with amulets and magical weapons. Clues start pointing to Kostya Saushkin, Anton's dead friend, as one of the culprits. Anton eventually locates Rustam, who says the Crown of All Things is a spell that would tear down the barriers between the Twilight's levels and the barrier between the Twilight and reality. It could end the world, strip Others of their powers, or kill them—Rustam is not sure and does not care. Another attack follows, and Anton realizes that his former friend, the Inquisitor Edgar, is part of the mysterious trio.

Characters

Anton Gorodetsky is a Grand Light Mage who serves in the Night Watch. Over the course of events, he rose from a novice mage to the highest rank. He understands the true workings of the Others and holds a cynical view of both Light and Dark factions, though he is especially unenthusiastic about the Light Others’ cause. His preferred hobby involves listening to custom mini-discs he assembles in random order. He is married to Svetlana, and their daughter is the most powerful Other in existence.

Boris Ignatyevich, commonly called Gesar, is also a Grand Light Mage. He is of Tibetan origin and, over his long life, instructed various heroes and philosophers. He relocated to Europe in the early 1400s. Despite numerous chances to take higher positions in the Night Watch, he opted to stay as the head of the Moscow division. Gesar is a seasoned strategist who can turn major losses into minor wins. He genuinely looks after his people, yet he will not hesitate to endanger them if he believes it serves a larger purpose, though his concept of that greater good is often puzzling.

Svetlana is a Grand Light Sorceress who originally worked as a doctor. Her magical strength was heavily depleted by the Mirror, but the Inquisition later restored it. She is married to Anton, and their daughter is the world’s most powerful Other. Svetlana resigned from the Night Watch to protect her marriage, since her power far exceeded Anton’s and created serious tension between them. Since then, Anton’s abilities have grown to a level beyond the standard classification system, matching her own, yet she has not returned to the Watch.

Movie references

Last Watch is the only book in its six-part series that directly acknowledges the film adaptations. In the movie, a yellow truck carrying Semyon, Tiger Cub, and Bear nearly hits Zabulon, who flips the vehicle over himself before it lands and continues driving. In the novel, Semyon recalls a dream where the same event occurs, but he cannot remember his companions or destination, only that they traveled in an old van. The films portray Egor as Anton’s son. In the book, Anton meets Egor on a plane, where Egor explains he once dreamed of Anton as his father and later joined the Day Watch specifically to anger him, mirroring the overall plot of both movies. Anton then suggests that dreams can be glimpses from alternate dimensions. The movie depicts the Night Watch’s front as the City Light Company, called Gorsvet in Russian. In the book, Gesar mentions during a staff meeting that the Night Watch once used that same cover organization.