Twilight Watch
Anton Gorodetsky investigates impossible promises to create an Other.
Twilight Watch, also called Dusk Watch, is a 2004 fantasy novel by Russian author Sergey Lukyanenko. It follows Night Watch and Day Watch as the third book in a series that later includes Last Watch, New Watch, and concludes with Sixth Watch. Andrew Bromfield translated the English edition, which Heinemann published.
Quick Facts
- Translator
- Andrew Bromfield
- Author
- Sergei Lukyanenko
- Country
- Russia
- Language
- Russian
- Series
- World of Watches
- Genre
- Horror/Fantasy
- Published
- 2004
- English pub date
- 2007
Facts from the source article.
Structure and style
Twilight Watch is told in the past tense and split into three stories: Nobody's Time, Nobody's Space, and Nobody's Power. Each story opens with a third-person prologue set away from Anton Gorodetsky, then continues with seven numbered chapters and an epilogue, all in the first-person voice of the Light Magician. This structure is closer to Night Watch than to Day Watch.
Plot
Among us live the Others, humans who can enter the Twilight, a shadowy world that exists alongside our real world, and gain unnatural powers from it. While in the Twilight, Others are drained of their life essence and may be consumed if they remain too long. Others are divided into Light Others and Dark Others. Long ago, after a fierce battle neither side could win, both signed the Great Treaty, a set of laws governing them and the use of powers. Light Others created Night Watch to ensure Dark Others do not break the Treaty; Dark Others created Day Watch to watch the Light Others. Both answer to the Inquisition, which ensures neither side becomes too powerful. The book is separated into three novellas. Anton Gorodetsky is assigned by Gesser to investigate warning letters sent to both Watches and the Inquisition. A powerful Great Light Other promises a human they will turn him into an Other, which the human deeply desires. This is impossible for Others, and refusal to fulfill the request means the Light Other will dematerialise in the Twilight. Anton goes to the Assol, a rich district in Moscow where the letters originated. Vampire Kostya Saushkin from Day Watch, along with Edgar and Vitezislav from the Inquisition, are also assigned. Anton discovers the human is a 60-year-old businessman, the son of Gesser. The four confront Gesser about making the promise, but Gesser denies knowing his son was alive. It is revealed his son is a potential Other for whom Gesser claims the right to initiate. Later, the witch Arina used the book of Fuaran to transform Gesser's son into an Other.
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