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A review by phlegyas
The Sixth Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
5.0
So there you have it; the mythos completed. Spanning six books, each building on top of the previous in a way that it feels like they were always supposed to be six (when we know that was never the case), the story finally comes to an end*. An end with an asterisk.
Let's get the easy bit out of the way. I will have to reread the series to be absolutely certain that I'm not over-enthusiastic about this, but unless I'm badly mistaken, this is the top dog of the series. I do remember enjoying the third book immensely, but I believe that this one tops even that one (by some margin too). In any case, both ends to the two trilogies (which is more likely what we have here) are the absolute bests books in their respective sets of 3.
[there isn't a true spoiler in this review but I do mention the feelings the book breeds... Just something to keep in mind if you continue reading]
Now, how do you summarise the emotional roller-coaster that this book was?
I finished reading this during a 6 hour train journey and... in a matter of a few pages, I had completely transitioned from laughing out loud (the taunting jibes at the 11th hour were so well delivered!) to wiping tears from my eyes and hoping I hadn't become a spectacle (the unavoidable end is so drawn out that it's obviously a case of twisting the blade, but, honestly, I was too devastated to be angry at Lukyanenko 's chosen method of delivering an epilogue). I may be mistaken but I think that this was the first time characters and their relationships had been used in such a way in this series. There were dilemmas and challenges and whatnot, of course. But such a melodramatic abuse of the reader's feelings... Man, did he take that overboard.
Anton, Gesar, Zabulon, Svetlana, Olga, Nadya, Kostya,..., the Mirror, the Tiger... I already miss you so badly that I started searching for any traces of a potential 7th sequel online. I know there shouldn't be one, this book is the epitome of *going out with a bang*, but, honestly, I already miss all of you...
I need to reread the whole lot.
...6 stars out of 5. Easy!
Let's get the easy bit out of the way. I will have to reread the series to be absolutely certain that I'm not over-enthusiastic about this, but unless I'm badly mistaken, this is the top dog of the series. I do remember enjoying the third book immensely, but I believe that this one tops even that one (by some margin too). In any case, both ends to the two trilogies (which is more likely what we have here) are the absolute bests books in their respective sets of 3.
[there isn't a true spoiler in this review but I do mention the feelings the book breeds... Just something to keep in mind if you continue reading]
Now, how do you summarise the emotional roller-coaster that this book was?
I finished reading this during a 6 hour train journey and... in a matter of a few pages, I had completely transitioned from laughing out loud (the taunting jibes at the 11th hour were so well delivered!) to wiping tears from my eyes and hoping I hadn't become a spectacle (the unavoidable end is so drawn out that it's obviously a case of twisting the blade, but, honestly, I was too devastated to be angry at Lukyanenko 's chosen method of delivering an epilogue). I may be mistaken but I think that this was the first time characters and their relationships had been used in such a way in this series. There were dilemmas and challenges and whatnot, of course. But such a melodramatic abuse of the reader's feelings... Man, did he take that overboard.
Anton, Gesar, Zabulon, Svetlana, Olga, Nadya, Kostya,..., the Mirror, the Tiger... I already miss you so badly that I started searching for any traces of a potential 7th sequel online. I know there shouldn't be one, this book is the epitome of *going out with a bang*, but, honestly, I already miss all of you...
I need to reread the whole lot.
...6 stars out of 5. Easy!