It gives the powers of Dark the right to do an equal act of evil or harm. For any unconditional act of goodness that a Light healer or magician may perform there is an equal and opposite reaction. Nightwatch hangs upon the original idea that the forces of Light and Dark are in a state of cold warfare. Nightwatch is the first part of an epic trilogy and in this instalment we see Anton start out as a somewhat naïve young Night Watch agent but end up cynical and hardened by his acquired understanding of how the powers of Light and Dark operate. Set against a backdrop of political intrigue, posturing and manoeuvring - nothing and no one are ever quite what they seem. The rogue vampire needs to be found and prosecuted and the boy that the vampire ensnared need to be protected because the vampire could get to him again at any moment. The cursed woman needs to be found before the curse gets any bigger and kills not only her but half of Moscow as well. This is just the start of Anton’s troubles. Torn between helping the woman and saving the vampire’s latest victim he reluctantly has to leave the cursed woman to deal with the vampire but his mission goes wrong and the vampire escapes. Whilst following her trail he comes across a young woman on the metro who has a terrible curse hanging over her. Usually he works as a programmer at the Night Watch HQ but he is on his first field operation which is to track and stop a rogue vampire.Ī week of taking magical potions and drinking blood enable him to track the vampire as she ensnares her victim. Set in contemporary Moscow, the story follows the activities of a mid-level magician and somewhat averagely talented Night Watch agent named Anton. These rules are enforced by the Night Watch – Others that are agents of the Light – and the Day Watch – others who are agents of the Dark. These rules were agreed upon by both the Light and the Dark after the last great magical war which neither side could win. The activities of the Others go largely unnoticed by the general population due to the strict set of rules that govern their behaviour. Some beings such as vampires are naturally Dark but sorceresses and magicians have the choice of which side they will fall on, although it is often just down to fate - how they feel on a particular day, to which side they will choose.

The Others can either be Dark, and do evil deeds or they can be Light, and pursue a selfless existence causing no harm to humans or Others. The humans are none the wiser that they are surrounded by the Others they can live and die without ever realising that they have been blessed or cursed by an Other. Imagine a world where vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves, healers and magicians live side-by-side with humanity. Note: This novel is titled “The Night Watch” for the UK market and “Nightwatch” for the US market.

Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko