The Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko

MsGneiss · Jun 9, 2010

I'm curious whether anyone read the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko, and what you thought of it.

I started reading it with the "oh my goodness, this is so incredibly campy" attitude, but finished it off with "this is so freakin' awesome." I think it's actually a very wonderful addition to the urban fantasy genre, and I love all the little aspects of "this can only happen in Russia" that the author skillfully scatters throughout the stories.

Wondering if anyone had a similar experience with these books.

Kitty Pryde · Jun 9, 2010

I looooooooooove this series! I love every thing about it. I didn't find it campy. The characters and the worldbuilding are both quite compelling. I read them all, but i am halfway through the last one. When it ends, I will be sad! Why aren't his other books translated into English?

Seen the movies? I saw the first movie but not the second one. I liked it, though if you haven't read the book it makes zero sense.

MsGneiss · Jun 9, 2010

Kitty Pryde said:
I looooooooooove this series! I love every thing about it. I didn't find it campy. The characters and the worldbuilding are both quite compelling. I read them all, but i am halfway through the last one. When it ends, I will be sad! Why aren't his other books translated into English?

Seen the movies? I saw the first movie but not the second one. I liked it, though if you haven't read the book it makes zero sense.

I was also very sad when the series ended, I grew quite attached to it by the end. I loved the characters, the world, the action, and the three-part style of the books. I think he ended it perfectly.

I went and re-read the books in Russian, and got even more out of it, although, since my English is much better than my Russian, I have to say that I still prefer the translations over the originals. But, the translations were not amazing, and I can see why these books may not be so easy for English readers. I gave it to a friend of mine, and she was so confused about the names - she just couldn't follow along with all the nicknames (i.e. are Sveta and Svetlana the same person?)

I saw the two movies, and they were Ok. I'd never think that I'd be "one of those people," you know, the purists, but in this case I am. I really wish they would have adhered to the books. I agree, the movies make absolutely no sense unless you are very familiar with that universe.

I've read a couple of his other books (in Russian) and they are not on the same level as this series.

kaitie · Jun 10, 2010

I absolutely adored the first three books. The last one was kind of meh in my opinion. Not bad, just not as good as the first three, which disappointed me a little. But it was still an awesome series.

I loved how normal it all felt, despite all the really weird fantasy elements. And the characters were fantastic. I do agree that the biggest drawback in my eyes was the translation, though. This was one of the things that made me want to really be able to translate books from Japanese to English. It wasn't bad, and by some standards was even pretty good (I've seen some AWFUL translations out there), but I could always tell I was reading a translation, if that makes sense.

The stories were more than worth it, though.

MGraybosch · Jun 11, 2010

sleepsheep said:
I'm curious whether anyone read the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko, and what you thought of it.

I just finished Last Watch last week. I got into Lukyanenko after seeing the so-bad-they're-good film adaptations of Night Watch and Day Watch. I liked the down-to-earth attitude Anton displays towards magic, and how others cope with modern tech. I also liked that being a Dark Other or a Light Other didn't automatically make you evil or good, but that it was whether one acted from altruism or egoism that determined whether you were Light or Dark.

Baryonyx · Jun 11, 2010

Only read the first 3 books so far. Have been meaning to buy The Last Watch but I keep forgetting.

Anyway I love them, Lukyanenko seems to have a knack of writing interesting, likeable characters without resorting to giving them strange "quirks" to make them stand out like some writers do.

Mr Flibble · Jun 11, 2010

I really enjoyed the first one (haven't read the rest yet)

My only complaint was confusion - yes I am easily confused

- about who was doing what to whom and why. It kinda felt like I was trying to predict the next three moves in three separate chess games, only I didn't know which way the little horsey moves. Mind you, as Anton was pretty confused too, it kinda fit...

The worldbuilding, setting, characters etc were all top notch though. So I loved it anyway

Jess Haines · Jun 11, 2010

There are books?! I only saw the movie, Night Watch. Heard about Day Watch, haven't had a chance to see it yet.

I'll have to pick these up, if out of no more than sheer curiosity.

MsGneiss · Jun 11, 2010

I am baffled that anyone could make any sense out of the movies without having read the books!

Jess Haines · Jun 12, 2010

It didn't make much sense until I watched it a second time. Then I think I got a better grasp of what was going on.

Mostly, I just love that scene where the truck does that Matrix move and flips over the person in the street.

Bug · Jul 3, 2010

I rather enjoyed them as well, although I haven't read The Last Watch.
The only thing that really bugged me was the whole power creep thing. Anton starts as an average magician and ends up really powerful, even though it was constantly stated that he was already at his best, power wise. I don't know why it bugs me so much but it just seems silly to me.

Also, the quote on the cover of the book (one version at least), always amused me. 'JK Rowling...Russian style'. Um, what? xD

NewKidOldKid · Jul 3, 2010

I watched the films in original Russian, with no subtitles. I only speak a high-beginner level of Russian, so if you think you were confused, imagine how I felt! I did live in Russia for a couple of years, so many things just make total sense.

The Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko

MsGneiss

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

MsGneiss

kaitie

With great power comes

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist

Baryonyx

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Jess Haines

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

MsGneiss

Jess Haines

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

Bug

In Wonderland

NewKidOldKid

diplomat