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Title: Dark Watcher (The Watcher Series | Book 1) |
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Review of Dark Watcher (The Watcher Series, Book 1)
- The Lightbringer
Theodora Morgan knows she's a little strange. Her talent for healing has set her apart, marked her as different all her lifeâa life spent moving from town to town when too much notice is taken of her abilities. Unfortunately, her talent for healing has brought her to the attention of the Crusadeâand the Dark. The Crusade wants her dead because she's psychic, the Dark wants to feed on her talentâand then there's Dante. Tall and grim and armed with black-bladed knives, guns and a sword, he says he's here to protect her. But what if Theo needs protection from him?
The Watcher
Dante is a Watcher, sworn by Circle Lightfall to protect the Lightbringers. His next assignment? Watch over Theo. She doesn't know she's a Lightbringer, she doesn't know she's surrounded by enemiesâand she doesn't know she's been marked for death by a bunch of fanatics. Perfect. He can't protect her if she doesn't trust him, but how can she possibly trust a man scarred by murder and warfareâa man who smells like the same Darkness Theo has been running from all her life?
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Comments for Dark Watcher (The Watcher Series | Book 1)
- Posted on 2008-06-22
Good fantasy, too genericized romance
I really enjoyed this author's series about Dante Valentine...but enjoyed this series a bit less. The Watcher series still contains a lot of fun fantasy with original ideas executed well with good writing, with one exception - how the romance is written. I guess I should put in a disclaimer that I tend to not enjoy any story (thriller, SF, fantasy, whatever) where romance seems too crammed in, with the accompanying implausibility and detraction from the main plotlines. For example, when people are running for their lives, I find it unbelievable that they will take time to focus on someone else's amazing eyes, or voice, or whatever. My bias. And I read these books for the fantasy, as I'm not a romance reader. In the first 4 Watcher books (I haven't read Mindhealer yet), the romance is similarly somewhat implausibly developed, and starting from book 2, also quite rote. No joke, the romance story arc is nearly identical in all 4 books even given the somewhat different natures of the 4 couples. I found myself reading impatiently through yet another description of how the Watcher found himself distracted by his witch's soft red/brown/blond hair...or the same misunderstandings in every book about how first the Watcher, then the witch each thinks his/her witch/Watcher doesn't love him/her, etc. I'll read Mindhealer because the fantasy plot's so well-done and I want to find out what happens next, but will be steeling myself against the inevitable same tired romance plot.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-01-14
fascinating paranormal romance
The Circle of Lightfall assigns Dante the Watcher to protect healing Lightbringer Theodora Morgan. Upon seeing her for the first time at her shop the Magick Cauldron bookstore, Dante informs his peer Hanson that he cannot understand why the Dark would attack this green witch, two other witches (Elise Nicholson and Marianne Niege), and their teacher Suzanne; Hanson explains the enemy is on a Crusade and these three naive Lightbringers and their ignorant mentor are a beacon in the Dark that the other side wants snuffed.
Dante quickly realizes that Theo is his witch by simply being able to touch her as he knows a Lightbringer's touch brings pain to a Watcher due to part of their nature that includes a Dark element except if she is his. However, he also learns she is ignorant about the whole war and her being a Lightbringer surrounded by the forces of the Dark. Instead she just gently wants to heal him from his mental anguish although he frightens her.
DARK WATCHER is a fascinating paranormal romance that opens the Watcher saga. The story line is fast-paced once Dante enters the bookstore to talk to Theo with the other three females hovering protectively near her especially Suzanne. Whereas Theo is a gentle healer, readers never see Dante's dark side even while battling deadly adversaries although that is referenced too often so that he seems incomplete. Still fans will appreciate Lilith Saintcrow's paranormal modernization of the Crusade.
Harriet Klausner
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-01-07
Dark Watcher
Theodora Morgan is a witch, along with two of her friends and their teacher. She spends her days working in her shop, the Magick Cauldron and healing the people she comes across. Theo has been running for years and she has finally found a place where she feels she belongs. Everything is going well until the day a tall man in a long black coat enters the shop looking for her. Can he be the Knight of Swords she has been seeing in her cards for the past year? The man sent to protect her?
Dante is a Watcher. His duty is to protect Lightbringers¾those that possess psychic power¾trying to get them to join Circle Lightfall. He is a man who had done terrible things in his life until Circle Lightfall saved him. Those in the Circle inserted a piece of darkness inside of him to make him more resistant to injury. The darkness heals him, but it sends sharp pains into his body if he is in contact with a Lightbringer. Dante's newest job is to protect Theo; he needs to keep her away from the men that are hunting her. The hunters belong to an organization called the Crusade and they have pulled out all the stops to take her.
Dante has always heard rumors about the one Lightbringer that can bring pleasure to her Watcher, but he didn't think it was true until he met Theo. He will do anything to protect her; he will do anything to stay by her side now that he has found her.
Dark Watcher introduces a world of power and darkness, sacrifice and beautiful love. This is a world where four women battle back darkness with the help of two extraordinary men. Dante and Hanson, the other Watcher brought in to help him, are men that would die to save their witches. Dante is incredibly appealing and he finds his match in Theo, a woman who doesn't completely understand his life. Theo is a healer and he is a killer, but she finds herself drawn to Dante, to the gentleness she sees inside of him. I couldn't stop reading Dark Watcher once I had started, it is an incredible tale and I eagerly look forward to the next book in this series
Shannon
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Score: 5 - Posted on 2007-12-15
2.5 Stars for interesting story concept...
I just recently bought The Watcher Series and The Society Series. And they all kinda ran and blurred into the same story just with different characters. The only thing I did like was the concept for the story lines between Dante and Theo. I don't know if I would recommend this book or series to someone else. This was a classic example of a great story line and poor execution.
Score: 3
- Posted on 2007-09-30
A highly entertaining read & mildly entertaning
Lilith Saintcrow's slightly older series, by 3 years, starts out with a hit that's mildly entertaining. Don't get me wrong on saying it was all bad, it wasn't. It was pretty good, only it felt stuck. The characters didn't go anywhere really. The perspective was back and forth between the two main characters; Theo and Dante. Dante must protect Theo, a witch and a lightbringer from the Crusades, a nasty group with nasty and unearthly members, set on killing Theo. But Dante has some kind of darkness in him that he's worried will frighten Theo, but give him the strength to fight the Crusades. There are a few secrets that involve Theo's destiny. Dante is involved with one of them. Another comes at the end, when Theo and her witch friends are set on protecting their city from the Crusades. But the protection spell comes with a price; one of them must die, leaving the other three to protect the city. Theo will have to a choice to make and she will have to live with it, even if it costs her her life.
Score: 4