New Watch-Sergei Lukyanenko; Andrew Bromfield (translator)

New Watch Sergei Lukyanenko; Andrew Bromfield (translator) Harper, Apr 22 2014, $15.99 ISBN: 9780062310071 Young Innokentii Grigorievich Tolkov and Higher Other Anton Gorodetsky meet at the Moscow Airport. To the Light Magician’s shock, the child displays signs of being the extremely rare Prophet Other, who foresees his own future when Innokentii shouts at his mom Tamara that the plane they are about to board will crash. Anton intervenes by persuading Tamara that she left the iron on at home; so she and her son race back their abode to keep the place from burning down. Soon afterward the plane crashes. However, the child’s public hysteria also awakens a sleeping beast arising from the darkness. This predator targets the child-clairvoyant while Anton vows to protect the lad, his mom and keep his loved ones especially his tweener daughter Nadya the Absolute Enchantress safe; while the world stands on the brink of extinction. The fifth Watch urban fantasy novel (see Twilight Watch and The Last Watch) is a superb entry that combines end of the world danger with well-placed humor and wry musings. The hero struggles with decisions in which regardless with what he selects most likely beloved family, allies and civilians (including people he “influenced” to ignore their free will and heed his “advice”) will die. Readers will relish Sergei Lukyanenko’s powerful tale as Twilight may be falling if Anton, who knows the world is at risk but his concerns are personal re Nadya, and the Others fail at their mission. Harriet Klausner