Release Date: 14th March 2013
Pages: 352
Publisher: Bantam Press
Author: Lee Carroll
Source: Purchased on Amazon
Purchase Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Goodreads:
Jewelry designer Garet James is the Watchtower—the last in a long line of powerful women sworn to protect the world from evil. Although she had once defeated evil in New York City, her pursuit of her true love, the 400-year-old vampire Will Hughes, has now unleashed an age-old evil onto the modern world, and the entire planet is at risk.
Marduk, the ageless descendant of a demonic Babylonian deity, is now loose in Paris. He has joined forces with the villainous John Dee in a plan to destroy the world’s economy and plunge the entire world into chaos.
To fight this threat, Garet enlists the help of a modern-day band of knights who are dedicated to preserving the sanctity of the timeline. As she and her allies face this threat, new challenges arise in the form of a rival faction of knights who will stop at nothing to bring about the destruction of everything Garet holds dear.
Review:
This book is the third and final in the series by Lee Carroll, author of the first book Black Swan Rising. I was really looking forward to this book after the cliffhanger in The Watchtower (Book 2), where Garet James was on the hunt in another time for the man she loves, Will Hughes. While she does finally find "Will", that is when the story begins - life gets complicated and you get thrown into a book of hedge funds, magical and demonic beings and time portals .
While Will does return, he is technically not Garet's Will, but a young version from the past, centuries before her time. To begin with, he lacks character and Carroll made him very dull. Over time, he does improve, but not enough to leave any lasting impression. Obviously those centuries of experience the older Will gained is what intrigues the reader.
The entire story follows Garet and her new companions in a quest to kill John Dee, Marduk and the Malefactors (I can't begin to explain what they are), while trying to move through time, save time, stop demons from changing history, return young Will and find older Will. It was a bit much. At times I found myself bored with the over-use of technical words that honestly weren't necessary. Having grown up in the financial market, even for me it was a bore. We get a fair amount of poetry, which at times works as we get an insight into older Will's thoughts, as he lives his life second time around thinking of Garet. Other times, I don't get it.
The chapters are back and forth between different characters and we only hear Garet in the first person. The remainder of the time you are following one of many other characters.
To be honest it drags on and when you think it is about to pick up, you are disappointed again.
Cover:
Similar to those before, not much to say. In the start I didn't understand the reason for the bridge, but mid way it makes sense.
Final Comments:
This book was okay, but there was a lot that could be improved. Perhaps a concrete plot, a bit of suspense and drama. There was not an ounce of romance between Garet and Will, which I found highly disappointing since they are supposed to be madly in love. You would think they were just friends that haven't seen each other in a few weeks. While it did continue from Book 2, it didn't pick up at any point, therefore I only suggest you read it if you are desperate to hear what happens after Book 2. I almost wish they left it at Book 2 with us wanting more.
Rating:
