Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko is a book translated from Russian. Some of the turns of phrase seem strange when translated, but the story is good overall. I found that the characters were well crafted, and the world building was consistent. The copy I borrowed was 459 pages, and I read it in two nights.
In Moscow at the turn of the century, two forces use magic to create a status quo. They force balance. The Night Watch and the Day Watch use their powers to plot and scheme and ensure that the opposite organization does not create a disbalance in the world. Anton Gorodetsky is a mid-level magician in the Night Watch, one of the Light Ones that fights evil. The book is written in first person from his perspective, and it displays his attempts to try and find where he really fits in the Watch.
Anton was likeable and impactful as a character because he was not all-powerful. He was a moderately skilled magician, but he was relatable because he used deductive reasoning to solve the plots of the Watches. He had well-written associates and well-written conflicts.
The true strength of this work is that it works as a two-way mirror, exposing the shades of grey within both good and evil. Without either, we have neither. This is subtly done within a trio of fantastical adventures set on the streets of Moscow, a place I have absolutely no understanding of.
This was a good book, I think that the translator did a good job, but could have taken liberties to round off some of the parts that did not translate well. Such instances disrupted the flow for me. I, however, am incapable of skimming much of anything, so maybe some faster readers would not have noticed or cared.
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