Author: Darke Conteur 
Release Date: September 29th 2011
Series: The Watchtower
Genre: Fantasy | Urban Fantasy
Edition: mobi
Pages:90
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Blurb

His first day of work wasn’t what Martin Cunningham expected. A sultry boss, a classy receptionist, the drama-queen foreigner, and a painfully shy techie who prefers hiding to human interaction, was the oddest group of characters he’d ever met. When an assassination attempt is made against his new boss, Martin comes face to face with the stuff of nightmares.

Now he and his new co-workers must race to prevent another attack, but where do they start? There’s very little to go on, and the only solid piece of evidence escaped through the u-bend in the toilet. By the end of the day, Martin becomes one of the privileged few who really understands what lies in the shadows, and what it means to work in THE WATCHTOWER.

Rating

Review

Plot/Story:

This was a strange story to be honest. I enjoyed it, though the writing felt a little flat at times. There is one character named Aslin, we learn his name fairly early in the story, yet Martin continues to refer to him as “the Scot.” Which, in all honesty became glaringly annoying.

That aside, I did find the story to be enjoyable for the most part and was anxious to see what happened next. There was not much character building and there is still much to learn about the characters of the story.

I would continue reading the series if I didn’t have something to read, but it is not something that I felt the need to continue. It was a short read, so I didn’t feel like I wasted any time on it and the story is unique. I would love to walk into a new job and find out I have walked into some kind of supernatural business. It did kind of remind me of the Twilight Zone, so that’s a plus.

Characters:

As I said before, the characters are a little flat and you don’t learn a ton about them in this short story.

Romance/Kills:

There are a few deaths, but they do not stick out too much. And there was no romance.

Writing:

The writing was okay. It wasn’t annoying, but I felt that it could have used a little more sprucing up.

Beginning:

I was interested in the story from the beginning. There is enough mystery in the first chapter to keep me reading.

Ending:

There was a decent ending. Some questions answered, some left open. It inspires you to read the next novel if the story interested you enough to find out what happens next.

Cover Art:

I usually like simplistic cover art. The cover art of this novel though, it makes it seem like a book about witchcraft and while it has some elements of witchcraft it didn’t feel too much like the main focus. The art is pretty, but this is not a book I would pick up simply because of its cover art.

Blurb:

The blurb is exactly what the book is about. I was not disappointed in that aspect.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: Neopleon Bonaparte once said there were two motivations to move men; inspiration and fear, but for Martin Cunningham, starvation was a damn good means of motivation too.

Highlights: It was a quick and enjoyable read.

Lowlights: There isn’t a lot of character building.

Final Thoughts: I do not have the desire to continue the series, but I did enjoy the story.

Review contributor:

Heather Mostella:

I’m a reader, writer, dreamer, and crafter. I like to create things and I love to see what others create. I avoid reality as much as possible, and often pretend I’m a vampire. I also own a group of black cats, so my neighbors think I’m a witch and I’m okay with that. I am a fan girl.

I love shows like Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Grimm. I love anime and dream of one day going to Japan. I just like to have fun, enjoy life, and do what makes me happy.

Read more about Heather here.