Although not all my reviews are spoilery, which I do not consider this one to be, here is a little warning just in case

Review Written:  5th August 2012


The Watchtower by Lee Carroll

The Watchtower is a sequel to Black Swan Rising, and picks off where the first book left off. Will had taken the box that held so much power in the first book to Paris to try and become mortal. The story jumps from past to present. In the past, we have Will Hughes as a human - from his first meeting with lover, and Garet's ancestor, Marguerete to his journey of becoming immortal. In the present, we have Garet who wishes to find Will in the Summer Country. She travels from America to France in order to find him. She tells everyone it's because he stole the box that was so important in book one, but the reader is aware that she loves him, and wants to find him for personal reasons. As the book progresses, you realise that her journey to the Summer Country mirrors that of Will's in his mortal life; in the same places and with the same people.

Admittedly, this isn't as good as book one. The sad truth is, sequels barely are. It takes a long time for the pair to be reunited and then we get given an ending that is less than desired but will lead to the next book in the series (or, what I assume will be the next book in the series because to leave it there would be cruel.) As soon as the pair escape a valley for faithless and faithful lovers (the punishment for the latter is literally making love until you die. Think Heathcliff's wish to have his bones merged with Cathy's so that they are one), they are suddenly back in time, back to the night Will becomes immortal. Except, something goes wrong, very wrong.

Some parts are just insane - during Will's mortal life, which waiting for his love Marguerite, he convinces himself that a rock is his friend and I quote 'the rock was a soul mate.' (pg 251) Also, he makes love to a tree. Granted, she is a fairy, but she's still a tree and I do not find that scenario erotic in the slightest.

Along the way, we meet even more fairies. From water to forest fey, weird and wonderful to the downright creepy. Taking the example of Octavia La Pieuvre, her father was an octopus and her mother a sea fey resulting in an unfortunate number of arms. This however, doesn't deter her human lover Adele. She is Garet's travelling companion to the Summer Country because she wishes to become mortal to one day die with Adele. I like her; she has that 'family friend' thing about her.

Regardless of how I felt about this book, I will be reading the next in the series - of course I will, I can't just give up without finding out if they end up happy or not; depending on whatever the author(s) decide. 

NEXT REVIEW: AMANDA HOCKING'S ASCEND