The Watchers

By: Jon Steele

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 21 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Beneath Lausanne Cathedral, in Switzerland, there is a secret buried before time began, something unknown to angels and men, until now....

Marc Rochat watches over the city at night from the belfry of the cathedral. He lives in a world of shadows and "beforetimes" and imaginary beings.

Katherine Taylor, call girl and daydreamer, is about to discover that her real-life fairy tale is too good to be true.

Jay Harper, private detective, wakes up in a crummy hotel room with no memory. When the telephone rings and he's offered a job, he knows he has no choice but to accept.

Three lives, one purpose: save what's left of paradise before all hell breaks loose.

©2012 Jon Steele (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A seductive cosmic thriller stoked by historic fact, an ancient Jewish religious text, and a literary classic... Steele’s lavishly atmospheric, witty, bloody, and swashbuckling tale of age-old struggles for dominion between angels and demons is the propitious first book in an ambitious series.” (Booklist, starred)

“An imaginative metaphysical thriller… Steele keeps his tale tantalizingly ambiguous, casting it with fey characters and skillfully concealing until the climax whether apparent weird events haven’t been manipulated to make them seem so. This solidly plotted tale, the first in a trilogy, will appeal to readers who like a hint of uncanny in their fiction.” (Publishers Weekly)

“A first novel (and first in a series) from Steele, for years a master cameraman for Independent Television News and author of War Junkie, an underground classic; really smart work for serious thriller readers.” (Library Journal)

Engrossing - Clever - Rich

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved this book from the first hauntingly beautifully chapter through each heart-pounding thrilling chapter. Put this one on the list for BEST AUDIBLE of the year.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

This book is one fantastic roller coaster ride. It's a big book for a reason. The slow pace at the beginning creates anticipation as it expertly develops the characters. Each part is a savory journey. Jon Steele did his homework. He makes Switzerland in the winter sound exotic. Once the listener is tumbled over the edge, it's one nonstop thrill ride to the end. As the listener, I was never ready for the next unsettling twist and the constant heart-stopping turns often caused me to gasp out loud. There are several descriptive violent scenes that can be easily pushed ahead, if found too disturbing. Don't let that stop you from choosing this book. In my opinion they were the necessary tension. By the end of the book you are fanning yourself and looking for some one to high-five.

What about Jonathan Davis’s performance did you like?

He is the God of all narrators. He does the voice of THE CAT so well that you can visualize the different facial expression on the cat each time he does it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

NEVER has a book affected me so. At one point while listening in the car, I had to pull off the road just to listen. For I was so shocked and moved ...fearful for the character...that I was unable to drive and listen at the same time.....and it was the listening that took precedence. That is powerful.

Wonderful!

I love this story and entire concept of our place in the grand scheme of things.

Kinda boring until the end

I tried to get into this book but I just couldn't do it. It took a very long time to get to the point.

Not for everybody...but probably should be.

I understand why some people have gotten frustrated by the pace, but as a writer, I was blown away and sucked in by how "craftfully" and lovingly it was written. It is in juxtaposition to what the subject matter is about. Were it not for the subject matter being what it is, it would be hailed as major literary achievement...but the pointy heads will never attach "litarary" to this genre. Their loss.

In a world of NASCAR-paced thrillers (which I love as well), this is a nice, relaxing drive on a country back road where you suddenly find yourself going over a cliff.

I salute Steele and applaud Davis. Well done!

New Mythology regarding Angels!

What did you love best about The Watchers?

The continuation of the mythology of Angles. If you enjoyed this book, you need to read the book entitled "Angles". This novel gives a very good history of the Mythology of the Watchers and the Shadows.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. It was very hard to keep up with who were the goods guys and the bad.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

Mark, the young man who is keeper of the light and guardian of the cathedral. He is such a believable and loving character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Mark's heroic battle with the Shadows.

Any additional comments?

I hope to enjoy another adventure with Jay Harper as he continues his life as a Watcher.

Great listen

It took me a little bit to really get into it but it was worth the wait, worth trying to understand what was going on in the beginning. It all came together very nicely and I've already got the next book lined up. The narrator was wonderful, great voices for different characters.

Great in spite of some weaknesses

This is a very difficult book to review.
I really really liked it. I almost want to say I loved it! And yet, there were things about it that were ... problematic for me.
It starts slowly. For someone coming out of listening to a lot of action heavy fantasy and short, quick thrillers, this took some patience. Also, there is a lot of French and I believe Italian. Though it was spoken beautifully by the narrator, it was often not translated and you just had to sort of guess at the point of the phrase.
The world-building, scenically, is lovely. It made me want to GO THERE!
The storyline is great, once it gets going. The everlasting war between good and evil, secret books of the Bible that explain more about the Angels who came to Earth before the great flood, etc, a mix of ancient and modernity. Loved all of this!
Character development... meh. First, the women in this story are few (4 primaries, and that's really counting one who is a minor character because I know she becomes a major character later) and very 2 dimensional. They are air-headed, over-sexed, over-sexualized, and avaricious, or madonna-like perfect and vague. Oh, or military automatons with no personality at all. Their value is completely in their ability to give pleasure, or create/give life. I am hoping to see a big change in this in book 2. Second, the hero character is a little too "Quasimodo". It's actually remarked on several times. He's very much the Handicapped Hero trope, and although I really liked him, I would have like to see a wider range of emotions allowed for him. Even good, angelic people still have frustration, anger, hurt feelings, infatuation that's not 100% pure, etc. Last, the anti-hero, Harper, is great, but there are too many things unexplained about his transformation. He doesn't ask enough questions at the right places, and once he starts figuring things out, the link between his mind and his emotions doesn't really seem to work the way the storyline claims it should. (can't explain without spoiling)
My final issue is that although some of the writing is FANTASTIC, there is a lot of redundancy. I feel like the editor should have done a much better job. Marc's cat is constantly called "the beast". A million times in a few short pages. Some synonyms would have been awesome! And then there is the use of the word "half-breed". Although in the context it was used it makes a kind of sense to explain the utter wrongness that is felt by the rest of the characters, it is WAY overused, especially in the fight scenes at the end. In fact, I wish that he had just coined a completely new word that their type used for them, or called them monsters, or something else. It was VERY off-putting.
All of this being said, I really did enjoy this book. It is otherworldly while still being very much an action/crime/detective story and also you could stop here and be happy, or keep reading the rest of the series.. it doesn't end on a cliffhanger.

Excellent

I had no expectations going into this story. But it is a unique and wonderful one. The narrator is so good and the author never gets predictable. It does deal with some topics that may make some people uncomfortable, but it is very good.

The Watchers

Loved it! I couldn't stop listening until the end!
It was BETTER THAN GOOD
LISTENING! I recommend this Highly to all those that believe in Angels

Great but wish they would have

Great but wish they would have dug deeper into the mythos. More of the heaven and hell side.