The Watchers (Hardcover)

by Mark Andrew Olsen (Author)
Key Phrases: Sister Okoye, Shadow Leader, Iya Agba (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Twenty-year-old Abby Sherman has a blog on a social networking website called "mycorner.com." When she innocently blogs about a very vivid dream, she sets in motion the events that comprise the bulk of this novel, in which Christy nominee Olsen (The Assignment) admirably ties together myriad plot points. Not only does Abby blog, but she also appears on an Oprah-like show, travels the world, learns about several cultures and religious traditions, and fights battles against the spiritual forces of darkness. The juxtaposition of Abby's youth against her wisdom and power are reminiscent of Buffy the Vampires Slayer, and the book's take on spiritual warfare seems to owe more to Joss Whedon than it does to Frank Peretti. Olsen fascinatingly weaves questions of race and gender into the epic supernatural war he depicts, and despite staying faithful to the conventions of the suspense-thriller genre, he only occasionally wanders into clichéd territory. Though much of Abby's dialogue develops her as a smart, strong heroine, the novel's weakest points are Abby's blog entries and her heartfelt but largely stultifying monologues about her otherworldly gifts. Nonetheless, Olsen delivers an entertaining thriller likely to be enjoyed especially by fans of the spiritual warfare genre.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"...The Watchers is a wild ride of action-packed suspense" -- Sheryl Root, armchairinterviews.com

"If you like mysteries, suspense, spiritually up-lifting tales, you will not want to miss The Watchers." -- Philip Tomasso III, inthelibraryreviews.net

"Readers won't be able to pout this book down... filled with rich history, wonderful imagery, and intense characters." -- Romantic Times

"...a fast-paced work of fiction.... I enjoyed this supernatural saga, and look forward to more from this author." -- Tracey Bonsell, Christian Book Previews.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764228188
• ISBN-13: 978-0764228186
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #842,149 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A solid read; but nothing new., March 1, 2007

By	Kevin Lucia "Author" (Castle Creek, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In today's world, every author, writer/songwriter, musician, and filmmaker is faced with a quandary that's almost biblical in proportions: "There is nothing new under the sun". Especially in the world of fiction, authors must undoubtedly struggle with the looming feeling that every story has already been told, and they face the pressure of putting unique spins and crafting original takes on stories that have been told over and over again.

Sometimes, that's the barometer for judging a good book versus a great book; when reading a "good" book, readers think to themselves at the end, "That was good, but it's been done before". When finishing a "great" book, the reader is conscious this plot isn't new, but some wispy intangible in the story's narrative - be it the strength of the characters, vivid description, introspective first person narrative, or unique perspective - elevates it past that, and the reader thinks, "That was unbelievable!".

The Watchers, by Mark Andrew Olsen, is written well, a few of its characters are interesting - the strongest, in my mind is assassin-turned-protector, Dylan Hatfield - and Olsen crafts suspense well enough, but the overall plot simply falls into the former category: a good, solid read that's suspenseful, written well...but it's been done before. For example: A young girl plagued with nightmares and visions is hunted by an ancient, ruthless Order older than time itself as she races to uncover the truth about herself and a mysterious, holy group of woman who are also being hunted by this evil, dark Order. Along the way, an assassin who's always "followed" orders discovers a deeper truth as they hurtle on a global adventure that will reveal the truth about who they are, and who they will become.

Now for the disclaimer: this is not a bad book, by any means. For most of the novel, the sheer suspense and action is engaging, though I found myself far more interested in Dylan's character, which seemed much deeper and more complex than the main female protagonist, Abby Sherman...who at times was flat, one dimensional, and uninspiring (of course, perhaps that's just because I'm a guy). However, this need not be a gender-related thing: I just found it too convenient that these tremendous visions and dreams would come to someone who was already an ardent, passionate, zealous Christian. For me, I would've been much more engaged if Abby had been unsaved, and struggled with the meaning of visions through her unbelief. Also, Dylan Hatfield conveniently comes to salvation halfway through the novel, so everything is wrapped up nicely and neatly.

The bad guys are a little too predictable, and a usual pet peeve of mine: like many CBA novels, the dialogue for these evil bad guys is sanitized, watered down. As I've said many times before, I'm certainly not a proponent for allowing rampant swearing in Christian novels, but at some point the story's realism breaks down when a hardened covert operative who's sold his soul to evil and kills for sport and pleasure calls everyone either "fools" or "losers" for the whole novel. I certainly don't want to be exposed to a trash-mouth, but when I read that, a little alarm trips off in my head and I think: 'there's just no way a guy like that would really say that'.

In the end, The Watchers definitely has my recommendation as a good read, and fans of a certain genre and plotline will definitely enjoy this tale, however, though it isn't a bad story or novel, it just falls into my former category listed above: a "good" story that's been told before.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific exhilarating romantic fantasy , March 17, 2007

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Twentyish Abby Sherman is undecided what she will do with her life, but the deeply religious young woman is not concerned as she believes the Lord will show her the way. However, Abby is shocked to find out she has been contaminated with an inexplicable, deadly disease and given a short time to live. She posts her story including some strange dreams onto her blog. Thousands of women claim the same experience turning Abbey's blog into a popular site and her into an online star. Abby feels she owes it to everyone to learn the truth before she dies and make it clear on her blog that she intends to pursue this quest.

Black Ops sniper Dylan Hatfield is assigned to kill Abby. He internally objects because he feels she has done nothing wrong to deserve death. He decides before completing this distasteful project, he will at least learn why this Abby is considered a danger needing elimination though he also fears the truth will make him aware that perhaps he is playing for the wrong team.

At times graphic, WATCHERS is a terrific exhilarating romantic fantasy with the emphasis on the action on the mortal and supernatural planes. The story line is fast-paced yet quite vivid and needs a warning label: once started one can not stop reading this book. Abby is a strong female lead who wants to do good deeds before dying although she confesses to herself that she would like to know why for closure purposes too. Dylan in some ways is the more fascinating character as he has always been the loyal soldier willing to die for his mission, but has doubts about the honor of this assassination. Readers will appreciate this strong thriller that circles this world and that beyond.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing read..., March 11, 2007

By	Ruth Anderson "Book Reviewer" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Abby Sherman would be just your average twentysomething if not for her dreams - intense, vivid experiences that catapult her into ancient times, seeing and feeling life through another's eyes. When she posts her dream journal on the web, begging for any insight and understanding others might be able to offer mysterious dreams, she unwittingly sets a dangerous chain of events in motion. Abby's plea for help puts her in the crosshairs of an ancient organization that marks her for death in order to prevent her from realizing the true nature of her dreams and awakening others to their life-changing message.

The Watchers is a well-crafted suspense story, brimming with non-stop action, fast pacing, and colorful settings. It's a good read - at times very good. However, the dialogue can be a little flat, lacking some crispness and "sizzle." The setting of this novel spans the globe - and at times, the scene and point of view is changed multiple times within a chapter. While this lends the novel a fast-paced, intense feel, it can at times be somewhat confusing to follow and prevents one from really delving deeply into the characters of all of the players revealed.

As a main character, Abby would perhaps be more interesting if she possessed more inner conflict or a need for some real deep, soul-shaking change. She's likable enough, but considering all of the challenges thrown her way in the course of the story she can seem a bit too "perfect" and level-headed. Instead of being a character that grows and develops, she serves more as a catalyst that spurs change in those she encounters - particularly in Dylan, the hardened assassin sent to kill her before the story of her dreams can spread. Dylan's encounter with Abby forces him to re-evaluate the entire foundation on which he's built his life, shaking him to the core of his being.

Those caveats aside, The Watchers is a compulsively readable novel. Once you start it, you won't want to put it down. Olsen may not be quite the wordsmith of, say, a Ted Dekker -- not yet, at any rate. I feel there is a slew of unexplored potential in Olsen's writing, and the promise held within The Watchers, and his previous novel, The Assignment, is staggering. The global scope of Olsen's novels, pacing, and the way in which he explores the spiritual world, is very reminscent of Dekker's early Martyr's Song novels. He is a writer I definitely want to hear more from. There's a certain lush, almost poetic quality to his "world-crafting" that is a joy as a read. Definitely worth checking out!