Official Review: The 36 Watchers, by Dan Bar Hava

[Prisallen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The 36 Watchers," by Dan Bar Hava.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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An evil entity, who calls himself the Angel of the Dark, lives deep down in the tunnels underneath New York City in an area known as the Village. The Village is so far beneath the surface of the earth and so vile that ordinary people can’t venture there without going mad or outright dying. This malevolent being, who has a love for blood and flesh, feasts on human sacrifices. He is surrounded by “defenders” and has minions working throughout the world on his behalf. The only thing that can keep the evil in check is a group of 36 people who have been protecting humankind since the beginning of time. It is stated that if not for these 36 the world would end. The Angel of the Dark has summoned a meeting with some of his minions because a female is being initiated into the group of 36. She is believed to be powerful. This woman is to be found and brought to him.

Jenna Berg enjoys a normal life in New York City until she suddenly goes into a coma for some unknown reason. After finally waking up three months later, she finds her life has been altered forever. Fortunately, her uncle, Josh, is there to lead her into her new reality.

Dan Bar Hava, the author of The 36 Watchers: Book 1: Fall, possesses a very impressive imagination, and he is able to paint a vivid picture to bring his fantasy to life for the reader. The characters and settings are graphically described. The book’s themes concern the fight between good and evil, and sometimes bad things have to happen for the greater good. At only 127 pages, this is a short novel and the first book of the series. Therefore, the chief purpose is to introduce the characters, commence the story, and set the stage for the sequel.

The main characters are well developed, Jenna and Josh’s especially. We see Jenna’s internal struggle about becoming a member of the 36 and how she gradually grows to accept it. She is brave, outspoken, smart, and determined to stand up for her beliefs. Her character is my favorite part of the book. Jenna and Josh are both likable and relatable. Josh is also courageous, protective, and empathetic to what she is undergoing. He is there to guide and instruct her on her future and the history of the 36.

Too many errors were detected in the book. These were in the form of missing articles, punctuation errors, misspelled words, run-on sentences, wrong tenses, etc. A professional editor should be able to fix these mistakes easily.

Most of the time, the author’s writing style is fairly easy to follow. However, it is too obscure at times, making it confusing to read. This is my least favorite aspect of the book. An example is when the reader is presented with a long, confusing script of thoughts that Jenna is having when she is coming out of her coma, but we aren’t notified these are her thoughts. The author could easily have informed us it was Jenna at the beginning. On several occasions, I went back and forth in the book, trying to make sense of what I was reading.

Because of the errors and the occasional cryptic writing in the book, I am assigning a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. Fantasy lovers would most likely appreciate the story. Readers who like fast-paced novels should look elsewhere. Two youngsters are tortured and killed in the novel, so readers sensitive to that should reconsider. It is unsuitable for children.

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The 36 Watchers,
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[Kelyn]

I'm torn. The novel seems to be a mix of light fantasy and sci-fi, which is right up my alley. However, the last book I reviewed had similar problems, which forced me to go back repeatedly to re-read for understanding. I just don't know that I want to deal with that again so soon. I'll keep the novel in mind as a possible read in the future. Great review!

[Niv123]

It's a pity how a great story can lose its rating based on errors! The story sounds good enough for me and I would love to check it out soon. Great review

[Erin Painter Baker]

Definitely sounds like an interesting story. From the way you wrote the review, it sounds like Jenna might be the first female ever inducted into the 36. Makes me wonder why one wasn't before, and what makes her so powerful.

[kandscreeley]

I'm quite intrigued by this one. Angel of the Dark. [Minor potential spoiler removed by admin.] It's all so mysterious! I have to see what happens. Thanks.

[Nisha Ward]

It sounds like a combination of Constantine (the movie) and urban fantasy novels everywhere but without the romance. I like that, but I've gotta pass on this one. Child death kind of turns me off most of the time.

[Prisallen]

I'm torn. The novel seems to be a mix of light fantasy and sci-fi, which is right up my alley. However, the last book I reviewed had similar problems, which forced me to go back repeatedly to re-read for understanding. I just don't know that I want to deal with that again so soon. I'll keep the novel in mind as a possible read in the future. Great review!

I understand completely! Thanks for the comments!

[Prisallen]

It's a pity how a great story can lose its rating based on errors! The story sounds good enough for me and I would love to check it out soon. Great review

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Prisallen]

Definitely sounds like an interesting story. From the way you wrote the review, it sounds like Jenna might be the first female ever inducted into the 36. Makes me wonder why one wasn't before, and what makes her so powerful.

I suppose we will learn more about that in the sequel. Thanks for reading my review and commenting!

[Prisallen]

I'm quite intrigued by this one.

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the comments!

[Prisallen]

It sounds like a combination of Constantine (the movie) and urban fantasy novels everywhere but without the romance. I like that, but I've gotta pass on this one. Child death kind of turns me off most of the time.

Yeah, I understand. It made me a little nauseated too. Thanks for the comments!

[Wyland]

I like that a woman is threatening this Angel of the Dark even more. I wonder if they will be able to get hold of her. Thanks for the nice review.

[Tomah]

I love a good urban fantasy story, so this should be worth checking out. The "good versus evil" theme is rather commonplace, but simple concepts can work really well if executed with care and attention. Thanks for the review!

[Lindsey Klaus]

As someone deeply in love with mythology, this review was intriguing to me for multiple reasons, one of which was this: There's another term for Watcher, and it's called "Grigori", which are often regarded as fallen angels who mated with humanity leading to the creation of a race known as "Nephilim". Most were killed in the Great Flood. Honestly, this and the connection between a Hell-like underground territory and the "Angel of the Dark" gave me chills. I think I'll have to read this one. Great review!

[Prisallen]

As someone deeply in love with mythology, this review was intriguing to me for multiple reasons, one of which was this: There's another term for Watcher, and it's called "Grigori", which are often regarded as fallen angels who mated with humanity leading to the creation of a race known as "Nephilim". Most were killed in the Great Flood. Honestly, this and the connection between a Hell-like underground territory and the "Angel of the Dark" gave me chills. I think I'll have to read this one. Great review!

Thank you for the nice comments! I hope you get a chance to read it!