Book Review: The Watchers by Deirdra Eden

It has been a LOOONNGG time since I have posted on this blog, but I am excited to return to the blogging world with a book review. I received an email a few weeks ago about reviewing a new book by Deirdra Eden called The Watchers: Book One, Knight of Light.

When I finally received the book a couple weeks later, just a few days shy of the actual release date, I devoured the book in about 2 days. It's not very long, just over 200 pages and it is an easy read. Here's the summary of the book from Deirdra's website, http://www.knightess.com/books.html:

All the training in Heaven couldn't prepare me for the war on earth, nor for the love, loss, or loneliness humans feel. There are things worse than death, and every last one of them is hunting people like us. Even though we all feel human at times, we must remember, we are not them, we are their watchers.

In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella (pronounced yurr-ee-ella) flees her village after being accused of witchcraft. Pursued by nightmarish creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity. Filled with fairies, dwarves, pixies, dragons, demons, and monsters, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.

I was excited about this book because I love fantasy! But I was hesitant when I saw one review at the front of the book referring to the book as an allegory, comparable to C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia. I have nothing against allegories, but to be compared to C.S. Lewis is a high compliment. I was worried that maybe the book wouldn't live up to my expectations.

 I was pleasantly surprised. The book was simple yet well written with an intricate and interesting plot.  It was definitely geared toward a younger reader - pre-teenish and up but that didn't bother me. The characters, especially the main girl, Auriella, were very relatable.There is a religious feel to the book although I think I only saw that because I am religious.

Here's a quote I enjoyed: (Might be a bit spoilery so avert your eyes if you must!)

The queen paused before she started to explain. "The correct question is 'Why not me?' Whether you are human, Neviahan, or the Lady of Neviah herself, you have the power to change this world. the world is at war with enemies they cannot see, monsters that blend with the shadows and disguise themselves as humans. The only way we can win this war is for everyone to do their part toward a single goal - peace. The victory over Erebus and the Shadow Legion is not about one man or woman doing a million great tasks, but about millions of people doing what they can.

 Was it the best book I've ever read? No. Was it the worst book I've ever read? Absolutely not. I feel Mrs. Eden has great potential. I'm excited to see where the rest of this series is going. You definitely need to pick this book up and give it a try.

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