Book Review – The Horsemen – The Watchers #2

Synopsis (From Amazon):

With the First Seal broken, The Watchers will stop at nothing to ensure the remaining Six Seals fall.

Beth May and John Gideon have a tougher task at hand this time around. However, with a couple of friends joining the team to ensure the safety of humanity, they will do all they can to stop The Watchers from succeeding.

As sickness ravages nations and war rages in the streets, will our team be able to step up to the task and prevent the apocalypse?


Ok, so I devoured this book in about 3 hours. Now, this isn’t a particularly long novel, but I had no intention of reading the whole thing at once and really, that’s not something I normally do. I didn’t know exactly what time it was, but I could tell from the fading light outside the window that it was getting later in the evening. I knew I probably should go to bed, as it was a work night, but at one point I was just like “screw it, sleep is overrated.” I’m really glad I didn’t stop reading.

The characters in this series are great! I especially love Beth and Neala. These are two kick ass women who don’t need help from anyone but aren’t afraid to accept it when offered. They are strong, confident and intelligent. They both have a lot of mystery about them, especially Beth, who has lived a long life and has a lot of history that has yet to be revealed. I want to know so much more about Beth!

I enjoyed so many elements of this book. It’s fast paced, it’s funny, and emotional. The characters are great and you feel a real sense of the danger they are in. The author also has a great way of creating an atmosphere. Especially around Azazel.

There were a few things I didn’t love. The point of view bounces around in first person between the characters. Yes, the name of the character is at the beginning of the chapter to indicate who is speaking but I would often forget who’s head I was supposed to be in. I would think it was one person, realize it was another and then have to rearrange how I was picturing the whole scene. Then there’s the mysterious third person narrator. Who is this? Are they watching the team from somewhere unseen?

Then there’s the last few chapters. I don’t want to spoil anything, but holy freakin crap, what just happened? Ok, I seriously need the next book! Like now, please.

Huge thanks to the author, Carl Novakovich, and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My rating for The Horsemen is 4 out of 5 stars and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced, exciting read. Oh and don’t forget to read the first book in the series, The Tomb.

As always, thanks for reading!

The Tomb – The Watchers #1 – Review

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

John Gideon, a former homicide detective turned P.I., has dug too deep and discovered the truth about the world while searching for the only family he has left.

John and his new partner, Beth May – a spell-wielding demon who has turned her back on Hell – are humanity’s last hope to stop a collective of Fallen Angels known as The Watchers and a hierarchy of demons from breaking the first of the Seven Seals of Revelation.

If the Seals are broken, they will set free sickness, war, and death on the world until there is nothing left but an apocalyptic wasteland for The Watchers to control. John and Beth have the tools needed and the strength to stop them. The only question is – are they already too late?


I know I must of read the synopsis for this book before deciding to read it so I’m not sure why I was surprised that it turned out to be about angels and demons. Nevermind, sorry, that has nothing to do with this review.

I loved the way this novel started, with this creepy, mysterious message in the beginning, warning the reader that nothing is what it seems and reading this will change your life forever.

We are first introduced to John and his partner Walter, two detectives with the Chicago Police Department, as they are on a stake out, waiting for suspect to show himself. Little do either of them know that this seemingly normal part of their jobs is about to change their lives forever.

Two years after Walter goes missing, John has left the force, started his own private investigator business and is obsessed with finding his old partner and friend. It’s not long before he gets swept up in a world he never believed existed. A world of angels and demons trying to release the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Anti-Christ into the world.

This novel is fairly short, but it packs in a lot of stuff. Honestly, I think it needed to be padded out more, for the story and relationships to develop more. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this book, I just wanted more of it, to feel a deeper connection to the characters and really feel immersed in the world, to care about the impending danger. As it all happened so quickly, I didn’t get the feeling of being completely engrossed.

As this is only the first book in a series, I have hope for the development of the characters and the world building.

I must say, I think I like Beth the most. She was a witch as a human and became a demon after death and has now been alive for several centuries. For a demon, she extremely caring and compassionate towards the human race and the world. She cares about John, she cares about the fate of humanity. She obviously has a lot of history, having been alive for so long, and the author has only barely scratched the surface of who she is and what lies in her past. I’m really looking forward to her secrets being revealed in the coming sequels.

The point of view could be a bit confusing. It would switch from being in first person from John’s perspective to Beth’s perspective and then to a third person unknown “watcher.” I generally don’t like POV’s that jump around, but in this case I felt it worked.

The story has a great deal of potential to grow as the series continues. I look forward to reading the next novel.

My rating for The Tomb is 3 out of 5 stars. I’d recommend it to fans of urban fantasy, especially if it involves angels and demons, and to anyone looking for a fun, quick, but also very intriguing read.

My thanks to the author, Carl Novakovich, and the agent for providing me with a free copy of The Tomb in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank for reading!