My problem with the ending was that it was an obvious set up for a sequel. And here is the sequel he set up in those last two pages of The Watchers.
I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
The biggest strength of The Watchers was the claustrophobic atmosphere that Shine created. Obviously, since this follows the characters in the outside world, that isn't present any more.
Mina is living in hiding in a remote village on the coast, trying to stay away from the creatures that have followed her. Meanwhile, an archeological dig on the Burren (a massive wild area of natural rock formations in Ireland- looks gorgeous in the pictures I googled) is about to uncover something it really shouldn't. the dig is led by the son of the professor who created the Coop from book one.
When Mina hears about the dig on the news, she decides she needs to warn him not to go ahead with it.
This volume does take its time in raising the threat level as high as it was in the first book from almost page one. It does get there though, and the second act is genuinely suspenseful with some pretty damned scary sequences.
The alternating stories, Mina and her race against time, and Sean's experiences on the dig, work to create a palpable sense of danger.
There are even some plot holes from book one filled in along the way.
The problem is that he blows the ending. This is clearly (hopefully) book 2 of a trilogy and the story doesn't actually end in any meaningful way. All that build up, and we're left hanging for another year and a bit till the next book. The twist in the tale in Sean's storyline was all too obvious too.
I finished the book frustrated by the lack of any resolution rather than fired up for book 3.
Having said that, the next book should be a right banger and scary as hell from the start. Ireland has some amazing mythology that these books are exploring. There's some scary shit in Irish folklore and these books are taking full advantage. Roll on book three.
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