Book Talk: First Watch by Peter Hansen

I'm not entirely sure why I chose this book as the first book I read from Riptide Publishing. It seemed like a good idea at the time?


It's making me...squeamish. It isn't even very long and I'm finding I have to read it small doses at a time because I'm not liking the situation or, in a strange way, the main character. But still, I feel for him and his predicament. I'm kinda pissed at him for how things are turning out for his friend, but the details on the sale page promise me a HFN ending, so I shall soldier on.

And in fact, I don't want to turn anyone off this book. Just because I'm having difficulty with it doesn't mean everyone will. Some of my very favorite books, like The Slayer's Apprentice by Zathyn Priest and the Last Harold Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, I had this same visceral reaction to. It isn't a bad reaction, necessarily. Its a strong one. One that can't be ignored. One that comes when the book is well written, engaging and demanding. That's strong writing, strong editing, and commitment by the author. It demands commitment from the reader, and you definitely have to be prepared to give this book your attention, whether you like it or not.

For me, whether I like the book or not, I suspect will strongly hinge on the ending. If that is as strongly written as the rest, not a cop out, and not gratuitous, then I suspect despite my squeamishness thus far, I will not only like it, but probably re-read it some day. As a writer myself, I can't ask for more than to touch a reader so deeply they want to read the same thing over again.