Dennis Danvers' The Watch is entertaining, thought provoking and truly unusual. Though not as action-packed as Danvers' End of Days, it leaves mixed impressions on the readers' imagination. None of it is easily forgotten.
Peter A. Kropotkin is born in Russia in 1842. He spends his life authoring many philosophical works on anarchy. Although ridiculed and persecuted for his way of thinking, he never changes his beliefs. On his deathbed in 1921, is visited by Anchee Mahur. Anchee claims to be from a different time, and offers Peter the chance to be reborn to a different life, to a different time.
Peter agrees, and finds himself around 33 years old and living in the year 1999, on a flight from Russia to Richmond, VA. The world around him is bizarre and dangerous. He knows nothing of airplanes and plastic, computers and English slang. With no money and no place to live, in a country he has never before visited, Peter must figure out how he plans to live this generous chance at rebirth.
One kind deed leads to another, and soon Peter finds himself among a host of unlikely friends. What he did not expect was that Anchee would remain actively involved in his new life. He feels like a puppet, and Anchee is the puppet master. This goes against everything he has always believed.
It isn't long before Peter realizes Anchee is using him, as well as others, like pawns in a game of his own. Growing more uncertain of how to act or react, Peter sees the terrifying possibilities in store. A revolution is underway, and he is at the center of it all.
He has always been at the center of it all.
An array of stories takes place between the pages of this engaging novel. Danvers uses wit and logic interchangeably. The characters, situations and history are well-defined, making The Watch a timeless piece. Good, bad, or indifferent, the future is always waiting to be discovered. This story incorporates the past with the present and manages to include possible realities lurking in the future.