I just finished the last book of the Night Watch trilogy by Sergei Lukyanenko and wanted to dispense some thoughts. I'll start by paraphrasing one of the back cover quotes by saying that the books are part typical modern hidden group of supernatural others stories, part hardboiled detective stories, but it also must be noted that the three books of short story collections are written by a Russian and set in Russia, giving a light, glossed-over view of that culture. Some of the "Russian-isms," like characters using the full name of another character they are speaking with much more frequently than Americans would, jarred me until I got used to it, and lyrics of (I assume) modern Russian music that the text quotes deal with themes that are much more thought-provoking than most I've heard in English. The cross-cultural immersion reminds me of some parts of the movie "Lost in Translation". Fortunately, there aren't any parts where a lack of familiarity with the Russian culture hinders understanding the plot, but the stories are definitely more interesting with these added cultural tidbits.

The tales are fairly classic noir detective pieces in structure, with some variation thrown for good measure, but magic and the epic Cold War-esque battle between Light and Dark form the setting instead of fedoras and a dark cityscape. Like any good noir, Lukyanenko explores varying moralities fairly deeply, but the stories are about equally split between psychological exploration, maneuvering/discovery, and physical (and metaphysical) action. The pacing is pretty good, with a bit of a lull at the beginning of the second book that picks up tremendously before that book ends. Some of the dueling conversations between the various factions throughout the trilogy are fascinating, and some of the characterization is excellent.

Additionally, while the trilogy hinges on the evolving worldview of one main character as well as his triumphs and failures, each of the three books highlights interactions with one of the three main underground factions in the setting. As a whole, it's a fun, not too dark, but not too light, exploration of Good vs. Evil that I highly recommend. Although they are much more gritty than Harry Potter books, and not as well written, I think most people who liked HP would enjoy these, as well as anyone playing horror roleplaying games.