The Watchers Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mark Andrew Olsen / Bethany House Publishers Reviewed by Gail Welborn From the opening lines to the last word, Olsen has written a page-turner hard to put down. While Abby Sherman sleeps in the adjacent bedroom, her housekeeper, guardian and friend, lies outside her bedroom door. But instead of sleep, the blue flickers of light from the television reveal the housekeeper's oddly titled head, and an ominous crimson trail of blood down her throat that forms a darkening, spreading stain on the sofa cushions beneath her. The killer pauses to gain control in the heady aftermath of the rush of death, his curved scythe at the ready. He takes deep breaths to calm his racing pulse. He was from the Order of the Scythe, his job-to cull the herd-and his job wasn't done. Abby Sherman, asleep in the next room is a typical twenty-year old with a personal home page filled with pictures of herself, her friends, and even covers of her favorite albums. She blogs on a social networking website that lately is all about an unusual dream during the time of Christ where she sees herself as Anna the prophetess, her arms reaching out to take baby Jesus from His parents. When she clutches the small Body to her chest, an explosion of joy emanates from her core to match the wondrous light pouring from the infant she holds. The dream is only the first of many visions to come. At the same moment in Jerusalem Sister Sarha and the Monks awaken another Sister, one more advanced than themselves, but also on the verge of death, anxious to know what their dreaded dreams and feelings mean. The Sister encourages them to pray as if their very lives depend on it. Meanwhile in New York, Beverly Hills, and across the globe, grey haired Scythian warriors scan Abby's recent blog entries. Their curses fill the air. She must be stopped before it's too late. Enter Dylan Hatfield, formerly from Delta Force, CIA and NSA, hired for wet work sanctions. He prides himself that his targets are always bad guys the world would be better off without. That made him more than a hit-man. But the new target was a young, innocent girl. He was told she would trigger a world war if she weren't silenced. Hatfield still refused-until the voice offered him fifteen million dollars. Christy award finalist, Mark Andrew Olsen's new release is an unusual title that mixes spiritual genealogy and the supernatural to produce a mind-blowing twist. His fresh, innovative-plot and characters are anything but typical. From the opening lines to the last word, Olsen has written a page-turner hard to put down. The Watchers is a high-octane blend of mysticism, action and mystery that span centuries. This exciting read is followed by The Warriors also to release in April 2008. Olsen is an exciting fiction writer to follow.

About Gail Welborn

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The Watchers Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mark Andrew Olsen / Bethany House Publishers Reviewed by Kevin Lucia A good, solid read. In today's world, every author, writer/songwriter, musician, and filmmaker is faced with a quandary that's almost biblical in proportions: "There is nothing new under the sun". Especially in the world of fiction, authors must undoubtedly struggle with the looming feeling that every story has already been told, and they face the pressure of putting unique spins and crafting original takes on stories that have been told over and over again. Sometimes, that's the barometer for judging a good book versus a great book; when reading a "good" book, readers think to themselves at the end, "That was good, but it's been done before". When finishing a "great" book, the reader is conscious this plot isn't new, but some wispy intangible in the story's narrative - be it the strength of the characters, vivid description, introspective first person narrative, or unique perspective - elevates it past that, and the reader thinks, "That was unbelievable!". The Watchers, by Mark Andrew Olsen, is written well, a few of its characters are interesting - the strongest, in my mind is assassin-turned-protector, Dylan Hatfield - and Olsen crafts suspense well enough, but the overall plot simply falls into the former category: a good, solid read that's suspenseful, written well…but it's been done before. For example: A young girl plagued with nightmares and visions is hunted by an ancient, ruthless Order older than time itself as she races to uncover the truth about herself and a mysterious, holy group of woman who are also being hunted by this evil, dark Order. Along the way, an assassin who's always "followed" orders discovers a deeper truth as they hurtle on a global adventure that will reveal the truth about who they are, and who they will become. Now for the disclaimer: this is not a bad book, by any means. For most of the novel, the sheer suspense and action is engaging, though I found myself far more interested in Dylan's character, which seemed much deeper and more complex than the main female protagonist, Abby Sherman…who at times was flat, one dimensional, and uninspiring (of course, perhaps that's just because I'm a guy). However, this need not be a gender-related thing: I just found it too convenient that these tremendous visions and dreams would come to someone who was already an ardent, passionate, zealous Christian. For me, I would've been much more engaged if Abby had been unsaved, and struggled with the meaning of visions through her unbelief. Also, Dylan Hatfield conveniently comes to salvation halfway through the novel, so everything is wrapped up nicely and neatly. The bad guys are a little too predictable, and a usual pet peeve of mine: like many CBA novels, the dialogue for these evil bad guys is sanitized, watered down. As I've said many times before, I'm certainly not a proponent for allowing rampant swearing in Christian novels, but at some point the story's realism breaks down when a hardened covert operative who's sold his soul to evil and kills for sport and pleasure calls everyone either "fools" or "losers" for the whole novel. I certainly don't want to be exposed to a trash-mouth, but when I read that, a little alarm trips off in my head and I think: 'there's just no way a guy like that would really say that'. In the end, The Watchers definitely has my recommendation as a good read, and fans of a certain genre and plotline will definitely enjoy this tale, however, though it isn't a bad story or novel, it just falls into my former category listed above: a "good" story that's been told before.

About Kevin Lucia

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The Watchers Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mark Andrew Olsen / Bethany House Publishers Reviewed by Karri Compton The action kept me absorbed until the end-I didn't want to put it down, even after I had finished reading. . (Disclaimer: This is a review of an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel. Some content may be changed before final publishing.) The premise of this novel is one of the most interesting I've come across in a while. Without giving too much away, it is based on the assumption that there is a group of women who possess keen supernatural sight (including the ability to see the unseen), which is passed on spiritually to their daughters in the faith. California beach girl Abby Sherman may seem like your typical twenty-year-old. But when Abby begins to see visions, she seeks understanding and empathy via her MyCorner blog. Little does she know that the vision awakened in her is just the beginning of a second sight that binds her with women all over the world. Thousands respond with their own personal experiences. Then Abby is struck with a dangerous malady that threatens her life. As she increases in popularity, evil forces will stop at nothing to shut her up before she does any more damage to their cause. Ex-military assassin Dylan Hatfield has been paid big bucks to off Abby, but why? Will he have the guts to finish his mission when all hell breaks loose? Who can Abby trust and where will she find the answers to questions about her new God-given gift? Danger surrounding her on every side, Abby travels the world, slowly unraveling deep mysteries and dark conspiracies that threaten her life and the lives of those she loves. I think this novel takes the supernatural/spiritual warfare element and raises it to a new level. What makes the idea of a vision-seeing Christian unique is the intricate plot line that carries it. This is the kind of thing I wish I'd written-it resonated with me completely. I highly recommend this book. It has the same flavor as Frank Peretti's or John Aubrey Anderson's books. Olsen did a great job with the female POV, and not just the main character, but other women characters as well. I felt the comradery the women shared and envied it, wishing that I possessed the bond that drew them together. It took a while for me to get used to the interspersed omniscient point of view short paragraphs-they seemed more like narrator interruptions or sections of telling instead of showing. I don't know if these areas helped or hindered the advancement of the plot. Regardless, the action kept me absorbed until the end-I didn't want to put it down, even after I had finished reading. I enjoyed the portrayal of real heavenly battles and God's power to work in the world. The book was also a wake up call to the church to unite in our struggle against servants of evil. If we can't get past our differences and work together, who will?

About Karri Compton View this review and more at: www.kcreviews.blogspot.com

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The Watchers Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mark Andrew Olsen / Bethany House Publishers Reviewed by Jill Hart . . . another thrilling spiritual adventure. Abby Sherman doesn't know what's happening to her. Strange vision-like dreams interrupt her dreams each night. A typical teenager, she posts these occurrences on her blog, hoping someone else out there will relate to what she's experiencing. Suddenly her world is turned upside-down and she is the only one that can find out why. Abby sets off on a journey that will forever change her life and the lives of those she encounters. She must travel across the world and back with the one man she fears the most - the man sent to silence her. Can she find the answers she so desperately seeks? Mark Andrew Olsen, author of The Assignment brings readers another thrilling spiritual adventure in The Watchers. Filled with suspense and intrigue, this book will draw readers in and keep them on the edge of their seat until the very end. Olsen is a gifted writer whose creativity can make the reader feel as if they are witness to a real-life drama instead of a novel. I thoroughly enjoyed The Watchers. It is well written and gives a glimpse into the spiritual dimension that we don't often think about.

About Jill Hart View this review and more at: www.cwahm.com To sign up for Jill's weekly email newsletter visit: newsletter.cwahm.com

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