Although Shamus is well loved in the gaming and geek community for his thoughtful blogging, this book deserves attention based on its own merits. Written in an engaging, droll tone, The Witch Watch is incredibly easy to read without sacrificing wit and intelligence - an experience I compare to reading a Discworld novel or something by Neil Gaiman.
The plot, in short, describes the afterlife of Gilbert, a reluctant Lich; Simon, a young, bullied necromancer; and Alice, a not-your-standard-damsel-in-distress female protagonist who is handy with both a screwdriver and a gun, as they try and stop a dastardly plot. The book is set in an alternate Victorian version of London where magic is real, and Her Majesty has need of a police force to prevent it getting out of hand.
The story moves on at a rapid pace, covering quite a few events over its 350-ish pages (Kindles make it hard to estimate!). The characters were engaging enough to keep me reading long after it was sensible to stop, e.g. I missed by bus stop this evening whilst attempting to read the last 5%. I enjoyed it a lot and I hope Shamus gets the chance to write many more books. If I try hard to find something to nitpick, the best (worst?) I can come up with is perhaps it ends a bit... abruptly? It certainly didn't feel too jarring, though 5 or 6 plot points were tied off quite quickly in the last few pages of the book.
I highly recommend this book for fans of comic fantasy - I found myself reading it in bed, during my lunch hour at work, whilst walking down streets, etc. It's amazing I didn't walk into anybody!
