The first of the "Watchers" trilogy, this is an excellent fantasy, taking in modern (and near future) Britain, an ancient pre-historic setting, and Medieval Languedoc at the height of the Cathar movement.

Stuart Gordon weaves a fantastic story with all these elements, centred around a family whose daughter is drawn back in time to the time of the Cathars. She becomes the embodiment of an ancient alien being (one of the Archons) who took physical form to teach primitive humans. Their original purpose became warped when they were seduced by their physical forms (which reflects some of the principles of Dualism).

Gordon crams ideas from mythology, religion and science into these books and you have to reread them several times to absorb it all (a great excuse to read a fabulous series of books). ( )