Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis
The David Gemmell Award-shortlisted author of Age of Iron returns with the final book in his West of West trilogy, in which a mismatched group of refugees must battle monsters, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfil a prophecy
Battling across the Shining Mountains, the questers discover a land more terrifying and filled with more dangerous creatures than they could ever have imagined. The tentatively allied Wootah and Calnians must survive monster attacks, flash floods and tornadoes to uncover the secret of The Meadows. And then comes the hard part. To save themselves and everybody else they will travel west of west, deeper into danger, and do all that they can to defeat a goddess who has already killed all the other gods.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for a finished copy of Where Gods Fear to Go (West of West #3) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving a copy of the novel did not influence my thoughts or opinions.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Where Gods Fear to Go is the PERFECT ending to one of my favorite historical fantasy trilogies EVER. Watson doesn’t hold any punches when it comes to constantly bombarding our heroes with immeasurable obstacles, giant monsters made of wasps, mind-reading Sasquatch, and love octagons. You are constantly going from being on the edge of your seat to in the floor laughing hysterically. There isn’t a single moment of letup and this almost 500 page addition to the West of West series will, unfortunately, be over before you know it.
Finn the Deep will just have to live inside my mind from now on. Being handsome and surprisingly cunning while also being a total dick.
If you have read my past reviews for You Die When You Die and The Land You Never Leave, you’ll note that I consistently talk about the characters being the reason I love this series so much. Every single one of them is balls-to-the-wall insane, yet they somehow manage to stay alive despite their circumstances. While there may be some killing within the group because, you know… sh*t happens, they all have each others’ backs when it comes down to the nitty-gritty. While it is odd to say that the characters themselves do not realize they are being humorous, I cannot count how many times I was just about brought to tears by the hilariousness of their actions and circumstances. I felt like I was watching a group of Flokis (Vikings reference) running around with aptly-named weapons and alchemical bowls.
I mean, come on. An axe called arse-splitter? What else do you need?
So yeah, this series is like Vikings written by Douglas Adams on shrooms. It is epic in scale, bloody in execution, and one of the most original stories I have ever read. Period. I have yet to come across another book or series like West of West and I’ll be hard pressed to actually search one out. You need Angus Watson in your life, and I don’t think you should go another day without meeting Finnbogi.
If you enjoy fantasy at all, especially when it is infused with humor, giant monsters, alchemically enhanced warriors, and characters like the Mushroom Men, add this series to your list. You won’t regret it.
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