And here we are. The conclusion to the West of West historical fantasy series and was I disappointed?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Being a fan of Watson's previous series, his writing really shines in his character creation here in my opinion. I Whether it is Finn, or Wulf the Fat, or even Sassa Lipchewer, each character has their own quirks, determined path, and humorous personality that just flows throughout the story and adds so much to it. You also have the group of Owsla, each member being vastly different from the other, especially in magic enhancement, source of said power, and attitude. While you find yourself rooting for the Hardworkers throughout the novel, it is hard to not want to see the Owsla through as well. I also want to give props to Watson on his world building and fight scene creation, both of which were top notch. AND THE INTENSE CHASE SCENES all leading to this finale felt like on big heart attack.

If you enjoyed Watson's previous series, like stories about Vikings, or need a new author to check out, grab a copy of You Die When you Die and if you enjoy it which.. I mean you should.. binge the next two because it's a story eat all at once with huge bites.

https://lynns-books.com/2020/01/16/where-gods-fear-to-go-west-of-west-3-by-angus-watson/
5 of 5 stars
Where Gods Fear to Go is the final instalment in the West of West series and I loved it. This series is so good, the characters are great fun, the world is crazy, the creatures and the threats they pose intense. Literally everyone should read this series and take a moment to shout ‘wootah’ as loud as they can into the night.

Plus, I thought that the scary factor couldn’t get much worse than The Land You Never Leave but it seems that Mr Watson was just warming up.

I’m not going to really elaborate on the plot, the whole series is actually a quest that is packed with danger and monsters and I enjoyed reading about the characters and their ever developing relationships so much that it gave me a warm glow.

To be honest the things I really love about this series and that worked so well for me were the setting, the sense of humour and the way that the author managed to surprise me at every turn. He puts his characters through the wringer and isn’t afraid to kill people off but more often than that his creativity in terms of taking a situation where there seems to be no possible solution and pulling off a ridiculous reprieve for his cast, well, its impressive to say the least. The second instalment, I admit, I was scared at almost every turn that my favourite characters were about to meet their maker and I didn’t think that the Wootah and Owsla could suffer much more – but I was very wrong. this ending is just intense. Slight spoiler – I’d also say the ending is a little bittersweet but still so good and so very apt.

I guess I really need to elaborate on the sense of place. For me it feels like a mashup of The Vikings and The Gladiator. The Wootah and the Owsla are so different. The Wootah oddly useless in terms of prowess and skill but full of heart and genuinely fearless. The Owsla are artificially enhanced warriors, they can run faster and fight harder than anyone else, their hearing and eyesight is better – in fact they’re positively bionic. Together they both have things to learn from each other and this is part of the beauty of the overall dynamic, for me at least. The Wootah teach the Owsla about love, about guilt and about compassion, the Owsla help the Wootah to become stronger and more focused. They even each other out or make each other better somehow. On top of this the creatures are some crazy fubar mix up of badass madness and the conclusion, well, make sure you have time set aside because you won’t be able to put it down when you reach the final stretch. It’s all so beautifully incongruous and unexpected that it works perfectly.

Now, I feel like this is something of a short review, necessarily so, because I don’t want to say too much about the plot or give away elements from the first two books and so I’m keeping it short, sweet and unspoilery.

In conclusion, this is a series that I loved. I was hooked very early and the adventure and tension were just excellent all the way through. It was crazy fun, it had me laughing out loud at times and I confess I may have yelled “wootah’ on one occasion. Or maybe two.

All that being said, I must also stress that alongside the humour there is also a lot of fighting and plenty of bloodshed as a result, some of the characters along the way are hideous, some characters die and the ones that live have a way of spouting profanity as though it’s going out of fashion – that’s just a little nod in case those things may not be for you.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

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.