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West of West #1
You Die When You Die
YOU DIE WHEN YOU DIE . . .
You can't change your fate - so throw yourself into battle, because you'll either win or wake up drinking mead in the halls of your ancestors. That's what Finn's tribe believe.
But when their settlement is massacred by a hostile tribe and Finn and several friends, companions and rivals make their escape across a brutal, unfamiliar landscape, Finn will fight harder than he's ever fought in his life. He wants to live - even if he only lives long enough to tell Thyri Treelegs how he feels about her.
The David Gemmell Award nominated author of Age of Iron returns with You Die When You Die - in which a mismatched group of refugees battle animals and monsters, determined assassins, depraved tribes, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfil a prophecy.
You can't change your fate - so throw yourself into battle, because you'll either win or wake up drinking mead in the halls of your ancestors. That's what Finn's tribe believe.
But when their settlement is massacred by a hostile tribe and Finn and several friends, companions and rivals make their escape across a brutal, unfamiliar landscape, Finn will fight harder than he's ever fought in his life. He wants to live - even if he only lives long enough to tell Thyri Treelegs how he feels about her.
The David Gemmell Award nominated author of Age of Iron returns with You Die When You Die - in which a mismatched group of refugees battle animals and monsters, determined assassins, depraved tribes, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfil a prophecy.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2017
130 people are currently reading
2710 people want to read
About the author
Angus Watson
24 books424 followersIn his twenties, Angus Watson’s jobs ranged from forklift truck driver to investment banker. He spent his thirties on various assignments as a freelance writer, including looking for Bigfoot in the USA for the Telegraph, diving on the scuppered German fleet at Scapa Flow for the Financial Times and swimming with sea lions off the Galapagos Islands for the Times. Now entering his forties, Angus lives in London with his wife Nicola and baby son Charlie. As a fan of both historical fiction and epic fantasy, he came up with the idea of writing a fantasy set in the Iron Age when exploring British hillforts for the Telegraph, and developed the story while walking Britain’s ancient paths for further articles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
June 16, 2019
This was a funny book.
Funny ha-ha or funny odd, you ask?
Both, I say.
I read this book because karenmade asked me. Now, she normally doesn't ask me to do anything for her. Well, there was that one time she had a few odd requests, but in her defense, she had been drinking heavily - as was evidenced by the fact that she kept calling me Handsome Sir while awkwardly petting my hair.
Ahhh, boozy karen is a fun gal...
Point is, she said this was a weird little story that would be right up my alley. I told her ok and the book came crashing through my kitchen window a few minutes later.
True story.
Fine. It may or may not have happened that way.
Regardless, I was left with a book that I would never have willingly picked up on my own. But I ended up enjoying it quite a bit, so I guess I should thank her for being pushy.
I won't. But I should.
So what was this about?
The gist is that this weird little offshoot group of the Vikings made it to North America and met up with a tribe of Native Americans who decided that their god wanted them to take care of these guys. In exchange for basically every need being met, these Viking pilgrims just had to not leave a 10 mile area. Which for about 100 years worked out really well for them. Other than the part where the vast majority became oafish and lazy.
Good times...
And then a pregnant Empress-god has a vision that these pasty Mushroom Men (<--as they are known) will destroy the world.
At which point, things get strange.
I have to say it was definitely the humor and nutty (or maybe not so nutty because who really knows how things went down back in the day) historical fantasyesque setting that sucked me in.
On a side note: I've been trying to get my son, who loves all things Norse and fantasy, to read this. His response to my prodding was, That book with the weird cover and stupid name?. Now, I'll admit the name You Die When You Die might be jarring or off-putting, and the guy on the cover kind of looks like a crackhead that got hold of a hatchet.
BUT! What's inside it is really cool so please don't judge a book by its cover.
Unless you think the cover is awesome. If so, judge away...
Anyway, the rest of the story revolves around this pack of weirdos and losers that have to trek across the continent to some mysterious place that a mentally challenged child-psychic saw in a vision. <--says his little sister
All the while, a pack of supernaturally enhanced and totally hot warrior women (and the Empress' warlock!) try to catch them, kill them, and eat them.
Sounds wacky but it makes sense. Promise.
If this genre sounds even remotely like something you might enjoy, pick it up. I mean, I had comic books I wanted to read and I picked this instead. You're not going to get much higher praise out of me.
Funny ha-ha or funny odd, you ask?
Both, I say.
I read this book because karen
Ahhh, boozy karen is a fun gal...
Point is, she said this was a weird little story that would be right up my alley. I told her ok and the book came crashing through my kitchen window a few minutes later.
True story.
Fine. It may or may not have happened that way.
Regardless, I was left with a book that I would never have willingly picked up on my own. But I ended up enjoying it quite a bit, so I guess I should thank her for being pushy.
I won't. But I should.
So what was this about?
The gist is that this weird little offshoot group of the Vikings made it to North America and met up with a tribe of Native Americans who decided that their god wanted them to take care of these guys. In exchange for basically every need being met, these Viking pilgrims just had to not leave a 10 mile area. Which for about 100 years worked out really well for them. Other than the part where the vast majority became oafish and lazy.
Good times...
And then a pregnant Empress-god has a vision that these pasty Mushroom Men (<--as they are known) will destroy the world.
At which point, things get strange.
I have to say it was definitely the humor and nutty (or maybe not so nutty because who really knows how things went down back in the day) historical fantasyesque setting that sucked me in.
On a side note: I've been trying to get my son, who loves all things Norse and fantasy, to read this. His response to my prodding was, That book with the weird cover and stupid name?. Now, I'll admit the name You Die When You Die might be jarring or off-putting, and the guy on the cover kind of looks like a crackhead that got hold of a hatchet.
BUT! What's inside it is really cool so please don't judge a book by its cover.
Unless you think the cover is awesome. If so, judge away...
Anyway, the rest of the story revolves around this pack of weirdos and losers that have to trek across the continent to some mysterious place that a mentally challenged child-psychic saw in a vision. <--says his little sister
All the while, a pack of supernaturally enhanced and totally hot warrior women (and the Empress' warlock!) try to catch them, kill them, and eat them.
Sounds wacky but it makes sense. Promise.
If this genre sounds even remotely like something you might enjoy, pick it up. I mean, I had comic books I wanted to read and I picked this instead. You're not going to get much higher praise out of me.
June 20, 2018
this book has been flirting with me for a while now. and i’ve been flattered - i love its cover and there’s something about the font that pleases me deeply, but our coy little dance always followed the same pattern:
“ooh, that cover kicks ass. that font is fun. why haven’t i bought this yet? *turns over book*
oh, man, that makes me want to go home and listen to oingo boingo, blah blah blah battle, ancestors, prophecy, combat - oh, right. viking alt-history military stuff. not my thing.”
this cycle transpired several times; i would be drawn to it without remembering why i had determined it would never work out between us, focusing on the “meh, combat” stuff that i’ve never sought out in my reading life, totally ignoring the words like “battling animals and monsters,” “gore soaked and profanity laden,” and “unflinchingly bloodthirsty,” which is all stuff i DO like*, and putting it down regretfully.
and then the author came into the store, being all affable and you know me - i’m powerless against the affable, so i bought the book, i read the book and dammit if i didn’t enjoy the book.
it’s really … fun. i don’t know how else to say it - but that’s my takeaway - fun bloody fun.
it’s wayback historical fiction about a group of vikings who have been living in north america for generations, isolated and essentially living as a “kept town” by the goachica, a tribe of indigenous scraylings. the goachica provide them with food and protection, but put limitations on their movements, like an invisible cage for their pet mushroom men. which is how the pale-skinned vikings are known to outsiders. to themselves, their town is called hardwork and they the hardworkers.
having lived this long in a bubble, the hardworkers have become incurious and complacent, although they still maintain a group of well-trained fighters called the hird, who are as badass and attuned to each other as you’d want even if you weren’t just sitting around in peaceful captivity. which is fortunate because after years of protection, a prophecy is revealed to the most powerful scraylings - the calnians, that the light-skinned people are going to bring destruction to the world (truefact), and they order the goachica and the other scrayling tribes over which they rule (i.e. - all of ‘em), to kill any mushroom men on sight.
much bloodshed occurs.
“you die when you die” is the shrugged philosophy of the hardworkers, who believe that death is just a doorway to glory and a ticket to sit beside the gods, so despite the enormous number of horrific bloody deaths here, no one is over-fussed by them. deaths by bears, tornados, arrows, knives, arms ripped off, living folks torn in two by bare hands, eyeballs extracted, thrown off cliffs - every day brings its own challenges, right?
it’s more of an adventure story than one focused on war, although there are many fighting scenes. there's plenty of humor, much cussin' and even some sharks! the POV shifts frequently, giving a full picture of this world, its traditions, magic, mythology, and politics, from all the angles - hardworker and scrayling and all manner of shading within. it’s a bit confusing at first - all these names and perspectives coming at you before you've settled in comfortably, but it comes together pretty quickly. finnbogi the boggy is the most frequent narrator, but also the least interesting, to me. he’s a young man of the hardworker people, neither fighter nor thinker nor much of anything. he’s still finding his place and his purpose, but mostly just trying to get laid. preferably by thyri treelegs, a member of the hird who is way too cool for his gormless ass. he gets better as it goes on, but i would trade any of his chapters for more from the owsla - a group of magically-enhanced female warriors sent from calnia to hunt down any mushroom men who have slipped through the cracks and escaped the massacre.
this is just the first book, and there’s a lot of material left to chew over in the next, The Land You Never Leave. this doesn't end on a cliffhanger, per se, but it ends on a big big setup for book two.
so, even though this book has a map, it lived up to the promise of that font, and now we are in a happy and committed relationship and i'm looking forward to our next step together. which will be published in september.
* you would think a fan of blood and carnage would like war books, but i don’t. i think it’s about context? like, you expect there to be a lot of that in war, but i think it’s more fun to have all that splatter sneaking into the unexpected places. connor said the other day that he didn’t understand the way my mind worked because of some unrelated but totally valid distinction i was making between things, and this may be a part of it. my brain doesn't always make sense, but it's the only one i've got.
come to my blog!
“ooh, that cover kicks ass. that font is fun. why haven’t i bought this yet? *turns over book*
oh, man, that makes me want to go home and listen to oingo boingo, blah blah blah battle, ancestors, prophecy, combat - oh, right. viking alt-history military stuff. not my thing.”
this cycle transpired several times; i would be drawn to it without remembering why i had determined it would never work out between us, focusing on the “meh, combat” stuff that i’ve never sought out in my reading life, totally ignoring the words like “battling animals and monsters,” “gore soaked and profanity laden,” and “unflinchingly bloodthirsty,” which is all stuff i DO like*, and putting it down regretfully.
and then the author came into the store, being all affable and you know me - i’m powerless against the affable, so i bought the book, i read the book and dammit if i didn’t enjoy the book.
it’s really … fun. i don’t know how else to say it - but that’s my takeaway - fun bloody fun.
it’s wayback historical fiction about a group of vikings who have been living in north america for generations, isolated and essentially living as a “kept town” by the goachica, a tribe of indigenous scraylings. the goachica provide them with food and protection, but put limitations on their movements, like an invisible cage for their pet mushroom men. which is how the pale-skinned vikings are known to outsiders. to themselves, their town is called hardwork and they the hardworkers.
having lived this long in a bubble, the hardworkers have become incurious and complacent, although they still maintain a group of well-trained fighters called the hird, who are as badass and attuned to each other as you’d want even if you weren’t just sitting around in peaceful captivity. which is fortunate because after years of protection, a prophecy is revealed to the most powerful scraylings - the calnians, that the light-skinned people are going to bring destruction to the world (truefact), and they order the goachica and the other scrayling tribes over which they rule (i.e. - all of ‘em), to kill any mushroom men on sight.
much bloodshed occurs.
“you die when you die” is the shrugged philosophy of the hardworkers, who believe that death is just a doorway to glory and a ticket to sit beside the gods, so despite the enormous number of horrific bloody deaths here, no one is over-fussed by them. deaths by bears, tornados, arrows, knives, arms ripped off, living folks torn in two by bare hands, eyeballs extracted, thrown off cliffs - every day brings its own challenges, right?
it’s more of an adventure story than one focused on war, although there are many fighting scenes. there's plenty of humor, much cussin' and even some sharks! the POV shifts frequently, giving a full picture of this world, its traditions, magic, mythology, and politics, from all the angles - hardworker and scrayling and all manner of shading within. it’s a bit confusing at first - all these names and perspectives coming at you before you've settled in comfortably, but it comes together pretty quickly. finnbogi the boggy is the most frequent narrator, but also the least interesting, to me. he’s a young man of the hardworker people, neither fighter nor thinker nor much of anything. he’s still finding his place and his purpose, but mostly just trying to get laid. preferably by thyri treelegs, a member of the hird who is way too cool for his gormless ass. he gets better as it goes on, but i would trade any of his chapters for more from the owsla - a group of magically-enhanced female warriors sent from calnia to hunt down any mushroom men who have slipped through the cracks and escaped the massacre.
this is just the first book, and there’s a lot of material left to chew over in the next, The Land You Never Leave. this doesn't end on a cliffhanger, per se, but it ends on a big big setup for book two.
so, even though this book has a map, it lived up to the promise of that font, and now we are in a happy and committed relationship and i'm looking forward to our next step together. which will be published in september.
* you would think a fan of blood and carnage would like war books, but i don’t. i think it’s about context? like, you expect there to be a lot of that in war, but i think it’s more fun to have all that splatter sneaking into the unexpected places. connor said the other day that he didn’t understand the way my mind worked because of some unrelated but totally valid distinction i was making between things, and this may be a part of it. my brain doesn't always make sense, but it's the only one i've got.
come to my blog!
July 17, 2017
5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/07/17/...
You Die When You Die was a crazy wild ride I never wanted to end. Wooooootah, did I love this book! After having a blast with Angus Watson’s Iron Age trilogy I had a good feeling that his new book would be another glorious full-hearted adventure through new frontiers of dark fantasy, and I’m telling you all right now, I was abso-fucking-lutely not disappointed.
Though this novel is more heavily steeped in magic and fantasy, the author has once again drawn much of his inspiration from history, similar to what he did in his previous series. Inspired by the cultures of Native Americans as well as the Vikings, he has created a small population of villagers known to the surrounding local tribes as the “Mushroom Men”, who are simply content to live their modest, bucolic lives in a town known as Hardwork. Despite their name though, Hardworkers actually have it pretty good, to the point where some of the village elders fear that their people may have lost their ability to be self-sufficient. For generations, they have lived in relative peace and security, with whatever protection and resources they need provided by their Scrayling neighbors.
So when the attack on Hardwork came, none of them could quite believe it. Thanks to a Calnian prophecy that says the Mushroom Men will destroy the world, they are all now marked for death. Only a handful of them have survived, those who have heeded the warnings of a simple-minded village boy with the uncanny ability to see the future. His advice? Run. Run as far as you can towards the west, and then run some more. No one really knows what it means, but the survivors have no choice but to follow his words and go “west of west”. Their enemies will not give up until every man, woman, and child of Hardwork is dead, and to show how seriously they mean business, Calnia has even sent a squad of ruthless, magically-enhanced female warriors known as the Owsla after them.
The thing I loved best about this book were the Hardworkers, who are all so wonderfully well characterized and nuanced. Watson has set their culture apart with a unique set of traditions, and even their names possess their own individual charms. As children, many of them receive nicknames that stay with them well into adulthood, and so you get people called Sassa Lipchewer, Wulf the Fat, Freydis the Annoying, or Finnbogi the Boggy. (I mean, how could anyone not fall in love with a character named Finnbogi the Boggy?) As one of the key POV characters, Finn was easy to engage with. Consumed with youthful confidence, he is cocksure and naïve to many of life’s hardships, and up until the brutal attack on his village, his only concern in the world was trying to get the latest girl he’s infatuated with to notice him (and at the moment, it’s a firecracker named Thyri Treelegs). But as the story progresses, Finn begins to undergo a dramatic change, growing up quickly to demonstrate both increased wisdom and courage in many ways. A troop of bloodthirsty warrior women trying to hunt you down and kill you will do that to you.
Speaking of which, I really enjoyed the Calnian Owsla. Having spent generations living an idyllic, peaceful existence, the Hardworkers are of course no match for these powerful and deadly ladies, but even as I spent the whole book rooting for the underdogs, I could not help but admire their foes as well. From Sofi Tornado to Paloma Pronghorn and more, the frequent glimpses we saw through the Owsla’s perspectives were so genuine and enthusiastic that I simply could not bring myself to hate them, and in time we’re also led to wonder if there’s something more to their presence. Furthermore, there’s a fascinating mechanism behind their magical powers, but since that’s one of the coolest reveals in the story, I have no intention of spoiling it here.
Given the relative simplicity and straightforward nature of the plot, I was also impressed with how the author was able to pull it off. What we have is essentially a desperate race towards the west, with the Owsla constantly catching up to the slower and less adept Hardworkers who are escaping with all of their aged and their young. You’d think this cycle would tire itself out after a while, but it doesn’t, all thanks to the action and humor that one would expect from a book titled You Die When You Die. For you see, not all of the tribes that the Hardworkers come across are happy with the Calnian Empire either, and most of them don’t need much of an excuse to give the Mushroom Men an edge if it means screwing with the Owsla in spectacular ways. Also I was just as pleased with the rollercoaster of emotions the story gave me, ranging from pure mirth to profound poignancy. The Hardworkers’ determination and devotion to each other really touched my heart, and even with all the laughter and nail-biting moments, I think what will stay with me most are the times of light camaraderie and when they are helping each other to survive.
If you’re familiar with Angus Watson’s work then you’d know that he never holds back on the shocking twists, and with the ending to this novel, he leaves us wondering what will be coming next. You Die When You Die has a lot to love. It’s a story that commands your full attention from the very first page, whisking readers away on a journey set in an imaginative world full of riveting characters and gritty adventure. Watson has written another winner! I’m really excited to see to where he’ll take the story in the sequel, The Land You Never Leave.
You Die When You Die was a crazy wild ride I never wanted to end. Wooooootah, did I love this book! After having a blast with Angus Watson’s Iron Age trilogy I had a good feeling that his new book would be another glorious full-hearted adventure through new frontiers of dark fantasy, and I’m telling you all right now, I was abso-fucking-lutely not disappointed.
Though this novel is more heavily steeped in magic and fantasy, the author has once again drawn much of his inspiration from history, similar to what he did in his previous series. Inspired by the cultures of Native Americans as well as the Vikings, he has created a small population of villagers known to the surrounding local tribes as the “Mushroom Men”, who are simply content to live their modest, bucolic lives in a town known as Hardwork. Despite their name though, Hardworkers actually have it pretty good, to the point where some of the village elders fear that their people may have lost their ability to be self-sufficient. For generations, they have lived in relative peace and security, with whatever protection and resources they need provided by their Scrayling neighbors.
So when the attack on Hardwork came, none of them could quite believe it. Thanks to a Calnian prophecy that says the Mushroom Men will destroy the world, they are all now marked for death. Only a handful of them have survived, those who have heeded the warnings of a simple-minded village boy with the uncanny ability to see the future. His advice? Run. Run as far as you can towards the west, and then run some more. No one really knows what it means, but the survivors have no choice but to follow his words and go “west of west”. Their enemies will not give up until every man, woman, and child of Hardwork is dead, and to show how seriously they mean business, Calnia has even sent a squad of ruthless, magically-enhanced female warriors known as the Owsla after them.
The thing I loved best about this book were the Hardworkers, who are all so wonderfully well characterized and nuanced. Watson has set their culture apart with a unique set of traditions, and even their names possess their own individual charms. As children, many of them receive nicknames that stay with them well into adulthood, and so you get people called Sassa Lipchewer, Wulf the Fat, Freydis the Annoying, or Finnbogi the Boggy. (I mean, how could anyone not fall in love with a character named Finnbogi the Boggy?) As one of the key POV characters, Finn was easy to engage with. Consumed with youthful confidence, he is cocksure and naïve to many of life’s hardships, and up until the brutal attack on his village, his only concern in the world was trying to get the latest girl he’s infatuated with to notice him (and at the moment, it’s a firecracker named Thyri Treelegs). But as the story progresses, Finn begins to undergo a dramatic change, growing up quickly to demonstrate both increased wisdom and courage in many ways. A troop of bloodthirsty warrior women trying to hunt you down and kill you will do that to you.
Speaking of which, I really enjoyed the Calnian Owsla. Having spent generations living an idyllic, peaceful existence, the Hardworkers are of course no match for these powerful and deadly ladies, but even as I spent the whole book rooting for the underdogs, I could not help but admire their foes as well. From Sofi Tornado to Paloma Pronghorn and more, the frequent glimpses we saw through the Owsla’s perspectives were so genuine and enthusiastic that I simply could not bring myself to hate them, and in time we’re also led to wonder if there’s something more to their presence. Furthermore, there’s a fascinating mechanism behind their magical powers, but since that’s one of the coolest reveals in the story, I have no intention of spoiling it here.
Given the relative simplicity and straightforward nature of the plot, I was also impressed with how the author was able to pull it off. What we have is essentially a desperate race towards the west, with the Owsla constantly catching up to the slower and less adept Hardworkers who are escaping with all of their aged and their young. You’d think this cycle would tire itself out after a while, but it doesn’t, all thanks to the action and humor that one would expect from a book titled You Die When You Die. For you see, not all of the tribes that the Hardworkers come across are happy with the Calnian Empire either, and most of them don’t need much of an excuse to give the Mushroom Men an edge if it means screwing with the Owsla in spectacular ways. Also I was just as pleased with the rollercoaster of emotions the story gave me, ranging from pure mirth to profound poignancy. The Hardworkers’ determination and devotion to each other really touched my heart, and even with all the laughter and nail-biting moments, I think what will stay with me most are the times of light camaraderie and when they are helping each other to survive.
If you’re familiar with Angus Watson’s work then you’d know that he never holds back on the shocking twists, and with the ending to this novel, he leaves us wondering what will be coming next. You Die When You Die has a lot to love. It’s a story that commands your full attention from the very first page, whisking readers away on a journey set in an imaginative world full of riveting characters and gritty adventure. Watson has written another winner! I’m really excited to see to where he’ll take the story in the sequel, The Land You Never Leave.
Want to read
August 1, 2018August 1, 2018: only 0.99€ ($1.16) today!!!
Because karen said: "it's dark and bloody and there's lots of - erm... lowbrow humor and cussin' and feckless antihero and badass females and - this is the important part - in the third book, the one Angus Watson is finishing up right now, there is A GIANT CRAB. A. GIANT. CRAB."
Because karen said: "it's dark and bloody and there's lots of - erm... lowbrow humor and cussin' and feckless antihero and badass females and - this is the important part - in the third book, the one Angus Watson is finishing up right now, there is A GIANT CRAB. A. GIANT. CRAB."
June 6, 2018
From a title like this, I almost expected a thorough fantasy grimdark bloodfest that wouldn't stop until the main character died in a spectacularly glorious fashion.
Okay. So I was wrong.
But that doesn't mean that the novel didn't have its fair share of a ton of bloody action and gratuitous death. It did! It just happened to have a bunch of funny moments, clever internal dialogue, and a generally slow-moving grind through many various American Indian tribes roughly a thousand years ago.
And let's not forget the mushroom people. They're called that because they have skin like mushrooms. And they are supposed to smell as bad. Those are the descendants of Vikings. :)
What we've got here are vague prophesies of the white man killing everything, the destruction of the Hard Work clan, and a long and varied chase as the dominant clan kills everyone in their path to wipe out the mushroom folk.
But what about the magic?
It's not heavy, but it is familiar. Totem animals and the eating of special flesh for a big boost. Animal talking. Prophesies. They all have rules and it basically gives a lot of spice to the utter escapism of this kind of book.
People are people. The point is not the technology, but what people do with each other. For all that, I had a pretty fine time. :)
I was reminded, offhand, of Kevin Hearne's Seven Kennings and some of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Tiger and the Wolf, as well as a bit of John Gwynne. If you like any of these authors, I'm certain you'll have a grand time with this one, too. :)
Okay. So I was wrong.
But that doesn't mean that the novel didn't have its fair share of a ton of bloody action and gratuitous death. It did! It just happened to have a bunch of funny moments, clever internal dialogue, and a generally slow-moving grind through many various American Indian tribes roughly a thousand years ago.
And let's not forget the mushroom people. They're called that because they have skin like mushrooms. And they are supposed to smell as bad. Those are the descendants of Vikings. :)
What we've got here are vague prophesies of the white man killing everything, the destruction of the Hard Work clan, and a long and varied chase as the dominant clan kills everyone in their path to wipe out the mushroom folk.
But what about the magic?
It's not heavy, but it is familiar. Totem animals and the eating of special flesh for a big boost. Animal talking. Prophesies. They all have rules and it basically gives a lot of spice to the utter escapism of this kind of book.
People are people. The point is not the technology, but what people do with each other. For all that, I had a pretty fine time. :)
I was reminded, offhand, of Kevin Hearne's Seven Kennings and some of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Tiger and the Wolf, as well as a bit of John Gwynne. If you like any of these authors, I'm certain you'll have a grand time with this one, too. :)
November 20, 2019
All-righty then. Let's get down to business...to defeat, the Huns.
Admit it. That song is totally stuck in your head now. You. are. welcome. If you don't know what I'm speaking of, you are a sad person, and I have no desire to speak with you (just kidding; education is simply in order).
But seriously, this book. I tried to ignore this book. Something about the cover looks awesome in a "300" kind of way which made me concerned it was targeting twelve year old boys in some sort of a "get-them-reading-and-convince-them-it's-cool" initiative. If that were the case, I am most decidedly not the target audience being neither a twelve year old nor a boy. Also, I moved past the needs-convincing-reading-is-cool stage a while ago...so.
But there's also the fact that I kind of love "300" and am most definitely Scandinavian and vikings are my one cool (known) claim to fame in terms of a heritage. There's probably more cool stuff, but I'd need to research that a bit since lutefisk is pretty much the only thing my grandparents tried to force on me as "part of your heritage!" And if you know anything about lutefisk, this is not something I'm particularly proud of. Do yourself a favor and never, ever try it. On pain of death. So I will cling to vikings with my dying breath because vikings trom lutefisk every day of the week- including Christmas, Grandma! And since the cover does not depict a viking standing badass-ily with a plate of lutefisk, well...I'm probably gonna bite after a while. Because I will NEVER again bite into lutefisk. I'm just realizing I may need to see a therapist about this lutefisk thing.
Okay, here's where the REAL review ACTUALLY starts. Holy Thor! I LOVED it! It was everything I hoped for and then some. This is a book written about an ancient culture, but in a modern dialogue. And it's done well! Not many people could write about one viking looking at another viking and literally give him the line, "He's the coolest," and make that work. But Angus does! If this book were a movie, the scores would all be written with bass, electric guitars, and drums. And there would be numerous trendy slo-mo shots.
Loved: The hilarity. The dialogue, monologue, and all the other logs were hysterical. I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud so many times while reading a book. I connect with Angus Watson's style of humor. The plot was well done, and I was immediately hooked. The action moves quickly without sacrificing character development and the reader's investment. In regards to the whole twelve year old boy bit, this is NOT for children. Repeat, NOT for children. Probably not even for teens. Or tender adults. It is all calloused, heartless adult. One of the things I loved the most, Finn (a.k.a. Finnbogi the Boggy) was not written as a particularly likeable character. He actually was obnoxiously immature most of the time. But somehow, you still root for him and love him. That takes an impressive amount of skill as a writer. Finn was real. That's it. And it was refreshing. I would take this depiction of a teenage boy ANY DAY over Holden Caulfield (I seriously hate that guy- he deserves to be force-fed lutefisk by his grandparents). Finn believes he is feeling a level of love and devotion no other human could possibly understand. Also, that he has a deeper understanding of the world around him than his counter-parts. Who didn't experience this to some level during their teen years? And the author manages to ridicule him as a typical teen, but in a loving way. Seriously. Well written. But just in case the heart-broken teen/interested-in-a-new-girl-every-other-chapter teen got to be too overbearing, Watson mixes up the POVs regularly to give the reader a break.
Cons: I've broken one of my cardinal reading rules. I started a trilogy well before the third installment is out. And now I have to wait for the third book and probably will have to re-read the first one and am now debating even starting the second one yet. Gah! Decisions.
I cannot recommend this book enough, but I recognize this book isn't for everyone. It's insulting, crass, full of vulgar language, full of inappropriate scenes, and gore and violence, and a host of other reasons that typically would mean decent folk shouldn't read it. But do.
I would rate this book an R for all the aforementioned vulgarity and blood. Read at your own risk and don't say I didn't warn you.
Admit it. That song is totally stuck in your head now. You. are. welcome. If you don't know what I'm speaking of, you are a sad person, and I have no desire to speak with you (just kidding; education is simply in order).
But seriously, this book. I tried to ignore this book. Something about the cover looks awesome in a "300" kind of way which made me concerned it was targeting twelve year old boys in some sort of a "get-them-reading-and-convince-them-it's-cool" initiative. If that were the case, I am most decidedly not the target audience being neither a twelve year old nor a boy. Also, I moved past the needs-convincing-reading-is-cool stage a while ago...so.
But there's also the fact that I kind of love "300" and am most definitely Scandinavian and vikings are my one cool (known) claim to fame in terms of a heritage. There's probably more cool stuff, but I'd need to research that a bit since lutefisk is pretty much the only thing my grandparents tried to force on me as "part of your heritage!" And if you know anything about lutefisk, this is not something I'm particularly proud of. Do yourself a favor and never, ever try it. On pain of death. So I will cling to vikings with my dying breath because vikings trom lutefisk every day of the week- including Christmas, Grandma! And since the cover does not depict a viking standing badass-ily with a plate of lutefisk, well...I'm probably gonna bite after a while. Because I will NEVER again bite into lutefisk. I'm just realizing I may need to see a therapist about this lutefisk thing.
Okay, here's where the REAL review ACTUALLY starts. Holy Thor! I LOVED it! It was everything I hoped for and then some. This is a book written about an ancient culture, but in a modern dialogue. And it's done well! Not many people could write about one viking looking at another viking and literally give him the line, "He's the coolest," and make that work. But Angus does! If this book were a movie, the scores would all be written with bass, electric guitars, and drums. And there would be numerous trendy slo-mo shots.
Loved: The hilarity. The dialogue, monologue, and all the other logs were hysterical. I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud so many times while reading a book. I connect with Angus Watson's style of humor. The plot was well done, and I was immediately hooked. The action moves quickly without sacrificing character development and the reader's investment. In regards to the whole twelve year old boy bit, this is NOT for children. Repeat, NOT for children. Probably not even for teens. Or tender adults. It is all calloused, heartless adult. One of the things I loved the most, Finn (a.k.a. Finnbogi the Boggy) was not written as a particularly likeable character. He actually was obnoxiously immature most of the time. But somehow, you still root for him and love him. That takes an impressive amount of skill as a writer. Finn was real. That's it. And it was refreshing. I would take this depiction of a teenage boy ANY DAY over Holden Caulfield (I seriously hate that guy- he deserves to be force-fed lutefisk by his grandparents). Finn believes he is feeling a level of love and devotion no other human could possibly understand. Also, that he has a deeper understanding of the world around him than his counter-parts. Who didn't experience this to some level during their teen years? And the author manages to ridicule him as a typical teen, but in a loving way. Seriously. Well written. But just in case the heart-broken teen/interested-in-a-new-girl-every-other-chapter teen got to be too overbearing, Watson mixes up the POVs regularly to give the reader a break.
Cons: I've broken one of my cardinal reading rules. I started a trilogy well before the third installment is out. And now I have to wait for the third book and probably will have to re-read the first one and am now debating even starting the second one yet. Gah! Decisions.
I cannot recommend this book enough, but I recognize this book isn't for everyone. It's insulting, crass, full of vulgar language, full of inappropriate scenes, and gore and violence, and a host of other reasons that typically would mean decent folk shouldn't read it. But do.
I would rate this book an R for all the aforementioned vulgarity and blood. Read at your own risk and don't say I didn't warn you.
July 17, 2018
When I was approached to read the first book in Angus Watson’s new series I was a bit hesitant. His Iron Age series has some glowing reviews and solid scores on various blogs but I’ve never had one of those people that I really listen to when it comes to books tell me it was something I had to read. You die when you die came out in 2017 and although I only just got to it I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it and wish I had picked it up sooner. It’s great fantasy with interesting characters, exciting and bloody battle scenes and a story that completely hooked me in. I had recently been planning a full night of Battlefield but instead found myself unable to tear myself from the adventures of the ridiculously named Finnbogi the Boggy and I finished this over the course of two sittings and a few hours.
At its heart this whole book is a giant chase scene, a bit like Mad Max Fury Road meets Kill Bill meets Norse Mythology. We have a small Viking like tribe that has been kept contained for 100 years within a boundary under the threat of death. Thanks to a prophecy about them bringing the end of the world they have become a target of someone with enough power and vested interest to order that they be utterly wiped out. After an initial attack the 20 odd survivors, comprised largely of members of their untested fighting force called The Hird, discard their imposed boundaries and head west to the prophesised promised land known as The Meadows. The story takes off when the chase begins and just gets bigger and faster and there is not a moment of peace for the reader or our band of escapees.
In pursuit are an elite fighting force of nine women known as the Owsla, each with their own insane talent or skill. Sofi Tornado has exceptional hearing that allows her to anticipate the actions of others to the point that she is rumoured to have precognition, Chogolisa is a giant of a women that throughout the book tears at least four or five people into several pieces, one with the speed of a Pronghorn, one with a punch that can travel straight though it’s target and others you’ll discover for yourself. Some are all business, some seek glorious deaths and some are quite loveable but each of their scenes carries an underlying menace and their reputation precedes them wherever they go leading to some interesting encounters.
The story is told from a number of different viewpoints though the focus is really on Finn. Finn in an unremarkable protagonist, unlucky in love, untrained in battle yet over confident in his own cleverness and importance. At the beginning we find him feeling disappointment about being passed over during the Hird selections in favour of a girl, yet she is utterly driven and a gifted warrior that has been training from birth whilst he hasn’t really done anything, even learn to fight.
“You know what I really hate about you, Boggy?” he said.
“That I’m clever than you?”
“No! By Tor’s hammer, no. It’s because you think you are. You think you’re cleverer than everybody. You strut around looking superior, but you have nothing to be superior about. You can’t do anything. You can’t fight, you can’t make clothes, you can’t cook, you can’t even carry food without losing it. And you’re not clever. What fresh or witty insights have you made to delight and amuse the rest of us? None. How many gags have you cracked lately that have left the group helpless with mirth? Not one. How many ideas have you contributed to accelerating our flight from the Owsla or constructing better camps? None, none and none. But still you think you’re better than everyone else. You’re not. You’re dead weight”
Despite his obvious shortcomings there is hope for Finn. He has begun to realise he quite often behaves like an asshole. He has started training and has, quite realistically, learnt a few blocks and gained some fitness but not much else. Despite having the blood of a pretty serious warrior running through his veins there is no quick mastery or magically gained skillset, which is something I respected. I do hope he gets better as the journey continues but I am more than happy to be along for the ride whilst he figures out who he is and where his strength lies.
Despite the hardcore violence that takes place within the pages of When you die you die I would not consider it grimdark because it is just too much fun and never really takes itself too seriously. Some of the chapter names foretell the deaths of those contained within, there is a people whose main culture seems to be inserting the word fuck into as many sentences as possible, characters have ridiculous names and the whole mess of it made me laugh a number of times. After two attempts to break her name down one character became Chimichanga because it was basically the same and easier to remember. There was a familiarity and camaraderie among the survivors and their dialogue was assured and at times hilarious.
“Talisa, eye, please.”
“My eye? No, that’s too much.” Keef shook his head.
“You’re just doing this because it’s expected of you as captain of the Owsla. I don’t think you want to. Come on, break the mould, be your own person.”
Talisa gripped him by the hair, pulled his head back and pushed the tip of her finger into the corner of his eye.
“Ow! Stop that! It really hurts” They’re going north-east, they really are. They still will be after you take my eye out. Think about it! Do you really want a captive with no depth perception?”
Another reason this one get such high marks is that Watson’s world also has a really nice sense of justice which is a change from all the grimdark I’ve been reading lately. It might be a tad unrealistic but almost every piece of crap that I felt was deserving of meeting a horrific end met said ending and it felt great to get everything I wanted in that respect. That’s not to say good people don’t die, they do, but they are often stupid enough to do something like approach a bear cub in the wild so it’s okay.
You die when you die is absolutely umissable fantasy. It’s fast paced, imaginative thrill ride. It’s not for the feint of heart in terms of battle scenes, blood and a bit of gore, which is just how I like it, but there is also a real soul to the story that has me utterly invested in the characters and their journey. I hope the next volume in the series is released soon because I guarantee I’ll put down whatever I’m reading at the time and jump straight back into the fun. 10/10
I received in arc in exchange for an honest review. Thanks and sorry it took me so long.
This review was originally published at The Fantasy Hive
At its heart this whole book is a giant chase scene, a bit like Mad Max Fury Road meets Kill Bill meets Norse Mythology. We have a small Viking like tribe that has been kept contained for 100 years within a boundary under the threat of death. Thanks to a prophecy about them bringing the end of the world they have become a target of someone with enough power and vested interest to order that they be utterly wiped out. After an initial attack the 20 odd survivors, comprised largely of members of their untested fighting force called The Hird, discard their imposed boundaries and head west to the prophesised promised land known as The Meadows. The story takes off when the chase begins and just gets bigger and faster and there is not a moment of peace for the reader or our band of escapees.
In pursuit are an elite fighting force of nine women known as the Owsla, each with their own insane talent or skill. Sofi Tornado has exceptional hearing that allows her to anticipate the actions of others to the point that she is rumoured to have precognition, Chogolisa is a giant of a women that throughout the book tears at least four or five people into several pieces, one with the speed of a Pronghorn, one with a punch that can travel straight though it’s target and others you’ll discover for yourself. Some are all business, some seek glorious deaths and some are quite loveable but each of their scenes carries an underlying menace and their reputation precedes them wherever they go leading to some interesting encounters.
The story is told from a number of different viewpoints though the focus is really on Finn. Finn in an unremarkable protagonist, unlucky in love, untrained in battle yet over confident in his own cleverness and importance. At the beginning we find him feeling disappointment about being passed over during the Hird selections in favour of a girl, yet she is utterly driven and a gifted warrior that has been training from birth whilst he hasn’t really done anything, even learn to fight.
“You know what I really hate about you, Boggy?” he said.
“That I’m clever than you?”
“No! By Tor’s hammer, no. It’s because you think you are. You think you’re cleverer than everybody. You strut around looking superior, but you have nothing to be superior about. You can’t do anything. You can’t fight, you can’t make clothes, you can’t cook, you can’t even carry food without losing it. And you’re not clever. What fresh or witty insights have you made to delight and amuse the rest of us? None. How many gags have you cracked lately that have left the group helpless with mirth? Not one. How many ideas have you contributed to accelerating our flight from the Owsla or constructing better camps? None, none and none. But still you think you’re better than everyone else. You’re not. You’re dead weight”
Despite his obvious shortcomings there is hope for Finn. He has begun to realise he quite often behaves like an asshole. He has started training and has, quite realistically, learnt a few blocks and gained some fitness but not much else. Despite having the blood of a pretty serious warrior running through his veins there is no quick mastery or magically gained skillset, which is something I respected. I do hope he gets better as the journey continues but I am more than happy to be along for the ride whilst he figures out who he is and where his strength lies.
Despite the hardcore violence that takes place within the pages of When you die you die I would not consider it grimdark because it is just too much fun and never really takes itself too seriously. Some of the chapter names foretell the deaths of those contained within, there is a people whose main culture seems to be inserting the word fuck into as many sentences as possible, characters have ridiculous names and the whole mess of it made me laugh a number of times. After two attempts to break her name down one character became Chimichanga because it was basically the same and easier to remember. There was a familiarity and camaraderie among the survivors and their dialogue was assured and at times hilarious.
“Talisa, eye, please.”
“My eye? No, that’s too much.” Keef shook his head.
“You’re just doing this because it’s expected of you as captain of the Owsla. I don’t think you want to. Come on, break the mould, be your own person.”
Talisa gripped him by the hair, pulled his head back and pushed the tip of her finger into the corner of his eye.
“Ow! Stop that! It really hurts” They’re going north-east, they really are. They still will be after you take my eye out. Think about it! Do you really want a captive with no depth perception?”
Another reason this one get such high marks is that Watson’s world also has a really nice sense of justice which is a change from all the grimdark I’ve been reading lately. It might be a tad unrealistic but almost every piece of crap that I felt was deserving of meeting a horrific end met said ending and it felt great to get everything I wanted in that respect. That’s not to say good people don’t die, they do, but they are often stupid enough to do something like approach a bear cub in the wild so it’s okay.
You die when you die is absolutely umissable fantasy. It’s fast paced, imaginative thrill ride. It’s not for the feint of heart in terms of battle scenes, blood and a bit of gore, which is just how I like it, but there is also a real soul to the story that has me utterly invested in the characters and their journey. I hope the next volume in the series is released soon because I guarantee I’ll put down whatever I’m reading at the time and jump straight back into the fun. 10/10
I received in arc in exchange for an honest review. Thanks and sorry it took me so long.
This review was originally published at The Fantasy Hive
June 7, 2018
This book was an odd experience. Not that the book itself was odd, more that from the cover and even the blurp, I was expecting something quite different. I was expecting a historical fiction book about Vikings that was therefore full of blood and gore. What I got instead was a fantasy book featuring some Vikings and Native Americans.
The story is that of a tribe of Vikings that have settled in America some generations ago after some decided to leave what is now Europe. So far, so realistic, as Vikings actually did cross the Atlantic.
However, this world has a (Native American) empire including giant animals and magic.
Thus, there are prophecies, people communicating with unusual animals telepathically, warriors getting enhanced magically and more.
The Viking tribe has become somewhat complacent ever since they settled in these parts, only training to fight for sport/fun and many don't even do that. So when they get attacked by the empire, the ones that survive need to flee. And so begins a journey through the territories of several other tribes (most of which belong to the afore-mentioned empire) to some mysterious land where they can be safe.
I liked this book. It was a quick and easy read. However, I did have some problems with it as well.
It had too much magic in it to be historical fiction but was too "normal" for a fantasy book (the magic bits were oddly toned done so as if to make them more realistic).
Moreover, it is definitely YA when I look at all the tropes of growing up, first sexual encounters etc.
Add to that that the inner monologues of Finn (one of the MCs) were very annoying because he considered himself oh so glorious (or fantasized about doing heroic deeds while being utterly stupid), thought nobody suffered as much as he did, and was horny all the time (tragic lover trope included).
The only "charcters" I liked were the animals (Astrid and the raccoons). *lol*
Interestingly, it was also that natural world (the fauna and flora of this magic world) that was what interested me.
Whenever there was blood and gore, it was fun, but also toned down a bit (or maybe I just like it extra bloody and gory). The fight but the rest was average (great promise, but a bit unsatisfying ultimately).
I did like the funny use of slang and cursing here and chuckled at one point when the only Christian here "translated" the cursing into a "normal" sentence.
All in all, it was an average read, entertaining but not captivating.
The story is that of a tribe of Vikings that have settled in America some generations ago after some decided to leave what is now Europe. So far, so realistic, as Vikings actually did cross the Atlantic.
However, this world has a (Native American) empire including giant animals and magic.
Thus, there are prophecies, people communicating with unusual animals telepathically, warriors getting enhanced magically and more.
The Viking tribe has become somewhat complacent ever since they settled in these parts, only training to fight for sport/fun and many don't even do that. So when they get attacked by the empire, the ones that survive need to flee. And so begins a journey through the territories of several other tribes (most of which belong to the afore-mentioned empire) to some mysterious land where they can be safe.
I liked this book. It was a quick and easy read. However, I did have some problems with it as well.
It had too much magic in it to be historical fiction but was too "normal" for a fantasy book (the magic bits were oddly toned done so as if to make them more realistic).
Moreover, it is definitely YA when I look at all the tropes of growing up, first sexual encounters etc.
Add to that that the inner monologues of Finn (one of the MCs) were very annoying because he considered himself oh so glorious (or fantasized about doing heroic deeds while being utterly stupid), thought nobody suffered as much as he did, and was horny all the time (tragic lover trope included).
The only "charcters" I liked were the animals (Astrid and the raccoons). *lol*
Interestingly, it was also that natural world (the fauna and flora of this magic world) that was what interested me.
Whenever there was blood and gore, it was fun, but also toned down a bit (or maybe I just like it extra bloody and gory). The fight but the rest was average (great promise, but a bit unsatisfying ultimately).
I did like the funny use of slang and cursing here and chuckled at one point when the only Christian here "translated" the cursing into a "normal" sentence.
All in all, it was an average read, entertaining but not captivating.
March 25, 2020
"There is no better burden on a journey than good sense. In a strange place it is better than riches." - Gunnhild Kristlover
This read was a breath of fresh air. Although the cover looks very grim indeed, this was actually a warm, humorous tale about Vikings, social identity, magic and monsters. I happily give this 4 stars for the quirky, likable characters and their adventures - plus an extra star for making me chuckle out loud in parts :-)
This read was a breath of fresh air. Although the cover looks very grim indeed, this was actually a warm, humorous tale about Vikings, social identity, magic and monsters. I happily give this 4 stars for the quirky, likable characters and their adventures - plus an extra star for making me chuckle out loud in parts :-)
September 26, 2018
‘Only the dimmest and dullest adults can’t let themselves be behave like children every now and then.’
⚔️
You Die When You Die by Angus Watson, is the first instalment in the West Of West series. I admit initially I was actually disappointed with this book, but just over halfway through things changed and I was utterly hooked!
⚔️
I expected a very dark, grim and brutal read right from the onset, so when I noticed a very humorous light tone to the book I was really taken aback. As we are introduced to the main character Finnbogi, it’s clear that he provides much of the comedy as he fails at everything he tries to do, and was just completely useless. Another aspect that grated on me was when character’s were introduced with names like ‘Finnboggi the Boggy’, or ‘Freydis the Annoying’ and ‘Ottar the Moaner’; this was just too silly for me. I wanted more of a stabby stabby book, much like the cover teased it would be.
⚔️
Then something clicked and I understood that this was a just humorous viewpoint on seemingly savage isolated Vikings, when in fact they were so much more. The book essentially centres on the group trying to get to safety to ensure the survival of their tribe, and through this we see their true strength and worth. I then relaxed with it, and soon found myself really enjoying the jokes and became invested in the story as it became so action packed; the stabby stabby kind I was looking for! I started to care for the characters, and the last 100 pages were absolutely fantastic, I mean so much was happening! My god that ending saved the whole book for me and I’m really looking forward to reading the next one!
⚔️
You Die When You Die by Angus Watson, is the first instalment in the West Of West series. I admit initially I was actually disappointed with this book, but just over halfway through things changed and I was utterly hooked!
⚔️
I expected a very dark, grim and brutal read right from the onset, so when I noticed a very humorous light tone to the book I was really taken aback. As we are introduced to the main character Finnbogi, it’s clear that he provides much of the comedy as he fails at everything he tries to do, and was just completely useless. Another aspect that grated on me was when character’s were introduced with names like ‘Finnboggi the Boggy’, or ‘Freydis the Annoying’ and ‘Ottar the Moaner’; this was just too silly for me. I wanted more of a stabby stabby book, much like the cover teased it would be.
⚔️
Then something clicked and I understood that this was a just humorous viewpoint on seemingly savage isolated Vikings, when in fact they were so much more. The book essentially centres on the group trying to get to safety to ensure the survival of their tribe, and through this we see their true strength and worth. I then relaxed with it, and soon found myself really enjoying the jokes and became invested in the story as it became so action packed; the stabby stabby kind I was looking for! I started to care for the characters, and the last 100 pages were absolutely fantastic, I mean so much was happening! My god that ending saved the whole book for me and I’m really looking forward to reading the next one!
June 22, 2017
Hardwork doesn’t really live up to its name. It is actually quite an idyllic place to grow up. The villagers lead a cosy life, the local native tribespeople are more than happy to provide them with resources like food. Everything is nice and tranquil up until the point where a group of warriors arrive with the intention of killing every man, woman and child. A massacre ensues, but a small group of Hardworkers manage to escape their gruesome fate. Pursued by the fearsome Owsla*, the elite warriors of the Calnian empire, the villagers run for their lives.
When we first met Finnbogi the Boggy (Finn for short) he is a bit of a mess. He is indecisive and, though he means well, he is more than a little self-absorbed. Forced to flee the only home he has ever known, he finds himself, along with his friends, hunted. As the narrative unfolds, you start to catch glimpses of the man he will become. At heart he is a decent sort, he is just so wrapped up in himself he has a tendency to miss the blindingly obvious. Nobody ever said the hero’s journey was going to be an easy one. I always enjoy when an author pays close attention to their character evolution. Finn starts out almost like a bystander in his own story but as he grows he gets more and more drawn into events.
The other characters are also well realised. One of the little things I really liked is the way Hardworkers are named. It leads to some impressive monikers – Wulf the Fat (he’s not), Keef the Berserker (he is), Sassa Lipchewer (she does), and Freydis the Annoying (she can be) to name but a few. Erik the Angry (he was, not so much anymore) is a personal favourite. The Owsla are great fun too. Sofi Tornado and her elite group of warriors start off as a dark murderous bunch but they also begin to evolve into something else as the plot develops. Once again there are some cracking names Paloma Pronghorns, Chogolisa Earthquake, the list goes on and on. I could explain why they all have such unusual names but really that would spoil the surprise.
The author has taken his inspiration from the indigenous peoples of the American continent as well as the Vikings who journeyed West long before any other Europeans. Much of the story is driven by the culture clash that exists between these two groups. The different tribal cultures are lots of fun. Each group that the Hardworkers meet have their own unique traditions and rules. There is one tribe in particular who have developed a society where swearing is a daily part of their lives. The conversations during this part of the novel are peppered with more f-bombs than I would care to count. It was like being back in Glasgow. There are plenty of drug references as well. All the natives refer to the Hardworkers as the “Mushroom Men” for fairly obvious reasons. What with all this adult content the more delicate amongst you may wish to look away. Perhaps it might be an idea to give the entire book a miss and try something a bit more sedate and genteel? Personally though, I loved every second of it.
The author injects some nice humorous touches into You Die When You Die. I’ve always thought properly judging the right level of comedy to include in a plot must be the most difficult of tasks, but he carries it off with aplomb. Some of the Hardworker’s reactions are priceless. Everyone is terribly polite, even with the prospect of a violent confrontation. Sometimes when you read a novel it is immediately obvious when an author is having a blast with their characters. It becomes swiftly evident that Angus Watson is doing precisely that. This boundless sense of enthusiasm is contagious and makes You Die When You Die such a genuine pleasure to read. Prophecies, chases, foul-mouthed tribal elders, political conspiracies and a warrior with questionable depth perception. I’ll be honest, I don’t think you can beat it. More please, as soon as is humanly possible!
You Die When You Die (West of West book one) is published by Orbit and available from 22nd June. The good news is that a sequel, The Land You Never Leave, will follow. I’m looking forward to it already. Highly recommended.
*No idea if the Owsla are a nod to Richard Adams work. I’d like to think so. They were a pretty ruthless bunch as well if I remember correctly. That is where the comparison ends however. I can categorically confirm the warriors in You Die When You Die are definitely not white supremacist rabbits.
When we first met Finnbogi the Boggy (Finn for short) he is a bit of a mess. He is indecisive and, though he means well, he is more than a little self-absorbed. Forced to flee the only home he has ever known, he finds himself, along with his friends, hunted. As the narrative unfolds, you start to catch glimpses of the man he will become. At heart he is a decent sort, he is just so wrapped up in himself he has a tendency to miss the blindingly obvious. Nobody ever said the hero’s journey was going to be an easy one. I always enjoy when an author pays close attention to their character evolution. Finn starts out almost like a bystander in his own story but as he grows he gets more and more drawn into events.
The other characters are also well realised. One of the little things I really liked is the way Hardworkers are named. It leads to some impressive monikers – Wulf the Fat (he’s not), Keef the Berserker (he is), Sassa Lipchewer (she does), and Freydis the Annoying (she can be) to name but a few. Erik the Angry (he was, not so much anymore) is a personal favourite. The Owsla are great fun too. Sofi Tornado and her elite group of warriors start off as a dark murderous bunch but they also begin to evolve into something else as the plot develops. Once again there are some cracking names Paloma Pronghorns, Chogolisa Earthquake, the list goes on and on. I could explain why they all have such unusual names but really that would spoil the surprise.
The author has taken his inspiration from the indigenous peoples of the American continent as well as the Vikings who journeyed West long before any other Europeans. Much of the story is driven by the culture clash that exists between these two groups. The different tribal cultures are lots of fun. Each group that the Hardworkers meet have their own unique traditions and rules. There is one tribe in particular who have developed a society where swearing is a daily part of their lives. The conversations during this part of the novel are peppered with more f-bombs than I would care to count. It was like being back in Glasgow. There are plenty of drug references as well. All the natives refer to the Hardworkers as the “Mushroom Men” for fairly obvious reasons. What with all this adult content the more delicate amongst you may wish to look away. Perhaps it might be an idea to give the entire book a miss and try something a bit more sedate and genteel? Personally though, I loved every second of it.
The author injects some nice humorous touches into You Die When You Die. I’ve always thought properly judging the right level of comedy to include in a plot must be the most difficult of tasks, but he carries it off with aplomb. Some of the Hardworker’s reactions are priceless. Everyone is terribly polite, even with the prospect of a violent confrontation. Sometimes when you read a novel it is immediately obvious when an author is having a blast with their characters. It becomes swiftly evident that Angus Watson is doing precisely that. This boundless sense of enthusiasm is contagious and makes You Die When You Die such a genuine pleasure to read. Prophecies, chases, foul-mouthed tribal elders, political conspiracies and a warrior with questionable depth perception. I’ll be honest, I don’t think you can beat it. More please, as soon as is humanly possible!
You Die When You Die (West of West book one) is published by Orbit and available from 22nd June. The good news is that a sequel, The Land You Never Leave, will follow. I’m looking forward to it already. Highly recommended.
*No idea if the Owsla are a nod to Richard Adams work. I’d like to think so. They were a pretty ruthless bunch as well if I remember correctly. That is where the comparison ends however. I can categorically confirm the warriors in You Die When You Die are definitely not white supremacist rabbits.
January 30, 2021
Two aspects to the review; primarily the book itself but also my first tussle with Audible!
The story is very clever. It’s inspired by the historically factual Viking settlement on the North American coast around 1000AD but everything else is a witty, magical, imaginative fantasy.
Vikings they may be but after years of isolation and a relatively comfortable life in their New World they’ve become just a little ‘soft’ and now find themselves under threat, for their very existence. The indigenous population with which they normally coexist peacefully are loosely based on Native American tribes, but some magical powers and prophecy in the tribal communities play a big role.
No more on the plot but I found it entertaining and quite different from the run of the mill. I really liked one POV, Finn, who is probably the most useless, non-stereotypical Viking ever written. Maybe the very ending where the nature of the ‘journey’, which has taken a substantial proportion of the book, is suddenly modified in just too much of a surprising direction wasn’t to my liking. Nonetheless the epilogue sounded like #2 is taking a very imaginative turn.
I read the first volume of the author’s Age of Iron, which didn’t quite work for me. I far preferred this. I’m interested to try the next volume after a short break. Four and a bit *.
Finally it was my first run out with Audible and I’m afraid it isn’t to my taste. The narrator seemed good even though his fruity, bass English actor’s voice was perhaps too relaxing and could induce me to doze after lunch! But concentrating on listening isn’t compatible with my reading style which can be stop-start, and I found it harder to resume and pick up the story than for a book (or ebook). So I’ll stick to reading...
The story is very clever. It’s inspired by the historically factual Viking settlement on the North American coast around 1000AD but everything else is a witty, magical, imaginative fantasy.
Vikings they may be but after years of isolation and a relatively comfortable life in their New World they’ve become just a little ‘soft’ and now find themselves under threat, for their very existence. The indigenous population with which they normally coexist peacefully are loosely based on Native American tribes, but some magical powers and prophecy in the tribal communities play a big role.
No more on the plot but I found it entertaining and quite different from the run of the mill. I really liked one POV, Finn, who is probably the most useless, non-stereotypical Viking ever written. Maybe the very ending where the nature of the ‘journey’, which has taken a substantial proportion of the book, is suddenly modified in just too much of a surprising direction wasn’t to my liking. Nonetheless the epilogue sounded like #2 is taking a very imaginative turn.
I read the first volume of the author’s Age of Iron, which didn’t quite work for me. I far preferred this. I’m interested to try the next volume after a short break. Four and a bit *.
Finally it was my first run out with Audible and I’m afraid it isn’t to my taste. The narrator seemed good even though his fruity, bass English actor’s voice was perhaps too relaxing and could induce me to doze after lunch! But concentrating on listening isn’t compatible with my reading style which can be stop-start, and I found it harder to resume and pick up the story than for a book (or ebook). So I’ll stick to reading...
February 20, 2020
More than a historical fiction
I didn't actually read the description of this book before I read it so I had been expecting a Viking historical fiction book. I was wrong in the best possible way. It does have a Viking base but mixed brilliantly with magic, blood sacrifices, crazy beautiful badass superwoman death squads all mixed in with Angus's unmistakable wit which had me snort with laughter a few times. Read this now...
I didn't actually read the description of this book before I read it so I had been expecting a Viking historical fiction book. I was wrong in the best possible way. It does have a Viking base but mixed brilliantly with magic, blood sacrifices, crazy beautiful badass superwoman death squads all mixed in with Angus's unmistakable wit which had me snort with laughter a few times. Read this now...
September 21, 2017
2.5*
Good gory action scenes, good plotting and fast paced writing, however I wasnt overly fond of any of the characters. I also felt there just too many in this gridmark type fantasy novel. The author is known to combine a good amount of humour throughout his novels and dialogue. I just found that it was a little overboard. Maybe I overhyped this one or wasnt in the mood.
Good gory action scenes, good plotting and fast paced writing, however I wasnt overly fond of any of the characters. I also felt there just too many in this gridmark type fantasy novel. The author is known to combine a good amount of humour throughout his novels and dialogue. I just found that it was a little overboard. Maybe I overhyped this one or wasnt in the mood.
October 19, 2017
I did not expect to love this as much as I did. Fast paced and hilarious. SO much love for these characters!! Right, I'm off to buy all the Angus Watson whilst I not so patiently wait for book 2.
June 28, 2019
Having read his Iron Age Age of Iron series which I liked but started to tire of by the end I decided to give Watson another shot. Unfortunately this read as more of the same. I quickly lost interest in the story and couldn't wait for it to be over. It didn't help that this was an audiobook and I don't care for the narrator. If you liked Iron Age and still want to give this a shot I'd suggest reading it not audio.
Read
August 5, 2017this was abso-fucking-lutely fantastic and so bloodthirsty!
every single character has a uniqueness, and strangeness to them, that you sort of appreciate, doesn't matter if you loathed or love them.
from the batshit crazy fight scenes (which were gruesome, I tell you) to the hilarious, this book was something wild.
every single character has a uniqueness, and strangeness to them, that you sort of appreciate, doesn't matter if you loathed or love them.
from the batshit crazy fight scenes (which were gruesome, I tell you) to the hilarious, this book was something wild.
August 15, 2017
Amazing book! A fast paced page turner that is highly entertaining.
August 29, 2018
2.5 Stars
After you finish this book i want you to look closely at the cover, read the top note and also read the blurb again. When you're done sit back and marvel at how well you just got played (i'm not really mad though cos this book cost £0.99) Now if i'd bought the second one for £6.99 best believe i'd be mad pissed.
It's not like this book is horrible and utterly unreadable, it's just incredibly unbelievable that it's lauded as an epic fantasy. I mean this was basically Year One (the Jack Black Movie)but with Vikings (Also aren't people tired of Vikings?). In a movie form you'd probably be like yeah i can roll with the whole silly things but in this book, it gets old FAST.
I'm honestly sure someone lied to Watson and told him he was funny. You get a couple of chuckles here and there but honestly this was trying way too hard, you can read it from the utterly ridiculous names (it was just too much), the description of things
Honestly in this book Angus Watson doesn't shine through as an incredible writer. You start this book thinking you're going to be reading an incredible story of epic proportions with characters of depth as the blurb says battling "animals and monsters, determined assassins, depraved tribes, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfill a prophecy." but what you're given instead is a parody of everything the book tells you it's about and what's worse is that it's not brave enough to tell you exactly what this book is. A parody.
......All in all, if you do decide to read this book, treat it as a parody and you'd probably come out alright. Treat it as a book with a serious themes and character depth and you'll probably come out like me absolutely annoyed as heck that you got taken in by a bad ass cover and blurb.
After you finish this book i want you to look closely at the cover, read the top note and also read the blurb again. When you're done sit back and marvel at how well you just got played (i'm not really mad though cos this book cost £0.99) Now if i'd bought the second one for £6.99 best believe i'd be mad pissed.
It's not like this book is horrible and utterly unreadable, it's just incredibly unbelievable that it's lauded as an epic fantasy. I mean this was basically Year One (the Jack Black Movie)but with Vikings (Also aren't people tired of Vikings?). In a movie form you'd probably be like yeah i can roll with the whole silly things but in this book, it gets old FAST.
I'm honestly sure someone lied to Watson and told him he was funny. You get a couple of chuckles here and there but honestly this was trying way too hard, you can read it from the utterly ridiculous names (it was just too much), the description of things
"The Meadows are perhaps another thousand miles beyond the Shinning Mountains, through the Desert that you don't walk out of"i mean c'mon, really?
Honestly in this book Angus Watson doesn't shine through as an incredible writer. You start this book thinking you're going to be reading an incredible story of epic proportions with characters of depth as the blurb says battling "animals and monsters, determined assassins, depraved tribes, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfill a prophecy." but what you're given instead is a parody of everything the book tells you it's about and what's worse is that it's not brave enough to tell you exactly what this book is. A parody.
......All in all, if you do decide to read this book, treat it as a parody and you'd probably come out alright. Treat it as a book with a serious themes and character depth and you'll probably come out like me absolutely annoyed as heck that you got taken in by a bad ass cover and blurb.
January 21, 2020
This is the alternative-reality story of the Hardworkers, a small clan of Viking descendants in pre-Columbian North America. A mentally-damaged young boy in the clan has a premonition that the village will be attacked and they should head west. When the village is indeed attacked by natives (who themselves had a premonition of these Vikings ending the world), the clan quickly up-sticks and head off.
There follows a brilliant, exciting, funny story of this small clan with mixed abilities (some well trained warriors, some powerful yet cowardly warlocks, some useless wastes of space) travelling across North America, hunted by the magically-enhanced warriors sent to end them, and meeting numerous clans and tribes along the way.
The wonderful merging of plausible pre-history America and a more familiar fantasy setting (prophecies, evil empires, warriors) results in this superb story. The dialogue is witty and funny, the world is familiar yet strange enough to make you think, and the action sequences are fantastically narrated, often from different viewpoints.
The characters are all very well crafted and unique, and their interactions and conflicts really spur this story on.
I would urge anyone keen on fantasy to read this book. While the cover, and title, may suggest it is a brutal slobberknocker of a book, it is actually very clever, funny and thrilling.
I cannot wait to jump in to the next book in this trilogy. Wootah!!!
There follows a brilliant, exciting, funny story of this small clan with mixed abilities (some well trained warriors, some powerful yet cowardly warlocks, some useless wastes of space) travelling across North America, hunted by the magically-enhanced warriors sent to end them, and meeting numerous clans and tribes along the way.
The wonderful merging of plausible pre-history America and a more familiar fantasy setting (prophecies, evil empires, warriors) results in this superb story. The dialogue is witty and funny, the world is familiar yet strange enough to make you think, and the action sequences are fantastically narrated, often from different viewpoints.
The characters are all very well crafted and unique, and their interactions and conflicts really spur this story on.
I would urge anyone keen on fantasy to read this book. While the cover, and title, may suggest it is a brutal slobberknocker of a book, it is actually very clever, funny and thrilling.
I cannot wait to jump in to the next book in this trilogy. Wootah!!!
October 11, 2020
4 Stars
Started slow and I struggled a little at the start but really started to win me over by the end.
Some very interesting world building and some really vivid descriptions of the world around them. It really suits for what is happening and also shows the differences in the many cultures and groups on display here.
The characters took a while to grow on me and I wasn't really connecting with them. Most weren't what I'd call instantly likeable and all had issues that didn't make them appealing.
But that's ok as then the character development was more pronounced and I really like how that was developed. A slow burn with a big punch when you see where they've come from and are going.
They are quite memorable though which in a big character list is really helpful. The names were also very useful for this as they were really easy to remember and to differentiate between.
I loved Sofi Tornado as a character and really liked he steadfastness and resolve as well as her strong leadership but also concern for her team.
I'm very keen though to see Finns arc as I think that will be very interesting.
A very good plot and it has some great action sequences with some really interesting twists and turns. The pacing is really good too. There's also some historical elements and I'm a real sucker for books that have some link to historical events and cultures. It also contains history and culture of a nation I'm not all that familiar with and that's fascinating to me. I also like the juxtaposition of the groups that are portrayed as well.
Overall I'd had this on my TBR pile for a while and decided to give it a go. It was a bit slow but then it really started to develop in every way and I'm glad I kept going.
Very interested to see what happens in book two and might push it forward and read it very soon I think.
Started slow and I struggled a little at the start but really started to win me over by the end.
Some very interesting world building and some really vivid descriptions of the world around them. It really suits for what is happening and also shows the differences in the many cultures and groups on display here.
The characters took a while to grow on me and I wasn't really connecting with them. Most weren't what I'd call instantly likeable and all had issues that didn't make them appealing.
But that's ok as then the character development was more pronounced and I really like how that was developed. A slow burn with a big punch when you see where they've come from and are going.
They are quite memorable though which in a big character list is really helpful. The names were also very useful for this as they were really easy to remember and to differentiate between.
I loved Sofi Tornado as a character and really liked he steadfastness and resolve as well as her strong leadership but also concern for her team.
I'm very keen though to see Finns arc as I think that will be very interesting.
A very good plot and it has some great action sequences with some really interesting twists and turns. The pacing is really good too. There's also some historical elements and I'm a real sucker for books that have some link to historical events and cultures. It also contains history and culture of a nation I'm not all that familiar with and that's fascinating to me. I also like the juxtaposition of the groups that are portrayed as well.
Overall I'd had this on my TBR pile for a while and decided to give it a go. It was a bit slow but then it really started to develop in every way and I'm glad I kept going.
Very interested to see what happens in book two and might push it forward and read it very soon I think.
January 16, 2020
This isn't working for me & yet I don't hate it. There's some good writing. For instance, the queen's feelings of her ungainly size as she nears the end of her pregnancy is wonderful. I wish my wife had put it so well & then her complaints would have at least been amusing.
I just can't get into it because of a lot of small stuff. The narrator isn't my favorite, but he's not terrible. The names are weird & difficult to understand & remember, but not hopelessly so. Mostly, the story just seems rather bloated & obtuse. I don't know why most fantasy authors want to write tomes, especially when the story doesn't support it, but that seems to be the trend. There's a lot of extraneous description in this one & it just keeps the story from progressing.
My library has all 3 of these available plus another duology by this author, so I was hoping I'd like it. Nope. Abandoning.
I just can't get into it because of a lot of small stuff. The narrator isn't my favorite, but he's not terrible. The names are weird & difficult to understand & remember, but not hopelessly so. Mostly, the story just seems rather bloated & obtuse. I don't know why most fantasy authors want to write tomes, especially when the story doesn't support it, but that seems to be the trend. There's a lot of extraneous description in this one & it just keeps the story from progressing.
My library has all 3 of these available plus another duology by this author, so I was hoping I'd like it. Nope. Abandoning.
July 19, 2017
This book, while maintaining Angus Watson's trademark irreverence, comedy and peril, went to a whole new level of imaginative adventure. It felt a bit like the Vinland Sagas, Time Bandits and the works of Roddy Doyle had been put in a liquidiser and then reconstituted by somebody whose sanity should probably be examined by a professional. I confess to being a big fan of Angus Watson's writing, and I think that this is his best book yet. It's set during the time of the first Viking settlements of North America, and imagines what happened in their interaction with the indigenous Americans, known as 'Scraylings'. The basic premise is that the Scraylings have convinced successive generations of the Vikings to stay put in one, idyllic place and be fed and provided with everything they need on the understanding that they would never venture out of their designated area. While most of the Vikings become complacent and lazy, losing all their old skills, some feel restless in their gilded prison. Political unrest amongst different Scrayling tribes, and a terrible vision by their leader, puts the Vikings' cushy lives under threat, and their survival falls into the hands of the most unlikely, and in many cases unlikeable, group of Vikings imaginable.
Watson has a huge array of fantastic characters; some you love to hate, others you hate and grudgingly root for, others are just plain weird (e.g. the tribe of Scraylings who worship Spider Man and Rabbit Boy and joyfully use swear words in place of common adjectives). It's a great quest-based adventure, the fantasy aspect doesn't overwhelm the story (I'm not normally a fantasy person), it's funny but there's real feeling and depth beneath the comedy, and the historical setting has been very thoroughly researched, building a wonderful world to explore. Very much looking forward to the second in the trilogy.
Watson has a huge array of fantastic characters; some you love to hate, others you hate and grudgingly root for, others are just plain weird (e.g. the tribe of Scraylings who worship Spider Man and Rabbit Boy and joyfully use swear words in place of common adjectives). It's a great quest-based adventure, the fantasy aspect doesn't overwhelm the story (I'm not normally a fantasy person), it's funny but there's real feeling and depth beneath the comedy, and the historical setting has been very thoroughly researched, building a wonderful world to explore. Very much looking forward to the second in the trilogy.
November 7, 2017
Loved this book, humerous, dark in places, fast paced and witty. Oh, and the Britishisms (is that a word?) and the part where the wost torture was kept for "murders, child molestors, rapists and those who take offence on behalf of others.." - brilliant!
I have gone straight onto his Age of Iron series because of this, and he has made it in to my coveted 'buy in hardback on pre-release' author list. Well done!
Note: I listed to the audiobook version, was very, very well read!
I have gone straight onto his Age of Iron series because of this, and he has made it in to my coveted 'buy in hardback on pre-release' author list. Well done!
Note: I listed to the audiobook version, was very, very well read!
February 27, 2019
A very nice book, and I was hopping that Angus Watson will create another great trilogy as Iron age was.
I only hope that the other two books will be even better.
Good story, great characters, definitely recommended.
I only hope that the other two books will be even better.
Good story, great characters, definitely recommended.
November 21, 2018
Ehhhh... The humour was alright, but there just wasn't much else here that meshed with me, to be honest. Maybe it would have been better in text rather than audiobook, but I suspect that this one just isn't for me.
October 1, 2017
The humor in this, at times, had me side eyeing, lips pursed into an exasperated straight line, pulled taut with consideration on whether or not I should continue. And yet, before I knew it, I had finished the book and found myself inexplicably on Amazon fully prepared to preorder the next in the series! There were times when scenes had me laughing out loud and sometimes rendered me in a state I could only shake my head! The trip was worth it regardless.
This is a book about a civilization that have been coddled for generations by their rescuers, sitting idle and lazy while virtually everything is provided to them. What happens when their 'keepers' turn on them? Not only that, they turn on them because their leader has a dream that they are fated to destroy the world!
How do a people who have fallen into such a subservient, lazy lifestyle survive the result of such fatal prophecy?
This book has some strong, independent women in it, if that's yer thing! Give it a try.
This is a book about a civilization that have been coddled for generations by their rescuers, sitting idle and lazy while virtually everything is provided to them. What happens when their 'keepers' turn on them? Not only that, they turn on them because their leader has a dream that they are fated to destroy the world!
How do a people who have fallen into such a subservient, lazy lifestyle survive the result of such fatal prophecy?
This book has some strong, independent women in it, if that's yer thing! Give it a try.
October 20, 2017
Buy it, download it, devour it - as I did.
Far too much fantasy recently takes itself far far too seriously but not this one - funny and yet depthful, light and emotive, it is simply a fantastically ripping good yarn, well told, with superbly drawn characters and exceedingly good narration. I stopped listening only for absolutely crucial things like work and sleep :)
To my mind, Angus Watson (particularly twinned with Sean Barrett who really brings the tone and comedy of his writing to life) is one of the very best contemporary fantasy writers, up there with the 'big boys' like Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch and Mark Lawrence.
Can't wait for the next one
Far too much fantasy recently takes itself far far too seriously but not this one - funny and yet depthful, light and emotive, it is simply a fantastically ripping good yarn, well told, with superbly drawn characters and exceedingly good narration. I stopped listening only for absolutely crucial things like work and sleep :)
To my mind, Angus Watson (particularly twinned with Sean Barrett who really brings the tone and comedy of his writing to life) is one of the very best contemporary fantasy writers, up there with the 'big boys' like Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch and Mark Lawrence.
Can't wait for the next one
January 22, 2018
I enjoyed this author's previous books - the Iron Age Trilogy. Naturally, I wanted to check this one out, and I was not disappointed. Using a blend of history and myth, the story is about a group much like the Vikings who have been living near a fresh water lake much like Lake Michigan. They are surrounded by natives like those who existed long ago in America. "much like" is a relative term, though. The characters are wonderful and the story moves along at a good pace. There is some magic involved, and a prophesy of the end of the world. Lots of action - a good read!
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