Reviewed by Jessica Barbosa for Readers' Favorite

The Century's Last Word by Brendan Walsh is book two of A Fantastic Decade series. In Dreden, Chanin, and Gerrika’s hometown of Kroonsaed, the trio was surprised by men who attacked them with mysterious weapons called “guns”. This strange encounter leads them away from their homes and families to Brunswald where they try to uncover the truth about their attackers. Along the way they discover the mystery of Kroonsaed but to solve it, they need to find out how their home became the Deadlands. It is not that easy being in a foreign world surrounded by new people; it creates a rift in the relationship of these three friends. Though they are willing to put aside their problems for the sake of solving their current mystery, they still find themselves helpless and hesitant about what to do. Trouble looms on the horizon and Dreden and his friends need all the help they can get to survive.

Brendan Walsh has created a very intriguing and promising premise with this series. The Century’s Last Word continues the story from The Century’s Scribe and takes us deeper into the secret, lost history between the two worlds. Reading the Final Testaments of Mickeel Rippler Jowns really sets the foundation of this book’s plot and gives depth to the story. I was fascinated and horrified by Jowns’ brilliance and inhumanity as I read the large, messy group of notebooks that make up his Final Testaments with Prime Minister Charles. Walsh has created such a complex, psychotic character that left a deep impression on me. Dreden, Chanin, and Gerrika are another set of characters that have carried out this book’s plot brilliantly. The three of them are far from home and from their worried families, meeting new people who turned out to be more disappointing than they initially thought. Their struggles and stress in the new environment manifest in anger toward each other and it strains their friendship. Seeing their frustrations with one another and with themselves gives the story an emotional depth that has me emotionally invested in their reconciliation and continued friendship.

Aside from the exceptional characters, the plot is also something I was excited to follow through to the end. It was evenly paced and not rushed, allowing me to fully enjoy every character’s point of view and flashbacks, thus making the story more enjoyable to read. Overall, Brendan Walsh has skillfully weaved an extraordinary, exciting universe with equally complex and distinctive characters that truly brought this story to its full potential.