The Last Man: Final Bout by Sean Williams is a dystopian military novel and the last book of the Last Man trilogy, preceded by book one, The Last Man, and book two, The Last Man: Rise of the Pink Army. The series as a whole revolves around a systemic ideological objective set in motion by a creed of Femtheism; a dogmatic agenda that puts women entirely in charge of every aspect of life globally. The number of men decreases to a minute fractional percentage, and even those who live in this new society do so out of necessity to the women they lawfully serve. War is inevitable, but who leads the charge has been the build-up throughout the first two books as the main protagonist, the hardened Supreme Commander Ian, who has now battled across the globe against the highest order of Femtheists, and forges forward in a final stand for gender survival and unrestricted democracy as the last man.

In a literary world where there are very few fresh takes on ideas, The Last Man series stands out for the ingenuity of the plot by its author Sean Williams and, specifically, in The Last Man: Final Bout. One of the most incredible parts about following a writer from the start of a trilogy to its conclusion is that you really witness the evolution and growth that naturally occurs in their work. I read book one and loved the premise but wasn't entirely sold on the work. I read book two because I really needed to see where it was going, and found the literary aspects elevated immensely. Now in book three, Williams proves that his work is worth believing in as he gives readers a wonderfully immersive world that is almost cinematic in description and dialogue that feels authentic, and breathes life into characters new and old. I enjoyed the first-person point of view and the fact that we are also given a fly-on-the-wall perspective of major Femtheists in the third. Overall, this is a brilliant end to a trilogy that has come a long way and I am so glad I kept reading. Very highly recommended.

The Last Man: Final Bout is the last novel in the Last Man series by Sean Williams. The battle rages on and Ian and his team continue their fight against the tyranny of Femthesim. Ian, Mandy, Lee, and the Pink Army were ready to do whatever it took to turn the tables once and for all. The utter madness created by the new regime needed to be stopped or else there would be nothing left to fight for. Ian knew they had to get Wilma the Wicked out of the way if they wanted this insanity to end. But before that, Ian had to face his biggest nemesis yet, Artemis. She was Ian’s mortal enemy who wanted to end his life, to squash the Pink Army and their rebellion. But time was not on their side. Ian knew they had to take a chance and fight the battle long and hard. They must do it now or else they might not have anything to save.

Author Sean Williams crafted the perfect action thriller with The Last Man: Final Bout. There was non-stop action, plenty of drama, and an intensity level that blew me away. I read the novel in a single sitting. Ian was strong, smart, and very calculating. He knew the risks that were fruitful and those that were not worth it. He valued Mandy’s council and appreciated Lee. He was the perfect protagonist, but more importantly, he was the perfect hero. He was ready to change, adapt, and let others take the lead when he knew he wasn’t enough. I loved the narrative style and how well-paced it was. The heat was on and it was backed by the consistent action in the battle scenes. There was hardly a moment where I felt the story was slowing down or the characters were being cryptic (out of character). It felt as if each moment of the story was carefully crafted, honed, and perfected to offer a gem that would be loved by many.

The Last Man: Final Bout by Sean Williams is the closing novel of the speculative fiction trilogy The Last Man. After the events of The Pink Army and the cliffhanger Williams left readers with, Ian is back and has no reservations about what needs to be done and that he is the man who has the best chance of success in getting it done. The radical form of feminism that the Femtheists fight for is the complete destruction of the patriarchy and the reduction of men to life-sustention. Tension within the Femtheists create fissures where distrust and questions about where the mission is going start filling those voids. Meanwhile, Ian is running out of cards to play and even with catastrophic twists in the Femtheism fight, significant losses and an empty barrel mean Ian and co are on their last leg.

Final Bout is all the best things that the end of a trilogy needs to be and Sean Williams has done his storyline right. I'm not just saying that because I love saying 'Ze Pink Army' and that I now know how to say something kind of naughty in German. It would be easy for a less understanding reader to view the entire series as anti-feminist but that is completely the opposite of what Williams has written. If the women in his books were not completely awesome in their strength, leadership, and intelligence, there would be no such thing as The Pink Army, there would never be a Takeover and Ian would be home with his family enjoying the Super Bowl. Artemis is made of 100% red hot inferno, Mandy is a force to be reckoned with (I dare you to try), and Lee, who is also Asian is in the thick of the final battle. Points of view on both sides strengthen the story and because we are there with the Pirates and the Pink Army, the battle scenes are hair-raising. Those last few pages are a doozie with a definitive winner, but not without cost.

In a dystopian future where men and women are at war, a battle rages between the domineering Femtheists led by the grand Femtheist Wilma who has intentions of controlling the planet and subjugating the male population, and the Pirates, an army of different individuals who prefer the status quo and have banded together to defend their home nations and what is left of the planet. After the disastrous battle that characterized events in London, Ian faces the herculean task of rallying his allies for a daring assault on the American coastline in a battle that will determine the fate of the world. Will he succeed and defeat Wilma and his nemesis Artemis? Or will infighting among his generals lead to their doom? Only time will tell in the final installment of Sean Williams' epic trilogy titled The Last Man.

Once again Sean Williams tests the boundaries of entertaining storytelling with his latest work. The Last Man teases the mind with a storyline that is as intriguing as it is exciting. The concept of a female-dominated planet has been previously explored but Sean Williams' version is probably the most realistic I have come across in a long time. His characters are interesting to follow and their motivations become obvious the moment you can look beyond their outlandish antics. The fight scenes are well detailed as every feint, dodge, and misstep is brought to life courtesy of the use of some very enterprising language. The action is gung-ho from the off and this aids in creating the high-intensity finale that marks the conclusion of the story. Action junkies will easily fall in love with this novel and I dare say the odd romantic as well. The Last Man is a unique novel that I am certain will grow a following of its own in the long run.