Series: Book 8 in the Deathstalker series
Rating: ****
Tags: EN-SciFi, Lang:en
Summary
“Deathstalker Coda is the latest, last, and possibly
even the best installment of Simon R. Green’s sprawling
space opera, a story overflowing with over-the-top action,
memorable characters, bizarre twists, unexpected revelations,
monumental battles, huge armies, and visceral fight scenes.
From the noblest of heroes to the vilest of villains, from
the basest of con men to the deadliest of killers, from the
most inscrutable of aliens to the nastiest of surprises, this
book has it all.”—
SF Site
More than two centuries ago, angry and grief-stricken
after losing Owen Deathstalker, Hazel d’Ark entered the
Madness Maze—which fed off her raw emotions and
transformed her into The Terror, a force capable of devouring
galaxies. To stop her, the recently resurrected Owen must use
the powers he gained during his own stay in the Madness
Maze—and go back in time to prevent Hazel’s
transformation. Now, without Owen to guide him, Lewis Deathstalker has no
choice but to assume command of an Imperial fleet loyal to
the Deathstalker legacy and lead it to victory over Finn
Durandal, the despot who seized the throne. Lewis knows that
he has been branded a traitor by the Empire. But when he
learns that Finn has executed his entire family, his mission
to overthrow his former friend’s tyranny is secondary
to his desire for revenge... Bestseller Green's wild conclusion to his Deathstalker
saga picks up moments after the cliffhanger ending of
Deathstalker Return (2004). Unjustly outlawed Lewis
Deathstalker has just brought his ancestor Owen back from the
dead to battle the multidimensional, planet-devouring Terror.
Meanwhile, Lewis himself tries to assemble and lead a space
fleet against the vile minions of usurper Emperor Finn
Durandal. In addition, in chapters interrupting Owen's
pursuit through time and Lewis's jaunts through space, former
Emperor Douglass Campbell must pull himself together to
mastermind a rebellion in Finn's capital city. This listing
of major plot threads doesn't begin to suggest the full
story's feverish complexity. Fortunately, when the stage gets
too crowded, the author kills off a few supporting
characters, not to mention millions of faceless extras. In
some ways, this SF novel resembles mid-grade anime—much
better on explosions and mortal combat than characterization;
however, it does tie up the series' loose ends coherently.
Moreover, even if the major characters
are legends, larger and stranger than lifesize,
Green's ingenuity and sarcastic prose style keep readers from
getting grossed out by the bloodshed or bored by tired space
opera theatrics. He knows the action is so far over the top
that it almost slips into farce, but he usually manages to
keep his balance, arms waving frantically, right on the edge.
The apparent conclusion to a long-running series involves
not one but two Deathstalkers. Owen Deathstalker discovers
that his true love, Hazel d'Ark, is actually that great
stalking menace, the Terror. So he has to enter the Madness
Maze again to go back in time and prevent the experiences of
two centuries ago that turned her into the Terror--a task
fraught with no little difficulty, not to mention a great
deal of suspense. Meanwhile, Lewis Deathstalker faces his own
dilemma, and without his mentor, Owen, to help him resolve
it. Emperor Finn Durandal slaughters Lewis' whole family,
putting him on a vengeance-driven quest for Finn's blood.
This kind of quest is never as easy as a would-be avenger
thinks when he sets out, and Lewis Deathstalker's experiences
prove no exception to the rule. To the very end, the saga
chugs along at the same high level it maintained before, with
action, characterization, and ethical dilemmas all balanced
and mingled in a way to keep readers turning pages.
Roland Green
From Publishers Weekly
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