Deathstalker Coda - Hardcover

Green, Simon R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0451460111 ISBN 13: 9780451460110

Publisher: Ace, 2005

Synopsis

The Deathstalker series reaches its exciting conclusion in New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green’s adventurous novel of a galaxy in chaos...

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...

About this title

About the Author

Simon R. Green is the New York Times bestselling author of the Secret Histories series, the novels of the Nightside, the Ghost Finders series, and the Deathstalker series. He lives in England.

Reviews

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.
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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
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Ace
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0451460111
• ISBN 13: 9780451460110
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384