This is it. After eight books and millions of words, the Deathstalker saga at long last draws to a close in Deathstalker Coda. Thanks to the efforts of Paragon-turned-Emperor Finn Durandal, the Golden Age that came about through Owen Deathstalker’s sacrifice two centuries ago is over, drowned in a sea of blood and immolated in the fires of hatred. The Paragons themselves, one-time champions of the Empire, now exist as meat puppets for the terrifying uber-Espers, psychic creatures of unholy power. Worst of all, the Terror, ancient enemy of all that lives, is approaching the capital plan of Logres, slowly and inexorably destroying all in its path.

All hope is not lost. Lewis Deathstalker, last of his family, his lover Jesamine Flowers, the con man Brett Random, and the legendary killer Rose Constantine have united in an effort to stop Finn Durandal and restore order to the Empire. To do that, they’ll need to make strange allies and raise an army — humanity’s last army, perhaps — and embrace the powers given to them by the Madness Maze. This is an effort which will either kill them, or transform them beyond their darkest fantasies.

Meanwhile, the resurrected Owen Deathstalker has his own mission: to travel back in time and prevent his former lover, Hazel D’Arc, from undergoing the Madness Maze-fueled transformation into the Terror. His journey will take him through time and space, following her trail back to where it all began, once upon a time, in a place lost to legend and myth. Along the way, he’ll unravel some of the greatest mysteries of all time, and set events into motion that will affect his family, and the entire human race, for millennia to come. Everything will come full circle as once and for all, the story of the Deathstalkers is tied together.

This is it. Heroes will rise and fall, villains will unleash their last desperate schemes, secrets will be revealed, the curtain drawn back to reveal the man behind the machine, and humanity will live or die based on the actions of a few dynamic individuals. 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, even the kitchen sink. If you’ve been reading all along, this book has a few Easter eggs, and a few rewards in store for you. If you haven’t been reading… well, start at the beginning, because otherwise, it won’t make as much sense out of context. The Deathstalker Saga is space opera to the extreme as only Simon R. Green can do it. Intense, unique, and addictive, it’s everything George Lucas wishes his work could be, if he had an unlimited budget and the peculiar creativity I’ve come to associate with British writers. I love Green’s work, and I can’t recommend this book enough, provided you’ve already read, at the very least, the books immediately preceding it, Deathstalker Legacy and Deathstalker Return. Taken as one epic storyline, they really do tell a massive tale that ties together in a neat little knot at the end, and they should be read as such. Go on, check it out. As for myself, I’ll be trying to mentally convince Hollywood to option Green’s works for the big screen. I think they’d work well as a serial….

Originally posted on SF Site, 2005