Deathstalker Coda – Simon R. Green (Deathstalker, Book 7)

Title: Deathstalker Coda

Series: Deathstalker, Book 8

Author: Simon R. Green

Genre: Science Fiction

Well, this is it, the end of the Deathstalker epic, which has spanned over seven other books, which you really must read to fully appreciate the conclusion to this novel. I would go the length of saying that if you haven’t read any of the others, you really are wasting your time and, in fact, doing yourself a disfavor by reading this one.

Green brings it all together here. Owen Deathstalker has discovered that his love, Hazel d’Ark is actually the Terror which has destroyed an entire other galaxy in her grief at the (obviously immature) news of his death and is now devouring humanity’s galaxy one system at a time. Lewis finally has an army he can return home to Logres to defeat Finn and put his best friend Douglas back on the throne.

And that barely touches all that really goes on in this brilliant conclusion to such an exciting series. I must say that I was more than pleased with the way Green tied up all the loose ends – with the exception of the final conclusion for Owen and Hazel. In retrospect, I can see how he (Green) had been moving towards this from the end of the first series, but the whole idea of a circular connection between all that happened is quite illogical – it bears no initiating action. The concept of as the end is being reached the beginning is made possible, and then the conclusion of that end being the beginning of everything…well, it really was quite anti-climatic for me. Though I will admit that Green handled it much more maturely than many other authors have. Time travel and its consequences are very hard to handle logically.

That said I still greatly enjoyed the book, and if the latter statements of that last paragraph made no sense to you, don’t sweat it, if you read the series and then this final book you’ll understand what I was trying to describe without giving anything away. Enjoy!

Worldview: Secular

Recommended Age: Definitely late High School or college age.