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Average customer rating:

This book just plain reeked.
All good things must end, even the wildest space opera ride of all time
Surprise, probability fluctuates!
5 Stars for a Space Opera
The unfortunate conclusion

Deathstalker Coda
Simon R. Green
Manufacturer: Roc Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Deathstalker Return (Roc Science Fiction)
Deathstalker Legacy (Owen Deathstalker)
Deathstalker Destiny (Owen Deathstalker)
Deathstalker War (Deathstalker)
Deathstalker Rebellion (Deathstalker)

ASIN: 0451460111

Book Description

As foretold, Owen Deathstalker has returned to save the Empire from the mysterious entity known as the Terror-leaving his descendant Lewis with the task of leading an army against the legions of the madman who has usurped the throne.

Customer Reviews:

This book just plain reeked........2006-12-31

I am sorry I bought it. This book was horrible, from beginning to end. It was nothing more then a rehash of the first books and provided nothing original at all. I am embarrassed to even claim to have read it. I hope Mr. Green, who has written some very fine pieces of science fiction, goes back to the drawing board and figures out what to do with his career. If no one will buy any of his books unless the word, "Deathstalker" is in the title, then I feel for him, because he is a much better author then he let on in this book or the two that proceeded it.

All good things must end, even the wildest space opera ride of all time.......2006-08-12

After seven previous novels totaling thousands of pages, two intergalactic revolutions, the deaths of billions of people across a vast spectrum of home worlds, the apocalyptic threat of two all-but-unstoppable alien forces, and heaven only knows how many humorous remarks by a succession of over-the-top characters, the Deathstalker saga finally comes to an end, I am sad to report, in Deathstalker Coda. I'm hoping Simon R. Green will pull another Deathstalker rabbit out of his hat at some point, but it really looks like Deathstalker Coda brings one of the most frolicking space opera series of all time to its completion. It should come as no surprise when I suggest to you that you shouldn't start your Deathstalker journey here - at a minimum, you should first read Deathstalker Legacy and Deathstalker Return because those two novels chronicle the final chapter in the life of the universe's greatest hero. For the full back-story to the climactic events of Deathstalker Coda, however, you really should read all of the Deathstalker novels. I promise it won't hurt a bit, as they are all incredibly entertaining and quite addictive.

As this novel opens, more than two centuries have passed since Owen Deathstalker, quiet historian turned intergalactic hero, and his band of unforgettable rebels overthrew the despicable Empress Lionstone XIV, stopped the galaxy-destroying power of a mysterious alien force called The Revenant, and ushered in (after a lot more fighting) a new era of peace throughout the galaxy. The golden age ended, however, when the power-hungry Finn Durandal betrayed basically everyone and usurped the throne from the rightful King Douglas. (One thing that has not changed over the years, however, is the Deathstalker luck, as Owen's ancestor Lewis has been branded an outlaw after running off with Douglas' beautiful fiancée.) Under Durandal's capriciously iron rule, the worlds' enforcers of justice have been decimated, and billions of citizens once again suffer under the megalomaniacal despotism of a royal fiend. And that's not even the bad news. All of these woes tend to pale in comparison to the approaching threat of the Terror, a destructive, world-eating force that dwarfs even the unparalleled horrors of The Revenant. Since Owen's disappearance two centuries earlier, legend has said that the Deathstalker would return when his people desperately needed him. It seemed pretty unlikely to those of us who witnessed his death, but return he has - just in time to get the shock of his life (upon learning just who and what the Terror really is).

There is no shortage of heroes and fiends in the world of the Deathstalker, and virtually every single character is larger than life. This is space opera pushed to its extremes, which makes for a wild and bloody ride all the way to the very end. I must admit, however, that there's a sort of a dual nature to this story. On the one hand, you have Lewis Deathstalker and his allies fighting to overthrow self-proclaimed emperor Finn Durandal, while on the other hand you have Owen Deathstalker setting out alone to stop the threat of The Terror. These two narrative streams don't truly flow together until the very end, which makes this novel a little less enjoyable than Green's earlier efforts, but the conclusion really does tie everything together nicely. Those who have read the first five novels know that the end of that original series lacked a sense of closure, with the fates of two beloved characters ringing a little less than true. With Deathstalker Coda, that sense of closure is finally achieved, making for a conclusion that does not disappoint the devoted Deathstalker fan.

Green's ability to keep so many characters and so much history straight across such an extensive, action-packed series is an achievement in and of itself, as is his remarkable ability to keep the story moving at a brisk pace with nary a moment to rest along the way. Owen's story in its totality requires quite a commitment from the reader, but all the thousands of pages making up the complete saga seem far too few for those of us who would love to see the Deathstalker story go on indefinitely. It's been an extended adrenaline rush, as I can honestly say I've never enjoyed a series as much as I have flat-out enjoyed every single minute of the Deathstalker saga. Owen, you will be missed - but you will certainly never be forgotten.

Surprise, probability fluctuates!.......2006-08-08

Okay! I have finished Deathstalker Coda and thus the series! Some would call the series Space Opera. I would call it a philosophical saga cloaked in Sci-Fi garments with the strategy of getting the reader to self-probe and grow. I believe that (hopefully)the author has desired us to focus on philosophical problems and possible methods of approach through uncommonly interesting and intelligible renditions of absurd and base human nature. I mean of course, (heh) I can't really imagine a brilliant writer like Green gleefully pounding out seven complex volumes about copious blood-spilling for the heck of it. And perhaps there is a thread of a possibility that his tales are written from his own spiritual remembrance. If so, wittingly or unwittingly, he has exposed the past and present results of humanity's animalistic behavior gone wild.
In the middle of "Coda" I had the sad realization that Green was really describing humanity today and how it hasn't really changed for ages and how humanity needs to change from the worst to the best like the AIs of Shub did. (All life is Holy.) Deathstalker tries to show us hope, even if his luck is bad, all bad. The Deathstalker knows that humanity exhibits absurd logic, no certainty, and no thought for an uplifting future except for the sleepy desire for say, the next piece of chocolate cake. But,in the end,The Deathstalker invites us to transcend the lower games so we are not the willing victims of `probability fluctuations'. Good one, Simon.

5 Stars for a Space Opera.......2006-07-22

Simon R. Green returns to the rich, vibrant universe he created for the Deathstalker series. In this book, the seventh book in the series, Green leaves behind the characters which he worked very hard to create for the first six books to focus on their successors. If you enjoy space operas, this is one of the finest. Complex charater motivation is played out across a galaxy Green has populated with science fiction horrors and wonders. While there are many factions and characters, this book (and series) never becomes difficult to follow. Mind-candy at its most delicious.

The unfortunate conclusion.......2006-07-11

I have read the entire series... and while I have been used the occasional bad bit of writing and plot tie ups in the series ( usually only in sections of a book ) I was very saddened to see that almost the entire book was cliched and ( I really hate to say this ) badly written. Dialogue between characters was weak almost as if I was reading a rough draft. And it appeared that the writer was just trying to finish the book with as few loose ends as possible.

I almost really hope that Mr. Green did not write this book but someone else finished it for him, it would explain many of the amauterish mistakes I would catch.

Simon R. Green's books are among my many favorite's. I still reread the fist Deathstalker book and Blue Moon Rising. The Hawk and Fisher series is excellent light reading. I am just sad to see such a conclusion to a story that swept me up in its mythos and took me along for a ride.

Average customer rating:

Deathstalker Coda
Simon R. Green
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ (ORIO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GZ9D8Y

Average customer rating:

Deathstalker Coda
Simon R Green
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ (ORIO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GSMVCQ

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