Deathstalker War (Owen Deathstalker, Vol. 3)

The seeds of rebellion have been sown, and now - in the third volume chronicling the life and times of Owen Deathstalker - the war finally begins. Deathstalker War is the strongest book in the series thus far, mixing in incredible action and excitement, shocking secrets and betrayals, human drama of the deepest kind, and some completely unexpected subplots. This is just good, old-fashioned space opera. As in the previous two books, Green does let elements of redundancy slip in from time to time, and the big finish is stretched out so much as to be a tad farcical, but this is still a gripping, wonderfully entertaining read. Before the rebels actually go to war themselves, the war comes to them. On the home world of Golgotha, Empress Lionstone XIV is ravenously eager to put a stop to all the rebel foolishness and make plenty of examples of those who would defy her. Both sides know that four planets will basically determine the victor - Mistworld, refuge of bounty hunters and those who have fallen out of imperial favor , safe haven of espers and clones, and rebel stronghold; Shannon's World, once the ultimate pleasure world but now wrapped in mystery and known as Haceldama, the Field of Blood; Virimonde, an agricultural planet where the Deathstalker (now Owen's nephew) is lord; and of course Golgotha, seat of the imperial government. The war begins on Mistworld, where Owen Deathstalker, Hazel D'Ark, and a young version of legendary rebel Jack Random, have gone to win the support of the Mistport Council. Aided by a fiendishly dangerous secret weapon called Legion, Empire forces manage to land in force on the planet without detection. The result is war at its ugliest, as Mistworld fights against overwhelming odds for its very survival. They forevermore have a war on this planet, going at it hand-to-hand in the streets, while blood flows in the gutters and men have to climb over dead bodies to advance from one enemy to the next. Then the scene shifts to Shannon's World, where Finlay Campbell, Evangeline Shreck, Giles Deathstalker (the original Deathstalker, who has emerged from 943 years in stasis), and the esper Julian Skye seek to penetrate the mystery that has swallowed up all the imperial soldiers sent to penetrate its silent depths and - most importantly - "rescue" a brilliant imperial tactician who crashed there some time earlier. After the bloody free-for-all of Mistworld's war, the adventure on Shannon's World could not have come as more of a surprise. I won't even dare describe it here - except to say that Green is a remarkably brave author. What initially seems unbelievably silly ends up being the most emotionally compelling section of the book. Owen's nephew David, accompanied by his friend Kid Death, has set up shop on Virimonde, the planet Owen escaped from when he was outlawed by the Empress. The two young friends ignore their rebel commitments and basically just go about having all the fun they can possibly have on this

Perhaps not a genuine conclusion but at least the war is over - or is it? Green has written an enjoyable escapest swashbuckling/fantasy/SciFi series that is just good old fashioned entertainment. Worth the read and the wait because unlike all too many other writers I never got the feel that Green was drawing out the series to enhance his bank account. The plot proceeds at a good pace and the action is almost non-stop.

Space opera doesn't get any better than this. With his grand, sweeping style, his memorable characters, his complex and involving storyline, his suspenseful and riveting action sequences, and his absolute mastery of the art of drama, Simon R. Green has truly shaped a masterpiece of modern fiction. Deathstalker War is the third in a series of five, and ends the original war, though it leaves quite enough loose ends for future books. A reader could stop with this book, but who would want to?

Another winner for Mr. Green. If you enjoy reading long, involved stories that literally cover thousands of pages and many hours of reading, then get ready for a pleasurable read. The works of Simon Green are excellent. The reader is caught up and hurled into the future with spell binding, page turning intensity. Get the first one in the series and then read, read, read.