Bestseller Green's latest overstuffed entry in his Deathstalker epic (after 2003's Deathstalker Legacy
) tests our heroes to the limit as they seek the supposedly dead Owen Deathstalker, for they believe that only he can turn back the oncoming Terror, an evil and unstoppable force bent on destroying all the worlds in its path. Lewis Deathstalker, descendant of the Beloved Owen, on the lam with his renegade companions, runs into adventure after adventure as he seeks Owen on a variety of planets. Their archenemy, former Paragon Finn Durandal, dogs them every step of the way as he seizes power, overthrows King Douglas and dismantles the Golden Age that Owen helped create 200 years earlier. Others seek to overthrow the nasty Durandal, including the enigmatic robots of Shub, Douglas (who's not the broken man he appears to be), Paragon Emma Steel and Steel's unlikely ally, gun-toting girl reporter Nina Malapert. Green ably juggles elements of sword and sorcery, high fantasy, humorous quest and SF, with homages to authors such as Moorcock, Adams, Cordwainer Smith and Zelazny. Amazing coincidences, or the sudden appearance of powerful, supposedly long-dead heroes who give advice, save the day a few too many times, blunting the impact of the characters' actions, but it's a fun, twisty romp with surprises around every corner. (Jan. 6)
