Customer Reviews

Deathstalker Honor

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

You might think that, after some 2100 pages, Simon R. Green's Deathstalker series would have begun losing steam. As Deathstalker Honor opens, the rebellion against the Empire is the stuff of history and the war to overthrow Empress Lionstone XIV has been won. Our heroes have done the impossible: slaughtered an amazing array of enemies all over the galaxy, seen the brutal murder of what must be billions of people on planets stretching from the homeworld of Golgotha to the planets on the outer rim, been changed into something more than human by a mysterious alien Maze, and become legendary heroes whose exploits are already shown in holovideos to a fascinated public. Remarkably, however, this series seems to just keep getting better. It turns out that winning the war was the easy part; winning the peace is something else entirely. It's not just a matter of organizing a new government among a group of contentious power players interested only in acquiring power and money for themselves; there's also a little matter concerning several alien races moving in to attack the Empire while it is all but prostrate and vulnerable.

The gang's still here, though: Owen Deathstalker, the reluctant warrior who oversaw the defeat of imperial power; Hazel D'Ark, the former clonelegger and extremely successful lady at Owen's side, always ready to spill the blood of the guilty; Jack Random, the legendary rebel leader of old who saw his forgotten dreams of revolutionary success come true after teaming up with the Deathstalker; and Ruby Journey, bounty hunter extraordinaire and Random's right-hand woman of mass death and justice. Even Tobias Moon, the Hadenman who sacrificed everything to free his entombed brethren from their tombs on the Wolfling World, returns for this thrilling ride. These are the heroes who go where they are needed to do the things no one else could possibly do. On Virimonde, the planet which once called Deathstalker lord but has since been all but destroyed by Imperial forces, the notorious Valentine Wolfe, the most-wanted man in the new empire, is up to no good. On Brahmin II, the Hadenmen have imprisoned the human population and begun turning them into augmented men like themselves. On the inhospitable mining planet Loki, old rebels have rebelled anew against a corrupt new government and have made a desperate and wholly unforgivable move to elicit the aid of the rogue AI of Shub, mankind's most dangerous known enemy. And on Lachrymae Christi, a leper planet no one likes to talk about, the Hadenmen have attacked in large numbers for no discernible reason. At home on Golgotha, little has really changed, as the aristocratic families, rebel interests, and generally greedy, power-hungry men jockey for position in a generally ineffective, temporary Parliament. I can tell you that a few scores are settled right here and now.

There is a ton of great action in this novel, and there is no shortage of shocking surprises either - some wonderful characters don't survive the events detailed herein. Great and troubling mysteries and questions shout out for answers but are eventually subsumed - for now - by the individual missions involving our heroes. Even with their Maze-given special powers, the likes of Owen Deathstalker continually find themselves facing incredibly horrible odds of survival as they work to clean up some of the mess of an empire in tatters. Shub, the Hadenmen, and supercharged alien insects - any one of these enemies poses a daunting threat to the weakened Empire, and now not just one but all three of them are on their way. An even more frightening and potentially superior enemy exists out beyond the rim, in the Darkvoid where it was thought no form of life could possibly survive.

Deathstalker Honor kept my eyes glued to the pages, more anxious than ever to follow the exploits of Deathstalker and his select group of revolutionary allies. Each character is given additional room to grow here, and we begin to see some of what is behind the tough exterior masks they wear. Even as they continue to fear that their Maze-given powers are robbing them of more and more of their humanity, we the reader begin to penetrate their emotional defenses in powerful new ways. We also get a good look at the AI of Shub for the first time and learn just enough to heighten our interest and anxiety over the unknown enemies lying within the eternal darkness of the Darkvoid.

A heavy dose of fun, space-opera fighting still provides the humming engine of the storyline, but a new emphasis on the human element makes this the most captivating read of the first four Deathstalker novels. There is also a new and effective twist at the end; unlike its predecessors, this novel ends on a major cliff-hanger that is sure to drive Deathstalker fans in droves to Deathstalker Destiny, the fifth and final book in the life and times of Owen Deathstalker.

The first three books of the Deathstalker Saga, while a little "loose" in the writing, presented some interesting characters whose exploits are followed in this the 4th of 5 books in the series. In book 4 Green handles the question of what happens to our heroes now that the war is over and the Empire has to reqbuild. The resulting political conflicts are a nice touch and give the book a little more depth than some of the previous war/violence plot lines.

However it feels as though Green has written himself into a corner with the Madness Maze characters. Often it seems as though they've become the "Swiss-army tool" of conflict resolution. One can only read about incredible odds and circumstances being overcome by these "greater-than-human" characters so often before it becomes old hat. While some near death situations are thrown in to give the reader the possibility of losing a main character, I wasn't fooled into thinking they wouldn't come out on top. Just a little too neat.

But, of course, I'll buy book 5 and read it because I need my fix.

As an ardent fan of the Deathstalker saga, I feel that I can be somewhat critical about Deathstalker:Honor. I was actually surprised to hear that he was continuing the series but who am I to complain. I love Owen,Hazel and everybody in the series but I am getting tired of how indestructible these folks are!! Owen has been crushed to a pulp and still comes back for seconds!! That is a quibble complaint. All in all I felt that this book was filler for the upcoming book. I might be suffering from a case of over expectantcy . Deathstalker fans won't be disappointed. This book has all the makings. Huge walls, TRULY alien races,nonstop battles and impossible feats of strength and power. I loved the 2 alternates of Hazel. 2 words-totally wierd. The sisters of glory were fun and i can't wait for Owen to finally blow his cool and kill some politician. The sarcastic humor is ever present and you will read the book multiple times just becase it is soo much fun. if you feel differently, let me know but don't swear at me. I said what i felt.

I read the first three Deathstalker books and thought I should read this one. Deathstalker was fascinating, a great read. Then came Deathstalker rebellion - not quite as good, but still pretty good. Then Deathstalker War. Ick. And now this volume.

This book is huge and desperately bad. Far too sloppy, careless and worthy of ignoring. This book simply did not work. It needed two things: the patience of a good editor and the attention of the author. Can anyone say REWRITE?

This book was a perfect example of cut and paste. The computer remembers the last phrase you cut, so it just keeps sticking it in. Phrases keep repeating - "The human body couldn't take this much power. He was killing himself and didn't care." And after reading this book, I don't care either.

The empress is dead, the war is won, and Owen Deathstalker wants a little peace. Unfortunately, there are about half a dozen major forces, ranging from aliens to corrupt lords, who simply won't let peace reign. So the war continues, as Owen Deathstalker tries to settle the universe once and for all. The series continues its winding way through its abundance of aliens and other threats, seemingly getting no closer to finishing, despite the fact that there have been almost 2,000 pages so far. I'm still enjoying the books, as I space them out to about one a month, and use them to wipe my palate clean between more serious reading. The fourth in the series is still great escapist fun, and I'm willing to go on to the fifth Deathstalker novel(and last, or so we've been promised) in the series. There are some minor attempts to discuss the nature of humanity and some moral quandaries, but all these are papered over rapidly with more blood and violence. You want serious moral discussions, go read Orson Scott Card. You want shoot-em-up space opera, read Simon Green.

I was introduced to Owen Deathstalker and his... associates by a friend.That was six months ago and since then I have read every instalment,of Simon R.Green's thrilling series,at least five times.The fourth title in the series,"Deastalker:Honour",was the only book I read for about three weeks.I read it perhaps four times in those three weeks during coffee breaks and lunch times and I can safely say that I have a problem with this fantastic series. Thank you...Simon R.Green!!!

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 Honor is the fourth in a series of five, and starts to deal with the complexities of running an empire. The characters continue to get more complicated; the story continues to get mroe complex, and the series as a whole just gets better.

As Supreme Overlord of my planet I must say that the Deathstalker Saga was a great influence on how I act. That is all.

This is a cool book. I love Green's work. I just wish he would hurry up on the next one. He left me on a cliff hanger at the end of this one.

I have read many of his books, but this oine is the best. It is full of exciting events, subtle intrigue, and other things that make his books so good. His flamboyant style appeals to me, as does his plot. Buy it. Read it. You'll love it!