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Deathstalker Legacy by Simon R. Green
01/01/2007 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
Pub: Gollancz. 504 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-575-07452-3. Buy Deathstalker Legacy in the USA - or Buy Deathstalker Legacy in the UK  check out website: www.orionbooks.co.uk
Simon R. Green's 'Deathstalker' series has been a rather prolific one for the New York Times best-seller list. Following the success of his first book in the adventures of Owen Deathstalker and his descendents, 'Deathstalker Legacy' becomes the 7th novel in the sequence, including the prequel 'Twilight Of The Empire'.
It is 200 years after Owen Deathstalker's great victories over the evil Empress Lionstone. The galaxy has enjoyed a golden age under the rule of a line of kings but when the young heir Douglas Campbell takes the throne, all hell breaks loose.
Lewis Deathstalker and Douglas are paragons defending the galaxy as well as best friends. When Douglas ascends the throne, he chooses Lewis as his champion. Finn Durandal, another paragon with eyes on the position, takes offence at this snub and becomes determined to destroy Douglas' Empire. When both Douglas and Lewis have eyes for the new queen-to-be, Jesamine Flowers, court politics gets very complicated indeed.
Deathstalker luck is famously bad and all the many factions of the Empire begin to unravel as the forces that have held them together for 200 years are weakened from within. Lewis and his companions are forced on the run, outlawed like his predecessor.
Simon R. Green writes pure space opera, full of humour, political intrigue and grand bloody battles. These books are cleverly funny and he piles on the problems for his protagonists. The characters are larger than life, grimly witty and hard as nails.
Everything is ridiculously over the top, with psychics, clones, aliens and space flight offered up without any explanations for how they work. But then that isn't what 'Deathstalker' is about. This is escapism, pure and simple, like 'Star Wars' before it.
The writing is enjoyable and frenetic and even the grimmest of situations has a good dollop of humour to help keep it engaging. The imagination of the world is fun if a little lurid and the story itself rolls along at a good pace.
My real criticism is that Green doesn't take himself seriously enough. Granted this isn't expected to be realistic but occasionally it gets so lacking in grounding that it feels more like fantasy and a little more science in this fiction wouldn't go amiss.
Having said that, 'Deathstalker Legacy' does as it sets out to do. It entertains and does it very well. From start to finish, this is a fun book and will keep the reader engaged with plenty of action and plenty of laughs. If you're just looking to switch off and immerse yourself in something outside of the real world, this is a good way to do it.
Tomas L. Martin
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