So far, this is one of my favorites in the Deathstalker series. 200 years of a Golden Age have gone by, bought by what Owen and the other Maze heroes did. The true story of the rebellion was erased by the first new King and Queen, who chose to build their Golden Age on legends, rather than people. Douglas Campbell reluctantly becomes the most recent king and triggers the end of that age by choosing Lewis Deathstalker to be his Champion. A jealous paragon immediately begins to plot to bring the Empire down, which turns out to be frighteningly easy. Seems an empire built on illusions is like a house built on sand. The Terror, predicted by Owen 200 years ago, has arrived, and once again a Deathstalker is called by duty to save Humanity.

Green makes fantastic use of the original Deathstalker series as a rich background for this new story. Readers will feel the thrilling sense that they know things about the past that the main characters do not. It is very satisfying to see how much Owen is admired for all he accomplished, disappointing to see how he had to be simplified for public consumption, and heartbreaking to see how other heroes of that age were erased altogether. Lewis is a great new Deathstalker character (love his "ugly face"), and there is a tense sense of anticipation to see if he will find the truth, meet up with any of the old heroes or reveal any of the hidden identities that surround him. I love the theme of the importance of truth. It may have been easier to build a golden age on simplified legends, but the truth will out, and every kindly-meant lie places a seed of rot which can be exploited by those who find their age not so golden after all. And in the end, the truth of Owen Deathstalker and his heroic companions is far more compelling than the legend. It's so fun to watch Lewis seek out the parts we already know and hope he'll answer the pieces we don't! ( )