bookrev: This Day All Gods Die: The Gap Into Ruin by Stephen R. Donaldson
Fifth and final book in the Gap Series
This concluding book brings all the players in the saga together on or around Earth, where the political and personal manipulations conclude in individual and mass space battles. The ending (spoilers below) is satisfying without being Disney-esque.
At the end of book 4, Morn and company aboard Trumpet had escaped the Amnion defensive battle cruiser Calm Horizons, the mercenary Free Lunch and Sorus by launching a singularity grenade (re: black hole in a box) that Angus detonated while attached to the outside of Trumpet. The black hole sucked Free Lunch into it. Soar (captained by Sorus) turned against the Amnion and Calm Horizons destroyed them (after Sorus had already shot and killed Nick, one of our main three players on Trumpet). The UMCP cruiser Punisher was also fighting Calm Horizons (whose incursion into human space was an act of war), but broke off to chase the fleeing Trumpet.
On Earth, Warden Dios was continuing his subversion of Holt Fasner, CEO of the UMC (and basically ruler of the world) through the GCES (Governing Council of Earth and Space).
Morn allows Min Donner aboard Pursuit to catch up to them, tethers Trumpet to Punisher and assumes command of the ship (ultimately with Donner’s blessing). They head for Earth.
The Amnion warship Calm Horizons has also decided to head for Earth, since Trumpet carries secrets such as an anti-mutagen, knowledge of the Amnion’s near lightspeed technology, and Hyland Davies, Morn’s force grown son who is unique in several ways (and they want to study him like a lab rat).
Trumpet, Calm Horizons and Dios’ manipulation of the council all arrive at the same time, sparking the final confrontations: humans vs. Amnions; Holt Fasner vs. Warden Dios; Morn’s struggles vs. herself and Angus; and Angus’ struggle against his cyborg programming and against his mean and nasty past.
Donaldson keeps the characters true to who they are (except for Angus, who has a sudden shift in personality that is vague explained) and keeps the action moving. A quick read for a 700+ page novel.
I highly recommend this series for those who enjoy space opera, political intrigue, well written characters and a quick paced novel.