When we last left Marion "Mops" Adamopoulos and her crew of sanitation workers, they had discovered exactly what had caused the human population to turn into the feral beasts they primarily are now. When that knowledge spread to the rest of the known galaxy, it sent shockwaves through the Krakau Alliance. As it turns out, the apparently benevolent Krakau weren't just trying to cure humans out of the kindness of their tentacles, but are doing so because they bear at least some responsibility for the state of Earth.
Now, with the Krakau Alliance starting to crumble and the Pufferfish declaring themselves part of the newly established Earth Defense Fleet, you would think Mops and her crew are safe and sound. That would be the case, if it weren't for the Prodryan empire and their desire to destroy all non-Prodryan life. These insectoid aliens are bent on destroying everything, and with the Krakau Alliance at a weak point, they have decided to strike, and of course, Earth is their next target.
Mops and her crew have learned about a strange planet, Tuxatl, that, for whatever reason, has kept the Prodryan's at bay. There is something about the planet or its inhabitants that is resisting the alien race so much that there is a quarantine zone around the planet and the Prodryans refuse to go anywhere near it. So naturally, the Pufferfish must investigate and learn what secrets this planet is hiding.
While getting through the Prodryan blockade is a task all on its own, when the Pufferfish does manage to get in orbit over Tuxatl, they find that the crew will have to split up. Kumar, Grom, Vera Rubin, Azure and a Krakau engineer named Johnny B. Goode will remain onboard and do whatever is necessary in order to keep the enemy fleet at bay. Meanwhile, Mops, Doc, Monroe, the unmodified human Gabe and the Prodryan lawyer Advocate of Violence (or "Cate" as the crew calls him) head planetside to conduct their investigation.
While all of this is happening, Mops finds herself facing a personal dilemma. It seems her cured state is failing and it won't be long before she regresses back to being a feral human. As she struggles to keep on mission, she can't help but notice an increase in her own aggression. Mops works to push through these growing issues for the sake of not only her crew, but for Earth itself. While reading this book, I kept reminding myself that Terminal Peace is the last installment in the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse series, and anything could happen. Given the wit and humor of the series though, it seemed likely the series wouldn't wrap up on a low note, but really, anything can happen as a story comes to an end.
Terminal Peace: Book Three of the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse was written after the unfortunate passing of Hines' wife. Personally, this reviewer's heart goes out to him and his family. The humor Hines brings to his books is unique and quirky. That being said, it wasn't nearly as prevalent in Terminal Peace as it was in the previous two books. But that is quite understandable, and considering that some of the topics touched on in this final book, having a slightly more somber tone than the others isn't a bad thing at all. I didn't realize the trauma his family underwent before writing this book until it was expressed in the Afterword, but even while reading the book, I didn't have a problem with the toned down nature of the story. It felt appropriate.
Terminal Peace: Book Three of the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse caps off what is a fun and interesting trilogy. The story and universe explored are worth jumping into, and I wouldn't mind at all if Hines finds a way to come back to this universe and explore some other characters and their journeys within it.
