In Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle, Matthew Stover created a new kind of fantasy novel, and a new kind of hero to go with it: Caine, a street thug...
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Sep 23, 2010
Ethan
rated it: 
Quite a letdown for me. I love Stover's stuff. My problems, in a nutshell, are as follows:
- the overuse of the first person: Caine is a much better badass in third person, and we really need the distance and the mystery, which is taken away in the 1st person perspective
- problems with how the "adventure" portion is handled (it is portrayed as a cube, or maybe as a first-hander experience, but the internal "thoughts" of the main character seem out of place More...
- the overuse of the first person: Caine is a much better badass in third person, and we really need the distance and the mystery, which is taken away in the 1st person perspective
- problems with how the "adventure" portion is handled (it is portrayed as a cube, or maybe as a first-hander experience, but the internal "thoughts" of the main character seem out of place More...
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May 08, 2009
Clay
rated it: 
“Caine Black Knife” (Del Rey, $14, 368 pages) is the third book in a series Matthew Stover began in 1998. Caine is far from heroic, and admits he’s cruel, dishonest, loves pain and really wants to die. Stover gives Caine plenty of time to indulge in the agony he so adores, and the book is full of violence and gore at a level that normally I can’t deal with.
But I vaguely remembered liking the first two books, and so I gave “Caine Black Knife” a chance – and again, I was horrifyingly at More...
But I vaguely remembered liking the first two books, and so I gave “Caine Black Knife” a chance – and again, I was horrifyingly at More...
Feb 19, 2011
Lurple
rated it:
Stover's Heroes Die is an excellent- if brutal and rather vulgar- book. Unfortunately the series takes a downhill turn from there; I didn't like Blade of Tyshalle at all.
The third book snaps back and forth between the present and the adventure that originally made Caine a superstar. Neither one is fully satisfying, although it's an improvement on Blade of Tyshalle. Unfortunately it also ends halfway through the story, so you'll be waiting for book #4 to find out how it ends.
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The third book snaps back and forth between the present and the adventure that originally made Caine a superstar. Neither one is fully satisfying, although it's an improvement on Blade of Tyshalle. Unfortunately it also ends halfway through the story, so you'll be waiting for book #4 to find out how it ends.
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Nov 22, 2008
Reed
rated it:
I was one of those few that read and absolutely loved Stover's first Caine novel, Heroes Die--great, great stuff full of attitude, ultra-violence, and a most memorable main character. Sadly, it was a novel that did not reach a larger, well-deserved audience. When the sequel Blade of Tyshalle came out, I was ecstatic to return to this most unique of worlds.
It was a long, long time until Stover returned once again to the adventures of Caine. Was it worth the wait? Well, yes and no. More...
It was a long, long time until Stover returned once again to the adventures of Caine. Was it worth the wait? Well, yes and no. More...
Jul 26, 2011
Nicholas
rated it: 
The third book in Stover's "Acts of Caine" series continues to impress. Unlike the first two books, which told complete stories, this one ends in a bit of a cliffhanger (which will be resolved in book 4, Caine's Law).
The book interweaves two stories. One picks up the story of Caine from a couple of years after the events of book 2 (Blade of Tyshalle). The other tells the tale of an adventure from Caine's past - a story that has been referred to several times in the first 2 More...
The book interweaves two stories. One picks up the story of Caine from a couple of years after the events of book 2 (Blade of Tyshalle). The other tells the tale of an adventure from Caine's past - a story that has been referred to several times in the first 2 More...
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Feb 07, 2011
Chris
rated it: 
Fantastic. The third Act of Caine contains two intertwining narratives: one replays the events from Retreat From the Boedecken, the Adventure that launched Caine's career 25 years ago and made him a star. The other plotline revolves around Caine returning to the Boedecken, three years after events from the previous book. There's a couple of mysteries rolling around, involving Caine's adopted brother Orbek, something called the Smoke Hunt, and a gate back to Earth. Unlike earlier volumes, this bo
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Apr 25, 2009
Aaron
rated it:
What a wild ride the imaginings of Stover are.
Although this book is very, very different than the others in the Acts of Caine, it retains all the power that Stover has always wielded as an author. More than its brutal action and intense dialogue, however, it Stover's continued application of high-literature concepts to his fantasy that raises it above the rest, whether it be references to Heart of Darkness (and the narrator/protagonist's chilling interpretation of the work) or lines More...
Although this book is very, very different than the others in the Acts of Caine, it retains all the power that Stover has always wielded as an author. More than its brutal action and intense dialogue, however, it Stover's continued application of high-literature concepts to his fantasy that raises it above the rest, whether it be references to Heart of Darkness (and the narrator/protagonist's chilling interpretation of the work) or lines More...
Jun 04, 2011
Mike
rated it:
Of the first three "Caine / Overworld" books, i think Caine Black Knife is the best composition although I was sad and a bit put off to find there is a fourth as yet unpublished volume. "Heros Die!" is great romping introduction to the Caine story, fit for that element in us that says "Aw Cool!" when playing blast-em-to-bits video games. As a fist book in the series it can stand on its own. For the fan, the second in the series is a good, interting story arc with c
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Jan 23, 2012
Roger
rated it:
This book (3rd in the series) was more enjoyable than "Blade of Tyshalle" (book #2) but less enjoyable than "Heroes Die" (book 1). This book is a prequel to the first two, allowing the reader to experience the adventure that made Caine a star. I eagerly look forward to book 4 "Caine's Law" coming out in the near future.
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May 07, 2009
Alpha
rated it:
The first book was by far the best, but I enjoyed Caine Black Knife more than Blade of Tyshalle. The plot is simpler, and it's nice to get both more advancing of the present day story while reading about the adventure that made him Caine.
Sep 13, 2010
J.
rated it:
Stover knows this character and his voice cold. I read this a while ago, so I can't remember too much beyond enjoying it (while being aware of the over-the-top nature of the prose), but I just wandered over to mwstover.com, where the other has occasionally been offering "Caine on Combat" tactical tips.
e.g.,
"The best way to hit someone is by surprise. The best way to surprise someone is to hit him before he knows you’re there. Second best is to hit him befor More...
e.g.,
"The best way to hit someone is by surprise. The best way to surprise someone is to hit him before he knows you’re there. Second best is to hit him befor More...
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Sep 13, 2009
Nathan
rated it:
Not as philosophical as the first two, but still a balls-out read. Reminds me of Richard K Morgan: ultraviolent but with smarts. If you haven't read "Heroes Die" and "Blade of Tyshalle", please do so now. LOVED them.
Apr 27, 2009
Craig
rated it:
Is it great lit? Nope. Is it a great read? Yup. 3rd Caine book by Stover. Stover has a clean writing style that I initially confused with simplistic. Stover always surprises me in his Caine books. The action and violence is over the top. The self-hate of Caine is pretty unmatchable, even by Thomas Covenant.
The blend of contemporary, fantasy and science fiction is interesting.
Language, Adult Situations, etc....
The blend of contemporary, fantasy and science fiction is interesting.
Language, Adult Situations, etc....
Jan 22, 2010
Chad
rated it:
Love the imagination and atmosphere. Wish the book was longer with less time between each. Main character is the best antihero. I may have to name my first born after him. Hah
Dec 27, 2009
Ryan
rated it:
Wonderful, the only negative thing I can say about this book is the face that it ends and I have to wait for the next one.
Apr 08, 2009
Max
rated it:
This man can write. I can't say whether this is the best sword/sorcery novel of all time, but it's easily the best I've read.
Sep 16, 2011
Tom
rated it:
After loving the first two books I thought this one was dull and way too gratuitous with the sex/violence/unpleasantness. I loved Caine/Hari/Shade/whatever in the first two books but I found him obnoxious here. Almost a self-parody. The story was really uninteresting to me for most of the book. Then the last couple dozen pages really picked up, but the book ends abruptly in the middle of the story. I'm really looking forward to the next one, because suddenly I'm interested in the direction of th
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Aug 24, 2011
Craig
rated it:
Good stuff - really good stuff - but I really wanted more than half a story. So when's the second half coming out...?
Jul 18, 2008
Liviu
rated it:
The best fantasy novel of 2008 till now for me. The power of the first two Caine novels in a tight, well honed, no words wasted package. Not for the squeamish since it's even more graphic than the first 2, it follows Caine's adventures in 2 threads, one in the past detailing his first famous adventure that made his name, second in the present picking up some pieces of that original 25 years ago adventure.
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Aug 17, 2010
Shanna
rated it:
Not as strong as the first 2, but it sets up the 4th book and still is action-packed enough to get through. I didn't like how the dull chapters were pretty much all the ones that took place in the present. I can understand it was the setup for what was going on with him, but I could have done without all the filler. Knowing that this ones mostly has to do with his past would have sufficed.
Dec 22, 2010
Chris
rated it:
This book is not as grand in scope as the others in the Acts of Caine, but it still packs a serious punch and gives great insight into Caine's past and what made him who he is. It has a pseudo-cliffhanger ending that left me dying for Part II of the Act of Atonement.
Sep 27, 2011
Fred
rated it:
Dude. This was an amazing book. I love Caine. He is one of the best characters in modern fantasy. He is the bad guy that you love and the good guy that you hate. I can't even decide if he is good or bad and this was the third book!
Jul 02, 2010
Stephen
rated it:
4.5 stars. The Caine/Hari Michaelson books are some of the best SF/Fantasy books that have ever been written. Not quite as good as the previous two entries but still incredibly entertaining. Highly recommended!!
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Dec 20, 2011
Jeremy
rated it:
Another grisly fantasy, this one more focused on the sword-and-sorcery and less of the high-tech distopia, but it's clearly the first half of a novel and the latter half will probably flip the balance.
Jun 19, 2011
James
rated it:
Well, it's not as epic as its predecessors...but still a fun read in a familiar world. I refuse to do book spoilers, just trust me and pick it up!
Feb 06, 2012
