Review: Caine’s Law by Matthew Stover

I have raved in the past about the Acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover, so if you have a moment, take the time to read those other reviews.

 

Heroes Die (Act of Violence)

Blade of Tyshalle (Act of War)

Caine Black Knife (Act of Atonement, Book 1)

                     

If you’re not familiar with Matthew Stover and the Acts of Caine series, please at least go back and read the review for Heroes Die. It’s a great start to get a feel for things, though the series really gets going in Blade of Tyshalle (in my opinion anwyway). Because, if you are a fan of epic fantasy, you are doing yourself a huge disservice by not reading these books. Do you like dark fantasy (or gritty/grimdark as it’s being called these days)? This series pre-dates and out does anything you’ll find in grimdark today. Seriously, this series is criminally under-read and I cannot state strongly enough that fans should read it.

 

Caine’s Law (Act of Atonement, Book 2) completes the series in what is the best conclusion to any series I’ve read. Let me say that again…this series has the best ending of any series I’ve read to date. The pure satisfaction of this ending is second-to-none. To give just the slightest hint at this, I will quote the last line of the book/series (now, this is slightly complicated due to non-linear storytelling, but this is essentially the last line).

 

Any fucking questions?

 

Caine is the antihero of antiheroes. He is not nice, he is selfish, he is ambitious, he will sacrifice whatever he needs to, and he will torture and kill without a second thought. But, he’s also the good guy. He is the ultimate take no prisoners, bad ass motherfucker. Caine is someone that you don’t want to mess with – it will end badly, and it will probably end just as badly for everyone you know.

 

And for all that Caine is fiercely protective of his own. Heroes Die is essentially about him saving his wife. Blade of Tyshalle is about him saving his daughter. Caine Black Knife is about Caine coming to terms (of sort) with his past and the wrongs that he has done (and about him saving his brother). Caine’s Law is about him saving everyone else. And it’s way, way more complicated than that.

 

Structurally, Caine’s Knife is a wonderful mess. As I indicated above, it’s nonlinear, but that doesn’t go far enough. It’s metaphysical – similar to what was seen in parts of Blade of Tyshalle, but much, much more. The best way to express this is to quote author’s note.

 

Several parts of this story take place before the events depicted in Act of Atonement Book 1: Caine Black Knife.

 

Other parts of this story take place after. Still others take place before and after both. Some parts may be imaginary, and some were real only temporarily, as they have subsequently unhappened.

 

This book begins with the end and ends with the beginning – framing it as a journey. Perhaps the hero’s journey…only not, because Caine is no hero…except when he is. This only adds another layer to the long list of what this book and series is about. Which is yet another reason to read these books – depth, depth unlike 99% of what’s out there. These books will make you think, they will entertain you, they will make you think about why they entertain you, they will make you lose sleep, and they just might make your language a bit more colorful.  

 

This book, and the series as a whole, are more than just the best, most badass character in fantasy. It’s a book about being human and what it means to be human. It’s a series the darkness of humanity and it’s a series about conquering the darkness. It’s a series about redemption and progress. It’s a series about the horror of oppression – both from government and gods. It’s a series about overcoming that oppression. It’s about love, sacrifice, family, and fatherhood. In short, it’s about progress, it’s about becoming better, and the inner strength of humanity to make it happen – in the face of all the pure evil that’s present as well. And along the way there is both romance, and lots and lots of graphic violence with equally graphic language.

 

It’s really ineloquent and ironic to continually gush my love for this book and series, so I think I’ll pause and to illustrate much of what goes on and what I was attempting to say above, below are a few of the chapter titles for Caine’s Law, in no particular order.

 

Beloved of God

Scars and Scars
What Dreams May Come
Times that Bind
Assbitch of the Gods
Enter Hero
Meat Puppets
Love Absolute
Consider Insanity
Truth to Power
Father Issues
The Art of Unhappening
Fuck God
To the Masters of the Earth
  

Assbitch of the Gods – is there a better chapter title ever? And as I said, it’s only better.

 

Go, read, now. That is all.

 

Any fucking questions?

 

Heroes Die: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

Blade of Tyshalle: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

Caine Black Knife: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

Caine’s Law: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

 

Mini-Review: Caine Black Knife by Matthew Stover

Caine Black Knife is the third book in the Acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover which is one of those series that is criminally under-read. Basically, if you are a fan of fantasy, particularly epic fantasy, then you need to read these books. If you’re not familiar, take a quick moment to read my reviews of Heores Die (Act of Violence) and Blade of Tyshalle (Act of War), not only are they some of my better written reviews but they will hopefully help show why SFF fans should be reading these books.

 

Caine Black Knife picks up a few years after the events in Blade of Tyshalle (a book often lauded as one of the best of epic fantasy, period – though there is a minority disagreement of course). Caine Black Knife tells of Caine’s return to the place where he made his fame on earth and we see through flashbacks the how Caine earned that fame through the slaughter of the Black Knife tribe of ogrilloi and his improbably survival through it all. Over and over again the reader sees that Caine is no hero, he is only good in comparison to how bad others around him are.

 

Caine Black Knife is the first half of Caine: Act of Atonement, Book 1 and you could argue that it’s only the first half of the final book in the series. There is a full story told, but it is clearly the set-up for the book to come. In this respect it’s rather straight-forward and linear in its approach, though few would likely call this a linear book with all the flashbacks and parallel stories.

 

Stover’s writing is supurb. His characters are deeply developed and as conflicted as people in real life – though thankfully much more interesting to actually follow than most people typically are. Stover writes action and fight scenes better than anyone else writing in SFF today and if there existed a photo of Caine, that would be all that is needed for the Wikipedia page for ‘bad-ass’.

 

However, to discount Stover as only the best action/fight writer in SFF is an injustice. Because what makes that writing so good is the way in which he makes it mean something. This book is the first part of Caine’s journey toward atonement. We see the past, we see the present. We see the regret and the non-regret. Everything from sacrifice to parenthood is explored, though underlying it all is the idea of what is good versus what is bad versus what simply is. Caine is good. Caine is bad. And Caine is everything in between. But really, Caine simply is. As fans of this series have come to expect, he kicks major ass, he survives and he continues to surprise any and all who find themselves on the wrong side of Caine’s goals.

 

But Caine Black Knife mostly sets the stage for the Act of Atonement, Book 2: Caine’s Law, the final book in the series. And that book is simply the culmination of all that is Caine and his method of atonement – and that is another story: what Caine will be.

 

Heroes Die: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

Blade of Tyshalle: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

Caine Black Knife: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

Caine’s Law: Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon

 

Review: Blade of Tyshalle by Matthew Woodring Stover

I read fantasy books. While I can write pages about the various reasons and all the great aspects the fantasy genre and many of its talented authors, this isn’t the place for it. Much if that discussion would boil down to escapism and how I interpret its definition. And sometimes with escapism, I just want to read about protagonist who kicks major ass. Matthew Woodring Stover’s character Caine is a classic example of an ass-kciking anti-hero – you don’t mess with Caine – you will die. Your friends and family will probably die too. And try as you will, you won’t be able to kill the guy. Even being paralyzed below the waist isn’t enough to stop Caine from kicking ass.

Think what you will on my maturity for occasionally wanting to read a book like this. And go ahead and make assumptions about Stover’s writing and books in The Acts of Caine series – you’ll probably be wrong (and I’ll go into some of that below). Escapism is often looked down upon and this is can be doubly so when looking at a book of seemingly gratuitous violence and a protagonist who’s most notable characteristic is kicking ass. But it’s all in the execution, and this is where Stover nails it. The writing is intelligent, moralistic, but without apology, and the setting is a perfect blend of science fiction, fantasy and a dystopian future. Characters are believable, flawed, powerful, victims, and survivors in the face of long odds. Acts of incredible caring and sacrifice are contrasted with acts of pure selfishness, with the distinction between the two often blurring until the contrast disappears.

The Acts of Caine is a series that began in the late 1990s with Heroes Die (Act of Violence) (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon, my review), continues with Blade of Tyshalle (Act of War) (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon) in the early 2000s and finishes with Caine Black Knife (Act of Atonement, Book 1) (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon) and Caine’s Law (Act of Atonement, Book 2) (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon). More may be coming in this series, but it’s uncertain. The series is set in a dystopic future of our world where plague wiped out much of the population and allowed the formation a world government based on a strict caste system with the highest casts living in extreme luxury and the lowest as slaves in squalor. A way to send people to an alternate dimension exists – a dimension known as Overworld that is a fantasy world populated by all of the classic fantastic beasts – elves, ogres, goblins, dragons, etc. This connection has been utilized to send actors to Overworld that allow people to see and experience every thought and emotion of the actors as they undertake dangerous (often deadly) adventures through a land of fantasy. Hari Michaelson is the world’s most famous actor, he is Caine, assassin, thief, lover and general bad-ass. Events from Heroes Die left Hari paralyzed and a shell of his former self. In Blade of Tyshalle, Caine returns.

Stover plays a bit with the narrative structure of Blade of Tyshalle, beginning with narration of someone who attended actor training academy with Hari and we see Caine being born through the eyes of someone who had no idea at the time. Then we flash forward to Hari seven years after events of Heroes Die, a Hari who has everything he ever wanted in life – a wife, a child, a relatively high caste position, etc. Of course Hari is miserable, his family is miserable, his job unsatisfying, his only friend is his greatest enemy and he continually questions who really ‘won’ in the events of Heroes Die. Much could be read into this portion of the book – is it commentary on a mid-life crises, the standard American-dream, what is a hero, what is a victory, knowing who you are and who you want to be, the various problems with an autocratic government, etc. The answer is yes and much could be written, but won’t – I encourage you all to read and make your own conclusions. However, the personal aspect of this, the ultimate journey of Hari, of Caine is expressed in sculpture crafted by none other than Caine’s nemesis from Heroes Die, Ma’elKoth – a classic look at a man in the fashion of David.

All of this is told in a compelling manner that makes it near impossible to put the book down. And that is the real key – execution. Stover writes well, very well. Caine is not really a likeable person, yet you can’t help but like him. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that had me so excited about what would happen next. You know that point in a great book or movie when the ‘hero’ reaches that absolute low, when that key realization is made, a decision is made, and you just know that the ‘hero’ is about to rise and all hell is going to break loose? One of the best examples of that moment that I can recall is in Blade of Tyshalle and it was simply brilliant to read all that hell breaking loose.

Through all of this, Stover plays with many of the reader’s expectations. Caine is the classic anti-hero – we want him to win, he’s the good guy. But he’s essentially completely selfish, he solves his problems through violence, he doesn’t much care for collateral damage, etc. And yet he is a good guy – he fights the horrible government, he fights to save lives, he fights for his wife and daughter. But he’s cold. Redemption is not what he wants. He leaves regret behind. Vengeance is attained. And it’s complicated – we see Caine’s origins, we see his present, we see Hari realizing who he is and who Caine is, we see choices made, we see the consequences of those choices. This mess of a character, with no clear or easy conclusions to be made is what keeps Caine real and interesting.

The complexities of Caine further let Stover explore what is evil. Is Caine’s nemisis, Ma’elKoth evil? Is Caine’s former boss in the ‘real’, dystopic world evil? Is the Board of Directors for the network evil? Or is evil more simply and more correctly humanity itself? This blend of good and evil, the blend of science fiction and fantasy, the blurring of hero and anti-hero makes for nuanced reading that serves to reinforce Stover’s writing and the compelling nature of Blade of Tyshalle.

Technically I think that Blade of Tyshalle may fail the Bechdel Test, however this is as misleading as it is telling. There are several women in Blade of Tyshalle and they are generally what you would call strong feminine characters with agency (which seems to be the buzz word of late). However pretty much every female character in this book is a victim, and rape occurs repeatedly – though rape as a physical act is not really there, with the majority of the rapes of this book being a metaphorical act of a forcible removal of choice and extreme mental anguish rather than physical penetration.  So where does this leave Blade of Tyshalle in the sense of the repeated discussions regarding the troubles of portraying women in fantasy? Stover is a male writer. The female characters in this book are victimized and raped. However, the women are strong, have agency, and do not relay on men to save the day. For me, this is an example of where it works, even though this book as a whole could generally be considered one that would appeal more to guys.

This review began with discussion on escapism and books about kicking ass. Then it dove deep into the nuance of complexity and expectation. This is the reader’s journey as they read Stover. Stover’s Acts of Caine do escape and they are in their most simple form, stories about an anti-hero who kicks ass – that guy who can stand up and kick someone in the balls, then kick them again when their down, that guy who threatens and follows up in painfully dramatic fashion, that guy who saves the day then kicks it in face. It’s that person we daydream of being as adolescents (and even grown adults). But Stover shows us the complexity of that guy – the good and the bad. And then he shows us the complexity of good and bad. And then Caine gets mad.  

Simply said – if you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you should read Stover’s books.

Matthew Stover Answers Questions Five

Matthew Stover is at once well-known (he’s been on the NY Times Bestseller list) and obscure in the SFF world. He best known for his novels in the Star Wars Extended Universe and the novel version of Revenge of the Sith (US, UK, Canada) – though his other Star Wars books are often considered among the best out there – Shatterpoint (US, UK, Canada) – my pick for the best Star Wars book – and Traitor (US, UK, Canada). He’s less well-known for his original fiction, which is a real shame. His most prominent books of this kind are his Acts of Caine series, Heroes Die (US, UK, Canada, my review), The Blade of Tyshalle (US, UK, Canada), and the just released Caine Black Knife (US, UK, Canada).

I’m very happy that Matt took the time to answer Questions Five.


What type of protection do you recommend for genre promiscuity?

MWS: Abstinence only.

Would your Caine kill Abel?

MWS: Only if Abel really pissed him off.

The First Murder of Genesis arose, after all, from Cain's wounded vanity (God liked Abel's slaughtered ram more than Cain's harvested grains and veggies -- and who can blame Him?). The guy who spells his name with a final e, however, isn't into that kind of killing. If I may quote t'Passe of Narnen Hill, Overworld's leading expert on Caine:

"You never kill -- nor harm, nor even hurt -- merely to protect your vanity. You never have."

This is not to say that Caine wouldn't kill Abel, you understand. Just that Abel's murder wouldn't have happened over menu choices.

If Caine Black Knife were a fortune cookie, what would its fortune be?

MWS: Be careful what you wish for.

How would you interpret this fortune if were your own?

It is my own. No interpretation necessary. Another way of putting it would be to quote Tan'el Koth (because I disremember who he was quoting when he said it): "When the gods would punish us, they answer our prayers."

Why should Caine Black Knife be the next book that everyone reads?

MWS: It shouldn't. The Acts of Caine is an acquired taste; it's only for people with strong stomachs and high tolerance for moral ambiguity. People who take their violence straight, no chaser. Enjoy in moderation.

Review: Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover

First published in 1998, Heroes Die (US, UK, Canada) and its sequel, The Blade of Tyshalle (US, UK, Canada), by Matthew Woodring Stover are seeing a resurgence in interest on the news of the October 2008 release of a third novel, Caine Black Knife (US, UK, Canada), in what has become known as the Acts of Caine series. Part science fiction and larger part epic fantasy, Heroes Die helped to set the trend for the darker, ‘gritty’ fantasy of today with a wit and skill all too rarely wielded.

In a future of strict social castes and virtual enslavement of the lower classes, Hari Michaelson is the most famous actor in the world and Caine is the character. Entertainment has evolved to more – it now serves as a way for the authoritarian government to placate, rule and distract all levels of society. The means have evolved as well, entertainment is no longer simple images on a screen, but a means for a person to fully experience everything from an actor’s point of view – thoughts, emotions, joy, pain, and the most popular aspect of all, death. The setting has evolved as well – science has discovered ways for people to shift phases from the ‘real’ world to alternative universes – the alternative universe used for entertainment purposes is Overworld and its central city, Ankhana. In Overworld, humans aren’t the only sentient species is a realm where magic is reality – also found are all things mythical – elves, ogres, orcs, dragons, and more.

Hari’s estranged wife, Shanna is the actor known as Pallas Rill – though much less popular. In her latest ‘episode’, Pallas disappears offline in the slums of Ankhana with only days to live before her phase shift expires. The opportunistic studio seizes the chance to for Hari, still in love with his wife, to realize his most popular adventure ever – the quest to kill a virtually indestructible Emperor and save the life of his wife…or die trying. Hari is freed to be Caine, the Blade of Tyshalle and most notorious assassin in the Overworld. Caine is pissed and more aware than ever of control from above and the long odds against his survival and that of his wife.

Hari and Caine together make the perfect anti-hero, a protagonist shaded in gray, likeable yet detestable, and someone who truly kicks ass. Caine is a fully realized character, a character that we see filtered through its creator, Hari. Hari is Caine…Caine is Hari. The blurring lines, the internal conflict, the pain – this is a character driven in a way that’s easy and impossible to relate to. Others in the book serve to support Caine, not as well developed, but they don’t need to be.

This exploration of the hero and anti-hero is wrapped up in a wonderfully realized plot. Hari’s quest in both the real world and Overworld intertwine. The high-octane pace only slows for us to catch our breath as Stover shows how well a fight scene can be executed – probably a result of his own devotion to the martial art of jeet kune do. While we see the plot unwrap largely from the point of view of Caine, details remain hidden and the climax brings it all together in a refreshing (and bloody) way that’s both anticipated and surprising. Caine is not someone to get on the bad side of.

The duel setting also provides a wonderful juxtaposition of two extremes that may be more alike then different. The city of Ankhana is an alien, dangerous, yet slightly familiar setting, though it never attains the level of a functioning character in the book. The vision of the future of our own world is even more disturbing – a rigid caste structure under the total control by the elite. Virtual slavery is the reality and the masses fall in line – it’s a future that hits home because it’s not entirely improbable.

I have been hearing the praises of Heroes Die and The Blade of Tyshalle for nearly 10 years now, and with the coming of Caine Black Knife, the volume has only increased. It was good from the start – however, at 100 pages in I was questioning if its reputation had become over-hyped. By the time I got to the latter half of the book, I wasn’t thinking one bit about the book’s reputation, I was completely absorbed and enthralled with Caine. Combine that with the thoroughly satisfying ending and the result is a book that is not over-hyped at all, but deservedly considered a must-read for fans of SFF. 8.5/10

Related Posts: Interview with Matthew Stover