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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Excrement, Medical trauma
Minor: Homophobia
Plot hinges around internalized ableism and Caine/Hari learning to use magic to reverse his paraplegia so long as he's in the Overworld .
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved the first book, but this one is much weaker - it gets a 3 star rating instead of 2 star, just because I liked Caine and Kris Hanson. It starts out well, but then it just spirals down into the ridiculous and unbelievable. The last 40% of the book is especially bad. It's mostly filled with metaphysical and philosophical nonsense, and you will have no idea what is going on half the time. Everyone is living inside someone else's body. Everyone is literally crawling around in shit and their legs are rotting off - the gruesome details get to be really tedious. Suddenly everyone has godlike powers, people that are dead come back to life, plus . This one is so different from the first book, you won't even recognize it. I'm going to read the next book, just because I already bought it, and hope that it returns to the form of the first book instead of the deus ex machina word vomit of this book.
Spoiler
Caine, can suddenly not only walk, but run and fight
warning: Spoilers ahead.
As I read the book, I was struck by how many recent SciFi movies have dealt with similar themes.
Like the Matrix: we are introduced to a sentient entity which controls humanity. The difference here is that instead of an alien, the entity is just a manifestation of our greed and the damage we are doing to the planet.
Like Avatar, here too, Earth has run out of resources and enterprising corporations decide to start mining other planets: displacing its current inhabitants for profit. In this case, they first cause a plague which they then use as an excuse to send in 'aid'.
The book begins 7 years after the events of the first. Hari is no longer the assassin Caine. He has been tamed by the Studio with a job and promises of safety from persecution for his father and a future for his child.
On discovering a plot to infect a plague on Overworld, he acts quickly: publicizing the event without overtly mentioning the Studio as its cause and dispatching his wife (who can commune with a river God) to fashion a cure.
His enemies decide to use the opportunity to break him and in a quick succession of events: take away everything: his job, father & child. He finds himself on Overworld- a cripple- being used as bait to kill his wife before she can cure the plague.
The good:
A 'larger' plot than the first - Caine is no longer fighting for his own future but that of an entire planet.
Imaginative writing: you are given several glimpses of Caine's progression: from a troubled teen to the man, from Caine to dejected and resentful Hari and his evolution thereafter.
The author delves deeper into philosophy and religion than you would expect in such a book. Caine often finds himself arguing against 'Cainists': followers of what they believe is his philosophy.
The Bad:
As in the last book, the violence is too gruesome in places. The pace at times seemed too slow. Even though reading SciFi involves suspending disbelief, some parts still seemed too improbable. When reading a book which relies on suspense, I would rather read one which gives me all the clues and puts them together cleverly at the end than one which introduces clues after the climax.
Recommended for SciFi and action fans who don't mind heavy dozes of gore and philosophy.
As I read the book, I was struck by how many recent SciFi movies have dealt with similar themes.
Like the Matrix: we are introduced to a sentient entity which controls humanity. The difference here is that instead of an alien, the entity is just a manifestation of our greed and the damage we are doing to the planet.
Like Avatar, here too, Earth has run out of resources and enterprising corporations decide to start mining other planets: displacing its current inhabitants for profit. In this case, they first cause a plague which they then use as an excuse to send in 'aid'.
The book begins 7 years after the events of the first. Hari is no longer the assassin Caine. He has been tamed by the Studio with a job and promises of safety from persecution for his father and a future for his child.
On discovering a plot to infect a plague on Overworld, he acts quickly: publicizing the event without overtly mentioning the Studio as its cause and dispatching his wife (who can commune with a river God) to fashion a cure.
His enemies decide to use the opportunity to break him and in a quick succession of events: take away everything: his job, father & child. He finds himself on Overworld- a cripple- being used as bait to kill his wife before she can cure the plague.
The good:
A 'larger' plot than the first - Caine is no longer fighting for his own future but that of an entire planet.
Imaginative writing: you are given several glimpses of Caine's progression: from a troubled teen to the man, from Caine to dejected and resentful Hari and his evolution thereafter.
The author delves deeper into philosophy and religion than you would expect in such a book. Caine often finds himself arguing against 'Cainists': followers of what they believe is his philosophy.
The Bad:
As in the last book, the violence is too gruesome in places. The pace at times seemed too slow. Even though reading SciFi involves suspending disbelief, some parts still seemed too improbable. When reading a book which relies on suspense, I would rather read one which gives me all the clues and puts them together cleverly at the end than one which introduces clues after the climax.
Recommended for SciFi and action fans who don't mind heavy dozes of gore and philosophy.
SUPER GRAPHIC. Don't read this if you have a squeamish stomach! It's really gross at times. But it is a good story. Great to continue to follow Caine. Some parts are really messed up though...
A proper review to arrive soon...
This is easily my book of the year so far.
Acts of Caine became even more than what already was - the series is unbelievably underrated. Stover went above and beyond om themes and even philosophy here. The tone also feels different, but better.
Loved seeing the change of direction.
Onto the next one.
This is easily my book of the year so far.
Acts of Caine became even more than what already was - the series is unbelievably underrated. Stover went above and beyond om themes and even philosophy here. The tone also feels different, but better.
Loved seeing the change of direction.
Onto the next one.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
*********** trigger warning for extreme violence and unnecessary rape
Even with the triggers, uuuugh, this is my favorite type of book! It's very quotable and filled with philosophical debates about many things of our society that are wholly questionable. Many questions were brought up that I have myself considered! It was nice to hear it reflected in text.
The main character is gruff and dirty, bad mannered and filled with curse words. Just like me LOL
These books are a happy mesh of scifi and fantasy that works so well!!
It's a tale about what happens at the end of the heroes journey, when he thinks all that is before him is the happiness and stability that he'd been seeking all along. Or was he???
It's based on the concept of Earthlings finding a way to transfer onto another world to use the people for their own entertainment purposes. Broadcasting what happens within the vicinity of the new world to their own people, a real life reality show with the unsuspecting victims. The best part is the other world is pretty much how every fantasy world is envisioned!!
The main character has succeeded in what he set out to do, he became a star, he won the girl, he settles in for a peaceful transition into real life.
But the world doesn't stop. There are always things at play and victory doesn't always mean peace.
Even with the triggers, uuuugh, this is my favorite type of book! It's very quotable and filled with philosophical debates about many things of our society that are wholly questionable. Many questions were brought up that I have myself considered! It was nice to hear it reflected in text.
The main character is gruff and dirty, bad mannered and filled with curse words. Just like me LOL
These books are a happy mesh of scifi and fantasy that works so well!!
It's a tale about what happens at the end of the heroes journey, when he thinks all that is before him is the happiness and stability that he'd been seeking all along. Or was he???
It's based on the concept of Earthlings finding a way to transfer onto another world to use the people for their own entertainment purposes. Broadcasting what happens within the vicinity of the new world to their own people, a real life reality show with the unsuspecting victims. The best part is the other world is pretty much how every fantasy world is envisioned!!
The main character has succeeded in what he set out to do, he became a star, he won the girl, he settles in for a peaceful transition into real life.
But the world doesn't stop. There are always things at play and victory doesn't always mean peace.
Not as good as book #1 "Heroes Die", which was a VERY fun book to read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unfortunately, I struggled with this one. While this isn't a bad book, it's so much different than the first one. Where the first one was mostly straightforward with its plot and storytelling, this one is much more philosophical. While that's not necessarily a bad thing sometimes, here it feels like it needs to be refined more.
The book started off promising enough. I liked the idea of Hari now being a chairman and Tan'elKoth learning to live on Earth. However, once the plot goes back to Overworld, the metaphysical gets turned up to 11. I'm still not sure exactly how the Blind God works or even what Tan'elKoth's goal was besides getting back to Overworld. I had to re-read several passages just to try and sort out what was going on, and more than once I lost track of if what was happening was occurring on Earth or Overworld.
I still enjoy the overall story being told, and the ending here definitely has me interested in reading the next book. I just hope the series goes back to more like book 1 instead of continuing what happened here.
The book started off promising enough. I liked the idea of Hari now being a chairman and Tan'elKoth learning to live on Earth. However, once the plot goes back to Overworld, the metaphysical gets turned up to 11. I'm still not sure exactly how the Blind God works or even what Tan'elKoth's goal was besides getting back to Overworld. I had to re-read several passages just to try and sort out what was going on, and more than once I lost track of if what was happening was occurring on Earth or Overworld.
I still enjoy the overall story being told, and the ending here definitely has me interested in reading the next book. I just hope the series goes back to more like book 1 instead of continuing what happened here.