English language
Published Feb. 24, 2012 by Del Rey/Ballantine Books.
"From the moment Caine first appeared in the pages of Heroes Die, two things were clear. First, that Matthew Stover was one of the most gifted fantasy writers of his generation. And second, that Caine was a hero whose peers go by such names as Conan and Elric. Like them, Caine was something new: a civilized man who embraced savagery, an actor whose life was a lie, a force of destruction so potent that even gods thought twice about crossing him. Now Stover brings back his greatest creation for his most stunning performance yet. Caine is washed up and hung out to dry, a crippled husk kept isolated and restrained by the studio that exploited him. Now they have dragged him back for one last deal. But Caine has other plans. Those plans take him back to Overworld, the alternate reality where gods are real and magic is the ultimate …
"From the moment Caine first appeared in the pages of Heroes Die, two things were clear. First, that Matthew Stover was one of the most gifted fantasy writers of his generation. And second, that Caine was a hero whose peers go by such names as Conan and Elric. Like them, Caine was something new: a civilized man who embraced savagery, an actor whose life was a lie, a force of destruction so potent that even gods thought twice about crossing him. Now Stover brings back his greatest creation for his most stunning performance yet. Caine is washed up and hung out to dry, a crippled husk kept isolated and restrained by the studio that exploited him. Now they have dragged him back for one last deal. But Caine has other plans. Those plans take him back to Overworld, the alternate reality where gods are real and magic is the ultimate weapon. There, in a violent odyssey through time and space, Caine will face the demons of his past, find true love, and just possibly destroy the universe. Hey, it's a crappy job, but somebody's got to do it"--
I liked it. More than I did the previous one, or even two. It does kind of tie everything up together though, so I don't suppose it would have been as good without them.
As what will probably be the final book in the series, what could easily have been a bittersweet book (by any standards) ends up being a surprisingly heartwarming affair.
... Of course, seeing as this is a book about Caine by Matthew Stover, one must remember that everything is relative. One of the most heartwarming and tender moments of the entire series is framed with the story of a person who suffered even more than Hari/Caine.
Caine's Law continues the non-linear approach from Caine Black Knife, but cranks it up to 11 with at least five different threads (and a few one or two chapter fibres) that don't necessarily converge (There is a reason that the most used phrase in the book is "It's complicated").
Does Caine's Law provide true closure to the story we have read over the years? No, there are lot's of unresolved issues at the end …
As what will probably be the final book in the series, what could easily have been a bittersweet book (by any standards) ends up being a surprisingly heartwarming affair.
... Of course, seeing as this is a book about Caine by Matthew Stover, one must remember that everything is relative. One of the most heartwarming and tender moments of the entire series is framed with the story of a person who suffered even more than Hari/Caine.
Caine's Law continues the non-linear approach from Caine Black Knife, but cranks it up to 11 with at least five different threads (and a few one or two chapter fibres) that don't necessarily converge (There is a reason that the most used phrase in the book is "It's complicated").
Does Caine's Law provide true closure to the story we have read over the years? No, there are lot's of unresolved issues at the end of the book. And that's okay. Because this isn't a series about Home or Earth/Hell. This isn't even a series about the adventures of Caine.
This is a series about Hari/Caine/Fist/Shade himself, and Caine's Law definitely resolves that. Hari/Caine/Fist/Shade, and the reader, finally understand him, as much as anyone could.
And bonus points for managing to introduce a character who is even better at the Role of Caine (as of Heroes Die) than Caine himself was.
