Heroes Die: Book 1 of The Acts of Caine
May 2013 · Hachette UK
3.8star
93 reviewsreport
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384
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About this ebook
Two worlds. One killer.
Renowned throughout the land of Ankhana, the assassin Caine has killed his share of monarchs and commoners, villains and heroes. He is relentless, unstoppable, the best at what he does.
At home in the real world, Caine is Hari Michaelson, a superstar whose adventures in Ankhana command an audience of billions. Yet he's shackled by a rigid caste society, bound to ignore the grim fact that he kills men on a far-off world for the entertainment of his own planet.
But now Michaelson has crossed the line. His estranged wife has disappeared in the slums of Ankhana. To save her, he must confront the greatest challenge of his life: a lethal game of cat and mouse with the most treacherous rulers of two worlds.
Welcome to the world of Caine: Assassin. Hero. Superstar . . .
From a New York Times bestselling author comes the start of a gritty action fantasy series like no other - perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Brent Weeks, Mark Lawrence and the Assassin's Creed novels.
'A gritty, bloody, deeply touching work of genius' - Scott Lynch
'Hands down one of the most bad-ass, brutal - and brilliant - fantasy series of the last double-decade. You know this if you're already reading it. If you're not already reading it, then good lord, it's time you found out - John Scalzi
'If you like really really gritty, dark fantasy like George RR Martin, Richard Morgan (Takashi Kovaks books) or ESPECIALLY Joe Abercrombie, you should get this book' - Felicia Day
Renowned throughout the land of Ankhana, the assassin Caine has killed his share of monarchs and commoners, villains and heroes. He is relentless, unstoppable, the best at what he does.
At home in the real world, Caine is Hari Michaelson, a superstar whose adventures in Ankhana command an audience of billions. Yet he's shackled by a rigid caste society, bound to ignore the grim fact that he kills men on a far-off world for the entertainment of his own planet.
But now Michaelson has crossed the line. His estranged wife has disappeared in the slums of Ankhana. To save her, he must confront the greatest challenge of his life: a lethal game of cat and mouse with the most treacherous rulers of two worlds.
Welcome to the world of Caine: Assassin. Hero. Superstar . . .
From a New York Times bestselling author comes the start of a gritty action fantasy series like no other - perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Brent Weeks, Mark Lawrence and the Assassin's Creed novels.
'A gritty, bloody, deeply touching work of genius' - Scott Lynch
'Hands down one of the most bad-ass, brutal - and brilliant - fantasy series of the last double-decade. You know this if you're already reading it. If you're not already reading it, then good lord, it's time you found out - John Scalzi
'If you like really really gritty, dark fantasy like George RR Martin, Richard Morgan (Takashi Kovaks books) or ESPECIALLY Joe Abercrombie, you should get this book' - Felicia Day
Ratings and reviews
3.8
93 reviews
Nigel Smith-Keary
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March 22, 2014
After a confusingly slow start, this book really gets its act together, to the extent that I could not put it down. Caine's character is brilliantly developed through a history suggesting that there were previous books in the series. There aren't though. It's all just part of the technique used by Stover to tell the story, and I was just fascinated by it. Would highly recommend to all fantasy readers and am off to buy part 2 now.
3 people found this review helpful
Adam Butz
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January 8, 2015
Love Stover's gritty realism, badass fight-scenes, and relentlessly ruthless characters! He brings an element of darkness to a genre that is too often characterized by "Unicorns and Pixie Dust." While bringing an epic tale to the page and into the minds of his readers, Stover manages to also discuss topics of love, morality, consumerism, violent media, social order, government corruption, and the impact of social media as a replacement for human interaction, all without managing to sound preachy! I tip my hat to as skilled a writer as you are likely come across. Hope for more from this incredible author!
Dan Lindop
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April 4, 2014
This book is absolutely astounding! The 'makes no apologies' brutal and truthful way in which the main character is presented is genius. The books that follow from this make for the most compelling read I've ever had. Amazing!!!
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Matthew Stover is a New York Times bestselling American author whose books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He lives in an undisclosed location and his hobbies include studying arcane martial arts and competitive drinking.
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