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The Acts of Caine by Matt Woodring Stover


Larry.

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Matt Stover is one of the best writers in the business, and I find it almost unfathomable that his works don't sell better than they do.



His SW stuff got me interested because it was head and shoulders above the quality expected under that brand. Then I moved to his original stuff, and it blew my mind.



Caine is probably my favorite protagonist in fantasy, and I hope that we haven't seen the last of his adventures.



Also, whoever did that cover should be shot! :devil: :P


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The painting can be seen in its full glory here: http://www.romitaman.com/Images/Category_2/subcat_1370/HeroesDie1.JPG,


probably Cainwifewhatshername on the back and Godlikeantagonist in the middle. The artist’s signature is plain to see, but I don’t know who that is.



The painting itself is only half-way bad; worse paintings have been the basis for better covers. (Some of the ASOIAF covers are downright terrible as well.)


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There is a version with an even terribler typeface: http://www.theforce.net/books/images/heroesdie.jpg

That's the one that kept me turned off for a year or two.

And if the terribleness weren't enough on its face - the cover is downright misleading. It's not really a fantasy novel. It's actually a sci-fi novel with a fantasy element. I think.

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The painting can be seen in its full glory here: http://www.romitaman.com/Images/Category_2/subcat_1370/HeroesDie1.JPG,

probably Cainwifewhatshername on the back and Godlikeantagonist in the middle. The artists signature is plain to see, but I dont know who that is.

The painting itself is only half-way bad; worse paintings have been the basis for better covers. (Some of the ASOIAF covers are downright terrible as well.)

It might be that I'm on my phone, but that link just shows me a thumbnail of a Snidely Whiplash character dressed in purple.

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No, it's definitely a fantasy novel. Although there is a sci-fi element in it.

See... I would argue the opposite. It's a sci-fi novel, with a fantasy element. Even though the majority of the book takes place in a "fantasy" setting, at its heart, it's still a sci-fi novel.

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I've had the first book for a while and stopped and started it several times, for no particular reason really as I enjoyed what I was reading, but I've finally started properly getting into it. I'm about half-way through and it's pretty damn cool. Some of the writing feels slightly weak at times, but it's never overly offensive and so far it has been made up for with the characters, plot, and very creative setting.


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  • 3 months later...

So I'm maybe a little less than 100 pages into the fourth book and I'm about to give up on it. It's just getting too weird and hard to follow. I won't go into details because this isn't a spoiler thread, but those that have read it know what I'm talking about.



Is the whole thing like this? Or does it get better?


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It gets slightly better. It's definitely the most... non-traditional of the four books, but it's possible to get into a sort of rhythm: the chapters with the same names and increasing numbers have story lines that are not that confusing individually and once you get to the end, it becomes clear how they all fit together. I did have to read parts of it twice before I fully understood it though.


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So I'm maybe a little less than 100 pages into the fourth book and I'm about to give up on it. It's just getting too weird and hard to follow. I won't go into details because this isn't a spoiler thread, but those that have read it know what I'm talking about.

Is the whole thing like this? Or does it get better?

I know what you're talking about, yeah. My advice would be stop trying to understand it. If you just read chapter as you would a stand-alone story it'll probably make it more enjoyable. It'll make more sense in the end.
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So I'm maybe a little less than 100 pages into the fourth book and I'm about to give up on it. It's just getting too weird and hard to follow. I won't go into details because this isn't a spoiler thread, but those that have read it know what I'm talking about.



Is the whole thing like this? Or does it get better?







Don't give up on it mate, it all falls into its place eventually. Or do give up, I don't know. What I do know is that I was confused and lost like hell reading it, but I would never dream of giving up. So perhaps it's just not your thing.


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