Caine Black Knife
Encyclopedia
Caine Black Knife is a 2008
fantasy
novel
written by American Science Fiction author Matthew Stover
. It is labeled as the third of the Acts of Caine, and is act one of the Atonement story arc. It is published by the Ballentine Books division of Del Rey
. This is the third book in "The Acts of Caine" series, following Heroes Die
and Blade of Tyshalle
.
. After the discovery of Overworld, Actors are sent there to entertain Earth's population, by "putting their lives in danger in interesting ways". Overworld is a fantasy world, featuring an array of Tolkien-inspired races, such as primals/feys (elves), stonebenders (dwarves), ogrilloi (lizardmen), ogres, and trolls.
Black Knife clan who roam the Boedecken Wastes. A twenty-five-year gap separates the two timelines.
The story will be concluded in the upcoming "Caine's Law" (earlier working title: "His Father's Fist"), which is scheduled for February, 2012.
gave the novel a somewhat mixed review saying "Stover has a gift for brutal, detailed action sequences, and Caine is at his most enthralling when he's fighting or discussing tactics, but the high levels of (occasionally creative) profanity and the cliffhanger ending may put off some readers."
2008 in literature
The year 2008 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 1 - In the 2008 New Year Honours, Hanif Kureishi , Jenny Uglow , Peter Vansittart and Debjani Chatterjee are all rewarded for "services to literature".*June 15 - Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by American Science Fiction author Matthew Stover
Matthew Stover
Matthew Woodring Stover is an American fantasy and science fiction novelist. He is perhaps best known for his four Star Wars novels, including the novelization of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He has also written several fantasy novels, including Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon...
. It is labeled as the third of the Acts of Caine, and is act one of the Atonement story arc. It is published by the Ballentine Books division of Del Rey
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
. This is the third book in "The Acts of Caine" series, following Heroes Die
Heroes Die
Heroes Die by Matthew Stover is the first of a series of novels blending science fiction and fantasy and featuring the protagonist Caine.-Setting:...
and Blade of Tyshalle
Blade of Tyshalle
Blade of Tyshalle is a science-fiction/philosophical novel by Matthew Stover and sequel to Heroes Die set seven years after the events of its predecessor. It is the second book in the ongoing Acts of Caine novel cycle...
.
Setting
The story takes place on a futuristic Earth, and the parallel dimension world called Overworld. The futuristic Earth is a strictly caste-based society, the reason of which is explained in Blade of TyshalleBlade of Tyshalle
Blade of Tyshalle is a science-fiction/philosophical novel by Matthew Stover and sequel to Heroes Die set seven years after the events of its predecessor. It is the second book in the ongoing Acts of Caine novel cycle...
. After the discovery of Overworld, Actors are sent there to entertain Earth's population, by "putting their lives in danger in interesting ways". Overworld is a fantasy world, featuring an array of Tolkien-inspired races, such as primals/feys (elves), stonebenders (dwarves), ogrilloi (lizardmen), ogres, and trolls.
Summary
The novel is split between the adventure that made Caine a star (Retreat from the Boedecken) and events in the present day. Both events take place in the same area, and both involve the OgrilloOgre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
Black Knife clan who roam the Boedecken Wastes. A twenty-five-year gap separates the two timelines.
The story will be concluded in the upcoming "Caine's Law" (earlier working title: "His Father's Fist"), which is scheduled for February, 2012.
Reception
Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
gave the novel a somewhat mixed review saying "Stover has a gift for brutal, detailed action sequences, and Caine is at his most enthralling when he's fighting or discussing tactics, but the high levels of (occasionally creative) profanity and the cliffhanger ending may put off some readers."