Book Review: The Acts of Caine: Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover

Gritty fantasy. It's not something I have a lot of experience with, but its existence makes several different kinds of sense. Most of the fantasy that I've read in my life follows a group of adventurers that play by the rules, be it their own or those set up by society. They have codes of honor, a strict sense of morality, an oath they must bear for the rest of their lives. The villains are usually just the same, save for the fact that they kill people for selfish gain. So, it's odd to finish a book and not quite know who the villain was, who the hero was, and who really came out on top as the victor.

It was an interesting ride, one that I should've taken a long time ago.

Heroes Die is set on dystopian Earth and Overworld, depending on how you look at it. Earth has been overtaken by a rather harsh caste system, and the main form of entertainment is the exploitation of a parallel dimension (Overworld) where elves, dwarves, dragons, fairies, and magics are very real. Earth trains up people called Actors, who are then transfered to Overworld to seek out bloody fame and fortune through Adventures, which can then be resold as "movies" of sorts. Caine is the best and most popular Actor of that generation, and he wants out of the game. But just when he thinks he's out...

His estranged wife, an Actor herself, is disappears in Overworld and the Studio has no way to bring her back to Earth. What's worse, due to the way she was transfered to Overworld, if she isn't found within the next week, she'll fall out of sync with that dimension, and will subsequently be torn through various parallel dimensions where humans have no right to exist. It's a death sentence of the worst sort. So, Caine goes back in, with the caveat that he must kill Ma'elKoth, the self-appointed Emperor of the human Empire in Overworld.

There's a lot going on in this book.

It has betrayal, gang wars, regicide, torture, incest, human sacrifice, decapitations, disembowelment, rape, mindrape, soulrape, prostitution, necrophilia... and I'm still gonna sit down here and recommend this book to you. Let me tell you why.

Most fantasy stories that you will read will play things very safe. For all intents and purposes, fantasy is a genre that always tries to be dignified. It tries to portray life as something cleaner, funner, happier. It often portrays a place you'd want to escape to. Fantasy has become Utopian fiction, in a way, and it's caused the entire genre to ruthlessly cannibalize itself. Stover pulls a one-eighty on all of that, and just kinda lets you sort it out for yourself.

On the one hand, you have an adventure that I can only compare to those of Conan. It's full of that bloody, primal fury that will have fans of good action almost clapping as they read. It's also written (for the most part) with a voice of eloquence and obvious intelligence (again, much like Conan), which allows for a really immersive trip into Overworld. But beneath all of that, there is quite a bit of social commentary: in that this is a violent book about violence. Caine's actions, good or ill, are all as a direct result of the dreaded "supply and demand" system. He's there because people demand it, and in return, he supplies the blood.

The main conflict Caine faces with this (besides overthrowing the Empire) is to show that the Studio and its executives and their consumers do not own him. He's a worker, he does a job, but he's not a slave.

If Karl Marx could write fantasy, I suspect it would turn out like Heroes Die.

The moral dilemmas are not in short supply here, and the repercussions don't die with Caine's enemies. All of Caine's actions come around to bite him in the ass at some point. This is a book that will make you think if you'd like to, but it's also a book that you can enjoy for the action, the over-the-top scenes of violence, and it'll make you wonder whether or not you should have enjoyed it as much as you did.

He's doing this for you, after all.

Heroes Die lacks the subtle touch of Stover's later works, but that was probably on purpose. Stover can be poetic when he wants to, life-changing if he's bored, and can show you a universe you didn't know existed if you open yourself to what he's really saying. There's a of that here, but it's buried deeper than I would've liked it to be. Overworld itself is the real accomplishment here, as well as the introduction of Caine, a character I am eager to pursue through his next few books.

Read this book if you want to see what fantasy's like when life gets in the way.

Caine Hits Back

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Matthew Stover's work. Maybe I have no right to call myself a fan, since I haven't even read his original flagship franchise called the Acts of Caine, which includes three books: Heroes Die, Blade of Tyshalle, and Caine Black Knife. I'm about halfway through Heroes Die, and I've just been tearing through that thing, man. Books over 400 pages intimidate me, since I'm the slowest reader I know. 400 pages is a week's worth of effort if all goes well. But I'll be damned if I haven't knocked off those first 200 pages in just a couple of days. I was a fool to procrastinate (but we'll see what happens when it comes time to buy the sequel. Sheesh).

If you haven't heard of the series, but are an avid reader of SF & Fantasy, don't fret; very few have. The publisher of the series, Del Rey, absolutely dropped the ball on what those who have read it think is one of the most creative series in the genre. It's gotten rave reviews from Scott Lynch, John Scalzi, Joseph Mallozzi, Michael Stackpole. People like it, but Del Rey promoted it worse than a third-rate Star Wars novel. This still doesn't sit well with fans of the series, especially its author. Just take a look at the cover for Heroes Die and see Del Rey at work here.

But, recently, a talented group of artists have gotten together in the hopes of properly resurrecting Caine from the bowels of obscurity. They hope to make a comic book series out of the world of Ankhana, and they've made a ton of progress toward making this thing a reality. Matthew Stover will be writing the scripts, with a motley crew of talented, emerging artists doing all they can to get this thing into print.

If you're a fan of Stover, have an interest in getting into the series, or are just feeling overly generous: stop by the official website, check out what they're up to, and donate to the cause if you can. Every little bit helps. I've donated what I can afford (which is very little) but the amount of people donating is what's important, not necessarily a monetary amount.

So here you go: www.overworld.tv

And, again, check out his books, Star Wars or otherwise, if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed. Believe it.

Knight's Year of Reading: How LucasArts and BioWare Made More Money Off Of Me

Didn't read as many books as I should've this year, but most of them were definitely quality...and most of them were by Matthew Stover. Don't think I need to go back over just how much I love that guy's books, what they mean to me, etc. Again, I'll say say this: I read SHATTERPOINT and REVENGE OF THE SITH and they inspired me to write two novels (280,000 words total). That's how much.

S'why I'm glad I got the opportunity to read three great books by the Grandmaster this year, and some other great books that I'd happily recommend to anyone. There were a few stinkers, but I'll get to those.

DRAGON AGE: THE STOLEN THRONE
by David Gaider
(3/5 Stars)

Most of the beginning of this year was spent dealing with the aftershocks of BioWare's two major releases, DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS and MASS EFFECT 2. I thoroughly enjoyed ME2, but DA:O might as well have been a religious experience for me, because I could not get enough of it. My way of dealing with all the excitement I was feeling was to buy Lead Writer of DA:O David Gaider's prequel novel, THE STOLEN THRONE.

Buch and I both read this book at the same time, and we were both pleasantly surprised. The lore was greatly expanded upon, Ferelden got a backstory worthy of retelling, and just brought a lot of things together, particularly in the way of Loghain and Maric's relationship. There were some great scenes, but A LOT of battles, some of them tedious to get through. But this was a great book. Can't quite recommend it to anyone who isn't a fan of DA, but there ya go.


STAR WARS: TRAITOR
by Matthew Stover
(5/5 Stars)

I had put off reading this one since it's technically the thirteenth book in a the NEW JEDI ORDER series. I felt some obligation to read the other books, but I'm glad I finally talked myself into picking it up. Wow. This isn't so much a Star Wars novel than it is an experience. Jacen Solo's trials in the Embrace of Pain are some of the most chilling scenes I've read in a book. Not only that, but it posed a few philosophical questions that really just rocked my universe.

I really recommend this book. Yes, it's the thirteenth book in a series, but there are only a few things that might make you scratch your head if you're not familiar with the timeline. This story is worth dealing those brief moments of bewilderment.


STAR WARS: LUKE SKYWALKER AND THE SHADOWS OF MINDOR
by MATTHEW STOVER
(5/5 Stars)

Every time I read a Stover book, there's that moment afterward where I just feel like he's written my favorite book. This is a book where Stover really takes advantage of that blank slate in the post-OT canon between RETURN OF THE JEDI and HEIR TO THE EMPIRE and exploits it for all its worth. It revolves around the Battle of Mindor, the incident that persuaded Luke to resign his title as General. Let me tell you, he did have his reasons.

This is one of the first books that really does its part in referencing the Prequel Trilogy, making the timeline more cohesive, bringing many threads together. Not only that, but Stover really celebrates what made the OT great, giving his own point of view on the nature of myths themselves along the way. This is one of my favorite books, if not my current favorite, specifically because there are so many layers to peel back here and examine.

People might be thrown off by the cheesy dialogue/narrative through the first part of the book, but...you know...that's Star Wars, and Stover does all he can to show you what you've been missing. Fraking love this book. Praying for a sequel.


STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE
by Timothy Zahn
(4/5 Stars)

The importance of the Thrawn Trilogy can't be understated. Zahn's books essentially created the Expanded Universe and guided the direction where these stories would continue on in the two decades since its publication. I'm not overhyping it, either. These are quality books. All of your favorite from the Original Trilogy are here, and they are perfectly characterized. And the adventure is true Star Wars.

Not to mention Thrawn, who is probably one of the best villains ever, in any medium. The reason I can't give this book 5 stars is because...well...you cannot read this book without reading the other two. You just can't. Look at this as 1/3rd of a bigger book, because that's essentially what it is.


STAR WARS: DARK FORCE RISING
by Timothy Zahn
(4/5 Stars)

Again...wow. This is a great story, and it continues on very well here, with a lot of twists and turns along the way. There's not much I can say without spoiling the story, but this continues the story of Luke and the Gang as they try and outmaneuver and outwit Grand Admiral Thrawn, and this is not an easy task. Great sequel but, once again, this is the second part of a larger story. THE LAST COMMAND is the last book, but I'm still making my way through it currently. Hopefully, I'll have it read soon!


THE BLACK PRISM
by Brent Weeks
(2/5 Stars)

Brent Weeks is a great person, and a great writer when he wants to be. It just really seems like he cranked this out really quickly, though, because it doesn't have the polish or depth that a fantasy novel of this size should. People who have read his NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY will notice similarities in characterization, dialogue, and even story.

He's mentioned GRRM's books several times as his inspiration, and it definitely seems as though Mr. Weeks is trying to emulate him in terms of scope, multiple POVs, and really just being a dick to his characters. But Brent really shines when he sticks to one character, which is why I loved THE WAY OF SHADOWS as much as I did. When he tries introducing so many characters, so many bits of information, and so many conflicts at once...he loses me, and he lost me big time here. Don't think I'll be buying the second book in this series, unfortunately.


TEST OF METAL: A PLANESWALKER NOVEL
by Matthew Stover
(5/5 Stars)

After giving THE BLACK PRISM a try and not really caring for it, I almost thought there was something wrong with me. I thought maybe there was something about the fantasy genre that just wasn't gelling with me anymore. That instantly changed when I started reading this book. It reminded me why I've been sticking with this genre for so long, and why I'm glad that I have.

I didn't know anything about M:TG lore when I started reading this, but you really don't have to. I was very rarely lost, but you do benefit from knowing some of the events that occurred in the previous book, AGENTS OF ARTIFICE. Still, ToM is a fantastic, mind-bending read. Stover handles the concept of a multiverse with all the subtlety of an astrophysics professor on crack, mercilessly introducing you to concepts that will make your head hurt for long periods of time afterward. Don't even get me started on the fight scene that takes you forward, backward, and SIDEWAYS through time. God...

I'm going to have to fiercely recommend this book to anyone who likes to be mentally stimulated. You might just learn a few things about life, the universe, and everything in the process.


OLD MAN'S WAR
by John Scalzi
(4/5 Stars)

This is the best science fiction novel that I've read in a very long time. Deep, yet subtle. Grand, yet simplistic in its presentation. Scalzi tells the story of John Perry, an elderly man who has just turned 75, and has also just joined the military branch of a mysterious organization. After wandering in ignorance for some time, Perry finds himself with a new, combat-ready body, and in the middle of a horrendous intergalactic conflict.

Scalzi channels the classics of the genre, all the while weaving together a great story that doesn't overstay its welcome. In fact, it seems to check out before dinner is served, which is one of the only detracting factors of this novel; it ends far too quickly, it's almost surprising! I'm currently making my way through the sequel, THE GHOST BRIGADES and loving it. If you haven't given this a try, I really must insist that you do!


That's pretty much it! There are plenty (a ton) of other books that I tried and failed to read this year, but I don't really want to talk about them. Maybe later.

Here's what I'm going to be attempting next year!

-WISE MAN'S FEAR by Patrick Rothfuss

-HIS FATHER'S FIST by Matthew Stover (Still gotta read the rest of the series. Some fan I am.)

-Any other Stover releases afterward.

-THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas (Seriously, this thing's huge.}

-STAR WARS: THE LAST COMMAND by Timothy Zahn

-THE LAST COLONY by John Scalzi

-SHADOW'S SON by John Sprunk

-THE EYE OF THE WORLD by Robert Jordan

-Any Dragon Age novels that should be released. You know there will be.

Book Review: Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel by Matthew Stover

Note: Originally posted on Amazon.com (10/10/10)

This is the kind of book that I had been warned about: one where you'd read a page and have to meditate on what it was you'd just read. TEST OF METAL is that book, and I couldn't be happier for it.

I don't know much about the MTG universe; in fact, I only know what this book taught me. I was going into this blind, interested to see what the lore behind the game was all about. Well, color me interested, because I have nothing but praise to throw at this property. D&D spread across several planes of existence, with "planeswalkers" being the only people capable of traveling between them. It provides so many story possibilities, and it was a joy to experience.

But on to the story. It's all about the story here, because what you get is (not to delve too far into hyperbole) a masterpiece of fantasy fiction. To me, that is. There were just so many twists and turns through dimensions you didn't even know existed to bring this story together at a climax that made my jaw hit the floor. To even allude to it might spoil the surprise, so I'll just say that my brains were thoroughly scrambled.

TEST OF METAL picks up not too long after a planeswalker named Tezzeret was left brain-dead by his rival, Jace Beleren. He is brought back from the dead by a 25,000-year-old dragon, Nicol Bolas, for the sole purpose of finding a sphinx, Crucius the Mad: the creator of a very, very valuable mana-channeling metal called "ethereum." Tezzeret is left in the dark about many things, but the dragon gives him little choice in the matter. So, he reluctantly sets off into the town of his upbringing to look for the first clues that will eventually lead him on a mind-blowing journey through time and space.

If I had to compare this book to anything, the frame narrative is similar to THE NAME OF THE WIND initially. Most of the story is told in the first person by Tezzeret himself as a series of "flashbacks" due to someone probing around his mind. We follow him through his early years as a lowly scrapper of etherium and then on to the life-altering moment when he constructed his metal arm. There are very brief recaps of events that occurred in previous books, and then we're back on to the story proper.

The thing is, unlike THE NAME OF THE WIND, stuff actually happens here. A lot of it. The pacing is steady, the action is intense and gut-wrenching at times, and the raw concept for the entire structure of this book just floors me whenever I think about it. Because the story delves into the mechanics of a "time-traveling" ability called "clockworking," which kicks everything up to, and beyond, eleven.

Imagine, if you will, a fight that takes place across time, and not just in one direction. Because there isn't one direction; there are many. Every decision you make, and don't make, creates an alternate timeline: one that a clockworker of substantial power might be able to take advantage of. So now, you're not just witnessing a fight where one of the combatants might go back in time and change something, you're witnessing a fight where one combatant can jump around and hijack a timeline where his opponent made a bad decision, and use that to his advantage.

How do you even...?

Anyway, the logistics do my head in just recounting them. Suffice to say, I was in awe for most of the book. And not just because this is a Stover novel, but because this is a Stover novel that had more work put into it than is probably justified.

This book will deceive you (or some alteration of you) over and over, well into the fifth dimension. The characters are great to follow around, the universe is detailed and astounding to visualize, and my head still hurts from the story. Stover has knocked it out of the park with this one, just as he did with TRAITOR (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 13). He immersed himself into the universe to write this book, and I think it will owe him a debt of gratitude if he decides to continue Tezzeret's adventures (which I sincerely hope he does).

Because, to me, this is still the midpoint.

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel

Back in high school, you either played Yu-Gi-Oh! or Magic: The Gathering. There was no in between...mostly because the fans polarized to different rooms on opposite ends of the campus. At the time, I threw my hat in with Yu-Gi-Oh! and I was very, very happy with my decision. It had a cheesy TV show to go along with it, and the trap cards were fun to use every single time. It just never got old.

One day, my friend invited me to the school's Games Club: an after school thing where a Gamecube was usually set up, a game of D&D was going, and everyone else played Magic. It was sort of like getting invited to defect, only without all the hyperbole. My friend even paid my $5-10 signup fee, so I went and checked it out.

Of course, beyond the signup fee, the price of admission was also a Magic: The Gathering starter deck. I can't remember what it was composed of, or what I had even bought. I don't even remember buying it, but I did use it several times. And honestly, I don't remember liking it. In fact, I think I was back with the Yu-Gi-Oh! gang by the end of the month. What I do remember is why I didn't particularly care for it: I just couldn't get my mind around the lore. It just didn't make sense.

The key to a successful card game is to have a world built around it, almost like the worldbuilding you have to do for a fantasy story. It makes players feel closer to the game. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am, the lore for Magic was limited to the little descriptions on the cards. It just didn't do it for me. Maybe there was some auxiliary leaflets or books sitting around somewhere, but I never saw them.

It seems that's changed dramatically. The lore is now a ready part of the game, to the point where I'm actually starting to pick up on it from my friends, and I don't even play. For the most part, though, I'm still in the dark. But I am willing to change that; this is a Wizards of the Coast property, which means that I'll probably get into it, just like I have with a lot of their other products. And on October 5th, they're giving me the perfect opportunity.

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel by Matthew Stover will be released next week, and I am all for giving this property a shot. I can't even...speculate on what this book will be about, since I know that little about it. My friend immediately told me "OMG, this is gonna be about Tezzerat! Neat!" to which I responded with, "Oh...kay." I have no idea what this is going to be about, but Matthew Stover's writing it, so I'll give it a shot. A fair shot.

The God of War adaptation left a bad taste in my mouth that still yet lingers, but I still have faith. Stover has shown that he can pull off an amazing story in a universe that he hasn't written for before. Traitor was book 13 in a 19 book series. They threw him in the middle of it with a book that had to reference twelve other books and set the stage for seven more. He's more than capable, and the Magic Universe seems like it's right up his alley. Additionally, he won't have to deal with a co-author or Sony.

So, we'll see. I'm keeping an open mind, but we'll see.

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | BookDepository

Book Review: God of War

I don't think Matthew Stover ever wanted a fan like me. I may not be his biggest, but I am his loudest. I talk about his books all the time, and to people who would regularly have no interest in either Star Wars or fantasy fiction. Shatterpoint and Revenge of the Sith have, to this day, encouraged me to write two novels with 250,000 words between them. I have, literally, every single book he's ever written sitting on my shelf (Have I read all of them? No, but they're there nonetheless...with the exception of Blade of Tyshalle, which is on mah Kindle). I wrote this emotional review on Amazon that actually got his attention, and after that, man, it's been crazy.

So, after reading both Traitor and Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor within the space of a week, I knew I was buying his next book, God of War, the first day it came out. And I did...again, on my Kindle. Money gets to him faster that way.

I was really excited because, honestly, Stover is just as badass as his characters are. The man knows everything. Why? Because he hates to lose or be inaccurate. He likes to fight, and he likes to use fightin' words. Therefore, he is well-schooled in all that is asskickery, and academic. So hearing he'd be writing a book that pertains to Greek mythology, I knew I'd be getting something here. And I was partially right, but mostly wrong. What we get here isn't a bad book, per se, but it really isn't something that I'd normally read. There's just...no Stover in this book. Aside from the action, it's hard to pick out exactly what he wrote, seeing how he picked up a coauthor for this entry.

And, it does pain me to say this but, Full Disclosure: I couldn't finish the book. Again, not because it was bad, but it just wasn't my thing. And without Stover's "voice" coming through here, it wasn't my thing x2.

The story opens well enough, and I can tell that this is the part that Stover wrote. I know this because it hooked my attention like the Blades of Chaos would a minotaur. Afterward, we get introduced to the Gods (i.e. - the Sky Assholes), and the main conflict afoot, which would be that Aries, the God of War, has been a bit of a douche lately, and due to a clerical fuck-up, not even Zeus can stop him. Athena, the celestial brown nose that she is, decides to solve this problem by not only instigating a power play between the Gods to get Aries killed, but also to send Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta, to put a hitch in Aries' plans...whatever they are.

Admittedly, the action scenes are balls-out crazy. Kratos is a badass of such caliber that my Kindle couldn't display his feats in their entirety, lest the screen explode under the full pressure of their awesomeness. I'm betting that this book is everything that the new Clash of the Titans wishes it was (and it takes several jabs at our friendly neighborhood Perseus in the process). Kratos fights hydras, Gorgons, the undead, minotaurs, ogre-type guys, the gods themselves. You name it, Kratos tries to fuck it over.

And, yes, Kratos always gets the ladies. He's like a Greek Lando.

The problem with this book became inherent to me when: 1) I discovered that I cared exactly nil about Kratos, which was an odd feeling; Stover always manages to make me care about his characters, no matter how insignificant. I honestly didn't care if Kratos lived or died. 2) The writing style would shift around, but eventually the style that became the most prevalent was most certainly not Stover's, for the most part. 3) There wasn't any real plot. 4) Start back at one.

Other problems with the book would be that it read like a literal novelization of a video game. What I mean is, it seems as though whoever was writing played the video game and wrote down what Kratos did. It's not as shallow as I make it out to be, because these writers make a very readable book out of this, but you could almost hear the little "Zelda Jingle" whenever Kratos obtained a new power, or when he managed to complete a puzzle.

See, and this is where I'm torn. If you read this book for yourself, you'll see that it's by no means badly written. It's what would qualify as a good book! But this isn't something that I'd recommend to anyone who has liked Stover's past works. Kratos, to be blunt, is a dick. He spends most of the book flashing back to a terrible time in his past when he lost his family, and then the rest of the book killing innocents along with the monsters. In fact, in one scene, he literally destroys a crowd of fleeing Athenians for walking too slow in front of him.

How can I possibly sympathize with that? Even remotely? My conclusion: I'm not supposed to. This book is meant for fans of the game, and was likely never put out there to draw new crowds. It's all action, pure and simple. And while I can appreciate its existence because of this, like I said, it's just not my thing.

My guess is that Stover did have a hand in this, but with Sony and Mister Vardeman handing some of the workload, his voice probably got lost in the shuffle. And that's okay! He's still my favorite author, and I don't regret buying this book. But it does make me yearn for a true Stover outing, and I'm hoping that I will get just that with Test of Metal and His Father's Fist.

Pick this up if you're a fan of the game, but everyone else should probably sit tight.

Blackhole...

Okay, so I know I've talked about Matthew Stover like...I don't want to count...but I've talked about him a lot recently. To me, it's been justified and...yeah, that's all that really matters, eh?

I've been reading his fourth (and last) Star Wars book over the past few days. I'm about 100 pages into it and...I really don't know where to rank it right now, but dang. See, there's been something about the other EU novels I've read, and I think I pointed them out in an earlier post. There's that temptation to make the characters something that they're not: realistic. Which is interesting and kind of depressing to think about. Take Matt Stover's Shatterpoint, for instance. Do you think that a story as dark as Mace Windu's would ever make it into a Star Wars movie by George Lucas standards? Hell, no! No goddamn way!

That's not to say the story was bad; it wasn't. Shatterpoint is still one of my favorites. It has a dark story, fantastic characters, a great setting, and celebrates Joseph Conrad's premise from Heart of Darkness...as well as Apocalypse Now. But! and I feel bad saying this: Shatterpoint isn't quite Star Wars. In fact, very few Star Wars novels are actually...Star Wars. It's like Stover woke up one day and realized this and did something that I don't believe any of the Star Wars authors have done yet: make all that's new, old again.

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, if its trend of awesomeness continues, might become the BEST Star Wars book that I've ever read, surpassing even Stover's own entries to the EU. Because, simply put, this is Star Wars, through and through. For the first time, I could see all of the scenes playing out in my head as though it were one of the movies, and it comes complete with its own opening crawl to top it all off. I was freaking out all through work today, and I even took the book with me, because it felt as if I had left a Star Wars movie I had never seen before on pause like an idiot.

Not only does this book celebrate the movies, it also turns around and pokes fun at the EU. There are also little references abound. Luke Skywalker and the Jedi's Revenge? Every Star Wars fan should know why this is fucking ace.

I'm gonna stop myself right there before I get too far into it; I need something to include in an eventual review. But I just wanted to point out a few more things. Luke is Luke, Han is Han, Leia is Leia, and Chewie is Chewie. I say this because it's like Stover's novelized a long lost script to some kinda Episode VII. Everyone seems exactly how they were in the movies, which is an amazing accomplishment. Han made me laugh out loud a few times, at a book, a feat that has not been accomplished since Hitchhiker's Guide.

And so, here I am. It's 5 AM, and I should be sleeping, but all I want to do is read that goddamn book. And that, my friends, is a feeling that I very rarely get.

That I Gotta Read This Goddamn Book feeling...I'll think up a better term for it.

Additionally, I was just reading an interview with Stover off on this random ass blog. I wanted to punch this reviewer in the throat. Not only does he ask stupid fucking questions like:

Have you ever been offered, and/or considered, writing a trilogy in the SW universe, and/or maybe be an author in a multi-book series?

Jesus Christ. Traitor, anyone? Do you even know who you're interviewing?

In Traitor, did Jacen actually see a Force ghost Anakin Solo, or was it a manifestation of his mind or possibly Vergere?

Okay, so you remember Traitor now and decide to play stupid about one of the major plot points - and my favorite part of the book.

/shakes fist

All right, I should head to bed...possibly after reading just a couple more chapters.

Book Review: Star Wars: Traitor by Matthew Stover

Okay, so I remember when Mister Buch first recommended Star Wars: Shatterpoint to me, and I remember what I was thinking: Star Wars books are obviously a silly concept. I had been talking about Heart of Darkness for some reason when he more or less said, "Hey, you know this one Star Wars book was sorta inspired by Heart of Darkness. Also, I am British." I nodded a bit, confused by such a concept. It actually sounded like a good idea.

I totally impulse-bought the book the next day, I think. Before I started, I was a little uneasy reading about Mace Windu of all people: the Jedi who almost did a lot of things. So, I start reading. The intro of the book drags on. We get a very long Apocalypse Now scene that goes on forever and almost convinces me to put the book down. Such exposition grates on me like some sort of device used for grating cheese...whatever those could be called. (wink)

But! I didn't stop there. I kept going, well into the book, past the part where Mace Windu flips someone off and where he uses his lightsaber to perform brain surgery. I sorta skipped around the giant battle near the end, which took up so much space and had none of the great pacing or development that had taken up every sentence of the past 300 pages, and made my way to the back cover. Wow. That was amazing, I thought. That was like...Wow.

Jedi can do that? STAR WARS can do that?! Was this insane wordsmith, Matthew Stover, allowed to do any of this? Wow.

Star Wars seemed so much deeper, so vibrant, alive. Plausible. No longer was it being communicated to me through rose-colored glasses, through the words of authors who wanted nothing more than to retell a story the way the movies would have, or to show good triumphing over evil, Jedi over Sith, so on. Stover showed me that he could do all of that if he wanted to, but that would be a lie - and the truth.

Basically, shit got real.

I read his novelization of Revenge of the Sith afterward, also by Buch's recommendation, and absolutely adored it. For one, he didn't drag on at all except for two parts, if I remember correctly. The opening battle was very long, but I got into it after awhile, but the second battle over Utapau was daunting as hell. But even with that, I still loved that book. Why? Because I loved Episode III a lot, but it fell just short of my expectations. It's like Stover knew what I wanted out of that movie and wrote the book accordingly. To him, everyone matters. People like Count Dooku aren't evil for the sake of evil, they have motive. Similarly, Anakin's fall makes much more sense this time around; it wasn't just predicated on his love for Padme, it was on account of the expectations that had been thrust upon him, the power that he knew he had, and didn't have. It felt real. I could understand it all, fully.

Also, Palpatine was just an amazing character, as well. He, too, had motive.

After those two, it was awhile before I read another Stover book. I was just in awe. I hadn't been so excited about reading since R.A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale Trilogy or Ender's Game or Foundation. Not only are Stover's books well-written, they have this gravitas about them that makes them properly dramatic. Makes them a proper Space Opera, and almost gives me an image that all of his stories are happening on a stage, complete with a Master of Ceremonies who hops up on stage to set the tone.

Then I read Heroes Die and I sorta stopped caring as much. As I've said, I liked it more for the concept, which was totally up my MMO loving alley. But the thing kept going on and on and on about little, insignificant things. Though there was a good story in there, all the little flaws that were present in his Star Wars books that weren't very noticeable took center stage here. My friend read the book, loved it more than I did, but agreed that the exposition got in the way a lot.

Stover's strength is in his characters and how real they are. And even if you can't sympathize with them, you KNOW who they are. You understand them, and that's where the real drama of his stories come. Like I said, one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever read was seeing Mace Windu realize that all that he's ever been just was not enough to overcome the jungle.

I've had another one of his Star Wars books, Traitor, sitting on my shelf for a long time. The reason for the hesitation: I was still kind of at odd with what I read in Heroes Die and I had promptly forgotten the reasons I loved Stover's books in the first place (not on account of the book, it had just been a long time since I've read them). Also, Traitor is Book 13 in a really long series of books called The New Jedi Order. Who picks up a book so late in the series and starts reading? I do, I guess.

I've read books from the Old Republic and some from the Clone Wars, but I hadn't read any that took place during the New Republic. I was hesitant; I wasn't quite sure how reading about characters I had come to love on screen would work. Thankfully, I didn't need to find out, because this book revolves around a character I had only heard about, never read about: Jacen Solo: twin brother of Jaina, son of Han and Leia Organa Solo. Interesting.

The book, in short, is amazing. Again, it's hard for me to believe that this is actually a Star Wars book. I came to love Jacen Solo as a character and really feel for him as he went through his various tortures, which are crazy to read. The action is top notch and as bloody as Stover was probably allowed to make it. The dialogue is real, witty, and emotional at times. There was one moment where I very nearly teared up, something I'm not sure a book has been able to do to me yet. And even though this is Book 13, I was very rarely lost in what was going on. All that you MUST know is that the New Republic has been fighting an alien race for control of the galaxy: no big surprise there, huh?

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Stuff like this just speaks to me, and I enjoy it when an author like Stover has something to say and not just write. This thing talks about fundamentalism, tradition, the frail divide between good and evil, the true nature of the Force, and how being yourself is paramount to all else in life, and can even land your actions on the list of most epic scenes ever created within the Star Wars universe (which I won't spoil here, and yes, that's a real list).

This book is on my shelf, and there it will stay. I am proud to have read this and infinitely glad that Buch suggested Stover's works to me. Everything he does inspires me in some way: his honesty, tenacity, and his liberal usage of words like fuck and/or shit. He still remains one of my inspirations, and this book has sealed his fate as such.

I'm off to buy the next/last Star Wars book he wrote, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Reviewers have been tough on him for this entry, but I have a good feeling that it won't disappoint. In any case, I'm really not sure how he could top himself with Traitor. He has two more books coming out this year, both of which I'll list here, both of which I'll be buying.

/end ass-kissing

Star Wars: Traitor
Amazon.com|Amazon.co.uk|Book Depository

God of War (co-authored with Robert E. Vardeman)
Amazon.com|Amazon.co.uk|Book Depository

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel (Magic the Gathering)
Amazon.com|Amazon.co.uk|Book Depository

God of War

I don't know if I've properly conveyed my feelings about Matthew Stover's works...because it's hard for me to go back through and search every article here. But his work really is important to me. His ability to make me instantly aware of what's going on inside his characters' heads is astounding...and frightening. His stories have a lot of action, but they're never about the physical turmoil, it's all mental. You care for his characters' mental state, which is a rare thing for me to experience.

Some writers think it's enough for their characters to lose arms or other various limbs, tricking their readers into thinking Well, that's pretty drastic and life-changing and stuff. But that's not necessarily the case with Stover's works. Sure, people lose limbs (plenty), but there's something tragic about seeing Jacen Solo lose his connection to the Force, seeing Mace Windu helpless or Anakin Skywalker lost in emotion. The real drama doesn't exactly spring up from these people trying to save their own lives, it's about them trying to preserve who they are, which was always much more dramatic to me.

I remember reading his Star Wars books and rejoicing, wondering how a freaking STAR WARS book could make me feel so engaged with what was going on with its story (but I guess that's no real surprise (KotOR)). Star Wars: Shatterpoint was an amazing book to me. The battle at the end was a little much, but absolutely everything before that had me in awe. His novelization of Episode III was just plain inspiring to me. In fact, it was only after reading that book that I decided to write Revan's Shadow. The third book of his that I read, Heroes Die, was brilliant in concept, buuuuut wasn't quite my thing. Traitor helped me remember what I love about his writing, though, and I think said writing benefits from the restraint of the franchise.

Anyway, I love Stover's works, and I have Buch to thank for that. MWS is one of the few writers who inspired me to actually try my hand at novels, and I owe him much more than the ass-kissing that I willingly give him both here and his blog. To that end, I am very excited for the upcoming release of his next novel, a novelization of God of War, which sees its release date on MAY 25th.

Sony has put out a small excerpt from the novel, and I already like what I'm seeing. This is how much I love Stover: I've not played a single second of any of the God of War games and I'm going to be buying this book. He does his research, so I know I won't be lost. Not sure who this other author is who is listed as the co-author, though...hmm.

Here's the link to the excerpt: LINKY!

If you like what you see, you can purchase it at all good bookshops on the 25th. I'll be going the Kindle route this time, so yeah.

Amazon.com|Amazon.co.uk|Book Depository

Heroes Die

So, I just got through talking with my friend, whom I had lent all three of my Matthew Stover books to. I had my hands full with my Star Wars books and The Lies of Locke Lamora, so I sent them all his way.

Basically, he returned Shatterpoint and Revenge of the Sith and said: while they were well-written, they just weren't his thing--Star Wars hasn't been his thing for a while, apparently (although I did get him all hyped up for The Old Republic mmo, so that's a point for me).

But I got in the car with him tonight for a quick cruise and a smoke, and he told me, before anything else, Heroes Die is now on his top ten list.

This is of some significance, because my friend is very particular about the fantasy stories he likes, and he's practically read them all to find those handful. From Robert Jordan to George R. R. Martin, from Brandon Sanderson to R.A. Salvatore, this guy has read thousands of books.

And Heroes Die made it into his top ten, even though he still has a hundred pages left in it.

Not that it surprised me: Matthew "Fucking" Stover is a brilliant author. I brought up this list that mentioned Heroes Die in the same breath as The Song of Ice and Fire by GRRM. My friend whirls on me, smoke fuming from his nose and hate spewing from his mouth in regards to Martin's work, and lays out a long ass case proving how much better Stover's work was in his opinion (though, he would claim that anyone who didn't share his opinion was someone less-than-human).

Jubilations! Can't wait for him to finish it now. Although, I am almost hesitant to get excited. If I like Heroes Die, I know I'll have to buy the second book, Blade of Tyshalle; which, if you look at the Amazon page, costs about thirty wing-wangs used (and $100 new!). So that might be difficult to do. It might be cheaper to step up my harassment game and get Stover to send me one.

Makes me wish his publisher would re-release those damn books. He's mentioned an omnibus of some kind before. Here's hoping that happens. xD

Star Wars: The Rekindling

My first memory of Star Wars was plugging in my old, dirt-encrusted copy of A New Hope into my VCR and wondering, "Why the heck do they call it Episode Four, when there's no One, Two, or Three?" I want to say this was just before the Special Editions were released in theaters, so I must have been seven or eight years old at the time.

From there, my love for it casually heightened. I remember renting Empire Strikes Back and watching it happily, even though the famous twist had been ruined for me long before then. I remember playing with my Han Solo action figure, complete with carbonite prison. And, I remember experiencing Star Wars' glorious return in 1999 and its effect on pretty much everything.

But, even through all of this, I was still just a casual fan. Someone who watched the movies because they were good, but who couldn't tell you who Salacious B. Crumb was or his monumental contribution to the galaxy.

That all changed, as well as many things in my life, when I played Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on my Xbox for the first time. Maybe it was because I had been devoid from good storytelling for so long, thanks for my then-aversion to books of any kind, or maybe it was because I had never experienced a story that I genuinely felt a part of. Either way, I had made up my mind about two things that day: I wanted to be writer, and I really, really liked Star Wars.

Thanks to my obsession with KoTOR, I was able to get a lot done. Since then, I've written tons of short stories, many fanfiction stories, and even completed my first novel. But, after the games became near-antiquities by console standards, and after the hype of the last Star Wars movie had effectively worn off, I found that I didn't have a love for the universe anymore. My love for Darth Revan's story was still there, but on the whole, Star Wars fell to the backseat, so to speak.

As per the title of this post, this "rekindling" of my love for Star Wars happened the second Buch suggested an Expanded Universe book called Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover.

I picked up the book on my following trip to Borders and sat down to read it when I got home. I was...wary, at first. I had tried to read many Star Wars books in the past, and I had never been able to get into them at all. Nothing took me out of the illusion quicker than a misplaced line by Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, a couple of dudes that even the most casual of fans usually knows front to back.

So here comes Mace Windu following in Marlow's footprints. I was intrigued by this: that the book was essentially a mix between Heart of Darkness and Star Wars. HoD was a book that I cherished, but not because of its writing. On the contrary, I remember having to force myself to get through that book, but when all was said and done, I genuinely liked the story it had put in my head and the theme of social/moral decay that it communicated.

When I finished Shatterpoint, I was monumentally pleased for a few reasons. One, I found it fantastic that someone actually had the balls to incorporate some philosophical thought into a Star Wars story: something I hadn't seen since KotOR, and before that, the Original Trilogy. Two, it expanded the role of Mace Windu to an extent that he's one of my favorite characters now. I hardly see Sam "Bad Mother Fucker" Jackson in the role anymore. And three, there was violence! Yay! Why do I care? Because sometimes violence can bring a concept that's so up in the air, crashing back down to reality. So, for the first time since KotOR all those years ago, Star Wars felt alive again: it was a living, breathing world that I wanted to throw myself back into for the second time.

To make a long story semi-short, my love of Star Wars was saved by Matthew Stover. His musings on the Force and how to tell a story that, at some times, dives into the spiritual has inspired my writing as well as two fanfics here and here. I'll talk more about the latter story at a different time but, just to put it simply:

Thank you, Matthew "Fucking" Stover for the inspiration. I'll make sure I pick up Shadows of Mindor ASAP. Please, please, please come back to Star Wars soon and/or tell me your new pen name so's I can buy your book when it's released!

*taps foot impatiently while waiting for friend to return Heroes Die*