Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Dresden here for The Book Store.
Third review, really blowing through these. This time I'll be reviewing one of my new favorites, Heroes Die by Matthew Stover. Heroes Die is sort of difficult to categorize, due to its expert blend of fantasy and science fiction. Set in a dystopian future, where the world is run on a caste system, and companies have far more influence than nations, Heroes Die tells the story of the greatest actor in the world, Hari Michaelson, better known as Caine. In this future conventional acting no longer exists, all "actors" are sent to an alternate universe that could be best described as Dungeons and Dragons Earth. Magic is real, dragons fly through the sky, and elves defend the forests. They are sent on specialized missions that alter the very fate of this world, known as Overworld, and their thoughts and sensory input are recorded and sold as movies. Caine is the best of the best, the most popular of them all, and certainly the most brutal. He kills without a second thought, destroying his enemies utterly, and the people of Earth practically worship him for it.
This book is perhaps one of the darkest works of literature that I have ever read. The violence is written beautifully, the characters are gritty and real, and the cynicism runs over the brim. Stover takes delight in breaking down his characters, and in showing that there are no real heroes. Because heroes always die. I'm going to give this book a 9.5/10.
Stay reading, my friends, and, as always, this is Dresden, signing off.
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