The Acts of Caine: Difference between revisions

The series' setting is an interesting combination of a [[Dystopia|futuristic earth run by corporate governments with a strict caste system and loads of repression]], and a [[Dark Fantasy|parallel high fantasy world called Overworld]] that earth humans have learned to travel to and exploit. This exploitation initially takes the form of The Studio, a company that produces a sort of reality entertainment by sending "actors" to Overworld. These actors are trained in either magic or combat, implanted with a kind of video recorder and sent to Overworld to "risk their lives in an interesting way". On the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]] the series tends towards cynicism, although it is not without [[Earn Your Happy Ending|bouts of idealism]]. Oh, all of the books contain loads of very well written violence.

 

 

''Blade of Tyshalle'' takes place seven years later, reintroducing Hari and Shanna in their later married, unhappy and semi-retired lives (along with the no longer divine Tan'elKoth). This tedium is of course shattered by plots set into action by the corporate leaders of Earth which Hari's friend, Kris Hansen/Deliann Mithondionne tries to avert. This novel turns the moral philosophizing up to 11 or 12, adds questions of identity, resource usage, destiny (or lack thereof) and humanity's drive to exploit and use up everything. It also features the end of the world. Well, kinda. ''Blade of Tyshalle'' is definitely a "deeper" book than its predecessor or sequel.