Heroes Die Book Review - Tarantino meets fantasy

Let me start by asking you a question: What do you expect from a book? A heroic ballad? A love story, or a situation where the protagonist must find a way out of a pit of betrayal and insidious intrigue? Maybe you're looking for something that will get your adrenaline pumping. Another essential question: are you more into sci-fi or fantasy? In this case, you don't have to think or deliberate at all. Matthew W. Stover offers all this and much more in his book, Heroes Die.

Imagine a world of the future. A futuristic Earth that feels like it was ripped straight out of an Orwellian novel. An uncompromising caste society where the lowest classes work from dawn till dusk just to feed themselves and their families, while the prominent social classes wallow in money and luxury. The entire world is globally unified in this universe, and politics resemble authoritarianism, if not outright totalitarianism.

We find ourselves in a highly advanced technical age. The classic futuristic concept of flying cars combined with perfected cybernetics. But there is one specific invention that takes on crucial importance in our story. The so-called sim chair, which allows people to watch shows from the comfort of their homes, brought to them by a corporation introduced to the reader as the Studio. How is this different from regular television? Viewers experience the plot of the broadcast shows through the eyes of one of the protagonists. But this isn't classic VR. The actors who portray the main characters in these broadcasts aren't actually actors at all. Their consciousness is completely transferred into the given reality, including all senses and perceptions. They feel various scents and odors, tastes, and even pain to the same extent as if they were truly there in person. If their character dies during the session, their bodies on Earth die as well.

The actor Hari Michaelson, known as Caine, is our protagonist. Devastated by his estrangement from his wife and colleague Shanna, who performs under the pseudonym Pallas Ril, and under constant pressure from the Studio, it seems Hari's life is literally falling apart. Moreover, he cannot break a certain mental connection with his character, Caine – a ruthless killer from the fantasy realm, the Overworld.

Michaelson is currently "enjoying" a several-month break between adventures. Suddenly, an unexpected problem arises, and his beloved Shanna – Pallas finds herself in mortal danger. Due to her efforts to help the common people of the human realm of Ankhana, she ends up in the crosshairs of the powerful Emperor Ma'elKoth, who is trying to consolidate his power and bring a new era to Ankhana. It is up to Hari, or rather Caine, to try to bring her back from the Overworld. Alive and well. But he must face many dangers and traps that await him on this mission.

The book itself is quite substantial. Honestly, the scope of over six hundred pages scared me a bit. It didn't help that the brief description mentioned a combination of fantasy and cyberpunk. To be honest, at first, I was just waiting for a witcher with an automatic rifle to appear. But I can say with a clear conscience that after the first few chapters, I was literally devouring every word.

Stover's writing style is extraordinarily catchy, whether it's describing a bloody brawl or just an empty street. The complexity of the individual characters' stories and their personalities are another factor that is guaranteed to draw the reader into the plot. Although it might seem like a classic plot of good versus evil, the individual parts will force you to think about the relativity of both these concepts.

At the same time, we don't focus on just one storyline. As mentioned, the reader regularly returns from the Overworld back to Earth and vice versa. For a healthy dose of adrenaline in both these worlds. Although the story revolves around the character of Caine, the author doesn't sideline the other characters. You could basically say that at a certain point, you are transported into the plot through the eyes of almost all the secondary protagonists and antagonists. This helps the reader better understand their motivation and way of thinking.

It is true that for many, like me, it took a while to get on the author's wavelength. The alternation of perspectives between a super-modern civilization and a classic fantasy environment can feel a bit problematic at first. But it won't take long, and the reader will adapt perfectly to this system.

Although the intention of most reviews is naturally to instill the reviewer's opinion in the reader, I can state without any bias that if you are attracted to sophisticated book titles that don't skimp on action or deep thoughts, the book Heroes Die is definitely a piece that shouldn't be missing from your library.

author Kryštof Halfar