I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started this book as I was in a hurry and quickly selected what I thought was a fantasy book from my long list of pending reads. My expectations were initially satisfied as the book started with an assassin named Caine doing what assassins do and I started to get my bearings in this new fantasy world. However, upon completion of his mission Caine was suddenly transported back to a futuristic sci-fi world and I found myself being disappointed that this wasn't the fantasy tale I thought it was. Luckily though, Matthew Stover instead provided me with an interesting cross-genre story that successfully straddled two genres that I love and he won me over in the end with a compelling story.

It turns out that in this dystopian future it has been discovered that alternate versions of Earth exist and can be visited through technology. One of these alternate Earths is known as Overworld and actors are sent there for entertainment purposes. Technology allows viewers to "first hand" the experiences of an actor as if they are actually that person and there is also a large "second hand" market where the adventures of these actors can be purchased for later viewing. Of course the more violent and interesting the adventure the more it sells. This makes Caine the assassin one of the most popular adventure series available and the actor who plays Caine is really Hari Michaelson. Hari is a trained killer who is transported to Overworld by the Studio that owns him and his adventures provide viewers with the first hand experience of what it is like to be a brutal murderer. Despite such a dark theme, it is Hari's moral struggle with who he is and what he is asked to do that makes this book a winner.

Due to the nature of the story this one is initially complex and it does take a while to get things sorted out properly. Since you have characters with multiple identities (real names, actor names, roles they play, and even in one case a role pretending to be another role) it can be confusing at times. However, once you sort it out there are two interesting worlds presented here that keep the story compelling until it ends. It is also nice that this book wraps itself up nicely so you can choose to read it as a standalone or continue on with the rest of the series.

For audiobook fans Stefan Rudnicki does a good job with the narration and despite his deep voice he is able to handle the female characters well and his reading definitely adds to the experience.

Overall I enjoyed the book but I have chosen not to continue on with the series for now. The second book seems to have very polarized reviews and I fear based on what I have read that I will wind up on the wrong side of the experience. Be sure to take a look ahead at book 2 to see if it is for you before you decide to go forward.