Cain [Hardcover]

James Byron Huggins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 1997

When the CIA took Cain's lifeless body from the ground, they intended to create the perfect soldier. Piece by piece, they rebuilt his soulless flesh and transformed it. A team of scientists outfitted him with the most powerful muscles and the deadliest weapons that the generals could ever have wished for. Alive, Cain had been their deadliest killer; dead, he became their greatest nightmare. When Cain awakes, he is transformed: he has become the ultimate predator. His body is now inhabited by a spirit that's been wandering the earth for millennia - one of the crown princes of hell. The only force that can stop him is made up of three tragically flawed mortals - a soldier who's lost his family to a terrorist's bullets, a priest who's lost his faith, and the beautiful young scientist who created this modern Frankenstein. Together, though, they form an unstoppable team who will fight the forces of hell itself to save themselves and humankind.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this new horror/techno/medical thriller by the author of several Christian fiction best sellers (e.g., Leviathan, LJ 9/1/95), readers are treated to the distinct possibility of evil incarnate taking over the world. The plot is murky at best: a hideous being is running amok, drinking blood and kidnapping an innocent child who holds the key to its survival. The good guys are a tormented priest, a disillusioned soldier, and a beautiful doctor (mother of said innocent child). The baddies are double-dealing government agents who are working for "The Dark Side." The main quibble with Huggins's story is a common one, particularly in Christian fiction. Stephen King can mix and match his monsters, blending characteristics, but most authors simply lack the talent. What is Huggins's evil being? Is it a golem? A vampire? A saber-toothed terminator? Lucifer? Cain, son of Adam and Eve? Or just a big, mean, genetically engineered predator who wasn't too nice in the first place? Whatever he is, the novel is a poor blend of Satanic philosophy, Christian platitudes, and garbled Hebraic mythology. Not recommended.
-?Lesley C. Keogh, Bethel P.L., Ct.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Bruce Willis has acquired the rights to Cain, a supernatural thriller from Christian crossover writer Huggins, author of the rather turgid Leviathan (1995) and the chilling Wolf Story (1993). Why would Willis be interested? Well, Cain is the first and the eternal killer, and here he is awakened from the chamber in which the Nazarene sealed him away 2,000 years ago. His spirit links with an almost indestructible body, built as part of a hush-hush military project headed by Maggie Milton, who is young, brilliant, and beautiful. Her monster escapes and goes about fulfilling prophecy, killing soldiers right and left, devastating cities. Enter Colonel James Solomon, a retired commando who nearly died killing the terrorists who slaughtered his family. With incredible rigor, he has slowly brought himself back into good enough shape for a Bruce Willis part. Solomon, Maggie, and an old priest battle the bloodthirsty, blood-drinking Cain, and Huggins turns in a suspenseful performance, no question. He also has a freer hand in the mainstream market: his soldiers talk a lot tougher, and the bloody scenes are bloody, indeed. Somewhat reminiscent of Barry Sadler's eternal soldier, Casca, protagonist of a pulp series with huge sales in the early 1980s. John Mort

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1ST edition (July 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684834030
• ISBN-13: 978-0684834030
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars That Darn Satan!, July 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cain (Mass Market Paperback)

Satan inhabits the body of a rejuvenated super-soldier experiment gone awry. Sound familiar? Sure it does...but darn...it was pretty fun to read. Huggins can sure create a great unkillable monster. (Read Hunter as well) These books should be made into movies for "guys who like movies." This one has it all: blood, gore, love, hate, guns, and a cute little girl. What more could you ask for?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More creature-feature mind candy, January 2, 2002

By 

Michael C. Hedrick (Annandale, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cain (Mass Market Paperback)

Cain, one of several creature-feature-action-adventure novels by Huggins (also Leviathan, Hunter), is great if you love action films. I certainly enjoyed it. Plenty of action, nasty monster, superhuman good guy, all the standard clichés.
The problem, however, is the abundance of said clichés. With the exception of an interesting Jesuit priest, the story and characters are all run-of-the-mill stereotypes. All the action scenes are standard set pieces. The Biblical allusions are heavy-handed (the demonic Cain's previous incarnation was defeated by King David, Cain fights a character named Solomon, i.e. David's son). Character resolution is tied too neatly (Solomon loses his wife and daughter, then rescues a single mom and her daughter). Huggins overuses the same adjectives over and over again, like "volcanic" and "titanic." And apparently there are some inaccuracies in his use of biology and military facts, but see other reviews for more details. Still, entertaining, but check out "Leviathan" for a better monster and "Hunter" for a better book overall.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great B Movie, February 24, 2004

By 

M. A. Ramos (Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cain (Hardcover)

This book is a fast read and would be a great script for B Sci Fi movie. I picked up this book because of the alluded religious/Sci Fi thriller. This is an action book, and not a mystery thriller. Basically you have evil being that possesses the scientifically enhanced body of a dead former CIA operative who was at his peak form at death, set free upon the world. And the hero, who is set upon stopping him with the help of the Catholic Church.

Some of the book is written well. The action is non-stop. And the storyline is very easy to follow. The book has a good basis. The bad thing is that the author has not seemed to do his research. Not on the medical advancements he tries to use for the enhancement of the body. Nor in the geographic locations he inaccurately describes. But it is a fun read non-the less. Pick it up if you have a 2-hour flight. It will pass the time quickly.