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Chronicles of Cain #9
Gates of Yog-Sothoth
KILL THE QUEENS
Prince Onwin wants Cain to do the impossible.
He wants him to assassinate the fae queens from Dimension Beta. By doing so, he'll end the fae civil war on Feary Prime and save the natural order.
The problem is, Cain has a bargain with the courts from Prime, Alpha, and Beta. He can't act directly or indirectly against any of them without incurring a massive penalty to his magic and wellbeing. But it's possible there might be a loophole he can exploit.
Prince Onwin has good reason to want the Beta queens dead. They've somehow allied with the eldritch infesting Gaia Beta. The natural order there has changed so drastically that it's affected the Beta fae and given them access to a new horde of monstrous allies.
The massive shift of power has also affected the war in the divine realm. The current divine order is under a major threat from a surge in eldritch power. The gods of chaos are making matters worse in any way they can. The pantheons have their collective backs against the wall, and all is on the verge of being lost.
Cain knows of a way that might indirectly destroy the Beta queens' power base, but it won't be easy. If he can pull it off, that might end the eldritch threat from Beta forever. But he'll have to turn old enemies into new allies. He'll have to overcome impossible odds. And he'll have to do it all without breaching the bargain he made with the fae.
Otherwise, he'll never taste the sweet, sweet nectar of a mangorita ever again.
Prince Onwin wants Cain to do the impossible.
He wants him to assassinate the fae queens from Dimension Beta. By doing so, he'll end the fae civil war on Feary Prime and save the natural order.
The problem is, Cain has a bargain with the courts from Prime, Alpha, and Beta. He can't act directly or indirectly against any of them without incurring a massive penalty to his magic and wellbeing. But it's possible there might be a loophole he can exploit.
Prince Onwin has good reason to want the Beta queens dead. They've somehow allied with the eldritch infesting Gaia Beta. The natural order there has changed so drastically that it's affected the Beta fae and given them access to a new horde of monstrous allies.
The massive shift of power has also affected the war in the divine realm. The current divine order is under a major threat from a surge in eldritch power. The gods of chaos are making matters worse in any way they can. The pantheons have their collective backs against the wall, and all is on the verge of being lost.
Cain knows of a way that might indirectly destroy the Beta queens' power base, but it won't be easy. If he can pull it off, that might end the eldritch threat from Beta forever. But he'll have to turn old enemies into new allies. He'll have to overcome impossible odds. And he'll have to do it all without breaching the bargain he made with the fae.
Otherwise, he'll never taste the sweet, sweet nectar of a mangorita ever again.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
327 pages, Paperback
Published January 29, 2023
102 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
John Corwin
81 books559 followersJohn Corwin is the bestselling author of the Overworld Chronicles.
He enjoys long walks on the beach and is a firm believer in puppies and kittens.
After years of getting into trouble thanks to his overactive imagination, John abandoned his male modeling career to write books.
He resides in Atlanta.
He enjoys long walks on the beach and is a firm believer in puppies and kittens.
After years of getting into trouble thanks to his overactive imagination, John abandoned his male modeling career to write books.
He resides in Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 31, 2026
Rank B+
Personal Tags: Urban Fantasy, FR, PR, GP, Fae, LoveCraft
4-stars and easily one of the fastest-paced entries in the series. From the start, it feels like Cain is constantly being pushed from one crisis to the next, with very little downtime in between. I really liked how much of this book focuses on coordinated operations and hard choices. There’s a strong sense that Cain is juggling too many plates at once, and that tension carries through the whole story. We also get some meaningful payoff with long-running threads, especially around enemies who have been looming in the background for several books. The confrontations don’t always play out how you expect, and I appreciated that things don’t resolve cleanly. The ending of the current arc genuinely surprised me, and I’m still debating whether it felt too abrupt or if it landed exactly the way it was supposed to. What really matters is that it didn’t feel final in a satisfying way, and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last time we see that enemy, because their role feels unfinished. I also liked seeing how much Cain has grown into leadership here, particularly in how he delegates, trusts others, and accepts losses instead of trying to shoulder everything himself. There are quieter moments mixed into the chaos that remind you how far he’s come emotionally, not just in terms of power. Overall, this book felt like a turning point, both exciting and a little unsettling, and it left me very curious about what kind of Cain we’re going to see going forward.
Personal Tags: Urban Fantasy, FR, PR, GP, Fae, LoveCraft
4-stars and easily one of the fastest-paced entries in the series. From the start, it feels like Cain is constantly being pushed from one crisis to the next, with very little downtime in between. I really liked how much of this book focuses on coordinated operations and hard choices. There’s a strong sense that Cain is juggling too many plates at once, and that tension carries through the whole story. We also get some meaningful payoff with long-running threads, especially around enemies who have been looming in the background for several books. The confrontations don’t always play out how you expect, and I appreciated that things don’t resolve cleanly. The ending of the current arc genuinely surprised me, and I’m still debating whether it felt too abrupt or if it landed exactly the way it was supposed to. What really matters is that it didn’t feel final in a satisfying way, and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last time we see that enemy, because their role feels unfinished. I also liked seeing how much Cain has grown into leadership here, particularly in how he delegates, trusts others, and accepts losses instead of trying to shoulder everything himself. There are quieter moments mixed into the chaos that remind you how far he’s come emotionally, not just in terms of power. Overall, this book felt like a turning point, both exciting and a little unsettling, and it left me very curious about what kind of Cain we’re going to see going forward.
February 2, 2023
All Cain has to do in this installment of the Chronicles of Cain is
1. Figure out a way to defeat or destroy the queens on Gaia Beta without triggering the penalty that will erase his magic.
2.Stop the eldritch invasion of Prime
3. Find Hannah and Fred, who have mysteriously disappeared
4. Rescue another past acquaintance
5. Keep Daphne from killing him
6. Deal with a group of gifted children (read: demigods and goddesses) and their families
7. Survive
8. FIND TIME TO DRINK A MANGORITA ALREADY!
9. Did I mention survive?!
This story is just as fast-paced, exciting and well written as the previous ones. If you like urban fantasy, terrific characters, and imaginative writing, this is the series for you! Start with the first book, To Kill a Unicorn, and work your way through from there. The stories and characters will suck you in and won't let go until you're done with the books. Bonus: the books are on KU.
1. Figure out a way to defeat or destroy the queens on Gaia Beta without triggering the penalty that will erase his magic.
2.Stop the eldritch invasion of Prime
3. Find Hannah and Fred, who have mysteriously disappeared
4. Rescue another past acquaintance
5. Keep Daphne from killing him
6. Deal with a group of gifted children (read: demigods and goddesses) and their families
7. Survive
8. FIND TIME TO DRINK A MANGORITA ALREADY!
9. Did I mention survive?!
This story is just as fast-paced, exciting and well written as the previous ones. If you like urban fantasy, terrific characters, and imaginative writing, this is the series for you! Start with the first book, To Kill a Unicorn, and work your way through from there. The stories and characters will suck you in and won't let go until you're done with the books. Bonus: the books are on KU.
January 27, 2023
This series just keeps getting better and better
I love this series and this is one of the most thrilling yet. If you’ve made it this far in the series you know how good it is. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Pick up book one and start reading. I promise it’ll be worth it!
I love this series and this is one of the most thrilling yet. If you’ve made it this far in the series you know how good it is. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Pick up book one and start reading. I promise it’ll be worth it!
February 5, 2023
Totally Excellent
A wonderful edge of the seat conclusion to a marvelous 9 books. I didn’t think he could wrap it all up so neatly but his previous genius should have belayed my concerns. I don’t have a clue what to do without this radically diverse family. Thankfully there are more series to explore.
A wonderful edge of the seat conclusion to a marvelous 9 books. I didn’t think he could wrap it all up so neatly but his previous genius should have belayed my concerns. I don’t have a clue what to do without this radically diverse family. Thankfully there are more series to explore.
February 5, 2023
This is a great urban fantasy series. This book felt like an ending so it definitely isn’t the place to start. I love the Chronicles of Cain series and highly recommend it. In this installment Cain and his crew wrap things up and get a lot of answers. There are still unanswered questions so my hope is that the series will continue.
June 29, 2023
Finally, A donkey kick
Whenever Cain delivers a donkey kick I imagine a super assassin dropping to his hands and kicking out with both feet while letting out a hearty 'Hee-Haw!' Sending the bad guys flying. Such a wonderful vision. The world is a better place. Mangoritas for everyone!
Oh, it was also a good book. Tom out
Whenever Cain delivers a donkey kick I imagine a super assassin dropping to his hands and kicking out with both feet while letting out a hearty 'Hee-Haw!' Sending the bad guys flying. Such a wonderful vision. The world is a better place. Mangoritas for everyone!
Oh, it was also a good book. Tom out
June 12, 2024
More believable
This one brought it back down to earth a little, of at least see much as other given the story. Loved and hated the ending. I more there two more books in this series, but i feel like it was complete with this book. Looking forward to more adventures with Cain, but maybe after a break with something else.
This one brought it back down to earth a little, of at least see much as other given the story. Loved and hated the ending. I more there two more books in this series, but i feel like it was complete with this book. Looking forward to more adventures with Cain, but maybe after a break with something else.
September 1, 2025
This one impressed me. Chronicles of Cain has always been a junk food series for me. One that I was consistently debating whether or not to drop it. This book in particular dragged for a sizable chunk, but the final act of this instantly changed my mind. Really good stuff Corwin.
October 21, 2024
Excuse me this book was very emotional. We started off again with an interrupted mango-rita and ended with absolute chaos and a strange surprise. This book was enjoyable and a fun read.
July 14, 2025
I have loved the entire Chronicles of Cain series, but this one was by far my favorite of the bunch to date. Amazing work from a talented author.
October 18, 2025
Ok
So that's a wrap
And quite a wrap it was
Lots of areas still to explore
I hope the Monster Squad keeps going
So that's a wrap
And quite a wrap it was
Lots of areas still to explore
I hope the Monster Squad keeps going
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews