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Chronicles of Cain #6
Shadow of Cthulhu: Chronicles of Cain, Book 6
THE MAD WORLD
The god killer has escaped from her chains on Prometheus' Rock.
Aura from Dimension Beta killed Athena and unleashed eldritch horrors on Gaia Beta with the Apocalypse weapons stolen from Hephaestus' lost armory on Oblivion. She executed a plan that Cain never saw coming and even fooled the gods.
The gods are too busy fighting minions of the Elder Things in the divine realm to care about an escaped elf, no matter how dangerous she is. Since no one else will track down Aura Beta, Cain decides to take on the task himself. After all, tracking down hard-to-find individuals was his bread and butter before Hannah changed his life.
What starts out as a straightforward task quickly turns into a nightmare. Reaching Prometheus' Rock requires going through minotaur and centaur country. Beyond that is the land of the giants. But these dangers pale in comparison to what lies ahead.
Aura Beta is on Gaia Beta, a world overrun with eldritch horrors, and plans to invade Prime. Cain would usually assassinate such a dangerous person but killing Aura Beta is only a temporary measure. Thanks to the bargain struck with Athena, Auras from all dimensions are now immortal. If they die, they come back to life at midnight.
Cain has no choice but to wade through a sea of monsters so he can capture Aura Beta and put an end to the madness. Otherwise, Gaia Prime will fall, and the Elder Things will rule the human worlds.
The god killer has escaped from her chains on Prometheus' Rock.
Aura from Dimension Beta killed Athena and unleashed eldritch horrors on Gaia Beta with the Apocalypse weapons stolen from Hephaestus' lost armory on Oblivion. She executed a plan that Cain never saw coming and even fooled the gods.
The gods are too busy fighting minions of the Elder Things in the divine realm to care about an escaped elf, no matter how dangerous she is. Since no one else will track down Aura Beta, Cain decides to take on the task himself. After all, tracking down hard-to-find individuals was his bread and butter before Hannah changed his life.
What starts out as a straightforward task quickly turns into a nightmare. Reaching Prometheus' Rock requires going through minotaur and centaur country. Beyond that is the land of the giants. But these dangers pale in comparison to what lies ahead.
Aura Beta is on Gaia Beta, a world overrun with eldritch horrors, and plans to invade Prime. Cain would usually assassinate such a dangerous person but killing Aura Beta is only a temporary measure. Thanks to the bargain struck with Athena, Auras from all dimensions are now immortal. If they die, they come back to life at midnight.
Cain has no choice but to wade through a sea of monsters so he can capture Aura Beta and put an end to the madness. Otherwise, Gaia Prime will fall, and the Elder Things will rule the human worlds.
- GenresUrban FantasyFantasy
Audible Audio
Published June 30, 2022
113 people are currently reading
49 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 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 22, 2022
Cain and crew set out to overcome the evil Aura, now nicknamed Baura, from Gaia Beta. She’s madder than a hatter and somehow able to control the denizens of Cthulhu. They make enemies and allies along the way and there is an epic battle which includes Shub-Nuggerath and mechanists entering the fray.
Cain overuses Panoptes and seems to be contaminated with an infection similar to what he’d had from using Cthulhu's pearl in book one. This time it appears it’s caused from gazing into Cthulhu’s eyes.
Just when it looks like things finally may simmer down, a new group affiliated with an old enemy appears.
Cain overuses Panoptes and seems to be contaminated with an infection similar to what he’d had from using Cthulhu's pearl in book one. This time it appears it’s caused from gazing into Cthulhu’s eyes.
Just when it looks like things finally may simmer down, a new group affiliated with an old enemy appears.
November 11, 2022
Donkey kick?
I've always wondered why Cane was donkey kicking, or being donkey kicked. To me a donkey kick is placing both hands on the ground and kicking backwards, you know, like a donkey. I learned this from watching wrestling in the late 70s. I was discussing this with a friend, and she told me that this is actually a zooba maneuver, or some such. I had no idea.
Still, there are so many ways to kick: front kick, side kick, back kick, roundhouse kick, low kick, high kick knee strike, sweep kick, the list goes on. Why always a donkey kick? Tom out
I've always wondered why Cane was donkey kicking, or being donkey kicked. To me a donkey kick is placing both hands on the ground and kicking backwards, you know, like a donkey. I learned this from watching wrestling in the late 70s. I was discussing this with a friend, and she told me that this is actually a zooba maneuver, or some such. I had no idea.
Still, there are so many ways to kick: front kick, side kick, back kick, roundhouse kick, low kick, high kick knee strike, sweep kick, the list goes on. Why always a donkey kick? Tom out
April 25, 2022
Another very good installment in my fav Lovecraft pastiche
Corwin's venture into the mythos isn't the best,but it is damned close. What it does it does very well, better than HPL ever came close to.
Corwin's venture into the mythos isn't the best,but it is damned close. What it does it does very well, better than HPL ever came close to.
May 19, 2022
Cthawesome as always!
Love the humor in this series and the re-imaginings of everything. Can’t wait to see where the series takes us next.
Love the humor in this series and the re-imaginings of everything. Can’t wait to see where the series takes us next.
February 24, 2025
Well, it had to happen I guess. My blinders forgiving a lot of the BS in this series have finally come off. I guess I should be happy that he didn't blatantly steal from any other IPs (except the entire Cthulhu mythos, of course) in this one, but the number of silly pop culture references certainly made up for it. Seriously, life and death scenarios, but you make time to quip movie quotes? GTFO.
But worse than that, the first half of the book we have Cain and Hannah being absolute assholes to Aura. I swear, the author should just replace her with a doormat and be done with it. Hannah is turning into a snotty little bitch, and it is pissing me off. I used to root for her, now I just want to see her get smacked by someone bigger and badder and unforgiving of her bullshit.
Cain, for some reason, has the emotional range of a cardboard cutout. If the cutout were of a dick.
This seems to have become a thing lately, as I've found myself complaining about it a lot across many series lately. Why do authors think that making their main character an asshole is cool? We get it, he's a rough and tough assassin, and he had to rein his emotions in to stay alive, and blah blah. Shut up. Then you try to make us think he's growing some emotions via his interactions with the new "family" around him. That would be cool if he actually were, but he only is when you say he is, otherwise he's just a dick. There are even times when he thinks to himself that he could soften his words or not sound so dickish, but then he says nah, I'm getting soft, screw them, let them deal with it. I'm Cain, big meany-head, and I will not be deterred in my quest to...oh damn, drink girly drinks and moon over his car. So emotion, much wow. Give me a break. Manufactured "humanizing" traits that are just dumb. And done many times over by other authors.
This honestly should have been a 2*, but I'll give it another try with the next book before I totally give up. I mean, at least it hasn't turned to complete shit like Iron Druid and Sandman Slim, so there's still hope, right? Right??
But worse than that, the first half of the book we have Cain and Hannah being absolute assholes to Aura. I swear, the author should just replace her with a doormat and be done with it. Hannah is turning into a snotty little bitch, and it is pissing me off. I used to root for her, now I just want to see her get smacked by someone bigger and badder and unforgiving of her bullshit.
Cain, for some reason, has the emotional range of a cardboard cutout. If the cutout were of a dick.
This seems to have become a thing lately, as I've found myself complaining about it a lot across many series lately. Why do authors think that making their main character an asshole is cool? We get it, he's a rough and tough assassin, and he had to rein his emotions in to stay alive, and blah blah. Shut up. Then you try to make us think he's growing some emotions via his interactions with the new "family" around him. That would be cool if he actually were, but he only is when you say he is, otherwise he's just a dick. There are even times when he thinks to himself that he could soften his words or not sound so dickish, but then he says nah, I'm getting soft, screw them, let them deal with it. I'm Cain, big meany-head, and I will not be deterred in my quest to...oh damn, drink girly drinks and moon over his car. So emotion, much wow. Give me a break. Manufactured "humanizing" traits that are just dumb. And done many times over by other authors.
This honestly should have been a 2*, but I'll give it another try with the next book before I totally give up. I mean, at least it hasn't turned to complete shit like Iron Druid and Sandman Slim, so there's still hope, right? Right??
April 17, 2022
Somehow this author manages to start these books off with a bang and hook me from the first page. Donkey kicked by a minotaur who was guarding the labyrinth that Cain and his friends were trying to sneak through? Sign me up for this trip! Cain is trying to find 'Baura', the evil Aura from the Beta world. She's escaped and Cain fears the destruction she may be planning to exact on his world. He'll do anything he can to find and stop her. He's aided by a demigoddess he trusts, a half-elf he doesn't really trust, plus a surprising cadre of characters. Cain and his friends are fighting for their lives on a strange and deadly world, chased by centaurs, and seem to be outnumbered and outplayed at every turn. The story rapidly turns dark, yet always has an undercurrent of hope and determination running through it. If you like high adventure urban fantasy, with some humor, really amazing and unusual characters along with a terrific, exciting story, give this one, and this series, a long look. I've loved every book so far. But please note, this series is not suitable for children.
January 29, 2026
Rank B+
Personal Tags: Urban Fantasy, FR, PR, GP, Fae, Lovecraft, War
Book 6 was a 4-star read for me. This one leans hard into the larger cosmic stakes, and I genuinely never would have guessed where this book ended up going. The story feels less contained to a single dimension and more like a much bigger game is being played. The Lovecraftian elements continue to shine, especially as the gods feel less like distant concepts and more like active forces with their own agendas. Cain is clearly more seasoned at this point, and I enjoyed seeing him approach problems with experience instead of just brute force. There’s a stronger sense of momentum here, with fewer detours and more focus on pushing the main plot forward. Some of the supporting characters finally get moments to stand out, which helped balance Cain’s growing power. While a few conflicts still resolve a bit too neatly, the overall direction feels confident. By the end, I felt invested not just in Cain, but in where the entire universe of the series is heading, and I’m definitely sticking around to see what comes next.
Personal Tags: Urban Fantasy, FR, PR, GP, Fae, Lovecraft, War
Book 6 was a 4-star read for me. This one leans hard into the larger cosmic stakes, and I genuinely never would have guessed where this book ended up going. The story feels less contained to a single dimension and more like a much bigger game is being played. The Lovecraftian elements continue to shine, especially as the gods feel less like distant concepts and more like active forces with their own agendas. Cain is clearly more seasoned at this point, and I enjoyed seeing him approach problems with experience instead of just brute force. There’s a stronger sense of momentum here, with fewer detours and more focus on pushing the main plot forward. Some of the supporting characters finally get moments to stand out, which helped balance Cain’s growing power. While a few conflicts still resolve a bit too neatly, the overall direction feels confident. By the end, I felt invested not just in Cain, but in where the entire universe of the series is heading, and I’m definitely sticking around to see what comes next.
January 14, 2023
I am absolutely obsessed with this entertaining and inclusive (🏳️🌈) eight book series. Even better that I was able to read them all on Kindle unlimited. I was a little skeptical at first when I realized they were trying to combine fairies, Cthulhu mythos, werewolves, vampires, witches, etc. BUT I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!
I devoured this whole series in a couple of weeks so have been able to enjoy the story arc and character development. My only complaint is that the books are a little on shorter side (I want more Cain!).
No spoilers but if you like an ex-assassin who’s secretly a softy, kids with powers, or good eldritch monsters you won’t be disappointed.
I devoured this whole series in a couple of weeks so have been able to enjoy the story arc and character development. My only complaint is that the books are a little on shorter side (I want more Cain!).
No spoilers but if you like an ex-assassin who’s secretly a softy, kids with powers, or good eldritch monsters you won’t be disappointed.
December 11, 2024
Shadow of Cthulhu
This one was pretty good! And the first book in the series, as far as I can remember, that didn’t include an intrusive sex scene. Though Corwin can’t resist making a jab about this. Sex scenes are fine, John, but actually write the scene and write it well if you’re going to include it.
Cain and friends have to hunt down Baura, aka Aura from Universe Beta. They’ll have to mow down legions of eldritch horrors and figure out her crazy plan before it’s too late. Corwin’s writing has improved noticeably and despite a relatively basic story, I was still very interested in how it all ended. Looking forward to the next one!
This one was pretty good! And the first book in the series, as far as I can remember, that didn’t include an intrusive sex scene. Though Corwin can’t resist making a jab about this. Sex scenes are fine, John, but actually write the scene and write it well if you’re going to include it.
Cain and friends have to hunt down Baura, aka Aura from Universe Beta. They’ll have to mow down legions of eldritch horrors and figure out her crazy plan before it’s too late. Corwin’s writing has improved noticeably and despite a relatively basic story, I was still very interested in how it all ended. Looking forward to the next one!
May 17, 2022
Best Adventure / Quest yet
This was Cain’s best quest yet. Going after Bete Aura to stop her for potentially destroying everything proves to be a great and terrible adventure for Cain, Aura, Hannah and Layla. Of course they get into a little bit of trouble, find a help, get into more trouble then find more help from an unlikely place or allies. Enjoy.
This was Cain’s best quest yet. Going after Bete Aura to stop her for potentially destroying everything proves to be a great and terrible adventure for Cain, Aura, Hannah and Layla. Of course they get into a little bit of trouble, find a help, get into more trouble then find more help from an unlikely place or allies. Enjoy.
September 25, 2022
Never ending battles for Cain
It’s impossible to explain the plot twists of Cain without spoilers. So, the next best thing I could do is sing it’s praises. There are more plot twists than I could ever dream of, especially in the alternate dimensions that fractured from an event on the Gaia prime. I love this series.
It’s impossible to explain the plot twists of Cain without spoilers. So, the next best thing I could do is sing it’s praises. There are more plot twists than I could ever dream of, especially in the alternate dimensions that fractured from an event on the Gaia prime. I love this series.
June 5, 2023
Epic Mixture of Choas
There are so many things to love about this series! Characters are deep and feel very real even the alts! The combinations of all the different mythologies, time travel, alternate dimensions and Lovecraft lore makes for an action packed read!
There are so many things to love about this series! Characters are deep and feel very real even the alts! The combinations of all the different mythologies, time travel, alternate dimensions and Lovecraft lore makes for an action packed read!
September 11, 2025
Great writing
Very, very good story. The intricacy without which the story weaves back and forth and up and down is fantastic. Cain and his group are just too much. Highly recommend this series
Very, very good story. The intricacy without which the story weaves back and forth and up and down is fantastic. Cain and his group are just too much. Highly recommend this series
May 15, 2024
Still Interesting
The further the story goes, the more I enjoy it. The alternate locations really makes it interesting. Can't wait to read the next one.
The further the story goes, the more I enjoy it. The alternate locations really makes it interesting. Can't wait to read the next one.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews