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The Supervillainy Saga #2
The Games of Supervillainy
Get ready for the action-packed follow up to The Rules of Supervillainy. This time with zombies, zombified heroes and villains, cults, magic, superscience, a dragon, a Greek demigod, and so much more!
Gary and Cloak have returned from the supervillain prison on the moon only to discover the city he plans to conquer and rule with an iron fist has been overrun with the living dead. Once again taking up the mantle of Merciless, the villain without mercy, Gary will have to pull it together quickly, find his wife, his gang, and a whole lot of help to stop the Brotherhood of Infamy from slaughtering the population of Falconcrest City and opening a portal to summon a Primal force of creation.
But Gary has a plan, or at least he's sure he'll have one soon. Just give him a second.
Gary and Cloak have returned from the supervillain prison on the moon only to discover the city he plans to conquer and rule with an iron fist has been overrun with the living dead. Once again taking up the mantle of Merciless, the villain without mercy, Gary will have to pull it together quickly, find his wife, his gang, and a whole lot of help to stop the Brotherhood of Infamy from slaughtering the population of Falconcrest City and opening a portal to summon a Primal force of creation.
But Gary has a plan, or at least he's sure he'll have one soon. Just give him a second.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2015
83 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
C.T. Phipps
93 books670 followersC.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.
He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.
Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...
Website: https://ctphipps.com/
C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps
He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.
Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...
Website: https://ctphipps.com/
C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
July 15, 2017
The Games of Supervillainy (The Supervillainy Saga #2) by C.T. Phipps is book 2 of the series but you won't get lost if you haven't read book one. This book, like the first, is not your everyday super hero book, oh no. These guys and gals are very different, very different indeed. The books start where the first ends and I think this book is better than the first. More humor, more creatures, more craziness, and more action. Did you know they keep the super villain prison on the moon? Bet you didn't know there were zombified super heroes either! Well, you are just missing out! Of course there are regular old zombies, dragons, and we all knew that, right? This book is a hoot. I liked the first book but this one is better. I used the wonder of KU to get this. Come read some "super" fun characters and plot and enjoy their crazy dialogue.
March 13, 2020
Better than the first book, the writing has improved a bit, but still isn't great. And I get the feeling that this book and the first book were originally supposed to be one book. I had a bit more fun with this one, and my brain was trying to mentally edit the writing a bit less than with the first book.
April 12, 2016
This second instalment of The Supervillainy Saga is every bit as good as the first. I'm a fan of superhero books in general and I think I now consider this series to be my favourite of the genre.
This story turned out to be exactly the sort of thing I expect to get when I pick up a superhero comedy novel. It was packed with action, had plenty of memorable characters, and was dripping with hilarious humor(mostly of the sarcastic variety). The plot was good and C.T. Phipps has an engaging writing style.
This picks up where the first book ended with Gary Karkofsky AKA Merciless:The Supervillain Without Mercy returning to his home town after escaping a super prison on the moon. Due to a transporter glitch a month of his life has disappeared. To make matter worse the city has been overrun by hordes of zombies and Mandy, his wife, has been kidnapped by a rival supervillain. Gary has to rustle up his evil henchmen, Cindy and Diabloman, to help him set things right. There was also the minor problem of having to save the world from being destroyed by a doomsday cult who are eager to summon their demonic master into the mortal realm!
The story was a ton of fun. I loved the banter between Merciless and his team and was caught up in the crazy happenings of the story. Gary and his friends are easy to love despite their villainous natures!
The ending was a bit of a shock. The best thing is that it almost guarantees a sequel. One which this guy will definitely be reading as soon as it gets released!
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: I doubt anyone could have read this better than Jeffrey Kafer did. He was a perfect fit for Gary and really got the tone of the story.
This story turned out to be exactly the sort of thing I expect to get when I pick up a superhero comedy novel. It was packed with action, had plenty of memorable characters, and was dripping with hilarious humor(mostly of the sarcastic variety). The plot was good and C.T. Phipps has an engaging writing style.
This picks up where the first book ended with Gary Karkofsky AKA Merciless:The Supervillain Without Mercy returning to his home town after escaping a super prison on the moon. Due to a transporter glitch a month of his life has disappeared. To make matter worse the city has been overrun by hordes of zombies and Mandy, his wife, has been kidnapped by a rival supervillain. Gary has to rustle up his evil henchmen, Cindy and Diabloman, to help him set things right. There was also the minor problem of having to save the world from being destroyed by a doomsday cult who are eager to summon their demonic master into the mortal realm!
The story was a ton of fun. I loved the banter between Merciless and his team and was caught up in the crazy happenings of the story. Gary and his friends are easy to love despite their villainous natures!
The ending was a bit of a shock. The best thing is that it almost guarantees a sequel. One which this guy will definitely be reading as soon as it gets released!
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: I doubt anyone could have read this better than Jeffrey Kafer did. He was a perfect fit for Gary and really got the tone of the story.
June 28, 2021
Merciless returns to earth after a month on the moon to discover that the zombie apocalypse has overrun his home city. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, his beloved wife has been kidnapped by a rival supervillain who is challenging him to a showdown to decide which of them gets to be top dog in their town. And that’s just the opening chapter. A sorceress cult is looking to bring about the end of the world (and the zombie apocalypse suggests they are succeeding) and death (yes, the grim reaper herself) wants Merciless to come be her henchmen. And that’s still not everything that’s happening.
Whereas the first book was very much a supervillain versus superhero novel, this one is all about the black magic. There are zombies, sorcerers, death, a Cthulhu-like being, vampires, and need I go on? The series takes a dark turn in this novel, but it never loses its peculiar sense of humor. The only real question is how a bright guy like Merciless can still argue with a straight face that he’s a villain, not a hero.
C.T. Phipps’ knowledge of the superhero genre was quite impressive in the first book of this series. Now he dives in deep to the magical side of the genre, managing to both parody the medium while still producing an exciting plot with characters you love.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Whereas the first book was very much a supervillain versus superhero novel, this one is all about the black magic. There are zombies, sorcerers, death, a Cthulhu-like being, vampires, and need I go on? The series takes a dark turn in this novel, but it never loses its peculiar sense of humor. The only real question is how a bright guy like Merciless can still argue with a straight face that he’s a villain, not a hero.
C.T. Phipps’ knowledge of the superhero genre was quite impressive in the first book of this series. Now he dives in deep to the magical side of the genre, managing to both parody the medium while still producing an exciting plot with characters you love.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
July 9, 2020
Sometimes, it's hard to be bad
Our anti-hero continues to struggle being the bad guy, but he's giving it his best effort. Undead storm the city, and the return of an evil god threatens to destroy it altogether. I continue to enjoy the story and it's colorful characters. The only cringeworthy moments were Kafer's dreadful German pronunciations. Being familiar with German and even possessing a crude grasp of the language, his pronunciation of soldaten was particularly painful. Other than that, great book and highly recommended.
Our anti-hero continues to struggle being the bad guy, but he's giving it his best effort. Undead storm the city, and the return of an evil god threatens to destroy it altogether. I continue to enjoy the story and it's colorful characters. The only cringeworthy moments were Kafer's dreadful German pronunciations. Being familiar with German and even possessing a crude grasp of the language, his pronunciation of soldaten was particularly painful. Other than that, great book and highly recommended.
March 6, 2016
I can't express how much I enjoyed this book, and particularly in audio. It's the fun I needed and will look forward to in future installments! Battles with Nazi Robot, dragon, Amazons, cybernetic dinosaurs, cultists, zombies, ..... deal with ghosts, Death, demi god, ex-girlfriend of his own and his wife's. Sounds like a lot but it all fits and makes for so much fun while battling. And Gary's one liners along the way. LOL!
I can't wait for the next installment to come our way!!
****FULL REVIEW****
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.
Merciless, Gary and Cloak as a supervillain, have returned from the prison on the moon to a land deserted of life and swarming with living dead. It's been a week, but actually a month thanks to a teleporter accident, since Gary has seen his wife and henchmen. Learning that his dogs were still at his home with his henchmen and Mandy left, Gary believes Mandy was abducted! Gary will search the city to find his wife! Gary finds himself teaming up with new heroes and unexpected villains to stop the Brotherhood of Infamy by retrieving the Book of Midnight, that's guarded by their cultists and death machines, to end it all by sending the god Zol-Barbas back to where he belongs.
Jeffrey's dead pan tone for Gary is awesome with Gary's dry jokes. Gary's personality and comments with Jeffery made me giggle several times through the book. Having the voice actor that's spot on with a book makes a huge impact on the story. The Games of Supervillainy is a perfect example of that. I was drawn into the story and world with the great combination of Jeffrey's voice and Gary's writing. It's as if they are both on the same page and it shows! I could easily differentiate the other characters in Jeffrey's narration along with felt he WAS Gary. Amazing job!
Wow. There is a lot told in the first chapter to explain the mess of zombies. It's been one thing on top of another! LOL! I was nervous that Gary would lose his edge of new to the game of supervillainry, but on the contrary, Gary is just as much fun in this book as he was in the first! If not more enjoyable! Time has lapsed, yet for Gary he's still new to the program WITH powers. See there was a little mishap with the teleporter he took on the moon to get back home. A month has passed, but for Gary it's still been less than a week. This is a fun little event to play with in the beginning of the story.
C.T. pulls from the fun side of the comic world. Everything and everyone has a name in comics. You have that here too - The Brotherhood of Infamy, The Heroes of Today, The Society of Superheroes, The Foundation of World Harmony. Great detailed descriptions for the obvious, a dramatization of comics and it's a hoot. There are many quick references to so may books, films, shows, and comics and it's awesome to see them. The references fit and draw the world for us.
I love the reason Gary got Cloak. I have to smile at his "luck". Cloak helps with his vast knowledge of superheroes and items Gary has 'inherited' from Nightwalker. But Gary is special in his knowledge of those of villainy and heroics in Falconcrest City with growing up in the city they protect/attack and reside in. Mandy is a HUGE influence on Gary. Okay, Mandy seems to be the one with her head on straight and to wear the pants in the house. lol. Gary loves her, and she loves Gary. They compromise about what Gary does as he's the one that goes to extremes and she reels him in a bit. Great balance here with them!
I got a great kick out of the corky twists to what the characters do and why they do it. lol. Even the chats between the characters make me smile, the references and how conversations get derailed. It's humorous listening to them all and we learn about the superpowered world along with our characters.
We see old enemies, well as old as just recently when Gary became Merciless. Oh there are soooo many great little happenings to play with in the story. And to pile them all together! LOL! Just fun with Gary's personality and view of things.
I can't express how much I enjoyed this book, and particularly in audio. It's the fun I needed and will look forward to in future installments! Battles with Nazi Robot, dragon, Amazons, cybernetic dinosaurs, cultists, zombies, deal with ghosts, Death, demi god, ex-girlfriend of his own and his wife's. Sounds like a lot but it all fits and makes for so much fun while battling. And Gary's one liners along the way. LOL!
I can't wait for the next installment to come our way!!
I can't wait for the next installment to come our way!!
****FULL REVIEW****
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.
Merciless, Gary and Cloak as a supervillain, have returned from the prison on the moon to a land deserted of life and swarming with living dead. It's been a week, but actually a month thanks to a teleporter accident, since Gary has seen his wife and henchmen. Learning that his dogs were still at his home with his henchmen and Mandy left, Gary believes Mandy was abducted! Gary will search the city to find his wife! Gary finds himself teaming up with new heroes and unexpected villains to stop the Brotherhood of Infamy by retrieving the Book of Midnight, that's guarded by their cultists and death machines, to end it all by sending the god Zol-Barbas back to where he belongs.
Jeffrey's dead pan tone for Gary is awesome with Gary's dry jokes. Gary's personality and comments with Jeffery made me giggle several times through the book. Having the voice actor that's spot on with a book makes a huge impact on the story. The Games of Supervillainy is a perfect example of that. I was drawn into the story and world with the great combination of Jeffrey's voice and Gary's writing. It's as if they are both on the same page and it shows! I could easily differentiate the other characters in Jeffrey's narration along with felt he WAS Gary. Amazing job!
Wow. There is a lot told in the first chapter to explain the mess of zombies. It's been one thing on top of another! LOL! I was nervous that Gary would lose his edge of new to the game of supervillainry, but on the contrary, Gary is just as much fun in this book as he was in the first! If not more enjoyable! Time has lapsed, yet for Gary he's still new to the program WITH powers. See there was a little mishap with the teleporter he took on the moon to get back home. A month has passed, but for Gary it's still been less than a week. This is a fun little event to play with in the beginning of the story.
C.T. pulls from the fun side of the comic world. Everything and everyone has a name in comics. You have that here too - The Brotherhood of Infamy, The Heroes of Today, The Society of Superheroes, The Foundation of World Harmony. Great detailed descriptions for the obvious, a dramatization of comics and it's a hoot. There are many quick references to so may books, films, shows, and comics and it's awesome to see them. The references fit and draw the world for us.
I love the reason Gary got Cloak. I have to smile at his "luck". Cloak helps with his vast knowledge of superheroes and items Gary has 'inherited' from Nightwalker. But Gary is special in his knowledge of those of villainy and heroics in Falconcrest City with growing up in the city they protect/attack and reside in. Mandy is a HUGE influence on Gary. Okay, Mandy seems to be the one with her head on straight and to wear the pants in the house. lol. Gary loves her, and she loves Gary. They compromise about what Gary does as he's the one that goes to extremes and she reels him in a bit. Great balance here with them!
I got a great kick out of the corky twists to what the characters do and why they do it. lol. Even the chats between the characters make me smile, the references and how conversations get derailed. It's humorous listening to them all and we learn about the superpowered world along with our characters.
We see old enemies, well as old as just recently when Gary became Merciless. Oh there are soooo many great little happenings to play with in the story. And to pile them all together! LOL! Just fun with Gary's personality and view of things.
I can't express how much I enjoyed this book, and particularly in audio. It's the fun I needed and will look forward to in future installments! Battles with Nazi Robot, dragon, Amazons, cybernetic dinosaurs, cultists, zombies, deal with ghosts, Death, demi god, ex-girlfriend of his own and his wife's. Sounds like a lot but it all fits and makes for so much fun while battling. And Gary's one liners along the way. LOL!
I can't wait for the next installment to come our way!!
December 31, 2016
In this excellent follow up to the The Rules of Supervillainy, Gary Karkofsky (AKA Merciless: The Villain Without Mercy) has returned from the Moon prison to find Falconcrest City over run with zombies. Yep. Freaking zombies. Add to that, it appears his wife was kidnapped. Merciless and his henchpeople set out to stop the Brotherhood of Infamy, rid Falconcrest of zombies, and rescue his wife. Nothing goes as planned.
Once again, there’s a ton of humor in this book. The characters all take their jobs very seriously and that makes the humor stand out. Most of them have ridiculous supervillain/hero names but some of them have cool powers. So it’s this wonderful balance of the silly and the serious.
It’s a good thing that Gary has his sidekick, Cloak, which is his actual cloak. Gary needs all the advice he can process and Cloak is definitely willing to dish it out. Cloak used to be a superhero and one could argue Cloak is still trying to be that hero even though he is tied to Merciless at the moment. This creates some tension for Gary, who is relying on Cloak’s powers part of the time, yet Gary (especially when he’s dressed as Merciless) isn’t nearly as goodie-two-shoes as Cloak.
Some new characters are introduced into the story (and some are killed shortly thereafter, but every good superhero story needs it’s Red Shirts). I loved all the Canadian superheros. A fit of giggles overtook me on that one. I’m married to a Canadian so that whole section struck me as super funny. Then we have the supervillain Angel Eyes. His sheer beauty can overwhelm most mortals. Much to Gary’s consternation (and my amusement), he finds Angel Eyes attractive.
Besides all the humor, there’s little bits of seriousness tossed in. Gary and Mandy have hit a rough patch in their relationship. There’s all these zombies tearing up their beloved city. Then the author kicks it up a notch and Gary and crew have to deal with gods from the underworld. Without spoiling anything, there were some unexpected twists to the story. I was stunned and also impressed. I’m so very glad the next book is already out in audio format so I can jump in and see what happens to these characters next!
I received a free copy of this book.
The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer continues to do an excellent job with this series. I’m really enjoying his voice for Cloak this time around. His Canadian accents were great. His voices for female characters are good.
Once again, there’s a ton of humor in this book. The characters all take their jobs very seriously and that makes the humor stand out. Most of them have ridiculous supervillain/hero names but some of them have cool powers. So it’s this wonderful balance of the silly and the serious.
It’s a good thing that Gary has his sidekick, Cloak, which is his actual cloak. Gary needs all the advice he can process and Cloak is definitely willing to dish it out. Cloak used to be a superhero and one could argue Cloak is still trying to be that hero even though he is tied to Merciless at the moment. This creates some tension for Gary, who is relying on Cloak’s powers part of the time, yet Gary (especially when he’s dressed as Merciless) isn’t nearly as goodie-two-shoes as Cloak.
Some new characters are introduced into the story (and some are killed shortly thereafter, but every good superhero story needs it’s Red Shirts). I loved all the Canadian superheros. A fit of giggles overtook me on that one. I’m married to a Canadian so that whole section struck me as super funny. Then we have the supervillain Angel Eyes. His sheer beauty can overwhelm most mortals. Much to Gary’s consternation (and my amusement), he finds Angel Eyes attractive.
Besides all the humor, there’s little bits of seriousness tossed in. Gary and Mandy have hit a rough patch in their relationship. There’s all these zombies tearing up their beloved city. Then the author kicks it up a notch and Gary and crew have to deal with gods from the underworld. Without spoiling anything, there were some unexpected twists to the story. I was stunned and also impressed. I’m so very glad the next book is already out in audio format so I can jump in and see what happens to these characters next!
I received a free copy of this book.
The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer continues to do an excellent job with this series. I’m really enjoying his voice for Cloak this time around. His Canadian accents were great. His voices for female characters are good.
February 16, 2016
Merciless is back!!! Having returned from the Supervillian Prison on the moon only to discover that his city is overrun by Zombies, Gary knows that he is the only one who can save the world, well with the help from his friends but you know, it's mostly him!! Oh and his wife has been kidnapped (well kind of) by a devastatingly handsome Greek god. What is a supervillian to do??
While a little more serious than the first, this is still thoroughly enjoyable. Poor Gary, he so wants to be a supervillian but things aren't going his way and he is forced (snigger) to do the right thing. Now he has to save his city from the undead and try to hide the fact that the Greek God is extremely handsome (You need to read it to understand ;))
Once again, the author has given us some truly funny quips between Gary and his cloak and made me laugh out loud multiple times, yet he also managed to squeeze a lot of different emotions from me in this book. Gary gets to meet someone and it pulled at my heartstrings, but the biggest gut wrench was what happened to his wife! I have to say though that I loved the twist the author did at the end!! I can't say much else because I'll spoil it, so I'll just say, go read it NOW!!!!
Again, the amount of different characters were extremely well written and developed. Usually in books with so many characters I find some of them are just back ground noise, not so here. The author really gives each character time to grow! I loved the Greek God!!
The plot is also well written and thought out. We kind of have a bit of everything. "This time with zombies, zombified heroes and villains, cults, magic, superscience, a dragon, a Greek demigod, and so much more!" We also have a load of awesome pop culture reference that made me giddy :)
In all, a really excellent second book. This has a bit of everything and I can't recommend it enough. I love the world and characters this author has created and look forward to the third!!
Once again, Jeffrey Kafer nails it. He is Gary!!! I don't know what else to say about his narration that I haven't said before. He always does an amazing job with the performance and I never find any faults.
*I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*
While a little more serious than the first, this is still thoroughly enjoyable. Poor Gary, he so wants to be a supervillian but things aren't going his way and he is forced (snigger) to do the right thing. Now he has to save his city from the undead and try to hide the fact that the Greek God is extremely handsome (You need to read it to understand ;))
Once again, the author has given us some truly funny quips between Gary and his cloak and made me laugh out loud multiple times, yet he also managed to squeeze a lot of different emotions from me in this book. Gary gets to meet someone and it pulled at my heartstrings, but the biggest gut wrench was what happened to his wife! I have to say though that I loved the twist the author did at the end!! I can't say much else because I'll spoil it, so I'll just say, go read it NOW!!!!
Again, the amount of different characters were extremely well written and developed. Usually in books with so many characters I find some of them are just back ground noise, not so here. The author really gives each character time to grow! I loved the Greek God!!
The plot is also well written and thought out. We kind of have a bit of everything. "This time with zombies, zombified heroes and villains, cults, magic, superscience, a dragon, a Greek demigod, and so much more!" We also have a load of awesome pop culture reference that made me giddy :)
In all, a really excellent second book. This has a bit of everything and I can't recommend it enough. I love the world and characters this author has created and look forward to the third!!
Once again, Jeffrey Kafer nails it. He is Gary!!! I don't know what else to say about his narration that I haven't said before. He always does an amazing job with the performance and I never find any faults.
*I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*
February 19, 2017
The roller coaster ride continues for Merciless, the supervillain without mercyTM. The story takes place immediately after Gary's escape from the prison on the Moon. A few new characters that are both powerful and hilarious. Phipps doesn't hold too much back. Zombies, his house being turned into a villain lair, ghosts, a demigod, others with cloaks like his, an evil cult dedicated to the summoning of a world-ending Cthulhu-type creature and the death of someone very close all confront Gary Karkofsky. How is he going to get through it all? Obviously, he's not going to follow the Rules. Nor is Gary going to go without his usual irreverence. The humor continues with this second installment of the Supervillainy Saga.
Phipps continues the adventures of Gary Karkofsky with even more humor and a respectable amount of action. I loved seeing characters from the previous book back in action. There is a sudden shock in the book that (yes, I know it's redundant) surprised me that something like that would happen. But Gary is not a quitter, even when it's pretty clear that he needed to move on. But, in a world where people can be vaporized and come back to threaten you, anything is possible. Gary is just the type to find a way past it. In this installment, he reminds me of Captain Kirk and the way he managed to pass the Kobayoshi Maru.
I tend to ignore the usual grammar errors and enjoy the book for the joy of the story it has to tell. Many tend to get hung up on the small things as those issues can be quickly resolved. It is reminescent of a pulp novel, not because of it's size, but because of how quickly it flows. It is a quick read and is without a doubt an enjoyable read as well.
The Audiobook version keeps with the amazing Jeffery Kafer as the narrator. By the end of this book, you can't imagine anyone else as Gary Karkofsky. All in all, a worthwhile read/listen. True entertainment like this is something hard to come by these days.
Phipps continues the adventures of Gary Karkofsky with even more humor and a respectable amount of action. I loved seeing characters from the previous book back in action. There is a sudden shock in the book that (yes, I know it's redundant) surprised me that something like that would happen. But Gary is not a quitter, even when it's pretty clear that he needed to move on. But, in a world where people can be vaporized and come back to threaten you, anything is possible. Gary is just the type to find a way past it. In this installment, he reminds me of Captain Kirk and the way he managed to pass the Kobayoshi Maru.
I tend to ignore the usual grammar errors and enjoy the book for the joy of the story it has to tell. Many tend to get hung up on the small things as those issues can be quickly resolved. It is reminescent of a pulp novel, not because of it's size, but because of how quickly it flows. It is a quick read and is without a doubt an enjoyable read as well.
The Audiobook version keeps with the amazing Jeffery Kafer as the narrator. By the end of this book, you can't imagine anyone else as Gary Karkofsky. All in all, a worthwhile read/listen. True entertainment like this is something hard to come by these days.
February 27, 2016
Games of Supervillany picks right up where Book 1, Rules of Supervillany, left off. Again we follow Gary (a.k.a. Merciless) and adventure in a world where every silly genre cliche is absolutely real and taken to the extreme. This time, instead of Gary performing plots and heists, he and his ragtag companions are fighting to save the world (I mean, what's the point of being a supervillian if there's no one left to dominate, right?).
This book had a slower start for me. While we jump straight into the action, it felt as though it had lost a bit of steam between books. Once it did begin gaining speed, it quickly accelerated to a very exciting second half.
Not only were the the action and humor better than in the first book, Phipps weaves in a human and emotional side that I hadn't expected. I'm also very happy to see that while we did end with a setup for the next installment, Phipps wraps the story up and doesn't cut off on a cliff-hanger like Book 1 had.
This book had a slower start for me. While we jump straight into the action, it felt as though it had lost a bit of steam between books. Once it did begin gaining speed, it quickly accelerated to a very exciting second half.
Not only were the the action and humor better than in the first book, Phipps weaves in a human and emotional side that I hadn't expected. I'm also very happy to see that while we did end with a setup for the next installment, Phipps wraps the story up and doesn't cut off on a cliff-hanger like Book 1 had.
December 22, 2015
Hilarious
Merciless is back, and just as funny (if not more so).
So, why not five stars?
Proofreading. Too many typos, wrong words, and missing words. It is legible, but you notice the flaws and they detract. Worse, the flaws are more frequent and egregious at the end.
Story wise, I have an issues with Gary's marriage. I like seeing a healthy, established, and stable romantic relationship in fiction - they're rarer than unicorns (literally). The first volume had that. This volume trashes that. A poor choice that infuriates me, and cheapens the book.
Eventual recovery is possible, but it was bolder to flaunt the cliche of troubled romance than any possible restoration could be. A story choice that weakens the emotional impact of the series, and was wholly unnecessary.
Merciless is back, and just as funny (if not more so).
So, why not five stars?
Proofreading. Too many typos, wrong words, and missing words. It is legible, but you notice the flaws and they detract. Worse, the flaws are more frequent and egregious at the end.
Story wise, I have an issues with Gary's marriage. I like seeing a healthy, established, and stable romantic relationship in fiction - they're rarer than unicorns (literally). The first volume had that. This volume trashes that. A poor choice that infuriates me, and cheapens the book.
Eventual recovery is possible, but it was bolder to flaunt the cliche of troubled romance than any possible restoration could be. A story choice that weakens the emotional impact of the series, and was wholly unnecessary.
February 6, 2016
4,5 Stars
This is one of those rare occasions when the second book in a series is better than the first.
Everything in this book is absolutely RIDICULOUS! (Just like the first one) Yet everything manages to make sense somehow. I mean this book has a "MAGICAL NAZI ROBOT", aliens, demons, magic and Death appears as a Beautiful Lady.
But you never get lost in the story.
This is one of those rare occasions when the second book in a series is better than the first.
Everything in this book is absolutely RIDICULOUS! (Just like the first one) Yet everything manages to make sense somehow. I mean this book has a "MAGICAL NAZI ROBOT", aliens, demons, magic and Death appears as a Beautiful Lady.
But you never get lost in the story.
January 20, 2016
Mandy is badass! Just sayin'....
I liked it slightly less than the first one! I noticed typos more! Mostly tense errors and a too for a to that broke my brain. I was extremely amused, though, and will definitely read the rest of the books!!!
I liked it slightly less than the first one! I noticed typos more! Mostly tense errors and a too for a to that broke my brain. I was extremely amused, though, and will definitely read the rest of the books!!!
April 20, 2016
A very worthy sequel
Only thing that disappointed me is that I'll have to wait for the third book. Other than that an amazing book that shows even a supervillain can do heroic things.
Only thing that disappointed me is that I'll have to wait for the third book. Other than that an amazing book that shows even a supervillain can do heroic things.
February 3, 2016
review to follow
March 15, 2016
Suprised that it was even better than the first book.
March 31, 2016
Pretty funny, easy to listen to in the car.
May 15, 2019
It was a testament to how thoroughly pissed off I was that riding a frigging cyborg Tyrannosaurus Rex with DEATH RAY EYES was not something I could take the time to enjoy
Gary Karkofsky
I love CT Phipps’ Supervillainy series. It’s one of my all time favorite multi-volume literary creations. I can go on literally forever about why I believe Phipps is not only a comedic genius, but also a profound philosopher with some major truths about mortality, existence, politics and love, but for the sake of new readers I’ll start with some info about book 2 of the series.
At its core, the novel deals once again with lead protagonist Gary aka Merciless, a self declared supervillain out for notoriety, fame and money, and his band of misfit henchmen, Diabloman, Cindy (AKA Red Riding Hood), Amanda (the new Nightwalker) and of course his wife Mandy (who is now in actual fact a superhero) as they attempt to thwart the resurrection of an ancient Lovecraftian monster by a team of supervillains set on the destruction of the world. This is a big, outrageous , 70s and 80s era comic book plot, that when read sounds quite silly...and Phipps knows that, and spends the entire novel meta-textually riffing on everything that has ever defined the super hero genre. And when he does this, it is a hilarious wonder to behold.
Games of Supervillainy is not about the aforementioned plot, it’s about the characters, their struggles, their camaraderie, and the poignant, and very real themes of self concept vs title, words vs deeds , and of course what makes someone good or evil. By turning everything we know about super heroes upside down and taking the toys out of the box, Phipps creates a work that at is at once laugh out loud hilarious, and in the next instant existentially thought provoking and abstract.
Gary is one of the best literary creations because there is some of Gary in all of us. He is a character that wants to be shallow, feels drawn to the allure (for various reasons I will not spoil) of being a villain, yet in many ways he is the ultimate hero. How he deals with his understanding of who he is, is what makes this novel, and the series in general a masterpiece.
Anyone that enjoys fourth wall breaking comic books such as Dave Sim’s Cerebus, Bob Burden’s Flaming Carrot, and more recently Deadpool, and The Tick, will love the world of Merciless. Comic Book fans, Harry Potter fans, and satirical Fantasy readers will find much to love here as well, as Phipps spends a great deal of time in pop culture satire, which he does so well throughout the novel and series.
The best part for me of reading this series is knowing that I still have one left to read, and that Phipps is currently hard at work on another one. I strongly recommend immersing yourself in this phenomenal series and finding out why I’m so addicted.
Gary Karkofsky
I love CT Phipps’ Supervillainy series. It’s one of my all time favorite multi-volume literary creations. I can go on literally forever about why I believe Phipps is not only a comedic genius, but also a profound philosopher with some major truths about mortality, existence, politics and love, but for the sake of new readers I’ll start with some info about book 2 of the series.
At its core, the novel deals once again with lead protagonist Gary aka Merciless, a self declared supervillain out for notoriety, fame and money, and his band of misfit henchmen, Diabloman, Cindy (AKA Red Riding Hood), Amanda (the new Nightwalker) and of course his wife Mandy (who is now in actual fact a superhero) as they attempt to thwart the resurrection of an ancient Lovecraftian monster by a team of supervillains set on the destruction of the world. This is a big, outrageous , 70s and 80s era comic book plot, that when read sounds quite silly...and Phipps knows that, and spends the entire novel meta-textually riffing on everything that has ever defined the super hero genre. And when he does this, it is a hilarious wonder to behold.
Games of Supervillainy is not about the aforementioned plot, it’s about the characters, their struggles, their camaraderie, and the poignant, and very real themes of self concept vs title, words vs deeds , and of course what makes someone good or evil. By turning everything we know about super heroes upside down and taking the toys out of the box, Phipps creates a work that at is at once laugh out loud hilarious, and in the next instant existentially thought provoking and abstract.
Gary is one of the best literary creations because there is some of Gary in all of us. He is a character that wants to be shallow, feels drawn to the allure (for various reasons I will not spoil) of being a villain, yet in many ways he is the ultimate hero. How he deals with his understanding of who he is, is what makes this novel, and the series in general a masterpiece.
Anyone that enjoys fourth wall breaking comic books such as Dave Sim’s Cerebus, Bob Burden’s Flaming Carrot, and more recently Deadpool, and The Tick, will love the world of Merciless. Comic Book fans, Harry Potter fans, and satirical Fantasy readers will find much to love here as well, as Phipps spends a great deal of time in pop culture satire, which he does so well throughout the novel and series.
The best part for me of reading this series is knowing that I still have one left to read, and that Phipps is currently hard at work on another one. I strongly recommend immersing yourself in this phenomenal series and finding out why I’m so addicted.
January 16, 2018
The second book in the series picks up right where the first book ended, and it manages to somehow outshine the first one. I was already familiar with Gary's humor and the Cloak's dry responses and I knew what to expect starting it, but I still liked it better. And man, the ending made me start the third book right after finishing this one.
Great series so far
Great series so far
November 20, 2018
This was just as good as the last one. I don't have a whole lot more to say without going into the plot, but I am still loving the crazy humor, nerdy pop culture references, and interaction between Gary and Cloak.
July 8, 2018
Just as fun as the first I love Gary and Mandy as a couple which is why the end of this book annoyed me.
November 9, 2021
They're silly and over the top, but the story is fun and growing more complex.
Well narrated.
Well narrated.
June 23, 2025
The line between silly and imbecilic is thin. This has crossed over. The main character's lack of any skill can only be glossed over with sass for so long.
June 30, 2022
Much better than the first! Now the world building has calmed down I found this one a lot easier to get into.
For me, this adventure had a stronger storyline with the snark weaved in. Growing to love/hate Gary and wonder how everyone else around him stands him (as it should be!)
For me, this adventure had a stronger storyline with the snark weaved in. Growing to love/hate Gary and wonder how everyone else around him stands him (as it should be!)
March 22, 2016
I was given this book by the author through Bookie-Monster.com in exchange for an honest review.
The worst of the worst super criminals, Merciless – the super villain without Mercy, has escaped from prison; the most fierce prison on the moon.
Merciless (also known as Gary) along with one of the seven cloaks of death returns to earth where the fun begins. I may have exaggerated a bit – he’s not the worst in “pulls wings from flies” type villain. Rather he’s more the “spur of the moment, fly by the seat of your pants” kinda of worst villain ever with a monologue that puts all others to shame!
His plans to conquer and then rule his world like an OCD tyrant dictator becomes derailed by … yes, zombies, an evil Brotherhood, a demi-god, a giant Nazi robot, magic, a giant fire breathing dragon, Death, other villains and super heroes and of course, HIMSELF!
For all his ideas to rule the world and become “Merciless” the super villain, he has one weakness (well, mainly one) and that is his inability to plan ahead. He’s the “fly by the seat” type of guy who acts first, then thinks. His sidekicks and superheroine wife seem to take this all in stride.
Then there’s the super villain zombies:
“Hey Merciless! Glad you could make it!” The Ice Cream Man shouted, standing up on top of the steam-roller with another bazooka shaped like an ice cream cone.”
Laughter is guaranteed and occasionally you might say, “Hey, wait a minute that sounds just like ….” The characters are very realistic. C.T. Phipps has a unique sense of humor that leaves one shaking in laughter.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. Lots of clichés but done in a way that one cannot help but laugh. It is action packed with never a dull moment. Then there is the spell book that runs around like a yipping puppy; priceless.
You need to relax? Step away from life for a bit or just want to laugh? This is the book for you. I can’t wait to read the next one! Oh, I hear tell that Gary (Merciless) is “going to fix” things in book 3! Ack!!!!
The worst of the worst super criminals, Merciless – the super villain without Mercy, has escaped from prison; the most fierce prison on the moon.
Merciless (also known as Gary) along with one of the seven cloaks of death returns to earth where the fun begins. I may have exaggerated a bit – he’s not the worst in “pulls wings from flies” type villain. Rather he’s more the “spur of the moment, fly by the seat of your pants” kinda of worst villain ever with a monologue that puts all others to shame!
His plans to conquer and then rule his world like an OCD tyrant dictator becomes derailed by … yes, zombies, an evil Brotherhood, a demi-god, a giant Nazi robot, magic, a giant fire breathing dragon, Death, other villains and super heroes and of course, HIMSELF!
For all his ideas to rule the world and become “Merciless” the super villain, he has one weakness (well, mainly one) and that is his inability to plan ahead. He’s the “fly by the seat” type of guy who acts first, then thinks. His sidekicks and superheroine wife seem to take this all in stride.
Then there’s the super villain zombies:
“Hey Merciless! Glad you could make it!” The Ice Cream Man shouted, standing up on top of the steam-roller with another bazooka shaped like an ice cream cone.”
Laughter is guaranteed and occasionally you might say, “Hey, wait a minute that sounds just like ….” The characters are very realistic. C.T. Phipps has a unique sense of humor that leaves one shaking in laughter.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. Lots of clichés but done in a way that one cannot help but laugh. It is action packed with never a dull moment. Then there is the spell book that runs around like a yipping puppy; priceless.
You need to relax? Step away from life for a bit or just want to laugh? This is the book for you. I can’t wait to read the next one! Oh, I hear tell that Gary (Merciless) is “going to fix” things in book 3! Ack!!!!
December 23, 2015
It's not as good as the first book in my opinion. It does different things and does them well, but it just didn't have the same draw for me. Gary, aka Merciless, starts where he did at the end of the first story, discovering that the teleportation somehow took a month and zombies have overrun Falconcrest City. Since Falconcrest is his city, not to mention that he keeps all of his things there, this simply cannot stand.
Things I liked about the book included Gary's tendency to succeed on a combination of audacity, refusal to follow the rules that everyone else does, and the support of his friends and family. Less satisfying is the way that the conflict is almost entirely resolved by the end () and the sudden wrench at the end () just did not do it for me. Also, I felt like his successes were less due to cleverness and more due to dumb luck and random power-ups.
That said, I liked the book and I've hoping that the third book comes out soon.
On a side note, the most egregious editing issues in the book had already been resolved when I downloaded the book a day or so ago, and the author says that the other errors I sent him have also been fixed and the text resubmitted.
Things I liked about the book included Gary's tendency to succeed on a combination of audacity, refusal to follow the rules that everyone else does, and the support of his friends and family. Less satisfying is the way that the conflict is almost entirely resolved by the end () and the sudden wrench at the end () just did not do it for me. Also, I felt like his successes were less due to cleverness and more due to dumb luck and random power-ups.
That said, I liked the book and I've hoping that the third book comes out soon.
On a side note, the most egregious editing issues in the book had already been resolved when I downloaded the book a day or so ago, and the author says that the other errors I sent him have also been fixed and the text resubmitted.
April 20, 2016
I cannot say enough good things about C.T. Phipps and his Supervillainy series. The writing and dialogue is superb and the characters are amazing. He nails every single comic book cliche and stereotype which you would think gets old but it doesn't! With each cliche I found myself loving this book more. And mixed in with the spot-on humor is a great story and my favorite supervillain/hero/anti-hero/whatever you want to call Merciless. From the henchpeople to interplay with Death everything about this book just rocks. I know I'm gushing but I love The Games of Supervillainy!!!!
The only negative is it feels like this book was rushed through the editing process since there are several grammar/typo errors. I'm not the type that knocks a story for that and typically I don't even comment on those but there were many more than in the first book. As much as I want the third book to come out (and the fourth, fifth, ad infinitum) yesterday I hope the editors take an extra day to catch a few more of the simple grammar errors.
The only negative is it feels like this book was rushed through the editing process since there are several grammar/typo errors. I'm not the type that knocks a story for that and typically I don't even comment on those but there were many more than in the first book. As much as I want the third book to come out (and the fourth, fifth, ad infinitum) yesterday I hope the editors take an extra day to catch a few more of the simple grammar errors.
February 27, 2016
The follow-up to The Rules of Supervillainy. Gary Karkofsky returns to find his city overrun by the undead. Most of the city fled when the trouble began. Now just a few heroes--and villains-- remain to stop the cabal of evil wizards who are working to end the world.
The book was good but it wan't as good as the first one. I am not exactly sure what was different. The characters didn't seem to mesh as well as they did. Perhaps it was just a case of being too similar to the first.
It seemed to have the air of being rushed or being done just to continue with a proven product. The first volume had two or three minor glitches in the entire book. This second one was riddled with glitches and typos espcially near the end of the book. Another reviewer says the author has made corrections but his review was froma couple of months back and I just got the book a couple of weeks ago. So there might or might not be typos in the version you get.
The book was good but it wan't as good as the first one. I am not exactly sure what was different. The characters didn't seem to mesh as well as they did. Perhaps it was just a case of being too similar to the first.
It seemed to have the air of being rushed or being done just to continue with a proven product. The first volume had two or three minor glitches in the entire book. This second one was riddled with glitches and typos espcially near the end of the book. Another reviewer says the author has made corrections but his review was froma couple of months back and I just got the book a couple of weeks ago. So there might or might not be typos in the version you get.
December 21, 2015
I didn't feel the pipe-run of a story was as interesting as the events of the previous book. The storyline didn't allow much agency for Gary nor support witty dialogue or surprising detours -- any action other than solving the cause of the zombie plague needed constant explanation, which really undermined the fact that "surprising detours" were the best part of the first book.
As far as the book as a publication goes, I understand that whatever the reasons why the book was pushed forward, they should have done it even more. Not only were there numerous quotation marks missing (making the story hard to follow), but at times text from earlier chapters had been copy pasted in the middle of later chapters. At times I was also unsure who exactly was speaking or who were present in the room, which in general spoke of bad copyediting. I hope these things will be fixed for later readers.
As far as the book as a publication goes, I understand that whatever the reasons why the book was pushed forward, they should have done it even more. Not only were there numerous quotation marks missing (making the story hard to follow), but at times text from earlier chapters had been copy pasted in the middle of later chapters. At times I was also unsure who exactly was speaking or who were present in the room, which in general spoke of bad copyediting. I hope these things will be fixed for later readers.
January 25, 2016
As a long time fan of comic books and superheroes, I did not expect much from this book. Maybe another parodic take on the whole super-villain angle as seen in books by Mark Waid, Mark Miller and Garth Ennis? I did not set my expectations high.
Man, was I wrong. This is an intelligent and funny inside look at the ridiculous world of super-heroes and super-villains, and it does not fall into the many potential traps of the subject matter. If I had to compare this to a comic book, I would not choose "Boys" by Garth Ennis, but rather Justice League America from the legendary run of Kieth Giffen and J.M DeMatteis.
Fun read. Most recommended to lovers of the genre.
Man, was I wrong. This is an intelligent and funny inside look at the ridiculous world of super-heroes and super-villains, and it does not fall into the many potential traps of the subject matter. If I had to compare this to a comic book, I would not choose "Boys" by Garth Ennis, but rather Justice League America from the legendary run of Kieth Giffen and J.M DeMatteis.
Fun read. Most recommended to lovers of the genre.
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