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The Supervillainy Saga #6
The Future of Supervillainy
Gary Karkofsky, a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillainy without Mercy, has decided to retire from supervillainy. He's lost too many friends and killed too many people (though they all had it coming). Unfortunately, this proves to be easier said than done when the Department of Supernatural Services (DOSS) shows up to arrest him for all of his crimes. Quickly landing himself in more trouble, he decides to get out of town and help a struggling underground kingdom in the center of the Earth. What he finds is an army of Nazis, gods, lost temples, and dinosaurs. He also is forced to fight once more against the world's first supervillain: Tom Terror, archenemy of heroes everywhere.
He just can't catch a break, can he?
He just can't catch a break, can he?
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2019
38 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
C.T. Phipps
93 books671 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 31 reviews
July 1, 2019
The Future of Supervillainy (The Supervillainy Saga #6) by C.T. Phipps is a book I requested and the review is voluntary. This is definitely my favorite so far! I giggled and moaned from the crazy witty jokes or zany dialogue! This book is so clever and fun to read! Gary, aka Merciless, can't decide if he wants to be a hero or a villain. Things happen and send him on a path without a choice. Then he gets an offer to fight Nazis, his favorite thing to fight! This is his zany adventure with new supers, and old, fighting more Nazis! It is a blast! Pure hilarity! This book is going in my favorite folder in Goodreads!
April 24, 2019
As a huge fan of the Supervillainy series, I was really excited to hear that C.T. Phipps was writing a new volume in the series. When I was given the chance to read an early access copy of The Future of Supervillainy, my inner nerd went into overdrive. Not sure where the series would go after Tournament of Supervillainy, I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it went.
After defeating Entropicus in the Tournament of Eternity, Gary and crew returned to Falconcrest City, to bask in their well earned spoils from the tournament. Living at the Warren Mansion, family home of the Nightwalker, Gary and his family are continuing their life of crime, such as it is. When government agents show up to arrest Gary, threatening his family in the process, Gary decisively and permanently, for the agents at least, ends that threat. Gary then meets John Booth and Mercury, the protagonists from the author's Cthulhu Armageddon series, and finds out the Society of Superheroes has been captured by Tom Terror and P.H.A.N.T.O.M.. When he finds out they were in a previously unknown realm at the center of the Earth, nothing will stop Gary and his crew from going to rescue them.
Arriving in the hidden world, Gary finds that Tom Terror and his minions have taken over a large swath of it, and are trying to take over the last free area. Gary also discovers the underground sun is Ultranian in nature, and the source of all the supers on earth. What follows is a thrill a minute battle though a world Indiana Jones and Jules Verne wouldn't want to try, With dinosaurs, villains and Nazi's, err, P.H.A.N.T.O.M goons trying to stop them at every turn, the final face off has a bunch of twists and turns, including some people from Gary's life he never expected to see again. It also turns out Gary isn't the only one with an Eternity Stone, and this means a shift in the balance of power that may have effects much greater than Gary expected, and he will be changed in so many ways by the end.
This has a really cool adventure story vibe to it, part Indian Jones meets Jules Verne, part Savage Land comics. Gary is his usual wisecracking, self deprecating, stubborn self. You might be able to complain about character growth, but who wants Gary to grow or get introspective? That would ruin half the fun at least. The rest of the cast of rogues is its usual fun, crazy best. Cindy, aka Red Riding Hood, is still one of my favorite characters. She will literally say anything, and is definitely fun and shocking at every turn. The villain, Tom Terror, is one of his best, being a combo of The Red Skull and Lex Luthor. He comes across with grandiose menace like no other villain in the Garyverse, and he is a legitimate threat at all times to anyone who gets in his way. The new setting of the inner world is very Verneesque, but with touches only C.T. Phipps could come up with. All told, this is one of my favorite entries in what is one of my favorite series. I cant recommend it highly enough when its published.
After defeating Entropicus in the Tournament of Eternity, Gary and crew returned to Falconcrest City, to bask in their well earned spoils from the tournament. Living at the Warren Mansion, family home of the Nightwalker, Gary and his family are continuing their life of crime, such as it is. When government agents show up to arrest Gary, threatening his family in the process, Gary decisively and permanently, for the agents at least, ends that threat. Gary then meets John Booth and Mercury, the protagonists from the author's Cthulhu Armageddon series, and finds out the Society of Superheroes has been captured by Tom Terror and P.H.A.N.T.O.M.. When he finds out they were in a previously unknown realm at the center of the Earth, nothing will stop Gary and his crew from going to rescue them.
Arriving in the hidden world, Gary finds that Tom Terror and his minions have taken over a large swath of it, and are trying to take over the last free area. Gary also discovers the underground sun is Ultranian in nature, and the source of all the supers on earth. What follows is a thrill a minute battle though a world Indiana Jones and Jules Verne wouldn't want to try, With dinosaurs, villains and Nazi's, err, P.H.A.N.T.O.M goons trying to stop them at every turn, the final face off has a bunch of twists and turns, including some people from Gary's life he never expected to see again. It also turns out Gary isn't the only one with an Eternity Stone, and this means a shift in the balance of power that may have effects much greater than Gary expected, and he will be changed in so many ways by the end.
This has a really cool adventure story vibe to it, part Indian Jones meets Jules Verne, part Savage Land comics. Gary is his usual wisecracking, self deprecating, stubborn self. You might be able to complain about character growth, but who wants Gary to grow or get introspective? That would ruin half the fun at least. The rest of the cast of rogues is its usual fun, crazy best. Cindy, aka Red Riding Hood, is still one of my favorite characters. She will literally say anything, and is definitely fun and shocking at every turn. The villain, Tom Terror, is one of his best, being a combo of The Red Skull and Lex Luthor. He comes across with grandiose menace like no other villain in the Garyverse, and he is a legitimate threat at all times to anyone who gets in his way. The new setting of the inner world is very Verneesque, but with touches only C.T. Phipps could come up with. All told, this is one of my favorite entries in what is one of my favorite series. I cant recommend it highly enough when its published.
September 2, 2019
THE FUTURE OF SUPERVILLAINY is the sixth book in the Supervillainy Saga and where I effectively finished planning out the remainder of the series. It's now set to be a 12 book saga (Gary is smirking at the idea his life would qualify as a saga versus a series of unfortunate events).
It is a story that begins the second arc of the story with Gary trying to deal with the fact becoming a supervillain wasn't the fun romp he expected but has enacted a heavy cost on his family, relationships, and personal sanity (not that he had much to begin with of the last) So, what does Gary do when he's feeling down and wondering whether it's all worth it? KILL NAZIS!
Yes, in homage to all the fun Pulpy adventures of things like the Mummy and Indiana Jones, Gary heads down to the Savage Land-esque Hollow Earth where hordes of Fourth Reich goons have taken over. Accompanied by John Henry Booth and Mercury Takashashi (Cthulhu Armageddon), he sets himself up against Tom Terror the worst supervillain of them all! Along the way he'll meet Odin, settle his issues with the evil Spellbinder, and be betrayed more than once.
I think fans of the series will love this one.
It is a story that begins the second arc of the story with Gary trying to deal with the fact becoming a supervillain wasn't the fun romp he expected but has enacted a heavy cost on his family, relationships, and personal sanity (not that he had much to begin with of the last) So, what does Gary do when he's feeling down and wondering whether it's all worth it? KILL NAZIS!
Yes, in homage to all the fun Pulpy adventures of things like the Mummy and Indiana Jones, Gary heads down to the Savage Land-esque Hollow Earth where hordes of Fourth Reich goons have taken over. Accompanied by John Henry Booth and Mercury Takashashi (Cthulhu Armageddon), he sets himself up against Tom Terror the worst supervillain of them all! Along the way he'll meet Odin, settle his issues with the evil Spellbinder, and be betrayed more than once.
I think fans of the series will love this one.
September 3, 2019
As usual CT Phipps does what the tin says and delivers a welter of laughs with his prodigious work rate and deluge of pop culture references.
Gary survives being pounded and outmanoeuvred and it very interesting to see the characters from numerous series blended in a nerdy homage, yet still appearing individual and distinct. With said work rate you expect to see similarities, or avoidances. The author avoids that for the second time in as many books by throwing them together in an alternative universe of myriad timelines as used to great effect by Star Trek. A clever way of avoiding repetition while pointing out Wookie racism.
If anything, I think the ubernazi Wolfenstein vibe was too understated. I’d personally preferred an exploitation of that vein more than using them as flunkies for a known evil bod.
Excellent delivery as always and having a chortle at the day job is one way of getting through the day. Well recommended, especially for nerds.
Gary survives being pounded and outmanoeuvred and it very interesting to see the characters from numerous series blended in a nerdy homage, yet still appearing individual and distinct. With said work rate you expect to see similarities, or avoidances. The author avoids that for the second time in as many books by throwing them together in an alternative universe of myriad timelines as used to great effect by Star Trek. A clever way of avoiding repetition while pointing out Wookie racism.
If anything, I think the ubernazi Wolfenstein vibe was too understated. I’d personally preferred an exploitation of that vein more than using them as flunkies for a known evil bod.
Excellent delivery as always and having a chortle at the day job is one way of getting through the day. Well recommended, especially for nerds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2019
Gary Karkofsky, aka Merciless: the Supervillain Without Mercy, finds himself working to save the multiverse yet again, keep his kids safe and learn how to deal with a polyamory situation he's been denying since the series began ... all while dodging Nazis, dinosaurs, robots, and new and old enemies.
This series abounds with one liners, references to 80s pop culture (much to everyone's annoyance), dry wit and fun.
This series abounds with one liners, references to 80s pop culture (much to everyone's annoyance), dry wit and fun.
November 2, 2019
4.5 stars
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
I love being back in the world of Gary Karkofsky, a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillainy without Mercy. This time Gary and his band of supervillains are traveling to the center of the earth to fight Nazis. There are some crossovers from some of Phipps other series. Don’t worry though, if you haven’t read the other series, you’ll be just fine. I have not read all the series referenced in The Future of Supervillainy, and I still enjoyed it a lot.
The same is very true about the other pop culture/sci-fi references. I’m very much a nerd and love all the references Phipps brings up in his series (I really loved the Indiana Jones references in this one). That being said, I don’t always get all the references, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the story. It kinda reminds me of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). I don’t get all the jokes in those movies, but there are so many that I do get, I don’t mind if some go over my head.
Anyway, I continue to enjoy this Supervillainy Saga series with wonderful characters and a dark and snarky sense of humor. Phipps does a great job bringing me out of a funk when I’ve had a tough day at work and I listen on my drive home. I always look forward to listening to his stories.
I know I haven’t said much about this story, in particular, but I don’t want to spoil the earlier books, if you haven’t listened to them yet (and you really should). It really is a series where each book builds on the previous book, so you’ll want to read in order.
Narration:
Jeffrey Kafer really does a great job with the narration of this series. I love all the voices of all the characters. He’s great with the male and female voices and there is a fairly large cast in this series, but that’s not hard for Kafer. I think he does a great job bringing out the humor in the series, but also doesn’t have any problems with action or sexy scenes either. Kafer really is a world class narrator and I always look forward to listening to any story he narrates.
**I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
I love being back in the world of Gary Karkofsky, a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillainy without Mercy. This time Gary and his band of supervillains are traveling to the center of the earth to fight Nazis. There are some crossovers from some of Phipps other series. Don’t worry though, if you haven’t read the other series, you’ll be just fine. I have not read all the series referenced in The Future of Supervillainy, and I still enjoyed it a lot.
The same is very true about the other pop culture/sci-fi references. I’m very much a nerd and love all the references Phipps brings up in his series (I really loved the Indiana Jones references in this one). That being said, I don’t always get all the references, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the story. It kinda reminds me of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). I don’t get all the jokes in those movies, but there are so many that I do get, I don’t mind if some go over my head.
Anyway, I continue to enjoy this Supervillainy Saga series with wonderful characters and a dark and snarky sense of humor. Phipps does a great job bringing me out of a funk when I’ve had a tough day at work and I listen on my drive home. I always look forward to listening to his stories.
I know I haven’t said much about this story, in particular, but I don’t want to spoil the earlier books, if you haven’t listened to them yet (and you really should). It really is a series where each book builds on the previous book, so you’ll want to read in order.
Narration:
Jeffrey Kafer really does a great job with the narration of this series. I love all the voices of all the characters. He’s great with the male and female voices and there is a fairly large cast in this series, but that’s not hard for Kafer. I think he does a great job bringing out the humor in the series, but also doesn’t have any problems with action or sexy scenes either. Kafer really is a world class narrator and I always look forward to listening to any story he narrates.
**I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2019
Phipps Has Done It Again
I honestly haven’t read a book this fast in a long time. Thankfully it was a holiday weekend and I was able to devote more reading time on a Sunday (last Sunday before the NFL is back) than I usually can. I absolutely flew through Future of Supervillainy. Phipps has done it again!
If you enjoy pop culture references that are as dated as you are and a supervillain who isn’t very good at being super and villainous – then Merciless and the Supervillainy series is definitely for you. Every time there was a reference made to a movie, game, or music I chuckled. Every. Single. Time. I haven’t read a book that had me cracking up like this since the last Phipps Supervillainy book.
Also, Phipps throws in some references about himself. How meta. But in all honesty – it works. The lines were funny and were basically him making fun of himself for his writing style.
There’s a special treat when Jane the Weredeer shows up in the early chapters (that just made me want another book in her series). And of course lots of other references and characters from Phipps’ other works).
The story in Future was and interesting one. It had a Journey to the Center of the Earth vibe (I’m almost positive that’s what he was going for) with an obvious Phipps twist. I can’t really talk too much about it without too many spoilers. Just know you’re in for a crazy story with plot twists and “I did not see that coming”s throughout.
Phipps is easily one of my favorite authors working today and with Future he continues to cement himself in my brain. It’s also good to know that I’m not the only dork who spits out pop-culture references like it’s his job.
I honestly haven’t read a book this fast in a long time. Thankfully it was a holiday weekend and I was able to devote more reading time on a Sunday (last Sunday before the NFL is back) than I usually can. I absolutely flew through Future of Supervillainy. Phipps has done it again!
If you enjoy pop culture references that are as dated as you are and a supervillain who isn’t very good at being super and villainous – then Merciless and the Supervillainy series is definitely for you. Every time there was a reference made to a movie, game, or music I chuckled. Every. Single. Time. I haven’t read a book that had me cracking up like this since the last Phipps Supervillainy book.
Also, Phipps throws in some references about himself. How meta. But in all honesty – it works. The lines were funny and were basically him making fun of himself for his writing style.
There’s a special treat when Jane the Weredeer shows up in the early chapters (that just made me want another book in her series). And of course lots of other references and characters from Phipps’ other works).
The story in Future was and interesting one. It had a Journey to the Center of the Earth vibe (I’m almost positive that’s what he was going for) with an obvious Phipps twist. I can’t really talk too much about it without too many spoilers. Just know you’re in for a crazy story with plot twists and “I did not see that coming”s throughout.
Phipps is easily one of my favorite authors working today and with Future he continues to cement himself in my brain. It’s also good to know that I’m not the only dork who spits out pop-culture references like it’s his job.
June 8, 2019
I love Gary. For a polyamorous, ADD supervillain that saves the day much more than he ruins it; he is a whole lot of fun! His tactics are questionable, his goals are confusing, and even facing death, destruction, and/or the total loss of everyone and everything he cares about...he will drop a pop-culture quip. In a completely unapologetic way, he simply is what he is: A guy that wanted to be a supervillian and ended up succeeding in the strangest way possible.
In The Future of Supervillainy, Gary has pretty much given up on the super-life. He has a large weird family and he wants to live "normally" for a bit...ignore the weredear and cyborg assassin crashing on the couch, please. When a couple of dimension hopping "heroes" show up from Cthulhu-land, looking for help in stopping the recent Nazi invasion...well, who can say no to that?
Can an army of fascists riding dinosaurs empowered with mind controlled superheroes stop Gary from making jokes? Not even in the face of Armageddon, Odin, and D&D!
And there we have it. That is what makes The Supervillainy Series so much fun. It is not just weird. It is completely over the top crazy! It's Deadpool to the nth degree. And it is a refreshing change from the gritty and hyper-realistic tales that I love as well. But, unlike those stories...it is just a whole lot of fun from start to end.
In The Future of Supervillainy, Gary has pretty much given up on the super-life. He has a large weird family and he wants to live "normally" for a bit...ignore the weredear and cyborg assassin crashing on the couch, please. When a couple of dimension hopping "heroes" show up from Cthulhu-land, looking for help in stopping the recent Nazi invasion...well, who can say no to that?
Can an army of fascists riding dinosaurs empowered with mind controlled superheroes stop Gary from making jokes? Not even in the face of Armageddon, Odin, and D&D!
And there we have it. That is what makes The Supervillainy Series so much fun. It is not just weird. It is completely over the top crazy! It's Deadpool to the nth degree. And it is a refreshing change from the gritty and hyper-realistic tales that I love as well. But, unlike those stories...it is just a whole lot of fun from start to end.
July 20, 2020
A 3.5 but CT is a friend so I rounded up. For whatever reason, I had a hard time focusing and getting invested in this one as well. Again, I have to assume I'm part of the problem. Debatable on how big my share is. Anyway, still a good story and the crossover continues. That's fun, but I kind of would have liked to have seen the crossover characters be a little more than background props.
The story started out strong! Govt. types and soldiers show up to arrest Gary. Gary, being tired with it all, initially goes along with it. That's when one of the "Men in Black" gets upset at his compliance since he doesn't get to rough him up and decides to threaten his family. Big mistake. One melted fed and a call to the president letting him know what was going to happen if someone tried that again cleared everything up. That was the most memorable part and I kind of zoned in and out from there. Dr. Terror pops up in Middle Earth and Gary and his cohorts have to go deal with him. Stuff happens. Story over.
The story started out strong! Govt. types and soldiers show up to arrest Gary. Gary, being tired with it all, initially goes along with it. That's when one of the "Men in Black" gets upset at his compliance since he doesn't get to rough him up and decides to threaten his family. Big mistake. One melted fed and a call to the president letting him know what was going to happen if someone tried that again cleared everything up. That was the most memorable part and I kind of zoned in and out from there. Dr. Terror pops up in Middle Earth and Gary and his cohorts have to go deal with him. Stuff happens. Story over.
June 5, 2019
Just finished future of Supervillainy..
Thoughts...hmmmm
Just keeps getting better...like the dynamics of gary -cindy...
Not gonna put up any spoilers but better than tournament of Supervillainy...which was good
Brings us back on track ties up some loose ends...and feels as freash as the first book.....
Thoughts...hmmmm
Just keeps getting better...like the dynamics of gary -cindy...
Not gonna put up any spoilers but better than tournament of Supervillainy...which was good
Brings us back on track ties up some loose ends...and feels as freash as the first book.....
July 24, 2019
Another enyertaining read! One of my favorite series!
October 2, 2019
This review is for the audiobook version of The Future of Supervillainy by C. T. Phipps and read by Jeffrey Kafer.
We're six books into the Supervillainy Saga at this point and we're at a stage where you really need to have read some (if not all) of the previous books in the series in order for most of this to make sense. Unlike some series, The Supervillainy Saga doesn't feel like individual stories that are connected by the same set of characters in the same world. It feels like the continuation of one single story that's been going on now for some time and appears to have no sign of slowing down, in other words, it's earned its designation as a saga.
While it's not my favorite of the books, it's a respectable entry in the saga. Gary Karkofsky (AKA: Merciless) continues to evolve and again shows growth of character. Something that, back in The Rules of Supervillainy, I would have never suspected.
This time around, the story takes Gary on a hollow earth tale in a superheroes versus Nazi's tale that could have happened during one of the many good JSA or All-Star Squadron runs except where all of the characters were morally ambiguous pastiches of themselves.
Future is another Phipps popcorn-fest. There's tons of stylized action and violence, nerd and geek references galore (you may need to open a tab to search Wikipedia from time to time), and Gary's trademark sense of humor is almost on-par with Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden at this point. The book also serves to remind the reader/listener that punching Nazis will never not be OK.
At this point, I'm not sure what else I can say about Jeffrey Kafer. It seems as if fully 25% of all books I listen to these days are narrated by him. He's an Audible rockstar. He's so dependable, that he's joined my list of elite narrators where I will actually search for books under their name when I'm looking for how to spend my monthly credit.
Will The Future of Supervillainy change your life? Goodness, no! Will you enjoy your time spent with Gary and his crew? Absolutely!
***Full Disclosure: I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
We're six books into the Supervillainy Saga at this point and we're at a stage where you really need to have read some (if not all) of the previous books in the series in order for most of this to make sense. Unlike some series, The Supervillainy Saga doesn't feel like individual stories that are connected by the same set of characters in the same world. It feels like the continuation of one single story that's been going on now for some time and appears to have no sign of slowing down, in other words, it's earned its designation as a saga.
While it's not my favorite of the books, it's a respectable entry in the saga. Gary Karkofsky (AKA: Merciless) continues to evolve and again shows growth of character. Something that, back in The Rules of Supervillainy, I would have never suspected.
This time around, the story takes Gary on a hollow earth tale in a superheroes versus Nazi's tale that could have happened during one of the many good JSA or All-Star Squadron runs except where all of the characters were morally ambiguous pastiches of themselves.
Future is another Phipps popcorn-fest. There's tons of stylized action and violence, nerd and geek references galore (you may need to open a tab to search Wikipedia from time to time), and Gary's trademark sense of humor is almost on-par with Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden at this point. The book also serves to remind the reader/listener that punching Nazis will never not be OK.
At this point, I'm not sure what else I can say about Jeffrey Kafer. It seems as if fully 25% of all books I listen to these days are narrated by him. He's an Audible rockstar. He's so dependable, that he's joined my list of elite narrators where I will actually search for books under their name when I'm looking for how to spend my monthly credit.
Will The Future of Supervillainy change your life? Goodness, no! Will you enjoy your time spent with Gary and his crew? Absolutely!
***Full Disclosure: I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
October 5, 2019
This series just keeps me coming back for more – for the laughs. This time Gary and his bad of mediocre supervillains are traveling to the center of the Earth to fight Nazis. Yep. No travel agent needed, just bring your butt kicking boots with you!
And the cameos from book 5 continue. Jane Weredeer is still around, often babysitting for Gary and Cindy (who continues to claim she’s a horrible parent). Then John Henry Booth and Mercury Takashashi from the Cthulhu Armageddon novels show up. Haha! There’s lots of jokes about magic versus tech and what’s truly possible. Gary has his own brand of magic, one that relies of studying and books. Meanwhile, John has his inter-dimensional tentacle thing going on. Both brands of magic are put to great deeds. If you haven’t read these other works by Phipps, no need to worry – it’s not necessary to get the plot.
Nerd references abound! They are put to good use and aren’t overbearing. I know I didn’t catch them all and that makes not only this book but the series great for revisiting. Star Wars and Star Trek feature heavily in the geek references.
Cindy makes me laugh a lot. She’s so harsh and real. She just doesn’t hold anything back – not to be polite or circumspect or proper or even to keep her sex life private. She’s just out there, telling it how she sees it.
Plenty of action in this one too. Who doesn’t enjoy saving the day from Nazis? Plus the mash up with traveling to the center of the Earth. Definitely a great mix of action and jokes. 5/5 stars.
The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer is always going to be a favorite narrator and I certainly enjoyed his narration of this book. I love his voice for Cindy, being full of honest snark. All of his character voices are unique and his female voices are good. The pacing is perfect and his timing for the jokes is spot on. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.
And the cameos from book 5 continue. Jane Weredeer is still around, often babysitting for Gary and Cindy (who continues to claim she’s a horrible parent). Then John Henry Booth and Mercury Takashashi from the Cthulhu Armageddon novels show up. Haha! There’s lots of jokes about magic versus tech and what’s truly possible. Gary has his own brand of magic, one that relies of studying and books. Meanwhile, John has his inter-dimensional tentacle thing going on. Both brands of magic are put to great deeds. If you haven’t read these other works by Phipps, no need to worry – it’s not necessary to get the plot.
Nerd references abound! They are put to good use and aren’t overbearing. I know I didn’t catch them all and that makes not only this book but the series great for revisiting. Star Wars and Star Trek feature heavily in the geek references.
Cindy makes me laugh a lot. She’s so harsh and real. She just doesn’t hold anything back – not to be polite or circumspect or proper or even to keep her sex life private. She’s just out there, telling it how she sees it.
Plenty of action in this one too. Who doesn’t enjoy saving the day from Nazis? Plus the mash up with traveling to the center of the Earth. Definitely a great mix of action and jokes. 5/5 stars.
The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer is always going to be a favorite narrator and I certainly enjoyed his narration of this book. I love his voice for Cindy, being full of honest snark. All of his character voices are unique and his female voices are good. The pacing is perfect and his timing for the jokes is spot on. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.
September 9, 2019
The Supervillainy Saga has been one of those series that is an ideal meld of warps author sense of humor and narrator who can bring the story to life. I had thought the series had reached its natural end after book 4, but then book 5 came out strong. And here we are at book 6 were it’s punchin’ Nazis time.
Gary, Gabrielle and Cindy journey to the center of the earth with other Phipps characters to a bonkers (in the best way) crossover that includes reckoning with longtime baddie Tom Terror, and allows Gary to confront Maria about wearing Mandy’s body in book 5.
This part was especially interesting to me because Gary brings up “rape by omission” since he didn’t know he wasn’t with Mandy. This type of plotline has been used in various media before, but rarely is it called out within the media source. Kudos to Phipps for doing this, even if others act like Gary is just being petulant about something that’s legitimately important.
The action in this was fun, and for an unexplainable reason Cindy becomes Red Riding Werewolf for a good portion of the book. The ending had a twist to keep the story going, and I'm already looking forward to book 7.
Shout out to Jeffrey Kafer’s performance on this audiobook. Without his vocal swagger, this book might not be as fun as it is. He always delivers the comedy (and sexy if needed), and I unironically love his performance of Cindy. (He acts like he hates it, but perhaps a narrator doth protest too much…)
In short: Fun book that takes the characters where I didn’t expect to see them before. Great twist for the two characters on the cover. This is the book for those who love superhero stories, sendups of superhero stories, and those who love their pop culture references fast and usually about Star Wars.
Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Gary, Gabrielle and Cindy journey to the center of the earth with other Phipps characters to a bonkers (in the best way) crossover that includes reckoning with longtime baddie Tom Terror, and allows Gary to confront Maria about wearing Mandy’s body in book 5.
This part was especially interesting to me because Gary brings up “rape by omission” since he didn’t know he wasn’t with Mandy. This type of plotline has been used in various media before, but rarely is it called out within the media source. Kudos to Phipps for doing this, even if others act like Gary is just being petulant about something that’s legitimately important.
The action in this was fun, and for an unexplainable reason Cindy becomes Red Riding Werewolf for a good portion of the book. The ending had a twist to keep the story going, and I'm already looking forward to book 7.
Shout out to Jeffrey Kafer’s performance on this audiobook. Without his vocal swagger, this book might not be as fun as it is. He always delivers the comedy (and sexy if needed), and I unironically love his performance of Cindy. (He acts like he hates it, but perhaps a narrator doth protest too much…)
In short: Fun book that takes the characters where I didn’t expect to see them before. Great twist for the two characters on the cover. This is the book for those who love superhero stories, sendups of superhero stories, and those who love their pop culture references fast and usually about Star Wars.
Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
March 11, 2021
I enjoyed this book. This is book six in the series and with so many characters from previous books and even from other series appearing in this one then I would definitely say that you need to start with book one and work your way though them all, especially as they is a number of long running twists, friendships and relationships contained in them and also because the books pick from where the last book finished off. You won't be disappointed. The characters are what makes this such a great series. It also helps if you like star wars or Si-Fi films as there is a lot of pop culture references, that Gary uses to confuse and annoy his opponents and often his friends. There is plenty of action and humour and I can't wait to start the next book.
Gary has lost to many friends after the last trails and has turned is back on villains and hero's, that is until a government agent threatens the lives of his daughters and no body can be allowed to do that. After fighting back he decides to lie low for a while and let the heat die down and the same time he is asked for help in taking down some Nazis and saving some super hero's, one of which is his niece. Gary and his gang head to underground kingdom in the center of the Earth with out a plan, other than getting his niece back. There he has to face off against Tom Terror, archenemy of heroes everywhere, dinosaurs, Gods and old friends. Can Gary hatch a plan on the fly that will get everybody out safely?
I like Jeffrey Kafer as the narrator he has perfect timing for the quips and enough sass to sass with the best of them. I am glad he is the voice of Gary and his friend and hope he continues to be.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Gary has lost to many friends after the last trails and has turned is back on villains and hero's, that is until a government agent threatens the lives of his daughters and no body can be allowed to do that. After fighting back he decides to lie low for a while and let the heat die down and the same time he is asked for help in taking down some Nazis and saving some super hero's, one of which is his niece. Gary and his gang head to underground kingdom in the center of the Earth with out a plan, other than getting his niece back. There he has to face off against Tom Terror, archenemy of heroes everywhere, dinosaurs, Gods and old friends. Can Gary hatch a plan on the fly that will get everybody out safely?
I like Jeffrey Kafer as the narrator he has perfect timing for the quips and enough sass to sass with the best of them. I am glad he is the voice of Gary and his friend and hope he continues to be.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
November 25, 2019
After enjoying most of the series up to this point it just became too much bullshit finally. Stopped being funny and started feeling... Pathetic I guess.
Still a fan of the Author though. If you haven't already you should check out his vampire series. The MCs are pretty damn similar despite superficial differences. But the level of silly hasn't quite reached super bonkers. Yet anyway.
Still a fan of the Author though. If you haven't already you should check out his vampire series. The MCs are pretty damn similar despite superficial differences. But the level of silly hasn't quite reached super bonkers. Yet anyway.
March 26, 2023
This time Gary goes to the center of the earth to fight Tom Terror and his Nazis. It’s nonstop action as Gary indulges in his favorite pastime—i.e. killing Nazis. There’s also a lot of classic center of the earth problems like dinosaurs everywhere you look. Oh, and did I forget to mention that he’s down at the center of the earth trying to rescue all the superheroes? This is another fun one!
July 17, 2019
Biting and bitter
Gary is bitter, more than usual, and insane, as usual.
The antics are wacky and absurd, the location fun, the foes despicable, and the melodrama is endless. Most of that is a good thing.
Did need another round or two of proofreading.
Gary is bitter, more than usual, and insane, as usual.
The antics are wacky and absurd, the location fun, the foes despicable, and the melodrama is endless. Most of that is a good thing.
Did need another round or two of proofreading.
November 9, 2019
The future of supervillainy picks up a year after the previous book and it keeps the story going strong. I like the change in direction with the pop culture and how the author has fun with the characters, but also makes the story believable. It's a fun read and I'm looking forward to the next book.
October 7, 2020
Just Freaking........ WOW!!!
This guy has one heck of an imagination!
I love this series.
Hopefully someone will make this into an Amazon Prime or Netflix miniseries (and don’t screw it up!).
This guy has one heck of an imagination!
I love this series.
Hopefully someone will make this into an Amazon Prime or Netflix miniseries (and don’t screw it up!).
October 29, 2020
Gary 'Merciless' Karkofsky supervillain, well most of the time! Having retired from supervillainary, Gary is forced back in to action, as he again needs to save the world. Again another cross over story, with Gary at his cunning best, it's all in the careful planning, well almost!!
March 2, 2021
Nazis under the earth, this was great! the super-star Merciless is at it again and it was epic. I bought the digital copies to add to the audiobooks, and now as I'm writing this I want to re-listen to the whole series for the 14th or 19th time...
January 3, 2022
Merciless journeys to the centre of the earth
More series crossovers, more pop references, more laugh out loud moments, all wrapped up inside a journey to the centre of the earth.
This is one of my all time favourite series. Now onto the Horror of….
More series crossovers, more pop references, more laugh out loud moments, all wrapped up inside a journey to the centre of the earth.
This is one of my all time favourite series. Now onto the Horror of….
September 20, 2019
I loved this book, it was great. The snark and pop culture references make reading this book seem like having a great conversation with a friend.
January 27, 2020
I miss cloak.
November 2, 2024
No no no no no.
October 26, 2021
Great series.
Very good storyline. Pop culture references throughout. Interesting plot twists. Worth your time to read. Definitely goes into the social aspects of superheroes and villains. Thoroughly entertained when reading.
Very good storyline. Pop culture references throughout. Interesting plot twists. Worth your time to read. Definitely goes into the social aspects of superheroes and villains. Thoroughly entertained when reading.
August 25, 2023
I mean, the books continue to be beyond silly, with 80s and 90s references all over the place, and time and themes flexible.
Happy to continue reading but if you have read this far you probably know what you are getting yourself into.
Happy to continue reading but if you have read this far you probably know what you are getting yourself into.
May 5, 2020
Gary's life feels to be evolving and growing, as life should. By now, we know Gary's not a true villain in his intent but he doesn't act as a straight laced hero either. Gary calls himself an antihero, which fits perfectly. Gary does seem to have a great capability of screwing things up too, which brings humor and highlights additional characters in the book. And yet, in some strange way, it works out for Gary. lol. I enjoy these moments, when things go off the rails for Gary because it feels creative with how we get to where we still need to be. There are moments where it feels as though it's the easy route, but it's all good because Gary is his own character.
As always, I had fun listening to Gary and his family and friends take this adventure and fight on. It seems Gary's life might take another turn in the future with what he does in life. Or maybe not.
****FULL REVIEW****
*I was given this free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I had a few rough weeks and wanted an audio book I could enjoy and relax with. This fit the mold. I always enjoy Gary's antics and adventures. This book follows through with what I was looking for.
Gary gave up being a super villain a year ago. Until the special United States agency sets out to arrest him, and threatens his children. Wanting to get away from the potential attack coming, and getting a chance to kill Nazi's, Gary agrees to help an underground kingdom in the center of the Earth.
John from C.T.'s Apocalyptic books joins our favorites on this mission. We get a quick view of his life and world here. These crumbs could make you curious to pick up those books.
When I think there couldn't be more '80's and '90's movies to pull from, C.T. surprises me with ones I've forgotten about. I love listening to the story and thinking of what movie, comic, book, and more that influences the events and quick comebacks. There is so much great material to be inspired by! I love how C.T. does that.
Gary loves his family. This is the one thing he fights for, or doesn't fight. All to keep them safe. He loves his women deeply, all the women close to him. He has to face that his children and niece could be in danger because of what he and the moms do. Will that stop Gary from doing what needs done though?
Gary's life feels to be evolving and growing, as life should. By now we know Gary's not a true villain in his intent but he doesn't act as a straight laced hero either. Gary calls himself an antihero, which fits perfectly. Gary does seem to have a great capability of screwing things up too, which brings humor and highlights additional characters in the book. And yet, in some strange way, it works out for Gary. lol. I enjoy these moments, when things go off the rails for Gary because it feels creative with how we get to where we still need to be. There are moments where it feels as though it's the easy route, but it's all good because Gary is his own character.
You know when Gary is not thrilled with something or disappointed as he wont waste a great Star Wars quote, or pop culture quote, on that person or situation. That weighs more in meaning than giving a great quote to lighten the moment.
As always, I had fun listening to Gary and his family and friends take this adventure and fight on. It seems Gary's life might take another turn in the future with what he does in life. Or maybe not.
As always, I had fun listening to Gary and his family and friends take this adventure and fight on. It seems Gary's life might take another turn in the future with what he does in life. Or maybe not.
****FULL REVIEW****
*I was given this free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I had a few rough weeks and wanted an audio book I could enjoy and relax with. This fit the mold. I always enjoy Gary's antics and adventures. This book follows through with what I was looking for.
Gary gave up being a super villain a year ago. Until the special United States agency sets out to arrest him, and threatens his children. Wanting to get away from the potential attack coming, and getting a chance to kill Nazi's, Gary agrees to help an underground kingdom in the center of the Earth.
John from C.T.'s Apocalyptic books joins our favorites on this mission. We get a quick view of his life and world here. These crumbs could make you curious to pick up those books.
When I think there couldn't be more '80's and '90's movies to pull from, C.T. surprises me with ones I've forgotten about. I love listening to the story and thinking of what movie, comic, book, and more that influences the events and quick comebacks. There is so much great material to be inspired by! I love how C.T. does that.
Gary loves his family. This is the one thing he fights for, or doesn't fight. All to keep them safe. He loves his women deeply, all the women close to him. He has to face that his children and niece could be in danger because of what he and the moms do. Will that stop Gary from doing what needs done though?
Gary's life feels to be evolving and growing, as life should. By now we know Gary's not a true villain in his intent but he doesn't act as a straight laced hero either. Gary calls himself an antihero, which fits perfectly. Gary does seem to have a great capability of screwing things up too, which brings humor and highlights additional characters in the book. And yet, in some strange way, it works out for Gary. lol. I enjoy these moments, when things go off the rails for Gary because it feels creative with how we get to where we still need to be. There are moments where it feels as though it's the easy route, but it's all good because Gary is his own character.
You know when Gary is not thrilled with something or disappointed as he wont waste a great Star Wars quote, or pop culture quote, on that person or situation. That weighs more in meaning than giving a great quote to lighten the moment.
As always, I had fun listening to Gary and his family and friends take this adventure and fight on. It seems Gary's life might take another turn in the future with what he does in life. Or maybe not.
March 4, 2021
Do you like riding dinosaurs, killing Nazis, and, fighting terrorist Supervillains? Then the Future of Supervillainy is for you! But seriously, this book is great for so many reasons. Still the same irreverent, hilarious fun, but now Gary is in the center of the earth, kickin’ Nazi ass and trying to free the native kingdoms of the land from the evil tyranny of Tom Terror. It brings me back watching Land of the Lost on Saturday mornings -- but with the Nazis from Indiana Jones.
C.T. Phipps has kept this series going now into book six, often moving into new, interesting literary territory that I’ve never experienced in a book. I doubt the adventures of Gary will be an example of classic literature in 50 years, but the way that Phipps ties together the multiverse of his storytelling worlds is impressive. Having characters from different series “guest star” in the Supervillainy books (books 5 and 6) may seem like a silly gimmick, but it’s done really well and has gotten me to branch out and look into genres and series that I would have normally ignored.
Kafer continues his perfect performance in this series and provides an ideal voice acting to bring life to the different characters. His range is amazing and at times I feel like there’s no way the books are being narrated by only a single person. The only drawback for me is that Kafer is so good at delivering punchlines and narrating comedy, I may never be able to listen to him narrate a serious book again -- sorry Tyler Barron.
C.T. Phipps has kept this series going now into book six, often moving into new, interesting literary territory that I’ve never experienced in a book. I doubt the adventures of Gary will be an example of classic literature in 50 years, but the way that Phipps ties together the multiverse of his storytelling worlds is impressive. Having characters from different series “guest star” in the Supervillainy books (books 5 and 6) may seem like a silly gimmick, but it’s done really well and has gotten me to branch out and look into genres and series that I would have normally ignored.
Kafer continues his perfect performance in this series and provides an ideal voice acting to bring life to the different characters. His range is amazing and at times I feel like there’s no way the books are being narrated by only a single person. The only drawback for me is that Kafer is so good at delivering punchlines and narrating comedy, I may never be able to listen to him narrate a serious book again -- sorry Tyler Barron.
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