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margaretpeebles's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It was fun. Worth a listen.
saluki's review against another edition
4.0
Gary is happily married to Mandy and about to undergo a drastic career move... from bank teller to becoming Supervillain Merciless. But is Gary as merciless as he would like to think he is?
Crazy fun read with some laugh out loud moments.
shaekin's review
4.0
A fun standard "candy" book. I'll check out the next in the series and see how this develops. Nothing too complex or intriguing yet, but has potential.
xeni's review
2.0
This book is probably good for someone. But not me.
I did not like the writing style at all. The narrative is written rather complex: more obscure words, interesting sentence structure. But the dialogue is a far polar opposite: incredibly crude, meme-y, slang-heavy, over-the-top silly in a way I found incredibly off-putting. The dichotomy proceeded to make this a very different book for me to read.
Add on top of that that it's also very violent, filled with gore, murder, killing, and plenty else, I have to say it's not to my tastes in many ways. I don't think I would mind it if it was better written (I do love Worm, after all) but altogether I could barely force myself to finish this story.
(Also when he's finally in the super villain prison and forced to team up with the pedophile guy from Prison Break (T-bag) it got especially ick. Good luck to anyone who does want to read this.
I did not like the writing style at all. The narrative is written rather complex: more obscure words, interesting sentence structure. But the dialogue is a far polar opposite: incredibly crude, meme-y, slang-heavy, over-the-top silly in a way I found incredibly off-putting. The dichotomy proceeded to make this a very different book for me to read.
Add on top of that that it's also very violent, filled with gore, murder, killing, and plenty else, I have to say it's not to my tastes in many ways. I don't think I would mind it if it was better written (I do love Worm, after all) but altogether I could barely force myself to finish this story.
(Also when he's finally in the super villain prison and forced to team up with the pedophile guy from Prison Break (T-bag) it got especially ick. Good luck to anyone who does want to read this.
bmacenlightened's review
4.0
Entertaining semi-humorous superhero/villain story. Received audiobook in exchange for honest review, recommended.
terracottageek's review
5.0
I couldn't put this down. It was a great book. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
vellichor_vibes's review
4.0
Got the super hero/villain book itch so downloaded this on audible and was not disappointed. It's a nice easy listen, but the narrator's voice could use a bit more variety.
egswriter's review against another edition
5.0
Disregarding the weirdness of reality, how far can ridiculousness go before it’s just absurd? Given that I love Douglas Adams, write my own brand of ridiculous books, and have a penchant for snark, I’m probably the wrong person to ask. C.T. Phipps, with his Rules of Supervillainy, is also probably the wrong person to ask, but by George, the book was entertaining!
1. Thoughts on the plot
This book is sort of the hero’s journey, only our hero is a villain. No, not just labelled by the readers as a Bad Guy, but actually, honestly, a supervillain. Gary Karkofsky inherited, somehow, the cape of the now-deceased superhero Nightwalker. With the sentience therein, and the powers granted to him, he decides to follow his childhood dream and become a supervillain, namely Merciless: The Villain Without Mercy. From there, he embarks on a quest to become the biggest bad in Falconcrest, only there are a bunch of other villains that get in his way. With his wife, an ex-girlfriend-slash-henchperson, and a former villain turned mentor, he has a ways to go before he reaches that goal. And it’s not only the superheros he has to worry about.
The plot was fascinating, because it read exactly as I would expect if a hero (not an MC, a hero) received some powers, discovered how to use them and went about doing noble things to save the world. Only, Gary’s not acting from noble intentions. It was intentionally twisting the bits of the hero’s journey story into something more suiting a less noble character, and it was done in such a way that you knew precisely how the plot was meant to turn out, but weren’t entirely sure if we would get there. Also, it was just plain entertaining.
2. Thoughts on the characters
As villains go, Gary isn’t particularly scary. Okay, yes, he cares more about money than noble intentions. And, yes, he doesn’t actually feel remorse for taking his villainous rivals down. But he’s otherwise perfectly normal. That’s the part that makes him a great character to read. He just has this sort of…eager, dog-like quality about him that is endearing and a little frightening. Just thrown him a bone and he’ll run with it, no matter if it’s the smart thing to do. One has to wonder, just a little, how he gets as far as he does. I’ll chalk it up to the magical cloak and the rational mind of his wife, Mandy. Who is, definitely, a favourite character of mine.
3. Favourite part
Out of all the slightly ridiculous, but somehow still logical scenarios in this book, I think the unabashed snark and sarcasm put forth by the cloak is definitely my favourite. It takes these absurd situations and makes them merely ridiculous and entertaining. That could be because I have a fondness for snark, but I think there’s probably a bit more to it than that.
4. Critique
I don’t really have a critique for this book. The prose was great, the characters entertaining, the situations perfectly ridiculous, and the ending trending just enough towards a cliff hanger to grab attention without leaving important questions unanswered.
Overall, The Rules of Supervillainy is definitely a book worth reading. If you’re into the absurd, with a bit of logic, a whole lot of snark, and some magical powers thrown in, this is worth a read. An excellent book.
1. Thoughts on the plot
This book is sort of the hero’s journey, only our hero is a villain. No, not just labelled by the readers as a Bad Guy, but actually, honestly, a supervillain. Gary Karkofsky inherited, somehow, the cape of the now-deceased superhero Nightwalker. With the sentience therein, and the powers granted to him, he decides to follow his childhood dream and become a supervillain, namely Merciless: The Villain Without Mercy. From there, he embarks on a quest to become the biggest bad in Falconcrest, only there are a bunch of other villains that get in his way. With his wife, an ex-girlfriend-slash-henchperson, and a former villain turned mentor, he has a ways to go before he reaches that goal. And it’s not only the superheros he has to worry about.
The plot was fascinating, because it read exactly as I would expect if a hero (not an MC, a hero) received some powers, discovered how to use them and went about doing noble things to save the world. Only, Gary’s not acting from noble intentions. It was intentionally twisting the bits of the hero’s journey story into something more suiting a less noble character, and it was done in such a way that you knew precisely how the plot was meant to turn out, but weren’t entirely sure if we would get there. Also, it was just plain entertaining.
2. Thoughts on the characters
As villains go, Gary isn’t particularly scary. Okay, yes, he cares more about money than noble intentions. And, yes, he doesn’t actually feel remorse for taking his villainous rivals down. But he’s otherwise perfectly normal. That’s the part that makes him a great character to read. He just has this sort of…eager, dog-like quality about him that is endearing and a little frightening. Just thrown him a bone and he’ll run with it, no matter if it’s the smart thing to do. One has to wonder, just a little, how he gets as far as he does. I’ll chalk it up to the magical cloak and the rational mind of his wife, Mandy. Who is, definitely, a favourite character of mine.
3. Favourite part
Out of all the slightly ridiculous, but somehow still logical scenarios in this book, I think the unabashed snark and sarcasm put forth by the cloak is definitely my favourite. It takes these absurd situations and makes them merely ridiculous and entertaining. That could be because I have a fondness for snark, but I think there’s probably a bit more to it than that.
4. Critique
I don’t really have a critique for this book. The prose was great, the characters entertaining, the situations perfectly ridiculous, and the ending trending just enough towards a cliff hanger to grab attention without leaving important questions unanswered.
Overall, The Rules of Supervillainy is definitely a book worth reading. If you’re into the absurd, with a bit of logic, a whole lot of snark, and some magical powers thrown in, this is worth a read. An excellent book.
assaphmehr's review against another edition
5.0
I've heard a lot about this series, and have sampled CT Phipps works before. Besides, who doesn't like superheroes?
This was a quick, fun read with lots of situational humour and fast paced action. Recommended to fans of the genre - if you've enjoyed Deadpool, The Boys, and the like, you should add this to your reading list.
What to Expect
A superhero story like the comics, with mind-bending twists and hilarious humour. As Phipps says in the introduction, this is born out of love for the genre, with plenty of tropes and no attempt at logic -- just like the comics.
While not as dark as The Boys or as explicit as Deadpool, I still think it would appeal to their fans. Gary aka Merciless(tm) isn't quite the super-villain he likes to be. He *doesn't* suffer from a cliche heart-of-gold, nor is he an anti-hero like the punisher. He's definitely a supervillain... he just likes the world to survive the space monsters and zombies long enough for him to rule it.
What I liked
The humour is in line with Phipps other works, with plenty of situational jokes, slapstick, snide commentary, and fanboi jokes.
The characters are amusing, and if they aren't exactly deep and emotional that fits well with the genre. It's more about the insane plot twists anyway.
What to be aware of
This book is more about chaotic humour than sensible plot, always going for the cheesy jokes. Then again, it's why I like it.
Summary
If you like the super-powered genre, if you enjoy comics and would like a quick laugh-out-loud read, this is a book for you.
--
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1518065419p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457914061l/29500700._SY75_.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
This was a quick, fun read with lots of situational humour and fast paced action. Recommended to fans of the genre - if you've enjoyed Deadpool, The Boys, and the like, you should add this to your reading list.
What to Expect
A superhero story like the comics, with mind-bending twists and hilarious humour. As Phipps says in the introduction, this is born out of love for the genre, with plenty of tropes and no attempt at logic -- just like the comics.
While not as dark as The Boys or as explicit as Deadpool, I still think it would appeal to their fans. Gary aka Merciless(tm) isn't quite the super-villain he likes to be. He *doesn't* suffer from a cliche heart-of-gold, nor is he an anti-hero like the punisher. He's definitely a supervillain... he just likes the world to survive the space monsters and zombies long enough for him to rule it.
What I liked
The humour is in line with Phipps other works, with plenty of situational jokes, slapstick, snide commentary, and fanboi jokes.
The characters are amusing, and if they aren't exactly deep and emotional that fits well with the genre. It's more about the insane plot twists anyway.
What to be aware of
This book is more about chaotic humour than sensible plot, always going for the cheesy jokes. Then again, it's why I like it.
Summary
If you like the super-powered genre, if you enjoy comics and would like a quick laugh-out-loud read, this is a book for you.
--
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1518065419p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457914061l/29500700._SY75_.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.