The Bookwyrm's Review of Tales of Supervillainy: Cindy's Seven by C.T. Phipps

 

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Rating: 9/10 Stars

Synopsis

Cindy Wakowski aka Red Riding Hood is the second-most feared villain in Falconcrest City. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that is only because she's considered Merciless: The Supervillainy without MercyTM's favorite henchwoman. Determined to prove herself every bit her boyfriend's equal, if not superior, Cindy assembles a team of other villains to go after the largest treasure trove in the world: the hoard of the Dragon King.

Unfortunately, things start going sideways from the start. An ex-boyfriend of hers turned eldritch horror wants revenge, other villains don't want anything to do with her plan, and the Foundation for World Harmony has put out a death warrant on her head. Merciless has also decided to engage in a little friendly competition that Cindy wants nothing to do with. Can she steal slay the dragon and claim its treasure? Will she let her ego and impatience get in the way? Also, who is Red Sindi and what relationship does she have with our antiheroine?

TALES OF SUPERVILLAINY: CINDY'S SEVEN is the eighth novel of the best-selling SUPERVILLAINY SAGA series and the first from the perspective of its most popular supporting character!

Review

I have been a fan of C.T. Phipps's Supervillainy series since there was just one book in the series. I've seen Gary Karkofsky, the Supervillain known as Merciless, go from a petty criminal to having literal godlike powers, and back to more rational power levels. In this spinoff from the main series, we see the attention shift to Gary's main accomplice/baby mama, Cindy, aka Red Riding Hood. For me, this is a dream come true, because Cindy is my favorite character in the series. Her mix of over the top insanity mixed with a heart of gold plating has appealed to me from the first book and throughout the series.

The idea that Cindy wants to step out of Gary's considerable shadow is not shocking, especially considering her own accomplishments. But the plan she comes up with is pure Cindy: audacious, grandiose and certainly not well thought out. I really liked the idea that Cindy could put her own team together to try and pull off this big score, something even Gary wouldn't consider, mostly because he isn't nuttier than an almond tree. This team of friends, her daughters and other heroes and villains is a great mix of personalities and motivations, so when the heist starts to go sideways almost from the beginning, it's certainly not a surprise. The wild series of events leading up to their confrontation with the big baddie, including almost getting blown up, shot and stepped on by giant monsters are just what you'd expect from a story in this universe, especially one centered on Cindy. We even get to meet a distant ancestor of Cindy's, a copyright distinct red haired female barbarian that is certainly not named Sonya, and there's even a magic sword involved, although it's not nearly as impressive as it sounds. 

 This is certainly a different view than we'd get from a Gary story, but the wild ride Cindy and crew takes us on makes it completely worth it. Getting this birds eye view into the thought processes of Cindy is a huge treat, because Cindy makes Harley Quinn look sane and well adjusted. The snark factor in this one is turned up to 11, and this helps makes it a great addition to the Supervillainy lore. I highly recommend checking this one out. Let the madness begin!