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The Fear Institute (Johannes Cabal #3)

by Jonathan L. Howard (Goodreads Author)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 578 ratings · 87 reviews

Johannes Cabal and his rather inexact powers of necromancy are back once more. This time, his talents are purchased by The Fear Institute as they hunt for the Phobic Animus - the embodiment of fear. The three Institute members, led by Cabal and his Silver Key, enter the Dreamlands and find themselves pursued by walking trees plagued with giant ticks, stone men that patrol...more

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Published June 1st 2011

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Jun 16, 2012 Tina Rath rated it 5 of 5 stars

I start with the admission that I am a Johannes Cabal fan. I follow him on Twitter. If I were not already married and he were not a fictional character I would marry him. He is an anti-hero of the deepest dye, duplicitous, selfish, and anti-social to the point of sociopathy. In this latest account of his adventures he leads an expedition into the Lovecraftian territory of the Dreamlands in pursuit of the Phobic Animus financed and manned by The Fear Institute. All - well practically nothing - is...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Stamatios rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you are not familiar with the character of Johannes Cabal and the previous works by Jonathan L. Howard, then you will probably enjoy this book more than I did. Howard's main weakness is pace, and although this third book in the Johannes Cabal series is not as bad as the first one in that respect, there's clearly a problem with the way the story unfolds. The introduction is excellent and builds up momentum, only to lose it when the adventurers enter the Dreamlands. Nothing exciting happens for...more If you are not familiar with the character of Johannes Cabal and the previous works by Jonathan L. Howard, then you will probably enjoy this book more than I did. Howard's main weakness is pace, and although this third book in the Johannes Cabal series is not as bad as the first one in that respect, there's clearly a problem with the way the story unfolds. The introduction is excellent and builds up momentum, only to lose it when the adventurers enter the Dreamlands. Nothing exciting happens for a very long time until much later in the story and the excellent finale.

The Dreamlands themselves are disappointingly boring. The Dreamlands, based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft, are terribly underdeveloped, being essentially your typical epic fantasy setting with sparse references to the Cthulhu mythology. When you are told about an entire dimension, built by the dreams of all living creatures that ever lived, you expect a lot more, don't you?

The characters also are totally uninteresting (with the exception of one -- not to spoil the twist). They have no impact to the story whatsoever and they only serve as targets for Cabal's sarcasm. But the thing I cannot forgive Howard for is the character of Johannes Cabal himself, who is the main reason I read his books in the first place. His personality has been diluted and expanded to all sorts of directions. He is uninterested to the Dreamlands' curiosities one moment and terribly curious the other. He is portrayed as a sociopath and has thoughts of murdering his companions, but tries to save and help strangers he inexplicably develops a liking for. And so on and so forth. Unforgiven.

Having said all that, The Fear Institute is not a bad book by far. Howard's dialog is as clever and amusing as ever (although you may want to keep an English dictionary handy -- and a French, a German and a Latin while you're at it). The book is worth reading through just for its ending and the brilliant resolution to Cabal's predicament. The whole idea is simply genius and is delivered very smartly.

The last chapter of the book leads directly to a sequel. With his second Johannes Cabal book (Johannes Cabal The Detective) I though that Howard had improved in all areas over his first one (Johannes Cabal The Necromancer), but the third book is a step backwards. Let's hope that with the fourth one he will find his best self again.(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Jacob rated it 5 of 5 stars

(Repost from http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2011/1... )

Necromancers: dark, depressing, drearily-dressed, and contact with said frequently leads to defenestration. Can I stop alliterating now?

So, find one as our protagonist? It's original - and it works. Johannes Cabal is a necromancer, his blend of cold blooded (or as he's politely labelled by an employer, sang froid) pragmatism, love for the scientific method, and a certain measure of magic - or sufficiently advanced technology - having kept hi...more (Repost from http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2011/1... )

Necromancers: dark, depressing, drearily-dressed, and contact with said frequently leads to defenestration. Can I stop alliterating now?

So, find one as our protagonist? It's original - and it works. Johannes Cabal is a necromancer, his blend of cold blooded (or as he's politely labelled by an employer, sang froid) pragmatism, love for the scientific method, and a certain measure of magic - or sufficiently advanced technology - having kept him in business. Ie. away from the nearest stake.

Cabal's faced challenges before in Howard's comic fantasies - hilarious ones. He's won his soul back from the devil, and done his bit as a detective. He still, however, hasn't found how to truly bring back the dead. So when he's employed by the Fear Institute to venture into the Dreamlands in search of the embodiment of fear, Cabal sees opportunities! The Dreamlands have been the province of poets, dreamers and mystics for too long: as the blurb puts it:

'Well, those halcyon days are over, beatniks. Johannes Cabal is coming'

From the moment I read the foreword (warning of dire insanity and pointless crabs), to the (much later) minute I closed the novel, I was completely engaged. Cabal's unique viewpoint is hilarious, especially once he enters the Dreamland - the epitome of irrationality and something he does, of course, get to complain about. A lot. Just watching Cabal attempt to apply the scientific method in a world where not even space and time are continuous, and up is frequently down depending on who's dreaming it - well, it never fails to amuse.

There's also a lot more imagination: the bizarre environment of the Dreamlands gives Howard an opportunity to showcase just how weird and wonderful Cabal's word can get. Dreffs - animals which manipulate the wood they live in, and (memorably) get trained to operate the world's best peg leg...

It's not all fun and games, of course - even in comic fantasy. The cover claims The Fear Institute as both 'dark' and 'gripping': both of which it surely lives up to. Cabal has been getting development over books one and two, and it's starting to show - and the expedition for the Phobic Animus certainly isn't all it seems. There's a mystery in play, and with Cabal attempting to get to the bottom of it... It makes for an interesting ending.

While the novel slows down slightly near the end, the ending itself took me entirely by surprise - and in hindsight, really works. It's reminiscent of Sanderson's endings: the clues are there, but how they tie together will defy expectation. There's a hook for the sequel to die (and in this series, be messily resurrected) for. This is comic fantasy written by one of the wittiest genre voices of recent years - and within its scope, I can't fault it.

10/10(less)

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Sep 18, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

The third outing of Johannes Cabal sees the sarcastic necromancer engaged by the members of the Fear Institute to enter the Dreamlands to search for the improbable Phobic Animus, the supernatural manifestation of fear. On the way the four are beset by monsters and ghouls as they traverse often imcomprehensible lands og man's (and other thing's) imaginings. The gods and Denizens of HP Lovecraft's Cthuluh mythos play not an insignificant part in their travels and Cabal is drivel to the thing he mo...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Kitab rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, action, wit, fantasy, scientist-as-protagonist, surrealist, rogue-protagonist, deadpan-prose, deadpan-humor

Having read the earlier two books in the series and having loved them, my expectations for this book were high. I finished the book in less than four days and it did not disappointed me in any way. The author has once again managed to weave a compelling story with an excellent combination of humor, adventure, satire, wit, fantasy and even scientific rationaliy ;-) . The way the autor uses the nuances of the English (as well as German) language itself gives rise to a lot of wit and action in the...more

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May 14, 2013 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars

By far my absolute favorite in the series. What the last book lack in creativity and absurdity, this work makes up for it. This time we see Cabal traipsing off into the dreamworld with new comrades, looking to capture and kill 'Fear'. However, this synopsis is barely the tip of the story, which delves deeper and deeper into showing the reader just how dangerously close to the edge Cabal is, and how many enemies he has. This episode in the series melds together the flighty plot of the first, with...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Shantnu Tiwari rated it 5 of 5 stars

The best Cabal yet!

It is very rare that a series gets even better as it progresses. Mostly, it starts to sag and grow boring as the author loses steam. Not here!

The book can be read independently, even though it is in a series. A mysterious group meets Cabal, and want him for a strange mission- to enter the dream world, and kill the spirit of fear, so that no one will be scared any more.

Normally, I hate when authors spend pages building their world instead of getting on with the story. Here, I w...more

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Oct 22, 2012 William rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended

Once I'd finished this book, I started looking for more. Google quickly led me to Tumblr, where they talk about this book series in relation to things like "feels" accompanied by a stream of .gifs.

That seems fairly accurate.

While I preferred The Necromancer (Book #1), this still gave me Johannes more-or-less as he was. He's such a flawed character that even his good points (dedication to his task, pragmatism) are flaws too. His pain and misery is a joy to read.

If there are any negative points, i...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Jo Bennie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Johannes Cabal is a necromancer, raiser of and communicater with the dead. To his gate (not into the garden, due to the tendency of the fairies in his garden to eat the unwary) come three visitors. Messers Shadrach, Bose and Corde, an art dealer, a solicitor and a funeral director, who belong to a society known as The Fear Institute. They want to hire Cabal to guide them through the Dreamlands, the place people go when they dream, in search of the Phobic Animus, fear itself. What ensues is an ad...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Gav451 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Johannes Cabal

One would have thought that a third book in the series would bring an associated lowering of quality. The law of diminishing returns and all that stuff and nonsense but it would seem that in this case not.

This book felt fresh and invigorated. Like the author was on song while he was typing it. The story is unique and filled with many twists and turns. It again uses a slightly formal language to underline the pragmatic and amoral views of the main character. This is not to say tha...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Miss Banana rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had seen some people complaining that this book wasn't as good as the first two. And then I have to think, were they reading the same book as me?! You wanted full on demon-dealing and Necromancer, you got the Necromancer. You wanted something a little more normal with a hint of mystery, you got the Detective. You wanted the weird, the bizzare, and the sometimes very creepy, you got the Fear Institute. And my god, there were some times when I was reminded that "these are the Dreamlands, enjoy y...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Zuzka rated it 5 of 5 stars

In short, a hilarious take on the expeditions Victorian stuff combined with an interesting twist of the story taking place in some sort of Dreamlands. I love that Jonathan revives Victorian themes in such a manner and also spices them up with dark, cruel, sarcastic humour so typical for him. =) This book is NO dissapointment and is an awesome addition to its prequels.
Johannes was begged and hired by the so-called Fear Institute, well by four dudes called Shadrach, Bose and Corde, to lead their...more In short, a hilarious take on the expeditions Victorian stuff combined with an interesting twist of the story taking place in some sort of Dreamlands. I love that Jonathan revives Victorian themes in such a manner and also spices them up with dark, cruel, sarcastic humour so typical for him. =) This book is NO dissapointment and is an awesome addition to its prequels.
Johannes was begged and hired by the so-called Fear Institute, well by four dudes called Shadrach, Bose and Corde, to lead their expedition to Dreamlands because they want to find the Phobic Animus in order to eradicate fear for once and for all!
The first thing when they get to a big city in the Dreamlands is gathering intel, which they do, and successfuly. Even Johannes joins this activity and along the way talks to ghouls, a witch who he knows from the waking world and then he obviously again conducts necromancy! ;) Of course because they needed intel. The sage Johannes resurrects is most likely able to tell them. Johannes has to do serious buttering up... LOL Then an epic fight wit a HUGE giant made from wood ran by WHAT IN VALHALLA?! little fluffy creatures!!! O: Johannes survives, all good.
Then the dudes along with Johannes get involved with white moon toads who LOVE to enslave humans. Again, an epic battle on a ship follows! This books is really milling with action, which is a bit surprising, but not bad since it's the grande finale of the trilogy. Yet, it doesn't lack the hilariousness so typical for Jonathan! =)
One of the gentlemen died and it was according to Johannes 'stupid, pointless and useless!' All can I say is, YES THEY ARE EVIL AND SERVANTS OF SATAN! But I love them anyway! ;)
Fluffy creatures aside, a very interesting twist occured. I can't tell because it would be a MAJOR spoiler. Then Jonathan refreshes the book with a bit of Robinson Crusoe feel after all the action and twists. Then another twist seems to have occured. I can't tell what yet, but from the sneak peek into the following chapter, it is gonna be VERY interesting! To be honest, I was not expecting it at all! I will write how I liked the book and the final verdict very, very soon! =)
Aggh I finished it and was dissapointed at the end! =( I am sure the man taking care of Johannes at the end was Horst! Maybe not, it's just my humble assumption, but yeah I think it might have been him. The end was open, so there might be a sequel. Unexpected, but alright since this suggests possible existence of a sequel, right?
So, I basically dramaticaly tweeted about how dissapointed I am because of the end! Q_Q. Yes, I am a drama queen when I enjoy a book to no end and find out that there might be no sequels. I went all 'Please, tell me that Jonathan has a fourth book planned!' (I obviously did that 'mention' thing on Twitter). And HOLY CRAP! Jonathan answered! O: Pretty much, he said he has a sequel planned, but no publishing contract! =( But at least this gives us hope, riight? =)

Final verdict: I couldn't put the book down once I started reading! Epic fights, humour typical for the Cabal books, it was just awesome! I can't thank my friend enough for recommending these books to me! =) I can imagine myself having an allnighter with the book(s), but I like to savour such good books, so yeah... I just want to say: I CAN'T WAIT FOR A GLORIOUS RETURN OF OUR SARCASTIC, BLUE-SHADES-WEARING NECROMANCER SWEARING IN GERMAN! <3 I know I am maybe too positive, but the books are really awesome! Maybe the only negative thing is the ending of the third book! D:<
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Jul 04, 2012 Shelbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was...beyond trippy, at least at the very end, and a majority of the events had me wondering what the point of them was by the conclusion of the book. I was rather disappointed overall; I feel that this book was more of an excuse to create a rule-less world to write some very random things and get away with it. There were still some good points, but I wish a lot more explanation had been given in places, such as (SPOILER) why Cabal was suddenly dying at the end. I kind of understand, but it w...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Yilaine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

Rarely do I give 5 stars to books. This one was STONKING EXCELLENT. While I came away from Johannes Cabal Book #1 with a resounding "Meh," I am certainly grateful that I carried on through the series, as they have only gotten progressively and almost exponentially better.

The wit is unmatched and shows a true intellectual depth, the writing is clever, the storyworld is expansive and unique, and the plot is like a fine dish with a complexity of delicious flavors. I literally shouted at the book in...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Drew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The best of the already pretty fantastic series, this time tipping hats to Lovecraft and classic adventure novels. There's so much packed into this book that it's hard to discuss it with any brevity. It's a worthy addition to the series and makes me long for more more more! Also, fun fact: not currently published in the US because, I guess, US publishers are (EXPLETIVE DELETED). So - and I say this literally - you should write some emails if you want to read this book. You can do what I and othe...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Rui rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

All right... it’s time I stop procrastinating and put down my opinion of “Johannes Cabal, The Fear Institute” into words, even though I still have a few things running back and forth in my mind...

First, an advice: getting acquainted with a few of Lovecraft’s Dream Cycle stories before reading this - at least “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” and “The Silver Key”- is not essential but might be very useful to fully appreciate the awesomeness of what’s being done here, as Cabal will be, indeed, t...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Woodge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, horror, steampunk

The necromancer Johannes Cabal is approached by three gentlemen from The Fear Institute for help in retrieving something called the Phobic Animus (the source of all fears) from the Dreamlands. Cabal accepts but only because he can then get his hands on the Silver Key which gains one entry to the Dreamlands. He doesn't really care about the Fear Institute and their goals. As ever, Cabal is looking out for number one and to hell with the consequences. This outing has more of a fantasy feel to it a...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Maya Panika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Part magic-fantasy, part steam-punk, part surrealist comedy, Johannes Cabal is a fascinating protagonist, a most unusual hero, not in the least bit (or, in fact, in any way) admirable or worthy, lacking almost all redeeming human qualities bar a fast intelligence and a fine, biting, bitchy sarcastic wit, he is a man with ‘several faults, several of which were also capital crimes’.

In many ways, it’s a very visual novel; Jonathan L Howard’s day job as a game-designer is very much to the fore. At t...more Part magic-fantasy, part steam-punk, part surrealist comedy, Johannes Cabal is a fascinating protagonist, a most unusual hero, not in the least bit (or, in fact, in any way) admirable or worthy, lacking almost all redeeming human qualities bar a fast intelligence and a fine, biting, bitchy sarcastic wit, he is a man with ‘several faults, several of which were also capital crimes’.

In many ways, it’s a very visual novel; Jonathan L Howard’s day job as a game-designer is very much to the fore. At times, The Fear Institute reads like the script for a super-elaborate, fantastically detailed, heavily back-story'd game. I’m not much of a gamer myself and this was, for me, the least successful aspect of this novel, mainly serving to over-complicate an already pretty complex storyline. I found my mind wandering a little during these bits – then having to go back and re-read what I’d missed because the intricately-stitched plot requires that you Stay Awake! at all times.

The plot is the least of it, however; it’s the language, the humour, that raises this novel above the norm. For example:

‘We has deck quoits,’ said the second merchant gleefully, the only phrase in human speech it knew.
‘Done then!’ roared the first adventurer, confident that good voice projection and a waxed chest would see him through every predicament…

‘Presumably waste is thereby conducted to some distant place where raining excrement is not regarded as unusual. Like Tartarus,’ he guessed. ‘Or Ipswich.’

This is the third part of a trilogy, but it doesn’t seem to matter much if you haven’t read the previous novels. There were only a few occasions when I realised something was being alluded to from previous books, but The Fear Institute can easily be read as a stand-alone; it did make me want to read parts 1 and 2.

In short, it's a fast-moving, twisty-turny, timey-wimey, complicated, terribly (literally!) entertaining read, surreal and dark and – best of all – unremittingly and brilliantly funny. From the foreword (forget the warning. Read the book. Go insane. See if I care) to the cliff-hanger end - which isn’t really an end, but the beginning of another novel - I was gripped and thrilled and laughing out loud.

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Jun 12, 2013 Jörg rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not done yet and I'm not sure I'll read it to the end. While the first two "Johannes Cabal" novels have been refreshingly entertaining - the very special wit of Cabal makes him a really unique character in fiction - this third one is just a fantasy story as the next one. This special ironic/sarcastic/sinister wit of Cabal (which I liked so much in the other stories) is just found in homoeopathic doses … The story is about a group on a quest in a strange land, encountering strange creatures, figh...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Jennie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk-speculative-history

I searched and searched for a copy of this third entry in the Johannes Cabal series, and actually managed to get my hands on one that cost me only $20. What was up with the 150-pound prices (sorry, no fancy L-thingy on my keyboard) I found on a book that's only been out a year or so?

Anyway, I'm a little disappointed to say that after all the searching and scrounging, this book failed to meet my (admittedly higher-than-usual) expectations. What I loved about the first two was the whole "charming...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Ciska rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Author
Jonathan L Howard is a game designer, scriptwriter, and a veteran of the computer games industry since the early 1990s, with titles such as the 'Broken Sword' series to his credit.
After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his first novel.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.

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Johannes Cabal is hilario...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since I don't think this novel is readily available in the US as of this posting, I shall try to make this review as vague and spoiler-free as possible.

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews regarding this installment, so I was a little wary going into it. Johannes Cabal has quickly becomes one of my favorite ongoing series, and I had felt an enormous sense of disappointment after the second installment (“The Detective”) failed to live up to its predecessor.

“Fear Institute,” for me, was a delightfully...more Since I don't think this novel is readily available in the US as of this posting, I shall try to make this review as vague and spoiler-free as possible.

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews regarding this installment, so I was a little wary going into it. Johannes Cabal has quickly becomes one of my favorite ongoing series, and I had felt an enormous sense of disappointment after the second installment (“The Detective”) failed to live up to its predecessor.

“Fear Institute,” for me, was a delightfully, hauntingly perfect novel, and I may have come to love it even more than the first. Strangely enough, one of the things I most disliked about the second book (it’s sudden break from reality with the warring of three ridiculously-named fictional nations) was one of my favorite parts about this installment. After the first chapter or so, Cabal is taken completely out of this world, and into the skewed and Lovecraftian Dreamlands. Acting as a guide of sorts for a trio of men intent on destorying the Phobic Animus (their name for the physical manifestation that causes all fear), Cabal is very much out of his element.

What I loved most is how Cabal reacts to these changes, particularly as the world around him grows more and more bizarre. From the moment an act of desperation on Cabal’s part creates catastrophic consequences for an entire race of beings, this book grabbed hold of me and refused to let go. Seeing how Cabal reacts to and deals with the devastating results of his actions makes the horror of the act itself more real and profound for the reader. I was left in awe.

There are two more scenes towards the end of the book, where Cabal meets first with the devastations of success in his ultimate quest (the one revealed to readers in the final pages of “The Necromancer) and, later, profound failure as a result of his experimentations, that are also exceedingly well-written. When Cabal is shown what his life would be like should all his dreams come true, the readers are deeply reminded of how futile Cabal’s ultimate quest will inevitably prove. After reading the last sentence of the chapter, I had to set the book down for a while and simply gape at it. All I will say is that I am grateful the novel didn’t end on that chapter, as it would have been the mother of all cliffhangers….or one hell of a way to end the series.

Though the ultimate solution to Cabal’s trials and tribulations in this novel is a bit far-fetched and convoluted, it does not detract from the overall narrative. Howard has also become an author who saves the best for last and, as with “The Necromancer,” “The Fear Institute” closes with a scene that will leave its readers (myself included) anxiously awaiting the next installment.(less)

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May 25, 2012 Hollowspine rated it 4 of 5 stars

The third book in the Johannes Cabal series takes Cabal to the Dreamlands. As pleasant as that might sound, this adventure puts him in the gravest (ha) danger he has seen thus far.

The Fear Institute seeks infamous necromancer Johannes Cabal to lead an expedition to the Dreamlands in search of the Phobic Animus, the embodiment of fear, in order to destroy it and thus save mankind from irrational worry.

The story spends most of it's time inside the dreamlands, so the fact that it is sometimes con...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Bob Phule rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is a tad maddening that I had to order this book from England read it.

I enjoyed the other two books. The first two books followed each other or could be read on there own, since they have no real bearing on each other. Same for Fear.

Each book is unique unto itself and differs in plot and direction. Necromancer has Johannes working to recover his soul from the Devil. Detective has him trying to discover who is trying to kill him. Fear has Johannes playing tour guide for Fear.

Each one is set i...more

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May 20, 2012 Lea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: acquired-2012, books-i-own, love-the-cover, reviews, read-2012

A lot of people seem to enjoy the first book in this series the best, but I find that I'm enjoying them more as the story continues from book to book. While the first book, The Necromancer, was slightly more literary in tone, I find Howard's more playful writing in the second and third books to be more fun.

This installment finds Cabal leading an expedition into the Dreamlands in order to locate and destroy the source of all fear. The author has a lot of fun here, filling the book with Lovecrafti...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Meg M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vaudeville-and-magic, fantasy

I adored the first Cabal book, and didn't quite adore the second. This one is in a weird flux, and I'm not sure it's through an oversight on the part of the author.

The character that the fans of Cabal have come to love is back, of course, but he does things (like caring about people he's only just met) that are a bit off. The pace of the book is a bit off, too. But most of the book is spent in the Dreamlands, and I can't help but wonder if these minor problems are just how things are in the Drea...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Christine Berger rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the series and all are highly recommended, mainly for the clever, amusing writing style, like a mean-spirited Terry Pratchet or even darker grown-up version of Lemony Snicket. The Fear Institute draws heavily on Lovecraftian horror mythology, so will be more enjoyable to those with some familiarity with it, but it stands alone pretty well. Initially this book seemed a bit slow compared to the first two in the series, I was halfway through before I was thoroughly hooked....more

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Feb 15, 2013 Rick rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book didn't appeal as much as the previous two novels in the Johannes Cabal series. I found it over-complicated, which in turn meant the plot points were over-explained in the narrative, which obviously affected the pace of the story. Many of the reasons for this became obvious by the end of the story and it would seem that Howard is setting the series up to move forward from here - but it made for a difficult read in places and, for me, a less enjoyable book than the first two.

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Jul 18, 2012 Janelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a big fan of the previous Johannes Cabal novels, I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to them. It contained just as much wit and sarcasm, and just as many surprises and literary references, as its predecessors. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting in the Dreamlands and all the absurdities such dream-like worlds bring with them. The ending was an emotional roller coaster, but certainly worth it. It had a few too many moments of uncertainty where the reader did not know what was happening, but Cabal...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Kendel rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the best of the Johannes Cabal books! Howard's exquisite vocabulary and humorous story telling are at their best here, while the action-packed, mystery-drenched plot had me on the edge of my seat to the last page. I recommend this book for anyone who loves surrealism, wit, mystery, action, and detached, morally murky leading men.

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About Jonathan L. Howard

Jonathan L Howard is a game designer, scriptwriter, and a veteran of the computer games industry since the early 1990s, with titles such as the 'Broken Sword' series to his credit.

After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his...more

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Books by Jonathan L. Howard

Johannes Cabal The Necromancer (Johannes Cabal, #1)

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Quotes from The Fear Institute

“No churchmen, I notice. Of course not. What use have they for a world without irrational fear?” — 9 people liked it

“Cats, as any rational person knows, are solitary, opportunistic, ambush predators, much like spiders, but with fewer legs and a better fan club.” — 2 people liked it

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The Fear Institute (Johannes Cabal #3)

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