What do you think?
Rate this book
Johannes Cabal #5
The Fall of the House of Cabal
Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of some little infamy, has come into possession of a vital clue that may lead him to his ultimate goal: a cure for death. The path is vague, however, and certainly treacherous as it takes him into strange territories that, quite literally, no one has ever seen before. The task is too dangerous to venture upon alone, so he must seek assistance, comrades for the coming travails.
So assisted--ably and otherwise--by his vampiric brother, Horst, and by the kindly accompaniment of a criminologist and a devil, he will encounter ruins and diableries, mystery and murder, the depths of the lowest pit and a city of horrors. London, to be exact.
Yet even though Cabal has risked such peril believing he understands the dangers he faces, he is still underestimating them. He is walking into a trap of such arcane complexity that even the one who drew him there has no idea of its true terrors. As the snare closes slowly and subtly around them, it may be that there will be no survivors at all.
The Fall of the House of Cabal is the fifth book in Jonathan L. Howard's acclaimed Johannes Cabal series.
So assisted--ably and otherwise--by his vampiric brother, Horst, and by the kindly accompaniment of a criminologist and a devil, he will encounter ruins and diableries, mystery and murder, the depths of the lowest pit and a city of horrors. London, to be exact.
Yet even though Cabal has risked such peril believing he understands the dangers he faces, he is still underestimating them. He is walking into a trap of such arcane complexity that even the one who drew him there has no idea of its true terrors. As the snare closes slowly and subtly around them, it may be that there will be no survivors at all.
The Fall of the House of Cabal is the fifth book in Jonathan L. Howard's acclaimed Johannes Cabal series.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2016
145 people are currently reading
3209 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan L. Howard
65 books2,096 followersJonathan 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.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
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.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
December 2, 2016
If Jonathan Howard’s wit were a grasshopper, it would be delicious and covered with chocolate, but also capable of leaping about hither, thither, and yon in patterns undiscernible to the human brain.
Does that make any sense? No. Have I gotten 14 hours of sleep in the past 4 days? Zucchini.
That said, I can’t think of a series that has made me laugh out loud more over the course of the past few years than this one, and I’m sorry to see it come to a close (if, indeed, it has come to a close). If this book didn’t quite reach the magical highs of The Brothers Cabal (which I previously waxed eloquent about), that’s more a reflection of the prior book’s chocolate-covered grasshoppery goodness than any particular deficiency in this book. Admittedly, there are a few long stretches here where not much happens (which has happened from time to time in the other Cabal books as well), but the parched-throat-dry humor and crackling dialogue make even those scenes a giggle-a-minute read (I’ll note that when I giggle, I sound something like an asthmatic kitten playing a kazoo, so Mr. Howard’s effervescent wit may be doing society, or at least the good folks who stand next to me while I read on the metro, a disservice).
Give this series a shot—you won’t regret it (just be aware that the first book is not, as a whole, quite as delightful as subsequent volumes...the series goes from good to great).
Does that make any sense? No. Have I gotten 14 hours of sleep in the past 4 days? Zucchini.
That said, I can’t think of a series that has made me laugh out loud more over the course of the past few years than this one, and I’m sorry to see it come to a close (if, indeed, it has come to a close). If this book didn’t quite reach the magical highs of The Brothers Cabal (which I previously waxed eloquent about), that’s more a reflection of the prior book’s chocolate-covered grasshoppery goodness than any particular deficiency in this book. Admittedly, there are a few long stretches here where not much happens (which has happened from time to time in the other Cabal books as well), but the parched-throat-dry humor and crackling dialogue make even those scenes a giggle-a-minute read (I’ll note that when I giggle, I sound something like an asthmatic kitten playing a kazoo, so Mr. Howard’s effervescent wit may be doing society, or at least the good folks who stand next to me while I read on the metro, a disservice).
Give this series a shot—you won’t regret it (just be aware that the first book is not, as a whole, quite as delightful as subsequent volumes...the series goes from good to great).
February 21, 2017
So much is quotable here, so much extreme deliciousness.
The Brothers Cabal are back together, each having done a bit of personal growth. One of the rewarding arcs of the series is how Johannes has thawed--just a little, mind you--in acknowledging brotherly affection, even displaying concern for boon companions.
"Here, Cabal paused. Yes, he had done good. By accident, as a by-product, by serendipity. But yes, he had done good. He just didn't see why people kept wanting to rub his nose in it."
Howard doesn't spend much time rehashing past plots, noting that "In an ideal world, the reader would have the common courtesy to have read all the previous novels in this series and retained sufficient of the plot that a pithy summation would be unnecessary. As has been noted by observers more perspicacious than the author, however, it is far from an ideal world and a distinct proportion of those reading these words will have had more pressing matters than to avail themselves of the four novels preceding this one. To these people, the author says, 'Yes, four. You jumped in at Book Five. What are you like?'"
Characters were interesting, particularly the delightful spider-devil Madam Zarenyia. Really--for the second time this year, I'm enjoying spiders--her personality sparkled through the pages and her joie de vivre had me laughing out loud. Thankfully, Howard's footnote sent me searching back to the story in which she first appeared, A Long Spoon , which was equally entertaining.
"'I do so hate all this shilly-shallying. May I get all leggy and start killing people now?'
'You may not, madam, but that time is drawing close.'
She nodded sagely. 'Deferred gratification. I've heard about that. So this is what it feels like. Hmmmm.' She considered this new sensation. 'It's slightly irritating.'"
Horst perhaps suffers more in this book as a foil to Johannes, a straight-man for the others' cleverness, and a stand-in for the reader. I missed his daring and active personality in this book, although he does get his moment to shine in the last section.
"'No?" Horst's expression was of somebody trying to play a game wherein the other player keeps 'remembering' rules that tip things in his favor."
I generally love Howard's writing style, a take perhaps on the ornate styles of Victorian tales (my historical fiction experience is sketchy). It's structurally and conceptually complex, although with enough sarcasm, asides and social commentary to make it amusing, even more so when it switches from verbosity to bluntness.
"As he did so, the battle suddenly attenuated, its combatants thinning out like magic lantern projections when the curtain is drawn back and daylight re-enters the room. Now they looked like ghosts, and now they looked like suggestive shapes in the evening mist rising from the damp land, and now they were gone altogether.
Cabal cared not a jot. His main concern was how on earth he was supposed to entertain himself for a full day in a place as devoid of interest as Perkis Moor. After all, it was only haunted, and the ghosts were boring."
The plot centers on Johannes gathering companions and embarking on a journey to five different locations to open the door to eternal life. Not for himself, mind you. The different locations are a way to delightfully revisit settings of the prior books and try out different styles. It plays to Howard's strengths as a short story writer. The culmination of the quest is altogether satisfying, an ending I couldn't really have predicted, though a door was left somewhat ajar so what a tale may be continued. Personally, when I heard the series was ending, I promptly went to Howard's page to discover more, and from there went and joined a Patreon for his works. Such delightful writing should be rewarded.
Four and a half stars, rounding up for... enthusiastic spiders.
The Brothers Cabal are back together, each having done a bit of personal growth. One of the rewarding arcs of the series is how Johannes has thawed--just a little, mind you--in acknowledging brotherly affection, even displaying concern for boon companions.
"Here, Cabal paused. Yes, he had done good. By accident, as a by-product, by serendipity. But yes, he had done good. He just didn't see why people kept wanting to rub his nose in it."
Howard doesn't spend much time rehashing past plots, noting that "In an ideal world, the reader would have the common courtesy to have read all the previous novels in this series and retained sufficient of the plot that a pithy summation would be unnecessary. As has been noted by observers more perspicacious than the author, however, it is far from an ideal world and a distinct proportion of those reading these words will have had more pressing matters than to avail themselves of the four novels preceding this one. To these people, the author says, 'Yes, four. You jumped in at Book Five. What are you like?'"
Characters were interesting, particularly the delightful spider-devil Madam Zarenyia. Really--for the second time this year, I'm enjoying spiders--her personality sparkled through the pages and her joie de vivre had me laughing out loud. Thankfully, Howard's footnote sent me searching back to the story in which she first appeared, A Long Spoon , which was equally entertaining.
"'I do so hate all this shilly-shallying. May I get all leggy and start killing people now?'
'You may not, madam, but that time is drawing close.'
She nodded sagely. 'Deferred gratification. I've heard about that. So this is what it feels like. Hmmmm.' She considered this new sensation. 'It's slightly irritating.'"
Horst perhaps suffers more in this book as a foil to Johannes, a straight-man for the others' cleverness, and a stand-in for the reader. I missed his daring and active personality in this book, although he does get his moment to shine in the last section.
"'No?" Horst's expression was of somebody trying to play a game wherein the other player keeps 'remembering' rules that tip things in his favor."
I generally love Howard's writing style, a take perhaps on the ornate styles of Victorian tales (my historical fiction experience is sketchy). It's structurally and conceptually complex, although with enough sarcasm, asides and social commentary to make it amusing, even more so when it switches from verbosity to bluntness.
"As he did so, the battle suddenly attenuated, its combatants thinning out like magic lantern projections when the curtain is drawn back and daylight re-enters the room. Now they looked like ghosts, and now they looked like suggestive shapes in the evening mist rising from the damp land, and now they were gone altogether.
Cabal cared not a jot. His main concern was how on earth he was supposed to entertain himself for a full day in a place as devoid of interest as Perkis Moor. After all, it was only haunted, and the ghosts were boring."
The plot centers on Johannes gathering companions and embarking on a journey to five different locations to open the door to eternal life. Not for himself, mind you. The different locations are a way to delightfully revisit settings of the prior books and try out different styles. It plays to Howard's strengths as a short story writer. The culmination of the quest is altogether satisfying, an ending I couldn't really have predicted, though a door was left somewhat ajar so what a tale may be continued. Personally, when I heard the series was ending, I promptly went to Howard's page to discover more, and from there went and joined a Patreon for his works. Such delightful writing should be rewarded.
Four and a half stars, rounding up for... enthusiastic spiders.
January 28, 2018
I didn't want to end this but here we are at last page of Johannes Cabal series. During this funny, cynical journey filled with wit and sass Johannes Cabal, Necromancer of some little infamy and freelance sociopath, has become one of my favorite characters in fantasy rivaled only by Sand dan Glokta of the First law series and Death from Discworld series.
Writing in this series is like a darker version of Discworld just instead of fantasy setting this series uses late Gothic and early horror as a main building material for it's setting
While I enjoyed immensely first book it's in no way representation of quality of the rest of the series. When this series hits it's high points it's just marvel to read with dark humor, cynicism and wit flowing from each sentence. Also I loved that every book is quite a bit different from previous so there is no pattern forming and each book is fresh experience.
In the end this series has earned place on my favorite shelf and special place in my heart.
Writing in this series is like a darker version of Discworld just instead of fantasy setting this series uses late Gothic and early horror as a main building material for it's setting
While I enjoyed immensely first book it's in no way representation of quality of the rest of the series. When this series hits it's high points it's just marvel to read with dark humor, cynicism and wit flowing from each sentence. Also I loved that every book is quite a bit different from previous so there is no pattern forming and each book is fresh experience.
In the end this series has earned place on my favorite shelf and special place in my heart.
October 28, 2018
All right then!
We go from quite amusing escapades right to OMG this is so freaking awesome in one book.
To say I love this little romp through Hell, mystical monkey paw alternate dimensions, and a burning London filled with airships, cowering leeches, and an invasion spawned from one scorned woman is to say that a supervolcano is kinda pretty from orbit.
I love this.
Every part of it speaks of a delightful gathering featuring all the best companions our amoral but unfortunately slightly-conscience-laden hero can summon on short notice. We have another mystical quest featuring him, his vampire brother, a spider devil, a few heavily armed natural humans as they are subject to the wiles of substitute satans, reverse-backstabbing-devils, and the realization that all of the worst evils in the world are caused by women. Of course, the last is entirely justified and quite amusing.
Anyone who says otherwise has not been on the right side of her wrath. Shame on you.
I've read a lot of Jonathan Howard's novels by this point and I think it's fairly safe to assume that I've become a slavering fanboy. Especially after this last one. :)
We go from quite amusing escapades right to OMG this is so freaking awesome in one book.
To say I love this little romp through Hell, mystical monkey paw alternate dimensions, and a burning London filled with airships, cowering leeches, and an invasion spawned from one scorned woman is to say that a supervolcano is kinda pretty from orbit.
I love this.
Every part of it speaks of a delightful gathering featuring all the best companions our amoral but unfortunately slightly-conscience-laden hero can summon on short notice. We have another mystical quest featuring him, his vampire brother, a spider devil, a few heavily armed natural humans as they are subject to the wiles of substitute satans, reverse-backstabbing-devils, and the realization that all of the worst evils in the world are caused by women. Of course, the last is entirely justified and quite amusing.
Anyone who says otherwise has not been on the right side of her wrath. Shame on you.
I've read a lot of Jonathan Howard's novels by this point and I think it's fairly safe to assume that I've become a slavering fanboy. Especially after this last one. :)
October 11, 2021
💀 Let's Bring the Dead Back from the Dead Again Buddy Reread (LBtDBftDABR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: subdued spasmodic expletives + catching vampirism off toilet seats + chaos being full of fish (this I can confirm) + the louche pleasures of Constantinople + adventure, excitement and oodles of delicious murder + somatic punctuation + asinine orgies (you don’t want to know) + freestyle bastards + wholesale slaughter + having men giblets all over one’s angora sweater (a problem, that) + nyahahahaha (or the lack thereof) + poor minion control + soupy-stitious nonsense + flophouses for the haemovorous community + baffling changes in taxonomy + lovely and squishy top bits (don’t ask) + HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA =
✉️ A very private message to Jonathan L. Howard: it's been five years since you wrote this installment. FIVE BLOODY SHRIMPING YEARS. Surely, you must have another one either in the works or ready to be published by now? Surely, you do not want me to send some crustacean motivation your way? Right? RIGHT?
[September 2019]
💀 The Cabalettes Are Back Buddy Read (TCABBR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀
⚠️ I become a Quote-Unleashing Monster of Doom whenever I come into contact with Mr Howard’s quotaliciously quotable prose. Thou hast been warned and stuff. Also, you are quite welcome and stuff.
⚠️ The Gif might be a little strong in this one. My pleasure and stuff.
You know you just embarked on one of my necromancing boyfriend’s chirpy little adventures when the preface goes something like this:
“You, at least, are in the happy position of not being in any personal peril during this tale, despite my suggestion to the publisher that one in a thousand copies should be impregnated with dimethylmercury just to give a frisson to book purchasing. ‘You can’t just go around killing readers,’ they said. ‘Not until you’re selling more units, anyway,’ they added.”
That’s my nefariously beloved daddy-in-law Jonathan L. Howard for you. I’ve wanted to marry him for a while but his son Jojo of the Incisive Mind and Calloused Soul being my boyfriend might possibly make things sort of awkward during family dinners, so I probably won’t after all. Then again maybe I will anyway. Because, seriously, how am I supposed to resist stuff like this:
“In an ideal world, the reader would have the common courtesy to have read all the previous novels in this series and retained sufficient of the plot that a pithy summation would be unnecessary.
As has been noted by observers more perspicacious than the author, however, it is far from an ideal world, and a distinct proportion of those reading these words will have had more pressing matters than to avail themselves of the four novels preceding this one. To these people, the author says, ‘Yes, four. You jumped in at Book Five. What are you like? ’
Thus, it falls upon the author (as diligent and kind as he is handsome and effortlessly virile) to offer a brief summation of previous events to aid these readers—Who starts reading at Book Five, I ask you?—as well as those who have read the preceding novels and would simply like their memories refreshed.”
See? Resistance is futile and stuff! Especially once you start reading The Footnotes. Ah, The Footnotes! *heroically resists the urge to paste ALL the footnotes here* *pats her little self on the exoskeleton for displaying such otherworldly powers of self-restraint*
So to bloody shrimping hell with awkward family dinners! I’mkidnapping adopting Daddy-in-Law and eloping with him to Gretna Green and stuff. (Please send your wedding gifts to my Mariana Trench address. Severed puny human limbs most appreciated but not de rigueur. I like fresh, tasty, innocent newborns, too.)
But anyway. I ever so slightly digress and stuff.
So. This book. It is quite probably possible that it is one of the (if not zeee) best in the series. First because My Jojo is in it:
“Here, Cabal paused. Yes, he had done good. By accident, as a by-product, by serendipity. But yes, he had done good. He just didn’t see why people kept wanting to rub his nose in it.”
“Cabal belatedly remembered something he’d come across once. It was called ‘diplomacy’ and it was, in principle, lying as an instrument for making people feel not quite so ill done to. […] Thus steeled in his intent, he hazarded an attempt at this exciting new conversational form.“It wasn’t your fault,” he said, and rested from his labours.[…]The short pause that ensued was more than sufficient to assure Cabal that there was far more to this ‘diplomacy’ malarkey than he had perhaps given credence.”
In case you were wondering: Yes, reading this series does indeed have the weirdest effects on both my (usually quite shrimpy) physiognomy and (usually most composed) behaviour.
Second because his brother Horst The Delicious Sometimes Dead Sometimes Half Dead Sometimes Slightly Dim Comic ReliefLeech Vamp (HTDSDSHDSSDCRLV™) is in it, too:
“You could put the Bible on here and have all the characters onstage for the encore, including the five thousand with their fish sandwiches.’
‘I’m not sure the Bible specifically mentions fish sandwiches.’ Miss Barrow walked by him and started up the steps.
‘It hardly needs to, does it? What else are you going to do with fish and bread?’ He followed her, considering such exciting theological concepts as he went, and finding solace thereby. After all, how could such a philosophical cove as he be regarded as a humorous sidekick?”
“Horst found himself in free fall, and it was only more bearable than the first occasion because, primarily, he wasn’t on fire and, secondly, Zarenyia’s top bit really was terrifically lovely and squishy.”
Third because Madam Zarenyia The Many-Limbed Spider Devil Of A Long Spoon Fame (MZTMLSDOALSF™) is in it, also:
‘So you would feel no compunction in destroying vampires if they prove difficult?’ Cabal dragged Zarenyia back to the topic at hand, a chore that accompanied most conversations with her. ‘Oh, yes. Bit soulless and bland, but they pop nicely if you poke them hard enough.’
‘For heaven’s sake, madam!’ snapped Cabal. He lifted first one foot then the other from a large and growing pool of gore. ‘Less extravagantly, if you please!’ Zarenyia turned to look at him, almost comically saddened. ‘I’ve got man giblets all over my sweater. I’m not sure it will wash out.’
Fourth because Leonie B. The Highly Principled Gunshot-Wielding One Of The Delightfully Scorching Disposition (LBTHPGWOOTDSD™) is in it as well:
“She smiled a sweet smile like icing on a razor.”
“Here, he unwisely glanced at Leonie and discovered that it was not only the gaze of the sun that could wither him where he stood.”
Fifth, because Pragmatic Miss S. of the Lethal Parasol, Furious Expression and Unsavoury Language (PMSOTLPFEAUL™) is in it también:
‘You think I haven’t seen orgies before? This one looked like it had been planned by a vicar based on overhearing the sexual fantasies of the choir. It was asinine […] It was like a novelist’s portrayal of a witch’s orgy, sporting with monsters. That sort of thing.’
‘Never done anything like that yourself, then?’ asked Zarenyia with professional interest.
‘With ghouls? Eew. No. I mean, they’re sweet beasts, but they’re a bit … eew. If I feel the need for a little companionship, I leave the necropolis and visit the taverns.’
So. First + Second + Third + Fourth + Fifth = And thus quitebrilliantly logically proven my point was. What might that point have been, you ask? Why that this book is indeed one of the (if not zeee) best in the series, of coarse.
Now it’s high time for me to tell you a thing or two or three about the plot. (Because I’m not entirely heartless and wouldn’t want to leave you completely in the dark and stuff.) So. Here goes:
Spoiler spoiler spoiler . Oh, come on, did you really think I was going to tell you anything about this book? Are you that naïve? Or did you miss that thing up there ↑↑ about people who jump in at book 5 in a series ? So “ha!” to you and stuff. All you need to know about this jovially glorious instalment is that it features My Mr. First, Mr. Second, Ms. Third, Ms. Fourth and Ms. Fifth. And that, in it, they cheerfully frolic around settings of prior books in the series (most cleverly and brilliantly done,Mr Howard Future Husband Mine!). Coming across some of My Jojo’s most beloved evil nemeses acquaintances in the process. It is all Quite Super Extra Delicious (QSED™), if you ask me. The End and stuff.
➽Nefarious Cabalian Last Words (NCLW™): ‘Never put off an unpleasantness until tomorrow when you can be unpleasant today.’ Need I say quote more? Didn’t think so.
P.S. My Jojo makes an adorablehake halibut. Just so you know.
• Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
• Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
• Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
• Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
• Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
• Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
• Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
• Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
• Book 3.3: Ouroboros Ouzo ★★★★
• Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
• Book 4.5: A Long Spoon ★★★★★
Pre-review nonsense
My nefariously beloved Jonathan L. Howard,
Post haste the next instalment in this series finish writing you shall. For unleash my murderous children on you if you don't I will. And a pretty sight it shan't be. But hey, no pressure and stuff.
➽ Review to come and stuff.
‘And how did you happen to meet Johannes?’➽ And the moral of this reread is: my dear Jojo, you are my favourite necromancer/freelance sociopath and I 💕lurves💕 you to pieces but Zarenyia, Leonie, Miss Smith and Minty are the real stars of this show. Girl power and stuff! 💪💪
‘He tried to steal my soul,’ said Leonie with more force than she had intended.
‘Really?’ Zarenyia glanced at Cabal and then back at Leonie. ‘And they say romance is dead.’
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: subdued spasmodic expletives + catching vampirism off toilet seats + chaos being full of fish (this I can confirm) + the louche pleasures of Constantinople + adventure, excitement and oodles of delicious murder + somatic punctuation + asinine orgies (you don’t want to know) + freestyle bastards + wholesale slaughter + having men giblets all over one’s angora sweater (a problem, that) + nyahahahaha (or the lack thereof) + poor minion control + soupy-stitious nonsense + flophouses for the haemovorous community + baffling changes in taxonomy + lovely and squishy top bits (don’t ask) + HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA =
✉️ A very private message to Jonathan L. Howard: it's been five years since you wrote this installment. FIVE BLOODY SHRIMPING YEARS. Surely, you must have another one either in the works or ready to be published by now? Surely, you do not want me to send some crustacean motivation your way? Right? RIGHT?
[September 2019]
💀 The Cabalettes Are Back Buddy Read (TCABBR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀
⚠️ I become a Quote-Unleashing Monster of Doom whenever I come into contact with Mr Howard’s quotaliciously quotable prose. Thou hast been warned and stuff. Also, you are quite welcome and stuff.
⚠️ The Gif might be a little strong in this one. My pleasure and stuff.
You know you just embarked on one of my necromancing boyfriend’s chirpy little adventures when the preface goes something like this:
“You, at least, are in the happy position of not being in any personal peril during this tale, despite my suggestion to the publisher that one in a thousand copies should be impregnated with dimethylmercury just to give a frisson to book purchasing. ‘You can’t just go around killing readers,’ they said. ‘Not until you’re selling more units, anyway,’ they added.”
That’s my nefariously beloved daddy-in-law Jonathan L. Howard for you. I’ve wanted to marry him for a while but his son Jojo of the Incisive Mind and Calloused Soul being my boyfriend might possibly make things sort of awkward during family dinners, so I probably won’t after all. Then again maybe I will anyway. Because, seriously, how am I supposed to resist stuff like this:
“In an ideal world, the reader would have the common courtesy to have read all the previous novels in this series and retained sufficient of the plot that a pithy summation would be unnecessary.
As has been noted by observers more perspicacious than the author, however, it is far from an ideal world, and a distinct proportion of those reading these words will have had more pressing matters than to avail themselves of the four novels preceding this one. To these people, the author says, ‘Yes, four. You jumped in at Book Five. What are you like? ’
Thus, it falls upon the author (as diligent and kind as he is handsome and effortlessly virile) to offer a brief summation of previous events to aid these readers—Who starts reading at Book Five, I ask you?—as well as those who have read the preceding novels and would simply like their memories refreshed.”
See? Resistance is futile and stuff! Especially once you start reading The Footnotes. Ah, The Footnotes! *heroically resists the urge to paste ALL the footnotes here* *pats her little self on the exoskeleton for displaying such otherworldly powers of self-restraint*
So to bloody shrimping hell with awkward family dinners! I’m
But anyway. I ever so slightly digress and stuff.
So. This book. It is quite probably possible that it is one of the (if not zeee) best in the series. First because My Jojo is in it:
“Here, Cabal paused. Yes, he had done good. By accident, as a by-product, by serendipity. But yes, he had done good. He just didn’t see why people kept wanting to rub his nose in it.”
“Cabal belatedly remembered something he’d come across once. It was called ‘diplomacy’ and it was, in principle, lying as an instrument for making people feel not quite so ill done to. […] Thus steeled in his intent, he hazarded an attempt at this exciting new conversational form.“It wasn’t your fault,” he said, and rested from his labours.[…]The short pause that ensued was more than sufficient to assure Cabal that there was far more to this ‘diplomacy’ malarkey than he had perhaps given credence.”
In case you were wondering: Yes, reading this series does indeed have the weirdest effects on both my (usually quite shrimpy) physiognomy and (usually most composed) behaviour.
Second because his brother Horst The Delicious Sometimes Dead Sometimes Half Dead Sometimes Slightly Dim Comic Relief
“You could put the Bible on here and have all the characters onstage for the encore, including the five thousand with their fish sandwiches.’
‘I’m not sure the Bible specifically mentions fish sandwiches.’ Miss Barrow walked by him and started up the steps.
‘It hardly needs to, does it? What else are you going to do with fish and bread?’ He followed her, considering such exciting theological concepts as he went, and finding solace thereby. After all, how could such a philosophical cove as he be regarded as a humorous sidekick?”
“Horst found himself in free fall, and it was only more bearable than the first occasion because, primarily, he wasn’t on fire and, secondly, Zarenyia’s top bit really was terrifically lovely and squishy.”
Third because Madam Zarenyia The Many-Limbed Spider Devil Of A Long Spoon Fame (MZTMLSDOALSF™) is in it, also:
‘So you would feel no compunction in destroying vampires if they prove difficult?’ Cabal dragged Zarenyia back to the topic at hand, a chore that accompanied most conversations with her. ‘Oh, yes. Bit soulless and bland, but they pop nicely if you poke them hard enough.’
‘For heaven’s sake, madam!’ snapped Cabal. He lifted first one foot then the other from a large and growing pool of gore. ‘Less extravagantly, if you please!’ Zarenyia turned to look at him, almost comically saddened. ‘I’ve got man giblets all over my sweater. I’m not sure it will wash out.’
Fourth because Leonie B. The Highly Principled Gunshot-Wielding One Of The Delightfully Scorching Disposition (LBTHPGWOOTDSD™) is in it as well:
“She smiled a sweet smile like icing on a razor.”
“Here, he unwisely glanced at Leonie and discovered that it was not only the gaze of the sun that could wither him where he stood.”
Fifth, because Pragmatic Miss S. of the Lethal Parasol, Furious Expression and Unsavoury Language (PMSOTLPFEAUL™) is in it también:
‘You think I haven’t seen orgies before? This one looked like it had been planned by a vicar based on overhearing the sexual fantasies of the choir. It was asinine […] It was like a novelist’s portrayal of a witch’s orgy, sporting with monsters. That sort of thing.’
‘Never done anything like that yourself, then?’ asked Zarenyia with professional interest.
‘With ghouls? Eew. No. I mean, they’re sweet beasts, but they’re a bit … eew. If I feel the need for a little companionship, I leave the necropolis and visit the taverns.’
So. First + Second + Third + Fourth + Fifth = And thus quite
Now it’s high time for me to tell you a thing or two or three about the plot. (Because I’m not entirely heartless and wouldn’t want to leave you completely in the dark and stuff.) So. Here goes:
Spoiler spoiler spoiler . Oh, come on, did you really think I was going to tell you anything about this book? Are you that naïve? Or did you miss that thing up there ↑↑ about people who jump in at book 5 in a series ? So “ha!” to you and stuff. All you need to know about this jovially glorious instalment is that it features My Mr. First, Mr. Second, Ms. Third, Ms. Fourth and Ms. Fifth. And that, in it, they cheerfully frolic around settings of prior books in the series (most cleverly and brilliantly done,
➽
P.S. My Jojo makes an adorable
• Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
• Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
• Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
• Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
• Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
• Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
• Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
• Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
• Book 3.3: Ouroboros Ouzo ★★★★
• Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
• Book 4.5: A Long Spoon ★★★★★
Pre-review nonsense
My nefariously beloved Jonathan L. Howard,
Post haste the next instalment in this series finish writing you shall. For unleash my murderous children on you if you don't I will. And a pretty sight it shan't be. But hey, no pressure and stuff.
➽ Review to come and stuff.
November 23, 2016
It's really funny!!!
This was my first Cabal novel, and I did NOT stop reading it in order to go fetch the earlier books in the series, even when I was ordered to by the author (in no uncertain terms, too!) I'm so sorry, Mr. Howard! (I was snorting out loud with laughter on the subway, though.)
Regardless of the author's stated wishes, I think the book works just fine as a stand-alone. Plenty of needed information on past events and character development is provided, and I quickly felt like I knew all the characters perfectly well. Although it follows up on prior situations, it's very much focused on current action, and it's mostly a self-contained 'quest' tale.
The necromancer Johannes Cabal has come across an ancient tome which has given him clues to the existence of 5 magical thingummies, which, if collected, may reveal a way to revivify his lost love, whose corpse is preserved under his house. He gathers a group to join him, which ends up consisting, in the author's words, of "something cheerfully devilish, something engagingly vampirical, something stoically witchy, and something peevishly necromantic."
The adventure will take them not only into alternate realities but into the very depths of hell (where the Satan we know has been replaced by a petty jumped-up bureaucrat with an axe to grind...)
Many thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this highly entertaining and humorous tale. (Correct reading order be damned, but I think I may have to loop back and find the others now.) As always, my opinions are solely my own.
This was my first Cabal novel, and I did NOT stop reading it in order to go fetch the earlier books in the series, even when I was ordered to by the author (in no uncertain terms, too!) I'm so sorry, Mr. Howard! (I was snorting out loud with laughter on the subway, though.)
Regardless of the author's stated wishes, I think the book works just fine as a stand-alone. Plenty of needed information on past events and character development is provided, and I quickly felt like I knew all the characters perfectly well. Although it follows up on prior situations, it's very much focused on current action, and it's mostly a self-contained 'quest' tale.
The necromancer Johannes Cabal has come across an ancient tome which has given him clues to the existence of 5 magical thingummies, which, if collected, may reveal a way to revivify his lost love, whose corpse is preserved under his house. He gathers a group to join him, which ends up consisting, in the author's words, of "something cheerfully devilish, something engagingly vampirical, something stoically witchy, and something peevishly necromantic."
The adventure will take them not only into alternate realities but into the very depths of hell (where the Satan we know has been replaced by a petty jumped-up bureaucrat with an axe to grind...)
Many thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this highly entertaining and humorous tale. (Correct reading order be damned, but I think I may have to loop back and find the others now.) As always, my opinions are solely my own.
November 29, 2016
In Which a Necromancer of Some Little Infamy Settles a Few Loose Ends.
I don’t really review book series. I don’t mean just on goodreads, but any website where I’ve reviewed anything. If I review any volume in a multi-part series, it is generally the first and before there is a second volume. I do this because if I review one volume, part of my mind makes an obligation to review them all.
I have not reviewed the first 4 books in the series, but I will make an exception for Herr Cabal. He has most certainly earned it.
I will not recap the previous 4 books (like Howard rather comically does in the beginning, I would only ask would be readers why they are starting at book 5 instead of reading the first 4?). I will include my brief thoughts on the previous books though, as it helps with understanding my own perspective when reading my review.
Johannes Cabal the Necromancer: My discovery of this book was purely accidental. I was browsing my local Borders (back when they were still around, which certainly dates my experience with the series) and stumbled upon the book in their horror section. A brief look at the back and I had to blind buy it. I love it when books and movies can combine horror and comedy, and the description made it sound like it had a good shot of getting it right. To put it simply, it far exceeded my expectations. This is of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read and made me a Howard fan immediately. I loved the villain protagonist Cabal and his pragmatic outlook (and yet sympathetic goals). The take on the classic carnival of discord idea was delightful (and the reference's to Dr. Diablo and Dark's carnivals brought a smile to my face as a horror fan). 5/5
Johannes Cabal the Detective: Alternately titled by me at the time; In Which Johannes Cabal Tries Another Genre. To say the sequel was not what I was expecting would be an understatement. Not a complaint mind you, but I expected more of the horror/comedy of the first novel. Instead I got a steam punk detective story with a healthy dose of comedy. While initially there may have been some disappointment, I got over it quickly as Cabal was as witty and humorous as his first adventure. Another solid read. 4/5
The Fear Institute: This is where Cabal and I parted ways briefly, though not by choice. There was a fairly long delay in this one being published in the United States. On more than one occasion I was tempted to import it, but I luckily stumbled upon a copy at a used bookstore. To date this is the only one of Howard’s novels I have not bought new. My thoughts on this one… well, it is the low point in the series for me and actually took me two tries to read it. It starts off wonderfully, with a delightful set up and interesting ideas... then when they actually enter the dream lands, I found it lost a lot of steam. It makes up for it with quite possibly the best ending in the series (and made the next book needed a.s.a.p.). 3/5
The Brothers Cabal: The fourth book again changed the tone of the story (a recurring pattern as you no doubt noticed). This time it becomes much more of an adventure story, with about half of the book focusing on Johannes’ brother Horst. I have noticed some reviewers feel the novel suffers from this, but I found it rather refreshing to see Cabal’s world from a different point of view and I really do love Horst's view in contrast to Johannes. Something about this one really just really works for me, and it is my second favorite after the first novel. 4/5
Now we come to The Fall of the House Cabal, the fifth and quite likely final novel in the series. This book has been something of an emotional rollercoaster for me, with Howard starting his introduction saying that he may not continue the series. As such I will be looking at this book not only as another Cabal novel, but examining it as a conclusion. Let us go with the reviewer's old friends (at least this reviewer's old friends) some pros and cons (Note: the cons will all be listed as spoilers, as I do give away a bit of the later plot).
Pros:
Howard has once again made this feel completely different from the previous Cabal novels, while making it flow smoothly. There are some wonderful nods to the earlier books, and a couple of scenes re-examined in an interesting way.
Cabal’s character growth. He has come a long way from the literally soulless necromancer of the first book. It has been a long ride for him, and he has changed quite drastically, but it all feels like a proper evolution for the character. Some of his interactions with the characters are almost... emotional.
Zarenyia. I cannot state how wonderful this character is and how much she added to the novel. Her enthusiasm makes for a wonderful contrast to Cabal and the fact that they get along makes it even funnier. Apparently she was introduced in one of the short stories I have not read. Despite this, Howard introduces her in a way that makes it apparent that she and Cabal have a history, but doesn't really confuse the reader... just makes one curious enough to find the short story.
The writing. Howard has a wonderful way with words. The Cabal novels have a delightfully witty writing style where even the narrator is as sarcastic as the many characters. Some may call it overly verbose, but even that is at times played for laughs (and interesting to compare to Howard's much simpler Carter and Lovecraft book, showing it's a purely aesthetic choice for this series).
Cons:
In conclusion: Despite my complaints, I truly liked the book a lot. In terms of ranking the books I would place it third after Necromancer and The Brother Cabal The biggest flaws of the book really are that it leaves way too many loose ends for my liking. Despite that, it is a very enjoyable read.
I love this series. I honestly can’t think of a book series in recent years that I’ve liked more than it save for Joe Abercrombie’s First Law books. Herr Cabal stands out as one of my favorite anti-heroes (or villain protagonist depending on the book). I enjoyed Howard’s Carter and Lovecraft and would love to see a sequel. If he decides to write a standalone novel or start a new series, I’ll buy it day one… but it is my sincere hope that one day he will come back to this one and the brothers Cabal will ride again.
December 19, 2023
Won't lie this was a pretty anticlimactic end to the series for me, despite Denzil and Dennis.
January 16, 2024
Reaching the end of this series was a bittersweet moment: the “Johannes Cabal” novels have been a holiday tradition for me over the past five years, and I guess now I need a new tradition, because Howard makes it clear in his foreword that this is the end for my favorite necromancer… Though he did leave us on a rather open ending, so a girl can dream of more stories involving the determined Mr. Cabal, his wonderful brother Horst and their always entertaining friends and adventures…
When we last saw the Cabal brothers, they had managed to get themselves out of a tricky situation, but the looming threat of Orfilia Ninunka is not gone for good, and they know it. However, Johannes is not about to give up his quest to find a cure for death, and when he comes across some clues that could lead him to the Fountain of Youth, he enrolls Horst, the plucky Miss Barrow and the wonderfully unhinged demon Zarenyia to help him in his travels. But nothing is ever quite that simple, especially for Johannes, who will walk into a complicated trap that will lead him far from where he thought he was going!
I am really going to miss these books: their irreverent tone, take-the-piss humor and unique characters were always a pleasure to spend time with. Howard’s love of Lovecraftiana, Victoriana and steampunk, blended with his dry wit, gives a wonderful prose that never fails to make me smile, snort and giggle in my book – which is a delightful treat.
If you enjoyed the other books of this series, this is a fantastic conclusion. I hadn’t realized their were little novellas set between the books and I will now have to go dig these up to give myself the illusion that there is still more Cabal to come.
Please, Mr. Howard, may we have some more?
When we last saw the Cabal brothers, they had managed to get themselves out of a tricky situation, but the looming threat of Orfilia Ninunka is not gone for good, and they know it. However, Johannes is not about to give up his quest to find a cure for death, and when he comes across some clues that could lead him to the Fountain of Youth, he enrolls Horst, the plucky Miss Barrow and the wonderfully unhinged demon Zarenyia to help him in his travels. But nothing is ever quite that simple, especially for Johannes, who will walk into a complicated trap that will lead him far from where he thought he was going!
I am really going to miss these books: their irreverent tone, take-the-piss humor and unique characters were always a pleasure to spend time with. Howard’s love of Lovecraftiana, Victoriana and steampunk, blended with his dry wit, gives a wonderful prose that never fails to make me smile, snort and giggle in my book – which is a delightful treat.
If you enjoyed the other books of this series, this is a fantastic conclusion. I hadn’t realized their were little novellas set between the books and I will now have to go dig these up to give myself the illusion that there is still more Cabal to come.
Please, Mr. Howard, may we have some more?
Read
October 11, 2016I love this series. It's hilarious and involving and Cabal is a glorious creation, and I have the biggest Horst Cabal crush, and a fairly big spider-demon-lady-succubus thing developing also.
Don't start here. This is very much the culmination of a series, weaving in any amount of plot threads from the first four books in a hugely satisfying way. Start at the beginning with Johannes Cabal the Necromancer and relish some of the best comic-horror fantasy you'll read.
Don't start here. This is very much the culmination of a series, weaving in any amount of plot threads from the first four books in a hugely satisfying way. Start at the beginning with Johannes Cabal the Necromancer and relish some of the best comic-horror fantasy you'll read.
October 22, 2022
Лучшая серия 2020 - Gideon the Ninth про чокнутых некромантов.
Лучшая серия 2021 - Seven Blades in Black про проклятый огромный револьвер.
Лучшая серия 2022 - Johannes Cabal про чокнутого некроманта с огромным револьвером.
Тенденцию вижу я.
Лучшая серия 2021 - Seven Blades in Black про проклятый огромный револьвер.
Лучшая серия 2022 - Johannes Cabal про чокнутого некроманта с огромным револьвером.
Тенденцию вижу я.
November 27, 2016
I am under the impression that this will be the last in the Johannes Cabal series, and, as such, I found it extremely satisfying. Plenty of metalit-humor, helpful footnotes, and amusing adventures with familiar characters who have continued their developmental trajectories and become surprisingly lovable... creatures. The story takes its time about getting going, and there was, for me, a slow patch around the middle, in Hell (though the “slowness” might actually have been me and not Mr. Howard, and a function of my non-reading life intruding with annoying demands that I cook and clean for the holidays – it's hard to be sure), but it picks back up nicely and, as I said, the conclusion is really well done. During most of my reading I'd have given this four stars, but I'm feeling generous and warm about it now and am tossing in that last one as a “thank you” for such a nice resolution.
June 22, 2017
As a member of the Cabal Cabal, I confess myself a tad disappointed in this fifth novel in the series. This, I think, largely stems from the novel's relatively unfocused, scattershot plot, in which there were simply too many characters (besides those Cabal brothers) to keep track of, and even as they trotted the globe, it was only too easy to forget, sometimes, what the stakes really were this time around. That said, I didn't find it lacking in the signature Cabal dark humor, and there were quite a few welcome callbacks to previous Cabal stories, including the return of the Mirkarvian aeroship, the Princess Hortense.
Though I hear Jonathan Howard's taking a break from this series, I still can't wait to see what he gives us next.
Though I hear Jonathan Howard's taking a break from this series, I still can't wait to see what he gives us next.
January 25, 2021
Howard better write another Cabal book! But I'm not confident he will since it's been over 4 years since he wrote this one.
How can he leave the ending as it was?!
Well, This is the "final" book in the series.
Although Howard jokes with readers who skip the previous books and goes straight to this one, providing a modicum of a refresher, you still must read the others. Too many characters reappear, and there are too many references from the previous novels that would confuse those without prior information.
Well now that I got that off my chest.
Content concerns: Violence, blood, gore, sexual references/innuendos, cursing.
How can he leave the ending as it was?!
Well, This is the "final" book in the series.
Although Howard jokes with readers who skip the previous books and goes straight to this one, providing a modicum of a refresher, you still must read the others. Too many characters reappear, and there are too many references from the previous novels that would confuse those without prior information.
Well now that I got that off my chest.
Content concerns: Violence, blood, gore, sexual references/innuendos, cursing.
March 11, 2018
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A gathering of allies makes a daring move against the Queen.
Opening Sentence: It was a damned place, is Perkis Moor.
The Review:
Cabal starts at the Moor with his brother, Horst, the Vampire, and the body they are carrying around with them, assuming Cabal gets a chance to actually resurrect her. But they need to perform a summoning and he needs more allies, so he works on that why he summons the spider demon from hell to help him take on the Queen. He is joined later by the criminologist and they are all working towards the same goals.
Well he has more than one goal. He is up against the Queen, but he also really wants the cure for death. The real cure and that has cost him numerous things during his pursuit of this problem. His brother (the Vampire), his soul and so much more. Cabal has always thought himself a step ahead of those he is playing against, but he will soon find out that they may not be aware of how dangerous the trap is they have set for him.
Will Cabal finally find the cure for death? Will the cost be too high? As they race towards the end will he and his friends survive or will it all end here.
I wish I had read the other books, because I didn’t realize this was the last one. However, I didn’t find myself too lost. The author often explained things that you would have known if you had read the other books in the series. So I didn’t feel too lost, but I think I would have understood this one more if I had read the other books. So with that in my mind I wasn’t blown away, but it was very appealing and interesting world that Jonathan Howard has written. Cabal and his brother Horst are funny and dark.
The writing itself seems to flow back and forth between dark and humor, which is very appealing. The characters are well developed and interesting. On the whole, I would say start with the first book if you want to read this series, but most definitely, I recommend this series if you like necromancers and vampires among other stuff.
Notable Scene:
“The shepherds say sometimes at night they hear the cries in the strange languages long lost fromthe throats of living men, the screams, the clash of weapons. The shepherds know better than to look out of the small windows in the hulking wall of their millstone grit huts on such cursed nights or storm-threatened days. What they may see can do them no good, and an immortal soul is worth far more than assuaging a moment’s curiosity.”
FTC Advisory: Thomas Dunne Books/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Fall of The House of Cabal. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A gathering of allies makes a daring move against the Queen.
Opening Sentence: It was a damned place, is Perkis Moor.
The Review:
Cabal starts at the Moor with his brother, Horst, the Vampire, and the body they are carrying around with them, assuming Cabal gets a chance to actually resurrect her. But they need to perform a summoning and he needs more allies, so he works on that why he summons the spider demon from hell to help him take on the Queen. He is joined later by the criminologist and they are all working towards the same goals.
Well he has more than one goal. He is up against the Queen, but he also really wants the cure for death. The real cure and that has cost him numerous things during his pursuit of this problem. His brother (the Vampire), his soul and so much more. Cabal has always thought himself a step ahead of those he is playing against, but he will soon find out that they may not be aware of how dangerous the trap is they have set for him.
Will Cabal finally find the cure for death? Will the cost be too high? As they race towards the end will he and his friends survive or will it all end here.
I wish I had read the other books, because I didn’t realize this was the last one. However, I didn’t find myself too lost. The author often explained things that you would have known if you had read the other books in the series. So I didn’t feel too lost, but I think I would have understood this one more if I had read the other books. So with that in my mind I wasn’t blown away, but it was very appealing and interesting world that Jonathan Howard has written. Cabal and his brother Horst are funny and dark.
The writing itself seems to flow back and forth between dark and humor, which is very appealing. The characters are well developed and interesting. On the whole, I would say start with the first book if you want to read this series, but most definitely, I recommend this series if you like necromancers and vampires among other stuff.
Notable Scene:
“The shepherds say sometimes at night they hear the cries in the strange languages long lost fromthe throats of living men, the screams, the clash of weapons. The shepherds know better than to look out of the small windows in the hulking wall of their millstone grit huts on such cursed nights or storm-threatened days. What they may see can do them no good, and an immortal soul is worth far more than assuaging a moment’s curiosity.”
FTC Advisory: Thomas Dunne Books/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Fall of The House of Cabal. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 15, 2016
Одразу скажу, що фінальний великий бадабум малопритомний, але не буду вдавати, що це дитя грішної любові Е.А. По і Пратчетта читається заради сюжету. Мені подобається гуманістична, так би мовити, складова квесту: історія про дружбу й родини, які обираєш собі сам, припорошена чорним гумором, частинами тіла і літературними штампами (рушила в дорогу група лузерів - знеславлений некромант, його брат-вампір з мораллю, суккуб-напівжінка-напівпавук і дівчина, що хоче стати шерлоком холмсом, коли виросте - і до кінця квесту вони всі мають стати кращими людьми/вампірами/непонятною фігнею, кожен на свій спосіб; хто перший скаже "чарівник з країни оз", тому цукерка). Бонусна цукерка для нас, українців: країна-головне зло явно списана з Росії.
Коротше кажучи, шкода, що вже дочитала цілу серію, мені її бракуватиме.
Коротше кажучи, шкода, що вже дочитала цілу серію, мені її бракуватиме.
September 28, 2016
I loved this book and I'm so sad that it's over. Howard's writing is at its peak with this book - I laughed long, loud, and hard at several passages. The story of another adventure of Johannes is beautifully crafted, with every little sarcastic barb, clever quip, and acute observation adding something delicious to the general flavour of the novel. While I've sadly heard that this may be the last Cabal book, I feel it ended well, although with several loose threads I much desire to be picked up.
Jonathan L. Howard has a Patreon active, and I urge all my fellow Cabal readers to donate. Let's let the man do his work.
Jonathan L. Howard has a Patreon active, and I urge all my fellow Cabal readers to donate. Let's let the man do his work.
November 6, 2021
Good ol' Horst <33
May 29, 2021
That was a fantastic finale to one of my favorite series. It was great to see Johannes and Horst back together again. I didn't want to say goodbye, but at least I still have some short stories to explore.
September 12, 2021
"Welcome back to the human race, Johannes Cabal. We were beginning to wonder if you'd received your invitation." 💔💔💔ох, як я буду скучати за цією серією.
April 13, 2024
I loved this series! Clever writing and characters I came to adore. The series wrapped up quite nicely but I admit, I found myself sad that I wouldn’t be joining Cabal on any more adventures.
June 15, 2022
Perfect ending to a perfect series. I hope the door isn't fully closed on this serie. And I hope some day someone does it justice and turns it into many many seasons of a good show.
October 15, 2019
5 books in and the series comes to a possible end. But I certainly hope the hints that there is a book 6 have me happily writing this review. The door has certainly been left open for more books.
In the beginning there was Johannes Cabal and he was 'The Man'. Whilst he has changed over the 5 books, character development was always going to be slow, just because of the type of guy he is. However, The Fall of the House of Cabal isn't just about Johannes and that is what makes this series thoroughly enjoyable. This is about the once were side characters, who are now main characters and are as important to the story as Johannes.
The relationship between Johannes and Horst is huge and one of the most enjoyable parts of this story. Horst's character has developed so well I am happy to read all about his exploits. ie The Brothers Cabal. The pair of them give way more options to the author and I really enjoy how this book ended in terms of the characters. No spoilers here.
So the other characters, I already liked Leonie Barrow and she plays a bit part in this book. But it is Miss Smith and Zerenyia who stole the show for me. For a side character Miss Smith was brilliant and everything she was involved in made me smile or laugh. So onto Zerenyia, my advice is this:
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE SHORT STORY, A Long Spoon .
Seriously, I don't think there is a short story that would affect the way you enjoyed the main story as this one. Without the introduction of Zerenyia you will miss so much of the verbal interplay between Johannes and everyone's favourite spider lady. I am forever in my good friend Elana's debt for giving me the same advice. Although she didn't shout it like I did, but I do think it is important.
So all in all, a fantastic character driven story, that has lots of adventure, some sublime character interaction, a wonderful world and enough twists and turns at the end to have youwanting begging for more.
In the beginning there was Johannes Cabal and he was 'The Man'. Whilst he has changed over the 5 books, character development was always going to be slow, just because of the type of guy he is. However, The Fall of the House of Cabal isn't just about Johannes and that is what makes this series thoroughly enjoyable. This is about the once were side characters, who are now main characters and are as important to the story as Johannes.
The relationship between Johannes and Horst is huge and one of the most enjoyable parts of this story. Horst's character has developed so well I am happy to read all about his exploits. ie The Brothers Cabal. The pair of them give way more options to the author and I really enjoy how this book ended in terms of the characters. No spoilers here.
So the other characters, I already liked Leonie Barrow and she plays a bit part in this book. But it is Miss Smith and Zerenyia who stole the show for me. For a side character Miss Smith was brilliant and everything she was involved in made me smile or laugh. So onto Zerenyia, my advice is this:
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE SHORT STORY, A Long Spoon .
Seriously, I don't think there is a short story that would affect the way you enjoyed the main story as this one. Without the introduction of Zerenyia you will miss so much of the verbal interplay between Johannes and everyone's favourite spider lady. I am forever in my good friend Elana's debt for giving me the same advice. Although she didn't shout it like I did, but I do think it is important.
So all in all, a fantastic character driven story, that has lots of adventure, some sublime character interaction, a wonderful world and enough twists and turns at the end to have you
November 23, 2025
Endings really are so bittersweet… It’s been so long since I’ve finished a series like this, and it’s been such a genuinely fun time. Every character is wonderful in their own way, Johannes’s progression throughout the whole series is fantastic, and god do I love a story about brothers.
Each section of this book was presented with a different tone and setting that made it feel like a small little collection of novellas, and it was so much fun. The beginning was a tad bit slow, but once we arrived at Leonie’s section, I was hooked.
I’m sad knowing that I’m at the end, but I’m so glad I stumbled across this series like I did. We love finding little treasures now and again. ✨
Each section of this book was presented with a different tone and setting that made it feel like a small little collection of novellas, and it was so much fun. The beginning was a tad bit slow, but once we arrived at Leonie’s section, I was hooked.
I’m sad knowing that I’m at the end, but I’m so glad I stumbled across this series like I did. We love finding little treasures now and again. ✨
August 29, 2019
I really liked this one but he did that thing that he did at the end of the Fear Institute where he keeps resetting the timeline at the end and I listen to these on audio so I always get VERY confused by that. It's probably mostly my own fault but I love the narrator for this series even though I'm still not really sure what the ending here actually WAS. Still, it was a very fun book. I liked the characters he chose to bring back from previous novels and their whole group dynamic was very fun. And again I appreciate that each of these books is very different from each other while still keeping the same general mood. Overall a really fun series, although maybe I should go back and read the last few chapters of this again in a text version...
March 19, 2025
I'm giving it a 5 because I absolutely loved it, but my rating scale suggests that it's more of a 4 star, especially since you need to have read it's predecessors (and short stories) first. Nevertheless, this was my favorite in an otherwise awesome series, and I'm sad that it is at an end.
May 21, 2017
What has been delicious about the Johannes Cabal series is that, though each book follows the necromancer of some little infamy and his adventures through the living, dead, and undead worlds, each book is also of its own style. The Necromancer is a Faustian horror story, The Detective an Agatha Christie mystery. The Fear Institute pays fealty to H.P. Lovecraft, and The Brothers Cabal is a action/adventure tale of war and politics. Yet the common denominator throughout them all has been Jonathan Howard's wry humor, place the word "comic" before each description and it holds true, though it is so much more: a "comic Faustian horror story," a "comic Agatha Christie mystery," etc.
With the fifth book, Howard wraps up an arc that I didn't even realize he was following... characters, settings, plot points, and most especially styles from the previous books all come together. On the trail of his ultimate goal, the ability to restore the dead to life, Johannes unwittingly sets foot on the supernatural Five Ways. He and his companions (his vampire brother Horst, the she-devil Madame Zarenyia, former necromantrix and current witch of the Dreamlands Miss Smith, and the resourceful-but-mundane Leonie Barrow) each are tested and challenged in turn, leading them to a confrontation with the powerful Red Queen, Orfilia Ninuka.
The plot is convoluted and doesn't quite make sense, but it doesn't matter... the style is the substance, and Fall of the House of Cabal has style in abundance. Each page drips with wordplay; even in the title, which leads you to assume one thing, ends up meaning another in the most literal and unexpected sense. An example that I liked:
"I punched Satan!" Horst was all a-bubble with boyish enthusiasm.
"Yes, you did, darling, and I'm sure we're all enormously proud of you. But now, see, Satan is coming after us, and I fear he will be in a frightful bate."
"Yes, true. Still, pow!"
The five-book arc is neatly wrapped up, with a few dangling threads that can lead to an extension of the series at some point in the future. For now I think Howard is concentrating on another series of books that pay homage to Lovecraft, but I hope he returns to Johannes Cabal sooner then later. This has been great fun.
With the fifth book, Howard wraps up an arc that I didn't even realize he was following... characters, settings, plot points, and most especially styles from the previous books all come together. On the trail of his ultimate goal, the ability to restore the dead to life, Johannes unwittingly sets foot on the supernatural Five Ways. He and his companions (his vampire brother Horst, the she-devil Madame Zarenyia, former necromantrix and current witch of the Dreamlands Miss Smith, and the resourceful-but-mundane Leonie Barrow) each are tested and challenged in turn, leading them to a confrontation with the powerful Red Queen, Orfilia Ninuka.
The plot is convoluted and doesn't quite make sense, but it doesn't matter... the style is the substance, and Fall of the House of Cabal has style in abundance. Each page drips with wordplay; even in the title, which leads you to assume one thing, ends up meaning another in the most literal and unexpected sense. An example that I liked:
"I punched Satan!" Horst was all a-bubble with boyish enthusiasm.
"Yes, you did, darling, and I'm sure we're all enormously proud of you. But now, see, Satan is coming after us, and I fear he will be in a frightful bate."
"Yes, true. Still, pow!"
The five-book arc is neatly wrapped up, with a few dangling threads that can lead to an extension of the series at some point in the future. For now I think Howard is concentrating on another series of books that pay homage to Lovecraft, but I hope he returns to Johannes Cabal sooner then later. This has been great fun.
May 7, 2018
This book started really well, and I enjoyed the meta humor of it - especially the author asides about how he shouldn't have to explain things to people who are just jumping into the series, because what kind of monster starts a series at book 5? (I mean, really. Who does that?)
But while there was a smattering of humor throughout the book, things did take a turn slightly more for the serious - but I ended up wishing there was more humor. I mean, there was some especially from Madame Zarenyia, but I felt like a lot of that humor was sort of repetitive and felt forced as time went on.
Anyway - some of the trials and whatnot were interesting, but I felt like they went on a bit too long in places, and my mind would sort of start wandering from time to time.
I did appreciate the character growth on Johannes we've seen through the series, and I particularly liked the final confrontation, and the sort of reliving-but-not-really the events of the first 4 books in the series.
And I did appreciate that several threads got tied up, this being the possible last book of the series - but I was also disappointed to find that the one thread which has tied together the whole series - the point of the whole thing, really - wasn't resolved. (Of course, I have a secret hope that
Anyway -
This is the second book in a week which I read which I felt was a good addition to the series, but was kind of weak for a finale. I hold out hope that there will be at least one last book in the series where that major thread finally gets some kind of resolution - even if it's not the one I hope for.
Other than that, though, the series, has a whole, is one I recommend, and I really enjoy all of the characters and, as I said, I've enjoyed watching Cabal's growth throughout the series.
But while there was a smattering of humor throughout the book, things did take a turn slightly more for the serious - but I ended up wishing there was more humor. I mean, there was some especially from Madame Zarenyia, but I felt like a lot of that humor was sort of repetitive and felt forced as time went on.
Anyway - some of the trials and whatnot were interesting, but I felt like they went on a bit too long in places, and my mind would sort of start wandering from time to time.
I did appreciate the character growth on Johannes we've seen through the series, and I particularly liked the final confrontation, and the sort of reliving-but-not-really the events of the first 4 books in the series.
And I did appreciate that several threads got tied up, this being the possible last book of the series - but I was also disappointed to find that the one thread which has tied together the whole series - the point of the whole thing, really - wasn't resolved. (Of course, I have a secret hope that
Anyway -
This is the second book in a week which I read which I felt was a good addition to the series, but was kind of weak for a finale. I hold out hope that there will be at least one last book in the series where that major thread finally gets some kind of resolution - even if it's not the one I hope for.
Other than that, though, the series, has a whole, is one I recommend, and I really enjoy all of the characters and, as I said, I've enjoyed watching Cabal's growth throughout the series.
November 15, 2017
Reread Review, 2017
The Johannes Cabal audiobooks have had a few different narrators, which really upsets the Type A block of my personality, that demands consistency and completion-ism in all things. But since I'm not able to go back and demand that Jonathan L. Howard just settle on one narrator and see it through, for god sake, the only thing left for me to do is rank my preferences in order:
1. Christopher Cazenove, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer. He gives Johannes the best German accent and really has a wide range of voices for the carnival.
2. Nicholas Guy Smith, Fear Institute and Fall of the House of Cabal. Johannes has a very slight accent here, but Horst's working-class English accent is a poor choice and terribly grating.
3. Robin Sachs, Johannes Cabal the Detective. Very droning.
Review, 2016
Johannes Cabal’s final novel – or at least, the final novel in this particular storyline.
I don’t know if it was that fact, the end of one of my favorite necromancers, that caused me to read this book so slowly or… if this particular book was just not the greatest.
Now, it was fun. Especially Zarenyia, a spider-lady demon with a love of life and murder. And the plot did pick up at the end. But the first half of the book involved Johannes and his brother Horst splitting up and setting forth to find the secret of Life. Splitting those two up was a bad idea, but even worse, Leonie returned and then also split from Johannes. Jonathan Howard was messing with my ‘ship and my sibling snarking in an inexcusable way!
It’s nice that Johannes did grow a great deal from his initial appearance as a soulless carnival proprietor and the ending of this book was a surprising and perfect summation of that character growth – but at times, I missed the monster. I wanted him less floofy and more… shooty. Johannes hardly shot anyone in this book.
The Johannes Cabal audiobooks have had a few different narrators, which really upsets the Type A block of my personality, that demands consistency and completion-ism in all things. But since I'm not able to go back and demand that Jonathan L. Howard just settle on one narrator and see it through, for god sake, the only thing left for me to do is rank my preferences in order:
1. Christopher Cazenove, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer. He gives Johannes the best German accent and really has a wide range of voices for the carnival.
2. Nicholas Guy Smith, Fear Institute and Fall of the House of Cabal. Johannes has a very slight accent here, but Horst's working-class English accent is a poor choice and terribly grating.
3. Robin Sachs, Johannes Cabal the Detective. Very droning.
Review, 2016
Johannes Cabal’s final novel – or at least, the final novel in this particular storyline.
I don’t know if it was that fact, the end of one of my favorite necromancers, that caused me to read this book so slowly or… if this particular book was just not the greatest.
Now, it was fun. Especially Zarenyia, a spider-lady demon with a love of life and murder. And the plot did pick up at the end. But the first half of the book involved Johannes and his brother Horst splitting up and setting forth to find the secret of Life. Splitting those two up was a bad idea, but even worse, Leonie returned and then also split from Johannes. Jonathan Howard was messing with my ‘ship and my sibling snarking in an inexcusable way!
It’s nice that Johannes did grow a great deal from his initial appearance as a soulless carnival proprietor and the ending of this book was a surprising and perfect summation of that character growth – but at times, I missed the monster. I wanted him less floofy and more… shooty. Johannes hardly shot anyone in this book.
September 29, 2016
This is seriously the only book that I have actually felt like reading in a long time, and I am so glad that it didn't disappoint. Howard was at his very snarkiest throughout, to the extent that the preface was even enough to make me laugh out loud several times. Alright, I wasn't in love with the reappearance of Leonie, but the other supporting characters were magic (both figuratively and literally, now that I think of it.) Zarenyia in particular was almost always perfect, which is kind of surprising to me, but somehow Howard made it work.
My only real issues with this book is the fact that the author has said that it may or may not be the last book, it depends on how he feels. That doesn't quite work with me in this case, being that
Oh, and one tiny little issue, George, Duke of Clarence, was not a rival of Richard III, he was his older brother. Richard was the youngest son, and all of his brothers were dead before he took the throne. George in fact actually rebelled against Edward IV more than once, and constantly undermined him, so it was in fact that king that had him executed. But other than that, the history was basically spot on.
My only real issues with this book is the fact that the author has said that it may or may not be the last book, it depends on how he feels. That doesn't quite work with me in this case, being that
Oh, and one tiny little issue, George, Duke of Clarence, was not a rival of Richard III, he was his older brother. Richard was the youngest son, and all of his brothers were dead before he took the throne. George in fact actually rebelled against Edward IV more than once, and constantly undermined him, so it was in fact that king that had him executed. But other than that, the history was basically spot on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews