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Johannes Cabal #2
The Detective
Johannes Cabal returns in this fearfully funny and terrifically twisted tale of murder and international intrigue . . . five thousand feet off the ground.
When an attempt to steal a rare book turns sour, Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of some little infamy, finds himself in a foreign prison awaiting execution. A crafty plan -- as horrific as it is cunning -- allows him to steal the identity of a government official and make his escape aboard a luxurious aeroship heading out of the country. But what should be a perfect getaway rapidly becomes complicated by the bizarre disappearance of a passenger, an attempt on Cabal's life, and an unwelcome face from the past. Trapped aboard with a killer, can even Cabal's open-razor of a mind save him?
Full of twists, turns, sword fights, archenemies, newfangled flying machines, narrow escapes, and, of course, resurrected dead, Johannes Cabal’s latest eldritch escapade is a Ruritanian romp from first to last.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Jonathan L. Howard
64 books2,108 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/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 815 reviews
February 6, 2019
Safe to say, no one has gone through such travails to read a book as Johannes Cabal. Of course, he didn’t only mean to read it:
“Cabal had been caught trying to check out a book from the library… The book was in the Special Collection, and Cabal had intended the loan to be of an extended, open-ended sort of period.”
I’ll wait, while the librarians amongst us recover themselves.
Caught by a Mirkarvian Count, Cabal uses his necromancer skills to distract the Count and escape by assuming the persona of a bureaucrat, Herr Meissner. He escapes on a luxury aeroship on a mercy mission delivering vegetables to the neighboring country, only first they have to pass through the mildly hostile country of Senza. During the flight, Cabal becomes embroiled in a locked-room mystery when the original designer of the aeroship goes missing: “The curious case of the defenestrated DeGarre and the adventure of the ersatz civil servant were inextricably linked.”
I began reading in a cranky state of mind, but my ill-temper paled in comparison to Cabal’s: “As for humanity, anything I do for it is purely by accident.” Before long, Cabal’s arrogance and Howard’s wit had me not only feeling better about my relatively benign curmudgeonly state, but outright laughing. Howard nicely set up Cabal’s adventures, segueing him into being forced to solve a locked-room mystery. Cabal’s tribulations are worsened as he is forced to interact with a familiar face and the tiniest twinges of his underdeveloped conscience. In this book, we get to see Cabal shaken to his core:
“Whosoever would do such a thing to my nimpty-bimpty snookums?”
Cabal could not have been more horrified if she’d pulled off her face to reveal a gaping chasm of eternal night from which glistening tentacles coiled and groped. That had already happened to him once in his life, and he wasn’t keen to repeat the experience.”
Howard’s writing appeals to the intellect, a deft mix of cleverness and blasé exaggeration. It isn’t really a book I sit down and devour, impatiently leaping from page to page. This is a book that I read carefully, not wanting to miss a word-play or reference. Subtle and not-so-subtle humor abounds. Given the humor, Howard still manages to do some really remarkable things with emotion. Cabal is incredibly reserved, repressed even to himself, and generally thinks of nothing but his own skin, so it is interesting when he has to wrestle with his deeply buried humanity. There was a death that was dealt with beautifully, both by Cabal and by his witness, with a line so perfect in its emotion, it stopped me flat:
“His corpse was pathetic, in that it inspired pathos, and pitiful, in that it aroused pity.”
The mystery is neatly wrapped up in a classic Poirot denouement, but the final resolution initially leaves the reader hanging. An afterword notes the journey home was “uneventful in all respects, unless one counts the business with the spy and the bandits and the Elemental Evil and the end of the world as we know it.” It brought to mind the unsatisfactory passage in Wise Man’s Fear where Rothfuss alludes to a pirate adventure, and I wondered if Howard was poking fun. Alas, I don’t think so–The Detective was 2010 and WMF was 2011. Still, Howard is much kinder to the readers and provides a thoughtful account for those people who “might like to hear about spies and bandits and all that.”
Ultimately, quite satisfying. I finished with my spirits lifted and view of humanity marginally improved. Still, I’ll be trying to find a way to work a new insult into a conversation:
“A hatchet-faced customs official… strode up to Marechal, having instantly discriminated between the monkey and the organ-grinder.“
Four and a half stars--just shy of perfect.
“Cabal had been caught trying to check out a book from the library… The book was in the Special Collection, and Cabal had intended the loan to be of an extended, open-ended sort of period.”
I’ll wait, while the librarians amongst us recover themselves.
Caught by a Mirkarvian Count, Cabal uses his necromancer skills to distract the Count and escape by assuming the persona of a bureaucrat, Herr Meissner. He escapes on a luxury aeroship on a mercy mission delivering vegetables to the neighboring country, only first they have to pass through the mildly hostile country of Senza. During the flight, Cabal becomes embroiled in a locked-room mystery when the original designer of the aeroship goes missing: “The curious case of the defenestrated DeGarre and the adventure of the ersatz civil servant were inextricably linked.”
I began reading in a cranky state of mind, but my ill-temper paled in comparison to Cabal’s: “As for humanity, anything I do for it is purely by accident.” Before long, Cabal’s arrogance and Howard’s wit had me not only feeling better about my relatively benign curmudgeonly state, but outright laughing. Howard nicely set up Cabal’s adventures, segueing him into being forced to solve a locked-room mystery. Cabal’s tribulations are worsened as he is forced to interact with a familiar face and the tiniest twinges of his underdeveloped conscience. In this book, we get to see Cabal shaken to his core:
“Whosoever would do such a thing to my nimpty-bimpty snookums?”
Cabal could not have been more horrified if she’d pulled off her face to reveal a gaping chasm of eternal night from which glistening tentacles coiled and groped. That had already happened to him once in his life, and he wasn’t keen to repeat the experience.”
Howard’s writing appeals to the intellect, a deft mix of cleverness and blasé exaggeration. It isn’t really a book I sit down and devour, impatiently leaping from page to page. This is a book that I read carefully, not wanting to miss a word-play or reference. Subtle and not-so-subtle humor abounds. Given the humor, Howard still manages to do some really remarkable things with emotion. Cabal is incredibly reserved, repressed even to himself, and generally thinks of nothing but his own skin, so it is interesting when he has to wrestle with his deeply buried humanity. There was a death that was dealt with beautifully, both by Cabal and by his witness, with a line so perfect in its emotion, it stopped me flat:
“His corpse was pathetic, in that it inspired pathos, and pitiful, in that it aroused pity.”
The mystery is neatly wrapped up in a classic Poirot denouement, but the final resolution initially leaves the reader hanging. An afterword notes the journey home was “uneventful in all respects, unless one counts the business with the spy and the bandits and the Elemental Evil and the end of the world as we know it.” It brought to mind the unsatisfactory passage in Wise Man’s Fear where Rothfuss alludes to a pirate adventure, and I wondered if Howard was poking fun. Alas, I don’t think so–The Detective was 2010 and WMF was 2011. Still, Howard is much kinder to the readers and provides a thoughtful account for those people who “might like to hear about spies and bandits and all that.”
Ultimately, quite satisfying. I finished with my spirits lifted and view of humanity marginally improved. Still, I’ll be trying to find a way to work a new insult into a conversation:
“A hatchet-faced customs official… strode up to Marechal, having instantly discriminated between the monkey and the organ-grinder.“
Four and a half stars--just shy of perfect.
April 24, 2024
💥 April 24, 2024: only $2.99 today!
💀 Let's Bring the Dead Back from the Dead Again Buddy Reread (LBtDBftDABR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀
➽ And the moral of this reread is: watch out Sherlock Holmes, for Jojo Cabal is out to get you and stuff. Now let's have a little celebratory dance, shall we?
👋 To be continued and stuff.
[October 2018]
💀 Woohoo Time to Awaken the Poirot in Cabal Steampunk Style Buddy Read (WTtAtPiCSSBR™) with my fellow Necromaniacs Elena and Margaux 💀
Actual rating: 6.2548693 stars.
Johannes Cabal, Necromancing Boyfriend Mine, where hast thou been all my life? Such kindred souls we are. We were obviously destined to be together and stuff. I mean, you say things like:
And also all:
But wait, I’m getting a teensy little bit ahead of my little self here. Let’s try and keep the rabid teenage fangirl on crack in check for a minute and a half, and start at the beginning, shall we, my Comely Decapods?
So. This is probably one of the bestest books I have read this year. (Maybe.) And also perhaps the mostest hilariousest book I have read in a long time. (Possibly.) It is so quotaciously quotable that the Amazon Police issued an arrest warrant for me (I outrageously and most shamelessly exceeded my Kindle highlight limits, you see). The story is Super Extra Fresh™, wacky as fish and nonsensical as shrimp. Howard’s writing is cleverly witty and wittily clever. All in all, you might say I 💕lurved💕 this book loads and loads. (Well a little, anyway.) Which obviously means that this crappy non-review is going to be a pain to write. And an even bigger pain to read. So enjoy and stuff!
Okay, so this instalment finds my Ever Cranky Paramour (ECP™) Johannes Cabal back from his Soul-Reclaiming, Rollickingly Fun Carnival Adventures (SRRFCA™), and up to no good once again. (He unfortunately seems to be developing some sort of conscience, which sucks, but I do hope this is naught but a momentary condition and stuff.) Anyway, at the beginning of the story, Cabal finds himself “pinned down by 180 lbs of overfriendly dog and half drowned in slobber,” which isn’t super sexey, you’ll have to admit. But that’s what you get for trying to steal an obscure necromancy book from a Mirkarvian library. (Yes, my Jubilant Arthropods, my Wondrously Caustic Sweetie Pie—WCSP™—does indeed loot sacrosanct libraries once in a while. A despicable, most shocking habit,which makes him even hotter I know.) So he kinda sorta gets caught. And also gets a good, clean shave courtesy of the local executioner (don’t ask). Then, finding himself at the mercy of a military aristocrat who also happens to be a demented chain-smoker (“Oh, happy day”), decides to escape by impersonating a local civil servant *shudders* Yes, one sometimes has to resort to desperate measures to save one’s delicious derriere and stuff.
Oops.
So Cabal gives his evil foes the slip, and ends up on a Steampunk Style Airship Thingie (SSAT™) stuffed with vegetables (I already told you not to ask, didn’t I?). Murder and mayhem ensue. In a most delightful, Locked-Room Mystery-Please-Do-Unleash-Your-Inner-Poirot-My-Nefarious-Dear Way (LRMPDUYIPMNDW™). And it is all really quite scrumptious, methinks. Especially since my Beautifully Heartless Inamorato (BHI™) finds himself mostunwelcomingly unexpectedly saddled with the most reluctant helpful sidekick ever here. Needless to say, he enjoys the lady’s presence immensely.
This is a most joyful, sweet, comforting adventure packed with inbred psychopaths,refined dinners cow’s post-mortems, hypothetical expendable assassins (parachute optional), acute dyspepsia, terrible danger, breakfast, bargain-basement Machiavelli, English nighttime apparel and the motivation to breed (or lack thereof), fancy defenestration, pork scratchings (the snack of the future, just so you know), and the arousing scent of formaldehyde. Oh, and let’s not forget psychoanalysis by coercion, especially sociopathic pancakes, evenings of sport that do NOT involve cricket (much to my Wickedly Infamous Possum’s dismay), and violent murder. YUM.
I understand why you would approve, Mr Cowboy Clint Man, but Cabal is Mine Mine Mine Forever After and Even After That (MMMFAaEAT™), so kindly back off before I unleash the murderous crustaceans on you and stuff.
➽ And the moral of this Looks Like a Certain Necromancer of Little Infamy isSlowly Surely but Surely Making His Nefarious Way to the Very Top of my High Security Harem Food Chain Crappy Non Review (LLaCNoLIiSSbSMHNWttVTomHSHFCCNR™) is: I think I like this series a little. Not much though. Just a teensy little bit. I read it and it brings a special kind of smile on my face. What kind of smile, you ask? Why the blissful, benevolent smile of “somebody watching an unlovable toddler walk under a table and bang their head painfully,” of course.
➽ And the other moral of this Looks Like a Certain Necromancer of Little Infamy isSlowly Surely but Surely Making His Nefarious Way to the Very Top of my High Security Harem Food Chain Crappy Non Review (LLaCNoLIiSSbSMHNWttVTomHSHFCCNR™) is:
P.S. Fresh human pituitaries and freshly shaved cat hairs. Never leave home without them.
P.P.S Can’t get rid of the local Nosferatu? Forget about garlic, and ask Count Marechal to have a little talk with him about his taxes. The wimpish blood sucker will be out of your nose in no time. I guarantee it.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· 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 ★★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
My yummy boyfriend Johannes Cabal (aka the Mostly Heartless Bastard™) + HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA + a deliciously reluctant sidekick + some of the mostest cleverest, hilariousest, memorable lines ever + villainous villains + a bit of steampunk + spoiler spoiler spoiler + Sherlock meets Poirot meets locked-room mystery = me feel like...
➽ Full review to come.
💀 Let's Bring the Dead Back from the Dead Again Buddy Reread (LBtDBftDABR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀
➽ And the moral of this reread is: watch out Sherlock Holmes, for Jojo Cabal is out to get you and stuff. Now let's have a little celebratory dance, shall we?
👋 To be continued and stuff.
[October 2018]
💀 Woohoo Time to Awaken the Poirot in Cabal Steampunk Style Buddy Read (WTtAtPiCSSBR™) with my fellow Necromaniacs Elena and Margaux 💀
Actual rating: 6.2548693 stars.
Johannes Cabal, Necromancing Boyfriend Mine, where hast thou been all my life? Such kindred souls we are. We were obviously destined to be together and stuff. I mean, you say things like:
“In my experience, death is an excellent prophylactic measure.”Which makes me go all:
And also all:
But wait, I’m getting a teensy little bit ahead of my little self here. Let’s try and keep the rabid teenage fangirl on crack in check for a minute and a half, and start at the beginning, shall we, my Comely Decapods?
So. This is probably one of the bestest books I have read this year. (Maybe.) And also perhaps the mostest hilariousest book I have read in a long time. (Possibly.) It is so quotaciously quotable that the Amazon Police issued an arrest warrant for me (I outrageously and most shamelessly exceeded my Kindle highlight limits, you see). The story is Super Extra Fresh™, wacky as fish and nonsensical as shrimp. Howard’s writing is cleverly witty and wittily clever. All in all, you might say I 💕lurved💕 this book loads and loads. (Well a little, anyway.) Which obviously means that this crappy non-review is going to be a pain to write. And an even bigger pain to read. So enjoy and stuff!
‘Your cane?’
‘Sentimental value?’ he said sarcastically.
‘As it happens, yes.’ Cabal walked over to the count and took the emperor’s speech from him. ‘I bludgeoned my first failed experiment back to death with it.’
Okay, so this instalment finds my Ever Cranky Paramour (ECP™) Johannes Cabal back from his Soul-Reclaiming, Rollickingly Fun Carnival Adventures (SRRFCA™), and up to no good once again. (He unfortunately seems to be developing some sort of conscience, which sucks, but I do hope this is naught but a momentary condition and stuff.) Anyway, at the beginning of the story, Cabal finds himself “pinned down by 180 lbs of overfriendly dog and half drowned in slobber,” which isn’t super sexey, you’ll have to admit. But that’s what you get for trying to steal an obscure necromancy book from a Mirkarvian library. (Yes, my Jubilant Arthropods, my Wondrously Caustic Sweetie Pie—WCSP™—does indeed loot sacrosanct libraries once in a while. A despicable, most shocking habit,
Oops.
So Cabal gives his evil foes the slip, and ends up on a Steampunk Style Airship Thingie (SSAT™) stuffed with vegetables (I already told you not to ask, didn’t I?). Murder and mayhem ensue. In a most delightful, Locked-Room Mystery-Please-Do-Unleash-Your-Inner-Poirot-My-Nefarious-Dear Way (LRMPDUYIPMNDW™). And it is all really quite scrumptious, methinks. Especially since my Beautifully Heartless Inamorato (BHI™) finds himself most
“Cabal could not have been more horrified if she’d pulled off her face to reveal a gaping chasm of eternal night from which glistening tentacles coiled and groped. That had already happened to him once in his life, and he wasn’t keen to repeat the experience.”Ah, young love. So touching.
This is a most joyful, sweet, comforting adventure packed with inbred psychopaths,
“After some minutes of mental scuttling, his face was transformed by a smile. It was not a nice smile. It was the smile of a criminal mastermind who, on capturing his nemesis, decides to forego the circular saws and piranhas, and just shoots the man.”
I understand why you would approve, Mr Cowboy Clint Man, but Cabal is Mine Mine Mine Forever After and Even After That (MMMFAaEAT™), so kindly back off before I unleash the murderous crustaceans on you and stuff.
➽ And the moral of this Looks Like a Certain Necromancer of Little Infamy is
➽ And the other moral of this Looks Like a Certain Necromancer of Little Infamy is
“If at first you don’t succeed, then repeat your failure until nobody’s left alive to comment.”Truer words were never spoken, if you ask me.
P.S. Fresh human pituitaries and freshly shaved cat hairs. Never leave home without them.
P.P.S Can’t get rid of the local Nosferatu? Forget about garlic, and ask Count Marechal to have a little talk with him about his taxes. The wimpish blood sucker will be out of your nose in no time. I guarantee it.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· 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 ★★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
My yummy boyfriend Johannes Cabal (aka the Mostly Heartless Bastard™) + HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA + a deliciously reluctant sidekick + some of the mostest cleverest, hilariousest, memorable lines ever + villainous villains + a bit of steampunk + spoiler spoiler spoiler + Sherlock meets Poirot meets locked-room mystery = me feel like...
➽ Full review to come.
February 16, 2026
From the morbid carnival into detective.
Still funny and full of dark irony and interesting morally grey misanthrope. But the transition from mystical adventures to a political thriller was a bit confusing. Often feels like a completely different book from the first one.
The plot is nice: hint of a steampunk in a pre-war Eastern Europe, spies and murders. Well written and intriguing but not as good as the first book.
Let’s see what the rest of the series brings.
Still funny and full of dark irony and interesting morally grey misanthrope. But the transition from mystical adventures to a political thriller was a bit confusing. Often feels like a completely different book from the first one.
The plot is nice: hint of a steampunk in a pre-war Eastern Europe, spies and murders. Well written and intriguing but not as good as the first book.
Let’s see what the rest of the series brings.
September 30, 2018
Omg, this is a breath of fresh air. Or at least, it's a perfectly welcome respite from the normal books I've been reading. Either way, I'm delighted. :)
The first Johannes Cabal novel made me constantly wonder who were the good guys and who were the bad, a Faustian tale of beating the devil, carnival antics, and our favorite smart-as-hell necromancer. I remember being hesitant about continuing after I had finished it, but either enough time has passed or I was totally tripping, because after starting THIS novel, I fell totally in love.
This one is a cozy armchair mystery AND necromantic patriotic spy-fiction AND steampunk.
I always WANTED to love steampunk stuff but generally never did, BUT this one is a clear exception to the rule. :) I did genuinely love this airship murder mystery. :) A total Agatha Christie with necromantic elements, a totally fictitious Europe-not-Europe during Empire, and new and fantastic Ultimate Enemies by way of business as usual...
All thanks to Cabal's winning personality.
And all said, I had a grand ole time. Never a single complaint. I do believe I'm going to fly into the rest of these novels very soon. :)
The first Johannes Cabal novel made me constantly wonder who were the good guys and who were the bad, a Faustian tale of beating the devil, carnival antics, and our favorite smart-as-hell necromancer. I remember being hesitant about continuing after I had finished it, but either enough time has passed or I was totally tripping, because after starting THIS novel, I fell totally in love.
This one is a cozy armchair mystery AND necromantic patriotic spy-fiction AND steampunk.
I always WANTED to love steampunk stuff but generally never did, BUT this one is a clear exception to the rule. :) I did genuinely love this airship murder mystery. :) A total Agatha Christie with necromantic elements, a totally fictitious Europe-not-Europe during Empire, and new and fantastic Ultimate Enemies by way of business as usual...
All thanks to Cabal's winning personality.
And all said, I had a grand ole time. Never a single complaint. I do believe I'm going to fly into the rest of these novels very soon. :)
Read
August 12, 2022
Johannes Cabal the Detective - an exciting, entertaining, whizzbang thriller first page to last. British author Jonathan L. Howard has written a work of highly polished literature that's also incredibly fun to read.
I'm making my way through all five Cabal novels. Steampunk sensational! I've started in the middle and I'm working outwards: my first Cabal, The Fear Institute; my second, the novel under review; my next Cabal, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer.
Oh, if some creative director ever turned Johannes Cabal the Detective into a feature film, it would most certainly become a box office smash. Meanwhile, the following could serve as the book's highlight reel:
DOUBLE WHAMMY
Johannes Cabal practices necromancy. “Strictly, necromancy was the telling of the future by summoning up the spirits of the dead and asking them searching questions. This, Cabal believed, was a singularly poor way of finding out anything. The dead were moderately strong on history, weak on current events, and entirely useless for discerning what was to come. They were, after all, dead.”
The above quote, a bit of Johannes Cabal internal monologue, provides an example of the way the objective third-person narrator shares and reinforces Cabal's view of the world – caustic, scientific and condescending with more than a few daubs of gallows humor. One of the most important things I can point out as a reviewer: If you click into and enjoy Jonathan L. Howard's instantly recognizable authorial voice, every single page of this and all the other Cabal novels will be an especial treat - his voice is that strong.
STUPENDOUS STEAMPUNK
What's steampunk without an airship? For this Cabal adventure we have Princess Hortense, a colossal vessel, a triple-decker that's combination aircraft carrier/dirigible. For added zest, a reader can take delight in a two page spread (presented as part of "The Clarion: The Boys' Call to Adventure!") featuring a detailed illustration complete with captions and key. Likewise for the CI-880 Fighter Entomopter, retrofuturistic technology that is part jet, part helicopter the size of a piper cub. A hefty chunk of the story unfolds aboard the Princess Hortense and Entomopters also play a vital role.
VICTORIAN EUROPE, SORT OF
Since we're talking retrofuturistic nineteenth century, Jonathan L. Howard takes full advantage by creating his own version of Europe: there's England, the Germanies and Italy but also such countries as Mirkarvia, Senza and Katamenia to the east (a map sketched out by Cabal is included for a reader's easy reference). Part of the joy in turning the pages – readers are given enough space to engage their own imagination to fill in the geographical and historical gaps.
LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERY
What's more intriguing than an impossible crime committed in a unique setting? Aboard the Princess Hortense, the crew, Cabal and others must fathom such a murder, if, indeed, it is a murder. Our British author incorporates all necessary elements to add a special piquancy: atmosphere, narrative momentum, foreshadowing, red herrings, and...for each reader to discover.
ARCH-VILLAIN
If Johannes Cabal, necromancer turned detective, is forced to play the role of hero, then the prime evildoing villain is undoubtedly Count Marechal, a dastardly cur with political ambitions in leading his country of Mirkarvia into a bloody war.
"En garde....This isn't one of those effeminate fencing sabres that Italians came up with. It is a real weapon and it really kills, and it shall be my very real pleasure to hack you into pieces with it, Cabal." These threatening words from Count Marechal appear in the opening chapters. There's nothing like a good old-fashioned crossing and clashing of steel to set the stage for the ultimate showdown.
LOVELY LADY BECOMES CABAL'S PARTNER IN AN ATTEMPT TO CRACK THE CASE
Readers of Johannes Cabal the Necromancer will hear a familiar ring when Leonie Barrow, a delightfully attractive Englishwoman, makes her appearance in the novel. And since Ms. Barrow possesses a background as a student of forensics, she's in an ideal position to team up with Cabal in the investigation of what could prove to be an exceedingly knotty mystery.
Political climate permitting, I can imagine Leonie Barrow writing a novelized version of her adventures with Cabal some time following the actual events. In that case, the above photo could be Ms. Barrow reading her adrenaline-fuelled novel in leisure hours.
THE BOOK'S MAIN MAN
Of all the interesting parts of the novel, surely the most interesting is Johannes Cabal himself. Each and every scene provides yet another glimpse, another sharp angle into the character of the natty necromancer. For instance, these words following a particular harrowing happening while aboard the Princess Hortense:
"Johannes Cabal hated people trying to kill him. He hated it, and he hated them. Certainly, most people aren't keen on it, but few have actually experienced it, and fewer still on the regular basis with which Cabal was familiar. Already, within this single narrative, we have seen how the Mirkavian judicial system had salted him away for execution and then, more personally, how the Count Marechal had intended to skewer him upon a cavalry sabre. Cabal by degrees had grown more inured to the actual event of an attempt upon his life, but he never could gird himself effectively against the intent. He didn't so much find it hurtful as ignorant."
How will it all turn out? And are we talking unexpected romance of a kind between Cabal and Leonie Barrow? I can't recommend Johannes Cabal the Detective highly enough. And the good news: not only can you read but, like all the other Cabal novels, this one is available as an audio book. I myself have both read the novel and listened to the audio multiple times. The enjoyment runneth over.
British author Jonathan L. Howard
March 7, 2026
Re-read and I love it the same
Very different from book one which took inspiration from Gothic novels.
In this book Johannes Cabal the necromancer of some little infamy and less even scruples, excommunicated from all major religions and few obscure one. finds himself posing as minor government official on airship and getting caught in web of international intrigue.Throughout large part this plays out like murder mystery just instead of arrogant British detective we have arrogant evil necromancer.
They served to remind Cabal - should a reminder ever be necessary - why his social skills were so poor: people were loathsome and not worth the practise.
Cabal is always fun and It was hilarious to watch him pretending to be normal human.Humor is again very Pratchett esque but this time it was even more on target and I found myself laughing hard during larger portion of this book.I can't wait to see what will other books in the series bring.
Very different from book one which took inspiration from Gothic novels.
In this book Johannes Cabal the necromancer of some little infamy and less even scruples, excommunicated from all major religions and few obscure one. finds himself posing as minor government official on airship and getting caught in web of international intrigue.Throughout large part this plays out like murder mystery just instead of arrogant British detective we have arrogant evil necromancer.
They served to remind Cabal - should a reminder ever be necessary - why his social skills were so poor: people were loathsome and not worth the practise.
Cabal is always fun and It was hilarious to watch him pretending to be normal human.Humor is again very Pratchett esque but this time it was even more on target and I found myself laughing hard during larger portion of this book.I can't wait to see what will other books in the series bring.
March 26, 2017
Quite different in plot and setting from the first book.
On the one hand, I like airships (it isn't actually a dirigible in the book) and murder mysteries and political shenanigans inRuritania Samavia Mirkavia more than I like Faustian bargains and carnivals.
On the other hand, I found Cabal's interactions with Horst more interesting than his exchanges with Leonie. The dialogue was still funny, but not as funny the first book.
However, I did think the ending here was stronger. Also, note that the extra pages are a (quite good) short story, not a preview of the third book as one might expect, so don't skip it!
On the one hand, I like airships (it isn't actually a dirigible in the book) and murder mysteries and political shenanigans in
On the other hand, I found Cabal's interactions with Horst more interesting than his exchanges with Leonie. The dialogue was still funny, but not as funny the first book.
However, I did think the ending here was stronger. Also, note that the extra pages are a (quite good) short story, not a preview of the third book as one might expect, so don't skip it!
December 19, 2020
*** 4.44 ***
Johannes Cabal, the infamous necromancer, is in a situation where he has to, to his utmost disappointment, pretend to be a regular person in order to escape another sticky situation. He is stuck in a dirigible with a small group of people and at least one of them is a murderer. Cabal decides it is in his best interest to find who that murderer is and keep himself alive in the process.
The book has the signature feel of a cozy mystery, and it is fascinating to watch Johannes trying to fit in, decipher the regular human expressions and figure out how to look as if he belongs. It is definitely a challenge for a man who is used to communing with the dead, and solving the problem of people standing in his way by simply discarding them, to work within more accepted legal parameters. It is also hilarious how wrong he can be about people and their interest in him, never seemingly able to understand the simplest of interactions. I love that about his character - smarter than most in some ways, but just as immature and ignorant about basic human interaction 🤓🤓🤓. So glad he exists and I am looking forward to his adventures in the future 😊
Johannes Cabal, the infamous necromancer, is in a situation where he has to, to his utmost disappointment, pretend to be a regular person in order to escape another sticky situation. He is stuck in a dirigible with a small group of people and at least one of them is a murderer. Cabal decides it is in his best interest to find who that murderer is and keep himself alive in the process.
The book has the signature feel of a cozy mystery, and it is fascinating to watch Johannes trying to fit in, decipher the regular human expressions and figure out how to look as if he belongs. It is definitely a challenge for a man who is used to communing with the dead, and solving the problem of people standing in his way by simply discarding them, to work within more accepted legal parameters. It is also hilarious how wrong he can be about people and their interest in him, never seemingly able to understand the simplest of interactions. I love that about his character - smarter than most in some ways, but just as immature and ignorant about basic human interaction 🤓🤓🤓. So glad he exists and I am looking forward to his adventures in the future 😊
December 5, 2015
4.5
It is very difficult to explain this book. What you need to know is that you would be definitely doing this book disservice if you expected another The Necromancer or if you compared it with it in any way. The two are so different that the only thing they have in common is Cabal himself. I was vaguely aware of these differences before I started reading The Detective so I've decided not to compare the two books too much. At least, not in a way that may paint this one in a bad light. Yes, they are that different.
And, guess what? It was a very smart decision. I enjoyed it very much.
Johannes Cabal gets to play detective on an aeroship. The Detective starts with him imprisoned in a Mirkarvian dungeon for days already. He would make another enemy (nothing new there) here too. Mirkarvians caught him trying to steal a rare book from the Krentz University library's Special Collection.
After his escape (if anyone thinks this is a spoiler, please increase the number of books you read), he finds himself with a stolen identity of a government bureaucrat.
While the focus of the fist book is Cabal, his wonderful weirdness and whatever he is doing to get his soul back, here the focus is on adventure and murder investigation.
Then there is humour, from Mirkarvian politics (as Cabal notes their way of dealing with problems is 'If at first you don't succeed, then repeat your failure until nobody's left alive to comment.') to amorous military men from Senza to Mirkarvian cuisine ('Thank your stars that you asked for it well done,” he replied. He’d asked for his to be cooked medium rare, which in Mirkarvian cuisine meant it had been shown a picture of an oven for a moment and then served. A very brief moment, mind.' or '“Put hairs on your chest this will, old son,” he commented to Cabal. Cabal failed to see how this could be regarded as an advertisement, particularly with respect to female diners.') and so on.
The wonderful thing in The Detective is that Johannes Cabal gets a whole new layer to his personality. I mean, he was hilarious without a soul. And who can forget that last scene in the The Necromancer? Not me.
Now he is saddled with conscience of all things. And some other stuff. But, fear not, he didn't completely change all of a sudden. He is still our lovely antisocial necromancer of some infamy as before. Only with an added layer.
The expose in an aeroship salon ridicules Hercule Poirot-like explanations. It is so over-the-top I couldn't help but laugh.
The last part of Cabal's journey home is told in a bonus story ("The Tomb of Umtak Ktharl") told by another character. That part has supernatural and horror elements. I liked it a lot.
Overall, while I did love the first book more, The Detective is still great and a well-written story as all Jonathan L. Howard's stories and books I've read so far are.
As for this one, the secret is in knowing what not to expect.
It is very difficult to explain this book. What you need to know is that you would be definitely doing this book disservice if you expected another The Necromancer or if you compared it with it in any way. The two are so different that the only thing they have in common is Cabal himself. I was vaguely aware of these differences before I started reading The Detective so I've decided not to compare the two books too much. At least, not in a way that may paint this one in a bad light. Yes, they are that different.
And, guess what? It was a very smart decision. I enjoyed it very much.
Johannes Cabal gets to play detective on an aeroship. The Detective starts with him imprisoned in a Mirkarvian dungeon for days already. He would make another enemy (nothing new there) here too. Mirkarvians caught him trying to steal a rare book from the Krentz University library's Special Collection.
After his escape (if anyone thinks this is a spoiler, please increase the number of books you read), he finds himself with a stolen identity of a government bureaucrat.
'In the last few months, he’d found himself prey to strange twinges that, after some research, he had discovered to be his conscience. This unwelcome quality took exception to many of the perfectly logical actions he had previously committed with the regularity of habit. In the present case, however, Cabal’s conscience had apparently taken account of Herr Meissner's occupation as a civil servant and remained as quiet as a church mouse while Cabal stuffed a dirty rag in Meissner’s mouth and trussed him up with little concern for his comfort. Even a conscience knows its limits.'He also finds himself in the company of a character from The Necromancer. Then someone dies and he starts investigating. The most important thing in this book and the reason why many people dislike it is that Cabal has to play the part of Herr Gerhard Meissner. He cannot be Johannes Cabal we expect and, erm, love.
While the focus of the fist book is Cabal, his wonderful weirdness and whatever he is doing to get his soul back, here the focus is on adventure and murder investigation.
Then there is humour, from Mirkarvian politics (as Cabal notes their way of dealing with problems is 'If at first you don't succeed, then repeat your failure until nobody's left alive to comment.') to amorous military men from Senza to Mirkarvian cuisine ('Thank your stars that you asked for it well done,” he replied. He’d asked for his to be cooked medium rare, which in Mirkarvian cuisine meant it had been shown a picture of an oven for a moment and then served. A very brief moment, mind.' or '“Put hairs on your chest this will, old son,” he commented to Cabal. Cabal failed to see how this could be regarded as an advertisement, particularly with respect to female diners.') and so on.
The wonderful thing in The Detective is that Johannes Cabal gets a whole new layer to his personality. I mean, he was hilarious without a soul. And who can forget that last scene in the The Necromancer? Not me.
'Sometimes he wished he still lacked a soul. It hurt so much.'And you get a lot more of that particular story here.
Now he is saddled with conscience of all things. And some other stuff. But, fear not, he didn't completely change all of a sudden. He is still our lovely antisocial necromancer of some infamy as before. Only with an added layer.
The expose in an aeroship salon ridicules Hercule Poirot-like explanations. It is so over-the-top I couldn't help but laugh.
The last part of Cabal's journey home is told in a bonus story ("The Tomb of Umtak Ktharl") told by another character. That part has supernatural and horror elements. I liked it a lot.
Overall, while I did love the first book more, The Detective is still great and a well-written story as all Jonathan L. Howard's stories and books I've read so far are.
As for this one, the secret is in knowing what not to expect.
September 29, 2023
Oof what a swing and a miss from the first one. It lacked the focus, drive, and absurdity of the first volume. Hopefully the 3rd is back to amazing.
December 19, 2024
While I really enjoyed Necromancer, Howard kicked it up a notch with The Detective. This starts with Johannes Cabal in some dank, Eastern European jail awaiting his execution. It seems he tried to purloin a book from the library in the capitol, but missed the big ass dog that guarded the place at night. Surprisingly, however, he gets a reprieve. It seems the King (Emperor as he calls himself) finally bit the bullet just before he was going to give a rousing speech and announce a new war. Well, the guy behind the throne knows what Johannes is and wants him to use his skills to make the Emperor make that speech after all. After some serious foo, Johannes escapes and finds his way onto an aeroship heading out of the country.
I loved the steampunk vibes with this one. The aeroship, not to be confused with an airplane or blimp, works on some crazy springs and such that tap into the Earth's magnetic field, or rather, its etheric field. The aeroship is complicated and I loved it! Anyway, he boarded the ship after 'borrowing' some papers and such from a guy that looks kinda like him. The ship only carries a handful of passengers-- very lux-- but amazingly enough, Johannes finds among them a character from the last installment, Lonnie Barrow, who almost was the last victim there (she signed her soul away to save her father, but Johannes tricked the devil and never gave him the form). Lonnie can out him at any time as she knows he is not the civil servant his paper's claim, but decides to play along. Well, things quickly get tricky as a passenger either committed suicide or was murdered the first night on board, and then someone made a go at Johannes. So we have a mystery on a ship!
This felt like a homage to classic mystery novels, such as Murder on the Orient Express, but obviously set in the wonky world Howard created here. Johannes as an anti-hero really steals the show once again. Here he is, travelling with false papers, fleeing a place that has already given him a death sentence, mixed up with his past in the form of Miss Barrow, and still trying to think ahead to escape. Fun!! 4 steampunk stars!!
I loved the steampunk vibes with this one. The aeroship, not to be confused with an airplane or blimp, works on some crazy springs and such that tap into the Earth's magnetic field, or rather, its etheric field. The aeroship is complicated and I loved it! Anyway, he boarded the ship after 'borrowing' some papers and such from a guy that looks kinda like him. The ship only carries a handful of passengers-- very lux-- but amazingly enough, Johannes finds among them a character from the last installment, Lonnie Barrow, who almost was the last victim there (she signed her soul away to save her father, but Johannes tricked the devil and never gave him the form). Lonnie can out him at any time as she knows he is not the civil servant his paper's claim, but decides to play along. Well, things quickly get tricky as a passenger either committed suicide or was murdered the first night on board, and then someone made a go at Johannes. So we have a mystery on a ship!
This felt like a homage to classic mystery novels, such as Murder on the Orient Express, but obviously set in the wonky world Howard created here. Johannes as an anti-hero really steals the show once again. Here he is, travelling with false papers, fleeing a place that has already given him a death sentence, mixed up with his past in the form of Miss Barrow, and still trying to think ahead to escape. Fun!! 4 steampunk stars!!
December 23, 2020
If Lovecraft had a sense of humor and had decided to write an Agatha Christie-style locked room mystery, he would have written a book very much like "Johannes Cabal: the Detective".
I read the first book in Jonathan L. Howard's series last year (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), and had so much fun with the deadpan, misanthropic necromancer that I couldn't resist getting the following instalment to see what Mr. Cabal would be up to, after winning his Faustian wager.
Turns out, trouble is what Cabal is in, as usual. In an attempt to escape a civil war he more or less started, the necromancer ends up assuming a false identity to board a dirigible and make his way back to England. Alas, a certain Miss Leonie Barrow is also on board and threatens to reveal his true identity – and as if that wasn’t enough, a passenger is murdered on the first night of the voyage. Needless to say, he’s got his hands full, trying to stay safe and solve a murder – all the while, struggling mightily to understand basic human interactions.
Howard’s style is consistently funny, and despite his quirks, he makes you love his necromancer anti-hero to bits. This series is turning into a welcome and light-hearted distraction for the most stressful month of the year: I’m looking forward to reading the third one next year!
I read the first book in Jonathan L. Howard's series last year (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), and had so much fun with the deadpan, misanthropic necromancer that I couldn't resist getting the following instalment to see what Mr. Cabal would be up to, after winning his Faustian wager.
Turns out, trouble is what Cabal is in, as usual. In an attempt to escape a civil war he more or less started, the necromancer ends up assuming a false identity to board a dirigible and make his way back to England. Alas, a certain Miss Leonie Barrow is also on board and threatens to reveal his true identity – and as if that wasn’t enough, a passenger is murdered on the first night of the voyage. Needless to say, he’s got his hands full, trying to stay safe and solve a murder – all the while, struggling mightily to understand basic human interactions.
Howard’s style is consistently funny, and despite his quirks, he makes you love his necromancer anti-hero to bits. This series is turning into a welcome and light-hearted distraction for the most stressful month of the year: I’m looking forward to reading the third one next year!
August 4, 2010
Johannes Cabal the Detective is the second book about the eponymous necromancer. I read the first book, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, at the beginning of this year, and was enormously enamoured with the bitingly sarcastic gentleman in question. In fact, it has remained my number one read of 2010 despite fierce competition from other titles, and so I was almost nervous about picking up this second novel about Johannes Cabal in case it did not live up to the first.
I am pleased to report that Johannes Cabal the Detective is just as darkly funny, original and snarky as the first novel in the series. In this book Cabal begins the tale in a prison, following the aborted theft of a rather nasty little book. Through foul means and not a little luck, he finds himself aboard an airship — the Princess Hortense — as she flies her maiden voyage between Mirkarvia and Katamenia. As is usual with Cabal, what should have been a peaceful flight turns into a murder mystery, and he is caught in the middle of it, trying to piece together all the clues to discover whodunit. Accompanied by Leonie Barrow (a character from the first novel), Cabal is caught in a race against time. If he doesn’t discover the culprit, then he might very well become the next victim.
By far the strongest element of the novel is Johannes Cabal himself — a complicated, scientifically-minded, dark-hearted man. I equate him somewhat to Basil Fawlty from the Fawlty Towers series (those of you who don’t know of this, pick up the TV series on DVD and delight in the bizarre English humour of it all) — Basil is enormously dislikable, bitingly sarcastic and always doing something that will benefit himself; and yet you find yourself sympathising with him when his schemes go awry and generally cheering him on. Exactly the same could be said about Johannes Cabal. His dialogue carries the story along, and his various encounters with the other members of the crew are hilarious and uncomfortable by turn. Without Cabal this book would be merely an amusing mystery novel; with him included, it is elevated to a comedic fantasy classic.
Because of the nature of the novel — a murder mystery — we encounter a number of other secondary characters who do remain fairly two-dimensional. Howard does attempt to lift them above being merely props to the plot, but all bar Leonie Barrow (who sparkles thanks to her common sense and an ability to make Cabal feel uncomfortable) feel rather hollow.
I mentioned the noir humour of the novel — as well as the main bulk of the story, we are handed other gems, such as diagrams of the airships and entomoptors complete with excitable comments (as though from the pages of a boy’s magazine) and exam questions such as the following:
"Read the following brief description of the Second Gallician Conflict, its results and ramifications, and then answer the questions that follow it.
(A) In what year did Mirkarvia invade Senza?
(B) i) With hindsight, what was Dulcis III’s most serious error?
ii) And without hindsight?
(C) Discuss any two of the following statements:
i) Mirkarvia behaved like a right bunch of bastards.
ii) Polorus behaved like a right bunch of bastards.
iii) All countries behave like a right bunch of bastards.
(D) Write a political treatise — not to exceed 250,000 words or 500 sides, whichever is less — detailing your solution to stabilising relations in the region, military force above brigade level is not permitted, nor is divine intervention.”
If the above extract of rather absurd humour appeals to you, then you will delight in the continual flashes of comedy that anchor this novel.
My slight complaint from the first novel in the series was that the world-building was slim to non-existent. This is addressed admirably in Johannes Cabal the Detective. We are introduced to the states of Mirkarvia and Senza, and a petty political back story is laid out for us. I do wonder how these states connect to the location we encountered in Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, however! Jonathan L. Howard does succeed in developing a strong steampunk feel to the series, which builds on the presence of the carnival locomotive from the first novel.
Happily, this novel is relatively standalone. Enough details are passed out about the first novel to give the reader a good indication of events that occurred, and it is not necessary to have read that book to read Johannes Cabal the Detective.
Howard is quietly going about the business of presenting a character who feels iconic right from the very first moment he steps onto the page. Johannes Cabal the Detective is a triumph of dark murder mystery combined with steampunk flair. Add more than a dash of laugh-out-loud funny moments and you have a novel that builds on the success of the first. I was kept awake long into the night feverishly turning the pages of this book, and would recommend it highly.
I am pleased to report that Johannes Cabal the Detective is just as darkly funny, original and snarky as the first novel in the series. In this book Cabal begins the tale in a prison, following the aborted theft of a rather nasty little book. Through foul means and not a little luck, he finds himself aboard an airship — the Princess Hortense — as she flies her maiden voyage between Mirkarvia and Katamenia. As is usual with Cabal, what should have been a peaceful flight turns into a murder mystery, and he is caught in the middle of it, trying to piece together all the clues to discover whodunit. Accompanied by Leonie Barrow (a character from the first novel), Cabal is caught in a race against time. If he doesn’t discover the culprit, then he might very well become the next victim.
By far the strongest element of the novel is Johannes Cabal himself — a complicated, scientifically-minded, dark-hearted man. I equate him somewhat to Basil Fawlty from the Fawlty Towers series (those of you who don’t know of this, pick up the TV series on DVD and delight in the bizarre English humour of it all) — Basil is enormously dislikable, bitingly sarcastic and always doing something that will benefit himself; and yet you find yourself sympathising with him when his schemes go awry and generally cheering him on. Exactly the same could be said about Johannes Cabal. His dialogue carries the story along, and his various encounters with the other members of the crew are hilarious and uncomfortable by turn. Without Cabal this book would be merely an amusing mystery novel; with him included, it is elevated to a comedic fantasy classic.
Because of the nature of the novel — a murder mystery — we encounter a number of other secondary characters who do remain fairly two-dimensional. Howard does attempt to lift them above being merely props to the plot, but all bar Leonie Barrow (who sparkles thanks to her common sense and an ability to make Cabal feel uncomfortable) feel rather hollow.
I mentioned the noir humour of the novel — as well as the main bulk of the story, we are handed other gems, such as diagrams of the airships and entomoptors complete with excitable comments (as though from the pages of a boy’s magazine) and exam questions such as the following:
"Read the following brief description of the Second Gallician Conflict, its results and ramifications, and then answer the questions that follow it.
(A) In what year did Mirkarvia invade Senza?
(B) i) With hindsight, what was Dulcis III’s most serious error?
ii) And without hindsight?
(C) Discuss any two of the following statements:
i) Mirkarvia behaved like a right bunch of bastards.
ii) Polorus behaved like a right bunch of bastards.
iii) All countries behave like a right bunch of bastards.
(D) Write a political treatise — not to exceed 250,000 words or 500 sides, whichever is less — detailing your solution to stabilising relations in the region, military force above brigade level is not permitted, nor is divine intervention.”
If the above extract of rather absurd humour appeals to you, then you will delight in the continual flashes of comedy that anchor this novel.
My slight complaint from the first novel in the series was that the world-building was slim to non-existent. This is addressed admirably in Johannes Cabal the Detective. We are introduced to the states of Mirkarvia and Senza, and a petty political back story is laid out for us. I do wonder how these states connect to the location we encountered in Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, however! Jonathan L. Howard does succeed in developing a strong steampunk feel to the series, which builds on the presence of the carnival locomotive from the first novel.
Happily, this novel is relatively standalone. Enough details are passed out about the first novel to give the reader a good indication of events that occurred, and it is not necessary to have read that book to read Johannes Cabal the Detective.
Howard is quietly going about the business of presenting a character who feels iconic right from the very first moment he steps onto the page. Johannes Cabal the Detective is a triumph of dark murder mystery combined with steampunk flair. Add more than a dash of laugh-out-loud funny moments and you have a novel that builds on the success of the first. I was kept awake long into the night feverishly turning the pages of this book, and would recommend it highly.
February 21, 2024
This had me laughing out loud so often that it was good I was reading in the privacy of my room or people would have been giving me dodgy looks and thinking I was off my rocker. The first book had more of a gothic vibe to it while this one was more of a mystery with much more action and intrigue. Different from the first but still unusual in setting, taking place on an Aeroship (how cool would that be!) with some political intrigue thrown in and a locked room murder mystery that had a Agatha Christie vibe to it. The sarcasm and the absurdist nature of the character’s narrative voice was such a treat especially as I’ve been listening to this on audio and the narrator is absolutely pitch perfect for the characters. So good! Looking forward to the next books in the series.
December 4, 2021
Delightful, just like the necromancer himself.
October 27, 2010
4.0 stars. Even though I grade this book as a solid 4 stars, I was still a tad disappointed in this book because I went into it with such high expectations. Based solely on the strength of the writing (which is outstanding) and one of the most intriguing and original main characters in recent memory (i.e., Johannes Cabal), this is an easy 5 star effort. Howard's clever use of language and dry, witty phrasing makes reading the book a lot of fun to read. He also does an above average job of world building and has created a place that I want to visit and learn more about its history.
So with all of that, why only 4 stars? Simply put, I thought the story itself was too slow and not very interesting. Comparing it to a car ride, it is like driving through beautiful country in a Rolls Royce but over very bumpy road. All the potential for awesomeness is there, but you chose the wrong route.
Anyway, dull plot aside, I am so taken with the writing and the main character that I will buy the next installment of the series upon its release and still recommend the series as the potential for greatness is certainly there.
So with all of that, why only 4 stars? Simply put, I thought the story itself was too slow and not very interesting. Comparing it to a car ride, it is like driving through beautiful country in a Rolls Royce but over very bumpy road. All the potential for awesomeness is there, but you chose the wrong route.
Anyway, dull plot aside, I am so taken with the writing and the main character that I will buy the next installment of the series upon its release and still recommend the series as the potential for greatness is certainly there.
February 6, 2023
"I would ask you not to lecture me on morality. I don't take it kindly. Besides, you say 'human being' as if it's something special. There are a lot of them about, you know, and few are worth the price of the calcium in their bones."
"Most of us don't measure a person's worth in calcium!"
"And perhaps that's why there's so much wrong in the world. Calcium's quite my favorite alkaline earth metal. It should be more highly regarded."
One thing I can guarantee about Johannes Cabal series is it will always manages to surprise you. Just like The Necromancer, I read the first chapter in The Detective, thought that I knew what to expect from the book, and it turned out to be something totally different. The nature of the story in this book is unlike the first book; I did enjoy the Necromancer more, but the Detective is just as fun and extremely funny. The mystery case was very well-done and as clever as the writing.
"Most of us don't measure a person's worth in calcium!"
"And perhaps that's why there's so much wrong in the world. Calcium's quite my favorite alkaline earth metal. It should be more highly regarded."
One thing I can guarantee about Johannes Cabal series is it will always manages to surprise you. Just like The Necromancer, I read the first chapter in The Detective, thought that I knew what to expect from the book, and it turned out to be something totally different. The nature of the story in this book is unlike the first book; I did enjoy the Necromancer more, but the Detective is just as fun and extremely funny. The mystery case was very well-done and as clever as the writing.
March 16, 2017
Druga knjiga u serijalu ali ima skroz drugačiji ton. Dok je prva više bila horor varijanta za ovu je lako pogoditi na osnovu naslova :) Lepa vrsta misterije iliti klasičan who did it? Ono što je prenešeno jeste polu crni humor iz prethodne sa zabavnim i pitkim stilom pisanja. Većina likova koje upoznajemo u knjizi jesu dvodimenzionalni ali to ne smeta previše pošto su zabavni: negativac je ona vrsta koji su zli bez da budu neshvaćeni i slično. Likovi koji se vraćaju su još malo produbljeni pa se jedva čeka da vidimo njihove buduće interakcije.
Sve u svemu dobar nastavak što obećava za nastavak serijala.
Sve u svemu dobar nastavak što obećava za nastavak serijala.
August 8, 2017
"An unsympathetic observer might have said that when one embarks on a career as a necromancer - consorting with demons, digging up the dead and bringing them back to life, or at least something fairly similar to life - one can hardly complain when things become complicated. Even by those standards, however, it seemed a little unfair that the perfectly simple theft of a book had turned into a great tumbling chaos of politics, murder, deceit, and mystery."
All Johannes Cabal wanted was to borrow (long term and indefinitely, of course) a book that would help him in his one unchangeable mission to eradicate death. How could he know that it would lead to him kick starting a peasant uprising, having to impersonate a civil service agent, flying on the maiden voyage of a new airship, matching wits and trading barbs with a woman from his past, wearing fashion items he wouldn't be caught dead in (a special item of concern in his particular line of work), dodging numerous attempts on his life (actually, that one he probably does expect), unmasking a murderous plot, going down in flames, and being caught in the crosshairs of a femme fatale? Of all of these, it's the last one that truly horrifies Cabal.
This book was in a very different style than the first book and carries its own vibe. It's still darkly comedic, it's just...different. Cabal himself also feels slightly different, just a shade - not too strong mind you - more human than he was during his first published adventure. The possible reasons for this are two-fold. First, he is once again in possession of his soul, having wrangled it back from his Luciferiousness in the first book. Secondly, his incognito status in this book means that he has to blend in with others in a confined environment. Blending in isn't exactly Cabal's strong suit.
"He never went out of his way to damage people's lives - not except in some very deliberate cases, anyway - but people would insist on getting in the way. Now he considered it more carefully, he began to appreciate just why quite so many bullets, knives, and the occasional crossbow quarrel had whistled past his frantically dodging head down the years.
Johannes Cabal isn't one to inspire the warm fuzzies in anyone. He considers himself a scientist and his penchant for letting his actions be guided by logic, rather than the more unreliable and confusing dictates of emotion, means that sometimes he's not even especially likable. Even so, there are moments, brief and fleeting glimpses, into the undercurrents beneath the unflappable and sardonic exterior. And along for the adventure this time, though not by the choice of either, is Leonie Barrow - a young woman encountered in the last book who has reason to bear grudges against one Johannes Cabal. I really like Leonie in the first book and I liked her even better in this one.
I enjoy mystery stories so though it took me a while to accept that this story was going to have a different flavor from the last book, once I made the adjustment I was able to enjoy Cabal navigate this latest adventure. It was still fun, Cabal still has little patience or use for most of humanity, and I still chuckled several times. I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series.
All Johannes Cabal wanted was to borrow (long term and indefinitely, of course) a book that would help him in his one unchangeable mission to eradicate death. How could he know that it would lead to him kick starting a peasant uprising, having to impersonate a civil service agent, flying on the maiden voyage of a new airship, matching wits and trading barbs with a woman from his past, wearing fashion items he wouldn't be caught dead in (a special item of concern in his particular line of work), dodging numerous attempts on his life (actually, that one he probably does expect), unmasking a murderous plot, going down in flames, and being caught in the crosshairs of a femme fatale? Of all of these, it's the last one that truly horrifies Cabal.
This book was in a very different style than the first book and carries its own vibe. It's still darkly comedic, it's just...different. Cabal himself also feels slightly different, just a shade - not too strong mind you - more human than he was during his first published adventure. The possible reasons for this are two-fold. First, he is once again in possession of his soul, having wrangled it back from his Luciferiousness in the first book. Secondly, his incognito status in this book means that he has to blend in with others in a confined environment. Blending in isn't exactly Cabal's strong suit.
"He never went out of his way to damage people's lives - not except in some very deliberate cases, anyway - but people would insist on getting in the way. Now he considered it more carefully, he began to appreciate just why quite so many bullets, knives, and the occasional crossbow quarrel had whistled past his frantically dodging head down the years.
Johannes Cabal isn't one to inspire the warm fuzzies in anyone. He considers himself a scientist and his penchant for letting his actions be guided by logic, rather than the more unreliable and confusing dictates of emotion, means that sometimes he's not even especially likable. Even so, there are moments, brief and fleeting glimpses, into the undercurrents beneath the unflappable and sardonic exterior. And along for the adventure this time, though not by the choice of either, is Leonie Barrow - a young woman encountered in the last book who has reason to bear grudges against one Johannes Cabal. I really like Leonie in the first book and I liked her even better in this one.
I enjoy mystery stories so though it took me a while to accept that this story was going to have a different flavor from the last book, once I made the adjustment I was able to enjoy Cabal navigate this latest adventure. It was still fun, Cabal still has little patience or use for most of humanity, and I still chuckled several times. I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series.
June 11, 2023
Attention fans of Johannes Cabal the Necromancer: Please be advised that this book is markedly different from its predecessor. The tone, type of humor, and even Johannes Cabal himself have undergone a transformation.
Initially, I was taken aback by the differences. The imaginary geography and political situation, as well as the steampunk elements, were not what I had anticipated. I had hoped for another wild and supernatural adventure, but instead found myself immersed in a blend of Sherlock Holmes and William Gibson. However, once I let go of my preconceived notions and embraced the book for its own merits, I found myself asking, "Is this sequel even better than the first?"
In Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, Cabal was an obsessed and self-absorbed individual. In Johannes Cabal the Detective, he remains so, but the return of his soul has given him a conscience and a sense of perspective. He is now plagued by the question of whether he wants to continue down his current path. Additionally, Leonie Barrow, a character who made a brief appearance in the first book, is much more developed here. She is portrayed as both loathing Cabal and being drawn to him simultaneously. I eagerly anticipate seeing more of her in a potential third book.
In conclusion, while this book may not be what you expect, it is a worthy successor to the first. The changes in tone and character development make for a compelling read.
Ratings:-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Initially, I was taken aback by the differences. The imaginary geography and political situation, as well as the steampunk elements, were not what I had anticipated. I had hoped for another wild and supernatural adventure, but instead found myself immersed in a blend of Sherlock Holmes and William Gibson. However, once I let go of my preconceived notions and embraced the book for its own merits, I found myself asking, "Is this sequel even better than the first?"
In Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, Cabal was an obsessed and self-absorbed individual. In Johannes Cabal the Detective, he remains so, but the return of his soul has given him a conscience and a sense of perspective. He is now plagued by the question of whether he wants to continue down his current path. Additionally, Leonie Barrow, a character who made a brief appearance in the first book, is much more developed here. She is portrayed as both loathing Cabal and being drawn to him simultaneously. I eagerly anticipate seeing more of her in a potential third book.
In conclusion, while this book may not be what you expect, it is a worthy successor to the first. The changes in tone and character development make for a compelling read.
Ratings:-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
May 31, 2021
Leonie Barrow completely ruined this story. I hope this series sees the back of her. If she returns in the next book I will abandon the series. Bring back the hot vampire brother!
January 10, 2021
I'm in the minority here, as I didn't care for this one as much as the first. Don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic and enjoyable read, but I'm just not big on murder mysteries. My 4 stars is rated solely on personal enjoyment.
I actually liked the afterword tale more, which was about Cabal's adventure as he journeyed home. Again, it's personal preference.
In this one, Johannes meets up with Leonie ( and they are a charming pair!). No, no romance here which I'm grateful for. There was a short bit about Johannes past which confirmed my suspicions after finishing the first book.
The story mostly takes place in an airship and we have lots of political going's on, a few murders and lots of Johanne's sarcastic and witty remarks. I laughed out loud many times but not as much as the first book. Maybe it's because I'm growing accustom to Cabal's demeanor, and his responses are not as surprising.
I would say this can be a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the first book.
Content concerns:
I actually liked the afterword tale more, which was about Cabal's adventure as he journeyed home. Again, it's personal preference.
In this one, Johannes meets up with Leonie ( and they are a charming pair!). No, no romance here which I'm grateful for. There was a short bit about Johannes past which confirmed my suspicions after finishing the first book.
The story mostly takes place in an airship and we have lots of political going's on, a few murders and lots of Johanne's sarcastic and witty remarks. I laughed out loud many times but not as much as the first book. Maybe it's because I'm growing accustom to Cabal's demeanor, and his responses are not as surprising.
I would say this can be a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the first book.
Content concerns:
June 3, 2020
Cabal tries a different genre and it works... for the most part at least. While not quite as enjoyable as the first book, this one is well worth the time, and continues being very funny.
November 14, 2023
This book was more about Johannes Cabal… and less about necromancy. That doesn’t make it bad. Although I thought the overall plot was less imaginative than the first one ( my review I rather enjoyed it. The first book takes you to Hell – literally – with the rest of the story involving what happens after Cabal makes his deal with the devil. This time around Cabal gets himself involved in some political intrigue. Being enlisted for his 'special talents' he knows that his long term prospects with his new employers are not promising. He does what is asked of him (sort of) and eludes their wrath – this time taking to an airship as a means of escape. This doesn't mean he commandeered the airship – he boarded as a passenger – with an assumed identity.
So that all happens early in the book – so what leads to Johannes taking on the role of a detective? The airship – named the Princess Hortense – has a passenger mysteriously disappear. Since there aren't many places to go on such a craft – the suspicion is that they have been murdered. Johannes, despite his efforts to remain aloof – he just can't help himself and and while trying to answer some questions he gets caught up in the mystery.
I mentioned this I my review of the first… J Howard seems to be channeling his inner Pratchett with the snarky humor. I thought the jokes were better in this story than the first one however. When I review one of Pratchett's Discworld books I usually dedicate a section to a list one (to three) liners that I found funny. I intended to do that here, but skimming back over the book it doesn't really work that way. Most of the snarky comments are embedded in between dialogue – which with any context removed – lose a lot of what made them funny to me as I read the book. Here is an example of one that stands out ok on it's own...
Tchah,” muttered the lieutenant dismissively. The thrill of doing something out of the ordinary was wearing off. He’d been hoping for a gunfight, or a pitched battle against zombies. Two Englishwomen being unutterably English with each other was just boring."
and
”What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked Cabal in an aside. “Eat it or resuscitate it?”
“Thank your stars that you asked for it well done,” he replied. He’d asked for his to be cooked medium rare, which in Mirkarvian cuisine meant it had been shown a picture of an oven for a moment and then served.”
As I mentioned in my review of the first book.... Johannes isn't a very likable character. He's very self absorbed and doesn't do much that doesn't benefit him personally. While the first book had his brother Horst to counter Johannes narcissism – this time around an old acquaintance from the first book fills this role quite nicely.
This is the second year in a row I added this series into my October 'month of horror books' – it will probably be my last. Not because I didn't like it, it just doesn't fit my theme very well. It's really more fantasy than horror – in this volume it was more historical fiction mixed with steampunk. If anything I will probably accelerate my reading of the series – fitting a new one in every few months or so.
On the steampunk side of things there was the concept of the entomopters. When I saw the picture of those in the book I thought to myself “yeah – that won't work, but it's cool'. I googled it though and they actually built something like that, but on a much smaller scale (like an insect level). It's a neat idea for a flying machine though and the illustrations were nice. As an engineer I really liked the descriptions of the Princess Hortense.
I addition to the mystery there is a bit of political intrigue, conspiracies, as well and some commentary on the morality of war. It was an interesting story for sure.
Whereas I didn't get many supernatural vibes from the main story.. the short story tucked at the end - “The Tomb of Umtak Ktharl” was most certainly in that realm. It played out kind of like an Indiana Jones story to me, but as a short story it didn't have as many layers as I would have liked. I'm glad they added it though – it was fun.
So that all happens early in the book – so what leads to Johannes taking on the role of a detective? The airship – named the Princess Hortense – has a passenger mysteriously disappear. Since there aren't many places to go on such a craft – the suspicion is that they have been murdered. Johannes, despite his efforts to remain aloof – he just can't help himself and and while trying to answer some questions he gets caught up in the mystery.
I mentioned this I my review of the first… J Howard seems to be channeling his inner Pratchett with the snarky humor. I thought the jokes were better in this story than the first one however. When I review one of Pratchett's Discworld books I usually dedicate a section to a list one (to three) liners that I found funny. I intended to do that here, but skimming back over the book it doesn't really work that way. Most of the snarky comments are embedded in between dialogue – which with any context removed – lose a lot of what made them funny to me as I read the book. Here is an example of one that stands out ok on it's own...
Tchah,” muttered the lieutenant dismissively. The thrill of doing something out of the ordinary was wearing off. He’d been hoping for a gunfight, or a pitched battle against zombies. Two Englishwomen being unutterably English with each other was just boring."
and
”What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked Cabal in an aside. “Eat it or resuscitate it?”
“Thank your stars that you asked for it well done,” he replied. He’d asked for his to be cooked medium rare, which in Mirkarvian cuisine meant it had been shown a picture of an oven for a moment and then served.”
As I mentioned in my review of the first book.... Johannes isn't a very likable character. He's very self absorbed and doesn't do much that doesn't benefit him personally. While the first book had his brother Horst to counter Johannes narcissism – this time around an old acquaintance from the first book fills this role quite nicely.
This is the second year in a row I added this series into my October 'month of horror books' – it will probably be my last. Not because I didn't like it, it just doesn't fit my theme very well. It's really more fantasy than horror – in this volume it was more historical fiction mixed with steampunk. If anything I will probably accelerate my reading of the series – fitting a new one in every few months or so.
On the steampunk side of things there was the concept of the entomopters. When I saw the picture of those in the book I thought to myself “yeah – that won't work, but it's cool'. I googled it though and they actually built something like that, but on a much smaller scale (like an insect level). It's a neat idea for a flying machine though and the illustrations were nice. As an engineer I really liked the descriptions of the Princess Hortense.
I addition to the mystery there is a bit of political intrigue, conspiracies, as well and some commentary on the morality of war. It was an interesting story for sure.
Whereas I didn't get many supernatural vibes from the main story.. the short story tucked at the end - “The Tomb of Umtak Ktharl” was most certainly in that realm. It played out kind of like an Indiana Jones story to me, but as a short story it didn't have as many layers as I would have liked. I'm glad they added it though – it was fun.
February 20, 2024
A return to a series with a mostly enjoyable opening escapade.
Immediately we drop into a narration full of humour, sarcasm & guile…. I’m at home!
Très drôle would sum it up best to steal from another language!
Cabal is straight into the thick of it, putting his necromancer skills to work for a shady military officer working for a recently deceased emperor. It’s a scene which plays out & starts the ball rolling for the rest of the story which is one of chase/mystery meeting old/new, friends/enemies along the journey.
As the title would suggest it’s more a murder/mystery story as opposed to the prior book which was about necromancy per se. I would add in a fair lashing of espionage as well, as opposed to a pure tale as a detective.
The world is easy to relate to, in that although the peoples/lands directly involved are named differently (read central European/Balkan) we do get familiar ones too like the Pacific or English A���noon tea with French Fancies for instance, other European nations are named too. Technology wise we’re dealing with a sort of steampunk vibe where some of the peculiarities would normally age it in the late Victorian era, however in the earlier book it was dated later, where a scene made it post WWI, so in the 1920/30’s if you need a date to relate too.
Cabal is on form throughout & alongside Miss Barrow makes a great team if even it smacks a bit of a love/hate relationship at times, it’s all grand fun. The villain of the piece is grand too, very dastardly one might say for one of such high born rank.
I will add this part too….. There is a passage (coupla pages) a few chapters in, where the author describes the Aeroship the Princess Hortense, when Cabal first lays eyes on it, in detail, all readily understandable with specifics & engineering terms most would recognise making the design/airworthiness quite plausible. To make the aeroship even more grandiose to the reader, a few pages later there is an interlude entitled “The Clarion: The boys call to adventure! This Week: The aeroship, the Princess Hortense!” which comes with a 3D isometric illustration with a full key detailing all the areas/technical specifications of the ship. It is quite marvellous I must say from someone who started life out as a draughtsman (with ink/vellum too)
The first outing was good with some parts perhaps a little patchy as the author found his way with the character, this though is a whole nother level, genial in every respect. I urge you to pick this series up for any who follow fantasy/adventure style reads
5 stars without doubt
Immediately we drop into a narration full of humour, sarcasm & guile…. I’m at home!
Très drôle would sum it up best to steal from another language!
Cabal is straight into the thick of it, putting his necromancer skills to work for a shady military officer working for a recently deceased emperor. It’s a scene which plays out & starts the ball rolling for the rest of the story which is one of chase/mystery meeting old/new, friends/enemies along the journey.
As the title would suggest it’s more a murder/mystery story as opposed to the prior book which was about necromancy per se. I would add in a fair lashing of espionage as well, as opposed to a pure tale as a detective.
The world is easy to relate to, in that although the peoples/lands directly involved are named differently (read central European/Balkan) we do get familiar ones too like the Pacific or English A���noon tea with French Fancies for instance, other European nations are named too. Technology wise we’re dealing with a sort of steampunk vibe where some of the peculiarities would normally age it in the late Victorian era, however in the earlier book it was dated later, where a scene made it post WWI, so in the 1920/30’s if you need a date to relate too.
Cabal is on form throughout & alongside Miss Barrow makes a great team if even it smacks a bit of a love/hate relationship at times, it’s all grand fun. The villain of the piece is grand too, very dastardly one might say for one of such high born rank.
I will add this part too….. There is a passage (coupla pages) a few chapters in, where the author describes the Aeroship the Princess Hortense, when Cabal first lays eyes on it, in detail, all readily understandable with specifics & engineering terms most would recognise making the design/airworthiness quite plausible. To make the aeroship even more grandiose to the reader, a few pages later there is an interlude entitled “The Clarion: The boys call to adventure! This Week: The aeroship, the Princess Hortense!” which comes with a 3D isometric illustration with a full key detailing all the areas/technical specifications of the ship. It is quite marvellous I must say from someone who started life out as a draughtsman (with ink/vellum too)
The first outing was good with some parts perhaps a little patchy as the author found his way with the character, this though is a whole nother level, genial in every respect. I urge you to pick this series up for any who follow fantasy/adventure style reads
5 stars without doubt
June 30, 2018
Disappointing after the great first novel. It's a genre switch from the horror/comedy of the first book to a detective/steampunk/comedy and I really miss the horror elements. Cabal is still a lot of fun and a great character though, so I won't knock down the score too much. An entertaining read, but not up to the first one.
February 5, 2016
More uneven than the first in the series, this one swung between three and four stars most of the way. After a rip-roaring start it slowed to a crawl. albeit an amusing crawl, and didn't pick up much energy again until about halfway through the book. Horst, Johannes's brother, didn't make an appearance this time, and I missed him, but Leonie Barrow returned as a major character and was marvelous. The writing, and the editing, felt a bit rushed in places, but, as in the earlier book, there were many deliciously funny bits.
January 1, 2021
Delightfully irreverent, snarky humor. Just what I needed to end the year. And I liked the "added" story kind of almost tacked onto the end. And Leonie, oh my stars. I hope she's a recurring character because she's a blast.
October 25, 2016
Я слухаю аудіокнижки, вигулюючи песика. Ціла моя родина шалено вдячна Джонатанові Л. Говардові за серію романів про некроманта Йоганна Кабала, бо я тепер вигулюю песика замість усіх інших членів родини, аби тільки прослухати зайвий розділ. Невдоволений лише старий сліпий лабрадор: він вже задовбався стільки гуляти, його ніжки не носять стільки, скільки хочу ходити я, слухаючи аудіокнижку. (Між іншим, ця серія органічніше виглядає в аудіоформаті, ніж буквочками: оповідь стилізована під розказування байок, на слух це кумедніше і природніше, бодай мені так здається.)
Перший том (мій відгук тут) був шаленою реплікою на тему фаустівського міфу. Другий том - не менш шалена репліка на тему класичного англійського детектива: вбивство у відрізаному від зовнішнього світу просторі, труп у закритій зсередини кімнаті, наприкінці детектив збирає всіх у одній кімнаті, щоб велемовно озвучити свої здогади, легка патина колоніального едвардіанського палп фікшна, пообідній чай. Зав'язка сюжету така: Йоганна Кабала ловлять на спробі викрасти з бібліотеки трактат з некромантії у стрьомній східноєвропейській країні і ставлять перед вибором: або страта, або він помагає країні вирішити певні зовнішньополітичні проблеми. Річ у тім, що політичні еліти хочуть влаштувати невеличку переможну війну, але для цього потрібен виступ імператора, який, як на те, щойно віддав богу душу. Отже, Кабалові треба його оживити на час, достатній для виголошення промови. Та не так все склалося, як гадалося, й Кабал мусить швидко втікати звідтам на стімпанковому літальному апараті під прибраним іменем. Але втекти інкогніто не виходить: тим же кораблем летить Леоні Берроу, його давня знайома, у якої він під прицілом револьвера купив душу для диявола у попередньому томі. Awkwardness ensues.
Приклад тамтешнього гумору:
“The main course came next, steak cooked in the Mirkarvian fashion—so rare as to be just this side of stationary. Miss Barrow looked at her plate as red juices oozed from the flesh. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked Cabal in an aside. “Eat it or resuscitate it?”
“Thank your stars that you asked for it well done,” he replied. He’d asked for his to be cooked medium rare, which in Mirkarvian cuisine meant it had been shown a picture of an oven for a moment and then served. A very brief moment, mind.”
А цю фразу я усиновлю й використовуватиму, бікоз айм е джерк, зетс вай:
“Do you smoke, Herr Cabal?"
"Only to be antisocial."
Перший том (мій відгук тут) був шаленою реплікою на тему фаустівського міфу. Другий том - не менш шалена репліка на тему класичного англійського детектива: вбивство у відрізаному від зовнішнього світу просторі, труп у закритій зсередини кімнаті, наприкінці детектив збирає всіх у одній кімнаті, щоб велемовно озвучити свої здогади, легка патина колоніального едвардіанського палп фікшна, пообідній чай. Зав'язка сюжету така: Йоганна Кабала ловлять на спробі викрасти з бібліотеки трактат з некромантії у стрьомній східноєвропейській країні і ставлять перед вибором: або страта, або він помагає країні вирішити певні зовнішньополітичні проблеми. Річ у тім, що політичні еліти хочуть влаштувати невеличку переможну війну, але для цього потрібен виступ імператора, який, як на те, щойно віддав богу душу. Отже, Кабалові треба його оживити на час, достатній для виголошення промови. Та не так все склалося, як гадалося, й Кабал мусить швидко втікати звідтам на стімпанковому літальному апараті під прибраним іменем. Але втекти інкогніто не виходить: тим же кораблем летить Леоні Берроу, його давня знайома, у якої він під прицілом револьвера купив душу для диявола у попередньому томі. Awkwardness ensues.
Приклад тамтешнього гумору:
“The main course came next, steak cooked in the Mirkarvian fashion—so rare as to be just this side of stationary. Miss Barrow looked at her plate as red juices oozed from the flesh. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked Cabal in an aside. “Eat it or resuscitate it?”
“Thank your stars that you asked for it well done,” he replied. He’d asked for his to be cooked medium rare, which in Mirkarvian cuisine meant it had been shown a picture of an oven for a moment and then served. A very brief moment, mind.”
А цю фразу я усиновлю й використовуватиму, бікоз айм е джерк, зетс вай:
“Do you smoke, Herr Cabal?"
"Only to be antisocial."
May 2, 2017
This one was a let down. I really like the character of Johannes Cabal, his quick wit and terrifying competence to make things go his way and damn all else, but this book did him no service of actually exploring his character or expanding on the overarching plot.
It seems as if the author was hell bent on writing a steampunk murder mystery that happens on an airship. How does this connect to necromancy you ask? It doesn't.
It feels so wrong in many ways. Johannes is unimportant and feels completely uprooted and transported into another world that breaks with any continuity of the first book.
The author is not interested in character development. He's much more interested in airships and a myriad of unimportant characters that serve as window dressing for a murder mystery. And the story is not that interesting or good.
I'm completely baffled by this book in a sense that I have no idea what the author wanted to accomplish here. He ignored his star in favor of telling a murder mystery in a strange setting that clashes with the said star.
On top of that, just like in the first book, the author is way too fond of lengthy and lacy descriptions that hinder and suffocate plot progression and action. This was manageable in the first book, but when you add airships into equation, well then....there is so much to write about them, isn't there?
I'm being sarcastic there, but to put it simply, this book is suffocatingly dry and boring, I have no idea how I finished it. I hoped it would get better. It never did.
I will be reading the third book and I really hope this time the main character isn't sacrificed for the sake of some nonsensical story.
It seems as if the author was hell bent on writing a steampunk murder mystery that happens on an airship. How does this connect to necromancy you ask? It doesn't.
It feels so wrong in many ways. Johannes is unimportant and feels completely uprooted and transported into another world that breaks with any continuity of the first book.
The author is not interested in character development. He's much more interested in airships and a myriad of unimportant characters that serve as window dressing for a murder mystery. And the story is not that interesting or good.
I'm completely baffled by this book in a sense that I have no idea what the author wanted to accomplish here. He ignored his star in favor of telling a murder mystery in a strange setting that clashes with the said star.
On top of that, just like in the first book, the author is way too fond of lengthy and lacy descriptions that hinder and suffocate plot progression and action. This was manageable in the first book, but when you add airships into equation, well then....there is so much to write about them, isn't there?
I'm being sarcastic there, but to put it simply, this book is suffocatingly dry and boring, I have no idea how I finished it. I hoped it would get better. It never did.
I will be reading the third book and I really hope this time the main character isn't sacrificed for the sake of some nonsensical story.
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