The Fear Institute

Johannes Cabal #3

by Jonathan L. Howard

Johannes Cabal and his rather inexact powers of necromancy are back once more. This time, his talents are purchased by The Fear Institute as they hunt for the Phobic Animus - the embodiment of fear. The three Institute members, led by Cabal and his Silver Key, enter the Dreamlands and find themselves pursued by walking trees plagued with giant ticks, stone men that patrol the ruins of their castles, cats that feed on human flesh and phobias which torment and devastate. The intrepid explorers are killed off one by one as they traipse through this obfuscating and frustrating world, where history itself appears to alter. Cabal, annoyed that the quest is becoming increasingly heroic, finds himself alone with the Institute's only remaining survivor, and after a shockingly violent experiment, begins to suspect that not everything is quite as it seems...

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Steampunk, Humor, Urban Fantasy, Audiobook

351 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2011

About the author

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

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

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/

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upon reflection, The Fear Institute reminded me almost exactly of that time in high school when my friends and I were watching Monty Python's Life of Brian. Clever concept, witty one-liners, apt characterization... and then I fell asleep. Every time I tried to watch it. Something to do with the inability of a joke to sustain a plot, I suspect.

Johannes Cabal is minding his own business when three men approach his house with an offer: accompany them into the Dreamlands, and they'll give him the Key that lets one travel there in body, no mind-altering substance or poetry needed. Cabal agrees, mostly because the knowledge he could gain will likely prove useful in his studies. It isn't long before fighting their way through a mythical woods, searching for information in a border town, traveling overseas to haunted dead cities and other such feats.

Cabal smiled, technically.

Much like that scene in Python where people are crucified, this is a story that relies on the darkest of humor, or as Dr. Cox once said, that people are "bastard coated bastards" (and thanks to Kemper for that little reminder). Cabal has never been particularly nice, but now he's downright self-serving with more than a tendency to regard people as disposable commodities. So while the beginning is certainly funny, it gets old, particularly since in this case, not only is he dead serious, but there's little redemption for it.

"Have you ever looked at your fellow man? It is not edifying. I have hopes that time and evolutionary forces may improve matters or, failing that, eliminate us and give something else a chance. I think that insects deserve a turn."

Characterization is well done. Cabal seems a bit more ruthless, a bit less human in this book than in #1. The Dreamworld is reasonably well done, and if it feels a bit like our team is traveling through Epic 101, I suspect it's a point Howard might be trying to make. There is a bit that's more out of the Carroll/Dick school of writing, so as always, reader mileage may vary.

There were no longer any unexplained sounds to haunt them… But this did not settle their nerves: if there is one thing more disquieting then an unexplained sound, it is a silence after an unexplained sound.

Somewhere past the pirate sequence, things started to stall for me. Like a movie without a competent director, it stalled on its one concept, and I found myself having to choose between quitting, skimming and sleeping. Skimming it was, so I'm afraid I lost some of the philosophical bon mots of the journey. When we get to Cabal's elaborate solution, I could have cared less. Not by much, you understand--I had just enough caring left to want to finish. It was just like the end of that evening in front of the television and VCR; aware by sheer stubborness, I had remained awake, but had virtually nothing but self-satisfaction to show for it.

Oh, and the teaser end merits an eyeroll, for being entirely inconsistent with the rest of the story, characters, motif, everything. I'd give this a two and half stars for how little I enjoyed the second half, except for the writing in the first was entertaining, and the ghoulish bit quite clever.

[Glenn Russell]

Say, ho! Are these the three Edwardian gentlemen from the Fear Institute come to solicit the services of Johannes Cabal as they travel forth to the Dreamlands in their quest for the Phobic Animus?

To address this quizzical query, a few words of context beginning with noting Johannes Cabal earned a reputation as a necromancer of some little infamy as was seen in the author's first two novel of the series: Johannes Cabal The Necromancer and Johannes Cabal The Detective.

The three men, Messrs. Shadrach, Corde and Bose, have come to an isolated townhouse, Victorian in design, since they are indeed members of a secret, well-funded organization known as the Fear Institute and this rural dwelling is the home of none other than Johannes Cabal. And their mission: to persuade the necromancer to help them achieve a specific goal: the removal of every trace of fear from human experience. “Our dream is that one day the human race will walk this good Earth, free from the invisible tethers of fear, subject only to the kindly effects of rational caution.” To accomplish this end, they must convince Cabal to join them as they travel to The Dreamlands.

As to be expected, Johannes Cabal raises serious objections to such an enterprise but the trio of visitors inform him they possess exactly what's needed to enter the Dreamlands: the fabled Silver Key. Not only that, Mr. Bose dangles the ultimate enticement a seasoned necromancer could never ever turn down: he tells Cabal, in effect, once they attain their goal and destroy the Phobic Animus (the Fear Institute's name for the physical embodiment of fear), Cabal can keep the Silver Key for future research.

Cabal bids Messrs. Shadrach, Corde and Bose good day and lets them know he'll inform them of his decision on the morrow. Hardly a spoiler: although he lacks any prior experience of the Dreamlands, research calls and Cabal accepts. And they're off.

This British steampunk/fantasy novel is a crackerjack, enjoyable from start to finish. And a piece of good news: a reader need not have read any other Cabal novel - The Fear Institute can stand alone. Nevertheless, once you connect with the character of Johannes Cabal, you will surely be hooked and want to read the other books in the series. Oh, yes, the most important point I can make in this review: the instantly recognizable voice of author Jonathan L. Howard. What I mean here is all you have to do is read a page or two to discover if you will become a fan. The narrative voice is that strong.

To add an extra pinch of spice, The Fear Institute is surely the funniest novel in the series. Here's the reason: Shadrach, Corde and Bose are piffling poopsticks, men who share common ground with a gaggle of buffoons off the pages of Charles Dickens, the likes of Messrs. Bumble, Pecksniff, Pardiggle and Podsnap. Each and every interaction Johannes Cabal has with one or all of these clowns ranges from sarcasm, irony or ink-black humor to sidesplitting hilarious.

For instance, here's a snatch of dialogue once they're in the Dreamlands:

"Shadrach and Bose had finally managed to tear their eyes away from the peak of Hatheg-Kla with the help of Corde, who had taken firm hold of their chins and steered their gaze in a safe direction by force. 'How will this...Hlanith,' Shadrach chewed on the unfamiliar word, making it sound like a small mining village in Wales 'how will it help us, Mr. Cabal? We are not dreamers.'
'Not in any sense,' said Cabal. 'But as a result of every Tom, Dick and Harry with a talent for the particular mode of dreaming required to travel here, Hlanith is a gathering place for people whose minds are not altogether mired in the sticky romanticism of the place. In short, gentlemen, there we will find people who will give us straight answers to straight questions.'"

The above exchange also highlights that, in addition to Cabal himself, the novel's objective third person narrator also dabbles in jibs, sarcasm and dark humor at the expense of these three Edwardian stooges. Actually, the narrator's gallows humor and agile wit (functioning as a second Johannes Cabal, of sorts) extend to every single personage and happening. For those of us who click into Howard's brand of black comedy, every page is a treasure.

Are you familiar with the writings of H.P. Lovecraft? If so, reading The Fear Institute will be an especial treat. As a necessary first step, Cabal informs the three men of the location of the door that opens into the Dreamlands. Where exactly, they ask. Cabal replies, "Somewhere beneath the sagging gambrel rooftops and behind the crumbling Georgian balustrades of Arkham, in the state of Massachusetts. Arkham, that lies upon the darkly muttering Miskatonic." And, of course, the Dreamlands, complete with Gugs, moonbeasts and many other specific references is a nod to the great American author of supernatural horror.

Another bow to Lovecraft and black humor: sprinkled within the novel's chapters there are five interludes - "Surviving fragments of Cyril W. Clome's manuscript for The Young Person's Guide to Cthulhu and His Friends." Number 5 is an ABC beginning with -

"A is for Azathoth, all mindless in space
B is for Bugg-Shash, a god with no face."

However, the most fascinating feature of this extraordinarily comical action-adventure yarn is Johannes Cabel himself. Cabal has the penetrating, logical mind of a Sherlock Holmes but the crazy logic, or should I say chaos, of the Dreamlands appears to defy the necromancer's cool rationality at nearly every point. How will it all turn out? Will the gentlemen of the Fear Institute locate and destroy the Phobic Animus? Will Cabal or any of them make it back from the Dreamlands? And will the Dreamlands teach Cabal there's more depth and heart to Johannes Cabal then even Cabal himself will admit?

Questions, questions - but one thing's for sure: count me among the avid fans of Jonathan L. Howard. As many novels as I've read, and I've read a good number, I can assure you, rarely have I come across a protagonist and author I have found so appealing. I very much look forward to reading and reviewing the other Cabal novels.




British author Jonathan L. Howard

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

💀 Let's Bring the Dead Back from the Dead Again Buddy Reread (LBtDBftDABR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀

➽ And the moral of this reread is:



Oh, and also:



👋 To be continued and stuff.



[November 2018]

💀 Woohoo Time to Go on an All-Inclusive Lovecraftian Holiday Buddy Read (WTtGoaAILHBR™) with my fellow Cabalettes Elena and Margaux 💀

So. I have just asked Jonathan L. Howard to be my lawfully wedded shrimp. Why? Because he writes scrumptiously delicious stuff like this:

“There will doubtless be some of you have come here seeking some fanciful little tale for your amusement, to furnish you with a smile or two, perhaps even a giggle. You are fools, as are the benighted wretches who ever suffered the poor judgement to spawn you. What follows is, in truth, a horrible story of madness and corruption, of lost hope and new destiny, of vicious but stupid crabs. You will not read this and walk away untouched.
[…]
You know what? Forget the warning. Read the book. Go insane. See if I care.”

Very mucho in 💕 lurve 💕 with this gentleman I am, my Little Barnacles.



Okay, now that I’ve publicly confessed my undying love for my Necromancing Boyfriend’s daddy (that sounds a tiny little bit incestuous, doesn’t it? Oh well), let’s talk about this Slightly Very Good (SVG™) book, shall we? Here we go and stuff.

Imagine my Dearly Beloved of Some Little Infamy (DBoSLI™) quietly sitting at home, doing what he loves best, that is to say muttering to his caustic little self, his legendary bad humor even worse than usual after yet another failed attempt to steal a rare necromancy volume essential to his morally corrupt endeavors. Now. Anyone in their right mind (i.e. anyone not suicidal) should know better than to interrupt my Jojo at such a, um, delicate moment (or at any moment, really). Well the lovely people at the Fear Institute apparently didn’t get the memo because they choose this specific time to pay Jojo a visit. Uh-oh and stuff.

Miraculously enough, the three Fear Institute gentlemen come to call on Jojo not only manage to make it to his front porch unscathed (despite a near-fatal encounter with a bunch of criminally insane pixies), they also succeed in actually entering his humble necromancing abode while still breathing (vs. as deadly dead corpses to be experimented upon). Quite a feat, that. Anyway, the purpose of this most unwelcome visit is as follows: to hire Cabal to travel to the Dreamlands and help the Fear Institute eliminate irrational fear from the world. No biggie and stuff. The Dreamlands, for those shamefully ignorant of all things Lovecraft like me, is some kind of Alternate Universe Dimension Thingie (AUDT™) imagined by Lovecraft duh in his Dream Cycle. It is a wonderfully cozy place where “even blinking is fraught with peril” and “building restrictions, health and safety considerations, and—most rudely–physics are blithely ignored.”



I know, right?

My Jojo, being fearless and not easily impressed and stuff, agrees to accompany the three stooges gentlemen with the intention of selfishly pursuing his own nefarious agenda out of the goodness of his heart. And off they go, boating through the ocean (aeroship travel is so overrated) and traveling through phallocentric conurbations, before finally entering the Dreamlands in a quite, um, uncommon manner. And then spoiler spoiler spoiler happens.

There are considerably epic fights, somewhat cool battles, pure fantasy deliciousness, unexpected twists, and shockingly shocking surprises galore. (By the way, Mr Howard, thank thee kindly for making me feel more foolish than a supremely moronic barnacle on a kelp-cigarillo high, with my slightly harebrained theories about spoiler spoiler spoiler and spoiler spoiler spoiler. My self-esteem really appreciated feeling like a magnificently retarded dinoflagellate and stuff.) Frightfully frightening creatures are met, among which spider-ant-baby-things (complete with cherubic faces, golden curls, compound eyes, chitinous bodies and six legs) and “furry monstrosities with too many forearms, a vertical slit for a mouth, poor dental hygiene and an uncritical worship of dark gods so debauched that even other dark gods would blank them at dark-god parties.” YUM. Oh, there are also creatures who vent “glutinous polysyllables of arcane vulgarity.” And lovely individuals who like howling skywards with their facial tentacles in sinusoidal agitation.

“Anybody frightened yet?’ asked Cabal, suddenly, from a position of scientific curiosity.”

Getting there, methinks, getting there. Although I have to admit that the Fear Institute stooges gentlemen seem quite apt at differentiating fear from rational caution. And fright from rational concern. Not sure that’s going to last, though. Orphaned hands plotting in the mud and severed limbs “with a tendency for awkward mobility” tend to wear the bravest men down. So do caustic zebras, wheelchair-bound diplodocus, old cemeteries reeking of malevolence, aggravatingly chatty skulls, big things with little ears, decapitated (if somewhat surprised) guards, killer begonias, recalcitrant hermits who double up as paperweights and torches (they’re the Swiss Army Knife of the Dreamlands, really) and cosmically stupid demon sultans.



Oh yeah, we’re definitely getting there!

My Necromancing Paramour is, however, wholly unaffected by all this silly, supposedly nightmarish nonsense. Because he is Super Extra Cool as a Cucumber (SECaaC™) like that. He is also, as per usual, deliciously acerbic and gloriously self-centered. But. Something terrible happened to him while he was adventuring in the Dreamlands: he giggled. I kid you not. Horrible bafflement ensued among those present at the time, obviously. To make things worse, another something terrible happened to him shortly after this most distressing event: he got tiresomely moral. At which point I got all, “NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” Please forgive my shouting in such an aggressive, unbecoming ALL CAPS manner, but I really got worried about my Jojo’s mental health there for a minute. Fortunately, it turns out that this was naught but a momentary nervous breakdown and things soon returned back to Cabal-normal:

“He felt he should be concerned that he couldn’t be concerned, but he couldn’t be concerned enough to care, so he wasn’t.”

My Heartless Cutie Pie is back! Phew and stuff!

Yeah yeah yeah, I know, you don’t have all day, boring things to do uninteresting places to do and all that. Don’t worry, I’m almost done. Cross my black withered heart and hope to skewer puny humans and stuff.

Okay, I was going to talk about the outrageous crab situation, but if I do we’ll be here a month (at least), so if you want to know what this is about just read my pre-crappy non-review down there ↓↓ (Just so you know, I had a little chat with my Jojo about his revolting attitude towards crustaceans and am happy to report that he promised to reform himself. Also, he has been suitably chastised. Mad Rogan-style. In the High Security Harem basement. With chains. And handcuffs.)

Alright, a few more paragraphs words about my husband-to-be not Cabal, his daddy. Well I’m going to marry Cabal, too, but he’s, um, you know, stuck in some basement unavailable right now, so I’m going to marry his daddy first and stuff and we’re done. One of the main reasons why I want to be his lawfully wedded shrimpstress is that his prose is brilliantly clever and cleverly brilliant. (Hmm, I might have already said that in previous crappy non-reviews for this series but it never hurts to rehash and stuff.) It’s witty as fish, too. (Hmm again, I might have already said that in previous crappy non-reviews for this series but it never hurts to rehash and stuff.) Also, he writes the mostest hilariousest interludes and footnotes. And spendiferously titillating stuff like this:

"And as in contemplation of matters arboreal Cabal sat and mused, the Dreamlands sudde



Chapter 4
IN WHICH THE FAUNA OF THE DREAMLANDS PROVE UNPLEASANT

nly changed."

That it is, Hot Stuff, that it is.

➽ And the moral of this So Many Husbands-To-Be So Little Time Crappy Non Review (SMHTBSLTCNR™) is: dead popes are delicious. Yes they are. QED and stuff.

P.S. “We has deck quoits.” Just so you know.

· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
· Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: 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]

Actual rating: 4.5 miserable little stars.

Want to know why I didn't give this book a full 5-star rating? My Super Extra Hot Necromancing Boyfriend Johannes Cabal™ is horribly judgmental when it comes to crustaceans, and has no bloody shrimping respect for them. Yes, my Comely Decapods, this is the tragic, awful truth indeed. This is how I found out: we were happily frolicking away in Lovecraft's very homey Dreamlands, my Jojo and I, when all of a sudden he started blaberring about “vicious but splendidly stupid crabs!” Shock! Horror! Dismay! Consternation! And if this wasn't outrageously appalling enough, he then announced that from then on he would be following a crab-oriented diet. At which point I went all:



Then I somewhat recovered my senses (a little), and went all:



Necromancing Jojo Mine, I 💕lurves💕 you and stuff, but we need to talk.

➽ Full There Might Perhaps Possibly Be Another Reason Why I Didn't Rate This Delicious Cabal Adventure 5 Stars But I'll Keep It To Nefarious Myself Until I Write the Full Crappy Non-Review Muahahahaha Crappy Non Review (TMPPBRWIDRTDCA5SBIKITMNSUIWTFCNRMCNR™) to come.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weakest book in the series so far but it's still a book with Johannes Cabal in it so I enjoyed it immensely.

I like that these books in these series don't follow same pattern, instead every one is different experience from previous. While his previous two books drawn inspiration from entire genre (late Gothic for first book, murder mysteries for second) this book has single author for inspiration, H. P. Lovecraft. Maybe more than just inspiration as this book is set in Lovecraft's dreamland with his pantheon being mentioned or even having part in the story. Setting darkly humorous and cynical misadventures of Johannes Cabal, necromancer of some little infamy, into Lovecraftian story may seem like parody but it really isn't. This comes of more as a tribute from from some who appreciates his work.

Reasons why this book was lacking compared to previous two was lack of interesting characters beyond protagonist, someone as a counterweight to his cold pragmatism like Horst Cabal or Leone Burrows in previous books. Still even as one man show Cabal manages to make this very entertaining read.

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars maybe closer to 3 stars but Lovecraftian alphabet song is alone worth extra star.

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joannes Cabal books have somehow become a Holiday tradition for me: Book-Santa (aka my husband) gives me a new one every year, and every year, I drop all other books and read the necromancer's latest adventure while stuffing my face with cut-out sugar cookies.

This latest romp see the misanthropic necromancer hired by the Fear Institute, a society devoted to the idea of finding the essence of fear itself, and destroying it, as they see fear to be the biggest hindrance to humanity reaching their optimal potential. Cabal does not really agree with them, but this gig would give him a chance to explore the Dreamlands, a world where the laws of science and physics do not apply the same way, a land populated by bizarre creatures created by people's dreams, and where strange gods reside. How can a man such as Cabal possibly resist the idea of going in there to take a peek?

Jonathan L. Howard has a great love for Lovecraftian creatures and lore, and he clearly has a ball of a time playing with good old H.P.'s ideas and rearranging them in stories that are both macabre and hilarious. In fairness, there wouldn't be anything of note to these stories were it not for the unique and unforgettable voice of Johannes Cabal, who manages to be detestable, erudite, ruthless and lovable all at once. The extremely dry and often absurd humour elevates this little horror/adventure tale to a wonderful other level. I am already looking forward to next year's!

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting. Maybe not the best book I've read of Howards, but this is still a fascinating almost-sword and sorcery adventure in the realms of dream... and Cthulhu monsters abounding with a huge dose of Ghouls. :)

And why not? This takes place in the dreamland where necromancy is more than slightly potent... It lets you put talking heads on poles to help you through all the dark places of the world. :)

I admit I liked the previous two Cabal novels a bit more, but as a straight Cthulhu adventure that isn't so much scary as purely imaginative, it works quite well. Johannes himself started out strong but even the dream dragged him down a bit. The other good men of the Fear Institute who bankrolled this little expedition were great fodder for the beasties there. :)

As I said, this is pretty decent. :) Not the best of the series, but serviceable and it leads to a very interesting development at the end. I can't wait to continue on. :)

[Tina Rath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I start with the admission that I am a Johannes Cabal fan. I follow him on Twitter. If I were not already married and he were not a fictional character I would marry him. He is an anti-hero of the deepest dye, duplicitous, selfish, and anti-social to the point of sociopathy. In this latest account of his adventures he leads an expedition into the Lovecraftian territory of the Dreamlands in pursuit of the Phobic Animus financed and manned by The Fear Institute. All - well practically nothing - is what it seems, and there are enough twists in the story to provide half a dozen ordinary plots with surprises... look at this chapter heading alone: In Which We Contemplate the Life and Death of Johannes Cabal... and yes we really do. But do not despair. A sequel (which I am already anticipating with trembling hope) is definitely possible. We meet ghouls, monsters, the Old Gods, spider monsters with angelic little faces, supercilious zebras and there is even a welcome reappearance of the psychotic fairies who infest Johannes Cabal's garden "Come into the garden Johannes Cabal!... We will help you in! We are you little friends!... And we won't eat you. Honest."
There are thrills. Laughter. Tears. And vicious but stupid crabs.
I am almost inclined to say this is the best Johannes Cabal book yet. Until the next one, I expect. Read it. You'll be hooked.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into the third book of a series is always nice as generally you know exactly what to expect. Jonathan L. Howard delivers the same sarcastic, pompous character in Johannes Cabal, strange fantastical things, long monologues about 'why are we here' suppositions, and words to look up in the dictionary because they likely haven't been used in hundreds of years.

There are two distinct differences to this Cabal book from the past:
1) There is a lot of H. P. Lovecraft lore in The Fear Institute. Howard 'borrows' heavily from Lovecraft (including using Lovecraft's constructs, gods, demons, etc.) and integrates it into the Dreamworld that is an alternate dimension Cabal enters.
2) There's a lot of death (not new) but this time you might almost care about some of those characters dying. For the first time we have real, tangible supporting characters that actually, almost, make you like them.

As per usual you love to hate Cabal. As the reader I know he's a loathsome bastard and yet I still laugh and adore his sarcastic, laissez-faire attitude. This is a slow read, as all of the Cabal books have been. Because of the density of the language (and need to occasionally look a word up) this is not a book that can be skimmed, speed read, and it doesn't flow quickly. However, it has a beautiful literary cadence that I just adore and I can't wait to move onto books 4 & 5 to see what further craziness Cabal gets into.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the library hadn't been closed today, I would be reading this right now :(

In the meantime, I should probably read at least some of Lovecraft's Dreamland Cycle, since that is what this installment of Cabalventure is based on. Starting with Polaris, which is free here: http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/t...

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely a fun romp of a book-- I absolutely love Howard's dry humor in this series, and those comedic moments were definitely where the book shone for me. That said, I think I keep chasing the high of book #2 in this series where the tone AND the plot AND the characters AND the humor all worked for me. This was fun, but the parts didn't really add up to a very memorable read for me overall

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iskreno moram priznati da sam malo razočaran ovom knjižicom. Na momente konfuzno (razumem da je namerno al opet ne mora da mi se sviđa), sa pričom koja ima par finih ideja ali na kraju skoro nema neki poseban značaj. Odnosno dođe skoro kao filler knjiga.

Šteta pošto je opet fino pisano, Kabal je standardno interesantan i u suštini nema dosadnih momenata.

Ništa, idemo dalje.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

cw suicide, animal death

I'm not sure I can call this a fun installment as much as a WTF installment. The fluidity of dream worlds opens up all sorts of options which, while exciting, also lends itself an air of Inception x1000000. I felt like I was clinging to threads by the end the Cabal-as-goblin-leader end, that is, not the spoiler spoiler spoiler end. Not quite my thing, nor quite what I was expecting, but that's Howard and Cabal for you. Either way, very much looking forward to the next book (and the next few shorts)!

Nicholas Guy Smith is an excellent narrator for this series.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One: this is one of those books where I write a review and I know it won't be enough.

Two: this is one of those books/series where I deliberately ignore negative reviews. Sometimes I do read opposite opinions but in this case to say I am not interested would be a huge understatement.

Three and the most important one: I am a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft and to use any of his ideas, let alone this many, can only make the book more awesome as far as I am concerned. I lost count how many Lovecraftian ideas, places, beings, gods, animals, Jonathan L. Howard used in The Fear Institute.
That many.
I must admit (in an attempt to be fair) that I can't say how much would a reader who hasn't read Lovecraft love this book. A lot, I hope. It deserves all the love even if you hear of certain things for the first time. No, it is not necessary to know what the Silver Key is, recognize the Ulthar or the Nameless City reference, know about the cats, know who Nyarlathotep or Cthulhu are or know anything about ghouls and gugs, and so on. But I do, and that had a huge impact on my reading experience. All those references, which I loved, tripled my reading enjoyment.



Lovecraftian themes and ideas aside, this is a thrilling and extraordinary adventure through the Dreamlands in which four completely different men go on a quest to find the embodiment of fear. In the Dreamlands nothing is the same as in the real world. There are twists within twists within twists within twists. Some of them are cruel, some even make Cabal almost a hero (to his annoyance).

And that ending?! It is safe to say nobody would be unhappy about it (an understatement if there ever was one).

None of the Johannes Cabal books follow the same rules as others and I love that. And I loved this book, in case I wasn't clear enough.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was much to enjoy about this. Cabal continues to be a very entertaining character. His sarcasm and wit are sharp as a blade, and though he’s truly horrible, I always find myself somehow in agreement with his assessments that nearly everybody is an idiot and should be treated accordingly. In fact, this is one of Cabal’s characteristics that I seem to love best. There were moments I was out and out laughing which is something I appreciate about the Cabal books. For imagination, this was pretty inventive and fun. The cat chapter was one of my favourites. That being said, though I did enjoy and appreciate this, it has Cabal after all, I had some trouble keeping my focus. I was listening on audio and I found myself backtracking quite often having found my mind had wondered off. I think if it hadn’t been Cabal I would have likely lost interest or the thread of the story and given up. Partly, it’s the current state of mind I’ve been experiencing. I grappled with envisioning the dream world and though I understand it wasn’t necessary to have read Lovecraft’s work that inspired this, I did feel that I was missing some element that might have enhanced the story. Still, in the end, though not my favourite, I appreciate the author’s writing and the world he has created. It’s dark with dark humour, which suits me well and Cabal is becoming one of those characters that is quickly becoming a favourite. I’ll be reading book four soonish and I’m interested to see what direction the author takes it as each book so far has been very different, though distinctly Cabal with a definite voice.

[Zoe Artemis Spencer Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weakest installment yet, the plot hangs too much on the jokes and the witty lines. Nevertheless, it's Johannes Cabal and the last chapter is some good stuffs.

[Melora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This held steady at 3 ½ stars most of the way – the lack of a strong secondary character to act as foil to Johannes's cold personality is unfortunate – but the final quarter of the book is funny enough to bring this up to 4 stars. The ABC poem about the gods, Johannes's relationship with the ghouls, the ghouls (who'd have expected them to be so quirkily charming?)... I enjoyed it. As with earlier books in the series, recognizing references is part of the fun. H.P. Lovecraft's creations are foundational throughout (not in a way which creates difficulties for readers who haven't read Lovecraft – I haven't, yet – but I'm sure those who have will find things to enjoy which I missed), but other allusions, to Moby Dick, Coleridge, Lawrence Oates (an Arctic explorer), “Ten Little Indians,” etc. are scattered generously through the book. As I mentioned, the lack of a sympathetic secondary character is a weakness in this installment, though there are a few interesting minor characters, one with a nice twist. Recommended for those who've enjoyed the earlier books in this series.

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜ · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacHalo Buddy Read

The story in which JoJo enters the Lovecraft world. Very interesting tale indeed. What kind of trouble could a necromancer get into while wandering around in Dreamland? HA!

Elena, I was screaming my head off in the last chapter. Freaking mind blown! Took me awhile to compose myself.

JoJo is the perfect epitome of "not a single f**k given." He's the kind of chap who would have no qualms about pushing you off a cliff.

The humor and jabs were in abundance. There was a little bit of droning on and on, but that ending was worth everything.

scuttlebutt

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite acerbic misanthropic necromancer is at it again, "it" being running afoul of the authorities (again) and nearly getting assassinated (again) for simply being himself (a necromancer).

Can't a guy read a book* in peace and occasionally raise the dead** a little***?



*the Necronomicon
**it's still a work in progress
***but gradually improving by the day

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH a great series. I really can't get over how hilarious and snarky it is. The writing is damned genius.

[Jennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

Anyway, I'm a little disappointed to say that after all the searching and scrounging, this book failed to meet my (admittedly higher-than-usual) expectations. What I loved about the first two was the whole "charming bastard" vibe from Cabal. While he's not a nice man, the stories themselves had a great deal of humor and life.

Unfortunately, The Fear Institute sends our anti-hero and three companions to the Dreamlands in search of the source of all fear in an attempt to eliminate it entirely. Or something. And then they go traipsing around in a weird landscape, encountering weird creatures, and maybe dying sometimes.

The biggest problem with this book is its lack of a foil for Cabal. Leonie Barrow (a character from each of the previous two books) brings out an almost-human side of Cabal's character, and though he's still a bit of a jerk, he's a relatable jerk I can root for. That's lost in this story, as he wanders around with 3 not-very-interesting characters and heaps scorn upon them from time to time. With such two-dimensional characters, it hardly seems worth his effort to mentally roll his eyes at their behavior - they don't really do much to begin with. But, oddly enough, their very blandness, rather than making him more interesting, also washes him out to the point where reading this book just feels like going through the motions.

I hope there will be a fourth in the series (and I hope it'll be easier to find). Cabal is too interesting a character to be left languishing in grey like this - he needs another story - and another interesting foil like Leonie - to make him truly pop.

[Anima Miejska · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite kind of sense of humour :D

[Stamatios Mantzouranis · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars My least favorite so far, slow going and didn't hold my interest as much, but I still enjoyed it very much. Needless to say, I am going to continue the series.

Johannes, in this book, is approached by three "characters" of "The Fear Institute" who want him to accompany them on a quest for the Phobic Animus (a manifestation of irrational fear).

The first 80% is of the teams adventures into "The Dreamlands" where they encounter all sorts of peril, people, ghouls, a witch and fanciful creatures. This part was meh, as there wasn't as much wit and fun as the previous two novels. It was on the dry side IMO.

I felt the more enjoyable part was at the 80% mark when things become more emotional for Cabal. I was heartbroken about the part where he succeeds in fully reviving his love, only to have to let her go. Thank God it wasn't real. I was (am) confused about the whole ghoul stealing the elixir and it not being the ghoul but Johannes but I guess it doesn't matter. I must have missed something.

I tagged this as a cliff hanger because if you want to know who the man was sitting on Johannes bed..I suspect his brother Horst who died in the first book since the next novel is with him apparently you will have to read it.

Going on to the next few short stories before tackling the next novel.

Content concerns: Blood, violence. No sex. Possible cursing if so mild or in German. (I forgot).

[Sonja · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF made it about 50%

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

The Fear Institute, book three of the Johannes Cabal series by Jonathan L Howard is a dark urban fantasy done right. Johannes Cabal is not a good man heck, he is not even a nice man. He literally sold his soul to the devil and then went to Hell and back to get it back.

This book moves along competently and there is plenty of action, dialogue, and witty banter. This story takes place mostly in the Dreamland a physical place that has manifested over centuries of people's dreams. I really enjoyed the writing style of Howard. He is big on painting a dark and dirty picture and he is big on witty and satyrical dialogue. I am a huge fan. I once again was disappointed with Cabal himself. I really want more nasty necromancer stuff, and more raising of the dead.

I loved the setting of this book it is freaking cool. The side characters are fun and The Fear Institute has a couple of really good plot twists. The ending is awesome...

I love the series and can say that they never fail on being completely fun to read. I love where Howard has taken the story and our hero. I will definitely move on to the next in the series.


Pick it up for the fun...
(less)

[Chip · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK - after reading three of these books back to back, it is probably time for at least a quick review.

Characters: 5*
Plot: 3.5*
Universe: 4.3*

Another fun read for a character I'm getting to know and to love. This book might be a bit weaker than its predecessors, but it was still fun. Looking forward to #4.

[Mario · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually wobbled between a 3 and a 4 on this one.
Still a rather decent exploration into the universe of Cabal as this time, after having outwitted the devil while running a carnival, and after solving a murder mystery with an old friend/nemesis, the necromancer is commissioned by the titular Fear Institute to actually find and eliminate the very animus of fear. Like... Fear itself.
Anyway, the reason this book gets a 4 rather than a 3 is because, once again, Howard delivers on the wit, the dry humor, and the character of Johannes Cabal. All of this set quite firmly in the Cthulhu mythos, providing us with more of what we love about Cabal as well as another aspect of his occupation.
This was, for me, the more laborious, or rather slightly heavier of the Cabal books. On the other hand, if you've stuck with the necromancer to this point, you'll actually enjoy it.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book is finished! This one was the most Lovecraft influenced by a long shot so far, taking place in the Dreamlands and incorporating elements of the mythos here and there. It's also the first with the third and final Narrator of the series. He's still taking some getting used to, but sounds more age appropriate for Johannes Cabal himself. The story and the comedy continue to entertain me, and I'm still finding myself in a nice position where I feel like I'm figuring things out slightly ahead of schedule but in a way that doesn't ruin the experience for me. Ready for more!

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10/10

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a disaster. As a loyal fangirl, I have a special place in my heart for Johannes Cabal, right next to Jorg Ancrath and Kvothe the Arcane. Hence, the chaotic plot of The Fear Institute greatly disappointed me, on all fronts. To be honest: I don't even understand the reason for it's existence.
The first novel made us familiar with the nature of the character of our infamous necromancer, showing his rare, good sides and often his bad ones. The second book portrays him as a sort of hero, finally showing the humanity, that still lives deep down in him. And then comes the third and I am at a loss to find it's purpose.
We find Johannes again in a unfamiliar setting, in Lovecraftian Dreamlands, on a somewhat adventurous quest: to catch Fear itself. We plod through the journey, itself as abstract as the worldbuilding, through bizzare action scenes to an ending, that is plain out weird. Very cool plot twist, never saw it coming, had to take some moments to let the magnificence of it sink in, but still, surreal.
Now, my guess is, as to why I cannot appreciate the beauty of this book, that I am not familiar with any work of Lovecraft. Not a single page, not even a whisper of a character. But since Howard changes the theme for every new Cabal novel, I am hopeful to find conclusions from The Fear Institute in the fourth book.