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Johannes Cabal #4
The Brothers Cabal
Horst Cabal has risen from the dead. Again. Horst, the most affable vampire one is ever likely to meet, is resurrected by an occult conspiracy that wants him as a general in a monstrous army. Their to create a country of horrors, a supernatural homeland. As Horst sees the lengths to which they are prepared to go and the evil they cultivate, he realizes that he cannot fight them alone. What he really needs on his side is a sarcastic, amoral, heavily armed necromancer. As luck would have it, this exactly describes his brother. Join the brothers Cabal as they fearlessly lie quietly in bed, fight dreadful monsters from beyond reality, make soup, feel slightly sorry for zombies, banter lightly with secret societies that wish to destroy them, and―in passing―set out to save the world. *
*The author wishes to point out that there are no zebras this time, so don't get your hopes up on that count. There is, however, a werebadger, if that's something that's been missing from your life.
*The author wishes to point out that there are no zebras this time, so don't get your hopes up on that count. There is, however, a werebadger, if that's something that's been missing from your life.
339 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2014
97 people are currently reading
3034 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan L. Howard
65 books2,096 followersJonathan L Howard is a game designer, scriptwriter, and a veteran of the computer games industry since the early 1990s, with titles such as the 'Broken Sword' series to his credit.
After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his first novel.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his first novel.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
December 11, 2018
I feel a kinship with Howard and his sense of humor, a frequently subtle type of reference-filled playfulness that works best if one is paying attention or shares some of the same cultural references. I'm thinking of this particularly as my review for John Dies at the End has been popping up in my feed, a book that was more slapstick-gross than implied humor, and contrasting it with this one which has a cute Princess Bride reference hidden in the text. One of my favorite things about the Cabal series is the way the text is studded with allusions, word-play and imagery that is meant to make one giggle.
"If they had delved beneath the 'poor little rich girl' patina... they would have appreciated that the only way that she could have been more dangerous would have been to have had nitroglycerine for blood, had sticks of dynamite for bones, and been fond of hopscotch.
Perhaps one of the challenges of the series is that Johannes Cabal, the central character of the earlier three books, is not a particularly likeable person (nor does he care whether or not you like him). Personally, I identify with his misanthropy, so I'm generally amused. Howard rectifies this with The Brothers Cabal by centering primarily on the charming Horst, Johannes' older brother and vampire. We had left book three in a frightening state, Johannes nearly dead. Horst immolated himself in book one, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, so it's a bit of a surprise for them both when Horst turns up to rescue Johannes.
"Horst shrugged. 'Perhaps it's a cyclic thing.' It was calculated to irritate, calculated with the finesse that only brothers can attain, and it succeeded like pepper under an eyelid."
Horst was resurrected as part of a nefarious plan (of course), but being the affable, peaceful fellow he is, he soon found himself on the side of the resistance. When they find themselves in deep trouble, it's clear who they need to call.
"Seriously?' said Johannes. Being irked was doing wonders for returning some small hints of color to his face. "You seriously posited me as some sort of weapon too dreadful to use? I don't know whether to be flattered or not. Ah, a resolution is coming to me. No. I'm not flattered."
Largely told as an extended flashback from Horst's point of view until the second half, the pacing works very well. The action in his tale contrasts well with the more intimate sickroom banter between the two brothers. I consistently found myself wanting to read faster to relieve the tension of all the dreadful events (although as Johannes points out, we are, after all, here listening to Horst), and read slower so that I could savor the humor. A couple of running gags had me chuckling, especially Howard's interpretation of zombies, which bear a strong resemblance to Marvin the android from Hitchhikers' Guide:
"Becky watched as a zombie that had been trying to board the rearmost car fell on its face between the rails. It did not attempt to rise, but lay there facedown, gloomily aware that the Afterlife was proving just as frustrating as Life."
The setting is roughly early 1900s with trains, guns, and flying machines lending it a Victorian feel. There are various monsters, drawing on the Dracula and Lovecraft tradition. What particularly elevated this was the nicely developed relationship between the two brothers, both in retrospect as Horst discovers Johannes isn't quite as ethically challenged as he thought, and Johannes in demonstrating his particular brand of affection for Horst. This story won't work for everyone, but I must say it was pretty close to perfect for me.
"Good Lord," said the major as he jumped down from the driver's position to land with a crunch on the gravel track. "Ladies in trousers!"
"If they had delved beneath the 'poor little rich girl' patina... they would have appreciated that the only way that she could have been more dangerous would have been to have had nitroglycerine for blood, had sticks of dynamite for bones, and been fond of hopscotch.
Perhaps one of the challenges of the series is that Johannes Cabal, the central character of the earlier three books, is not a particularly likeable person (nor does he care whether or not you like him). Personally, I identify with his misanthropy, so I'm generally amused. Howard rectifies this with The Brothers Cabal by centering primarily on the charming Horst, Johannes' older brother and vampire. We had left book three in a frightening state, Johannes nearly dead. Horst immolated himself in book one, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, so it's a bit of a surprise for them both when Horst turns up to rescue Johannes.
"Horst shrugged. 'Perhaps it's a cyclic thing.' It was calculated to irritate, calculated with the finesse that only brothers can attain, and it succeeded like pepper under an eyelid."
Horst was resurrected as part of a nefarious plan (of course), but being the affable, peaceful fellow he is, he soon found himself on the side of the resistance. When they find themselves in deep trouble, it's clear who they need to call.
"Seriously?' said Johannes. Being irked was doing wonders for returning some small hints of color to his face. "You seriously posited me as some sort of weapon too dreadful to use? I don't know whether to be flattered or not. Ah, a resolution is coming to me. No. I'm not flattered."
Largely told as an extended flashback from Horst's point of view until the second half, the pacing works very well. The action in his tale contrasts well with the more intimate sickroom banter between the two brothers. I consistently found myself wanting to read faster to relieve the tension of all the dreadful events (although as Johannes points out, we are, after all, here listening to Horst), and read slower so that I could savor the humor. A couple of running gags had me chuckling, especially Howard's interpretation of zombies, which bear a strong resemblance to Marvin the android from Hitchhikers' Guide:
"Becky watched as a zombie that had been trying to board the rearmost car fell on its face between the rails. It did not attempt to rise, but lay there facedown, gloomily aware that the Afterlife was proving just as frustrating as Life."
The setting is roughly early 1900s with trains, guns, and flying machines lending it a Victorian feel. There are various monsters, drawing on the Dracula and Lovecraft tradition. What particularly elevated this was the nicely developed relationship between the two brothers, both in retrospect as Horst discovers Johannes isn't quite as ethically challenged as he thought, and Johannes in demonstrating his particular brand of affection for Horst. This story won't work for everyone, but I must say it was pretty close to perfect for me.
"Good Lord," said the major as he jumped down from the driver's position to land with a crunch on the gravel track. "Ladies in trousers!"
January 26, 2016
You know how sometimes an athlete or an actor seems to suddenly have something just click into place and they just seem to get it in a way they didn’t before? Maybe they get traded to a different team or get a new coach, or connect with material in a way they haven’t previously…but, in one fell swoop, they go from good to transcendent.
That was Jonathan Howard in this book (specifically, the second half). The Cabal books have always grooved along as very entertaining reads, teeming with characters and plots that I’ve enjoyed immensely, but the writing, though quite good, never seemed to quite match the ideas coming out of Howard’s head. Such seemed to be the case through the first half of the book as Horst Cabal, the vampire brother of our usually titular hero Johannes Cabal (necromancer extraordinaire), brings his brother up to speed on an endeavor that will ultimately result in the two joining forces to take down a totalitarian regime comprised of lycanthropes, necromancers, and evil wizards.
And that’s when the prose goes from workmanlike with playful interludes of brilliant wordplay to incandescently sharp and funny, with searing sarcasm and gymnastic witticisms being bandied back and forth at such a furious clip that I felt like I was watching a very macabre world-class ping pong (or table tennis, if you prefer) match.
THIS is the Cabal I’ve been waiting for. THIS is the potential that was woven through the pages of every previous book in the series, trapped beneath the thinnest layer of amber, dinosaur DNA just begging to be unlocked and grown in a lab and put into a theme park so that slack-jawed morons could be eaten.
This book masticated me like the native Midwestern rube that I am, gnashing and mashing me in mischievously malevolent mandibles. And it felt fantastic.
If you’ve read Cabal but abandoned ship before this point, swim your little backside off to get back on board. If you haven’t tried Cabal, stop being a douche bag and go hurry up and read the books—all the books—to get to this point.
You’ll thank me. If you don’t, I’ll know, and I WILL kick you in the knee pits.
At the very least, you’ll probably giggle a lot. And, hey—who doesn’t want more giggles in life?
That was Jonathan Howard in this book (specifically, the second half). The Cabal books have always grooved along as very entertaining reads, teeming with characters and plots that I’ve enjoyed immensely, but the writing, though quite good, never seemed to quite match the ideas coming out of Howard’s head. Such seemed to be the case through the first half of the book as Horst Cabal, the vampire brother of our usually titular hero Johannes Cabal (necromancer extraordinaire), brings his brother up to speed on an endeavor that will ultimately result in the two joining forces to take down a totalitarian regime comprised of lycanthropes, necromancers, and evil wizards.
And that’s when the prose goes from workmanlike with playful interludes of brilliant wordplay to incandescently sharp and funny, with searing sarcasm and gymnastic witticisms being bandied back and forth at such a furious clip that I felt like I was watching a very macabre world-class ping pong (or table tennis, if you prefer) match.
THIS is the Cabal I’ve been waiting for. THIS is the potential that was woven through the pages of every previous book in the series, trapped beneath the thinnest layer of amber, dinosaur DNA just begging to be unlocked and grown in a lab and put into a theme park so that slack-jawed morons could be eaten.
This book masticated me like the native Midwestern rube that I am, gnashing and mashing me in mischievously malevolent mandibles. And it felt fantastic.
If you’ve read Cabal but abandoned ship before this point, swim your little backside off to get back on board. If you haven’t tried Cabal, stop being a douche bag and go hurry up and read the books—all the books—to get to this point.
You’ll thank me. If you don’t, I’ll know, and I WILL kick you in the knee pits.
At the very least, you’ll probably giggle a lot. And, hey—who doesn’t want more giggles in life?
May 4, 2021
💀 Let's Bring the Dead Back from the Dead Again Buddy Reread (LBtDBftDABR™) with the MacHalo Necromaniacs 💀
Previous rating: 4 miserable little stars.
New rating: 4.5 slightly less pathetic stars.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: Jojo +Horst =
And that, my Tiny Decapods, is a scientifically proven fact.
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: footnotes + short interludes + slightly longer interludes + quite long interludes + multiple afterwords + nice epilogue + nasty epilogue + acknowledgments = Mr. Howard, I 💕lurves💕 thee and stuff.
P.S. As one of the greatestphilosophers necromancers of our time once said, “Sometimes a knife in the back is better than a thousand rifles on the battleground.” (Truer words were never spoken, methinks.)
👋 To be continued and stuff.
[December 2018]
💀 One Big Not So Happy Cabal Family Buddy Read (OBNSHCFBR™) with my fellow Cabalettes Elena and Margaux 💀
Yes, an abominably ungrateful paramour I am indeed and my Jojo Cabal terribly disappointed in me must be. Then again, I can’t really be blamed here. I mean, this installment was appropriately delicious and delightfully entertaining, but definitely not as wonderfully scrumptious as previous books in the series. Ergo, it’s my least favorite so far. So QED and stuff.
Anyway, I’m sure you are horribly anxious to know why this particular Necromancing venture wasn’t as alluringly enticing as others in the series, so I’ll cutthe crap to the chase and tell you all about it straight out: spoiler spoiler spoiler ← You’re probably thinking that this is yet another hilarious display of my ever-humorous sense of humor, but it is not. If I tell you why I didn’t enjoy this installment so much, then, when, you know, spoiler spoiler spoiler and stuff. Then again, the title of the book itself is quite possibly more spoilerish than the worst spoiler I could ever spoiler you with, so I say let’s be bold! Let’s be audacious! Let’s spoiler the fish away and stuff!
Extra, free of charge warning brought to you by Fleet Admiral DaShrimp Himself and in Person. (He has a perverse tenderness for slightly moronic barnacles who are kinda sorta slow on the uptake, you see.)
Sexey.
The thing is, because of the most clever way the most clever Mr. Howard constructed his narrative, and because the Super Extra Spoilerish Events (SESE™) that took place in The Fear Institute of Magnificent Lusciousness momentarily incapacitated my Necromancing Boyfriend, Horst is the MC for the first half of this book. And, as charmingly charming as he is, he is not, unfortunately, his deliciously acidic, misanthropic, heartless brother. Yes, Horst’s wacky adventures were fun, but they were definitely not as deliriously shrimpgasmic as my Jojo’s.
Thank fish Jojo recovered pronto and took the lead again, because had Horst remained in charge until the final page, I might have rated the book 3 pathetic little stars and stuff. Shock! Horror! Dismay!
Were I not so busy breeding moderately psychotic, homicidal crustaceans, I would be most happy to adopt Mr. Howard’s wonderfully diverse zoo of manically bloodthirsty monsters. Alas, my pincers are full and stuff.
Anything else to report about this book, you ask? Well more spoilers spoilers spoilers, obviously. And also a few stupendously stupendous things à la Howard. Watch out, I Feel Lazy as Fish, Here Have a List of Doom Thingie (IFLaFHHaLoDT™) incoming!
Ubiquitous lynching mobs and lycanthropic ill intent and ladies in trousers! (Oh my.) Sapphic depravity, flying circuses, piñata test facilities, and rabbis who inherit pig farms. Freelance counter-heresy operations courtesy of the Vatican, white bunnies with hatchets, gaudy entomopters, rakshasas (Kate Daniels, where art you?!) and Caucasian perverts. Women who double as all-you-can-eat-buffets (handy that), sharply worded memos, naughty rapscallions with revolver fetishes, and irate werebadgers (Doolittle, is that you?!). Chthonian goddesses vs. infanticidal sorceresses, super convenient dishwashing autoclaves, aggravating animated heads collections, and add hoc transfusion sessions. And last, but certainly not least, “the wholesome glow of the author’s good nature.”
Alleluia to my Lord Shrimp, it looks like we are finally done! Be glad and rejoice, Clueless Barnacle Mine, for you are now free to resume your pointless activities! Yay!
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): this might not be up to my Jojo’s usual, spectacularly heartless standards, but it’s still bloody shrimping amazing compared to 90% of thecrap stuff I read. And now I rest in my case and stuff.
P.S. I’m kind of worried about my Jojo, and think he might be suffering from heart-related problems. *shudders* I mean, the following conversation between his supposedly heartless little self and Horst is quite alarming, if you ask me:
P.P.S. The Skirtingboard People say hello. Just so you know.
• Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
• Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
• Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
• Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
• Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
• Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 3.3: Ouroboros Ouzo ★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
Jonathan L. Howard, thou art the undisputed king of Most Scrumptiously Hilarious Analogies, Deliciously Delirious Footnotes, Splendiferously Entertaining Interludes, Orgasmically Witty Prologues and Afterwords, and Beautifully Wicked Epilogues (both the Nice and Nasty kind). I slightly bow to thee and stuff.
Exsqueeze me? Baking Powder?
➽ Full review to come. Hopefully before 2356. Then again maybe not.
“The author wishes to point out that there are no zebras this time, so don't get your hopes up on that count. There is, however, a werebadger, if that's something that's been missing from your life.”
Jonathan L. Howard,
Previous rating: 4 miserable little stars.
New rating: 4.5 slightly less pathetic stars.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: Jojo +Horst =
And that, my Tiny Decapods, is a scientifically proven fact.
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: footnotes + short interludes + slightly longer interludes + quite long interludes + multiple afterwords + nice epilogue + nasty epilogue + acknowledgments = Mr. Howard, I 💕lurves💕 thee and stuff.
P.S. As one of the greatest
👋 To be continued and stuff.
[December 2018]
💀 One Big Not So Happy Cabal Family Buddy Read (OBNSHCFBR™) with my fellow Cabalettes Elena and Margaux 💀
“Cabal paused in the doorway, a battle axe liberated from a wall display over his shoulder, a knotted tablecloth from a small occasional table dangling from the base of the axehead. The blade was smeared with blood, and more was soaking through the cloth, dripping slowly onto the stone floor. The overall effect was of a gentleman of the road who was not used to taking ‘no’ as an answer.”Bloody shrimping hell of the stinking fish, I almost nearly quite forgot to review my Dearly Beloved of Little Infamy’s latest adventures! Most shameful an occurrence this is. Let me go hide for a bit. Be right back and stuff.
Yes, an abominably ungrateful paramour I am indeed and my Jojo Cabal terribly disappointed in me must be. Then again, I can’t really be blamed here. I mean, this installment was appropriately delicious and delightfully entertaining, but definitely not as wonderfully scrumptious as previous books in the series. Ergo, it’s my least favorite so far. So QED and stuff.
Anyway, I’m sure you are horribly anxious to know why this particular Necromancing venture wasn’t as alluringly enticing as others in the series, so I’ll cut
Extra, free of charge warning brought to you by Fleet Admiral DaShrimp Himself and in Person. (He has a perverse tenderness for slightly moronic barnacles who are kinda sorta slow on the uptake, you see.)
“I am consumed with a desire to know how it is that my brother, who was dead, and then undead, and then dead again, now manages to once more be merely undead.”Yes, my Comely Decapods, it turns out that Horst Cabal, aka my slightly vampiric brother-in-law, is indeed alive. Again. So of course I should be positively ecstatic to see him frolicking around once more. And I am. I mean, he is, after all, the coolest reluctant vampire ever. And he totally rocks the whole Get Out of Thy Coffin in Style Thing (GOoTCIST™).
“He pushed back the lid and rose to a vertical position as if his feet were attached to some ghastly hinge. It was a trick he’d learned sometime before and, while he had no idea why vampires should be able to do such a thing, he was glad they did. Getting vertical without it would have involved a lot of half rolling and hanging a leg over the side, and the silly silk bow would likely have fallen off the bier, and it would all be terribly undignified.”
Sexey.
The thing is, because of the most clever way the most clever Mr. Howard constructed his narrative, and because the Super Extra Spoilerish Events (SESE™) that took place in The Fear Institute of Magnificent Lusciousness momentarily incapacitated my Necromancing Boyfriend, Horst is the MC for the first half of this book. And, as charmingly charming as he is, he is not, unfortunately, his deliciously acidic, misanthropic, heartless brother. Yes, Horst’s wacky adventures were fun, but they were definitely not as deliriously shrimpgasmic as my Jojo’s.
Thank fish Jojo recovered pronto and took the lead again, because had Horst remained in charge until the final page, I might have rated the book 3 pathetic little stars and stuff. Shock! Horror! Dismay!
“Well, look at us. The necromancer and the vampire against the forces of elemental evil. The Brothers Cabal ride again!’ ‘Yeehaw,’ said Cabal evenly.”Yes, the Brothers Cabal ride again indeed (but with no freak carnival in tow this time around), and much wickedly wicked fun is had in the process. I mean, is there anything more joyfully gleeful than fighting against a huge supernatural conspiracy of complete wackos intent on setting up a teratarchy (aka government by assorted monsters, just so you know) and turning puny humans into miserable slaves? I think not. Especially since said assorted monsters include vampiric weremenageries, poorly briefed zombies, Minotaurs of little brains, acid-dripping weird things, suitably devious doppelgängers and, get that, giant, murderous crustaceans (woodlice for the win!!!). I think this calls for a Hot as Shrimp Dancing Gnome (HaSDG™) and stuff.
Were I not so busy breeding moderately psychotic, homicidal crustaceans, I would be most happy to adopt Mr. Howard’s wonderfully diverse zoo of manically bloodthirsty monsters. Alas, my pincers are full and stuff.
Anything else to report about this book, you ask? Well more spoilers spoilers spoilers, obviously. And also a few stupendously stupendous things à la Howard. Watch out, I Feel Lazy as Fish, Here Have a List of Doom Thingie (IFLaFHHaLoDT™) incoming!
Ubiquitous lynching mobs and lycanthropic ill intent and ladies in trousers! (Oh my.) Sapphic depravity, flying circuses, piñata test facilities, and rabbis who inherit pig farms. Freelance counter-heresy operations courtesy of the Vatican, white bunnies with hatchets, gaudy entomopters, rakshasas (Kate Daniels, where art you?!) and Caucasian perverts. Women who double as all-you-can-eat-buffets (handy that), sharply worded memos, naughty rapscallions with revolver fetishes, and irate werebadgers (Doolittle, is that you?!). Chthonian goddesses vs. infanticidal sorceresses, super convenient dishwashing autoclaves, aggravating animated heads collections, and add hoc transfusion sessions. And last, but certainly not least, “the wholesome glow of the author’s good nature.”
Alleluia to my Lord Shrimp, it looks like we are finally done! Be glad and rejoice, Clueless Barnacle Mine, for you are now free to resume your pointless activities! Yay!
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): this might not be up to my Jojo’s usual, spectacularly heartless standards, but it’s still bloody shrimping amazing compared to 90% of the
P.S. I’m kind of worried about my Jojo, and think he might be suffering from heart-related problems. *shudders* I mean, the following conversation between his supposedly heartless little self and Horst is quite alarming, if you ask me:
‘Horst…’ He lowered his voice, ashamed. ‘I’ve done things since then. Things you don’t know about.’ The confession almost choked him, but somehow he forced the words out. ‘I’ve done good things.’ Horst feigned astonishment. ‘Good Lord.’ ‘Awful, selfless things. Sometimes I commit sensible, rational acts and I get a pain in my chest. And then undoing what I’ve done makes me feel better. Sometimes it even makes me feel good. ‘Horst, I think I may have a conscience.’
P.P.S. The Skirtingboard People say hello. Just so you know.
• Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
• Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
• Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
• Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
• Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
• Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 3.3: Ouroboros Ouzo ★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
Jonathan L. Howard, thou art the undisputed king of Most Scrumptiously Hilarious Analogies, Deliciously Delirious Footnotes, Splendiferously Entertaining Interludes, Orgasmically Witty Prologues and Afterwords, and Beautifully Wicked Epilogues (both the Nice and Nasty kind). I slightly bow to thee and stuff.
Exsqueeze me? Baking Powder?
➽ Full review to come. Hopefully before 2356. Then again maybe not.
“The author wishes to point out that there are no zebras this time, so don't get your hopes up on that count. There is, however, a werebadger, if that's something that's been missing from your life.”
Jonathan L. Howard,
Read
February 2, 2023
The Brothers Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard, the fourth in a series of rollicking adventures featuring Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of some little infamy. However, in this tale, although Johannes plays a major part, it is brother Horst who takes on the role of central character - and why not? After all, he's resurrected on the first pages as a vampire and addressed as Lord of the Dead by a band of occultists who raised him at the behest of their mysterious leader, the Red Queen.
But Horst is a vampire with a personality more akin to a refined, aesthetically attuned gentleman then a Dracula from Gothic horror. Nowhere is this more in evidence then when Horst, moments after having been returned to life, tells the thirteen occultists who worked their diabolical magic to raise him from the dead, that feasting on the blood of three young ladies who planned to willingly sacrifice their lives for his nourishment wouldn't be very polite. Rather, Horse beckons everyone to form an orderly queue and he'll take a nip from each.
Not long thereafter, Horst overhears their leader reflect in shock regarding the nature of the vampire they raised from the dead. ""Did you hear what he said? He never killed anyone. What kind of vampire's never killed anyone? None of us understand why he was chosen." And later in the conversation: "We fulfilled our orders to the letter. It's not our fault the "Lord of the Dead" is a namby-pamby, is it?"
Indeed, much of the novel's humor derives from the expected behavior of a traditional vampire as opposed to Horst's actual behavior. And since this is the fourth book in the Cabal series and the fourth Cabal novel where I'm writing a review, I'll focus on an aspect of Jonathan L. Howard's writing worthy of a special shout-out: his quick character sketches, which are always sharp, biting and contain more than a tincture of cynicism. Here are two examples when vampire Horst enters a castle's dinning hall and meets a pair of the company -
Velasco de Osma introduces himself to Horst. “A strong brow and nose were betrayed by a weak chin on an otherwise noble countenance. It was the sort of face that would have looked at home over a polished chest plate while busily engaging in the infection of South American natives with Catholicism and smallpox, while all the time robbing them blind of every grain of gold they might have.”
Horst is about to take a seat for dinner. “He was conducted to the left side of the table, the woman being seated by another of the ubiquitous servants as he approached. As was his wont, honed over years of hot-blooded hormonal exhortation and still ingrained despite his changing nature, he cast an evaluative eye upon her as he approached. Her hair and eyes were dark, what he would have said was a Mediterranean type but for her deadly paleness. She was thin, too, and the suspicion of illness rose in his mind. He gauged her to be in her mid-to-late twenties, though the simple black dress she wore would not have looked out of place on his grandmother, down to the choker and locket at her throat.”
Events quickly move apace with a number of unexpected twists best discovered when a reader turns the pages (or listens to the audiobook expertly narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith). Thus I'll make a shift to several highlights -
ZOMBIES, WEREWOLVES AND ASSORTED SUPERNATURAL SUPER NASTY
The forces of evil amass an army of every sort of being, apparently the most twisted, the more diabolical, the better. Among others, Horst must deal with the likes of these specimens: “The creatures had no right to...no right to anything at all. They had no right to fly, lacking wings. They had no right to breathe, lacking mouths or nostrils or even spiracles. They had no right to see, lacking eyes. They had no right to exist, yet they did, and they screamed without mouths, seeing their prey without eyes. Offcuts from failed species, cancers given autonomous life, wriggling, writhing entanglements of animate offal, they descended towards the lorry, dripping acid and hunger as they came.”
STUNNING STEAMPUNK
Fans of Steampunk (and especially Johannes Cabal, the Detective) will be delighted when a squadron of entomoptors make their way on the scene. For those unfamiliar, an entomoptors is retrofuturistic technology, part jet, part helicopter, the size of a piper cub. And here all the seasoned pilots are women. Horst ganders at these flyers as we're given a detailed description of how each is painted with its own design. Here's a snatch: “The next machine also used an American theme, equally dramatic but more sober; on a field of blue skies, white clouds, and tan desert sands, the profile of an American Indian chief of indeterminate nation, arrayed in full headdress, looked forward on either side of the entomopter's nose above the legend Queen of the Desert."
JOHANNES, HIS USUAL LESS THAN DIPLOMATIC SELF
Johannes displays his customary level of tact and regard for other people's feelings when meeting with a number of women and men he'll align himself with in the battle against that zombie army and other supernatural nogoodnicks. We read:
Cabal snorted contentiously. “I am saddened. I truly am. All my professional career, I have been dogged by assorted societies, conspiracies, and interested parties such as yourselves. I feared for my life, and my work, and I took measures to protect both.” He looked at those there assembled. “What a colossal waste of effort. You people are dolts.”
CABAL SERIES PLUG
One could read The Brothers Cabal without having read the other Cabal novels but I would strongly suggest reading the preceding novels since a number of locations, personages and happenings (the entomopters, for example) will have a familiar ring and your overall reading pleasure will be greatly enriched.
"Good enough." Horst grinned. "Well, look at us. The necromancer and the vampire against the forces of elemental evil. The brothers Cabal ride again!"
"Yeehaw," said Cabal evenly.
British author Jonathan L Howard
October 27, 2018
I will not say this topped my enjoyment of book 2 in this series, but it came really close. It was definitely an improvement upon the workmanlike world-saving adventure of book 3.
Horst! The most affable of vampires sat down to tell a long tale to his convalescing brother, Johannes. :) What could go wrong? I mean, it's not like both brothers should have been dead. Several times over. Or that Horst had burned to death in the first novel. Or that Johannes was brought back to health after saving the world from a world-sucking entity in the dreamlands after becoming a ghoul.
Details.
I honestly had a great time listening to the brothers quip at each other and be extremely witty as we caught up with Horst's role in being a dupe by a really big bad trying to set up a monster empire.
And we can't stop there, either. We have to GO there to put an end to it because that's what men of sticky, nasty consciences and motivated self-interest do.
Enter a zombie army. :) Too fun. :) And best of all, there's aerial acrobatics.
Horst! The most affable of vampires sat down to tell a long tale to his convalescing brother, Johannes. :) What could go wrong? I mean, it's not like both brothers should have been dead. Several times over. Or that Horst had burned to death in the first novel. Or that Johannes was brought back to health after saving the world from a world-sucking entity in the dreamlands after becoming a ghoul.
Details.
I honestly had a great time listening to the brothers quip at each other and be extremely witty as we caught up with Horst's role in being a dupe by a really big bad trying to set up a monster empire.
And we can't stop there, either. We have to GO there to put an end to it because that's what men of sticky, nasty consciences and motivated self-interest do.
Enter a zombie army. :) Too fun. :) And best of all, there's aerial acrobatics.
November 25, 2024
As per my tradition, I devoured a Johannes Cabal book over the holidays. The misanthropic necromancer is a favorite comfort character of mine, and this fourth volume of his adventures didn’t disappoint!
Johannes is actually not the focus of the first half of “The Brothers Cabal”: that honor goes to Horst, who we met in the first book of the series, and who might be the most affable vampire in fantasy and horror literature, an absolute anti-Lestat. The story begins with Horst being rather surprised at being brought back to life (long story, read the first book) and courted by an occult organization with plans to create an army of supernatural creatures such as vampires, werebeasts and zombies. That whole idea doesn’t sit too well with Horst, who is really just a nice guy with the bad luck of being a vampire, so when things start going south, he runs for it and seeks out his brother, who may or may not be able to help with the rather peculiar situation Horst has found himself in.
Jonathan Howard is the type of satirist who clearly adores the material he pokes fun at, and you can tell that this man has lived on Gothic and horror novels and movies, as he peppers lovely references and Easter eggs for his fellow nerds to unearth within the pages of his hilarious novels. I was also really pleased to see Horst return, as he was quite a standout character in the previous novel, and his interaction with his irascible sibling is a delight.
If you enjoy this series, this is probably the best installment since the first book, and I loved every page.
See you next year, Messrs. Cabal!
Johannes is actually not the focus of the first half of “The Brothers Cabal”: that honor goes to Horst, who we met in the first book of the series, and who might be the most affable vampire in fantasy and horror literature, an absolute anti-Lestat. The story begins with Horst being rather surprised at being brought back to life (long story, read the first book) and courted by an occult organization with plans to create an army of supernatural creatures such as vampires, werebeasts and zombies. That whole idea doesn’t sit too well with Horst, who is really just a nice guy with the bad luck of being a vampire, so when things start going south, he runs for it and seeks out his brother, who may or may not be able to help with the rather peculiar situation Horst has found himself in.
Jonathan Howard is the type of satirist who clearly adores the material he pokes fun at, and you can tell that this man has lived on Gothic and horror novels and movies, as he peppers lovely references and Easter eggs for his fellow nerds to unearth within the pages of his hilarious novels. I was also really pleased to see Horst return, as he was quite a standout character in the previous novel, and his interaction with his irascible sibling is a delight.
If you enjoy this series, this is probably the best installment since the first book, and I loved every page.
See you next year, Messrs. Cabal!
January 9, 2025
I am, at this stage, convinced mentally that there is direct causation on whether or not D&D are in the book, and if it will be five star territory or not.
Guess what y'all!? DENNIS AND DENZIL ARE BACK! Five of the biggest zombie fisticuffs stars possible. @me. IDGAF.
Guess what y'all!? DENNIS AND DENZIL ARE BACK! Five of the biggest zombie fisticuffs stars possible. @me. IDGAF.
November 26, 2017
One of the funniest books I read. I loved first book at the time but series has come long way in these few books and Howard's writing is so delightfully dark and witty. There is no wasted effort, every sentence is funny or at least amusing . More than half of this book is from Horst's PoV and Johannes enters fully in later parts of the book and when he does it's glorious. They are great duo being polar opposites but in complementary rather than opposing way.
October 13, 2014
Every bit as good as I hoped. The only thing that makes Johannes Cabal better is Horst Cabal. I may have to reread the whole series now just because.
December 12, 2015
4.5
The Brothers Cabal has its own surprises and peculiarities you won't find in other books. The ending of the third book brought Horst back. Not much of a spoiler considering the title and the book summary. Here you find out 'the tale of his second resurrection, why it occurred, and what happened subsequently.' The Brothers Cabal is the weakest of the four (for me) because my favourite character, Johannes Cabal, fully enters the narrative only in the last third of the book.
Still, certain things make up for his non-participation: the way this book is written, many surprising things that happen and numerous fascinating characters.
The first two thirds of the book consist of Horst's retelling of events that preceded his arrival to find his brother in front of his home in previous book. Johannes finds out who resurrected Horst, where they brought him and what was expected of him.
Those who love Johannes Cabal will be relieved to know that Horst's story is frequently interrupted by short interludes where his younger brother requires further explanation. Those are hilarious. You can't find two people more different than these two.
I won't write about those allies too much. Better to be pleasantly surprised. I'll only say that I can't remember when I encountered this many awesome female characters in a book. Yes, plural.
The relationship between the brothers is lovely. You can actually see how much they love each other, even if one of them doesn't know how to say it. Johannes Cabal has the weirdest way of showing affection which makes it even more meaningful. And you can see the depth of their bond in Horst's dreams of his brother while he was in the Dreamlands (he even woke up a couple of times yelling ‘Cats!’ or ‘Crabs!’).
There are so many wonderful and funny moments where Horst can see the changes in Johannes.
The ending promises another extraordinary Johannes Cabal adventure. I can hardly wait.
‘Well, look at us. The necromancer and the vampire against the forces of elemental evil. The Brothers Cabal ride again!’ ‘Yeehaw,’ said Cabal evenly.'I'm certain that nobody will be surprised to see I liked this book. A lot. I would suggest reading these books in order even if each book has its own story and can, if you wish, be read out of order.
The Brothers Cabal has its own surprises and peculiarities you won't find in other books. The ending of the third book brought Horst back. Not much of a spoiler considering the title and the book summary. Here you find out 'the tale of his second resurrection, why it occurred, and what happened subsequently.' The Brothers Cabal is the weakest of the four (for me) because my favourite character, Johannes Cabal, fully enters the narrative only in the last third of the book.
Still, certain things make up for his non-participation: the way this book is written, many surprising things that happen and numerous fascinating characters.
The first two thirds of the book consist of Horst's retelling of events that preceded his arrival to find his brother in front of his home in previous book. Johannes finds out who resurrected Horst, where they brought him and what was expected of him.
Those who love Johannes Cabal will be relieved to know that Horst's story is frequently interrupted by short interludes where his younger brother requires further explanation. Those are hilarious. You can't find two people more different than these two.
‘You are the least suitable “Lord of the Dead” I can imagine,’ said his brother.'Anyway, as the book summary tells us there is an evil secret society that wants to use Horst as one of the generals in their army of monsters. The moment he realises how evil and terrible their plans are, he decides that he and his new found allies need someone smarter and more dangerous, namely his brother.
I won't write about those allies too much. Better to be pleasantly surprised. I'll only say that I can't remember when I encountered this many awesome female characters in a book. Yes, plural.
The relationship between the brothers is lovely. You can actually see how much they love each other, even if one of them doesn't know how to say it. Johannes Cabal has the weirdest way of showing affection which makes it even more meaningful. And you can see the depth of their bond in Horst's dreams of his brother while he was in the Dreamlands (he even woke up a couple of times yelling ‘Cats!’ or ‘Crabs!’).
There are so many wonderful and funny moments where Horst can see the changes in Johannes.
'Cabal was distracted, lost in terrible memories of altruism. ‘Awful, selfless things. Sometimes I commit sensible, rational acts and I get a pain in my chest. And then undoing what I’ve done makes me feel better. Sometimes it even makes me feel good. ‘Horst, I think I may have a conscience.’ His brother bursting into laughter did not help Cabal’s metaphysical suffering in the slightest.'In the four Cabal books, Johannes Cabal's experiences changed him a lot.
The ending promises another extraordinary Johannes Cabal adventure. I can hardly wait.
December 13, 2020
Great story, great sense of humour!
August 3, 2021
4.5 stars
I love Johannes, but I love Johannes and Horst even more <33
Late late late MacHalo BR with Sarah and Margaux!
I love Johannes, but I love Johannes and Horst even more <33
Late late late MacHalo BR with Sarah and Margaux!
April 13, 2024
I loved this so much. This may be my favourite of the series. The sibling rivalry and brotherly love and confidence was a pleasure to read. Cabal is just fun. He pretty much is disdainful of everyone and it’s one of his characteristics I find hilarious and utterly engaging. The narrative was chock full of zombies, werewolves and monsters with a playfulness that kept it light, fun and witty. The pacing was perfect and though there was a sense of fun there was also a good deal of action which was very satisfying. A reader has to pay attention because the humour is sometimes slyly placed and the humour is dark but delightful. Zombies, monsters, and evil fairies ( in the most entertaining garden imaginable) are not typically so humorous but with Howard’s wit they’re highly entertaining.
July 8, 2016
Marvelous fun! The last third especially, once we finally have both the Cabal brothers active in the story at the same time. After introducing the marvelous Johannes-Horst team in the first of this series, the author shows us in the two subsequent books that no one is as satisfactory a foil for the cryptic and single-minded Johannes as his tender-hearted brother. Having observed over the course of the last two books Johannes's glacial development of compassion and sympathy (in very modest amounts, but we wouldn't want him becoming an old softy now, would we?), in this fourth installment we see Horst coming to terms with his vampiric nature. And a surprisingly decent vampiric nature it is, too. My only complaint is that two hundred pages was a bit long to wait for the brothers to swing into action together – Horst alone lacks “bite” (pun shamelessly intended), just as Johannes alone is too ruthless, but together....! This was a four star book for me for quite a while, and I'm still wavering on whether to round up to five. Regardless, there are loads of laugh-out-loud funny bits (including excellent footnotes), some fine secondary characters, our villain is marvelous, both of the brothers are alive(ish), and things look wonderfully promising for book 5.
July 8, 2014
I got an advance release copy of this book from the publisher and was happy to have it in my purse while I sat in the orthodontist's waiting room. I *might* have frightened the receptionist a bit with my giggling and snorting. That's right: this book is snorting-out-loud-even-in-public-places funny.
Why should you read this volume of the Johannes Cabal series? Well, it's got:
a) a lovable vampire
b) lots of zombies
c) lycanthropes of all variety and shape
d) a badass female spy with a knack for explosives
e) quality snark from the snarkiest necromancer in literature.
I thought it was great!
Why should you read this volume of the Johannes Cabal series? Well, it's got:
a) a lovable vampire
b) lots of zombies
c) lycanthropes of all variety and shape
d) a badass female spy with a knack for explosives
e) quality snark from the snarkiest necromancer in literature.
I thought it was great!
October 29, 2015
The fourth Johannes Cabal novel sees the return of his brother Horst, a vampire who would rather not be. Horst takes a major role too, especially in the first half of the book and he's a fun character to tag along with. Mr. Howard has a definite way with words and often made me snicker at his droll wordplay. And The Brothers Cabal is in top form. (I may have to re-read the first two someday. The third not so much.) Anyway, I won't spoil the story for you. Suffice it to say that this outing includes steampunkish airships, zombies, and werewolves and tons of witty remarks.
June 19, 2024
This installment further cements this series as one of my all-time favorites across all genres. The writing and humor check all the boxes for me.
January 7, 2016
I think I love this series more with every book.
That said, I'm glad I like the character of Horst so much, because the first, like, 2/3 of this book primarily focuses on him and his regaling his bother with the story of his second resurrection and the events which have befallen him, which brought him to his brother in the first place. But how can you not enjoy spending time with the dapper vampire who is more concerned with getting trousers upon resurrection than in feeding?
My only real complaint is that the final 1/3 of the book seemed a bit too easy for all the build-up we got to get there. But I suppose that's just what happens when Johannes gets involved and knows so much about the weaknesses of various supernatural aspects.
Oh, I lied - my other complaint was that while this story is nicely wrapped up, it's also kind of not. I mean, it's not a cliffhanger by any means, but it also felt unfinished since
That said -
I continue to love the wry humour and little asides. The interaction between Horst and Johannes is wonderful fun. I'm so looking forward to the next in the series - though the title has me somewhat concerned: The Fall of the House of Cabal. (Though I'm loving the play on Poe's story, and considering these books have toyed with different genres and homages, I have to assume that's on purpose. ^_^)
That said, I'm glad I like the character of Horst so much, because the first, like, 2/3 of this book primarily focuses on him and his regaling his bother with the story of his second resurrection and the events which have befallen him, which brought him to his brother in the first place. But how can you not enjoy spending time with the dapper vampire who is more concerned with getting trousers upon resurrection than in feeding?
My only real complaint is that the final 1/3 of the book seemed a bit too easy for all the build-up we got to get there. But I suppose that's just what happens when Johannes gets involved and knows so much about the weaknesses of various supernatural aspects.
Oh, I lied - my other complaint was that while this story is nicely wrapped up, it's also kind of not. I mean, it's not a cliffhanger by any means, but it also felt unfinished since
That said -
I continue to love the wry humour and little asides. The interaction between Horst and Johannes is wonderful fun. I'm so looking forward to the next in the series - though the title has me somewhat concerned: The Fall of the House of Cabal. (Though I'm loving the play on Poe's story, and considering these books have toyed with different genres and homages, I have to assume that's on purpose. ^_^)
November 9, 2014
Cabal, having survived Lovecraftian horrors and forged some sort of special relationship with Nyarlothotep, is carried to safety through a garden of horrors by a loving brother vampire. Our man may have his soul back (though he is markedly less human than his brother, the aforementioned vampire). His brother then cajoles him into fighting zombies, demons, and financiers. Somehow they acquire air power. And witches.
Nicely constructed and often laugh out loud funny. Cabal is not a lovable scamp. I really like the soulless vampire more. But man, when he calls the creeping evil by its real name, I loved him.
I was disappointed in the lack of zebras.
Nicely constructed and often laugh out loud funny. Cabal is not a lovable scamp. I really like the soulless vampire more. But man, when he calls the creeping evil by its real name, I loved him.
I was disappointed in the lack of zebras.
April 23, 2017
Sa povratkom "mrtvog" brata ovaj serijal dobija ogroman boost u kvalitetu. Jednostavno odnos i nicain na koji reaguju braca Kabal je fenomenalan i najbolji deo knjige. Plus imamo odlicnu akciju, odlicnog negativca i dogadjajekoji se razvijaju tako da nemamo ideju kako ce se sve zavrsiti.
Odlivno i nema ni jednog dosadnog momenta.
Odlivno i nema ni jednog dosadnog momenta.
September 5, 2021
Хорст, який щиро засмучується щоразу, коли щось стається з його шмотками (незважаючи на пекло, яке розвергається в цей час навколо нього) - просто муд фор лайф.
August 2, 2014
I mean, I might be biased: I love autumn, I love adventure, I love British humor - and I love a smart hand on the tiller of a story. Sure, it could be argued that there are a couple of moments that feel a bit rushed and the end is nearly an anti-climax (although really it's just more of a semi-cliffhanger) - but who cares? Who cares about that when you've got characters who you just want to spend time with? Johannes and Horst together do something I never quite imagined: they make Johannes Cabal stories even better than they already were. With any luck, we'll see more to come - because there's room, damn it, in this world for a necromancer of some little infamy and his vampire brother. My only regret is that I read this so fast and so soon in the year.
More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2014/07...
More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2014/07...
Read
December 12, 2016Another fun, kinetic, and wry Cabal novel!
June 24, 2015
loved it! I can't wait for the next one!
October 13, 2017
I have been negligent in reviewing this series. At first, I thought this was because it was throwaway fluff - just a summer popcorn book to read for fun that would have no impact on me.
That may have been the case, but..
This is why I really wish there was a review series option in goodreads. This is one of those series where the sum of the whole is greater than each individual book separately. And this, is the best book of them all (at least so far).
Characters: 5*
Plot: 4.5*
Universe: 4.5*
Unexpected Fun Value: 5.5*
Do you like Dr. Who? I mean him at his best when he goes all superior on you. When he uses his intellect to just be on another plain than all of the insects (errr...other sentient beings) around him? When your rules of morality juts don't apply to him? Well then. Guess what? That is Johannes Cabel.
Character development? 5*. These characters are multi-dimensional and grow throughout the series. I've come to know and to love them for their complexity and emotions. I really do wish more characters would recur throughout the series, but then I guess I wouldn't get to meet these new fun universe.
Plot? 4.5* Maybe 5*. This plot is fun and, while the reader might guess some of the answers to the plot, rest assured there are enough twists and turns to surprise and delight you.
Universe? 4.5*. I love a book universe where the surroundings themselves impact the story. Yeah...It does in this book, but not quite as much as in some of the earlier books.
In any event. This book is fun. Read the series. I may have to go back and retroactively review the other books.
That may have been the case, but..
This is why I really wish there was a review series option in goodreads. This is one of those series where the sum of the whole is greater than each individual book separately. And this, is the best book of them all (at least so far).
Characters: 5*
Plot: 4.5*
Universe: 4.5*
Unexpected Fun Value: 5.5*
Do you like Dr. Who? I mean him at his best when he goes all superior on you. When he uses his intellect to just be on another plain than all of the insects (errr...other sentient beings) around him? When your rules of morality juts don't apply to him? Well then. Guess what? That is Johannes Cabel.
Character development? 5*. These characters are multi-dimensional and grow throughout the series. I've come to know and to love them for their complexity and emotions. I really do wish more characters would recur throughout the series, but then I guess I wouldn't get to meet these new fun universe.
Plot? 4.5* Maybe 5*. This plot is fun and, while the reader might guess some of the answers to the plot, rest assured there are enough twists and turns to surprise and delight you.
Universe? 4.5*. I love a book universe where the surroundings themselves impact the story. Yeah...It does in this book, but not quite as much as in some of the earlier books.
In any event. This book is fun. Read the series. I may have to go back and retroactively review the other books.
November 16, 2022
There was some bad news and good news for me with The Brothers Cabal. The bad news: there’s not a lot of Johannes in this book. The good news: Horst is back and the first three quarters of the story revolves around him.
It was great fun to see the story from Horst’s point of view. It’s an omniscient POV as the meta-narrative points out, but we get Horst’s thoughts, see his insecurities and inner conflict with his vampiric nature, instead of him just playing a contrast to Johannes. In Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, we learned that he is attractive and charming enough to incite Johannes' envy, and empathetic and caring enough to conflict with Johannes' cold and pragmatic nature.
In The Brothers Cabal, Horst gets a handle on what it means to be a vampire. He struggles with the way he sees himself and the supporting characters who view him, whether friend or foe, as a monster. He also fights with an “inner voice” telling him to be a vicious predator(you know like, an actual vampire). Johannes, in contrast, holds himself apart from most people and could care less how they see him.
All of Horst’s inner turmoil is occurring alongside lots of action; The Brothers Cabal might be the most fast-paced of the series thus far. He allies himself with a monster/supernatural hunting society and an all-female flying circus. There are several chase scenes and monster battle scenes with were-creatures and cosmic horrors. Eventually this all leads to Horst getting Johannes involved.
I had mixed feelings about the brother's nemesis. I like that she’s a call back to Johannes Cabal the Detective, but from what we saw of her, I’m not convinced of her transformation to a worthy opponent in such a short time. Maybe tragedy can focus the mind, but the spoiled and vacuous person we saw would have had a long way to go.
As always, the Johannes Cabal series has a lot of humor and homage/reference to other pop culture, but there was one moment in here that especially tickled me:
“It’s in the trees! It’s coming”
Probably a reference to the British 1957 horror film Night of the Demon but I’m choosing to think it also refers to the intro to Kate Bush’s song, "The Hounds of Love," which samples the line from the movie.
It’s the little things.
The Johannes Cabal series continues to be my new favorite escapist entertainment.
It was great fun to see the story from Horst’s point of view. It’s an omniscient POV as the meta-narrative points out, but we get Horst’s thoughts, see his insecurities and inner conflict with his vampiric nature, instead of him just playing a contrast to Johannes. In Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, we learned that he is attractive and charming enough to incite Johannes' envy, and empathetic and caring enough to conflict with Johannes' cold and pragmatic nature.
In The Brothers Cabal, Horst gets a handle on what it means to be a vampire. He struggles with the way he sees himself and the supporting characters who view him, whether friend or foe, as a monster. He also fights with an “inner voice” telling him to be a vicious predator(you know like, an actual vampire). Johannes, in contrast, holds himself apart from most people and could care less how they see him.
All of Horst’s inner turmoil is occurring alongside lots of action; The Brothers Cabal might be the most fast-paced of the series thus far. He allies himself with a monster/supernatural hunting society and an all-female flying circus. There are several chase scenes and monster battle scenes with were-creatures and cosmic horrors. Eventually this all leads to Horst getting Johannes involved.
I had mixed feelings about the brother's nemesis. I like that she’s a call back to Johannes Cabal the Detective, but from what we saw of her, I’m not convinced of her transformation to a worthy opponent in such a short time. Maybe tragedy can focus the mind, but the spoiled and vacuous person we saw would have had a long way to go.
As always, the Johannes Cabal series has a lot of humor and homage/reference to other pop culture, but there was one moment in here that especially tickled me:
“It’s in the trees! It’s coming”
Probably a reference to the British 1957 horror film Night of the Demon but I’m choosing to think it also refers to the intro to Kate Bush’s song, "The Hounds of Love," which samples the line from the movie.
It’s the little things.
The Johannes Cabal series continues to be my new favorite escapist entertainment.
October 22, 2022
История про то, как брат Йоханнеса самовыкопался из могилы и они устроили вечеринку.
October 20, 2024
Der Vampir Horst Cabal wird von einem ominösen "Ministerium" zurück ins Unleben geholt, um an einem ihm erst nach und nach und nie vollständig erörterten Vorhaben beteiligt zu werden. Als sich nach und nach herausstellt, dass die Absichten des Ministeriums mitnichten mit Horsts Gewissen zu vereinbaren sind und darüber hinaus auch den noch konventionell am Leben befindlichen Bevölkerungsanteilen der Erde erhebliches Ungemach bereiten könnten, schließt Horst sich einer Gruppe von Vampirjägern an und macht sich auf den Weg, den einzigen ins Boot zu holen, der ihnen jetzt noch helfen kann - seinen Bruder Johannes, den Nekromanten.
Aaaah, ich hatte mich gespoilert, weil ich so wahnsinnig traurig über Horsts endgültiges Ableben war und wissen wollte, ob er irgendwann wiederkehrt. Also - er kehrt wieder und zwar in diesem Band. Da es im Klappentext steht, denke ich nicht, dass das jetzt noch ein Spoiler ist. Ich habe mich sooo gefreut, Horst ist einfach toll. :D
Besonders gut gefiel mir, dass diesmal ein nicht geringer Teil der Geschichte aus seiner Sicht erzählt ist. Zugegeben - Horst ist weniger genial als sein nekromantisierender Bruder. Dafür aber umso liebenswürdiger. Das gibt der Erzählung nochmal einen anderen Tonfall, der jedoch keinesfalls weniger humorvoll ist als der in den bisherigen Bänden. Und als die beiden Brüder wieder vereint sind, ergänzen sie sich wieder aufs Wunderbarste!
Nachdem die ersten drei Bände eher für sich zu stehen schienen, gibt es in diesem hier jede Menge Verweise auf die vorigen Ereignisse und einige Geschehnisse finden hier ihre Fortführung. Dass es dem Autor erneut gelingt, einen Band zu liefern, der der Grundidee mit dem etwas abgehobenen Nekromanten treu bleibt, dabei aber wieder ganz frisch und anders als die vorigen Bände daherkommt, finde ich beeindruckend.
Bin seeehr gespannt auf den nächsten Band!
Aaaah, ich hatte mich gespoilert, weil ich so wahnsinnig traurig über Horsts endgültiges Ableben war und wissen wollte, ob er irgendwann wiederkehrt. Also - er kehrt wieder und zwar in diesem Band. Da es im Klappentext steht, denke ich nicht, dass das jetzt noch ein Spoiler ist. Ich habe mich sooo gefreut, Horst ist einfach toll. :D
Besonders gut gefiel mir, dass diesmal ein nicht geringer Teil der Geschichte aus seiner Sicht erzählt ist. Zugegeben - Horst ist weniger genial als sein nekromantisierender Bruder. Dafür aber umso liebenswürdiger. Das gibt der Erzählung nochmal einen anderen Tonfall, der jedoch keinesfalls weniger humorvoll ist als der in den bisherigen Bänden. Und als die beiden Brüder wieder vereint sind, ergänzen sie sich wieder aufs Wunderbarste!
Nachdem die ersten drei Bände eher für sich zu stehen schienen, gibt es in diesem hier jede Menge Verweise auf die vorigen Ereignisse und einige Geschehnisse finden hier ihre Fortführung. Dass es dem Autor erneut gelingt, einen Band zu liefern, der der Grundidee mit dem etwas abgehobenen Nekromanten treu bleibt, dabei aber wieder ganz frisch und anders als die vorigen Bände daherkommt, finde ich beeindruckend.
Bin seeehr gespannt auf den nächsten Band!
September 30, 2019
What a difference from book #3. Much better pacing, storyline and action.
This book is a story about the resurrection and adventures of Horst, older bro of dear Johannes and is a constant adventure with some pretty well rounded characters, a plot twist or two and the inevitable supply of words that shows JLH is a walking Thesaurus.
The last book had me thinking that the story had run it's course and that the author really had run out of ideas what to do with the character, but this cleverly puts the story back into play. Written in a very interesting format, third person, told by the first person, allows JLH to smartly have Johannes interject every now and then to anchor him to the story. I also really like the unusual way the author reaches out to the reader and explains that he is breaking with the third person view from the first person dialogue to give you some part of the story that the character wouldn't have know happened as they weren't there, but JLH wishes us to know what happened because 'the reader' ought to know. I am rambling, I know. But I liked how he did it.
Anyway. Yes. Very happy with the book, a rollicking adventure story with solid characters and brilliant dialogue between the brothers and, very well thought out character growth. The prologue is particularly interesting (the not so nice one, not the happy as Larry one. Yes, there are two) with a finish that leaves you thinking 'oh! hmmmmm interesting and clever. That means, well, that means onto book 5 then'.
This book is a story about the resurrection and adventures of Horst, older bro of dear Johannes and is a constant adventure with some pretty well rounded characters, a plot twist or two and the inevitable supply of words that shows JLH is a walking Thesaurus.
The last book had me thinking that the story had run it's course and that the author really had run out of ideas what to do with the character, but this cleverly puts the story back into play. Written in a very interesting format, third person, told by the first person, allows JLH to smartly have Johannes interject every now and then to anchor him to the story. I also really like the unusual way the author reaches out to the reader and explains that he is breaking with the third person view from the first person dialogue to give you some part of the story that the character wouldn't have know happened as they weren't there, but JLH wishes us to know what happened because 'the reader' ought to know. I am rambling, I know. But I liked how he did it.
Anyway. Yes. Very happy with the book, a rollicking adventure story with solid characters and brilliant dialogue between the brothers and, very well thought out character growth. The prologue is particularly interesting (the not so nice one, not the happy as Larry one. Yes, there are two) with a finish that leaves you thinking 'oh! hmmmmm interesting and clever. That means, well, that means onto book 5 then'.
June 7, 2025
*Screams of a Chey can be heard in the distance*
I'm going to lose my mind. Every book in this series has been 5 freaking stars for me. No pressure for the next book, obviously.
This book is now tied with #2 for my favorite, and if you've read this series, you'll know that probably makes a lot of sense given some of the connections. This world is so rich, and the author does an amazing job of continuously world building and exploring this insanity.
The way that little things come back into play, or interweave with other elements, to deepen and enrich the tales and mayhem is masterful and not eye rolling with 'I saw that coming'. It's AWESOME.
The prose? Incredible. Descriptions? Delectable.
Humor? I'm going to need new highlighters and a heating pad for how much I'm gonna annotate and belly laugh myself to tears.
Johannes and Horst hold an extremely special place in my heart. The character development between them both has me needing merch, an extended universe, and films, immediately, even if it's just in my head.
The amount of times I declared both excitement and horror in the same page is awe-inspiring. I read a paragraph that broke my heart more than any other romance I think I've read.
I just want my lads to be happy!!!!!!
I'm so very interested to see how Johannes continues to evolve with the nuisance of a conscience and the antics he and Horst must face next.
Johannes is my spirit animal and I proudly declare that. One of my favorite things to do while reading was to play the game of "Horst, your Johannes is showing."
Anyway, I'm off to scream into the void now, like Johannes' collection of growing heads in boxes. Thank you.
I'm going to lose my mind. Every book in this series has been 5 freaking stars for me. No pressure for the next book, obviously.
This book is now tied with #2 for my favorite, and if you've read this series, you'll know that probably makes a lot of sense given some of the connections. This world is so rich, and the author does an amazing job of continuously world building and exploring this insanity.
The way that little things come back into play, or interweave with other elements, to deepen and enrich the tales and mayhem is masterful and not eye rolling with 'I saw that coming'. It's AWESOME.
The prose? Incredible. Descriptions? Delectable.
Humor? I'm going to need new highlighters and a heating pad for how much I'm gonna annotate and belly laugh myself to tears.
Johannes and Horst hold an extremely special place in my heart. The character development between them both has me needing merch, an extended universe, and films, immediately, even if it's just in my head.
The amount of times I declared both excitement and horror in the same page is awe-inspiring. I read a paragraph that broke my heart more than any other romance I think I've read.
I just want my lads to be happy!!!!!!
I'm so very interested to see how Johannes continues to evolve with the nuisance of a conscience and the antics he and Horst must face next.
Johannes is my spirit animal and I proudly declare that. One of my favorite things to do while reading was to play the game of "Horst, your Johannes is showing."
Anyway, I'm off to scream into the void now, like Johannes' collection of growing heads in boxes. Thank you.
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