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Cal Leandros #3
Madhouse
Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother Niko aren’t exactly prospering with their preternatural detective agency. Who could have guessed that business could dry up in New York City, where vampires, trolls, and other creepy crawlies are all over the place—if you know where to look. But now there’s a new arrival in the Big Apple. A malevolent evil with ancient powers is picking off humans like sheep, dead-set on making history with an orgy of blood and murder. And for Cal and Niko, this is one paycheck they’re going to have to earn. If they live long enough to collect it…
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2008
66 people are currently reading
1737 people want to read
About the author
Rob Thurman
43 books1,562 followersRob Thurman is currently writing three series for Penguin Putnam's imprint ROC FANTASY, as well as a brand-new mainstream series for Simon & Schuster's POCKET BOOKS.
Rob has also written for a Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner Anthology, WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE. This year, Rob contributed a post-apocalyptic, "grim" faerie tale Western to the anthology, COURTS OF THE FEY.
Rob's work is dark, non-stop action from beginning to end, rife with purely evil sarcasm as sharp as a switchblade - and probably nearly as illegal. If one shoved LORD OF THE RINGS,
THE SHINING, and PULP FICTION into a wood-chipper, the result would be what Rob aims to deliver in a novel or short story.
A member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), ROB THURMAN lives in RURAL Indiana - land of endless fields, infinite cows and where dialup is still the only soul-crushing option.
Rob has also written for a Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner Anthology, WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE. This year, Rob contributed a post-apocalyptic, "grim" faerie tale Western to the anthology, COURTS OF THE FEY.
Rob's work is dark, non-stop action from beginning to end, rife with purely evil sarcasm as sharp as a switchblade - and probably nearly as illegal. If one shoved LORD OF THE RINGS,
THE SHINING, and PULP FICTION into a wood-chipper, the result would be what Rob aims to deliver in a novel or short story.
A member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), ROB THURMAN lives in RURAL Indiana - land of endless fields, infinite cows and where dialup is still the only soul-crushing option.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
February 13, 2017
Holy cliffhanger hell, that was a doozy.
Other than the last few paragraphs that came out of nowhere and knocked me on the side of the head, the book was rather sedate. Sure, there's a cool plot about a restored and ancient serial killer that's tough to beat, but just like the others in this series so far - nothing feels frantic or particularly suspenseful about it.
I think the main issue is that most Urban Fantasies dip their genre toe deeply into the mystery pool, stimulating the thinking part of the brain as much as the action part. With this series, there's little mystery - most of what is unknown is discovered almost right away, leaving little pause and wonder (no surprise) - so it's basically connect the dots from one action point to the next.
Cal isn't as emo as before, but he's still realistically conflicted, which is fine. He's a unique character and I like his sassy attitude, gritty outlook, normal hormones, and sense of loyalty. Niko still hasn't grown on me as he's too perfect and paper pure, but he's okay as a background and their brotherly bond is still fitting. Promise is still kind of lackluster, but Robin is - as always - a fun character bomb that was tossed into the group.
The villains were brutally vicious and hard to conquer, but I knew they were be bested in the end so there's just wasn't enough tension to raise the rating. You could have put in any other antiquated serial killer and had a similar feel of rush and story. It was creative to use who the author did (I won't spoil it), but I think the issue is what I explained about -the way the world goes about sending out these signals. It's a little redundant.
I'll still continue with the series - the author writes well, dialogue rings true, the world-building is filled with bizarre fantastical creatures and powers. And of course after that cliffhanger - I have to see that the demented starter race may have come back to finish the job.
Other than the last few paragraphs that came out of nowhere and knocked me on the side of the head, the book was rather sedate. Sure, there's a cool plot about a restored and ancient serial killer that's tough to beat, but just like the others in this series so far - nothing feels frantic or particularly suspenseful about it.
I think the main issue is that most Urban Fantasies dip their genre toe deeply into the mystery pool, stimulating the thinking part of the brain as much as the action part. With this series, there's little mystery - most of what is unknown is discovered almost right away, leaving little pause and wonder (no surprise) - so it's basically connect the dots from one action point to the next.
Cal isn't as emo as before, but he's still realistically conflicted, which is fine. He's a unique character and I like his sassy attitude, gritty outlook, normal hormones, and sense of loyalty. Niko still hasn't grown on me as he's too perfect and paper pure, but he's okay as a background and their brotherly bond is still fitting. Promise is still kind of lackluster, but Robin is - as always - a fun character bomb that was tossed into the group.
The villains were brutally vicious and hard to conquer, but I knew they were be bested in the end so there's just wasn't enough tension to raise the rating. You could have put in any other antiquated serial killer and had a similar feel of rush and story. It was creative to use who the author did (I won't spoil it), but I think the issue is what I explained about -the way the world goes about sending out these signals. It's a little redundant.
I'll still continue with the series - the author writes well, dialogue rings true, the world-building is filled with bizarre fantastical creatures and powers. And of course after that cliffhanger - I have to see that the demented starter race may have come back to finish the job.
February 5, 2010
Yet again, I'm blown away with the third Cal Leandros book. To me, these books are powerful. They have so much intensity as far as human emotions and struggles. Not a book that could bore me, by any means.
As anyone who has followed my reviews on this series probably has surmised, I adore Nik, who is Cal's older brother. But I find I am falling more and more in love with Cal. He is really turning into a remarkable man. He's lethal as a warrior. He's smart and resourceful. And he has a wounded heart that calls to me as a reader. I think Rob Thurman does such a great job of writing Cal. He feels real to me. Like the young man that he is. Cal's struggles in life are enough to break your heart. He is half-monster, literally. His mother slept with an Auphe for money, and he's the result. His kin are monsters from a person's darkest nightmares. And there are the ever-present fears that they will return to destroy Cal and everything he loves. As such, he has had to push away the one woman he loves, George. I felt very bad for Cal. He didn't want to hurt George, and having to cut her out of his life, hurt him and her very much. But he knew that he wasn't good for her. What he did, definitely caused her to cut ties with him.
Cal sees himself as a monster. He's afraid to look in the mirror because of what happened in Nightlife. He despises the monster inside of him. But truly, he is no monster. He's sarcastic to a T, irreverent, but very, very honorable. He's one of the most compelling narrators I've had the pleasure to read. Like I said, Cal's catching up to my Nik love, and fast. I think there's enough room in my heart to adore them to the same level, so that's okay. In fact, I'm looking forward to it.
I am ambivalent about Cal's advent into a sexual life. I can see why he did what he did, but I feel sad that he could not have his first time with someone he loved, and cared for it. I feel a little more at peace about his relationship with Delilah, a very sexy but deadly female werewolf who calls him "Pretty Boy." She saves his life by performing a very intimate task for him. I knew that wind was going to blow in her direction at that point. There is a connection there with her. They both live on the dark side, they are both warriors. And they are both broken in some way. I came to like Delilah, and part of me didn't feel bad when Cal slept with her. Yet, I feel regret for what could have been with George. I wonder if things will work out for them to be together again. But now, I agree with Cal that it's too dangerous for her to be near him. Hopefully they will find a way back to each other.
Nik and Cal's relationship: The heart of this book. It's changing, as Cal gets older, more self-sufficient. As Delilah says, Nik will always be the alpha, but he's showing Cal the regard of a highly-trained and capable warrior, a man worthy of respect. I like that Nik is giving Cal the room he needs, but he still pushes and cares for Nik in the fashion of mother and father combined. I think Nik must be very proud of him. As one of my friends said, any women who comes into their lives will have to understand that that bond between them is intrinsic to their being. It's what I love about this series.
The action is unrelenting, as usual. Nik and Cal are warriors in the true sense. You know they are going to take down their enemies, hard. I love that about this book. There are aspects that Ms. Thurman reveals in her writing that help to contribute the iconic nature of their characters. Nik is the samurai. His honor is impeachable. He lives by his code, and he does not stray from it. Every day and every moment is designed to be used to make himself and his brother into better warriors so that they can survive and help those in need. His body is a weapon. I like the way Thurman describes Nik with just enough words to show who and what he is. I want to smile on the scenes that define him as a person. His love for Cal breaks my heart. He'd die for him. Simple as that. That's how you should love your family, in my opinion. Cal loves Nik just as much. They are very different, but their core essence is the same. That love, that determination to survive and prevail against all odds. And to help those in need of help.
This book is dark with ugly violence and evil creatures. But there is a light in the powerful bond between the brothers, and the friends they have made. Not many, but quality is much better than quantity. That brings me to Robin. Who knew Robin would become such a pivotal character? I love the guy. He's one of those very morally flexible, but at the same time, deeply likeable characters. He's predictable in his ability to keep surprising me as a reader. I love his scenes. I really do. I can't imagine a Cal Leandros book without him, now.
I love the mythology and the world-building of series. How Thurman has made New York into a fantastic place full of creatures straight out of the darkest fairy tales and legends. A valkyrie curator at the Metropolitan Museum, a Japanese healing spirit who teaches pre-med students at the university. A mummy who lurks in the bowels of the museum. And a very scary, very crazy redcap who lives for the kill of any 'travelers' he can get ahold of. But Thurman doesn't just take things from folklore,chapter and verse. She gives it her own spin. Like the angels, which are called 'peris' in this book. They tend to have an unearthly beauty and a bad temper to match, and are always shedding feathers. In fact, Cal's boss is one. He runs a bar called "The Ninth Circle," where many of the fantastic creatures go to wet their whistle, and to have a rousing barfight or two. Man, I wish I could live in a city like this. It'd be dangerous, but heck, it'd be so fun.
I like that the villains in this series are not 'paper tigers.' Going up against them always holds risks for the brothers and their allies. They have the scars, inside and out, to show for their batttles. Of course, they will prevail. But at a cost.
This book ends on a cliffhanger that is like a double whammy. There are some serious loose ends that are dangling. Sign me up for all the books Rob Thurman want to write about the Leandros brothers. I am always up for more Cal and Nik. Bring them on!
As anyone who has followed my reviews on this series probably has surmised, I adore Nik, who is Cal's older brother. But I find I am falling more and more in love with Cal. He is really turning into a remarkable man. He's lethal as a warrior. He's smart and resourceful. And he has a wounded heart that calls to me as a reader. I think Rob Thurman does such a great job of writing Cal. He feels real to me. Like the young man that he is. Cal's struggles in life are enough to break your heart. He is half-monster, literally. His mother slept with an Auphe for money, and he's the result. His kin are monsters from a person's darkest nightmares. And there are the ever-present fears that they will return to destroy Cal and everything he loves. As such, he has had to push away the one woman he loves, George. I felt very bad for Cal. He didn't want to hurt George, and having to cut her out of his life, hurt him and her very much. But he knew that he wasn't good for her. What he did, definitely caused her to cut ties with him.
Cal sees himself as a monster. He's afraid to look in the mirror because of what happened in Nightlife. He despises the monster inside of him. But truly, he is no monster. He's sarcastic to a T, irreverent, but very, very honorable. He's one of the most compelling narrators I've had the pleasure to read. Like I said, Cal's catching up to my Nik love, and fast. I think there's enough room in my heart to adore them to the same level, so that's okay. In fact, I'm looking forward to it.
I am ambivalent about Cal's advent into a sexual life. I can see why he did what he did, but I feel sad that he could not have his first time with someone he loved, and cared for it. I feel a little more at peace about his relationship with Delilah, a very sexy but deadly female werewolf who calls him "Pretty Boy." She saves his life by performing a very intimate task for him. I knew that wind was going to blow in her direction at that point. There is a connection there with her. They both live on the dark side, they are both warriors. And they are both broken in some way. I came to like Delilah, and part of me didn't feel bad when Cal slept with her. Yet, I feel regret for what could have been with George. I wonder if things will work out for them to be together again. But now, I agree with Cal that it's too dangerous for her to be near him. Hopefully they will find a way back to each other.
Nik and Cal's relationship: The heart of this book. It's changing, as Cal gets older, more self-sufficient. As Delilah says, Nik will always be the alpha, but he's showing Cal the regard of a highly-trained and capable warrior, a man worthy of respect. I like that Nik is giving Cal the room he needs, but he still pushes and cares for Nik in the fashion of mother and father combined. I think Nik must be very proud of him. As one of my friends said, any women who comes into their lives will have to understand that that bond between them is intrinsic to their being. It's what I love about this series.
The action is unrelenting, as usual. Nik and Cal are warriors in the true sense. You know they are going to take down their enemies, hard. I love that about this book. There are aspects that Ms. Thurman reveals in her writing that help to contribute the iconic nature of their characters. Nik is the samurai. His honor is impeachable. He lives by his code, and he does not stray from it. Every day and every moment is designed to be used to make himself and his brother into better warriors so that they can survive and help those in need. His body is a weapon. I like the way Thurman describes Nik with just enough words to show who and what he is. I want to smile on the scenes that define him as a person. His love for Cal breaks my heart. He'd die for him. Simple as that. That's how you should love your family, in my opinion. Cal loves Nik just as much. They are very different, but their core essence is the same. That love, that determination to survive and prevail against all odds. And to help those in need of help.
This book is dark with ugly violence and evil creatures. But there is a light in the powerful bond between the brothers, and the friends they have made. Not many, but quality is much better than quantity. That brings me to Robin. Who knew Robin would become such a pivotal character? I love the guy. He's one of those very morally flexible, but at the same time, deeply likeable characters. He's predictable in his ability to keep surprising me as a reader. I love his scenes. I really do. I can't imagine a Cal Leandros book without him, now.
I love the mythology and the world-building of series. How Thurman has made New York into a fantastic place full of creatures straight out of the darkest fairy tales and legends. A valkyrie curator at the Metropolitan Museum, a Japanese healing spirit who teaches pre-med students at the university. A mummy who lurks in the bowels of the museum. And a very scary, very crazy redcap who lives for the kill of any 'travelers' he can get ahold of. But Thurman doesn't just take things from folklore,chapter and verse. She gives it her own spin. Like the angels, which are called 'peris' in this book. They tend to have an unearthly beauty and a bad temper to match, and are always shedding feathers. In fact, Cal's boss is one. He runs a bar called "The Ninth Circle," where many of the fantastic creatures go to wet their whistle, and to have a rousing barfight or two. Man, I wish I could live in a city like this. It'd be dangerous, but heck, it'd be so fun.
I like that the villains in this series are not 'paper tigers.' Going up against them always holds risks for the brothers and their allies. They have the scars, inside and out, to show for their batttles. Of course, they will prevail. But at a cost.
This book ends on a cliffhanger that is like a double whammy. There are some serious loose ends that are dangling. Sign me up for all the books Rob Thurman want to write about the Leandros brothers. I am always up for more Cal and Nik. Bring them on!
August 10, 2024
“Traveler, abide with me.” Red light blazed to bloody suns. “Abide in me. Special boy with the special taste. The taste of madness, the taste of me.”
Although I do love the first two book in the series as well, this one is where I think it really takes off. The first book is a good introduction and the second book is a good first 'real' adventure - although it tends to get bogged down in an unfortunate foray into short-lived romance - but this is where things really get cranked up to 11.
Sawney is a really great and creepy villain and definitely brings out the best/worst in Cal. And while Cal has been using his Auphe powers off and on for the first two books, this is where I think the switch in his brain first gets flipped and he just decides like 'fuck it' and lets go. And the more Auphe Cal is acting the happier I am because I'm just awful like that. But I do really love the showdown with him and Sawney at the end, definitely one of my favorite fights of the series.
Also I love that Delilah is in this one so much because I just really like her and Cal as a frenemies-with-benefits situation. I love how Cal thinks he's all big and bad and she's just like pfft, that's cute. It might not be a 'healthy' relationship by any means but she can more than keep up with him and I think also keeps him in line somewhat in regards to his overly emo nature. All in all just a really fun book and it's great to get some insight into Robin's past towards the end as well.
Although I do love the first two book in the series as well, this one is where I think it really takes off. The first book is a good introduction and the second book is a good first 'real' adventure - although it tends to get bogged down in an unfortunate foray into short-lived romance - but this is where things really get cranked up to 11.
Sawney is a really great and creepy villain and definitely brings out the best/worst in Cal. And while Cal has been using his Auphe powers off and on for the first two books, this is where I think the switch in his brain first gets flipped and he just decides like 'fuck it' and lets go. And the more Auphe Cal is acting the happier I am because I'm just awful like that. But I do really love the showdown with him and Sawney at the end, definitely one of my favorite fights of the series.
Also I love that Delilah is in this one so much because I just really like her and Cal as a frenemies-with-benefits situation. I love how Cal thinks he's all big and bad and she's just like pfft, that's cute. It might not be a 'healthy' relationship by any means but she can more than keep up with him and I think also keeps him in line somewhat in regards to his overly emo nature. All in all just a really fun book and it's great to get some insight into Robin's past towards the end as well.
March 21, 2012
Another dark entry into the Leandros series, this time focusing on the pursuit of mass murderer Sawney Beane the Redcap, and on the mysterious attempts to assassinate Robin Goodfellow. Cal is less despair-ridden and more sardonic, which is a welcome relief in an overall grim story. I know the wisecracking narrator can be overdone, especially in the UF genre, but it seems appropriate here. This is Cal talking, the one who's been kidnapped, had his personality damaged, been trained to violence and known no loving connections but Niko. His flippancy is part of a picture of emotional damage and distance, and one of the enjoyable developments in Madhouse comes when he realizes the extent to which his inner circle has broadened and his emotional risks have increased. Even though the books are action-oriented, there is quite a bit of emotional development as well. In fact, there will be a... hug.
As usual, the brother relationship is well done, with moments of being swatted upside the head standing in for pats on the back, and threats of violent training replacing kudos. School of hard knocks gone exponential. Although tracking down Sawney is what drives the story, it's the side characters that kept me interested. We witness complicated interactions between Ishiah the peri and Robin; Promise the vampire assists them with their search; Delilah the wolf gets involved in the search for fun and money. Hints abound at their own complicated pasts; all are fascinating additions to the cast. Thurman's mythology and monsters are always interesting as well, and we meet another boggle, and her almost endearing brood, a pack of spider-women and a Valkyrie among others. I thought Thurman did a beautiful job of developing complexity in her depiction of a boggle, one of the monsters. In a more uplifting development, Cal "She may--may try to eat you afterward, but it's rare... Only if she she finds you very, very charming, and with your personality, I think we know what the odds are on that."
Overall, it's a bloody story--how could anything centering on a mass murderer not be?--with too many descriptions of mutilated bodies and eviscerations to be a truly great book for me. People who aren't bothered by horror will likely be untroubled by it.
As usual, the brother relationship is well done, with moments of being swatted upside the head standing in for pats on the back, and threats of violent training replacing kudos. School of hard knocks gone exponential. Although tracking down Sawney is what drives the story, it's the side characters that kept me interested. We witness complicated interactions between Ishiah the peri and Robin; Promise the vampire assists them with their search; Delilah the wolf gets involved in the search for fun and money. Hints abound at their own complicated pasts; all are fascinating additions to the cast. Thurman's mythology and monsters are always interesting as well, and we meet another boggle, and her almost endearing brood, a pack of spider-women and a Valkyrie among others. I thought Thurman did a beautiful job of developing complexity in her depiction of a boggle, one of the monsters. In a more uplifting development, Cal "She may--may try to eat you afterward, but it's rare... Only if she she finds you very, very charming, and with your personality, I think we know what the odds are on that."
Overall, it's a bloody story--how could anything centering on a mass murderer not be?--with too many descriptions of mutilated bodies and eviscerations to be a truly great book for me. People who aren't bothered by horror will likely be untroubled by it.
February 25, 2008
Spoilers of the Large Varity: Proceed at Your Peril
I enjoyed it. Thurman's writing continued to improve.
I really like what she did with Goodfellow. It goes a long way toward explaining why he is the way he is. And I love the idea that his crush on Niko is just a substitution for his feelings for another man. I'd love to know more about his history with the man in question.
I kind of hope this is the last we see of George. I doubt it, but I can hope. She always seemed ridiculously young to me and made me think of Cal as a creepy cradle robber, even though they're actually pretty close in age. But she was pretty much all sweetness and light and therefore a little creepy herself and frankly, uninteresting. I get why Cal would be attracted to her but meh. I think it would have been more interesting if she'd had more grey to her. Niko manages to be a really stand up guy but he still has layers to him that George just doesn't.
Delilah is fine. I don't see much long term potential there since their relationship such as it is seems to be based almost entirely in sex. But we'll see. Honestly, none of the female character are as interesting as any of the male characters, even the minor ones. I think Thurman's interest lies more with the men and I think good female character are incredibly difficult to write but that's another topic or another time.
Anyway. I liked the story, I'm starting to warm up to promise. I really did like the focus on Goodfellow and learning more about him.
And I love the difficulty that Cal and Goodfellow have with caring about other people. It's entirely believable and some of those scenes were just awesome. Cal. Hugging someone not Niko or George. Has someone checked Hell? Has it in fact frozen over? Good times.
The cliffhanger at the end was fun, too.
I enjoyed it. Thurman's writing continued to improve.
I really like what she did with Goodfellow. It goes a long way toward explaining why he is the way he is. And I love the idea that his crush on Niko is just a substitution for his feelings for another man. I'd love to know more about his history with the man in question.
I kind of hope this is the last we see of George. I doubt it, but I can hope. She always seemed ridiculously young to me and made me think of Cal as a creepy cradle robber, even though they're actually pretty close in age. But she was pretty much all sweetness and light and therefore a little creepy herself and frankly, uninteresting. I get why Cal would be attracted to her but meh. I think it would have been more interesting if she'd had more grey to her. Niko manages to be a really stand up guy but he still has layers to him that George just doesn't.
Delilah is fine. I don't see much long term potential there since their relationship such as it is seems to be based almost entirely in sex. But we'll see. Honestly, none of the female character are as interesting as any of the male characters, even the minor ones. I think Thurman's interest lies more with the men and I think good female character are incredibly difficult to write but that's another topic or another time.
Anyway. I liked the story, I'm starting to warm up to promise. I really did like the focus on Goodfellow and learning more about him.
And I love the difficulty that Cal and Goodfellow have with caring about other people. It's entirely believable and some of those scenes were just awesome. Cal. Hugging someone not Niko or George. Has someone checked Hell? Has it in fact frozen over? Good times.
The cliffhanger at the end was fun, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2019
The killer is revealed at the start so it lost the element of mystery. After that it's repetitive fight scenes and bad pacing. A lot was going on with a paranormal serial killer on lose and Robin being on the hit list of a few hundred. Love that Puck. But somehow, it was quite boring. I will pick the next book because of the twist in the end but it didn't surprised me. Knew the Auphie will find their way to Cal.
February 6, 2019
Thurman saved his sophomore slump of the Cal Leandros series for book 3. While book 2 was better than book 1, better pacing, plot development, and needed backstory of main characters, this third book consisted of sarcasm - fight scene - repeat for all 300+ pages. A book about an ancient serial killer who resurrects from ashes in a museum and wrecks havoc on New York while at the same time someone/thing has put out a hit on Robin's (important secondary character and close friend to the Leandros brothers) life should be exciting. Right? Instead, I found myself bored. How is that even possible? I blame pacing and plot development, too much big stuff going on for anything to seem important while minute details were given equal weight. Overall, it was still OK. I'll read the next book with high hopes but low expectations.
September 30, 2010
I'm a bit torn on how to rate this book ...
What I like
+ Cal still being snarky. I'm still amused on his thoughts. Some of them are REALLY FUNNY!
+ A subplot related to Robin; because I love that oversexed puck
+ Less George. I don't like her. I don't know why. She's creepy
+ Delilah is interesting :)
+ Is there possibility of a puck and a peri ... K-I-S-S-I-N-G in the next book? *grin*
What I dislike
+ The subplot of Robin actually makes the writing (since this is written from Cal's 1st POV) feels scattered and all over the place. I admit, the writing is already scattered from the 1st and 2nd book (it's probably Rob's style) but with this subplot, it feels even more so. I don't mind the writing in the 1st and 2nd book since it focuses on one big issue. But here, it's like Cal's mind jump into one issue then another, and I often find myself lost.
+ A couple of repetitive action when the gang is facing Sweeney. It's like: Gather enforcement, attack Sweeney, get their ass kicked, retreat. Gather more enforcement, attack Sweeney, get their ass kicked, retreat. Please repeat that until done.
+ As much as I don't like George, Cal's reason to reject is her IS LAME!
+ Don't really like the cliff-hanger ending
In the end, I settle for the so-so 3 stars. BUT I'm planning to take a small break before continuing book #4 and #5. I still love Cal and Niko; it's all about the brotherly love, right? However, I'm worried if the writing will still be like this in book #4; I will need the right mood
What I like
+ Cal still being snarky. I'm still amused on his thoughts. Some of them are REALLY FUNNY!
+ A subplot related to Robin; because I love that oversexed puck
+ Less George. I don't like her. I don't know why. She's creepy
+ Delilah is interesting :)
+ Is there possibility of a puck and a peri ... K-I-S-S-I-N-G in the next book? *grin*
What I dislike
+ The subplot of Robin actually makes the writing (since this is written from Cal's 1st POV) feels scattered and all over the place. I admit, the writing is already scattered from the 1st and 2nd book (it's probably Rob's style) but with this subplot, it feels even more so. I don't mind the writing in the 1st and 2nd book since it focuses on one big issue. But here, it's like Cal's mind jump into one issue then another, and I often find myself lost.
+ A couple of repetitive action when the gang is facing Sweeney. It's like: Gather enforcement, attack Sweeney, get their ass kicked, retreat. Gather more enforcement, attack Sweeney, get their ass kicked, retreat. Please repeat that until done.
+ As much as I don't like George, Cal's reason to reject is her IS LAME!
+ Don't really like the cliff-hanger ending
In the end, I settle for the so-so 3 stars. BUT I'm planning to take a small break before continuing book #4 and #5. I still love Cal and Niko; it's all about the brotherly love, right? However, I'm worried if the writing will still be like this in book #4; I will need the right mood
March 8, 2015
4 Stars
Madhouse book 3 in the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman is a solid addition to the series. Solid is a good word for all three of these Urban Fantasy delights. They are consistently engaging, fun, and we'll executed. In this third outing the focus of the book is the attacks on the undead hunter brothers only friend, The Puck, Robin himself.
There is a good amount of humor and wit in this book that was highlighted when Cal got to see Robin's Hood...too funny. In Madhouse, Cal, Nikos, Robin, and their merry monster friends do battle with a creature risen from the dead that appears unkillable. Like the first two books it is the relationships that make these books work. Cal and Nikos have shown that brother's will go to all ends to protect one another. Things have however changed and they found that the annoying Puck is someone that they would die for. Simply great stuff.
I love the growth of Cal in this one. He fights himself being a Monster and it often leaves him right where he started. As the story progresses Cal realize that he has to grow up in more ways than one. There are plenty of fun battles and a good conclusion.
I am really enjoying this consistent dark urban fantasy series...highly recommended.
Madhouse book 3 in the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman is a solid addition to the series. Solid is a good word for all three of these Urban Fantasy delights. They are consistently engaging, fun, and we'll executed. In this third outing the focus of the book is the attacks on the undead hunter brothers only friend, The Puck, Robin himself.
There is a good amount of humor and wit in this book that was highlighted when Cal got to see Robin's Hood...too funny. In Madhouse, Cal, Nikos, Robin, and their merry monster friends do battle with a creature risen from the dead that appears unkillable. Like the first two books it is the relationships that make these books work. Cal and Nikos have shown that brother's will go to all ends to protect one another. Things have however changed and they found that the annoying Puck is someone that they would die for. Simply great stuff.
I love the growth of Cal in this one. He fights himself being a Monster and it often leaves him right where he started. As the story progresses Cal realize that he has to grow up in more ways than one. There are plenty of fun battles and a good conclusion.
I am really enjoying this consistent dark urban fantasy series...highly recommended.
December 22, 2009
Again, this could be 3.5 tp 4.5 as to how I liked it...but we can't give half stars or ranges. This is pretty good urban fantasy and the field is open to so many tastes, it's hard to know anything but how you feel about it. I like this Thurman set and have followed the series. While I never care much for sympathetic vampires...but at least here there is only one and she's somewhat original.
The brothers are good characters and the stories are action packed and fairly original...pretty good.
The brothers are good characters and the stories are action packed and fairly original...pretty good.
March 10, 2011
I liked the Leandros brothers better when they were on the run, desperately fleeing from monsters. I feel bored with this series, and am kind of annoyed by how she deliberately created a cliffhanger by introducing a brand new plot line on the last page. That's a marketing trick, not an writerly one. I took a point off for it.
February 27, 2016
This one definitely held my attention from start to finish. Once I passed the midway point, I didn't want to put it down (but life intervened). The author has a real way with words, description and dialogue both. She’s very inventive.
The supernatural serial killer plot was gory as hell--I would *not* want to see what Thurman described. I rooted for Cal and Niko as they put a stop to the horror and didn't lose themselves in the process.
The recurring characters continued to become more complex, although there are still quite a few unanswered questions to further some mystery. Niko has probably changed the least, old soul and near-ninja that he is. His constant drilling of Cal makes sense, of course, and it also makes me think of Mad-Eye Moody from the Harry Potter books and his cry of “Constant vigilance!” His unbreakable bond with his brother is really cool. Promise is still pretty Teflon, but she’s definitely useful in a fight; and a couple of her interactions with Cal and Robin made her façade slip a little bit.
I've really grown fond of Cal. I especially liked Cal’s further emotional development in this one. He still has his monster complex, but he’s starting to admit he can let someone other than Niko behind his walls. His feelings about the boggles’ involvement were really interesting. Monsters aren’t necessarily just monstrous in this series; things are not black and white, and there’s room for humour, sympathy, *and* fear. Cal’s realisation that he really considers Robin a friend was priceless. They’re beginning to act more like brothers than friends.
I was disappointed about the way Cal decided to deal with the Georgina problem; but I acknowledge it made sense, particularly for a guy his age. It was nice that he felt some regret and guilt about it. I also have to admit that Georgina’s refusal to help when Cal really needed her to made me care less about her feelings, even though what she did was totally in character. The Delilah situation was a bit weird, but I like that the sexual situations aren’t very graphic.
Robin's interactions with the other characters are fun. One of my favourite moments this time around was him turning up with an earring from Promise’s jewelry box, explaining it goes with his sword and gives him a piratical look. I’ve even got invested enough that, even though I should’ve known better, I found myself gasping, “No!” at one point when he appeared to be in serious jeopardy.
The cliffhanger at the end was kind of evil, so I was glad I already had the next book on hand and could continue reading without waiting.
The supernatural serial killer plot was gory as hell--I would *not* want to see what Thurman described. I rooted for Cal and Niko as they put a stop to the horror and didn't lose themselves in the process.
The recurring characters continued to become more complex, although there are still quite a few unanswered questions to further some mystery. Niko has probably changed the least, old soul and near-ninja that he is. His constant drilling of Cal makes sense, of course, and it also makes me think of Mad-Eye Moody from the Harry Potter books and his cry of “Constant vigilance!” His unbreakable bond with his brother is really cool. Promise is still pretty Teflon, but she’s definitely useful in a fight; and a couple of her interactions with Cal and Robin made her façade slip a little bit.
I've really grown fond of Cal. I especially liked Cal’s further emotional development in this one. He still has his monster complex, but he’s starting to admit he can let someone other than Niko behind his walls. His feelings about the boggles’ involvement were really interesting. Monsters aren’t necessarily just monstrous in this series; things are not black and white, and there’s room for humour, sympathy, *and* fear. Cal’s realisation that he really considers Robin a friend was priceless. They’re beginning to act more like brothers than friends.
I was disappointed about the way Cal decided to deal with the Georgina problem; but I acknowledge it made sense, particularly for a guy his age. It was nice that he felt some regret and guilt about it. I also have to admit that Georgina’s refusal to help when Cal really needed her to made me care less about her feelings, even though what she did was totally in character. The Delilah situation was a bit weird, but I like that the sexual situations aren’t very graphic.
Robin's interactions with the other characters are fun. One of my favourite moments this time around was him turning up with an earring from Promise’s jewelry box, explaining it goes with his sword and gives him a piratical look. I’ve even got invested enough that, even though I should’ve known better, I found myself gasping, “No!” at one point when he appeared to be in serious jeopardy.
The cliffhanger at the end was kind of evil, so I was glad I already had the next book on hand and could continue reading without waiting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2023
Damn Rob Thurman. She is responsible for many of my lost hours of sleep in the past couple of weeks alone. She writes well and knows when to stop a chapter so you have to keep reading the next one. Her characters are engaging and tug on my emotions even if they’re a bit unrealistic. There’s action and drama and the story moves along at a brisk pace, there is lots of bloodshed and characters on the verge of death. (I admit, I have very emotionally juvenile tastes in that arena.) She even shares a name with an extremely respected father in my field of study in grad school.
This is just like the others in the series and just as good. I've been plowing through these and I don't know what I'm going to do when I reach the end.
——
Second read:
Tags: brothers, modern fantasy, action, dusters, cliffhanger
This is my second or third read of this book and it’s still excellent. The love between the brothers is palpable even though they never say “I love you.” It’s like the show Supernatural with a lot more angst and a lot more near-death, both of which I love. (Don’t get me wrong. I LOVED Supernatural and watched every episode of its ten seasons.)
The action, the adventure, the danger and near-death—it was all wonderful. The part where Cal freaked out and tried to avenge (not telling who or what) was a beautifully horrible emotional scene. And the sarcasm? Be still my heart!
It’s so weird how no one ever hears the screams or the monster’s bodies or anything.
I have no idea how Robin managed to live for thousands of years when he doesn’t have superior healing skills and he gets hurt as easily as a human. He keeps nearly dying.
I think George is totally wrong for Cal and I have no idea why she’s so into him. She’s soft and sweet and kind and loving and giving. Cal has many of those traits but they’re hidden beneath a very hard shell. He is a warrior and his life is so different. He’s right that his world would get her killed.
I don’t get why Delilah talks like English is her second language.
This is just like the others in the series and just as good. I've been plowing through these and I don't know what I'm going to do when I reach the end.
——
Second read:
Tags: brothers, modern fantasy, action, dusters, cliffhanger
This is my second or third read of this book and it’s still excellent. The love between the brothers is palpable even though they never say “I love you.” It’s like the show Supernatural with a lot more angst and a lot more near-death, both of which I love. (Don’t get me wrong. I LOVED Supernatural and watched every episode of its ten seasons.)
The action, the adventure, the danger and near-death—it was all wonderful. The part where Cal freaked out and tried to avenge (not telling who or what) was a beautifully horrible emotional scene. And the sarcasm? Be still my heart!
It’s so weird how no one ever hears the screams or the monster’s bodies or anything.
I have no idea how Robin managed to live for thousands of years when he doesn’t have superior healing skills and he gets hurt as easily as a human. He keeps nearly dying.
I think George is totally wrong for Cal and I have no idea why she’s so into him. She’s soft and sweet and kind and loving and giving. Cal has many of those traits but they’re hidden beneath a very hard shell. He is a warrior and his life is so different. He’s right that his world would get her killed.
I don’t get why Delilah talks like English is her second language.
December 6, 2011
I didn't entirely enjoy this book, tho I have no complaints about this particular book specifically (except, maybe, that I feel she overdoes the recap on the previous books) - it's more of a series problem. The monster in this book was scary, new things were learned about some of our main characters, romantic relationships made new twists and turns, new powers were explored... So it was a decent episode as a standalone story, and it moved the series overall along nicely. My problem lies in the fact that having read 3 books in this series in a row in a relatively short time period, I think I am overdosing on the main character. I am sick of him. I can't deal with all the angst. Reading the reviews for this series, I guess a lot of people find the main character appealing, but I have trouble with him. He keeps talking about how he is a monster, and he doesn't deserve to have a good life (which is apparently represented by his love interest from the beginning of the series, George), but he doesn't act particularly monstrous. At least not in relative terms. So to be fair to Cal, he is a monster by regular everyday standards. But he's surrounded by other monsters who apparently have an entirely different code of ethics. Maybe it's to his credit that he doesn't want to adopt a code of ethics for himself that excuses the killing that he does entirely, and that he keeps feeling terrible about himself, but I don't feel drawn to this, I feel like kicking him in the butt and telling him to stop whining. I am also puzzled by George. It is hard to feel compelled by their romantic drama when I didn't get to read anything about their backstory and why they fell in love. I can understand from the story why they are drawn to each other, actually, I just don't feel it emotionally. I think overall the romances are the weakest link in this series, they seem to have developed pretty suddenly in the first book, and now the author has to fill in the details of why it happened retroactively. But it's also that romance is not the point. The friendships and family ties are given much more gravity. I'm fine with that, I like it when there's other things going on besides romance, it's just that if a romance is included, I would have liked to have seen it happen more "on screen".
This series does introduce a new character tho - Delilah - who I think has potential. Promise is getting slightly more interesting too, tho at a much slower rate than Robin. However, maybe with Delilah thrown in the mix the female half of our merry band of protagonists will get more credit and we'll learn more about what makes them tick. In short, I think I will take a break and read something else, but I'll probably come back and finish the series. (and just as a minor quibble: I am finding myself more and more wondering if even New York could sustain such a high body count. I mean, what is the actual murder rate in New York these days? Are there really so many people that all these supernatural creatures could be feeding off of them?)
This series does introduce a new character tho - Delilah - who I think has potential. Promise is getting slightly more interesting too, tho at a much slower rate than Robin. However, maybe with Delilah thrown in the mix the female half of our merry band of protagonists will get more credit and we'll learn more about what makes them tick. In short, I think I will take a break and read something else, but I'll probably come back and finish the series. (and just as a minor quibble: I am finding myself more and more wondering if even New York could sustain such a high body count. I mean, what is the actual murder rate in New York these days? Are there really so many people that all these supernatural creatures could be feeding off of them?)
February 22, 2008
OMG I love these books... I can't wait for the next one! Madhouse was just as angsty and melodramatic as the previous two in the series, but the edge of self-aware irony elevates it from goth to highly entertaining. This series is much like Joan Vinge's Catspaw meets S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders, with all the demons of hell thrown in. Big grin. :D
This book, being the third in the series, was more about character development and trying some new directions -- the overarching plot doesn't advance significantly until the last page. (Aaugh! Can't wait for the next book!) In the meantime, Cal and Niko are after a highly prolific serial killer/cannibal resurrected from ancient ashes and let loose on the city. At the same time, someone is trying very effectively to kill Robin, who knows who it is but won't tell. And Cal is actively trying to destroy any ties to George, so she won't be caught up in the evil around him. Enough misery and angst to go around, at least until the next book. Which looks highly doomful. I can't wait. In case you hadn't noticed that yet.
This book, being the third in the series, was more about character development and trying some new directions -- the overarching plot doesn't advance significantly until the last page. (Aaugh! Can't wait for the next book!) In the meantime, Cal and Niko are after a highly prolific serial killer/cannibal resurrected from ancient ashes and let loose on the city. At the same time, someone is trying very effectively to kill Robin, who knows who it is but won't tell. And Cal is actively trying to destroy any ties to George, so she won't be caught up in the evil around him. Enough misery and angst to go around, at least until the next book. Which looks highly doomful. I can't wait. In case you hadn't noticed that yet.
March 1, 2015
Cal and Niko just keep encountering Trouble (note the Capital T). This is a whole new take on the Sawny Beene history, tho...
May 16, 2020
I liked the first book and the "correct" (to me) pronunciation of auphe... but this is my favorite of this series
July 21, 2020
This is the third book in the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman. In this one Cal ad Nik are hired by the Metropolitan Museum to investigate the destruction of one of their exhibits. It turns out that it had contained the ashes of, Sawney Beane, a malevolent being from the past also known as a "Redcap". Something has resurrected him and he is now renewing his quest of murder and mayhem. It will be up to Cal and Nik to stop him. Unfortunately, the newly resurrected Sawney Beane seems to be unkillable. They will need the help of their friends Robin the Puck and Nik's vampire girlfriend Promise as well as any other supernatural ally they can get to overcome this ancient evil. This book is a great read in this series.
June 17, 2023
Continue to love the Leandros brothers, and now with what seems permanent sidekicks Promise (vampire) and Robin Goodfellow (puck).
They're up against a new old bad guy who likes to gorge on human flesh, and employs zombie-like minions to cause mayhem in New York. All the while someone else is trying to kill Robin, Cal is trying to find his place in the world and where that leaves him with George, and we get a lot more monsters, good and bad, joining the fight.
I love the way these books are written from Cal's point of view, and what a view it is. Love that he doesn't hold back on anything.
They're up against a new old bad guy who likes to gorge on human flesh, and employs zombie-like minions to cause mayhem in New York. All the while someone else is trying to kill Robin, Cal is trying to find his place in the world and where that leaves him with George, and we get a lot more monsters, good and bad, joining the fight.
I love the way these books are written from Cal's point of view, and what a view it is. Love that he doesn't hold back on anything.
January 13, 2010
If the sign of a good book is leave them wanting more, then this is a great book. It practically ended mid sentence. Ok, not really but it felt like it. That was some cliffhanger. If the 4th book wasn't already out, I might hurt someone. A solid 4 1/2 stars, (if we could only do half stars!!), not quite perfect but pretty darn close.
The books in this series are getting better and better. The writing has improved and the characters have developed. I do have to keep reminding myself that the narrator is only 20 and his brother only 22. They seem so much older, or maybe I'm projecting. My opinion of those boys is the same. I think they are great with the sweetest relationship two brothers could have. I continue to love their friend Robin, the puck. I still find the two females a little meh. By meh, I mean, one is seeming to try to push herself into the position of big sister, which if you like the brothers and their relationship, makes you feel a little crowded. The other has an annoying pushiness that I just don't love. She seems to make rules, but no completely follow them. There is a new female, I like her, she is a werewolf. You gotta love the weres.
The narrator, Cal, continues to struggle with his "monster" side in this book. He also deals with his very 20 year old human issues as well. His sense of humor is one of my favorite things as I feel like it so closely resembles my own. There is a hint of romance and sex, but he's a guy after all so there isn't much to say about it except that it happened. He has a lot of angst, but he's 20, I remember 20, there was definitely angst. There seems to be a big secret unfolding about Niko, the big brother. I think we may be about to find out who fathered him. However, if my theory is correct (which usually they aren't) I feel like it would go against a lot of what we've learned so far in regards to Cal and everyone else's ability to sense otherworldly-ness(is that a word?). Either that or we are about to find out something REALLY interesting about Robin. I always feel if something is introduced it has to be used, and that's where my theories are coming from.
If I didn't have to work today, I'd skip the sleep all together, and spend all day in bed reading, then napping so I could read more, (a high compliment if ever there was one), but alas the real world calls and the Brother Leandros will have to wait.
The books in this series are getting better and better. The writing has improved and the characters have developed. I do have to keep reminding myself that the narrator is only 20 and his brother only 22. They seem so much older, or maybe I'm projecting. My opinion of those boys is the same. I think they are great with the sweetest relationship two brothers could have. I continue to love their friend Robin, the puck. I still find the two females a little meh. By meh, I mean, one is seeming to try to push herself into the position of big sister, which if you like the brothers and their relationship, makes you feel a little crowded. The other has an annoying pushiness that I just don't love. She seems to make rules, but no completely follow them. There is a new female, I like her, she is a werewolf. You gotta love the weres.
The narrator, Cal, continues to struggle with his "monster" side in this book. He also deals with his very 20 year old human issues as well. His sense of humor is one of my favorite things as I feel like it so closely resembles my own. There is a hint of romance and sex, but he's a guy after all so there isn't much to say about it except that it happened. He has a lot of angst, but he's 20, I remember 20, there was definitely angst. There seems to be a big secret unfolding about Niko, the big brother. I think we may be about to find out who fathered him. However, if my theory is correct (which usually they aren't) I feel like it would go against a lot of what we've learned so far in regards to Cal and everyone else's ability to sense otherworldly-ness(is that a word?). Either that or we are about to find out something REALLY interesting about Robin. I always feel if something is introduced it has to be used, and that's where my theories are coming from.
If I didn't have to work today, I'd skip the sleep all together, and spend all day in bed reading, then napping so I could read more, (a high compliment if ever there was one), but alas the real world calls and the Brother Leandros will have to wait.
December 30, 2017
4.5 stars
I am really loving this series. This book was pretty great. I laughed a fair amount of times in the first half, but I don't think I ever cried. So I'll call this book a four-and-a-half "great!" star read. :-)
I'll share the lines and scenes that I found humorous later (but they were on pages 41, 57, 105, 125, 128, and 169), but for now, I'll just share how this book ends, since I don't know when I'll be able to buy this series (although I might get it with my Christmas gift card...how many books are in it?) and might check out book four from my library.
In the end, after the Big Bad has been defeated (in a rather thrilling scene), Cal
Now, if you've read this book and read that last spoiler, say it with me, okay? *ARGH!!!* WHY did it end there? Why, Rob Thurman, why?!
So, did I enjoy this outing with Cal and Niko? Yes! Will I continue this series? Yes! Do I want to continue it yesterday? Absolutely yes, Yes, YES!!! :-)
I am really loving this series. This book was pretty great. I laughed a fair amount of times in the first half, but I don't think I ever cried. So I'll call this book a four-and-a-half "great!" star read. :-)
I'll share the lines and scenes that I found humorous later (but they were on pages 41, 57, 105, 125, 128, and 169), but for now, I'll just share how this book ends, since I don't know when I'll be able to buy this series (although I might get it with my Christmas gift card...how many books are in it?) and might check out book four from my library.
In the end, after the Big Bad has been defeated (in a rather thrilling scene), Cal
Now, if you've read this book and read that last spoiler, say it with me, okay? *ARGH!!!* WHY did it end there? Why, Rob Thurman, why?!
So, did I enjoy this outing with Cal and Niko? Yes! Will I continue this series? Yes! Do I want to continue it yesterday? Absolutely yes, Yes, YES!!! :-)
November 30, 2022
I keep downrating these books as soon as I finish them the second time through. I guess the first time I read I'm much more into what I read and much more forgiving, the second time through I notice all the things that are...pulpy.
That's what these are, pulp supernatural fiction. Better than some, worse than others. Enjoyable, fun, exciting, and quickly forgotten. I don't know what it is. What is that ephemeral quality that sets these apart from Sanderson? Depth? How do you define depth in literature? I don't think it's quite far to compare them to Sanderson. What if I instead compared them to Butcher? Then at least they are both modern-day paranormal fiction. One is in Chicago and one is in New York. If I was going to be brutally honest, I would say that Butcher is closer to being pulpy than Sanderson is. But I still think it is less pulpy than these. It could just be my own taste, of course, I adore Dresden and I just don't adore Cal. I like him, he's fun to read. But there is no adoration. I think it's because of Niko. Niko is too dang perfect and Cal is too dang imperfect. Niko has no flaws. His flaw is being flawless. How could anyone possibly have enough time to run three times a day, and practice swords, and clean guns, and clean the house, and cook organic food, and study graduate level classes, and T.A. and go monster hunting? There are not enough hours of the day. I should know. I've done five of those things concurrently during my grad school years and trust me, it is not easy and it damages your health. Not it can damage your health, it does. So yeah. Niko is too perfect.
Cal is too imperfect. Is there anything Cal does well other than be needy, dependent, and snarky? Why is Niko content with anything less than perfection from his brother? He's so controlled and controlling, yet enlightened enough to know when to stop pushing his brother? Too dang perfect.
But...still a fun read. I think though that I had better not read it a third time, because if I do it will probably go down even lower...
That's what these are, pulp supernatural fiction. Better than some, worse than others. Enjoyable, fun, exciting, and quickly forgotten. I don't know what it is. What is that ephemeral quality that sets these apart from Sanderson? Depth? How do you define depth in literature? I don't think it's quite far to compare them to Sanderson. What if I instead compared them to Butcher? Then at least they are both modern-day paranormal fiction. One is in Chicago and one is in New York. If I was going to be brutally honest, I would say that Butcher is closer to being pulpy than Sanderson is. But I still think it is less pulpy than these. It could just be my own taste, of course, I adore Dresden and I just don't adore Cal. I like him, he's fun to read. But there is no adoration. I think it's because of Niko. Niko is too dang perfect and Cal is too dang imperfect. Niko has no flaws. His flaw is being flawless. How could anyone possibly have enough time to run three times a day, and practice swords, and clean guns, and clean the house, and cook organic food, and study graduate level classes, and T.A. and go monster hunting? There are not enough hours of the day. I should know. I've done five of those things concurrently during my grad school years and trust me, it is not easy and it damages your health. Not it can damage your health, it does. So yeah. Niko is too perfect.
Cal is too imperfect. Is there anything Cal does well other than be needy, dependent, and snarky? Why is Niko content with anything less than perfection from his brother? He's so controlled and controlling, yet enlightened enough to know when to stop pushing his brother? Too dang perfect.
But...still a fun read. I think though that I had better not read it a third time, because if I do it will probably go down even lower...
November 19, 2014
You can see the following review also here: http://loveandlivetoread.wordpress.co...
And the great stories keep coming!! I am not surprised that I loved this story. Since I read the first book, I knew that this series was going to be a new favorite one! It’s dark urban fantasy and that means that except the adventure and the great sense of humor that every book has, there is also an internal battle of feelings for the main characters.
Cal and Niko are trying to find a mass murderer and at the same time to help their friend, Goodfellow. And in the midst of chaos, new people come to their lives and both brothers, especially Cal, change.
I want to tell that I agree with Cal decisions. I really do. But I won’t. I believe that he had good intentions but I don’t believe that he did good. Really Cal? You slept with two women because you believe that you can’t be with George? Nope. I am not good with that. But I must not be hard. In this story, Cal starts to change. He’s a better warrior and smarter.
Niko is always my favorite and I admire him for his strength because it doesn’t come easy for him and that is something I respect. He watches his brother to change and be better and he feels proud of him. We must not forget that their bond is more unique. They are not just brothers. Niko, for years, was for Cal a father, a mother, a brother and a best friend. He’s a great man and a powerful warrior.
Of course, I liked almost all the secondary characters in the book, but a special place in my heart holds, Goodfellow. I can’t imagine a book in the series without him! And I liked this book even more because we actually learn something interesting about his past!
So, as you can see I loved this book. Everything’s is perfect: world-building, plot and characters! If you are a fan of this genre you should give this series a try!
November 4, 2021
"Madhouse" is a young adult novel which follows brothers and mercenary monster hunters Cal and Niko Leandros, the latter being a human and the former a hybrid between human and Auphe, a race of terrifying, powerful, bloodthirsty demon-like beings. Being an offspring of these supernatural creatures, Cal possesses a sense of smell far greater than that of regular mortals and a limited ability to teleport. His older sibling, while only a member of the afformentioned regular mortals, is incredibly fit, intelligent and unusually skilled in the usage of various weaponry. The job they take on this time is unlike any other they've done before (even disregarding that it's unpaid) - the goal is to kill the seemingly unkillable serial killer known as Sawney Beane, who spontaneously rises from the dead and begins to spread carnage in the streets and sewers of New York City. And, as if things couldn't get worse, some unknown assailant seems to be trying to assassinate their friend, a nonchalant puck named Robin Goodfellow.
Something I believe I should mention as a preface, is that until I was nearing the end of the novel I did not realize it was only one of several installments in a series - and not the first one. I found out by complete coincidence, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere on the cover or inside the book, and besides that, based on the way exposition was rather clumsily inserted into Cal's, the main character's narration and dialogue and how every character was given some sort of introduction, I concluded that "Madhouse" was meant to mostly be able to stand on its own, therefore I will judge it as such.
My main gripe with this book is that nothing felt fully developed, as if the author had come up with a few ideas she wanted to explore but didn't quite have the patience to put more thought into making them flow together in a coherent and fluid manner. Things weren't granted as much depth and weight as they needed, even the environments felt unclear and vague; New York might as well be any other city in the world as the only real part of it I recall being brought up is Central Park. Throughout the story I never felt as if I got to know any of the characters, not even the narrator. It certainly didn't help that most of them didn't seem to differ from each other that much in terms of personality, with only very basic traits differentiating them, e.g. Robin is the sex addict, Promise is the rich one, Niko is the older brother, etc.
Besides being a rather generic hero of a YA novel, Cal, our window to the world of "Madhouse", is, in my opinion, rather unlikeable. Perhaps it was the writer's intention, however I couldn't help but grimace whenever he blatantly handwaved his friend Robin's inappropriate, borderline-predatory behavior towards nearly everyone around him, or when he himself ogled every adult woman he encountered (funnily enough, Cal appears to be a magnet for young, healthy ladies with the bodies of supermodels - what a coincidence), or when he sort-of-cheated on his sort-of-girlfriend, who he repeatedly claimed to be deeply in love with, just to satisfy his sexual needs (which he did not once but twice, with two different women). It got to such a ridiculous point, that mere moments after seeing a group of "zombies" devour a random innocent person alive, he ran off to have sex. I couldn't help but laugh.
At one point, an opportunity to establish a defining trait for Cal presented itself, when he was shaken by the realization that Sawney had killed a young girl in cold blood and swore that he'd get revenge and wouldn't allow another child to suffer that fate. In the end, he only reiterated that idea a couple of times, and only in words. What actually seemed to drive him was a more selfish kind of revenge and a fear for his own life, as the supernatural murderer had taken an interest in the half-Auphe man and nearly mortally wounded him. Cal fails to be an interesting character every step of the way.
The strangest, most disappointing part about Cal, and, really, every other member of the ensemble, is that throughout the story they don't undergo any kind of character arc. They don't get worse, they don't improve, not in any significant way anyway, they stay exactly the same as they began. Cal doesn't learn to be more emotionally vulnerable with the ones he holds close, neither does Robin, Niko is essentially perfect from the start, Promise does nothing of note - they're nothing but tools to move the story along. They are empty shells who give me, as a reader, no reason to care about them.
In an apparent attempt to make all the characters seem "cool", the author chose to infuse their dialogue with endless sarcasm; they always have the perfect witty response to everything, frankly an unbearably large chunk of their conversations as well as Cal's internal monologue is just snarky retorts - it drove me up the wall. It felt neither natural nor particularly appealing, as it quickly lost its charm; it only made the book feel more amateurish, as if it were thought up by an enthusiastic but noticeably inexperienced college student with the dream of becoming a writer and making it big.
The way story threads and characters popped in and out of the focus of the main plot also supported my forming hypothesis that the author had come up with a few loose ideas she wanted to include in a novel but not really a way to connect them. Both twist reveals (Wahanket being the one who resurrected Sawney and Robin's housekeeper being the one trying to assassinate him) felt at best weakly foreshadowed and unearned. Again, the theme of characters serving as mere tools for the story returns, as both Wahanket and the housekeeper had no other purpose I can think of.
While there are many facets of "Madhouse" I believe to be deserving of criticism, I would be lying if I said there was nothing I enjoyed about it. For instance, the many monsters and creatures who appear throughout its world are intriguing, fun, at times almost whimsical and occasionally delightfully scary. I wish they'd been a larger part of the narrative and their hidden world had been explored more thoroughly. I also liked the dynamic narration, in fact it was probably my favorite part of the book; it wasn't repetitive and actually had a compelling style and flow to it (annoying quippy one-liners aside). With more time to develop everything else and make the characters interesting and three-dimensional, this could have been a perfectly enjoyable novel.
I went into "Madhouse" without high expectations so I suppose to say I was especially surprised or disappointed would be a lie. Regardless, I see the potential in this fictional universe and the slivers of personality the main cast exhibit and I wish they had been handled better.
Something I believe I should mention as a preface, is that until I was nearing the end of the novel I did not realize it was only one of several installments in a series - and not the first one. I found out by complete coincidence, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere on the cover or inside the book, and besides that, based on the way exposition was rather clumsily inserted into Cal's, the main character's narration and dialogue and how every character was given some sort of introduction, I concluded that "Madhouse" was meant to mostly be able to stand on its own, therefore I will judge it as such.
My main gripe with this book is that nothing felt fully developed, as if the author had come up with a few ideas she wanted to explore but didn't quite have the patience to put more thought into making them flow together in a coherent and fluid manner. Things weren't granted as much depth and weight as they needed, even the environments felt unclear and vague; New York might as well be any other city in the world as the only real part of it I recall being brought up is Central Park. Throughout the story I never felt as if I got to know any of the characters, not even the narrator. It certainly didn't help that most of them didn't seem to differ from each other that much in terms of personality, with only very basic traits differentiating them, e.g. Robin is the sex addict, Promise is the rich one, Niko is the older brother, etc.
Besides being a rather generic hero of a YA novel, Cal, our window to the world of "Madhouse", is, in my opinion, rather unlikeable. Perhaps it was the writer's intention, however I couldn't help but grimace whenever he blatantly handwaved his friend Robin's inappropriate, borderline-predatory behavior towards nearly everyone around him, or when he himself ogled every adult woman he encountered (funnily enough, Cal appears to be a magnet for young, healthy ladies with the bodies of supermodels - what a coincidence), or when he sort-of-cheated on his sort-of-girlfriend, who he repeatedly claimed to be deeply in love with, just to satisfy his sexual needs (which he did not once but twice, with two different women). It got to such a ridiculous point, that mere moments after seeing a group of "zombies" devour a random innocent person alive, he ran off to have sex. I couldn't help but laugh.
At one point, an opportunity to establish a defining trait for Cal presented itself, when he was shaken by the realization that Sawney had killed a young girl in cold blood and swore that he'd get revenge and wouldn't allow another child to suffer that fate. In the end, he only reiterated that idea a couple of times, and only in words. What actually seemed to drive him was a more selfish kind of revenge and a fear for his own life, as the supernatural murderer had taken an interest in the half-Auphe man and nearly mortally wounded him. Cal fails to be an interesting character every step of the way.
The strangest, most disappointing part about Cal, and, really, every other member of the ensemble, is that throughout the story they don't undergo any kind of character arc. They don't get worse, they don't improve, not in any significant way anyway, they stay exactly the same as they began. Cal doesn't learn to be more emotionally vulnerable with the ones he holds close, neither does Robin, Niko is essentially perfect from the start, Promise does nothing of note - they're nothing but tools to move the story along. They are empty shells who give me, as a reader, no reason to care about them.
In an apparent attempt to make all the characters seem "cool", the author chose to infuse their dialogue with endless sarcasm; they always have the perfect witty response to everything, frankly an unbearably large chunk of their conversations as well as Cal's internal monologue is just snarky retorts - it drove me up the wall. It felt neither natural nor particularly appealing, as it quickly lost its charm; it only made the book feel more amateurish, as if it were thought up by an enthusiastic but noticeably inexperienced college student with the dream of becoming a writer and making it big.
The way story threads and characters popped in and out of the focus of the main plot also supported my forming hypothesis that the author had come up with a few loose ideas she wanted to include in a novel but not really a way to connect them. Both twist reveals (Wahanket being the one who resurrected Sawney and Robin's housekeeper being the one trying to assassinate him) felt at best weakly foreshadowed and unearned. Again, the theme of characters serving as mere tools for the story returns, as both Wahanket and the housekeeper had no other purpose I can think of.
While there are many facets of "Madhouse" I believe to be deserving of criticism, I would be lying if I said there was nothing I enjoyed about it. For instance, the many monsters and creatures who appear throughout its world are intriguing, fun, at times almost whimsical and occasionally delightfully scary. I wish they'd been a larger part of the narrative and their hidden world had been explored more thoroughly. I also liked the dynamic narration, in fact it was probably my favorite part of the book; it wasn't repetitive and actually had a compelling style and flow to it (annoying quippy one-liners aside). With more time to develop everything else and make the characters interesting and three-dimensional, this could have been a perfectly enjoyable novel.
I went into "Madhouse" without high expectations so I suppose to say I was especially surprised or disappointed would be a lie. Regardless, I see the potential in this fictional universe and the slivers of personality the main cast exhibit and I wish they had been handled better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2016
Enjoyable though both Niko and Promise are slowly falling flat, there is little depth added to the characters and by now I'd have expected that at least Niko would have gained some character flesh on his bones. Another complained is that halfway through, a silly little thing an art professor said in a lecture i sat in on came to mind; "Its incredibly annoying if you can see the frame of a story through the plot". This actually does that, I can see the main plot, side plot, fight the bad guy 3 times yadda yadda yadda thing that so many movies and books have quite clearly through the funny snark. (and don't get me wrong, I LIKE funny snark) And it is annoying, as annoying at the guy giving the lecture at its very least.
The fact that [spoiler] they try to burn Sawney only after having had their buts kicked twice made me even more annoyed. Burning would have been my very first try. Amp up the molotov cocktails for anything that clearly prefers the cold and dark. [/spoiler]
Lastly, and I have been having this since the first book, it reads like the later seasons of Supernatural, mostly the bits where they realized that the fanbase was mostly female and started playing to that demographic. I don't know what the ratio here is but somehow, so now and then, I'm completely convinced that the author is female and writes under a pseudonym. Not that is bad or anything, hell, my library has most of the series and I'm gonna read them all, the author could come from mars and have 3 heads for all I care, but really, Rob Thurman? Gosh how boring. (now I hope its not his real name after all and I look like a very shallow person for berating someone for having a boring ass name.)
The fact that [spoiler] they try to burn Sawney only after having had their buts kicked twice made me even more annoyed. Burning would have been my very first try. Amp up the molotov cocktails for anything that clearly prefers the cold and dark. [/spoiler]
Lastly, and I have been having this since the first book, it reads like the later seasons of Supernatural, mostly the bits where they realized that the fanbase was mostly female and started playing to that demographic. I don't know what the ratio here is but somehow, so now and then, I'm completely convinced that the author is female and writes under a pseudonym. Not that is bad or anything, hell, my library has most of the series and I'm gonna read them all, the author could come from mars and have 3 heads for all I care, but really, Rob Thurman? Gosh how boring. (now I hope its not his real name after all and I look like a very shallow person for berating someone for having a boring ass name.)
November 13, 2011
Madhouse is the third installment in the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman and in my opinion, the best one so far. I loved the story. It was full of action and plenty of page time with each character. Ms. Thurman really found Cal's voice in this book. I felt like more story was told and less internal monologuing by Cal. Though books one and two were really good, they were so full of sardonic monologuing that I couldn't get through the pages without going back and re-reading the conversation to remember where it was going in the first place. This book had the same feel as books one and two but the story was really there and full of adventure. It starts off with an investigation into a Museum where an apparent robbery has taken place to revive the ashes of one Sawney Beane who, in his day, was an evil killing force that took an entire army to take him down. He's back and Cal and his brother Niko are enlisted to stop him. They, along with Niko's vampire love interest, Promise, and their good friend Goodfellow, who's a Puck as well as a few allies they pick up along the way, set out to find Sawney and stop him. There's a side plot that involves Goodfellow and it deals with something that happened in his past. This book was great. It had a lot of story to tell and it was done very well keeping the action coming and the brotherly relationship that I've come to love from Niko and Cal was as strong as ever. I can't wait to read the next one in the series.
August 26, 2016
In Madhouse, Cal and Niko are still getting into trouble as usual. Promise gets the boys a gig through a friend at a museum. Something has escaped the museum that should not have been able to. Turns out it was an ancient serial killer known for his numerous victims and cannibalistic tendencies. While trying to catch this murderer, another problem arises when Cal's new boss tips them off that someone has put a hit out on Robin. Robin can't even remember how many people's he's pissed off enough to put a hit out on him, leaving the brothers no way to help him. Cal's also been trying to deal with trying to stay away from George but he doesn't want to be lonely. Cal's gate creating abilities are also starting to become a problem when they start causing him migraines and a significant loss of blood. Add on to his plate a new werewolf interest and Cal will have to watch more than his back if he's going to survive.
Perhaps this is just me but even with everything going on in this book it didn't feel as action-packed as the previous books. I think because a big part of this book is Cal finally dealing with some emotions and realizing he and his brother aren't alone anymore. Niko was also not as present in this book which was rather saddening. Even so, I still highly enjoyed it and am dying to read the next book as there is a cliffhanger at the end. Curses.
Perhaps this is just me but even with everything going on in this book it didn't feel as action-packed as the previous books. I think because a big part of this book is Cal finally dealing with some emotions and realizing he and his brother aren't alone anymore. Niko was also not as present in this book which was rather saddening. Even so, I still highly enjoyed it and am dying to read the next book as there is a cliffhanger at the end. Curses.
July 19, 2011
The third book in this series, Cal and Nik find themselves up against an army of revenants led by Sawney Beane, A Scottish mass murderer that has come back to life after 500 years as dust and ash. Sawney is actually a Redcap, a Scottish-English lengend that were rumored to murder travelers and then stain their hair with their victim's blood. An action-filled plot, I STILL could not learn to like Cal. This is the first series I've read where I like the books but feel "meh" about the protagonist. Nik, Promise, and Rob Fellows round out the team with loyalty and badass fighting skills, but Cal, although less whiny and lazy in books past, still treats Georgina like dirt and does everything he can to force her out of his life. While he convinces himself that he does all of this for a noble purpose, it's maddening and irritating. Cal's one strong suit is that he's growing comfortable with his Auphe powers and he is taking his fighting and training more seriously. This novel also has a cliff-hanger ending - the first cliff-hanger of the series. I give this book 3.75 stars.
March 12, 2008
This is the third in the series from Rob Thurman. LOVED it. The ongoing plot involving Cal and his brother who have lived their lives on the run from dark creatures which turn out to be the "clan" of Cal's previously unknown father is very interesting and intricate. I love the author's use of dry, dark, sarcastic humor, which entertains while maintaining the overall dark mood of the plot. Great characters, and his brother is especially fascinating. While on the run and living anonymously, it's hard to form friendships (not safe), and their avocation is investigating evil supernatural beings (while working "day jobs" to keep them going). Lots of bloodshed, but always in the name of self preservation or the greater good. Can Cal have Georgina or not??? And this one ended with one heck of a cliff-hanger.
December 8, 2013
I liked this one much better than
. It wasn't nearly as confusing, or maybe it was just able to hold my attention better. The bad guy was super creepy. Yikes!
My only complaint was Cal's realization that he now has friends. Yeah, mentioning it once or twice would have been fine, but it got kind of annoying having it shoved in my face. Yes, you've lived your whole life with only Niko to trust. Yes, I'm sure it feels weird to have a new friend. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it, but I don't have to hear about it quite so much in the middle of the book. Other than that, I enjoyed it.
. It wasn't nearly as confusing, or maybe it was just able to hold my attention better. The bad guy was super creepy. Yikes! My only complaint was Cal's realization that he now has friends. Yeah, mentioning it once or twice would have been fine, but it got kind of annoying having it shoved in my face. Yes, you've lived your whole life with only Niko to trust. Yes, I'm sure it feels weird to have a new friend. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it, but I don't have to hear about it quite so much in the middle of the book. Other than that, I enjoyed it.
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