Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard starting on November 15, 2024.


Happy Reading!

Thanks Yanique... gotta say, I love that you've adopted my tendency to want to avoid repeating the series name when it's already included in the title :D

Even if in this case it's just how I requested it...

I will be here:)

Looking forward to it!

1. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer (Nov 15)
2. Johannes Cabal the Detective (Dec 15) [link]
3. The Fear Institute (Jan 15) [link]
4. The Brothers Cabal (Feb 15) [link]
0.5-4.5 Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day (Mar 15) [link]
5. The Fall of the House of Cabal (Apr 15) [link]

Availability: On Audible Plus until Dec 31 2025. Some on Hoopla.

With the way I scheduled it, it's

1) November
2) December
3) January
4) February
0.5-4.5) March anthology
5) April

Starting this today. Hopefully I'll actually remember to post updates here this time.

Hope you like it...

Started my re-read... been so long since I read this...

First off, it's important to note that each book in this series is quite different... in that regard, I'd say it's similar to Skulduggery Pleasant, another series with skull and bones MCs on the cover (Skulduggery is a skeleton, but Johannes Cabal has a normal body, afaik... just a cover art decision and reference to story elements)...

2) The MC (and even Horst) aren't the most likeable here in the first book, I don't think... this is reminiscent of Marla Mason, to me, where the MC is villainous to varying degrees, and becomes more likeable and heroic over time as the plot and backstory plays out... Blood Engines

3) This first book is very Faustian, which I note because we're starting Craig Schaefer's First Story Universe next year, with it's own Faustian overtones, right around when this BR winds down... The Long Way Down

4) Tossing around names like Lucifuge Rofocale puts me in mind of Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

5) Speaking of Terry Pratchett, and Hitchhiker's Guide/Douglas Adams over in the GR Choice Awards thread, some of the little asides in this one remind me of the absurdist plotting/wordplay common in those books...

6) Also, the little jaunt through Hell early on reminds me of Hell's Super, probably because I read it forever ago and never continued the series, and was reminded of it recently when I saw some people planning to read it...

7) The carnival aspects reminds me of InCryptid...

I've read about half, so far... be done in another 2hrs or so...

I read this last week and mostly enjoyed it, with some caveats--I wish I'd read your comments before starting, @Iain, though it would have necessitated time travel... those same things you mentioned, on how Cabal is rather unlikeable at the beginning... I kept reading for those brief flashes of conscience... (view spoiler)[or targeted the souls of even worse villains... but those two women who he persuaded into contract... Tricking the Devil in the end was wonderfully done, and burning the contracts--whew! And making those steps without a soul, made me think of Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer... (hide spoiler)]

Yea... most of the hints of things to come come right at the end, with the unexplained coffin/etc...

Those 2 highway men give me some serious Bulk & Skull vibes from Power Rangers (the dumb comedic bullies)... or how Shawn keeps his friend as a zombie in the shed in Shawn of the Dead...

First time I read this series, I think I waited awhile to read book 2, and I wasn't sold on the series until sometime during book 2 or 3...

Book 2 is more of a Steampunk mystery book with dirigible flight...
Book 3 is reminiscent of Resident Evil or later Dresden Files books with car chases and demon in hot pursuit...
Book 4 is reminiscent of Narnia, going into another world through a portrait, I think?...

Or my memory is hazy and I'm jumbling things around...

The anthology helps set the stage for the finale, which has an ensemble cast of characters to resolve things once and for all...

(view spoiler)[Horst is brought back at some point, too, obviously (hide spoiler)]

One of the book probably has Edgar Allen Poe vibes and I just missed them as a woefully under-read reader of the classics... but there is one called The Fall of House Cabal, which sounds alot like House Usher...

And yea, also... (view spoiler)[I definitely agree the 2nd half of this is severely lacking in reasons to like Johannes... Horst has more likeable qualities, but also spends alot of time off-page not being directly helpful (probably because his plan only works if Johannes doesn't suspect his treachery)... the only glimmers of hope tend to be when Johannes does something bad, and realizes he's being manipulated by demons... and half-exorcises them away... (hide spoiler)]

I am only 40% in but I actually find Johannes quite likeable. I understand his motivation and it's not like he is running around taking advantage of the most vulnerable.

Wait for it... the demons/Lucifer rig the bet to make the deadline tight and make Johannes desperate...

Finished- I see what you mean. I still enjoyed the book and am interested to continue on. I feel like I actually saw his character grow and change as the story went on. Not necessarily for the better but at least he wasn't stagnant.

For sure... and that's a trend going forward I think...

That's true--"not stagnant" is a good way to describe... means there's still room to grow. Looking forward to that going onwards.

Yes, I felt hope with him that he will not always be good or bad and it certainly makes him more relatable and interesting.