Johannes Cabal the Necromancer

How did I not read this book earlier? I loved most things about this book – the main character Johannes Cabal, who is definitely not a good guy, but is he evil, as another character much later in the book believes him to be? And what of his brother, and reluctant partner in ‘crime’, Horst? Who has a very creepy introduction in the book.Apart from it’s Faustian influence that we see straightaway from the beginning of the book, It is quite obvious this book takes inspiration from Ray Bradbury’s classic – Something Wicked This Way Comes. This time though, the story is mostly from the perspective of the carnival owner. Luckily, I read Something Wicked very recently, and it was therefore easier for me to pick up on the connections. If you ever wondered where Mr Dark and his carnival may have come from, well, here’s one possible origin. Of course, it is not at all necessary that you read Something Wicked before delving into this, but why miss out on such an excellent classic that I can’t recommend enough?One of the highlights of this book was the humour, which, if done well, is usually something that adds a star rating to almost any book I read. Despite the somewhat dark premise, humour is almost ever present, dark, mostly, at times comic, but almost always funny.Love the fact that this is a series, and I’ll get to read more of Johannes Cabal’s adventures.

Johannes Cabal the Necromancer is a brilliant dark comedy with a protagonist that is a bit of git but is totally cool with that. The eponymous necromancer is not the only great character though the book is packed with them from Arthur Trubshaw, hell’s gatekeeper to Bones, the demon and Johannes brother Horst. All the characters feel real and not just plot devices to move the story forward.The story itself is a straightforward one, Johannes has sold his soul and in order to win it back he must win a bet with the devil, but it provides great scope to display the brilliant characters the author has created. The writing is good and the book is packed with interesting words like insouciance, so if you're anything like me you might want to have a dictionary handy. It's not a bad thing, by the way, every day is a school day and all that...Johannes Cabal the Necromancer is wicked and funny in equal measure with some brilliant characters and top class ideas; the book is worth reading for Arthur Trubshaw and the entry system for hell alone. I'm very much looking forward to reading book two.

After reading  The Fear Institute  at a frantic pace, I picked this up straight away & read it in a matter of days. And now I'm speeding my way through  book 2 , unable to put that down either!In times past, the infamous necromancer Cabal sold his soul to Satan in exchange for knowledge - knowledge to further his researches into conquering death. He has since found that owning a soul is necessary for his work, so somewhat dispassionately makes a further deal with the devil - if he can get 100 people to sign away their souls within a year, his own will be returned to him. And just to make things interesting, Satan provides him with an infernal carnival to help tempt the unsuspecting. This would be a wretched task for anyone but since Cabal's moral compass no longer points North, it's easier for him than most people - but Satan's determined not to make it too straightforward.This charming book brings to mind a darker, more adult Terry Pratchett, combined with some very thorny ethical dilemmas. Like a vampire, it weaves a seductive charm but after a while, throws some unexpectedly thorny moral dillemas your way. Funny & thought-provoking with an iconic main character, this book is difficult to put down & constantly entertaining, with a couple of subtle references to  H.P. Lovecraft  - hints of things to come in  book 3 , which is set in a world realised by the master of eldrich fiction. It's unique, darkly amusing & very compelling.

Even after a second reading I can't decide if I like this book. It's quite amusing (think Good Omens) but its humour veers somewhat randomly in and out of Dad-joke territory. It's bloody silly and this sits oddly with the occasional serious scene and the occasionally great gothic-horror pastiche. Still, it has some serious fans out there so the ingredients that don't quite work for me may well suit your palate perfectly.

This really is one of the best books I've read in a long time and, believe me, I am a reader. I hadn't got to the end of this one when I ordered the sequel (also amazing) and as soon as I finished I was scouring Amazon for more in the genre. The plot is clever, it contains the perfect amount of slightly sinister comedy and the characters are likeable, even Johannes-despite the awful things he's doing. Can't wait for the third book to come out.

This was one of the most entertaining and enjoyable, laugh-a-page books I have read for a while. Johannes Cabal sold his soul to Satan and now he wants it back.What I love about this book is that it promotes my view of Hell, which is that it's really rather a comical place to be, with a boss who changes the rules whenever he is want to do, which is most of the time.In order to reclaim his soul, Johannes is set a challange by the devil, who of course has no intention of making anything easy. But with the reluctant help of his vampire brother, Johannes sees no reason why he can't play Satan at his own game, and win, even with all the little distractions sent to put him off along the way.This book kept me turning the pages at a pace. Not was was I bored or tempted to skim. I loved the easy flowing syntax and constant humour on every page. A really good, light-hearted read with an unexpeccted twist of the tail at the very end.Did I hear there was a sequel?

Wer auf der Suche nach dem Beginn einer neuen Buchreihe ist und auf eine Mischung zwischen Urban Fantasy, Gothic und schwarzen Humor ist, der ist hier richtig. Johannes Cabal ist eine der interessantesten Figuren, die mir bisher begegnet sind.

Engraçado, inteligente, sarcástico e sombrio. Leitura fácil e personagens que, apesar das atitudes no mínimo questionáveis, prendem você do começo ao fim. Um livro de fantasia que com certeza merece mais reconhecimento.

I've found that the very best stories usually hook me with the first paragraph. Sure, some books start slow then pick up steam (or not), but I've rarely seen a book start strong and then go downhill. So I'm always delighted when I find a book whose first lines make me want to keep reading: I just know that there is a good story to follow.Such was the case with the first book in Jonathan Howard's Johannes Cabal series, which I recently bought on a whim because I liked the cover. And, fortunately, as soon as I read the first paragraph I was reasonably sure that I had not misjudged the book by its cover:"Walpurgisnacht, the Hexennacht. The last night in April. The night of witches, when evil walks abroad."It was short, it was sweet, and it set the tone for the rest of the book. This is the story of Johannes Cabal, a thoroughly callous and self-centered scientist who has sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the secrets of necromancy. Now he wants it back. Cabal journeys to hell to barter with Lucifer and makes the following wager: he has one year to consign one-hundred souls to damnation or lose his own for eternity. Satan doesn't send Johannes away empty-handed, however: he lends him a long-abandoned carnival train to help him on his quest. Cabal, an anti-social introvert, considers the prospect of running a carnival more of an ironic punishment than a boon. One sympathizes. Imagine the character of Sheldon Cooper, from T.V.'s Big Bang Theory (or me) forced to rely on personal charm to seduce unwary patrons into signing away their souls and you will have a good idea of just how out of his depth Cabal is. Satan doesn't like to make these wagers easy, otherwise everybody will be wanting one.This book was inspired by Ray Bradbury's classic, Something Wicked This Way Comes, when Howard wondered where an evil carnival would come from. In Johannes Cabal the Necromancer he sets out to answer this question. The story is cleverly and eloquently written and is laced with sardonic wit that is likely to appeal to fans of British comedies such Black Adder. Indeed, were this book ever adapted to the screen, I can't imagine anyone better than Hugh Laurie to play the title role. Cabal is an unapologetic misanthrope who is more than willing to sacrifice anyone, even his own brother, Horst, to achieve his goals and who won't hesitate to kill anyone who stands in his way. Yet we are allowed, on occasion, to catch ephemeral glimpses of the good man locked deep within who gives us hope that despite Cabal's rapid moral deterioration, redemption might not yet be beyond his grasp.Johannes Cabal the Necromancer may not be to everyone's taste, but if you have a love of the macabre and an off-colour sense of humour that makes normal people stare aghast, then it might just be for you.

This book is the story of an anti-hero who exists and operates in a world not quite our own. Those readers who demand sweetness and light will not like this book, as the book honors intellect and will above sentiment. And yet at it's core there is decency to be found.The Protagonist is Johannes Cabal a Necromancer and a man of deep intellect, although you can't agree that all of his decisions are the ones that you or I might take. In many ways he is very much, a slightly Germanic, Sherlock Holmes of the Netherworld with very little conscience. In this first book of the (as of this writing) three books of the series, Cabal demands his soul back from the Devil as it's lack is interfering with his experiments. To get it back he makes a bargain with the devil which involves him collecting 100 souls in one year. The tool is a Diabolic Railway train and Carnival, a la "Something Wicked This Way Comes". He has no real humanity which is hilarious in itself, and so recruits his brother (who he has tricked into becoming a vampire) as his expert on what makes humans tick.This book is always sly, clever and insightful. The humor is dark and dry, and from what some people have written here who didn't especially care for the book, either disagreed with the lack of PC morality, can that they missed a lot of the jokes etc., as is natural. Why natural? Because if you haven't read Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi and some Theology and books on the paranormal, you WILL miss much of what makes this book so wonderful. In many ways it reminds me of the graphic novel, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". It is in large part an insider's book, and if you used to skip and clap your hands with joy when the new Harry Potter book came out, this book is not for you. This book was written for the fans of Jack Vance, Richard Kadrey, and to some degree, George MacDonald Fraser.I would beg the author to not continue any farther down the Lovecraftian path. Once there it's hard to come back and all debts owed for helping him publish have been paid in my opinion. Stick to the plenty odd traditional Judeo-Christian bestiary. Lovecraft is a black hole.

Very nice novel with a touch of old fashion atmosphere, funny characters and nice story.