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Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day: And Other Tales of the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard
murdrean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
thelostvoid's review
4.0
I was going to surrender and start listening to the audiobook of Dune (the brainrot is real) but then remembered my audible membership expires very soon, and this is something I wanted to get to.
Returning to the absolute shenanigans of Johannes Cabal and his insane life and hugely entertaining vibes was great fun. I'll be honest, I kind of sped through the audiobook so I could read Dune fanfic (I am simply the worst and that's ok) but I enjoyed it quite a lot. Especially getting to see how he and Zarenyia met.
Returning to the absolute shenanigans of Johannes Cabal and his insane life and hugely entertaining vibes was great fun. I'll be honest, I kind of sped through the audiobook so I could read Dune fanfic (I am simply the worst and that's ok) but I enjoyed it quite a lot. Especially getting to see how he and Zarenyia met.
breevee's review against another edition
4.0
I've loved the entire Johannes Cabal series, and these short stories of the necromancer were just as much fun as the novels. I was under the impression that the stories pre-dated the novels, but many of the stories weave in and out of the events of the novels seamlessly, the stories in each format referencing the other, so that the stories are just as informative and fun regardless if you are reading them before or after the four-book series. As always, Howard's writing is subtle, eloquent, and hilarious.
htbaumtree's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I started listening to "Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day" while it was snowing and I tried to shovel my car out of the drive, a thankless task that set the scene perfectly for the short story in question, and the audiobook made the experience practically enjoyable. All of the stories in this anthology were like that, adding a sparkle to my day whenever I had a minute or two to listen. Howard is especially skilled at creating atmosphere and delightful witty dialogue. While it isn't necessary to read these to enjoy the Johannes Cabal book series, it very much improved my reading experience by filling in some of the backstories alluded to in the larger series. While Zareniya was by far the best bit of the whole collection, the best stories were definitely "Exeunt Demon King" & "Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day".
philibin's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 Stars)
This book is the collection of short stories from various publications all presented into one volume. It really can be read at any point in the series, or you can check here on Goodreads to see which order to read in-between novels. Or it can really be read independently of the series to get a feel for the main character and writing style of the author.
Johannes Cabal will appeal to dark urban fantasy readers with elements of Victorian era steampunk and light-hearted horror. Johannes Cabal is one of those types of people that automatically assumes he is the smartest person in any room he enters... and will tell you why, or be astounded when you don't see it yourself. He is a Necromancer by trade, and if you know what that is, and enjoy sardonic humor, this book might be for you.
The audiobook is narrated nicely, easy to follow the dialog between characters, and great production quality. It was a little slow for my tastes so I turned it up to 1.75 normal speed and didn't suffer from any misunderstood words or missed breaks.
This book is the collection of short stories from various publications all presented into one volume. It really can be read at any point in the series, or you can check here on Goodreads to see which order to read in-between novels. Or it can really be read independently of the series to get a feel for the main character and writing style of the author.
Johannes Cabal will appeal to dark urban fantasy readers with elements of Victorian era steampunk and light-hearted horror. Johannes Cabal is one of those types of people that automatically assumes he is the smartest person in any room he enters... and will tell you why, or be astounded when you don't see it yourself. He is a Necromancer by trade, and if you know what that is, and enjoy sardonic humor, this book might be for you.
The audiobook is narrated nicely, easy to follow the dialog between characters, and great production quality. It was a little slow for my tastes so I turned it up to 1.75 normal speed and didn't suffer from any misunderstood words or missed breaks.
hissingpotatoes's review against another edition
3.5
Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day: 4/5 stars. The beats hit all the right notes. Humor, danger, intelligence, revenge, magical lore, etc. It's just a very well crafted short story that was entertaining to listen to all the way through.
Exeunt Demon King: 2.5/5 stars. This story was kind of bland. Having Cabal narrate lost a lot of the punchy humor we get from the omniscient narrator in the books/other stories. The magical lore in the background of the story was interesting/horrifying at least.
The Ereshkigal Working: 3.5/5 stars. A fun, albeit dark, episode in the life of Johannes Cabal. Adding a "sidekick" of sorts for Cabal created an amusing narrative with a ridiculous but effective solution to the story's problem.
The House of Gears: 3.5/5 stars. This story provides an interesting alternate approach to necromancy. I suspect/hope we'll see Samhet again in the future.
The Death of Me: 3.5/5 stars. Cabal once again escapes death by being the protagonist rather than because of plot-related logic. The woman in the carriage is a delight and I hope her meetings with Cabal have a longer-term effect on him than in just this story.
Ouroboros Ouzo: 4/5 stars. A short little story about fate, told with humor and meaning.
A Long Spoon: 4/5 stars. Zarenyia and Cabal are a delightful duo with wicked banter. How adorable that Cabal made a friend, who just happens to be a devil.
Exeunt Demon King: 2.5/5 stars. This story was kind of bland. Having Cabal narrate lost a lot of the punchy humor we get from the omniscient narrator in the books/other stories. The magical lore in the background of the story was interesting/horrifying at least.
The Ereshkigal Working: 3.5/5 stars. A fun, albeit dark, episode in the life of Johannes Cabal. Adding a "sidekick" of sorts for Cabal created an amusing narrative with a ridiculous but effective solution to the story's problem.
The House of Gears: 3.5/5 stars. This story provides an interesting alternate approach to necromancy. I suspect/hope we'll see Samhet again in the future.
The Death of Me: 3.5/5 stars. Cabal once again escapes death by being the protagonist rather than because of plot-related logic. The woman in the carriage is a delight and I hope her meetings with Cabal have a longer-term effect on him than in just this story.
Ouroboros Ouzo: 4/5 stars. A short little story about fate, told with humor and meaning.
A Long Spoon: 4/5 stars. Zarenyia and Cabal are a delightful duo with wicked banter. How adorable that Cabal made a friend, who just happens to be a devil.
tashillia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
It is hard to review parts of series separately, because at some point you are just spending time in familiar company without any need for nitpicking.
I rarely come across short stories that are primarily fun adventures, and it is exactly what these are. A great experience, because I like this kind of thing, Johannes Cabal is one of my favorite characters, and after reading four books and then procrastinating finishing the series for like 2 years, I started missing him a bit.
My favories are, probably, the eponymous "Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day", "A Long Spoon", and "Ouroboros Ouzo", and I'm not entirely with Cabal in "The House of Gears" (he kind of went too far in - we could have gone without "godlike awe", it's creepy), but the adventure is still cool.
Bonus: as usual, my vocabulary is properly enriched (not for long though, not for long)
I rarely come across short stories that are primarily fun adventures, and it is exactly what these are. A great experience, because I like this kind of thing, Johannes Cabal is one of my favorite characters, and after reading four books and then procrastinating finishing the series for like 2 years, I started missing him a bit.
My favories are, probably, the eponymous "Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day", "A Long Spoon", and "Ouroboros Ouzo", and I'm not entirely with Cabal in "The House of Gears" (he kind of went too far in - we could have gone without "godlike awe", it's creepy), but the adventure is still cool.
Bonus: as usual, my vocabulary is properly enriched (not for long though, not for long)
etakloknok's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ergative's review against another edition
5.0
I'm BEREFT! I have finished the last of the Cabals, and I now have no more Cabal remaining. How will I cope?