Johannes Cabal The Necromancer

By: Jonathan L. Howard

Narrated by: Christopher Cazenove

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Johannes Cabal, a brilliant scientist and notorious snob, is single-mindedly obsessed in heart and soul with raising the dead. Well, perhaps not soul.... He hastily sold his years ago in order to learn the laws of necromancy. But now, tormented by a dark secret, he travels to the fiery pits of Hell to retrieve it. Satan, who is incredibly bored these days, proposes a little wager: Johannes has one year to persuade 100 people to sign over their souls, or he will be damned forever.

To make the bet even more interesting, Satan throws in that diabolical engine of deceit, seduction, and corruption known as a “traveling circus” to aid in the evil bidding. What better place exists to rob poor sad saps of their souls than the traveling carnivals historically run by hucksters and legendary con men?

With little time to lose, Johannes raises a motley crew from the dead and enlists his brother, Horst, a charismatic vampire, to be the carnival’s barker. On the road through the pastoral English countryside, this team of reprobates wields their black magic with masterful ease, resulting in mayhem at every turn.

©2009 Jonathan L. Howard (P)2009 Random House

Excellent Narration

The book is fantastic, but what really makes it so good is the narrator. He really draws you into the novel and brings the characters to life.

Its Fun trying to Cheat the Devil

Johannes tries to get his soul back by following a wager with the devil. Has some good tongue in cheek humor and a great ending. Worth the credit

It's a hoot!

I haven't even finished the book and I had to write a review. This book is a hoot...nothing like I was expecting. The story is unique and the performance is wonderful. This is some of the best...Gallows humor?...sarcasm?...I don't know what kind...it's just way funny.

I say, if you like to chuckle, laugh and guffaw...GET THIS BOOK!!!

Nice change of pace

Just a solid piece of fiction, with clever and intelligent writing. I plan to purchase its sequel.

The Brothers Cabal, A Carnival To Die For.

When I started this book it was on what I heard in the sample audio. And that sample audio should tell you everything you need to know about this book. If the idea that hell has an entry line, with enough forms to fill out for entry as getting into another country is as hilarious to you, as it was to me, you'll love this book. Johannes Cabal is at the same time a complicated and remarkably simple protagonist. He is played as the straight man to the utter nonsense that goes on in the story, and you both laugh at and with him, and then feel for him by the finale. The story pulls no punches, and while it is in itself a humorous tale, what it has to say on morality, and what a frightfully obsolete and self-defeating concept it is, stays with me. I can say little more, lest it would spoil what this book has to offer. Suffice it to say, if you enjoyed some of Monty Python's darker work, you'll enjoy this. It is british humor to the last, so it might be an acquired taste for some. But by all means, I will say it again. If you liked the sample audio, you will love this book.

Narration saves a crashing bore

The comparisons to Christopher Moore are greatly exaggerated. The main character is simply boring, and most of the story seems like silly stage business to add some pages to the silly narrative. I should know better than to go with Audible suggestions by now. Blah.

i love this series

this book is everything I've been looking for in fiction. humourous to the end

Funniest story not by Pratchett.

Picked this book up on a whim after running into it down a rabbit hole of recomendations. Absolutly loved it. The humor hits the sweet spot of brittish absurdism without going to far. Also, unlike so many other humor/fantasy novels this story is not all about sex which I personally appreciate greatly.
The narrator's voice is nearly perfect for the protagonist. Casenove presents a decent array of voices and wasn't afraid to sing on record. He truly helped bring this book to life.(so to speak)

Drags in the middle

This is a clever story but the material was stretched to get the length. In fairness, it started well and it ended well. However, the middle third of the book was tedious. The characters were modestly interesting but given the setting, they should have been far more interesting.

Most of the reviews really liked this book but I don't agree. I'm glad I made it through (thanks to some fast forwarding and skipping one whole chapter). However, I won't check out the sequels.

Oh, I actually like the prequel story a lot. Surprised to not like the first full book.

An excellent listen!

I found this book light and amusing, with a delightful flavour of morbidity. It is great if you want something along those lines. It is not High Literature, but it is not intended to be. The reader gives it the proper tone and I didn't catch any mispronunciations. However, it does drag at the end and become focused on letting the plot twist, rather than on the writing.