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

By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Something Wicked...

What did you love best about Johannes Cabal The Necromancer?

This is one of my all time favorite stories ever. The writing is sharp and witty. Johannes Cabal is the greatest anti-hero ever; and his brother Horst is just perfection. It is a unique take on the Faustian tale that will make you laugh and cry. I could go on and on about how amazingly brilliant this story is, but just do yourself a favor and read (or listen to it). I love it.

What does Christopher Cazenove bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Cazenove was perfect. A wonderfully expressive narrator that portrays the characters and events with all the wit and verve that is needed.

Wonderfully written, Highly enjoyable!

Highly recommend, especially for fans of Terry Pratchett & Christopher Moore. Can't wait for more!

Wow!

I thought this book is amazing! Witty dialogue and an excellent story line. The characters are well-formed and endearing. The narrator was perfect and doubtlessly raised the overall experience. I’ll be looking for more books from this author.

Tries just a little too hard

When I started listening to this book, it felt like the author was just trying a little too hard to be funny. The absurd situations and dialogue just didn't have the natural flow of Douglas Adams or Neil Gaman, who it felt like he was trying to imitate. As the story went on, I don't know if I just got used to it or if it got better, but I started getting sucked into the story, which has some really unique twists and turns.I really liked the ending, so if you can get through the somewhat awkward start, it's enjoyable.

Cheeky Fun as a Necromancer takes on the Devil.

So, you've sold your soul to the Devil in exchange for forbidden knowledge but now have buyer's remorse? What do you do?

Well, if you're Johannes Cabal, Necromancer, you got straight to the source. Jumping line (Hell is bureaucracy, it turns out), he heads straight to Old Scratch to, er, re-negotiate. What he gets is a simple deal: Run a circus of the damned for a year; if he collects 100 souls, he's free to go. If not, well, that's that.

Luckily for him, he has a vampiric brother on 'standby' (you'll see) to help run this infernal sideshow. Unluckily for him, the Devil will try to stymie his progress at every turn (naturally).

As for how it transpires, well, that would be telling. But suffice it to say it's wicked, morbid fun, like a Hammer horror film crossed with the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Find out for yourselves, you won't be disappointed!

Odd fun

What made the experience of listening to Johannes Cabal The Necromancer the most enjoyable?

Not at all what I expected. Interesting! I liked how it didn't follow any of the typical "rules" set out for any specific troupe of book.

Have you listened to any of Christopher Cazenove’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I don't recall listening to him before. He has a dry slightly borking voice, but he suits the character VERY well.

A Fun Listen

I bought this after listening to the Brothers Grimm, hoping for something similar. In that, it didn't disappoint. It was less epic, but still a fun story with interesting characters. Looking forward to the next one.

A dark delight

Don't let the dark themes of this book keep you away. The story is exciting, whitty, and entertaining all the way through.
The audio quality was great and I have been sharing it with all my friends.

Excellent Narrator Good book

Narrator is spectacular. The book however, became a bit boring half way through with a lot of carnival descriptions and no character development. Stick with it though, the ending is enjoyable.

Cazanove may be the best narrator I've ever heard.

Fantastic story, exceptional narrator, dark, and funny. I loved this book. I can't wait to read the rest.