If you're born with a love for the wrote and the writ
You guys, I must make a confession. It's hard to confess such a thing and I'm sure some of you will find yourselves disappointed in me. But, I feel I cannot lie any longer. Here goes: I am in love.
I just finished reading Johannes Cabal the Detective, sequel to Johannes Cabal the Necromancer and book that finds itself prior, at least in release date to Johannes Cabal the Fear Institute, which will be coming out in September *stars in eyes*
Anyhoo, the Detective. This book was decidedly funny shit. And so nerdy it hurts. But, the funny. Anywhere you turn, reviewers compare the style to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, but I think, especially by this second book, Mr Howard (that's the author, keep up), has a decidedly unique voice and he uses it gloriously.
I tore through the first book while I was meant to be studying and was blown away by it. It was hilarious, incorporated steampunk in a fun way that avoided eyerolling on my part and actually made the story more intriguiging. It had a roadtrip (after a fashion), an excellent Satan, and sarcasm dripped from the pages. The characters had zero development and the plot was rather ripped from Faust and other influences, and it was definitely a 5 star book for me.
So, naturally, I went out and spent all that money I have readily available (:/) on the next book. And started it with far more a wimper than a bang. It seemed clear that either he had taken a writing class or editorial influence had taken over and his writing had been corrected to being technically excellent but rather soulless (ohoho, read the books, get the joke). Thankfully, it quickly caught it's stride again and took off running, being hilarious, razor-sharp in the wit department, and making such wild use of understatement that I was brought to tears of mirth more than once. The second book is superior to the superb first book, though there's a distinct lack of one of the characters I had rather hoped was slightly less abandonable. This one has the fantastic bonus of having a decidedly Sherlockian (well, Agathian - I like that word I just made up) tilt as well as pompous politics. Extra bonus, is that there's a faintly associated short story tacked to the end that is almost better than the book. I enjoyed every friggin minute, people, and I cannot wait for the next one.
Johannes Cabal is purportedly a sociopath and has a career that rather a number of people aren't terribly fond of. He carries a needlessly large gun because of a certain mathmatical weakness and is confused by women flirting with him. He's self-centred to the max but rather abhors many of the rather shitty things in the world (ooh, sidenote, there's this dude camped out on campus doing a hunger strike against prejudice in general and pretty much every other thing that ails our species. He's gonna be there for a while).
The author also seems awesome. He's obviously a nerd, calls his fans the Cabal Cabal (so punny), and writes stuff that makes me laugh, which puts him in a pantheon of rather fantastic writers. (He freakin tweeted that he artfully rearranged his books in a store and said it'd be his bad if the positioning ruined Neil Gaiman's career!)
And the Cabal Cabal even has an lj group!!! YAY :D I'm very much off to go join that apparently tiny fanbase. Assuming they let new people in :P
I leave you with a quote from Johannes Cabal the Detective to convince you to read it:
[Cabal has decided he's being "picked up," which seems like it's something he read about once. He decides flirting would be valuable to his plans]:
"[some crap about fortune telling I'm too lazy to type...] 'A practioner of this piece of flummery would spin around on the spot until he got dizzy and fell over. The manner of the falling-over told the future of whoever has hired the gyromancer. I should think,' he added with an artful chuckle, 'that the true reading would invariably be "You will soon be gulled by a confidence trickster." '
"There was silence for a few moments, and Cabal wondered if this would be a good time to turn and look as handsome as possible."
Hush, I liked the artful chuckle. A lot. Fine, another:
"Cabal scowled. 'What's this? Psychoanalysis by coercion? "Tell me about your childhood, or else?" I didn't realise psychiatry has become so two-fisted.' He smiled at her for appearance's sake, but his eyes were sharp and dangerous. 'Don't think you can quantify me and put me in a thesis. A census taker once tried to test me. I let my front garden eat him.'
" 'Your front garden?'
"He wrinkled his nose. 'You didn't expect me to do it, did you?' "
Lolololol, get the reference? Get it get it get it?
GO READ THESE BOOKS. NOW. OR I MAY HAVE TO SIC THE "SPIES AND BANDITS AND ALL THAT" ON YOU.
I just finished reading Johannes Cabal the Detective, sequel to Johannes Cabal the Necromancer and book that finds itself prior, at least in release date to Johannes Cabal the Fear Institute, which will be coming out in September *stars in eyes*
Anyhoo, the Detective. This book was decidedly funny shit. And so nerdy it hurts. But, the funny. Anywhere you turn, reviewers compare the style to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, but I think, especially by this second book, Mr Howard (that's the author, keep up), has a decidedly unique voice and he uses it gloriously.
I tore through the first book while I was meant to be studying and was blown away by it. It was hilarious, incorporated steampunk in a fun way that avoided eyerolling on my part and actually made the story more intriguiging. It had a roadtrip (after a fashion), an excellent Satan, and sarcasm dripped from the pages. The characters had zero development and the plot was rather ripped from Faust and other influences, and it was definitely a 5 star book for me.
So, naturally, I went out and spent all that money I have readily available (:/) on the next book. And started it with far more a wimper than a bang. It seemed clear that either he had taken a writing class or editorial influence had taken over and his writing had been corrected to being technically excellent but rather soulless (ohoho, read the books, get the joke). Thankfully, it quickly caught it's stride again and took off running, being hilarious, razor-sharp in the wit department, and making such wild use of understatement that I was brought to tears of mirth more than once. The second book is superior to the superb first book, though there's a distinct lack of one of the characters I had rather hoped was slightly less abandonable. This one has the fantastic bonus of having a decidedly Sherlockian (well, Agathian - I like that word I just made up) tilt as well as pompous politics. Extra bonus, is that there's a faintly associated short story tacked to the end that is almost better than the book. I enjoyed every friggin minute, people, and I cannot wait for the next one.
Johannes Cabal is purportedly a sociopath and has a career that rather a number of people aren't terribly fond of. He carries a needlessly large gun because of a certain mathmatical weakness and is confused by women flirting with him. He's self-centred to the max but rather abhors many of the rather shitty things in the world (ooh, sidenote, there's this dude camped out on campus doing a hunger strike against prejudice in general and pretty much every other thing that ails our species. He's gonna be there for a while).
The author also seems awesome. He's obviously a nerd, calls his fans the Cabal Cabal (so punny), and writes stuff that makes me laugh, which puts him in a pantheon of rather fantastic writers. (He freakin tweeted that he artfully rearranged his books in a store and said it'd be his bad if the positioning ruined Neil Gaiman's career!)
And the Cabal Cabal even has an lj group!!! YAY :D I'm very much off to go join that apparently tiny fanbase. Assuming they let new people in :P
I leave you with a quote from Johannes Cabal the Detective to convince you to read it:
[Cabal has decided he's being "picked up," which seems like it's something he read about once. He decides flirting would be valuable to his plans]:
"[some crap about fortune telling I'm too lazy to type...] 'A practioner of this piece of flummery would spin around on the spot until he got dizzy and fell over. The manner of the falling-over told the future of whoever has hired the gyromancer. I should think,' he added with an artful chuckle, 'that the true reading would invariably be "You will soon be gulled by a confidence trickster." '
"There was silence for a few moments, and Cabal wondered if this would be a good time to turn and look as handsome as possible."
Hush, I liked the artful chuckle. A lot. Fine, another:
"Cabal scowled. 'What's this? Psychoanalysis by coercion? "Tell me about your childhood, or else?" I didn't realise psychiatry has become so two-fisted.' He smiled at her for appearance's sake, but his eyes were sharp and dangerous. 'Don't think you can quantify me and put me in a thesis. A census taker once tried to test me. I let my front garden eat him.'
" 'Your front garden?'
"He wrinkled his nose. 'You didn't expect me to do it, did you?' "
Lolololol, get the reference? Get it get it get it?
GO READ THESE BOOKS. NOW. OR I MAY HAVE TO SIC THE "SPIES AND BANDITS AND ALL THAT" ON YOU.