Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
If you’ve read the two previous Johannes Cabal books, you know that Howard is Lemony Snickett for grown ups. The premise this time is that Cabal, a necromancer, is approached by a weird trio who say they’re representing the Fear Institute and intend to engage his services. First of all, a necromancer is a person who communicates with the dead by summoning them. Cabal takes great pride in this talent. Secondly, Cabal is very difficult to approach, but these guys manage it. They make Cabal a proposal that he’s inclined to refuse—at first. The group claims to have discovered where Fear resides, in the Dreamlands. Thirdly, Cabal wants very much to go to the Dreamlands, and these men have a way to get there.Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland has nothing on Howard’s Dreamlands, which comes complete with a flyleaf map. Try to keep in mind while you make your way through the dense, Dickensian prose, that nothing is necessarily as it seems in this shadowy place, although that will be hard as you are drawn into a fabulous tale that winds and slips in its arcane journey.There’s a lot of sarcasm and satire. And a bunch of chuckles along the way. I wish Churchill could have read this. But if he’s in the Dreamlands, maybe he can.Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “Death in the Time of Ice” for Suspense Magazine As witty and clever as the rest of the Cabal series! And FINALLY a link back to the end of the first novel, which was driving me mad to find out when we were going to get back to this. *Spoilers ahead* I like the fact that Howard didn't stick with a "Victorian" (I use the term loosely) or steampunk sort of feel with this one, and in fact headed into a quite Lovecraftian realm with the old gods. I was rather pleased to see that the novel deals primarily with Nyarlathotep (seriously those names) instead of Cthulu, which is what we usually see in Lovecraft tribute. Anyway, it was witty and delightful and the ending is a definite cliffhanger (though with a bit of thought, and a glance at the announcement for #4, you can work it out). I loved the fact that it contained ghouls, witches, time travel, zebras, pirates and Lovecraftian horrors all in one excellent novel.
What do You think about Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute (2013)?
Cannot wait until the next one! Johannes Cabal is to necromancy what Gregory House is to medicine!
—Affie
Aside from a cliff-hanger ending which I didn't care for, this book was a lot of fun to read.
—Lui
Much better than the second one. Lovecraft all over the place!
—tab
