Tuesday 7 July 2015

The Hutt Recommends: Johannes Cabal the Necromancer

Johannes Cabal: the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard.

Oh Johannes, you despicable little thing, how I’ve come to love you.

Once upon a time Johannes Cabal, necromancer of some infamy, had reasons to sell his soul to none other than Satan himself in order to attain knowledge of necromancy. Years later he realised that he might need same said soul to deepen his research and consequently took a stroll right through the gates of Hell to pay Satan another little visit and renegotiate that deal they made a while back. Seeing as Satan enjoys a good joke on humanity once in a while, and knowing full well the futility in trying to get your soul back once you've given it up, he agrees to give Cabal a year in which to sign over a hundred willing souls to Hell with the help of a travelling carnival. If Cabal succeeds he'll get his soul back, if not he'll be damned for all eternity. With precious little time to waste Cabal raises a diverse crew of carnies from the dead and somehow persuades his own brother Horst to help him finish his task with bizarre results and many a twisted turn.

This is a steampunk adventure with a side of death, demons and wicked deceit.


Johannes Cabal: the Detective by Jonathan L. Howard.

The adventures of the necromancer of some infamy, Johannes Cabal , goes forever on!

By some mishap Cabal finds himself abroad and entirely in trouble after some not wholly legal activities including a book that wasn't his but should have been if his plan had only worked. Now, he's awaiting execution and to no enjoyment at all. Unexpectedly, he's offered a chance for escape and takes on the identity of a government official to escape aboard a luxurious aeroship on its way across the border and away from trouble. Or so Cabal thought. Instead Cabal finds himself trapped on an aeroship where passengers disappear mysteriously and an attempt is made on him own life.

Johannes Cabal: the Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard. 

Johannes Cabal, necromancer of some infamy, takes on the Dreamlands! Ghouls! Witches! Zebras!

One day Cabal is introduced to the opportunity to take on a strange task indeed. Employed by the mysterious Fear Institute he is to lead an expedition of a handpicked few into the Dreamlands; a land beyond the veil of sleep that is entirely formed by dreams and dreamers. In these Dreamlands he is to find and destroy the dreaded Phobic Animus which is supposedly the very embodiment of fear and the source of all terrors. Will the group find the Phobic Animus and is it possible to wipe out fear entirely? But the real question is about something completely else because what does a man like Cabal, who's unafraid of death, really fear?

The third part of the story about the sarcastic necromancer Cabal takes a very Lovecraftian turn and kept me enthralled until the very last page. I read most of it in a day and could hardly put the book down once I had started reading. The only thing I could have wished for is the inclusion of more non-male characters because as much as I love Johannes, it would be nice to see a non-male character of importance once in a while.
Big plus for unexpected ending!


Howard's fourth book about Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by the title The Brothers Cabal came out in late 2014 but has yet to show up in Swedish bookshops.
But you can find it on Amazon. *hint hint*

It's... pink

If someone had come up to me a few years ago and told me that I would decorate my home in pink and all manners of different vibrant bright colours I would have laughed in their face and called them an idiot. But look at me now.
  • My kitchen is white with details in different shades of blue, green and red.
  • My bedroom is green with details in white, gold and silver.
  • My living room is white with details in black, white, metal and neon pink.
It looks amazeballs.

This has been another quite irrelevant post.
Stay hydrated my friends.

Thursday 2 July 2015

The Hutt Recommends: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Many years ago I read a novel by the title Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I found the first chapters hard to get through because of the unsympathetic nature of one of the main characters, one Mr Norrell. After having put down the book for several weeks I finally found patience enough to continue the story. And I loved it. All thanks to Jonathan Strange and all that happened after the petty Mr Norrell finally took residence in London following the disbandment of The York Society of Magicians.


The story takes place in 19th century England during the Napoleonic Wars but with the added assumption that magic is real but haven't been in use by human kind for hundreds of years. We follow the two men Gilbert Norrell and Jonathan Strange and the relationship between the two as they turn to their quest to return magic to England, each with their own goals. And consequences. An arrogant hoarder vs a naive yet seeking mind.

The reason to why I'm writing about this is that the BBC production of the novel is very close to the source material and has therefore been a true delight to watch. Rarely do I get to enjoy an adaption so close in both narrative and feeling to the original text.


Please enjoy either of them, both if you can and wish.

Wednesday 1 July 2015

I has a big happy

I have the tickets. I will see Dylan Moran's Off the Hook in November.


Until then, enjoy this gem and click on to more awesomeness.