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A review by aceinit
Johannes Cabal the Detective by Jonathan L. Howard
3.0
I enjoyed this second installment of the Johannes Cabal series right up until the moment the dramatic climax is set in motion. From there, the book took a turn for the overly-dramatic, explosive-laden action sequence one finds in every clichéd popcorn flick. Sadly, this overblown excuse for an ending ruined the book for me.
Still, it is nice to re-enter Cabal's world, and to see unexpected, familiar faces from the first novel make an appearance as well. Cabal and Miss Barrow work well together, though neither of them would ever admit it, and I hope to see more of her in the future.
It's also been fascinating to be handled a few more breadcrumbs about Cabal's past and the mysterious woman who is driving his every action.
The novel closes with a story-within-a-story about an adventure Cabal has after his primary adventure is over. "The Tomb of Umtak Ktharl" is a delightful short story, and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you are curious about Cabal’s world but don’t want to fully commit to a series without first knowing more about it, the characters and the storytelling style.
I am looking forward to The Fear Institute, and hope the series regains its stride after the missteps of the ending of the principal story of this installment.
Still, it is nice to re-enter Cabal's world, and to see unexpected, familiar faces from the first novel make an appearance as well. Cabal and Miss Barrow work well together, though neither of them would ever admit it, and I hope to see more of her in the future.
It's also been fascinating to be handled a few more breadcrumbs about Cabal's past and the mysterious woman who is driving his every action.
The novel closes with a story-within-a-story about an adventure Cabal has after his primary adventure is over. "The Tomb of Umtak Ktharl" is a delightful short story, and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you are curious about Cabal’s world but don’t want to fully commit to a series without first knowing more about it, the characters and the storytelling style.
I am looking forward to The Fear Institute, and hope the series regains its stride after the missteps of the ending of the principal story of this installment.