johannes cabal the necromancer – jonathan l howard

johannes cabal the necromancer

I won this book as a review copy  in a competition, so it wasn’t one that I had chosen to read – or even heard of!

I am SO pleased that I got it though – both me and The Man have read it and both of us really really enjoyed it.

Some reviewers have compared the style to Terry Pratchett, but I don’t agree with that at all – yes, there is some very good observational humour in it and some of the characters seem ‘cartoonish’ (eg Mr Bones and Layla the Latex Lady) but that’s because they aren’t human – they’re not even really alive!

However, the Cabal brothers, the two main characters are very well written, very believable. Satan was also a brilliant character!

I did feel at times that there was a story before that I wasn’t privvy too – and when I finished, I definitely felt that there was more to come, but we have both agreed that will be a good thing, as we enjoyed the style and characters so much!

I highly recommend to anyone – a well-written, light-hearted, slightly dark, amusing tale of family, Hell, carnivals, morals and the fact that death isn’t always the end!!

(Edit:  I just had a look, and Johannes Cabal, The Detective is due out in hardback in July – so there obviously IS more to come – hurrah!!)

conversations with my daughter (pt 3)

I wonder how much they cost...

This morning, me, my lovely bundle of surrealness and my heathen boyfriend had a rather bizarre conversation…and once again I sat amazed at how the most humdrum of subjects tends to blow up into full scale bizarrity.

Yes…I like making my own words up that I feel should already exist.  So shoot me.

Anyway – the Man & The Girl  had a mock-fight just before she was off to school and she’d got all ruffled up.  her previously slick glossy hair was sticking out all over the place where The Man had chucked her around a bit!

Me:  That’s better, you’re hair looks all shiny and gorgeous again now.

TG:  Would you like to have straight hair again like me?

Me:  I’d do anything to have straight hair again!

TG:  Would you rather have me or straight hair?

Me:  Sweetheart, I love you more than anything, but I would sell your soul to the devil to have straight hair again

At this point, The Man wanders back into the room, and The Girl decides to blab about everything

TG:  Mum said she would sell my soul to the devil if she could have straight hair!

TM:  Would you notice?

TG:  It’s my SOUL!

TM:  There’s no such thing.  Shoes have soles, not people

TG:  Not s…o…l..e… silly, s…o…u…l…

TM:  And where is that?  Are you using it?  What does it look like?

TG:  You can’t SEE it – it’s on the inside, under your skin.

TM:  So is your heart, but you know what that looks like

TG:  It’s invisible and it covers your whole being   (I was actually very impressed with this answer from her)

TM:  It’s a made-up thing, and if your mum wants to sell yours, it’s not going to make any difference to your life…your death maybe, if you really believe in that sort of rubbish, but not your life!

TG:  you only don’t believe in them cos you haven’t got one!  (I was also impressed with this)

There was then a flurry of activity as they put on coats and got bags etc, kissed me goodbye happily, and left me sipping my tea dumbfounded.