Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer

So here we are, another week, another steam book. This week: Johannes Cabal, The Necromancer. I gotta say, I really like this one. It's not the steampunkiest book, per say, but it's pretty awesome no matter what.

For starters, its about about a necromancer. Specifically, a necromancer once written about by HP Lovecraft. You know. The Cthulhu guy.

It's mostly about Johannes Cabal and his quest to make one hundred people sign over their souls to the devil, so he can have his back. Yeah, he sold his to learn necromancy and defeat death. But he needs it back to do the defeating!

Anyway, Cabal makes a bet with the devil that he can get one hundred souls in one year. He's given a carnival to help him in this task, and an alloted amount of demonic magic to assist as well. We receive another supernatural character in the form of Cabal's brother, now a vampire (that had been locked in a basement for twelve years) due to Cabal's own screw up.

It all goes well and Cabal is up to ninety-eight souls when he arrives at Penlow. In Penlow, however, the people don't trust him, since he totally restored their rail station--complete with revived stationmaster--in a single night before he showed up. It is here in Penlow that Cabal must get his final two souls in one night. That night, he gets his first two truly good souls. The other ninety-eight were already walking the path to hell, but Cabal manages to convince two women who aren't to sign over their souls anyway. 

Cabal then takes his box of signed-over souls to the devil, and tricks him into taking only the original ninety-eight souls, but still getting his own back. 

Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer is funny. Jonathan Howard is just poking fun at any book about necromancers ever. But it's also a serious book; he wants us to watch Cabal be the most horrible person ever, and then fix it. Oh, yeah, by the way, Johannes Cabal is pretty much the biggest jackass of a character you will ever love. He's callous, uncaring, pompous, a know-it-all, and he pulls it off with wit and style. Johannes Cabal: Necromancer is the sort of dry, almost British humor we've become accustomed to from Terry Prattchet and Douglas Adams. If you read any of the books I put up here, dear god, let it be this one. 

Sincerely, 

Murphs

(PS: If you enjoyed this book, it has a very lovely sequel, Johannes Cabal: The Detective. It's set primarily on an airship. Squee!)