Jonathan L. Howard

"Horst Cabal has risen from the dead. Again. Horst, the most affable vampire one is ever likely to meet, is resurrected by an occult conspiracy that wants him as a general in a monstrous army. Their plan: to create a country of horrors, a supernatural homeland. As Horst sees the lengths to which they are prepared to go and the evil they cultivate, he realizes that he cannot fight them alone. What he really needs on his side is a sarcastic, amoral, heavily armed necromancer. As luck would have it, this exactly describes his brother." --

The Brothers Cabal

Patrick Book

A Novel

Emmett

Was in two minds about this one. Hearing Horst's voice was a new experience, and though reminiscent of the time he appeared in the first book, he dominates this narrative. He is very amusing though not in the same way Johannes is amusing: honest, rambling (Horst is very social), a little naive but a bright optimist (despite being a vampire) in every way his little necromancer brother's corrosive brand of misanthropic acrimony isn't. Having the plot borne by him alters the texture of the narrative quite a fair bit. The moral wrestling with vampiric thirst appears as expected but infrequently, which avoids the risk of it being a tad overdone, and Horst has his own comic way of doing it - arguing with a thirst that manifests itself as a nagging voice of evil or honeyed whispers of suggestion. This facet of the plot would have gone down a much darker route if it wasn't for his personality which keeps it lighthearted. That said, however, there is plenty of monstrosity, gore and high-powered violence in the action, which isn't out of place in this series of books - though at one point I did feel it getting a bit out of hand; the introduction of the women and their flying circus especially seemed rather abrupt and though it was mild entertainment to know a certain vampire felt put-out at not being able to view the planes in the day, the story dragged a bit when it delved into the circus performances. By the by it was largely what I came for, however, and having Horst take the wheel (and Johannes gradually being introduced to the situation before he takes his place much later) deals a rather different spin which was quite enjoyable. A new flavour, of sorts.

Anastaciya

Ooh, liked it a lot. nice to have Horst back, and the brothers working together.
That ending tho oO a bit nervous about the next book now.

The Brothers Cabal

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