zossy's review
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
1_and_owenly's review
4.0
I love a good time travel tale. Well, this might not count as that. Time loop, perhaps? Alternate futures?
Whatever you might call it, Johannes Cabal is back. And while this particular tale is light on the horror, it is still filled with the wit that I love as our protagonist seeks out the rarity known as Ouroboros Ouzo.
Whatever you might call it, Johannes Cabal is back. And while this particular tale is light on the horror, it is still filled with the wit that I love as our protagonist seeks out the rarity known as Ouroboros Ouzo.
nichola's review
4.0
I love the idea of a seeing your various futures and talking to them. More of this...
geilie's review
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
skittledog's review
4.0
A fun little read, showcasing all the Johannes Cabals that might be… or might not.
jesssepp's review
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
carol26388's review
3.0
My first experience with ouzo is with Douglas Adams in Life, the Universe and Everything. Being from farm type, working-class people in the German and Scandanavian hinterlands of America, I had absolutely no idea what it was. In those days, kids, there wasn't any internet. You wanted to know what something was, you looked it up at the library using the encyclopedia (think 'Wikipedia' with actual, real references, complied by educated people) or using the Mirriam-Webster dictionary you had lying around the house. Being unwilling to stop reading for a pesky definition means I often pieced together meaning based on the text. Somehow, I developed the idea that ouzo was a lot like olive oil, a point of confusion which persisted through the book but which was fortunately rather unimportant.
Ouzo appears again, when Johannes is willing to pay out a special gold coin's worth of difficult favors to see if his current line of research will pay dividends. Silly, crabby Johannes, who can't see the future for what it is (and seems to share a disturbingly similar and simple impression of 'choice' as Blake Crouch in Dark Matter). I feel this one would have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, a bit less holding things back at the beginning for the sake of surprise, and a bit more dialogue. It has an interesting core. The best part was the afterward, where Howard shares that the title (and then story) came about after a Twitter dare with Kadrey and Wendig. Twitter has much that is inane and hollow to answer for. Luckily, this story isn't one of those howls in the ether.
I don't think I ever have tried ouzo, but it seems to be one of those drinks that one kicks back with a rush and a grimace, and given it's connection with some of the weirder stories in literature, I think it's safest to stay away.
Ouzo appears again, when Johannes is willing to pay out a special gold coin's worth of difficult favors to see if his current line of research will pay dividends. Silly, crabby Johannes, who can't see the future for what it is (and seems to share a disturbingly similar and simple impression of 'choice' as Blake Crouch in Dark Matter). I feel this one would have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, a bit less holding things back at the beginning for the sake of surprise, and a bit more dialogue. It has an interesting core. The best part was the afterward, where Howard shares that the title (and then story) came about after a Twitter dare with Kadrey and Wendig. Twitter has much that is inane and hollow to answer for. Luckily, this story isn't one of those howls in the ether.
I don't think I ever have tried ouzo, but it seems to be one of those drinks that one kicks back with a rush and a grimace, and given it's connection with some of the weirder stories in literature, I think it's safest to stay away.
sarah42783's review
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5658954 stars. And a half.
RTC and stuff.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
· Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★
RTC and stuff.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
· Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
· Book 5: The Fall of the House of Cabal ★★★★★