littlevee's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
elusivity's review
3.0
I didn't enjoy this one as much as Book 1. The story is narrated primarily from Jonathan Cabal and Leonie Bower's perspectives. Being able to see events through JC's perspective removes much of the man's inherent intrigue and mystery as a necromancer who strode multiple times into Hell without a qualm. There were many statements about how abominable he is, with Leonie exclaiming at every turn how he is a cold-hearted horrible person.... And yet, it seems to me, neither his action nor words warranted such reactions. Result: a feeling there was more telling than showing.
The political shenanigans and murders also seem confusing and boring. I still don't have a good idea which country is which, which spy does what, and which parties are involved in which war.
However, the last chapter is an account of a gentleman /amateur spy's encounter with JC in the wilds of a forest in Eastern Europe. This self-contained little story was everything I hoped for when I picked up the book. One additional star!
The political shenanigans and murders also seem confusing and boring. I still don't have a good idea which country is which, which spy does what, and which parties are involved in which war.
However, the last chapter is an account of a gentleman /amateur spy's encounter with JC in the wilds of a forest in Eastern Europe. This self-contained little story was everything I hoped for when I picked up the book. One additional star!
telerit's review against another edition
4.0
I don't write reviews; I write reactions. I haven't laughed so much while reading in a long time. I found myself reading lines out loud because the language was so delicious. I haven't found a book or series so worthy of that since the Hitchhiker's Guide series. I will definitly be reading more from this series.
hpstrangelove's review against another edition
4.0
Took a while to get going with this one. The start wasn't bad, but it bogged down for a while. A bit too many descriptions of food. It picked up towards the middle and held my interest, but the pace seemed slower overall compared to the first book. Still an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to book 3.
asterope's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
Sick. Improved upon many of my issues with the first book, and still just as hilarious.
Leonie's return was sorely needed. Someone needs to keep Cabal in check. And despite everything, I'm once again surprised at how likeable Cabal remains as a protagonist. We even got another snippet of backstory! For a while there I thought I'd imagined the ending of the first book (I read it whilst very tired).
The worldbuilding was nicely expanded upon, with some fictional yet convincing European countries thrown in with the existing ones. I'm glad Britain was confirmed as real too. The author's writing was much better. Just generally lots more detail and care given to making the world come alive. At first I was concerned the book would be almost entirely set in the airship, and the descriptions of its various mechanical parts got a little tiring, but overall the book felt varied enough.
The only thing that was missing was necromancy! There was some, but not enough. I understand why the plot was so focused on unravelling the mystery of course, I just wished there was more opportunities for magic. But yes, very happy with this as a sequel. Onto the next one!
Leonie's return was sorely needed. Someone needs to keep Cabal in check. And despite everything, I'm once again surprised at how likeable Cabal remains as a protagonist. We even got another snippet of backstory! For a while there I thought I'd imagined the ending of the first book (I read it whilst very tired).
The worldbuilding was nicely expanded upon, with some fictional yet convincing European countries thrown in with the existing ones. I'm glad Britain was confirmed as real too. The author's writing was much better. Just generally lots more detail and care given to making the world come alive. At first I was concerned the book would be almost entirely set in the airship, and the descriptions of its various mechanical parts got a little tiring, but overall the book felt varied enough.
The only thing that was missing was necromancy! There was some, but not enough. I understand why the plot was so focused on unravelling the mystery of course, I just wished there was more opportunities for magic. But yes, very happy with this as a sequel. Onto the next one!
distgenius's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
picklebread's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rollicking.
arcticelegy's review
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
rgrigsby80's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one even more than [b:Johannes Cabal The Necromancer|5750628|Johannes Cabal The Necromancer (Johannes Cabal, #1)|Jonathan L. Howard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442673488s/5750628.jpg|3565583], the first book in the series. Both books made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions (any time the author described Cabal's failed attempts at normal human socialization - like smiling at children - I cackled) and I thought this one did a good job of developing the character of Cabal even more, including letting one or two teeny tiny bits of humanity peek out from beneath his amoral, anithero shell (don't get me wrong, he's still a terrible, terrible person, but man, is he fun to read about). 4.5 stars.