A pretty solid addition to the series. This installment focuses more on the Brother of Johannes, Horst and it does a pretty good job at fleshing out this if anything reluctant Vampire. Horst is not the man his brother is. In some ways he is more and others he admits not only to himself but to the reader that he can at times be lacking in certain elements of decision making and action. The Brothers Cabal brings Horst into focus by placing him in a situation that is full of other creatures of the night. The undead and supernatural hope to conquer the world. Well it won't be exactly that easy. The author's depiction of masses of Zombies is quite dark and comical. The whimsical aspect of this novel comparted to the first three is entertaining. During the course of the story the reader is led down the road of intrigue, subversion, more Necromancy and high flying adventure and if you can believe it...an actual, functional beating heart in Johannes chest. This is something we have suspected all along, just don't become comfortable with the idea. ( )

Nice touches of humor and an interesting premise. I'll be reading the other books in the series. ( )

I think I enjoy Johannes better with the leavening of his brother. This one made me laugh out loud often enough to get my husband's attention.

I am looking forward to the next installment. ( )

The last book chronicling the mis-adventures of Johannes Cabal the Necromancer fell a little flat for me, but he is brought back to literary life by the reintroduction of his supposedly dead (and definitely undead) brother, Horst, and the resurgence of a bevy of his previous foes. The Red Queen aka the formerly high society Lady Orfilia Ninuka leads the pack, masquerading first as a necromancer (to fool Horst, who doesn't quite realize the extent of Johannes' foes) before revealing herself as the brains behind the Ministerium - an organization bent on creating a state where monsters can live openly. Add Lovecraftian creatures into the mix, and Cabal is once again tasked with saving the world, even if he doesn't have a very high opinion of humanity in general. Or maybe he's grown more tolerant, since he definitely seems to have grown something that quite resembles a conscience! ( )

I will not say this topped my enjoyment of book 2 in this series, but it came really close. It was definitely an improvement upon the workmanlike world-saving adventure of book 3.

Horst! The most affable of vampires sat down to tell a long tale to his convalescing brother, Johannes. :) What could go wrong? I mean, it's not like both brothers should have been dead. Several times over. Or that Horst had burned to death in the first novel. Or that Johannes was brought back to health after saving the world from a world-sucking entity in the dreamlands after becoming a ghoul.

Details.

I honestly had a great time listening to the brothers quip at each other and be extremely witty as we caught up with Horst's role in being a dupe by a really big bad trying to set up a monster empire.

And we can't stop there, either. We have to GO there to put an end to it because that's what men of sticky, nasty consciences and motivated self-interest do.

Enter a zombie army. :) Too fun. :) And best of all, there's aerial acrobatics. ( )