Customer Reviews

Madhouse (Cal Leandros, Book 3)

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lady luck allowed me to get my hands on a copy of Madhouse before the official street date, and after quickly devouring it I've eagerly awaited a chance to leave my review. Since the first book of the series I've been anticipating each subsequent title. It should come as no suprise by now that Rob Thurman is such a gifted writer with a flair for smart and witty dialogue but I'm repeatedly amazed.

The latest installment of the Leandros brothers' adventures revolves around a serial killer returned from the dead. What begins for the brothers as a simple investigation into an apparent museum break-in leads to a personal battle to take out the cannibalistic and nigh invulnerable Sawney Beane and his increasing body count. Complicating matters, at the same time, someone is trying to kill the world's favorite puck, Robin Goodfellow. The problem is, with having angered so many people over his long life, it's tough for our heroes to narrow down the list of suspects. Madhouse also finds our young Cal starting to expand his horizons and grow to make his own decisions out from under the protective (but still present) wing of his brother Niko.

Madhouse has everything we've come to expect from Rob Thurman, just more of it. More exotic, fresh monsters, more drama, more humor, more snark, more werewolves, more violence, and much more puck. Horror and humor exist side by side with seemingly little effort. Five stars isn't enough.

Sawney Beane, a crazy sociopathic killer has risen from the dead, and it is up to Cal and Niko to stop him(with the help of the usual gang-Goodfellow and Promise).

I really wanted to love this book like I did the first two, but just couldn't. The story lacks the energy, interest and excitement of the other two. The subplot with Robin draws you in and then disappoints, and the George subplot just doesn't deliver.

The entire Sawney plot is is boring, and the character is too much of a MarySue(if you don't know the term, Google it). Besides being risen from the dead, and being really fast, he comes off no different than any other insane serial killer(even down to the maniacal laughter).

The Goodfellow subplot was probably the most interesting part of the book . . . until the resolution. I felt like I was being built up for something great, going to discover something amazing about Robin's past, the whole time wondering who could possibly be behind the assassination attempts, and then, the people behind it, and the reason was not that interesting. It also seemed as if she forgot about the subplot and then threw it in at the end to resolve it. When it takes place why, and the quick resolution seemed forced.

The George subplot was also uninteresting. The entire "getting laid" subplot seemed out of place as well. Did we really need it to understand the Cal doesn't want to involve George in his issues?

There were other parts of the book that bothered me and kept me from enjoying it fully. One being the ending! If your books are good enough there is no need to make the ending a cliff hanger(which her first books were good enough). Give me a little credit, I know when an author is trying to hook me into buying the next book(and I don't appreciate it).

Another issue I had was, we never found out who cleaned up the bodies. It's a minor point, but it is brought up in the beginning and the end, as if it means something. Cal mentions supernatural cleaning crews, but it almost sounds as if it could be something else, but you don't know and do not find out. Why have it in the beginning(the bodies in the trees), and mentioned at the end, if it is left a mystery. You're left not knowing if it is significant or not.

Another issue I had was Isaiah. All through the book you get the impression that there is more to Isaiah and Robin's relationship. They hate each other, yet Robin hangs out at Isaiah's bar, and Isaiah warns Cal of the assassination attempt. Isaiah keeps Robin from blurting out a secret while he is drunk(and is angry about it), which made me feel as if Isaiah was apart of his past, but again, nothing came from all of that. Left me wondering if Isaiah was supposed to be important, or she just needed him to annoy Cal, refuse to help, and drop little hints about what may be happening.
Another minor issue I had was the revenants. They keep mentioning that they are more organized, seemed different than the average reverant, but we are never told why. Are we just supposed to accept that Sawney was such as God to them that they changed their usual behavior? I felt as if she needed Sawney to have minions, so she used the established reverent characters, but since they were previously described with more zombie like characteristics(kill for the sake of killing, etc), she changed their character and expected you to just go with it.

My last issue contains spoilers, and may ruin a surprise... however it wasn't that great of a surprise to begin with. Probably the worst feeling of "why did she even bother adding this", happens when we find out who raised Sawney.
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While I am grateful she did reveal who did it(since there were so many other instances of things not being reveled/resolved), it seemed like she picked it out of a hat. The reason given for raising Sawney left an empty feeling... I'm sorry but "I was bored" is not a good reason. I was expecting something great, and then it turns out the loner who lives in the museum basement was bored one day, so he decided to raise a serial killer from the grave.

The was also not pleased that Wahanket shows up, tells Cal he did it, and then runs away. It left me feeling as if she needed someone to have done it, they had to reveal why, but she didn't really want to bother with that part of the plot.
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As I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book, but there were far too many issues. I hope she does better with the next book, which I will read(I'm not ready to give up on this series quite yet). I think she needs to up the anti as far as plots go, not be afraid to develop her characters more.

You've probably heard that name before. If you have not, Sawney Beane is a Scottish legend. Beane allegedly led a tribe of followers on a cannibalistic spree which killed almost 50 victims.

Now, Sawney's managed to rise from his ashes, which were ensconced in the New York Metropolitan Museum, and come back to life. He's preying on the 'travelers' of New York City and has gotten himself a band of revenants to help.

Brothers Cal and Niko Leandros are on the case along with Niko's vampire honey, Promise, and the puck, Robin Goodfellow. Along the way, they're going to find some new friends, Delilah, the sister to Flay the werewolf and a mother boggle. They'll also have a brief meeting with the Pied Piper of Hamelin in an interesting new guise.

Also, someone's trying to kill Robin Goodfellow. Considering his long and checquered past, it could be anyone. Keeping the Puck alive is going to be a challenge for the whole team.

"Madhouse" definitely delivers the action the other books have and the relationship between Cal and Niko is just as strong. "Madhouse" moves you from more of an urban fantasy into horror. Still, good territory, but it's much stronger in the imagery and not for the squeamish readers.

I've loved this series from the beginning, but am deducting one star from this particular book because this third book doesn't quite hold up as well as the others. The storyline does not pull you along as strongly as the others. I could actually put "Madhouse" down and did--twice for more than two days. Finally, while the end will get me to read the next book, I preferred the previous two books of the series because they were stand-alone. The final chapter of "Madhouse" is written as a precursor for Book 4, which I'm going to bet right now is a hardcover.

Below are links for the previous two Rob Thurman novels, which are strongly recommended.

Nightlife (Cal Leandros, Book 1)

Moonshine (Cal Leandros, Book 2)

Rebecca Kyle, March 29, 2008

Serial killer here didn't do it as a villian. The villian here was just a little too omnipotent... too scary, for too long and there too much of him. And just not enough of Robin Goodfellow for my taste.

The most enjoyable character in the series is Robin Goodfellow, and while he isn't the main character his presence is the salt, the fun and the seasoning. They all are amazing but Robin and his antics are way over the top. Without sufficient Robin there just is a lack of fun and cowbell. Next, the issue driving Robin to distraction, in light of his enormous ego, didn't quite compute with me. Perhaps it was not explained enough to convince.

I'm not that impressed with George, his destined fate with her, and his anguish over her isnt cutting it with me. It was weak. Or rather it didnt in this book. It made more of an impression at the end of book two. I also thought the way book 3 ended was an awful cheap shot to keep us hanging for 1 or 2 years, but what can you do.

The previous two books I liked way better.

What is different here than in earlier books? They introduce concepts that were fairly amazing to us for the first time; eg.,Auphes, how Pucks procreate .eg..its too complex to get into., Auphe homeworld, A lot more detail on Auphes in prior books. There seemed to be a lot less of that in this and the lack of it has an impact. And the lack is missed.

But thats just me. Just note, I will buy the next book.
The troll guy under the bridge was a better villian...



And just not enough of Robin Goodfellow for my taste.

Madhouse is the best of the Leandros series so far. It combines all the strengths of the last two books, bringing in new plot lines and characters, weaving them in with the old and blending it all together seamlessly. Rob Thurman once again demonstrates that she is the guru of Snappy Sarcasm. I would crawl through splinters of glass just to have a third of her talent. Cal's version of the birds and the bees was the funniest thing I've ever read.

The characters just keep getting better. Cal is just as prickly and lovable as ever. His strength as a narrator is what makes this book so enjoyable. The sarcastic commentary on every aspect of the supernatural world is brilliant. Not only does Thurman go out of her way to dig up mythology and breathe new life into it, but she also uses Cal to mock it. But even as much as I love Cal, he would be a little grating (not to mention, dead) if it wasn't for Niko. Intellectual, cool and honorable, this older brother lends some balance to the story. As does his vampire girlfriend, who unfortunately does not show up as much as I would like in this book. I love both of them - they are the ice to Cal's fire.

The only gripe I had with Madhouse is Cal's continued obsession with George. George has always had hints of Mary-Suedness about her, and nothing has changed. In these books full of well-rounded and brilliant characters, she is definitely the weakest link.

Overall, Madhouse was a fun read. It's dark, sarcastic, witty, adventurous and beautifully written. And it's got the word 'boglet' in it. What's not to love?

This is the third installment in Rob Thurman's Cal Leandros series, and it just keeps getting better. Cal and Niko are still in New York City, hunting monsters on the side, and just managing to pay their rent. A seemingly routine job puts them on the trail of long dead, non-human, homicidal maniac who doesn't seem phased by the whole "long dead" part. On top of that, it looks like someone on Robin Goodfellow's long list of enemies wants a little payback. Now, if only they could figure out which one? And don't forget about the Auphe. It's really not a good idea to forget about the Auphe.

Madhouse takes you even deeper into the sinister underbelly of New York. There's plenty of kick-butt action, snarky dialogue, and terrifying villains, but for me that's just icing on the cake. It's the character interactions that really stand out. Cal learns the true meaning of friendship-- sometimes showing that you care about someone means hitting them over the head with an expensive candelabrum -- and Robin confronts one of the more painful parts of his past while dealing with it's consequences in the present. All in all, the book was hard to put down. It's going to be even harder waiting for the sequel, but at this point, that's just to be expected.

A supernatural serial killer is stalking the streets of the city and its up to Cal and his brother Niko to find the killer and fast. There are 2 other subplots, one involving Cal's desire to get laid and another involving a plot to murder their close friend Robin, who is a puck.

I liked the beginning but I quickly grew bored with Sawney (the villain). Not a big fan of serial killers and a serial-killing redcap just seemed a tad meh. Cal's subplot involving his romantic difficulties didn't enteratin, because neither girl was anything more than filler for Cal's 'ordained' love George. Since I'm not a fan of George, and the author didn't present any serious rivals for her, I didn't care for the tease. Yeah, we get it, Cal's trying anything to run away from his destined girl. Can we get back to the main plot please?

The plot involving Robin could've been great, but left me with a: 'that's it?' feeling. I expected a bigger reveal, I guess.

Overall, an ok read but I liked the first 2 better.

This was a very interesting book in addition to being an enjoyable read and an excellent follow on to Nightlife and Moonshine. There was a lot of character development in this one for Cal and Robin.

The monster-of-the-book plot concerns a creature, Redhat, that somehow regenerates from burnt ashes back into a corpreal creature after many many MANY years. We do eventually learn how it happened, and it was quite a surprise when it was revealed. Said Redhat is going around kidnapping and eating people, something most of the monsters in NYC seem to do in Thurman's books. Nice and gory *G*

Redhat, aka Sawney Beane, proves to be one of the toughest adversaries yet--behind only the Auphe. While Cal, Nikko, Robin and Promise are running around attempting to remove Beane from existence, we have a couple of other smaller stories weaving thier way into the pages.

Someone is trying to take out the Puck. Robin is making it extremely difficult for his friends to protect him as he's completely shut his mouth--and mind--to discussing the problem. He's realised that he likes Cal and Niko and doesn't want what happened in his past to destroy the relationship. We do finally see a naked Puck--and he's everything he's always claimed he was....

The most noticibly developing character, however, is Caliban, who suddenly has it brought home to him just how fond of Robin he's become; the Puck is ... a FRIEND. Cal isn't quite sure how to handle it. He's matured a lot in the few months between Moonshine and Madhouse and it's all good.

On top of that, he's decided that it's time he got laid, and for that he enslists Robin's help. It must be someone non-human, who can't get pregnant. Yes, our Cal finally loses his virginity; you'll need to read the book to find out who!

In fact, George plays a very small role in this book. At the end of Moonshine, Cal asked her to Look in the future for them. In Madhouse, it's very obvious that she hasn't done that, and has no plans to do so, even though she continues to pressure Cal to stop worrying and, well, get together with her, for lack of a better description. Stubborn, the both of them. I'm quite irked at George, and don't blame Cal at all.

During the hunt for Sawney Beane we meet the odd assortment of characters that Thurman is so good at creating, including a walking talking mummy. We find that Central Park is big enough for more than one Boggle and get Mama and her tribe of Boglets. The image of Cal hopping from tree to tree "playing" with the boglets while Niko talks to mama is something that will keep me laughing for some time.

We also make the acquaintance of Delilah, female werewolf and sister of Moonshine's Flay. After Cal has a chunk taken out of his chest by Beane, Promise brings Delilah around to lick it better. Apparently her wolf's saliva has healing properties.

Niko and Promise don't have a lot to do this time around, although Nik is the wonderful big brother we all love.

I never saw the end coming. Thurman ties it all up in a perfect package at the end. What I call the "epilogue," a few pages/short chapter at the end of her books that kind of sets up the next one, ends on a massive cliffhanger this time around. That there are FOUR more books to come was a welcome bit of news to receive before I read this one!

I would like to see one of the future books with a plot that somehow moves Niko's character development forward. He's pretty much perfect and doesn't seem to change from book to book, but I'd like to see a chink in his armour, have something happen where he has to realise he can't solve every problem, that he's human...

I love these books. A friend asked me which one I liked best, and I simply can't choose. Each one is my favorite for different reasons.

I highly recommend this entire series, which is only getting better and better.

I really enjoyed the first two books of this series. Thankfully the author keeps the quality, and the adrenaline, high for this third installment. While I felt Moonshine wasn't quite as good as Nightlife (having a little too much description), Madhouse exceeded them both with excellent pacing, slick dialog and good old-fashioned action.

An exhibit on Famous Serial Killers at the museum takes on "new life" when one of the residents is resurrected. Sawney Beane supposedly killed and ate some 1000 people - actually more like 6 or 700 according to Robin Goodfellow. Cal and Niko are on his trail, but he's recruiting help among the revenants. Only, the first couple times they take him on they barely escape with their lives. To make matters worse, someone is trying to kill Robin and they can't even begin to narrow down his list of enemies. Despite the dire situation, Thurman injects some humor and humanity into the story to balance all the action and bloodletting. Cal has decided he's ready to lose his virginity, and Robin can hardly wait to help him. Though this does add some great laugh out loud moments (like when Robin suggests a tryst with a water nymph & Cal declares he can't get it up in 50 degree water!!) there is a serious side that gives readers more insight into Cal's fears about his heritage. He's afraid to father children that could turn out to be monsters (as he sees himself), which is part of why he's afraid to have a relationship with George. Thurman never lets readers forget how dangerous Cal's world is, or how fragile his self-image. This really helps readers connect with Cal - I want him to succeed, I want him to find love, I want him to win.

I agree with another reviewer that it was nice to see Cal making some decisions on his own, in contrast to Niko's wishes. Such as practicing his new ability to make gates, and making tough choices about George. Niko is very protective of Cal, and their strong relationship is the foundation of the series. However, Cal can't live in Niko's shadow indefinitely. As indicated in the last book, the Auphe have returned with a vengeance, and Cal needs to step up to the challenge as the one who may have to protect his brother for a change. Cal grows a lot in this book, and it was a welcome development. One thing I didn't like - the huge cliffhanger ending in the last sentence! But just as intended, I am nearly salivating for Deathwish (Cal Leandros, Book 4).

Overall, this series is very strong and I highly recommend it. The writing is so well done, I hope the author considers doing another series - either based in the world, or another. Yes, that good.

Thank God this series is going to continue, because after three books, these characters have become an addiction I don't want to break.

The Leandros books are nothing short of a great time! They are all white-knuckle page-turners that you can't put down until the early morning hours (if at all). As with the two predecessors, as soon as I closed the back cover on Madhouse, I wanted to flip to page one and start all over again; I never want these books to end!

The writing on all is a wonderful mix of action and angst, with creatures both horrifying and fantasical waiting around every urban corner. The sarcastic and self-deprecating humor of the main character narrative will have you laughing aloud right along with.

The foundation of the entire series though is the very touching (but never sappy) brotherly love and loyality between Cal and Niko Leandros, that can't help but reel in the reader's heart over and over again.

Rob Thurman's writing entertains, excites, and hooks you, but more than that (and most importantly) she makes you care about her characters.