The Iron Jackal

Tales of the Ketty Jay #3

by Chris Wooding

Things are finally looking good for Captain Frey and his crew. The Ketty Jay has been fixed up good as new. They've got their first taste of fortune and fame. And, just for once, nobody is trying to kill them. Even Trinica Dracken, Frey's ex-fiancee and long-time nemesis, has given up her quest for revenge. In fact, she's offered them a job - one that will take them deep into the desert heart of Samarla, the land of their ancient enemies. To a place where the secrets of the past lie in wait for the unwary. Secrets that might very well cost Frey everything.

Join the crew of the Ketty Jay on their greatest adventure yet: a story of mayhem and mischief, roof-top chases and death-defying races, murderous daemons, psychopathic golems and a particularly cranky cat. The first time was to clear his name. The second time was for money. This time, Frey's in a race against the clock for the ultimate prize: to save his own life.

Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Adventure, Fiction, Pirates, Action

481 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2011

About the author

Chris Wooding grew up in a small town in Leicestershire, where not much of anything happened. So he started to write novels. He was sixteen when he completed his first. He had an agent by eighteen. By nineteen he had signed his first book deal. When he left university he began to write full-time, and he has been doing it professionally all his adult life.

Now thirty-nine, Chris has written over twenty books, which have been translated into twenty languages, won various awards and been published around the world. He writes for film and television, and has several projects in development.

Chris has travelled extensively round the world, having backpacked all over Europe and North America, Scandinavia, South East Asia, Japan and South Africa. He also lived in Madrid for a time. When he wasn’t travelling on his own, he spent his twenties touring with bands and seeing the UK and Europe from the back of a van.

He also learned not so long ago that his family tree can be traced back to John Milton, author of Paradise Lost, which has no bearing on him whatsoever but it’s kind of interesting anyway.

Chris lives in London.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

The Iron Jackal greatly built upon the foundations that have been well-established in the first half of the series.

Despite having enjoyed the first half of the quartet, I was getting a bit scared that the fun and enjoyment of the series would start to dwindle in the third and penultimate installment of the series. I’m so glad to be proven wrong, The Iron Jackal ended up being the most fun book in the series so far. Unlike the storytelling structure in the previous two books, The Iron Jackal progressed a bit differently and it’s something I immensely appreciate. Where the first two books were about getting a mission to gain wealth, this book was more of a race against time to save Frey’s own life. It was more intense, more action-packed without neglecting the crucial and great characterizations, and I highly enjoyed reading the book. Don’t get me wrong, as far as predictability, the story was still highly predictable despite the higher stake; no argument from me there. However, everything was just so well-written and well-executed that I just want to continue reading regardless of knowing the outcome.

I can’t emphasize this highly enough, the characters of the Ketty Jay crew are a riot that never stops wreaking havoc. This team of ragtag were hilarious, dysfunctional, and destructive to everything in their path. However, more importantly, their characteristics never stop developing and somehow, gets more empathizing with each book progression. By this point of the series, I feel like the crew of Ketty Jay has truly become my real life friends and reading their adventures put a smile upon my face. Wooding didn’t spare any of the crew in Ketty Jay from getting the justifiable treatment for character development. Their history and their personalities were once again more developed than before and I absolutely love seeing the dynamic relationships between the crewmate of the Ketty Jay. Not only their characterizations were so good, but their dialogues were also witty, hilarious, and damn fun to read; even more than before. I genuinely laughed and smiled during several ridiculous occasions portrayed in the book.

There were also more information and history revelations implemented into the world-building here. The actions/prose were addictive to read and in this installment, I get the feeling that Wooding’s prose is getting closer to the quality that he showed in his newest book, The Ember Blade. Reading this series to me felt like watching a fun action blockbuster movies like let’s say, Mission Impossible. You’ll probably know the outcome of each movie but you just can’t help but be immersed into seeing how it all unfolds. The minor cons of the book to me were that some of the actions—excluding the intense death race—did get a bit repetitive and I didn’t really enjoy reading Frey and Trinica’s push and pull romance. Remember, romance almost never works for me so this situation most likely won’t be a problem for any of you who don’t mind a bit of romance in their read.

I only have one more book in the series to read now. I’m equally happy and sad that I’m going to leave these awesome characters really soon. Looking at how good the series so far, seems like the last book of the series will end up being the best installment of them all and I simply can’t wait to continue.

You can order the book HERE!

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

● My Dear Captain Frey if you Disappoint you're Dead Buddy Read (MDCFiyDyDBR™) with my Favourite The Fearless Canadian who Shall not be Named (mFTFCwSnbN™). Read his review here! ●

Actual rating: 3.5 stars. I was going to go for a 3.25 rating but mFTFCwSnbN™ has a terrible influence on me, as a consequence of which I may be growing a heart and showing signs of unsuspected kindness *shudders*

💀 Friendly warning: I lost my reviewing mojo once again. Read this thing at your own risk.

Sooooooooo, my dear Captain Frey. We have a problem, you and I. You disappointed despite my having strictly forbidden you to do so. And you should consider yourself really lucky here, because there is nothing I would love better than unleashing the murderous crustaceans on you right now. But I won't. That's right, I won't. Oh, don't think my recalling the Shrimpy Troops has anything to do with my recently emerged heart. Nah. It's just that there is only one instalment left in this series, so I figured that disposing of you prematurely might complicate things a bit. Since you're the main character and all that crap. So yeah, I'll do the lenient and let you live.



I know, I know. Don't worry dear girl, it won't last.

Okaaaayyyy, time to do the Let's Cut the Crap and Get Down to it Thing (LCtCaGDtiT™)!

This book pretty much has it all. I mean, technically, it does. Yep, it definitely has all it takes to ensure a 10-star rating. And no, this is no slight exaggeration on my part. Cross my emerging heart, hope to die, and all that crap. Oh come on, people, I know I read all books wrong, but trust me on this one, okay?! Sooooo, this book features…

✔ Brilliant characters (Frey, I'm not talking about you, go stand in the corner for a while.) We really are a long way from the Cardboard-Like One-Dimensional Bunch (CLODB™) we met in book 1. Pretty much all the cast members are totally cool and brilliant and show character growth and stuff (Frey, did I tell you to move? Stay in the corner, you silly boy.) Even Slag the cat is totally cool and brilliant and shows character growth and stuff! You know Chris Wooding, far be it from me to give you writing advice, but I think it's high time for mutiny. We should dump Frey wherever, and promote Slag the cat Silo captain of the Ketty Jay. With Slag the cat Jez as his first mate. Yeah, that would really be totally cool and stuff.



✔ Entertaining plot. Yes, there is a plot. And it is entertaining.

✔ Great action scenes. Yes, there are action scenes. And they are great. Maybe a little too great, in a weird kind of "ooops I think I just ODed on an action scene" way. But more on that fascinating topic later. Not much later though. You're welcome.

✔ Brilliantly funny dialogues and stuff. Yes, there are dialogues and stuff. And they are brilliantly funny.

✔ Jez. Because Jez. QED and stuff yes, I am aware of the fact that I say "stuff" a lot. It's part of my undying charm.

✔ Buttered toast-cats experiments. Yes, there are buttered toasts. And cats. And they are experimented upon. And it's pretty cool. No, I am not drunk, the cat is. But thanks for your concern anyway.



✔ I could go on and on but I think we just reached the "not much later, you're welcome" part. So that's that. De nada.

All this stuff right here ↑↑ should have made for a mostest awesomest story. Only it didn't. Why? Because:

① Let's stretch it out to oblivion. This book is at least a hundred pages too long. Let me tell you, the Skim Skim Skim was strong in this one. And I love action scenes, but some of them were so freaking neverending, I almost hacked my Kindle with my tactical tomahawk (that's Magic Binds Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder for you it's almost tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!!!!!!!!) in a futile attempt to get rid of the Needless Irrelevant Unneeded Redudant Crap (NIURC™).



② Captain Darian Frey you are an immature, mushy, bipolar nitwit. I used to love you. But hey, I was young and naïve and innocent at the time, and didn't know any better. Besides, you used to be delightful roguish and deliciously aggravating and stuff. Now you are naught but a Ridiculously Pathetic Sentimental Fool (RPSF™). It is absolutely disgusting. Actually, I'm wondering if you underwent a failed personality transplant or something. I mean, you act like a RPSF™ most of the time, but then you'll obsess about Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler (aka not the object of your disgusting sentimental affection) and how much you want to get into her pants, like the Wondrous Frey of Old (WFoO™). So there's this, and there's also the fact that this Disastrous Frey of New (DFoN™) you have become acts like a 10-year-old most of the time. And we all know just how much I love 10-year-olds *shuddering intensifies*

③ Relationship BS, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You have got to be kidding me. This crappy kind of crappy stuff is supposed to happen in Crappy UF and PNR Written by Silly Women (CUaPWbSW™)! Not in Cool and Almost Awesome Steampunk Fantasy Stuff Written by Male Men (CaAASFSWbMM™)! What treachery is this?! This will not do! This cannot be! Chris Wooding, you deserve to be severely punished! Report immediately to the Shrimpipal's Office!



Err...remind me again, why did I give this book a 3.5 star rating? Because I'm an idiot? Nah, I'm sure that can't be it. Please, my Little Barnacles, try and think for your little selves, and don't let the silly trolls influence you for once. Hey, that's it! That's it right there! mFTFCwSnbN™'s evil influence on my slightly ruthless person, that's why I rated this book 3.5 stars! Phew, that was close. To think I could have been held responsible for a rating I never meant! None of this is my fault, people! I'm as innocent as a newborn babe/lamb/whatever!

» And the moral of this review is: Silo, Jez & Slag FTW! Frey, you're walking a tightrope, and the crustaceans are getting restless. You better behave yourself in the next instalment if you don't want to end up as shrimponian delicatessen. But hey, no pressure.



· Book 1: Retribution Falls ★★★
· Book 2: The Black Lung Captain ★★★★
· Book 4: The Ace of Skulls ★★

[carol. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One can’t help but delight in the antics of Captain Frey of the airship The Kitty Jay. A swashbuckling rapscallion, he has an ego unsurpassed by his wit or his morals. Lately, however, he has found that his normally self-centered ethics are undergoing an uncomfortable transformation as he discovers he cares about his crew of misfits. The crew’s been together on The Kitty for awhile now, and they are finally feeling flush with success after their most recent exploits (The Black Lung Captain). The crew includes Crake, the “highly educated and eloquent” daemonist and his metal golem, Bess; Pinn, more muscle than brain, but determined to be an inventor; Harkins, a stellar flier with a severe anxiety disorder; Silo, a former slave with a mysterious past; Malvery, a doctor with a drinking problem; Jez, “who was half-daemon, and who was dead by most people’s standards”; and Slag, the irascible cat.

“Crake was less than impressed. He’d been expecting someone fiercely intense, a wild-eyed savage of some kind. Instead he’d found a giant bearded raisin.“

Characterization is exceptional, though undoubtedly many readers will recognize crew members as character archetypes from other sources. I couldn’t help but imagine Frey as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean as I read, but many reviewers cite Captain Mal Reynolds in Firefly as well. It’s a compliment to Wooding, really, that he can weave a such glorious tale of adventure that it calls to mind other stories and characters we love. While the narrative largely follows Frey, it also spends time with each member of the crew. As they each undergo their own personal crisis, there’s opportunity for emotional development outside of Frey’s more egotistical perspective. Wooding nicely captures the feel of a band of misfits choosing to trust each other even as they make contingency plans:""Crake thought [Pinn] an odious, immoral dimwit with the intelligence of a cough drop, but he was crew, so that was that."

One of the challenges with characterization is how to have them handle conflict without endangering sympathy for the character. Wooding gauges the line nicely, creating Frey as a Jack Sparrow-like weasel whose morals usually come through in the end. When his crew questions him about the latest heist, Frey finds himself flailing as he tries to justify the plan:

“‘Aren’t we the bad guys?’ Pinn asked suddenly.
They all stared at him. He shrugged. ‘Well, I mean, we’re robbing them, right?’
‘We’re never the bad guys!’ said Frey, horrified at the suggestion. He was surprised the moral objection had come from Pinn rather than Crake. Pinn didn’t have any morals, so he probably just wanted the attention.
[…]
‘Plus,’ he raised a finger, ‘those on that train are gonna be armed guards. They’re paid to get shot. If people like us didn’t try to rob trains, they’d be out of a job.’
‘We’re providing employment opportunities now?’ Crake asked, deadpan.
‘Exactly!’ said Frey. ‘Greasing the wheels of foreign capital, and that.’
‘Cap’n,’ said Crake. ‘I do believe you know as much about economics as Pinn does about hygiene.’
Malvery mopped his pate, which had reddened and begun to peel. ‘Look, as long as we stop short of killing women and children, and we ain’t shooting adorable little puppy dogs in the face, I’m in.’”

Plotting is fun, with a typical heist scenario leading to one complication after another. Much like a movie, Iron Jackal opens with a shootout and foot chase, Frey outdoing his normal cowardly efforts as he chases Ashua, a former street urchin with valuable intel. Once Ashua is on board, the heist proceeds, only to lead to unfortunate consequences, unsurprisingly caused by Frey. The crew rallies round him even as each faces doubts and set off after the MacGuffin. But what an entertaining journey along the way! A variety of setting and political situations keeps the action from feeling repetitive. The end engagement is a unexpected, complex situation that points to the direction for the next book –but is not a cliff-hanger for this one.

Tone and voice are wonderfully balanced, able to maintain a degree of suspense and uncertainty while cracking jokes along the way. Witty dialogue is tempered by emotional turmoil, which places it a step or two above many action-focused stories. Frey and Ashua have a Beatrice and Benedick repartee (Much Ado About Nothing), while Crake frequently makes word jokes that only Ashua (and hopefully, the reader) understands:

“‘Why do I need a dictionary?’ Frey complained.
‘No reason,’ said Ashua. ‘Now let’s get down there and mortify some guards.’
Frey was caught in one of those moments when he didn’t know what somebody meant and couldn’t decide whether to pretend he did or not.
Pinn groaned, as if explaining things to Frey was extraordinarily tiresome. ‘Mordant means dead, don’t it? So mortify means kill, obviously. They even sound the same. Right?’ He looked at Ashua, who nodded encouragingly.
‘Oh,’ said Frey. “Oh! Let’s mortify some guards. I’m with you now. Didn’t hear you right the first time, that’s all.’
Crake and Ashua exchanged a glance, though it was hard to tell its meaning behind their goggles. Malvery tutted to himself. Frey had the distinct impression that a joke was being had at his expense, but couldn’t for the life of him figure out what it was.’”

Extremely readable, it’s one of those books that swaggers into your afternoon, says, “don’t mind if I do,” kicking off boots and placing feet on coffee table. For the right mood, priceless.

[Scott Hitchcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1: 3.75*
Book 2: 4.25*
Book 3: 4.25*

When I started this series I had the preconceived notion that this would be a fun swashbuckling series and while it is it's certainly much more than that. I would have been fine with it had that been the case but these books would be getting 3*'s as a guilty pleasure.

What makes them so much better is that in each book the author give us more. More empathy for the characters and their motivation. More twists and information on the world. New and different adventures. New characters to add to the chaos lurking in the path and wake of the Ketty Jay's path.

The complexity, unstable nature and nuances of Frey and Trinica's relationship took another step forward in this adventure. As did Crake's demonology and his ability. Jez grew in her manehood. Hawkins gets to be a hero. Pinn, well he's a pinhead, but OMG between the cat scene and the slime LOL! Malvery was given more depth and character. Silo's past and depth revealed. Plus we add Ashua who fits right into the chaos.

Looking forward to book 4 and yet not wanting it to end.

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Welcome to the crew of Ketty Jay. You ain’t a member till you’ve caused at least one major catastrophe.”

At this point, for the reader of the series, Ketty Jay, a hybrid cargo hauler and a combat craft, feels like home and its crew of assorted misfits feels like a family, perhaps not a noble and decent one, but at least one that is loyal, and mordant as an added value.

This instalment brought everything I got accustomed to getting from Mr Wooding: a fast-paced, and light story infused with a healthy dose of sarcasm and interspersed with moments of deeper emotional hues that save the whole thing from being an exercise in tomfoolery. The Iron Jackal skilfully builds on the previous volumes but is innovative enough not to repeat every trick and trope ad nauseam.

The moment Captain Davian Frey thinks that all is well with the world, a lack of healthy cowardice which heretofore helped him to navigate the universe leads him and his crew into a new level of mayhem. It means: fun times!

Although I need to admit that for me the beginning was slower, and although adventures from the previous two books were somehow related, initially I could not see where the whole thing was going so it took me a while to get really engaged.

‘Malvery!’ shouted Frey. ‘What are you waiting for?’
‘Orders?’ Malvery suggested.
‘Well, consider yourself bloody ordered. Shoot them!’

Building on the previous developments, in The Iron Jackal we get new insights into Jez who learns what is it like to have a toast on her back, accompany Harkins’ moment of going beyond fear and sanity and find out what does it take to change Malvery into a tomato with a moustache. Hilarious moments include Crake’s near-miss which is avoided only thanks to reciting mathematical tables and vocabulary exercises that link Narcissism to bravery. Finally, Silo’s moment comes (and lingers!) and we have a chance to pick up the Murthian word for ‘irony.’

The countdown to doom and demise alluded to in the blurb is at full tilt and funny. There are loads of plans B (B for ‘Bess tears everyone’s heads off’) and sometimes all goes down to plan D (as in: a daring robbery). As the events escalate, things become personal which is inevitable given the general design of the series mainframe: the relation between Darian and Trinicia which is a mother of every calamity we have witnessed so far. This love story also continues with turns and twists but the Author keeps it in check so that it does not eclipse the action on the one hand and, on the other, he keeps it real so the reader will not find anything that would be too easy-cheesy.

’Relationship troubles,’ said Malvern sagely. ‘I prescribe booze.’

In other words, The Iron Jackal is consistent without being boring (the ending is particularly promising), and innovative (the most important element in this regard is a new female protagonist) without veering off the path. There are precious few series of consistent quality, and this is one of those. If that is not the best incentive to bump it up your TBR list, I do not know what is.

Also in the series:

1. Retribution Falls ★★★★☆
2. The Black Lung Captain ★★★★☆
4. The Ace of Skulls ★★★★☆

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Yeeeeehhhhaaaaaawwww!  This is a steampunk jaunt that is not stop action, chasing, shooting, and firing off witty dialogue. I have loved the Tales of the Ketty Jay and have now given each of Chris Wooding's novels  5 stars. These are freaking fun steampunk novels with a science fiction and old west twist. Yes, just like Firefly, only with dirigibles instead of space ships. These are character novels as much as they are action. Now, three novels into the series, it is hard not to love all of the quarreling cast. Captain  Darian Frey is the Man! Not just the ladies man!

Wooding has created a series that is simply a joy to read. It is a pure adrenaline and comedy in one. You will hold your breath through some of the wild chase scenes, and laugh out loud at the witty one liners.

As an action series it is all about the chase. I am not sure if I have ever read a series that is so based around running away from, and pursuing. In this one, There is:
1. A Run from roof tops over the city streets.
2. An Air flight along desert floor ... in the dark!
3. A Race and gun fight across the desert in dune buggies.
4. After boarding a massive train, a race across the rooftops.
5 A really pissed off golem decides to smash her way through the train car to car.
And all of these flights of fun were just the opening of this book!  Whew!

There are many shoot outs and hold ups, a potentially lethal incident involving a buttered piece of toast and a hellish cat, plenty of Daemonism to add the spook, and a giant laser breathing baddie to knock your socks off.

The comedy and wit are prevalent through out this book and this series. It make the characters likable and fills them with charm.

"'What you don't know about Samarla could fill a library, Cap'n, said Silo.'
'What I don't know about libraries could fill a library.'Frey replied.'"

In a funny exchange between Frey and Crake on the reality that his crew was poking fun of him:
"'Cap'n. Mortified doesn't mean killed.'
'it doesn't?'
'No. It means embarrassed. And Mordant doesn't mean dead. It means, er, bitingly sarcastic.'
Huh,'  said Frey.
'and when Ashua keeps calling you a narcissist, it doesn't mean you are brave, it means you're in love with yourself.'
'Ah,' said Frey. 'That makes sense now, then.'".   Haha great stuff!

The character and the crew continue to develop their relationships and bonds, no matter how much they fight and argue. I have come to love so many of them. Pinn, Jez, Crake, Bes, Silo, and of course Captain Frey, as well as many others too. The relationships that are developed are what make these stories come to life and make the action so much more worth the while. I guess saying that I am incredibly fond of this cast, this series, and the writing of Chris Wooding is the best way that I can say how I feel. It is simply a series not to be missed.

[Algernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't dare to give this anything less than five stars, or Captain Frey would come to mortify me with his demonic cutlass. Oh, and please don't tell him that 'mortify' doesn't mean killing, or that 'narcissist' doesn't mean good looking.

Darian Frey middle name should be 'Trouble' and when the opening chapter contains 'a needless gunfight' , a lot of kicks in the face, a chase around rooftops followed of course by a fall from said rooftops, the reader knows it could only get worse from here, in a spectacular / things that go boom or tear you limb from limb way. Grand train robbery should be all in a day's work for Frey and his crew, but the captain's recklessness lands him with a deadly curse on his life: a nightmarish demon stalking him and about two weeks left to live. It is time now for the crew of the Ketty Jay to come to their leader's aid, and they do so with dilligence, seasoned with a lot of grumbling and swearing and the occassional scream of abject terror in the face of uncounted perils.

With the origin stories and personalities of the crew members more or less established in previous volumes, there is more time left for action and each in their turn enjoy the moment in the limelight, even chicken hearted Harkins. Some of the set pieces are easily recognizable in their inspiration : a John Ford western, a podracing duel on Tatooine, a WWII commando attack on an enemy fort, a young girl going berserk on Firefly, but they are so well written, funny and fast and self aware, that it is easy to see them as hommage to the genre rather than pastiches.

Morality is a relative term in the universe of Darian Frey, easily illustrated when he tries to prep talk his crew into action:

'Aren't we the bad guys?' Pinn asked suddenly.
They all stared at him. He shrugged. 'Well, I mean, we're robbing them, right?'
'We're never the bad guys! said Frey. [...] Plus, those on that train are gonna be armed guards. They're paid to get shot. If people like us didn't try to rob trains, they's be out of a job.'
'We're providing employment opportunities now?' Crake asked, deadpan.
'Exactly!' said Frey. 'Greasing the wheels of foreign capital, and that.'

I picked another example of the iressistibly funny seat-of-the-pants approach to demon hunting ( disorient them with interference, restrain them by using resonance opposed to their base chords, or tear them apart in sonic flux ) in an exchange between Frey and Crake:

'All this, I should add, is entirely theoretical,' Crake explained. 'There's no guarantee that it will work.'
'You just had to add a little disclaimer, didn't you?' Frey griped. 'Couldn't you just pretend you were confident? For my sake?'
'Sorry, Cap'n. I was brought up to be honest.'

I would not want to give the impression that the book is just a succession of popcorn comical adventures. The main appeal in fact is in the way the author switches register to the serious stuff and has his heroes tackle the hard hitting issues of slavery, of going on after repeated failures, of low self esteem, of alienation, of taking responsibility for your own actions and for putting the lives of your friends at risk. What the text may lack in subtlety is more than redeemed in the honest appraisal of each character's chance at redemption, whether it is Malvery coming to grips with his alcoholism, Harkins with his fear, Crake with his dangerous hobby, Pinn with his lack of intellectual skills ( Fringement, like someone's in your fringe! ), Jez with her demonic alter ego, Frey himself with his troubled relationship with left-at-the-altar Trinica.

We have in Iron Jackal a new candidate for recruitement on the crew : Ashua, a young lady with a foul atitude but with a good heart, a quick mind and handy with firearms to cap it all. She fits well with the other members, as she is another loner living in the fringes (not Pinn's fringes, luckily) of society with a casual atitude towards abiding the law of the land and a fierce loyalty towards her friends. I salute her with the words of Doc Malvery:

'Welcome to the crew of the Ketty Jay. You ain't a member till you caused at least one major catastrophe.'

Also having a bigger role to play in the plot are a couple of Century Knights : Colden Crudge and Samantha Bree. I love having them around, especially Samantha, whom I have already dreamcasted for the TV adaptation of the series:

She was dressed as she usually was, in a weatherbeaten duster, loose trousers and scuffed boots. Black hair spilled in waves from beneath a tricorn hat, framing an appealing and mischievous face that probably shouldn't have belonged to someone who's shot as many people as she had.

With only one more book planned in the Ketty Jay universe ( The Ace of Skulls ) , I am both impatient to get my hands on it, and sad to know I will have to say goodbye soon to the friends I've made onboard.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 2020: I'm enjoying revisiting these books via audiobook. The only voice I'm not thrilled with is Trinica's but by this point I'm more or less used to it. I like seeing the Ketty Jay crew become the little dysfunctional family that they are. My original four star rating still stands.

Ignore the cheesy cover because no one group of people can manage to get into as much trouble as the crew of the Ketty Jay. This time around the crew is trying to save Frey from an ancient curse. At the same time, Frey is trying to win back the heart of the only woman who has ever truly owned his own. What follows is another fun and adventurous romp that continues to deliver high humor and entertainment. This time we get some more insight into Silo, the ship's usually silent engineer. Not sure how I feel about the new addition but, with only one more book to go in the series, I won't have to tolerate the ramifications for long, for good or ill.

[jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘hey! it’s Cap’n to you now. and i’ll have you know that beneath this tough exterior i’m actually fascinatingly sensitive and complex.’

‘yeah, i’ll just bet you are. a fascinating narcissist.’

‘thanks. i am pretty brave, aren’t i?’

after political mishaps in retribution falls, a wild goose chase with ghost ships in the black lung captain, the third book in the series opens with the crew of the ketty jay pulling yet another imaginative heist -- only this time around, the consequences are more personal than ever.

wooding has chosen an excellent moment in his overarching story arc to change up the stakes: this time it’s not money, reputation or a chance at revenge that’s at risk, but it’s captain frey’s very life that hangs in the balance.

at this point, the crew has grown pretty tight, and frey has firmly moved from selfish bastard to caring captain. so everyone is eager to help solve the central conflict, and the individual crew members start opening up more and more in what feels like a wonderfully natural progression.

frey himself is dealing with the depth of his feelings for trinica, and what kind of man he really wants to be. jez, the level-headed navigator, is exploring the breadth of her abilities while wondering how she can properly embrace the more feral parts of herself. crake, the former aristocrat and practitioning daemonologist, is looking to expand his craft (and his love life).

the two fighter pilots are both on their own paths: pinn, not the brightest tool in the shed, sets his sights on becoming an inventor rather than chasing skirts and drinks. and harkins is still on a quest to deal with his anxieties and become a braver person.

malvery, the ship’s doctor, finally gets some well-deserved development: we learn more of his life before he lost his license to practice, and how he might earn that back. and eventually, the story brings us to silo’s, the ship’s engineer, country of origin: here, his life before he escaped a labor camp is finally revealed, and the resulting growth is fantastic to watch.

the cinematic quality of the story is still there: the plot moves at a breakneck pace, hopping from thrilling city chases to sweltering desert buggy races and right back to sneaking into a museum at night.

and the interactions between the crew members have now moved on to downright goofy, lovable territory where they tease each other with witty insults and deadpan snark. for some, this might’ve gotten too soft, but i prefer my dysfunctional, destructive found families with a bit of a gentle jibe.

what else can i say? i genuinely adored this installment.

the new locations and countries are a great change of pace (though i’d love to see a map of the ketty jay’s world one day, because the story gives absolutely zero sense of scale or direction), the new characters are fun and engaging (who doesn’t love ashua, our clever street urchin?), and the amount of hugs the crew is doling out made me profoundly happy.

(y’all are welcome to keep asshole frey. i’m keeping the tender one.)

any critiques, then?

sure, it is predictable. and yes, it definitely follows the Bigger + Better blockbuster formula. i mean, one of the most common occurrences in this series is a bunch of characters ribbing at each other while dodging a rain of bullets. look for any trope-ish chase, heist or badass blowing-things-up moment in that movie, series, or game you love, and you’re likely to find a version of it somewhere in this book.

but that’s the point, isn’t it? that we all like this sort of thing and that it’s just so unapologetically FUN. i don’t know about you, but i’m sitting here with my popcorn and getting on my enjoyable little roller-coaster ride.

also, a round of applause for more self-awareness re: sexism and racism. it’s especially poignant in silo’s personal journey and confrontations with his former friends, and especially hilarious in ashua calling frey a narcissistic misogynist and him having NO IDEA what those words mean.

and addendum number two: i still unequivocally love one grayther crake, who falls head over heels for a beautiful, badass woman whom he watches in appalled delight because she is “so fascinatingly vulgar”.

now that is MY kind of romance.

✎ 4.0 stars.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are finally looking good for Captain Frey and his crew. The Ketty Jay has been fixed up good as new. They've got their first taste of fortune and fame. And, just for once, nobody is trying to kill them.

I enjoyed reading The Iron Jackal, the third installment of the Tales of the Ketty Jay series. This book was probably my favorite of the series so far. I enjoyed the humor. It kept me laughing which is always a plus. The air chase in the beginning, the train robbery, the part with the bomb, and the race were probably my favorite parts of the book. Oh and the cat and the toast.

As for the characters: Pinn grew on me a lot in this book with his antics. Frey was still Frey. He's definitely a love/hate type of character. His obsession with Trinica could get very old, but I kind of ship them. I'm probably as foolish as he is. We finally find out all about Silo's past, and Jez continues to battle the daemon inside her. Jez is still probably my favorite character in the series and I've enjoyed her exploration of her abilities. Malvery gets to shine a bit here, and Harkins does as well, even if it's in Pinn's name. Crake and Samandra Bree meet up again, something I was looking forward to as I ship them as well. There is also a new crew member, Ashua. It remains to be seen how she will impact things overall, but I think she is a good addition.

There was more digging into the characters and the world in this book and I liked that. The world building was interesting with the strange hybrid type creatures they encounter later in the book, and I like the combination of fantasy with the guns, vehicles and electricity, etc. There's one more book to go in the series and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

[Jokoloyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very very fun 5-star book with notes:
1. the plots are predictable, where the aim of author when writing this series obviously to seek maximum action-packed thrills. If you want some real surprises in plots, forget about it.
2. The recipes of the action scenes are the similar with previous books of this series.

with this third book in the series, I am convinced that the author already planned whole series in details for character development. Some promises that author made on first book are paid on this book. The characters are growing nicely.

There are series that has excellent first book, but poor later books. I really hope this seies is not tha kind of series. I can say, the writing quality is stronger on third book than the first. The humors on third book are more relax than the first book.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book picks up where the previous one left off, with Frey and crew reaching a tentative truce with Trinica Dracken and her crew. The beginning opens with another shootout and the ending closes with the destruction of another city. Frey and crew go on another quest to retrieve a mysterious artifact from Samarla, Silo's home, but this time the stakes are higher than before as Frey's life hang in the balance.

Review moved to https://covers2covers.wordpress.com/2...

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am having a fantastic reading month so far... pretty much all 5* reads!!

This is the third and penultimate book in the Ketty Jay series and I have to say it's still just as fantastic as the previous two in the series. By this poit we have seen a fair amount of the crew and the characters whom we've come to know and love, and in this book the focus is really drawn to the only character who is still quite a mystery to us; Silo. Naturally the characters of the Ketty Jay all have their own plots and developments within this book, but it seemed to me that Silo's story was a bigger part of this book and I truly enjoyed his plot a lot because it's been such a mystery to us up to this point.

Silo is the engineer on board the Ketty jay and he's a strong but silent type. He really doesn't talk much about his past or even about his thoughts or feelings generally and up until this book we have seen only small glimpses of his past. This story certainly had large focuses on the Murthian suppression by the Sammies and we see a lot more into not only Silo's plot, but some of the others he knew when he was under Sammie rule, and some of the tasks and trials he faced trying to get away.
The focus of slavery and some more sombre topics within this story was certainly chilling at points because of the perspective we saw things from, and I actually enjoyed the fact that Wooding does like to address these sorts of big issues in his story and world. I felt it was handled well and gave us a great insight into how Silo became the character we know today.

The story itself actually begins on a fairly good high in this book and this is sort of reflected in the brighter design of the cover. The crew themselves are on somewhat of a high after the ending of book 2 (which is pretty dramatic as always!) and so they're celebrating and enjoying newfound partnerships and missions. However things like that never last too long and trouble always seems to be able to find Frey and the crew and soon after their mission begins things begin to go drastically wrong.

The relationships between some of the characters within this book were fabulous and certainly they were once again expanded upon. I felt like Frey's character had some wonderful moments of frank identification of his own flaws and realisation about what he really needed in his life. There were very intense moments within this which I found exciting and absorbing, and they certainly left a big impression on our loveable, somewhat selfish Captain, causing him to accept some truths about himself and his crew.

Trinica was also a focus within this book and I feel like she's actually one of the more complex characters because of her past and her entanglements (both very good and very bad) with the Crew. Her story and her loyalties are certainly tested at some points in this story and I really admired the decisions she made and the motivations behind them.

Harkins has been on of my favourite characters for a while now as he's so sweet and seeing him evolve over the course of this book and the last has really endeared him to me. He's a really nervous character who has a lot of demons from his past to deal with and I feel like he's one of the ones who's become the most developed over the course of the books. I particularly loved one scene where he was a part of a race in this book, that was just brilliantly written and detailed.

Crake, Pinn and Jez are also all fabulous and I really enjoy seeing their interactions as a crew and they way that they all bounce off of one another. Each of them had their own developments in this story but they weren't the focus and therefore they weren't always quite as prominent or had quite as much development. I still adore them all though and Pinn in particular was great for comedic fun!

Malvery is the final member of the crew (not counting Bess and Slag who are an automaton and a cat but still both amazing and awesome in their own right!) and he actually surprised me at some moments within this book because of the way his views and opinions change and particularly his view of himself and his own personality. I know we've seen glimpses of his 'former glory' days before, but I think he has his own moment within this which I have to say I admired so much and made him a stand out character too :)

Ashua is a newer character who we meet within this book and I think she's certainly an interesting one because of how we meet her, the way she reacts to the Crew initially, and the situation which led her to meeting them. She's got a fairly typical past, but she's a pretty mysterious character ll the same and has some cool facets to her which I enjoyed exploring in this book.

Finally I have to say once again that the writing of Wooding is just fabulous and the mixture of character development, relationships being formed or tested, action, adventure, exploration and excitement is just wonderful. Somehow he even manages to throw in fleshing out the world and cultures of the world with scatterings of one liners or funny outbursts which break up some of the serious and had me smiling and laughing aloud. Another fantastic read, and I can't wait to get into the final book in this series next month! 5*s for sure!

[Nathan]

Fantasy Review Barn

I have a bit of a grudge against Great Britain. In 1812 they took the time out of their day to attack my great nation despite already being deep in the muck with Napoleon. And why did they attack us? Well, maybe we started it. And maybe we tried to invade Canada. But still, they could have just left us alone, right?

Or maybe I am just pissy because they have had Iron Jackal on their side of the ocean and have been hoarding it since 2011. In which case I hold no real grudge for the war of 1812 (or as the British call it, ‘what the hell are you Americans going on about?’). I just really wanted Iron Jackal long before it actually showed up (and was reminded of the War of 1812 in a recent forum thread that has nothing to do with this review). But I have it now, so all is forgiven! Which is great, because one third of the bloggers in Fantasy Review Barn are from the area and things were getting a bit tense I don’t mind telling you.

The tales of Kitty Jay, if you have been living in a vacuum, is a wonderful little steampunk tale now on three books (four if you live in Britain, and yes, my anger is rising again). It follows Captain Frey and his diverse crew of misfits and possible outlaws through various missions of dubious legality, centered around a airship in constant state of repair. And fair or not to Mr. Wooding, it has been grabbed up by fans of Firefly, dissected and analyzed, and generally agreed to be the continuation of the show everyone has hoped for. So yes, with its similarities, fans of Firefly should consider this series a must read.

But say your one of those not familiar with the show and therefore have zero idea what the fuss is about. Don’t worry, it is still a great series that doesn’t need pop comparisons to stand on its own, and Iron Jackal is a great addition to the series, and well worth the wait.

There were a few loose ends wrapped up in the last book. I can’t stress how great this was as it gives Iron Jackal a fresh start rather than just recycling the same plotline over and over. Frey and his crew have a ship that is in good repair, a bit of notoriety that allows them mooch drinks in bars all over, and Frey’s love/hate with Trinica has settled to a more stable place. No longer a when will the betrayal come thing, Frey is free to pine for something that can’t happen without fear for his tale finally.

When Trinica sets him up for a pretty nice job Frey lets his hubris get him in trouble. So after a quick mission that of course isn’t as easy as hoped he finds himself in desperate need to rid himself of an unknown curse before he is chased down by a demon in the shape of an jackal. After two books of betrayals and backstabbing we finally get to see the crew pull together and be a crew, one more way the series has been given a fresh face. Don’t worry, still plenty of sniping, minor pranks, and OK, maybe a bit of backstabbing going on. It is still Frey’s crew after all.

It would take pages to go through the entire crew and each of their individual growths but if this tale belongs to anyone outside of our good captain that title would go to the previously hidden in the background Silo, former slave with a past that will come to surprise the crew. Normally the most trusted and easy going member of the crew, not counting that whole throw someone over a bridge thing, his change catches everyone by surprise and leaves them wondering what to expect.

These are books that are built around the interactions of the crew, with a bit of action thrown in on a regular basis. The only thing Iron Jackal is missing that the first two had is the emotional gutpunch that the damn golem provided. But the rest is still there. The action is action. It will either work for you or not depending on how well you like action scenes. I found them to be well crafted and easy to follow, though by no means the best out there. But it would be a heart of stone that doesn’t enjoy this crew and their interactions. Sure Pinn may be over the top comic relief at times, but for the most part they avoid filling a personality role and instead just show personality.

BRING ME ACE OF SKULLS! I am ready.

5 stars. Because sometimes pure live up to the hype entertainment is worth that extra star.

Speaking of Firefly I am guessing the marketing geniuses behind the cover have heard the comparisons. Does that cover not scream ‘look, don’t I look like a young captain Mal?”

Copy for review provided by publisher.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

When you pick up a book in this series you’re guaranteed fun. Every book in this series has done the unthinkable in being better than its predecessor and this is no different. Each book builds on the previous with added layers for the characters (some getting more time in specific books than others), an interesting plot, and some well plotted action. Each book starts with a bang and this outing is no different, but don’t think this is merely a dumb action book. The characterisation has really developed and by now you know the crew and their actions like you know your own family and their foibles.

After the last few adventures, which focused on the group conning/stealing from people and then trying to get away with it, things are slightly changed here in that instead of getting away with it Captain Frey has a curse put on him after stealing something and has a death clock ticking down on him and not long to stop the killing curse. Let the mayhem ensue! This leads to death races, rooftop chases, foreign lands, love interests getting miffed and a whole load more.

I’ve rated this book 4 stars (this would have received higher no doubt if pesky social calendars didn’t get filled up!) but this is a 5 star series that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good fix of quality world building, characters, action, and not forgetting FUN.

[Mpauli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to my huge December tbr, reviews will come up in 2015

[Benji Glaab · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟⬆️

Yes!!! Chris Wooding nails it again. The man seemingly can do no wrong with this series. I have become very fond of these characters over the course of this adventure. I sincerely love The Tales of the Ketty Jay series. I would probably keep reading these if it was an never ending ongoing series. And I don't mean that in A GRRM ASOIF sense. I mean to say I would never grow tired of this crew and there misadventures. However, only one more tale awaits my favourite band of misfits. A tale I plan on fitting into my oddly compulsive reading pattern shortly(IDK it's just one of those things I'm sure I would love to start book 4 today) anyways onto the review.

So for being cool enough to make it to book 3 in this series we are rewarded with a fresh new setting- the dry hot desert land in the Samarlian empire. The story sets off at a rip-roaring pace that played out in my mind like an Indiana Jones, Mad max crossover. In the aftermath of this 100+ page non-stop action sequence we find out Cpt. Frey has gone and done something really stupid, but if you've read any book in this series it's kind of to be expected at this point. Darian Frey is resourceful, and crafty, yes. But intelligent not so much. This is a guy that thinks mortified is the act of killing someone, or that being a narcissist means you're good looking. Regardless of the captain's mental capacity he finds out that He's cursed and only has 12 days to face it down or else he will be meeting his maker. Now his crew will have to rally behind their captain in a race against the clock.

This whole read was fun, entertaining, and highly readable, but I would like to point out how excellent plotting is. There are so many 'keys/device' that come to fruition that leave Mr. Wooding looking very clever. Furthermore I can only conclude that CW writes like a boss. I would also like to give props for all the crew member pov that each feel unique, all the characters are written very naturally. Wooding has a great eye for different character types.

A few highlights

-Malvery has a short visit in his old hometown. Crake finds an medal Malvery earned as a frontline medic in the first Aerium wars. It has the ol' Doc reminiscing about the man he once was. Could he ever be that hero again?

-Pinn after finding inspiration from a Samarlian clockwork trinket has decided on becoming a world famous inventor. Here's an example of his work so far. If you spread butter on a cat that's wasted on rum and flip it over which side will land down. (Sidenote- need more slag the cat time in next novel. Wait scratch that just write a whole novel about slag. Perhaps an origin story would do nicely.)Pinn also invents Flame slime maybe he will just burn the fuck out of himself or maybe flame slime could end up saving the day you never know.

-Silo a former slave hails from Samarla. Needless to say the Murthian is pretty rattled to be back. We discover where and how Silo learned all his bad-assery, and I was a big fan of his growth in Iron Jackal.

-Harkins goes all in with a winner takes all race in his spitfire. This was a gripping action sequence that stood out as one of my favourite scenes in the book. It had a crazy ending, and I love the view point of the over anxious nervous wreck of a pilot.

-We also get a new member added to the crew Ashua. Crake continues to explore demonsim, and Jez continues her struggle with Manehood there is actually a lot going on in this book come to think of it.

Yup, I'm enthusiastic to recommend this to would be readers. This series works for me. The humour is spot on, I'm always engrossed, and every time I always walk away feeling like I had a good time.

[The Shayne-Train · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Wooding gets the hat trick! The third book in his 'Ketty Jay' series is amazing, and, in my humble opinion, the best so far.

The ragtag crew of losers, miscreants, have-beens, and weirdos are back and feeling that all-for-one-and-one-for-all love. They've grown, they've gelled into a true family. And just in time for a globe-spanning fight against the clock to save the life of one of their own from a honestly frightening combination of beast, machine, and daemon.

Take your favorite episode of Firefly, replace the Old West American sensibility with a British crime film sensibility, and you'll start to get an idea of how well these stories flow.

Goodreads tells me I still have one more to read! I'm trying to look at it in a glass-half-full, yay-one-more kinda way.

[Pavle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Došao sam do tačke da bih bez imalo oklevanja dao peticu Vudingovom romanu u kojem ovi isti likovi na devetsto strana ćaskaju (hint: seru) i piju čaj i u kojem ne mora a ma baš ništa drugo da se dešava. Prodao bih levi bubreg i desnu nogu da imam po deo serijala za svaki dan u godini, ali svet je skot (uz po koji momenat pristojnosti moram priznati, npr. što nešto ovako uopšte postoji) i sledeći deo je ujedno i poslednji, što znači da mi je knedla do tada trajno u grlu.

5

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plotwise a little below the previous books. Could have used a little bit of trimming, both as a lot of stuff is going on a relatively short time frame, and some stuff dragged slightly.

There is lots of banter and shenanigans, though. Loved how Silo got a bigger role in book than previously.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the first book of the series & in part the second although the captain’s forlorn love marred my overall enjoyment, so hoping this book corrects course with less of the captain being a sap? Ie NO Trinica Pls!

Starts with a chase, which is always good, straight in the deep end! And we’re into the action, with a new acquaintance & old foes along the way..... The real charm for me though is the expansion of the ships crews’ characters as we delve into all their backstories or update their current state of affairs which is grand as before it’s been limited to mostly Frey & Crake with splashes of Jez. As I may have alluded to before (and along the way with updates) the Frey interludes tended to revolve around Trinica where all we got was a forlorn love sick puppy of a character which was a real anchor to the story.......

We get to learn more about the Doctor (Malvery) of his past, his ambitions & his value to the crew. For Crake as well both seeming to have been in limbo in their lives aboard the Ketty Jay, but the real development is of Silo who upto now has been the silent rock of the crew, his story unfolds & becomes part of the nub of this adventure & helps fill in a lot of plot about their adventure. We learn about Jez & the Mane & what drives them. In all it seems to be much livelier from the get-go to the prior book & the race that features Harkins is jus supreme! Lots to amuse as the adventure pulls you forward to its conclusions......... although a WARNING as there is still a splatter of Trinica where you jus have to grit yer teeth & skipread the cringeworthy bits. Pinn continues to annoy & even Slag the cat entertains from time to time..... I think ive covered them all!

A worthy read which hits into the 4 stars for me, rounded down to 4

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as part of the First Reads giveaways here--I had it on hold at the library before that--and would have been better off with the library copy as it took me almost 8 months to finish reading this book. I loved the action and adventure and relationships among the crew in the first two books but this book didn't have much of that. Just Frey mooning over Trinica again and everyone making bad decisions. I had the 4th book on a suspended hold but I just cancelled it. Wooding isn't a bad writer, which accounts for the two stars, but this was just so boring.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since their misadventures in Sakkan, Frey and the crew of the Ketty Jay had been on a roll. Everything they did seemed to work out. Confidence was high.
But then the crew steal a Samarlan relic which leaves Frey with a black spot, cursed to die by a daemon who was protector of the relic. Oops.

The crew development from book one? I’m all here for it.

’You're just the kind to go down with the ship.’
‘Not with the ship. With the crew.'

Basically, every character undergoes an existential crisis amidst running from daemons, guns, Samarlans, the Awakenera, people they’ve peeved off previously.

Despite this being very tongue-in-cheek, Wooding does shed some light on some harsher realities. Whilst other gritty authors may try and use darkness and despair to demonstrate this, Wooding utilises humour and subtle nods. Especially if you consider the start of the series to where we’ve been brought to now. (Specifically, Trinica.)

’You're a man, and I'm a woman, she said. Your reputation would increase. Mine would suffer.’

If you want a steampunk book that gives you Indiana Jones vibes, read this!

Bookstagram

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some time ago I posted a review of Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls, the first in his A Tale of the Ketty Jay series. Although written for the adult market and released through Orion's SFF imprint Gollancz, the publishers have noticed that it had been gaining a lot of interest from teen readers, and that first book is soon to be re-released under Orions YA imprint, Indigo. I really enjoyed Retribution Falls, and on finishing it I rushed out to buy the sequel, The Black Lung Captain, a book I felt was even better than its predecessor. Imagine then my delight when I received a copy of the third book, The Iron Jackal. I almost dropped everything to read it, but I had a few other reading commitments and so I decided to save it for when I was a little less busy so I could fully savour the story.

Please believe me when I say that having read it, I will definitely be dropping everything to read book four whenever it is released. From my previous reviews you may already know that I do not read a great deal of SFF, and even less for the adult market, but this is one series that has fast become one of my favourites, and The Iron Jackal is by far the best in the series so far. The first two books were fun, but by necessity time was spent introducing the characters (in book one) and developing the world building (a weakness of book one, but much improved in book two). Now that these two essential elements are ticked off it is almost as if Chris Wooding has announced "And now let the real fun commence!".

I seem to remember reading a few reviews of Retribution Falls where the reviewer suggested that the characters were not very well developed. Chris Wooding has certainly answered those critics in the subsequent two books. And the same goes for the world building. Quite often I had found adult SFF too hard going because the author has felt compelled to deliver fully three dimensional characters, including back story, or spend pages going over the minutiae of the world he has created, including lengthy passages about its history and politics. In this series Chris Wooding has chosen to do this over the series, and so in each new book we have found out a little bit more about the world, and more and more of the secrets that the crew of the Ketty Jay have been keeping secret have been revealed. Where Retribution Falls was all about Darian Frey, and the second book took a big focus on the development of Jez and Crake, this book sees us really get to know the mysterious and brooding Silo much better.

The passages of the book that deal with fleshing out these characters also make the pacing of the story that bit more exquisite. Chris Wooding is now a master at writing action scenes that have you reaching to strap yourself in with that metaphorical seatbelt, and there are even more in The Iron Jackal than in his previous books, but the story would become boring if we didn't have these calmer, more introspective moments between them.

All of the books in this series have been fun, but as I suggested earlier this one really goes for it in the fun stakes. The banter between the various members of the crew, who over the course of the previous two books have developed a very special bond, is superbly written, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, and now that we know them so well we can start to predict (in a good way) how one might react to the actions or verbal snipes of another. The plot this time is also great fun, starting off with a daring heist which soon turns in to a traditional hunt for long-lost treasure. Of course, this wouldn't be a Ketty Jay story without that 'comedy of errors' undercurrent, where everything Frey does just seems to get him and his crew even further up the creek without a paddle.

As I said before, this is a series written for the adult market, but soon to be targeted at teens. There is therefore a small degree of bad language, but also a huge body count: the crew of the Ketty Jay seem to kill quite a few people along their way, although invariably in self-defence. Teen boys will totally love this, but unlike most of the books I feature on here it isn't suitable for younger readers.

I do not have any news as to when the fourth book will be published, but it is certainly one I will be craving over the next year. Chris Wooding ends The Iron Jackal perfectly, but he also raises a number of questions that still need answering, and the events in this book are suggesting that very soon the brown stuff could be hitting the fan in large quantities, not only for Frey and his crew but also for everyone else in Vardia and Samarla. I can't wait!

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do enjoy this series, but I never quite love it.

Once again, my favorite parts were the character bits - filling in some of the back stories, and watching some of the characters grow. I do sort of wish Frey would grow up a bit more, though. It's like we're sort of meant to believe that he is, but we're never really shown it. At least not in any kind of consistent or meaningful way.

My favorite characters continue to be Jez and Crake, though it was really cool to learn more about Silo.

That said, I find myself having a hard time really getting into the action bits - and there are a lot of them. I think it's just a writing style preference, maybe. I like action sequences that make your pulse pound - maybe not explicit in all the details, but which really make you feel like you're in the moment.

In these books, Wooding seems to go more for describing the details in depth. What the views look like. What actions are being taken. And I found many of them a bit too drawn out to really keep my focus.

The second chase seen between Frey and the Iron Jackal was really good, though.

Conversely, the race thing made me think of the pod-race in the Phantom Menace. Never a good thing.

And the black-spot on the hand curse thing reminded me a bit too much of Pirate's of the Carribean movies (but at least that's better thought than Phantom Menace).

I do still think these books would make really good movies - but I wish the book format was a bit tighter.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this beast of a book at Barnes on a clearance table.
I was intrigued by several things :
- Sy/Fy-steam-punky, movie-posterish cover featuring grubby
generic faces in an action stance (pretend weapons raised.) Cool !
- Over 450 pages / cheap price. My kinda book !
- Brilliant B&N marketing pitch ; The sign said , "BUY ONE OR WE WILL
HURT YOUR DOG "or that's what I think it said......
Whatever. Bought it anyway.

A closer look at home said it was #3 of a seies . Crap !

Years later......A rare dusting day exposed the book on a tbr shelf.
Intrigued (and having forgotten that #3 thing), I started reading it.

Bottom line? Action. Fun. Witty dialogue. Ever a fan of t.v.'s FIREFLY or the
movie SERENITY ? How about the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY flicks?
Meet Captain Frey of the Ketty Jay and his weird but lovable crew.

And like all good series writers there was just enough back story to have #3
be a good starting place. Spoiler alert : I'm going back for #1 !
Only this time, not B&N.
I care too much for my dog.

[Sookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts off exactly like the first two books and pretty much follows a similar pattern to its predecessors. The punches come in the right moment, elaborate action scenes which reminded me of movie scenes and an almost desperate attempt to provide character depth.

Frey gets dared and opens the package he is explicitly asked not to do so. Thus the story begins. This very idea troubled me from the start as Frey continues to do his brash things and the character remains shallow. Jez and Crake are the saving grace for this book.

The book is fun to read with chase scenes, gun fights, explosions and heists. But the contexts which involves these scenes don't have much credibility or the importance it deserves. It was good to read same style in first book, alright in second and boring in third.

For me, Ketty Jey is no Serenity.

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot and some inner thoughts became a bit repetitive but otherwise still a very entertaining series with lots of wisecracking quips and quite a few heartbreaking moments.

The worldbuilding caught me by surprise. Apparently it kept expanding. There were some whoa moments near the end. The steampunk element reminds me of Doctor Who, with all the weird tech and creatures.

I feel bad that there is only one book left. This series is probably the most fun one I had since Gentleman Bastards. Definitely I will add Chris Wooding in my to-watch list.

[Tucinkata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Поредната порция приключения за Кети Джей и нейния екипаж. Втората книга си остава любимата ми засега.
Чудесно е, че авторът продължава надграждането на характера на всеки от героите, а успя да вкара и нов играч, който също да има интересна история. Продължавам да съм силно впечатлена от майсторския начин, по който се гради историята на света. За разлика от тежкото епично фентъзи - с много карти, история и детайли, детайли, детайли - Удинг просто вмъква по изречение тук и там, и в крайна сметка започваш да разбираш структурата на този свят и кой за какво се бори.

" - Освен това - вдигна пръст Фрей,- хората на този влак ще са въоръжена охрана. Плащат им, за да стрелят по тях. Ако хората като нас не се опитваха да ограбват влакове, те щяха да останат без работа.
- Значи сега осигуряваме работни места? - попита Крейк със сериозно изражение на лицето.
- Точно така! - повтори Фрей. - Смазваме колелата на чуждия капитал и така нататък.
- Кап'тане - обърне се към него Крейк. - Според мен знаеш за икономиката толкова, колкото Пин за хигиената."

" - Каква е муртианската дума за "ирония"? - попита той.
- Няма такава - отговори Сайло. - Освен това съм тук, защото сам се вкарах тук. Човек не е нищо друго освен един голям сбор от изборите, които прави през живота си и онова, което е направил с даденото му от Майката. В това няма никаква ирония."

" - Иска ми се да видя физиономията на Железния Чакал, когато разбере, че вече съм мъртъв - каза Фрей, ухилвайки се. - Ето това е ирония.
- Не, не е, Кап'тане. Това е просто гадост, която се е случила.
- А това е най-доброто описание на живота ми , което някога съм чувал - каза Фрей. - Наистина умееш да улавяш същността на нещата, приятел."

" - Не! - извика ужасено Пин.
- Не! - възпротиви се Джес.
- Не! - измърмори Крейк.
- Съгласен - каза Фрей."

" - Извършихме едно добро дело тук, нали така? - каза той.
- Донякъде - отговори Сайло.
- Да си герой не е лесна работа, а? - каза Фрей и във въздишката му се усети съвсем леко потрепване.
- Няма как да знам, Кап'тане - отговори Сайло.
- Така е - каза Фрей. - Нито пък аз."

"Ако бях останал, щяха да ме засмучат отново. Това правят хората ти. Засмукват те. Винаги става така, независимо дали го искаш, или не."

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Three of Chris’ bucklepunk series, and things are settling down nicely. After the events of The Black Lung Captain, Darian Frey, captain of the good spaceship Ketty Jay, has been hired by his ex-fiancee, Trinicia Dracken, to retrieve and help offload a valuable artefact from a train.

Things are actually looking up for Frey. His crew have not killed each other, despite chances to do so, and he’s in employment. The Jay’s been refitted and holding together quite nicely, for a change. Such good fortunes clearly cannot last - and they don’t.

Hitting the ground running, there’s a bar shootout and a breathless chase across the rooftops of Shasiith, all in the first few pages, the pace is as frenetic as we’ve come to expect.

The heist occurs, though it is unexpectedly messier than anticipated. The artefact is taken and foolishly taken out of its transport case by Darian. A two-bladed sword, the object stabs Darian’s hand and gives him a ‘black spot’, something that, it is told, will kill him. As the tale unfolds, things get complicated for Darian and this has consequences for his motley crew.

If I had any complaints this time around, and I am struggling a little, really, it’s that this time around, more so than at any time previous, I’m noticing the joins a little more. The train heist is reminiscent of the Firefly TV episode The Train Job, the roof chase Jason Bourne, the Thief of Baghdad or Hitchcock’s Vertigo. It’s very well done, it’s clearly an homage, yet unlike previous books in the series, in places I’m getting that feeling of ‘been here before’. Though some of the events here are pretty much telegraphed before they happen, it’s like watching the inevitability of a car crash that keeps you reading.

However, I quibble. What is the strength here is the great characterisation and the sparkling dialogue that characters seem to generate without effort. We have some issues amongst the crew resolved, some closure on events of the past and a new crew member who seems to settle in pretty well, and the others are there in their typically sniping best. We also have another great ‘Bess moment’, my favourite character. As we are now starting to get to know the characters of Chris’s universe more, this allows a little more subtlety than I was expecting. In the end what we see is that despite all their arguing, fighting and disagreements, at the finish the crew of the Ketty Jay stand for each other and are the stronger for it.

This is another winner, and clearly fans of the series are not going to be disappointed.