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writings_of_a_reader's review against another edition
4.0
Deep in the heart of the Kurg rainforest lies a long-forgotten wreck. On board, behind a magically protected door, an elusive treasure awaits. Good thing Darian Frey, captain of the airship Ketty Jay, has the daemonist Crake on board. Crake is their best chance of getting that door open—if they can sober him up.
In this installment of Tales of the Ketty Jay, Darian Frey is back to his old tricks. He's robbing an orphanage in the beginning of this book, and that didn't endear him to me much. By the end of the last book Frey had learned a few things and for a little while I thought he had forgotten every one of them, but he ended up proving me wrong. Yet again Chris Wooding surprises me with the character growth of not only the main character, but all of them. Even the cat, Slag gets a tiny part of a chapter in his point of view. I still dislike Pinn to a great extent, but even he ended up better by the end of this book. Crake and Jez in particular have great story arcs where they face their demons and come to grips with themselves. Crake's efforts to restore Bess is an especially emotional one. Speaking of Bess, whenever I read about her I can't help but think of Fullmetal Alchemist.
That's how I picture Bess.
Not only is the whole crew of the Ketty Jay present here, but Frey's former love and nemesis, Trinica Dracken is back, as well as the Century Knights. I liked the story arc with Trinica and also would love to read more of the Century Knights in the next books. We also learn a lot of interesting things about the Mane and The Awakeners. In general there is a much deeper level of emotion involved with the characters this time around, which is something that was missing in the first book. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
In this installment of Tales of the Ketty Jay, Darian Frey is back to his old tricks. He's robbing an orphanage in the beginning of this book, and that didn't endear him to me much. By the end of the last book Frey had learned a few things and for a little while I thought he had forgotten every one of them, but he ended up proving me wrong. Yet again Chris Wooding surprises me with the character growth of not only the main character, but all of them. Even the cat, Slag gets a tiny part of a chapter in his point of view. I still dislike Pinn to a great extent, but even he ended up better by the end of this book. Crake and Jez in particular have great story arcs where they face their demons and come to grips with themselves. Crake's efforts to restore Bess is an especially emotional one. Speaking of Bess, whenever I read about her I can't help but think of Fullmetal Alchemist.
That's how I picture Bess.
Not only is the whole crew of the Ketty Jay present here, but Frey's former love and nemesis, Trinica Dracken is back, as well as the Century Knights. I liked the story arc with Trinica and also would love to read more of the Century Knights in the next books. We also learn a lot of interesting things about the Mane and The Awakeners. In general there is a much deeper level of emotion involved with the characters this time around, which is something that was missing in the first book. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this quite a bit. I listened to it on audio and the reader was fantastic.
jorsie's review against another edition
3.0
All right, I've had enough of Captain Darian Frey. I plan on reading The Iron Jackal eventually, as well as The Ace of Skulls upon its release in September, but Frey can shove his daemon-thralled cutlass up his arse. Why are these books even about him? With such a great character in Grayther Crake, Chris Wooding truly doesn't need to allot quite so many pages to Frey and his warped sense of heroism.
Frey isn't letting Samandra Bree get anything. She does not need his allowance. Bree could kill him with her pinky finger, as she's proven several times over. On a related topic, what is up with Frey's demented need to save Trinica Dracken and force her into the damsel-in-distress role? She loudly and clearly doesn't need his help, either. Chapters 27 and 31 give the reader extended conversations between Frey and Dracken, yet Frey's incredibly long overdue talk with his crew is skipped over in favor of one of those conversations. I'm invested in this series for the crew of the Ketty Jay, not Frey's failed romances. His obsession with Dracken, along with the reckless abandonment of his crew, is unsettling. It deeply frustrated me that The Black Lung Captain turned into a Tale of Frey/Dracken instead of a Tale of the Ketty Jay.
Also of note: The entire climax of the book is one, giant deus ex machina made up of a dozen little deus ex machinas. Not once did I feel that the characters were in danger of losing anything, least of all their lives.
As I opened my review of Retribution Falls, the character of Crake is still, quite simply, the best. His character arc is five-star quality. Crake's mental deterioration was heartbreaking and his attempt to fix things even more so. Why Wooding devoted the last third of the book to Frey/Dracken over Frey/Crake is beyond me. Frey desperately needs—and wants—Crake on his crew, yet he rarely acknowledges the daemonist on page. After the devotion to Crake's storyline in the first 300 pages, I would've liked more a follow-through in the last 250.
Crake and Jez continue to be my favorites among the crew of the Ketty Jay. Silo and Malvery grew on me quite a bit, although both of them remain very peripheral characters. Humor is in abundance, and the dialogue is as sharp and witty as ever—two huge drawing points of the series for me. Despite its faults and its questionable depictions of love, The Black Lung Captain is fun and easy to like.
Frey and his crew stood with [the Century Knights]. [...] Maybe it was because he needed to do something honorable. [...] Or maybe—and more likely—it was just because Samandra Bree was damned cute and he didn't like the idea of letting her get her face eaten by a Mane. (Chapter 37)
Frey isn't letting Samandra Bree get anything. She does not need his allowance. Bree could kill him with her pinky finger, as she's proven several times over. On a related topic, what is up with Frey's demented need to save Trinica Dracken and force her into the damsel-in-distress role? She loudly and clearly doesn't need his help, either. Chapters 27 and 31 give the reader extended conversations between Frey and Dracken, yet Frey's incredibly long overdue talk with his crew is skipped over in favor of one of those conversations. I'm invested in this series for the crew of the Ketty Jay, not Frey's failed romances. His obsession with Dracken, along with the reckless abandonment of his crew, is unsettling. It deeply frustrated me that The Black Lung Captain turned into a Tale of Frey/Dracken instead of a Tale of the Ketty Jay.
Also of note: The entire climax of the book is one, giant deus ex machina made up of a dozen little deus ex machinas. Not once did I feel that the characters were in danger of losing anything, least of all their lives.
Spoiler
Grist's death, however, was badass as all hell.As I opened my review of Retribution Falls, the character of Crake is still, quite simply, the best. His character arc is five-star quality. Crake's mental deterioration was heartbreaking and his attempt to fix things even more so. Why Wooding devoted the last third of the book to Frey/Dracken over Frey/Crake is beyond me. Frey desperately needs—and wants—Crake on his crew, yet he rarely acknowledges the daemonist on page. After the devotion to Crake's storyline in the first 300 pages, I would've liked more a follow-through in the last 250.
Crake and Jez continue to be my favorites among the crew of the Ketty Jay. Silo and Malvery grew on me quite a bit, although both of them remain very peripheral characters. Humor is in abundance, and the dialogue is as sharp and witty as ever—two huge drawing points of the series for me. Despite its faults and its questionable depictions of love, The Black Lung Captain is fun and easy to like.
topdragon's review against another edition
5.0
The second of the four swashbuckling sky-pirate fantasy/sci-fi adventure novels is just as good as, if not better than, the first novel, [b:Retribution Falls|6285903|Retribution Falls (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #1)|Chris Wooding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338104818s/6285903.jpg|6470079]. The adventure continues, but this time around we get to learn a whole lot more about the individual crew members. Every one of them has a secret or three but has found acceptance on board the Ketty Jay and it is their jelling together as a crew under the evolving leadership of Captain Darian Frey that makes this one such a fun read.
Fresh off the events of that first book, we find the scalawag crew trying to continue surviving beneath the notice of the law, by robbing an orphanage. Yes, you read that right. One must find one’s fortune wherever one can. But that brief attempt proves unsuccessful and the embarrassed crew moves on to bigger and better things, namely making a risky partnership with a rival pirate Captain and his crew. Together they go after a prize treasure that will lead to all sorts of dangerous adventure, backstabbing allies, revealed secrets, and a potentially catastrophic result. The return of a woman from Captain Frey’s past who just happens to be the current queen of the pirates makes for added fun but also some serious stress on the rest of the crew. Sounds like a three-ring circus of fun reading and it most definitely is.
I will say that a couple of the sub-plots were a little too predictable, most notably how Pinn’s subplot resolved and how Jez’s ultimate decision at the end of the novel was forecasted throughout the rest of the book. But no matter. The sheer fun of reading the adventure combined with the deepening nature of the crew’s interdependence (not to mention the intriguing evolution of Captain Frey’s character) all combine for a rousing good read.
I’m ready for book number 3, [b:The Iron Jackal|9931820|The Iron Jackal (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #3)|Chris Wooding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302819645s/9931820.jpg|14824887]. We already have several clues for what that adventure will entail, based on the final few pages of this one. Should be fun!
Fresh off the events of that first book, we find the scalawag crew trying to continue surviving beneath the notice of the law, by robbing an orphanage. Yes, you read that right. One must find one’s fortune wherever one can. But that brief attempt proves unsuccessful and the embarrassed crew moves on to bigger and better things, namely making a risky partnership with a rival pirate Captain and his crew. Together they go after a prize treasure that will lead to all sorts of dangerous adventure, backstabbing allies, revealed secrets, and a potentially catastrophic result. The return of a woman from Captain Frey’s past who just happens to be the current queen of the pirates makes for added fun but also some serious stress on the rest of the crew. Sounds like a three-ring circus of fun reading and it most definitely is.
I will say that a couple of the sub-plots were a little too predictable, most notably how Pinn’s subplot resolved and how Jez’s ultimate decision at the end of the novel was forecasted throughout the rest of the book. But no matter. The sheer fun of reading the adventure combined with the deepening nature of the crew’s interdependence (not to mention the intriguing evolution of Captain Frey’s character) all combine for a rousing good read.
I’m ready for book number 3, [b:The Iron Jackal|9931820|The Iron Jackal (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #3)|Chris Wooding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302819645s/9931820.jpg|14824887]. We already have several clues for what that adventure will entail, based on the final few pages of this one. Should be fun!
ewans's review against another edition
3.0
Good fun! Hoping the next one is more of a departure from what's come so far but still very enjoyable!
calbowen's review against another edition
3.0
*** SPOILERS contained ****
This one went downhill a little bit from the first novel - The good news is that each of the crew seemed to have grown a bit into more round characterizations of themselves, which is a good thing - the bad news is that there were a few too many "coincidental" happenings where the group and a person were separated, only to find each other "in the nick of time" - one time is monumental - two times is Deus Ex - three times is just too ridiculous - I also feel that even with the growth and change within the crew, the main Character without any real change was the Captain - he is still a fool trying to be a crook and failing (how does he survive if he NEVER wins) - his ex-fiancee is gone, replace by his ex-love (though she was in the previous book, she was not the 'love interest') - his addiction is completely gone (why show me something and take away his flaw) - the only thing that saved this book was the rest of the crew - it is sad when the hero is someone that I actually don't like or believe in but I continue to read - this story has the opposite problems from most other books, in that the Main Character is useless and the supporting cast are the winners - I will continue this series, and read the next book, but I am not going into it as energized as I entered this one. Things should have been left alone with the Retribution Falls - Also, as another note, how long does a dysfunctional ship last? Until the end of the book, when he gets it fixed with someone else's money (because, you see, he FAILS at making money again) - yeah, what a hero.
On a side note about the eBook version - I do not like the titles at the beginning of each chapter, as they can ruin any surprises, so I don't read those, but I do not like them being there at all - also, quite a few spelling errors in the eBook -
This one went downhill a little bit from the first novel - The good news is that each of the crew seemed to have grown a bit into more round characterizations of themselves, which is a good thing - the bad news is that there were a few too many "coincidental" happenings where the group and a person were separated, only to find each other "in the nick of time" - one time is monumental - two times is Deus Ex - three times is just too ridiculous - I also feel that even with the growth and change within the crew, the main Character without any real change was the Captain - he is still a fool trying to be a crook and failing (how does he survive if he NEVER wins) - his ex-fiancee is gone, replace by his ex-love (though she was in the previous book, she was not the 'love interest') - his addiction is completely gone (why show me something and take away his flaw) - the only thing that saved this book was the rest of the crew - it is sad when the hero is someone that I actually don't like or believe in but I continue to read - this story has the opposite problems from most other books, in that the Main Character is useless and the supporting cast are the winners - I will continue this series, and read the next book, but I am not going into it as energized as I entered this one. Things should have been left alone with the Retribution Falls - Also, as another note, how long does a dysfunctional ship last? Until the end of the book, when he gets it fixed with someone else's money (because, you see, he FAILS at making money again) - yeah, what a hero.
On a side note about the eBook version - I do not like the titles at the beginning of each chapter, as they can ruin any surprises, so I don't read those, but I do not like them being there at all - also, quite a few spelling errors in the eBook -
mbs1236's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A weaker installment than the previous one though with a strong beginning and end. Though, I will admit the book did lose my attention in the middle. Still looking forward to what adventures Frey and the crew of the Ketty Jay are embroiled in the next two installments.
galidar's review against another edition
4.0
I gave myself one night's rest after finishing Retribution Falls...and when I looked for a new book the next morning, discovered I had bought the sequel at the same time and forgot about it as well. So, with a satisfied heart, I began reading The Black Lung Captain. I'm pleased to say I was not disappointed.
Taking place a year after the events of the first book, the steampunk world is just as detailed and well written. The action and adventure are kept at a good pace to match the short length of the book (clocking in around four hundred fifty pages). Where there isn't someone getting shot or stabbed, we are treated to a much deeper look at the back story of many of the Ketty Jay's crew. And with the war between a rattled pilot and a very territorial cat to throw in some amusing side notes, the story came away even better than the original. My only complaint is that I can't find the third book right now and start reading.
Taking place a year after the events of the first book, the steampunk world is just as detailed and well written. The action and adventure are kept at a good pace to match the short length of the book (clocking in around four hundred fifty pages). Where there isn't someone getting shot or stabbed, we are treated to a much deeper look at the back story of many of the Ketty Jay's crew. And with the war between a rattled pilot and a very territorial cat to throw in some amusing side notes, the story came away even better than the original. My only complaint is that I can't find the third book right now and start reading.