The Black Lung Captain

***Warning: SPOILERS for book #1 of the series, Retribution Falls!***

Darian Frey and the crew of the Ketty Jay are once again down on their luck. The airship needs repairs, but Frey can't afford to buy the engine parts he needs. Crake, still tormented with guilt over accidentally killing his niece, is trying to drown his sorrows in a bottle. Jez is struggling to come to terms with being part Mane, afraid that this feral, violent side of her will eventually consume her humanity. Harkins is so jittery and terrified that he can't even cope with Slag, the Ketty Jay's ancient and ornery cat. Even the loutish Pinn is depressed, missing his girlfriend back home. So when Frey is offered the chance to salvage a mysterious treasure in the heart show more of the jungle, he leaps at the opportunity despite the obvious dangers ahead. He even teams up with Trinica Dracken, the most feared sky pirate on the planet -- and Frey's ex-lover. But of course, nothing about this job is what it seems to be, and the supposed "treasure" may lead to widespread destruction, unless Frey and his crew can stop it first.

Retribution Falls was an unexpected delight when I read it earlier this year, so I couldn't resist picking up this second book in the series! I'm thrilled to say that this book is just as much swashbuckling fun as the first, with tons of action and some wonderful character development. The stakes are even higher in this book, because Frey and his crew have more to lose: their last adventure created bonds of friendship and loyalty, and now those bonds are being tested. I really loved that the book switches between many points of view; although Frey, Crake, and Jez are probably the most fleshed-out characters, everyone has a moment to shine -- even Slag the cat! And because the main characters of the series have already been established, the book has more time to spend on worldbuilding, giving tantalizing glimpses of the bigger picture surrounding Frey's adventures. I am really looking forward to learning more about the geopolitical situation of this planet in future books, because I just know Frey and his crew are going to get involved somehow! I can't wait to continue with this series! show less

The second novel about the Ketty Jay is as good as the first one. Again Darian Frey tries to become rich and everything goes wrong, as usual. Again there are fights, flights and romance, riches and demons, magic and drink - everything you could possibly expect from a good pirate novel. And even though the main thread here is nothing new, the story is told with so much passion and joy that I can't but love it. By now I adore the captain, love the Ketty Jay and hope that Jez will be gentle with Harkins, eventually. Brilliant stuff.

If anyone has read my recent review of Chris Wooding's first tale of the Ketty Jay Retribution Falls, then you'll be aware that I thought the book was immense fun. That made me look forward to the followup The Black Lung Captain with keen anticipation.

I was not disappointed, if anything, The Black Lung Captain is even better and more fun than it's well received predecessor.

Much like Retribution Falls the story begins right in the middle of a dangerous and life threatening situation. Captain Darian Frey and his misfit crew are down on their luck and have been reduced to unsuccessfully robbing orphanages, Frey's skewed moral compass justifies this as okay because he himself is an orphan, just to keep their derelict ship in the air. That's show more when they meet Captain Harlin Grist. He has a proposition for the crew of the Ketty Jay. All they need to do is accompany him to a remote island populated by dangerous beasts and subhuman savages, and use the talents of their daemonist; Grayther Crake, to retrieve a fortune from a crashed aircraft. Yes, it's crazy and possibly suicidal, but there's money to be made here.

The fun really begins when the object of Grist's desire has been located and retrieved. The future of a world could hinge on the possession of that object and everyone wants it. Cross and doublecross ensues, there may have even been a triplecross in there, and Frey and his crew are caught up in the middle of it all. Old friends and enemies return. The bonds between the members of the Ketty Jay's crew are tested to the limits, and it takes the reader on a breathless thrill ride.

Initially I had an air of I've seen this before about the book as it did follow the formula of Retribution Falls quite closely early on, and there didn't seem to be anything new to learn about the characters I'd come to love in the first book, but then Wooding changed the story, introduced new elements and delved further into the lives of the crew. Again there were echoes of Firefly with the Manes; zombielike creatures who were very reminiscent of the cult show's Reavers. That's a minor quibble, though.

The moments between Crake and his golem Bess were particularly touching and well done. The continuing battle between twitchy pilot; Harkins and ship's cat; Slag provided some brilliant comic moments with a surprising resolution. We also discover that there's more to Frey than initially met the eye in Retribution Falls. The characters are not cardboard cutouts, they have depth and history.

The world building continues to the extent that I thought a map would be most useful. There are two distinct levels of society on Vardia, the haves and the have nots. Frey tends to move between both worlds as the situation demands. The society party in Retribution Falls was one of my favourite sequences in that book and there's another delightful soiree in The Black Lung Captain, and an interlude at a university which is also fascinating.

The Black Lung Captain proves that lightning can strike twice and has me eagerly awaiting the next tale of the Ketty Jay The Iron Jackal. show less

Retribution Falls was fabulous, but this book goes to another level. Having introduced his characters in the first book, Gooding now develops them in new directions, and it all feels perfectly organic and natural.. Having fallen on hard times after having foiled the conspiracy at Retribution Falls, Frey and his misfit team are reduced to robbing an orphanage in a remote village to make ends meet. The ensuing chase by infuriated yokels is both hilarious and breathtaking. While recuperating from this misadventure, Frey is approached by a gruff captain and a foppish aristocrat with a proposition - travel to a remote and fearsome island populated by savage beasts and hostile tribes to recover a lost treasure from a crashed ship. Not show more surprisingly, the treasure turns out to be something other than what it has been portrayed as, and Frey and co. find themselves in the centre of a fierce struggle for a prize that seemingly everyone wants and is prepared to kill for - and Frey's old love cum nemesis Trinica Dracken tops the list. To make matters even worse the secret involves the much-feared and mysterious Manes. Terriffic story, great characters, a sure balance between action and humour. This is top-flight stuff. show less

I really enjoyed this - more even than I did the first one. Having the melodramatic backstory already revealed has somehow dulled the edges of it, and this was just a rollicking good time, with some wonderful deepening of the characters and dynamics we already know and love. Numerous laugh-out-loud-on-the-train moments, and a couple genuine have-to-stop-reading-laughing-too-hard passages. I am delightfully whelmed.

Fun swashbuckling adventure. Should probably be read while drinking a glass of Captain's and Coke for fully immersive enjoyment. The characters grew on me as they went through more tribulations and started to transform with experience, even Frey. One I need to add to my own library, because it deserves a second read.

Three and a half pirates.

Take everything good from Retribution Falls, amplify it and add what was missing, and this is the result. All the questions I had at the end of Retribution Falls regarding the Manes and Jez's connection to them were answered. More worldbuilding was present, including glimpses into Sammie culture, an island populated by primitives, and of course more insight into the Manes.

Harkins and Pinn get more development this time around. Malvery is the only one left out in this regard, though he does impact the rest of the crew. I'm hoping Frey learned his lesson this time around, because getting backstabbed by Trinica can play itself out quickly if that keeps happening.

The Black Lung Captain is still has the fun swashbuckling adventure of the show more first book, with both darker and more humorous moments. The new villain is more brutal and better characterized. In between the more intense actions scenes, we get Harkins overcoming some of his fears and Pinn dealing with romance issues. Still like the first, there's still more to build on, particularly what we learned about the Awakeners. show less