Rounded off the series well. Glad that everything came to a conclusive end and he hasn't tried to spin the characters into more and more stories.

A rollicking good read and a brilliant end to the adventures of Captain Frey and his band of misfits. You never know, these reprobates may turn up again in the future...let's hope so!

perf.

5

A fitting end to an excellent space-pirate-steampunk-action-adventure series. The whole series is just plain fun. Wooding's writing makes it easy to envision the story as a movie in your mind--vivid imagery, cool battle scenes (hand-to-hand and dogfighting), and dialogue that reminds me of the Guardians of the Galaxy or Firefly. If you want a fun action adventure to read, and you enjoy sci-fi/steampunk, this is a great book/series!

Love this book so much. Seriously, this was an epic end to an amazing series! But don't start here. If you want to read this series, start with the first book because while you'll still be able to understand it, this is the final climax and everything was such a payoff from the last three books.

I loved watching the characters develop over the course of the series and everyone has grown from where they were. And, I will admit, I feared for the life of nearly every character in here at least once - because they were ALL in danger.

Just love this book and am doing my best to convince everyone to start reading Retribution Falls - especially if you're a fan of the TV series Firefly!

Oh my goodness... THIS BOOK and this series is SO GOOD! I literally just finished up this book and I still have all the feelings and adrenalin from the ending of an era. I have to say I am so sad that I won't get to see any more of these truly magnificent characters again, but I felt that the ending of the series and the way things were left was brillantly crafted and handled.

This is a series which follows the crew of the Ketty Jay, a kind of steampunk airship in a world full of crazy religion, various races (some who hate others), slaves, pirates and much more. The crew is a key focus of the book with each and every character being fully fleshed out, vividly described and fully believeable. Through the 4 books of the series we get to see their backstories, their passions, their motives and their persoanlities. We also get to see how a bunch of misfits can come together to be one of the most heroic and catastrophic things to rock the world they live in.

The crew consists of:
Darian Frey - the unwitting Cap'n who has a rather troubled past and is now a pirate seeking to make a living. He's a very reluctant character at the start of the series but over the course of the books as his alliances are tested and betrayed and his crew evolves, expands and stands by him, he really develops into one of the best characters I've read about in a long time. He's witty and intelligent, but equally he's stubborn and fiery. He's not someone you want to cross, but he has a soft spot too and he's a brilliant leader whether in times of trouble or harmony.

Jez - a woman who has a rather murky background when she joins the crew but has some wonderful skills such as healing super fast and having wonderful night vision so as to make a great navigator. She joins the crew at the start of book 1 and by the ending of book 4 her character has become someone so much more developed and interesting that her story was great to read. She's a friend to all and a loyal member of the crew and she learns on the job that these are people you can be friends with for life - if that's what she wants...

Silo - is the engineer for the crew (and and ex-slave) and initially he's a very reserved type with little to say, but a lot of presence. He's sort of like the silent glue that binds everyone together and despite the mystery of how he came to join up, over the books his personality broadens into someone I admire and appreciate absolutely. Silo is one of the quieter members, but his ideas and morals are brilliant, and when he chooses to speak it's usually with good reason and logic behind it.

Malvery - is the doctor on board the Ketty Jay but actually he's more of a friend of the Captain and a drunkard when his story begins. He's a fairly friendly chap, who has a lot of good ideas, but tends to lose himself in drowning his problems and can, at times, suffer because of this. Despite his alcoholism he's still a wonderful crew mate and he's an essential part of the crew and story for his past and the way that he grows stronger once he opens up to his friends.

Crake - is the resident Daemonist on board. Daemonism is the magic of this world and revolves around the capturing and binding of demons to your will. it's a very dangerous field of study and most people fear or despise it so it has to be kept secret, especially since things can go wrong easily. Crake has a companion golem called Bess who is always with him and together they are a fine duo. Whilst Crake is of the nobility and really only on the crew to escape some nasty secrets of his past, Bess is a fighter and she's pretty integral every time that they encounter a problem (which is a lot over the course of the series).

Harkins - is an ex-Soldier who fought in the war and now is an out-flyer for the Ketty Jay. He's a very scared and damaged character due to the post-traumatic stress of the war, and so he's actually a very interesting character to read about. I think his story may have been one of the ones I truly loved watching and seeing him develop and relapse over the course of the books was truly moving at some moments. I always wanted to cheer him on whenever he gained enough courage to do anything, and I loved seeing him face his fears (no matter how odd they may be).

Pinn - is a young 'wannabe hero' who is the other out-flyer for the Ketty Jay crew. He's always dreamed about becoming a hero and after being too young to fight in the war (the one Harkins fought in) he's always looking for any sign of trouble and has a lot to prove. He's a silly and humorous member of the crew and he unwittingly gives us many moments of laughter over the series. I loved seeing the relationship between him and Harkins as they constantly bickered and argued over any and everything.

Slag - is the resident cat on board the Ketty Jay and whilst his story may not be integral to the plot, he is a rather amusing one to read about. We see a lot of rat hunting and stalking of various characters over the course of the series, and even such a minor character plays a big part in showing the evolution of the crew and the roles they play.

Ashua - is a character who we meet in book 3 but she becomes ever more important from then on. When she meets the crew she is a street rat and is living a rather grotty life, but as the books go on and she's offered a new chance at shaping her destiny we get to see her become her own character and affect the story in her own way.

Trinica - is not a member of the Ketty Jay but rather a member of a rival crew, the Delirium Trigger. She's feared by all for her shocking looks and cutthroat ways, but one member of our crew knows a much softer and very different side of her. She's a complex character who has been through an awful lot which affects who she is and the way she chooses to present herself. She's the dread-pirate to many, but as the reader we also see snapshots and glimpses at the other facets of her personality as the series goes, and I have to say I really loved reading about her.

Samandra - is a Century Knight which is an elite guard. They are super bad-ass fighters and Samandra is a character who you instantly like when you meet her because whether she's on their side or not she's quick to make you smile and fast with witty retorts. I very much enjoyed her role in the last book and getting to see a bit more of her, but she pops up in many of the adventures and often takes a role in the main storyline.


I have given all 4 books in this series a solid 5* rating which is something that doesn't happen too often with series. I think that if you've not read this series then you're certainly missing out, and I have already bought [bc:The Braided Path: The Weavers of Saramyr, the Skein of Lament and the Ascendancy Veil|18890814|The Braided Path The Weavers of Saramyr, the Skein of Lament and the Ascendancy Veil|Chris Wooding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421406869s/18890814.jpg|891161] in order to still have some Chris Wooding in my life :) He's an incredible writer filled with wonderful ideas, and they blossom out so incredibly well throughout the pages of the Ketty Jay books. He manages to tackle difficult topics with seeming ease and also bring in a fun and humorous element too.

These books are all brilliant - if you have yet to pick them up I strongly urge you to do so soon :D You shouldn't regret it!!