Chris Wooding

[Mith]

I just recently finished reading (and then re-reading, money is scarce) Retribution Falls and The Black Lung Captain. I enjoyed them, they were entertaining, fast paced reads with a group of misfits in the starring roles, very much appealed to the Firefly fan in me lol

Just wondering who has read these and what their opinions were?

[soulsinging]

I enjoyed Retribution Falls as pulp escapist fun, though sometimes it aped Firefly a little too closely even for my Firefly-loving tastes. Haven't read the second yet, though I'd like to.

[Teresa Edgerton]

I love his YA books The Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray, Poison, and Storm Thief, but wasn't as excited about any of his adult fantasy that I've read.

[HareBrain]

Retribution Falls passed the time quite happily, but was pretty forgettable. The characters mostly felt more like constructions than real people. The Braided Path had some interesting ideas, but as a story it didn't quite work for me.

However, he writes quite well and is still young, so I'm hopeful he'll write some stuff I really like eventually!

[thaddeus6th]

Took me a little while to get into Retribution Falls (probably because the world's quite unusual rather than being the standard medievalish of fantasy) but I liked both of the books. There's an interesting take on magical stuff, the characters are enjoyable and the pace is nice and fast.

Incidentally, the Iron Jackal comes out next month.

[Ian Whates]

I thoroughly enjoyed Retribution Falls -- tremendous escapist fun, reminiscent of Firefly as has been mentioned. One aspect I particularly appreciated was that, rather than the story concentrating entirely on one central character, each of the Ketty Jay's crew was given a back-story which unfurled as the narrative progressed, explaining why they are aboard the plane.

I was delighted when the book was shortlisted for the Clarke Award (and I know Chris was dumbfounded) -- an award that generally concentrates on the more intelligent, high-brow novels and overlooks the rollicking adventure-packed ones.

A third Ketty Jay book is on the way, which, in my opinion, is great news.

[Mith]

Originally Posted by soulsinging

I enjoyed Retribution Falls as pulp escapist fun, though sometimes it aped Firefly a little too closely even for my Firefly-loving tastes. Haven't read the second yet, though I'd like to.

My opinion, Black Lung Captain is the better book, I really enjoyed both but the characters are more well rounded in the second book and in the case of Captain Frey more likeable lol

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

I love his YA books The Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray, Poison, and Storm Thief, but wasn't as excited about any of his adult fantasy that I've read.

I'd not really heard of him before, I picked up Black Lung Captain at random as part of a buy 3 for the price of 2 deal, I was pleasantly surprised. For some reason I've always been a bit wary of looking at YA books, maybe the labelling has always put me off!

Originally Posted by HareBrain

Retribution Falls passed the time quite happily, but was pretty forgettable. The characters mostly felt more like constructions than real people. The Braided Path had some interesting ideas, but as a story it didn't quite work for me.

However, he writes quite well and is still young, so I'm hopeful he'll write some stuff I really like eventually!

Since I discovered Wooding and started coming back online I've heard some pretty good things about The Braided Path trilogy and his other fantasy offering The Fade, when I have the funds I mean to aquire both.

Originally Posted by thaddeus6th

Took me a little while to get into Retribution Falls (probably because the world's quite unusual rather than being the standard medievalish of fantasy) but I liked both of the books. There's an interesting take on magical stuff, the characters are enjoyable and the pace is nice and fast.

Incidentally, the Iron Jackal comes out next month.

The setting threw me a bit at first (aircraft in a fantasy novel, not something I can say I've seen very often!) It works though and the magical side is fairly well explained and rational. I'm really looking forward to The Iron Jackal, the excerpt at the back of the second book whetted my appetite.

Originally Posted by Ian Whates

I thoroughly enjoyed Retribution Falls -- tremendous escapist fun, reminiscent of Firefly as has been mentioned. One aspect I particularly appreciated was that, rather than the story concentrating entirely on one central character, each of the Ketty Jay's crew was given a back-story which unfurled as the narrative progressed, explaining why they are aboard the plane.

I was delighted when the book was shortlisted for the Clarke Award (and I know Chris was dumbfounded) -- an award that generally concentrates on the more intelligent, high-brow novels and overlooks the rollicking adventure-packed ones.

A third Ketty Jay book is on the way, which, in my opinion, is great news.

I think one of the things I enjoyed was that you didn't have to sit around and try to puzzle out what the author wanted to tell you, just sit back and lose yourself in the world, because sometimes a story really is just a story!

I read in one of his interviews that he's planning at least one more Ketty Jay novel after Iron Jackal, I'll definitely put more pennies in his pockets and buy!!

Being a Martin fan I never thought I'd read a story where I'd end up cheering for a character called Frey lol

[jojajihisc]

Originally Posted by Mith

My opinion, Black Lung Captain is the better book, I really enjoyed both but the characters are more well rounded in the second book and in the case of Captain Frey more likeable lol

I agree, although it's close. Like a review I read somewhere said Wooding has a "light touch" in the books that makes for pleasant reading. Really looking forward to Iron Jackal and I'm not much of a fan of series anymore.

[Thadlerian]

Originally Posted by HareBrain

Retribution Falls passed the time quite happily, but was pretty forgettable. The characters mostly felt more like constructions than real people.

I disagree. His characters feel more real to me than the average Fantasy standard. And they're certainly more real than you'd expect from the sub-genre.

The appeal of the Ketty Jay stories is that they're old-fashioned nostalgia pulp they way it should be - the way you seem to remember the cheap stories from your childhood, the stories that in fact turn out bland and forgettable when reread in adulthood.

This is something that can be found in music as well. Pieces like Catgroove and Star Scat imitate music from the 20s and 30s, but with a modern level of sophistication.

Also, Wooding has the most intense renditions of airplane dogfights I've experienced since the original Star Wars movies. And this in writing.

[Moggle]

I've only read the Fade, but I do have Retribution Falls queued up to be eventually read.

[spider from mars]

Yeah I liked it. As people have said, Retribution Falls was a good read - light and pulpy, but none the poorer for it. It definitely did owe a lot to Firefly, and I caught definite shades of The Lies of Locke Lamora too. Just me?

I read The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray when I was younger and really enjoyed it, but don't really think it's particularly crossover.

[rune]

The only books Ive read are the Braided Path series and I really need to re-read those
Ive been a bit relucant to try anything else by this author as they seemed more for YA's

[Ian Whates]

Originally Posted by rune

The only books Ive read are the Braided Path series and I really need to re-read those
Ive been a bit relucant to try anything else by this author as they seemed more for YA's

I think that's fair comment, rune, but the Ketty Jay books aren't YA, and they're well worth a read.

[jojajihisc]

Good news, everyone!

In another forum Wooding confirmed Iron Jackal will be out in October.