Scan barcode
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this one. I've quite often heard it compared to the TV show Firefly, which is one of my favorites. It is definitely similar, but there's a lot more to it than just a copy.
We got back stories on most of the characters, which was really nice and helped make me care about them. I liked the world and the plot and it was all just good fun. I will definitely continue on with the series.
We got back stories on most of the characters, which was really nice and helped make me care about them. I liked the world and the plot and it was all just good fun. I will definitely continue on with the series.
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining steampunk pirate action adventure. Likeable array of characters and villains and plenty of action.
subparcupcake's review
4.0
I was pretty bored during the entire first third of this. I almost gave it up several times, just because it was taking me so long to dredge through it. I wasn't digging the plot or the characters, I just didn't think the premise was "my thing". Science fiction, sky pirates... Sounded weird to me. But I'm really glad I stuck with it. The characters grew on me, the plot stepped it up, and I got sucked in. Hell, I got so emotionally attached to the characters that I almost teared up in one spot. I'm not a crier when I read books, so almost tearing up is a pretty big deal.
The second third of it redeemed it from two stars to three stars.. But the last third? That bumped it to four. Hell, if it had gotten a better start it might have even got five stars from me! Where as it took me about five days to get through 30% of the book, I read the last 40% in a couple hours one day. I honestly didn't want to put it down!
One of the things I liked the most, and which pulled me into the story more and more as I read, were the individual crew members of the Ketty Jay and all of their stories. We get the stories one by one, and I'd find myself wondering and guessing and turning the pages just to find out more about them. And Frey himself was continuously revealed, layer by layer; I really like the way his character was developed.
As I mentioned, the plot starts off pretty slow. There's a lot of setup going on for the overall story being told, and it was pretty tedious to get through. But once the setup is done and the story is moving along, it moves pretty quickly and doesn't disappoint. It's definitely worth getting through all of the setup!
Four stars. Go get your read on, and if it doesn't catch you right away, give it some time. It'll get there.. It just needs time to grow on you. And once it does? So worth it.
The second third of it redeemed it from two stars to three stars.. But the last third? That bumped it to four. Hell, if it had gotten a better start it might have even got five stars from me! Where as it took me about five days to get through 30% of the book, I read the last 40% in a couple hours one day. I honestly didn't want to put it down!
One of the things I liked the most, and which pulled me into the story more and more as I read, were the individual crew members of the Ketty Jay and all of their stories. We get the stories one by one, and I'd find myself wondering and guessing and turning the pages just to find out more about them. And Frey himself was continuously revealed, layer by layer; I really like the way his character was developed.
As I mentioned, the plot starts off pretty slow. There's a lot of setup going on for the overall story being told, and it was pretty tedious to get through. But once the setup is done and the story is moving along, it moves pretty quickly and doesn't disappoint. It's definitely worth getting through all of the setup!
Four stars. Go get your read on, and if it doesn't catch you right away, give it some time. It'll get there.. It just needs time to grow on you. And once it does? So worth it.
ddeenik's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
mbs1236's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A very fun adventure romp!
bookeen_la_rouquine's review against another edition
5.0
Voilà longtemps que je n’avais pas eu un tel coup de cœur pour un livre ! Un style qui ne m’attirait pas particulièrement au départ, mais il m’avait été chaudement recommandé. Et je ne l’ai pas regretté, loin de là.
Je vous résume l’histoire : Frey est le capitaine de la « Ketty Jay » un aéronef en assez piteux état. Lui et son équipage sont une bande de pirates à la petite semaine qui vivotent grâce aux maigres butins qu’ils réussissent à voler ici et là. Jusqu’au jour où le cap’taine se voit proposer l’affaire du siècle, avec à la clé la possibilité de devenir riche.
Tout cela était trop beau pour être vrai, Frey se retrouve pris dans un guet-apens. Il réussit à se sortir de là de justesse, mais se retrouve avec tous les représentants de l’ordre à ses trousses.
S’ensuit alors une véritable course contre la montre à la recherche de preuves pour innocenter Frey.
Une écriture fluide qui nous fait entrer dans l’action immédiatement. Et en ce qui concerne l’action on n’a pas vraiment le temps de souffler. L’auteur nous tient en haleine du début jusqu’à la fin.
Le récit est toutefois ponctué de plusieurs flashback, qui ont pour but de nous faire faire plus ample connaissance avec chacun des personnages. J’ai vraiment trouvé ça intéressant car on connait les motivations de tous, leur raison de se trouver à bord de la Ketty Jay, sans pour autant que ce soit expédié en vitesse, ou au contraire qu’on ait l’impression de remplissage.
Le petit bonus c’est que l’auteur a vraiment un humour décapant ! Ca donne encore plus de profondeur aux personnages qui n’en deviennent que plus attachants.
Bref vous l’aurez compris, j’ai adoré ce roman. De l’aventure, de l’humour, un univers très bien décrit, tout est réuni pour vous rendre accro.
Je vous résume l’histoire : Frey est le capitaine de la « Ketty Jay » un aéronef en assez piteux état. Lui et son équipage sont une bande de pirates à la petite semaine qui vivotent grâce aux maigres butins qu’ils réussissent à voler ici et là. Jusqu’au jour où le cap’taine se voit proposer l’affaire du siècle, avec à la clé la possibilité de devenir riche.
Tout cela était trop beau pour être vrai, Frey se retrouve pris dans un guet-apens. Il réussit à se sortir de là de justesse, mais se retrouve avec tous les représentants de l’ordre à ses trousses.
S’ensuit alors une véritable course contre la montre à la recherche de preuves pour innocenter Frey.
Une écriture fluide qui nous fait entrer dans l’action immédiatement. Et en ce qui concerne l’action on n’a pas vraiment le temps de souffler. L’auteur nous tient en haleine du début jusqu’à la fin.
Le récit est toutefois ponctué de plusieurs flashback, qui ont pour but de nous faire faire plus ample connaissance avec chacun des personnages. J’ai vraiment trouvé ça intéressant car on connait les motivations de tous, leur raison de se trouver à bord de la Ketty Jay, sans pour autant que ce soit expédié en vitesse, ou au contraire qu’on ait l’impression de remplissage.
Le petit bonus c’est que l’auteur a vraiment un humour décapant ! Ca donne encore plus de profondeur aux personnages qui n’en deviennent que plus attachants.
Bref vous l’aurez compris, j’ai adoré ce roman. De l’aventure, de l’humour, un univers très bien décrit, tout est réuni pour vous rendre accro.
omnificer's review against another edition
4.0
Protagonist Breakdown: Ensemble Anti-heroes
Retribution Falls was difficult to start but well worth sticking through.
You aren't given much reason to like the characters at the start. Firefly/Serenity takes time for the characters to become a family but they're mostly likeable at the start. The crew of the Ketty Jay is a bit too dysfunctional at the start. However, wonderfully, they develop significantly over the course of the book and earn their place of appreciation. You begin to see that theme that's also in Cowboy Bebop where this is a new life and a new family, once they get in enough scrapes and save each other enough times.
Maybe the book could have been written in a way to make the beginning a bit less of slog to get through. It certainly seems to try with all sorts of humor. But if the slog was inevitable it was worth it for the relief as the story opens and up and picks up pace.
I'll definitely be reading the sequels in short time.
Retribution Falls was difficult to start but well worth sticking through.
You aren't given much reason to like the characters at the start. Firefly/Serenity takes time for the characters to become a family but they're mostly likeable at the start. The crew of the Ketty Jay is a bit too dysfunctional at the start. However, wonderfully, they develop significantly over the course of the book and earn their place of appreciation. You begin to see that theme that's also in Cowboy Bebop where this is a new life and a new family, once they get in enough scrapes and save each other enough times.
Maybe the book could have been written in a way to make the beginning a bit less of slog to get through. It certainly seems to try with all sorts of humor. But if the slog was inevitable it was worth it for the relief as the story opens and up and picks up pace.
I'll definitely be reading the sequels in short time.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is the first book in a fantasy series with airships and pirates. The blurb on the front cover of my copy compares it to Patrick O'Brian, one of my favorite authors. While I wouldn't put it in that league, I enjoyed it.
The perspective shifts between the crew members of the Ketty Jay, an ironclad aerium aircraft (aerium being lighter-than-air). The main characters grow increasingly likable as the story progresses. They have secrets in their pasts that they're ashamed of, and the author reveals these amid the plot's adventures and reversals.
There are pirates, dastardly plots, daemonic magic, aerial battles, and the forging of a found family.
Three and a half out of five rakish stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
The perspective shifts between the crew members of the Ketty Jay, an ironclad aerium aircraft (aerium being lighter-than-air). The main characters grow increasingly likable as the story progresses. They have secrets in their pasts that they're ashamed of, and the author reveals these amid the plot's adventures and reversals.
There are pirates, dastardly plots, daemonic magic, aerial battles, and the forging of a found family.
Three and a half out of five rakish stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
pfanzie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0