Scan barcode
tishywishy's review
4.0
Second time re-reading. Adore the crew of the Ketty Jay and can't wait to re-read the rest of the series again (and be saddened when it ends..again).
galidar's review
5.0
I bought a lot of books while in Afghanistan. Somewhere around eighty or so, I realized I should stop because I wasn't making any headway. So lots of the books I purchased on my Nook disappeared into the hard drive, forgotten and unloved. Since my return, I have been burning through quite a lot of them. Recently, after finishing some slightly darker books, I decided something more amusing and fantastical was in order. So when I came across Retribution Falls, I decided to give it a shot.
After an opening that was full of confusion, sarcasm, and a sword at a gunfight, I was hooked. This book is set in an almost Victorian steampunk world, full of sky pirates, demons, and a quick wit that will remind you of Firefly's Mal. And clocking in just under four hundred pages, it is a quick read you'll hate to see end...until you find the other two books.
After an opening that was full of confusion, sarcasm, and a sword at a gunfight, I was hooked. This book is set in an almost Victorian steampunk world, full of sky pirates, demons, and a quick wit that will remind you of Firefly's Mal. And clocking in just under four hundred pages, it is a quick read you'll hate to see end...until you find the other two books.
rwatkins's review
4.0
I really liked it. Overall: 4/5 (19/20)
This is a fast-paced, action-packed thrill ride through the skies in a steampunk airship with a ragtag crew of outcasts. There was a lot to love. If you like lovable steel golems, sky pirate adventures or guns mixed with magic, then give this book a read. Frey, the main character, and especially his encounters with women throughout the novel did not impress, or this could have been a 5-star read.
Minor Spoilers Below:
Plot: 4/5
Following Frey, a selfish airship captain, and his crew as they take on a job that quickly goes south. The story blasts off from there as they seek out answers to why things went wrong. An aerial adventure with a core mystery and light heist elements. The plot is predictable, but enjoyable. A lot of detours are taken to offer backgrounds on the crew members, but these are brief, then it's back to the story. The plot may not be impressive or fresh, but it's fun, exciting and full of action.
Characters: 4/5
I didn't like Frey, the main character. He was a bit of a bum. A drunk, mistreated women repeatedly, a poor leader, bad captain and boss, selfish, arrogant and. More of a teen boy's idea of "macho" mentality. This is a common character type in fantasy, but one I don't enjoy.
Luckily, the supporting cast really lifted the book as far as character work. Each has their own sketchy past, holds secrets, or otherwise serves as an outcast. But they come together by the end, each finding their place and learning to work together to overcome obstacles in their way.
There are numerous expositional flashbacks, some unnecessary, but others helped flesh out the characters in meaningful ways and made characters much more relatable or easier to empathize with.
Even the occasional villain and side characters get some backstory and feel real enough to be interested in.
With the exception of Frey, great work here.
Setting: 4/5
I love the steampunk aesthetic and mixing guns and magic, so the setting details worked well for me. The airships, steel golem and sky pirates are all steampunk tropes I enjoyed. The magic centers around daemon spirits being summoned and trapped into objects with various effects. The gunfights were short but thrilling.
My biggest negative would be that there is no map. It's always nice to use a map to follow along when there are many different locations. Instead I was left with no concept of distance or a solid sense of placement.
Style: 3.5/5
The pacing was quick and the action frequent, just how I like it.
There is some awkward exposition in places, and flashbacks/background details didn't always add to the story being told. These were brief, as the chapters are all on the shorter end, but still noticeable.
The prose was okay, with some clunky inner dialogue spots and instances of summarizing when I would have preferred showing.
The use of epigraphs were every unique, consisting of mini chapter outlines. Some readers will find this to be spoilers, or poor foreshadowing. I was neutral on it, and even enjoyed reading the brief descriptors and trying to guess what exactly was about to happen using the provided cues.
Themes: 3.5/5
Found family, coming together to overcome obstacles and growing into trust are all underlying themes. They are explicitly stated through inner thoughts, or highlighted, so expect some hand-holding here. Frey will ruminate over how much he has changed, just in case the reader wasn't sure.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed thrill ride through the skies in a steampunk airship with a ragtag crew of outcasts. There was a lot to love. If you like lovable steel golems, sky pirate adventures or guns mixed with magic, then give this book a read. Frey, the main character, and especially his encounters with women throughout the novel did not impress, or this could have been a 5-star read.
Minor Spoilers Below:
Plot: 4/5
Following Frey, a selfish airship captain, and his crew as they take on a job that quickly goes south. The story blasts off from there as they seek out answers to why things went wrong. An aerial adventure with a core mystery and light heist elements. The plot is predictable, but enjoyable. A lot of detours are taken to offer backgrounds on the crew members, but these are brief, then it's back to the story. The plot may not be impressive or fresh, but it's fun, exciting and full of action.
Characters: 4/5
I didn't like Frey, the main character. He was a bit of a bum. A drunk, mistreated women repeatedly, a poor leader, bad captain and boss, selfish, arrogant and. More of a teen boy's idea of "macho" mentality. This is a common character type in fantasy, but one I don't enjoy.
Luckily, the supporting cast really lifted the book as far as character work. Each has their own sketchy past, holds secrets, or otherwise serves as an outcast. But they come together by the end, each finding their place and learning to work together to overcome obstacles in their way.
There are numerous expositional flashbacks, some unnecessary, but others helped flesh out the characters in meaningful ways and made characters much more relatable or easier to empathize with.
Even the occasional villain and side characters get some backstory and feel real enough to be interested in.
With the exception of Frey, great work here.
Setting: 4/5
I love the steampunk aesthetic and mixing guns and magic, so the setting details worked well for me. The airships, steel golem and sky pirates are all steampunk tropes I enjoyed. The magic centers around daemon spirits being summoned and trapped into objects with various effects. The gunfights were short but thrilling.
My biggest negative would be that there is no map. It's always nice to use a map to follow along when there are many different locations. Instead I was left with no concept of distance or a solid sense of placement.
Style: 3.5/5
The pacing was quick and the action frequent, just how I like it.
There is some awkward exposition in places, and flashbacks/background details didn't always add to the story being told. These were brief, as the chapters are all on the shorter end, but still noticeable.
The prose was okay, with some clunky inner dialogue spots and instances of summarizing when I would have preferred showing.
The use of epigraphs were every unique, consisting of mini chapter outlines. Some readers will find this to be spoilers, or poor foreshadowing. I was neutral on it, and even enjoyed reading the brief descriptors and trying to guess what exactly was about to happen using the provided cues.
Themes: 3.5/5
Found family, coming together to overcome obstacles and growing into trust are all underlying themes. They are explicitly stated through inner thoughts, or highlighted, so expect some hand-holding here. Frey will ruminate over how much he has changed, just in case the reader wasn't sure.
brendalovesbooks's review
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
3.0
Entertaining steampunk pirate action adventure. Likeable array of characters and villains and plenty of action.
subparcupcake's review against another edition
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!