Book Review | The Iron Jackal by Chris Wooding

2014-05-18 · by ·

 

Mix together the swashbuckling of The Pirates of the Caribbean, a shade of fast shooting action and espionage–on horseback–of Michael Garrison’s The Wild Wild West, and a bit of the personalities from Ocean’s 11 (pick 1960 or 2001–it doesn’t matter), and drop them all in a world with demons, magic, curses, and airships.

That would give you just a glimpse of what you can expect from The Iron Jackal, the third in Chris Wooding’s Tales of the Ketty Jay. It’s a fast, energetic ride, a swashbuckling adventure in a vividly colorful world full of heroes and villains, intrigue and mystery, and empires and exploration.

The Iron Jackal opens with Captain Frey and his crew finally catching a break. One heist later, Frey is romancing his old flame, his crew is awash in cash, and the world is their oyster. Naturally, it’s a perfect place for everything to go pot.

Cursed, hunted, and with death scheduled in just a few days time, Frey and his crew are on a quest that will test their ingenuity, their sanity, and their loyalty to each other and the Ketty Jay.

I enjoyed it thoroughly. Wooding’s characters are diverse, fully conceived, and vibrant, and he uses each scene not only to build the tension, but to build his cast’s relevance to the story and to each other.

If you haven’t read the first or second installments in the Tales of the Ketty Jay, you don’t need to start from the beginning. Each stands alone and can be read without the others. That said, pick them up from the beginning, and enjoy a fantastic story, full of complex characters and creative plots.

The Iron Jackal was originally released in 2011 byGollancz and has been rereleased this year by Titan. I gotta admit: as much as I enjoyed the book, I hated the cover. This is one book you do not want to judge by its cover.

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The Iron Jackal Book Cover The Iron Jackal
Tales of the Ketty Jay
Chris Wooding
Steampunk
Titan Books
March 11, 2014
Paperback
400
Publisher Provided Copy

A big slice of non-stop, action-packed, wise-cracking fun from the Ketty Jay, and Captain Darien Frey.

Things are finally looking good for Captain Frey and his crew. The Ketty Jay has been fixed up good as new.

They've got their first taste of fortune and fame. And, just for once, nobody is trying to kill them.

In fact, she's offered them a job - one that will take them deep into the desert heart of Samarla, the land of their ancient enemies. To a place where the secrets of the past lie in wait for the unwary. Even Trinica Dracken, Frey's ex-fiancée and long-time nemesis, has given up her quest for revenge.

Secrets that might very well cost Frey everything.

Join the crew of the Ketty Jay on their greatest adventure yet: a story of mayhem and mischief, roof-top chases and death-defying races, murderous daemons, psychopathic golems and a particularly cranky cat.

This time, Frey's in a race against the clock for the ultimate prize: to save his own life.

Filed Under: Adult Fiction, Fantasy - Adult · Tagged: , , ,
About Daniel

Dan Burton lives in Millcreek, Utah, where he practices law by day and everything else by night. He reads about history, politics, science, medicine, and current events, as well as more serious genres such as science fiction and fantasy.

Comments

  1. Nathan says
    2014-05-19 at 4:25 PM

    Agree about the cover. It truly does say ‘remember Firefly? Don’t you miss it? We got that vibe. Please???’

    • Daniel says
      2014-05-19 at 4:58 PM

      Yeah, and I was…am a fan of Firefly. Ah, well…we respond to what resonates, and there’s nothing shameful about trying to connect to nostalgia.

      Fortunately, the book’s a great read, and stands up well on it’s own. You can’t blame Marketing for trying to cash in on another brand that has a lot of cache.

  2. paijslater says
    2014-05-19 at 8:32 PM

    I am not in love with the cover as well, but your review was fantastic so I added it to my TBR list :).

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