Retribution Falls

by Chris Wooding
Retribution Falls
Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Spectra
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2011-04-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0345522583
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Sky piracy is a bit out of Darian Frey’s league. Fate has not been kind to the captain of the airship Ketty Jay—or his motley crew. They are all running from something. Crake is a daemonist in hiding, traveling with an armored golem and burdened by guilt. Jez is the new navigator, desperate to keep her secret from the rest of the crew. Malvery is a disgraced doctor, drinking himself to death. So when an opportunity arises to steal a chest of gems from a vulnerable airship, Frey can’t pass it up. It’s an easy take—and the payoff will finally make him a rich man. But when the attack goes horribly wrong, Frey suddenly finds himself the most wanted man in Vardia, trailed by bounty hunters, the elite Century Knights, and the dread queen of the skies, Trinica Dracken. Frey realizes that they’ve been set up to take a fall but doesn’t know the endgame. And the ultimate answer for captain and crew may lie in the legendary hidden pirate town of Retribution Falls. That’s if they can get there without getting blown out of the sky.

Tales of the Ketty Jay

by Chris Wooding
Tales of the Ketty Jay
Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 1917
Release: 2017-03-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1473218403
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Collects: Retribution Falls, The Black Lung Captain, The Iron Jackal, The Ace of Skulls Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small, highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves. In Retribution Falls, a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes. Suddenly Frey isn't just a nuisance anymore - he's public enemy number one, with the Coalition Navy on his tail and contractors hired to take him down. Times are tough for the crew in The Black Lung Captain, Enter Captain Grist. He's heard about a crashed aircraft laden with the treasures of a lost civilisation, and he needs Frey's help to get it. There's only one problem. The craft is lying in the trackless heart of a remote island, populated by giant beasts and subhuman monsters. The Iron Jackal takes 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. Secrets that might very well cost Frey everything. The Ace of Skulls: the last stand of the Ketty Jay. They've been shot down, set up, double-crossed and ripped off. They've stolen priceless treasures, destroyed a ten-thousand-year-old Azryx city and sort-of-accidentally blew up the son of the Archduke. Now they've gone and started a civil war. This time, they're really in trouble.

The Black Lung Captain

by Chris Wooding
The Black Lung Captain
Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Spectra
Total Pages: 562
Release: 2011-07-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0345522591
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Chris Wooding, author of the thrilling novel Retribution Falls, returns to a fantastical world of spectacular sky battles and high-flying heroics for another epic adventure. Deep in the heart of the Kurg rainforest lies a long-forgotten wreck. On board, behind a magically protected door, an elusive treasure awaits. Good thing Darian Frey, captain of the airship Ketty Jay, has the daemonist Crake on board. Crake is their best chance of getting that door open—if they can sober him up. For a prize this enticing, Frey is willing to brave the legendary monsters of the forbidding island and to ally himself with a partner who’s even less trustworthy than he is. But what’s behind that door is not what any of the fortune hunters expect, any more than they anticipate their fiercest competitor for the treasure—a woman from Frey’s past who also happens to be the most feared pirate in the skies.

Poison

by Chris Wooding
Poison
Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Scholastic UK
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2014-05-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1407143883
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Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton, this is no ordinary fairy tale. When Poison's baby sister is stolen by phaeries, Poison sets off on an incredible and dangerous journey to get her sister back from the Phaerie Lord. But as Poison travels to the Realm of Phaerie, she discovers that her story - and her destiny - is not in her control, and that she will need all her wits about her to survive. A fantasy where the power of story maybe the only thing that will save you, and where imagination knows no bounds.

The Ember Blade

by Chris Wooding
The Ember Blade
Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Gollancz
Total Pages: 838
Release: 2018-09-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1473214874
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'The Ember Blade is hands down the best fantasy novel I've ever read' Grimdark Magazine Empires rise, civilisations fall and one culture comes to subsume another. It's the way of the world . . . sometimes ways of life are improved, sometimes they are not. But the progression of change is huge and - usually - unstoppable. In this story, the Ossian way of life is fading and the Dachen way is taking its place and Aren is comfortable with that. Even when his parents are accused of treason he supports the establishment and maintains there's been some mistake . . . which is all it takes to get himself and his best friend arrested . . . Thrown into a prison mine they plan their escape - only to be overtaken by events when they're rescued, and promptly find themselves in the middle of an ambush. By the time they've escaped, they're unavoidably linked to Garric - their unwelcome saviour - and his quest to overturn to Dachen way of life. If they leave Garric now, they'll be arrested or killed by their pursuers. If they turn him in, Garric will kill them. If they stay with him, they'll be abetting a murderous quest they don't believe in. There are no good options - but Aren will still have to choose a path . . . Designed to return to classic fantasy adventures and values, from a modern perspective, this is a fast-moving coming-of-age trilogy featuring a strong cast of diverse characters, brilliant set-pieces and a strong character and plot driven story. Readers can't put down The Ember Blade: 'I am absolutely in love with this book! . . . I was on the edge of my seat a few times. I laughed and I cried . . . I loved the characters, loved the story' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'One of the best in the genre for a very long time . . . a masterful balancing of new and old . . . a rather grand first instalment in a trilogy that could be one of the best epic fantasy has ever seen' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The island of goodness and hope for humanity in the sea of grimdark' Ed McDonald, author of The Daughter of Redwinter 'Clever and challenging, but also funny . . . The explosive finale has more than enough bang for anyone . . . a group forged in blood and betrayal, bonded by their oaths do what needs to be done against any and all odds' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'One of the best fantasy books I've read in years. An instant classic!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Strikes a magnificently fine balance between classic epic fantasy and grimdark fantasy, making this an amazing start to a new trilogy' Novel Notions 'What classic fantasy is all about - a slow build-up and an exciting pay-off - and I think this book as exactly that' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The world is big . . . Different cultures, magics, demons, politics - a whole new world to explore! . . . I was hooked from the start to the very last line' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Wooding is a master of worldbuilding . . . it's so rich and complex and I drank all of it in . . . refreshingly written, full of thought and provoking themes' The Fantasy Hive

The Ace of Skulls: a Tale of the Ketty Jay

by Chris Wooding
The Ace of Skulls: a Tale of the Ketty Jay
Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Titan Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016-11-29
Genre: Airships
ISBN: 9781785650826
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The intrepid crew of the Ketty Jay have been shot down, set up, double-crossed and ripped off. They've stolen priceless treasures, destroyed a 10,000-year-old Azryx city and sort-of-accidentally blown up the son of the Archduke. Now they've gone and started a civil war. This time, they're really in trouble. As Vardia descends into chaos, Captain Darian Frey is doing his best to keep his crew out of it. He's got his mind on other things, not least the fate of Trinica Dracken. But wars have a way of dragging people in, and sooner or later they're going to have to pick a side. It's a choice they'll be staking their lives on.

The Grey Bastards

by Jonathan French
The Grey Bastards
Author: Jonathan French
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2019-03-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0525572457
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“[A] fantasy masterwork . . . a dirty, blood-soaked gem of a novel [that reads] like Mad Max set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Jackal and his fellow half-orcs patrol the barren wastes of the Lot Lands, spilling their own damned blood to keep civilized folk safe. A rabble of hard-talking, hog-riding, whore-mongering brawlers they may be, but the Grey Bastards are Jackal’s sworn brothers, fighting at his side in a land where there’s no room for softness. And once Jackal’s in charge—as soon as he can unseat the Bastards’ tyrannical, seemingly unkillable founder—there’s a few things they’ll do different. Better. Or at least, that’s the plan. Until the fallout from a deadly showdown makes Jackal start investigating the Lot Lands for himself. Soon, he’s wondering if his feelings have blinded him to ugly truths about this world, and the Bastards’ place in it. In a quest for answers that takes him from decaying dungeons to the frontlines of an ancient feud, Jackal finds himself battling invading orcs, rampaging centaurs, and grubby human conspiracies alike—along with a host of dark magics so terrifying they’d give even the heartiest Bastard pause. Finally, Jackal must ride to confront a threat that’s lain in wait for generations, even as he wonders whether the Bastards can—or should--survive. Delivered with a generous wink to Sons of Anarchy, featuring sneaky-smart worldbuilding and gobs of fearsomely foul-mouthed charm, The Grey Bastards is a grimy, pulpy, masterpiece—and a raunchy, swaggering, cunningly clever adventure that’s like nothing you’ve read before. Praise for The Grey Bastards “Saddle up the war boar and set off on a wild, gory thrill-ride that ends in an awesome climax and begs for a sequel.”—Daily Mail (UK) “Non-stop action, though not for faint hearts . . . the Grey Bastards live up to their name in all respects.”—The Wall Street Journal

The Lions of Al-Rassan

by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Lions of Al-Rassan
Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 530
Release: 2012-06-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0062230301
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Award-wining author Guy Gavriel’s sixth novel, hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, is both a brilliant adventure and a moving story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake -- or destroy -- a world. The ruling Asharites have come from the desert sands, worshipping the stars, their warrior blood fierce and pure. But over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, that stern piety has eroded. The Asharies empire has splintered into decadent city-states lead by warring petty kinds. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, adding city after city to his realm, even though Cartada is threatened by forces both within and without. Almalik is aided by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan -- poet, diplomat, soldier -- until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever. Meanwhile, in the north, the Jaddite’s most celebrated -- and feared -- military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, is driven into exile in the wake of events following the death of the king he loved. Rodrigo leads his mercenary company south, to the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan. In the exquisite lakeside city of Ragosa, Rodrigo Belmonte and Ammar ibn Kharian meet and serve -- for a time -- the same master. Sharing the interwoven fate of these two men from different worlds -- and increasingly torn in her feelings -- is Jehane, the beautiful, accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.

The Terror

by Dan Simmons
The Terror
Author: Dan Simmons
Publisher: Little, Brown
Total Pages: 798
Release: 2007-03-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316003883
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The "masterfully chilling" novel that inspired the hit AMC series (Entertainment Weekly). The men on board the HMS Terror — part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage — are entering a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, stranded in a nightmarish landscape of encroaching ice and darkness. Endlessly cold, they struggle to survive with poisonous rations, a dwindling coal supply, and ships buckling in the grip of crushing ice. But their real enemy is even more terrifying. There is something out there in the frigid darkness: an unseen predator stalking their ship, a monstrous terror clawing to get in. “The best and most unusual historical novel I have read in years.” —Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe