Wednesday 30 November 2011

Have You Read… THE IRON JACKAL by Chris Wooding


It was seven feet tall to the shoulder… part human, part animal, part machine. Its short fur was wet and greasy, like something newly born. Its arms were thin and disproportionately long, ending in outsize hands with double-bladed bayonets in place of fingers…

Darian Frey, Captain of the Ketty Jay, is more than familiar with danger. But now his ship is fixed up, he and his crew are celebrities and for once, everything seems to be going their way.

Then they’re offered a job. Frey’s former fiancee Trinica Dracken wants him and his crew to retrieve a relic from Samarla, a desert land where old enemies of Frey still lie in wait for him. But getting the relic to Dracken turns out to be the least of Frey’s problems. Soon, he’s in a race against time, fighting to save his own life as he’s stalked by the terrifying Iron Jackal…

I’ve been a fan of Chris Wooding for a long time. I love his young adult novels, particularly THE STORM THIEF and the BROKEN SKY trilogy, and his adult novels are every bit as good. In fact, THE IRON JACKAL, the third in the Ketty Jay series, has to be one of the most exciting books I’ve read all year.

Starting with a shoot-out in the opening pages, the action never lets up, and the aircraft race scene is absolutely breathtaking. Chris Wooding is also a master at black humour, and there were many moments in the book which made me laugh out loud. The IRON JACKAL’s characters and the relationships and conflicts between them are expertly drawn, the world of the story involved and intricate, yet you never feel like you’re getting bogged down in description or details. I absolutely loved this book and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

For the first two tales of the Ketty Jay, check out the equally excellent RETRIBUTION FALLS and BLACK LUNG CAPTAIN. And you can find out more about all of Chris Wooding’s books on his website here.

7 comments:

  1. My daughter has recently read a couple of Chris's books and enjoyed them very much. I've also noticed they have fantastic covers which sounds shallow, I know but . . . it's true.

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  2. Not shallow at-all - they do have amazing covers! (And amazing stories in between those covers, too!)

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  3. Another stunning Emma Pass book review! I have to admit, I don't think this is my kind of book, but my son would love it. He loves high action thriller type books. You can always tell it's a good 'un when he starts nail biting - I think he'll bite them all off reading this. Won't put it on my Santa list, but may put it on his :)

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  4. Thank you, Abi - glad you liked the review! Nail-biting sounds like a great way to judge a book – I always know when I'm really enjoying one when I forget to do things because I can't stop thinking about it.

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  5. This book isn't something I would normally read, but it sounds interesting and well written. I may have to check it out.

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  6. I've never heard of this writer, but the book sounds very interesting. Thanks, Emma!

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  7. Thanks, Rebecca and Talli - yes, it's very well written, and well worth a read!

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