Review: The Black Lung Captain by Chris Wooding

Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Be sure to check out my review of Retribution Falls, the first book in this series, to see if it's for you.

There's not too much to say about The Black Lung Captain that I haven't already said about Retribution Falls. The main difference between the two novels seems to be that The Black Lung Captain is much deeper and more of a character driven novel than Retribution Falls. This doesn't mean that there's less action, or that there's less humor. All it really means is that Wooding took advantage of the fact that he's got characters that are flawed, and gave them a chance to deal with their problems.

The humor and action are still there in abundance, and the character of Darian Frey is really starting to shine through (though he's slowly moving from loveable rogue to good-hearted hero), and I also though that it was smart on Wooding's part to focus on Crake a bit more in this book, since he's such an interesting character, and the magic that is Daemonism is very interesting as well.

This book had a huge battle at the end, much like the first one, which brings up a point of contention that I had. The book paralleled the plot of the first book, which is cool, but sometimes it did it just a little too well. Yes, there were definite differences, but I could reliably predict what was about to happen at the end of a lot of chapters simply by thinking back to what happened at this point in the first book, and it was sometimes eerily close (Trinica showing up when she does was very easy to predict this time around).

A second problem that I've noticed in this book is that the characters feel too invincible. I don't know if I've just read too much George R.R. Martin or what, but it seems like it was incredibly obvious that the main characters weren't in any real danger. I think this really hit a breaking point early on in the novel, when almost every other un-named character had quickly bitten the dust in a firefight with what I can only imagine as bigfoots, but all of Frey's crew were just fine. I'm willing to forgive this somewhat, as the books are obviously action-oriented adventure books and we can't have the main characters in what's essentially a group "buddy flick" dying all over the place. Still, it's of note that those who enjoy their fantasy and science fiction with a great dose of realism will not find it here. This is an adventure book, and the good guys (at least for the first couple of volumes) live to fight another day.

With these being my only real complaints (and somewhat weak complaints since this is the nature of books of this style and the book was still immensely enjoyable and had some twists and turns that I couldn't predict), I give The Black Lung Captain 9/10. It's as enjoyable as Retribution Falls in most parts, and breaks new ground in character depth. It also sets up some very interesting things that will probably start to happen in the third book, The Iron Jackyl.

I loved

• The deepening of the characters from the first book
• Harkins and the cat. It was epic
• The love story. It was, in my opinion, very well done.

I hated

• The somewhat easily predictable nature of the sequel
• The invincible crew of the Ketty Jay
• Pinn ex machina

I don't like telling people that if they liked the first book in a series, they should like this one, but it's very true in this case.

Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

Author: Chris Wooding
Publisher: Gollancz
Date: June 18, 2009 (paperback).

I have a confession to make. I first started reading this book when it came out in paperback a year and a half ago. I'd made it about 35 pages in when something else caught my interest more strongly, and this book fell by the wayside. After recently finishing Retribution Falls, I'm disappointed that I don't even REMEMBER what took me away from this book. I should have had this review up back in 2009, and I'm sorry that many of you have had to wait until now to hear about this great book.

Retribution Falls tells the story of Darian Frey, Captain of the Ketty Jay. She's not much for beauty, but she flies and Frey loves her. The crew...well, they don't quite hold the same place in his heart as the Ketty Jay, but they're all right.

Frey is a small-time smuggler, and occasional pirate (if the job's easy and not too messy, that is). When he gets offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, he's hesitant, but eventually takes the bait. Thus begins the great adventure of our crew, as they're soon on the run from just about everyone in the country, and trying to stay one step ahead of the headsman's axe.

Retribution Falls is a book that I'd immediately put on your to-read list if you're a fan of the "loveable rogue" archetype. I'm talking Locke Lamora, Tom Sawyer, Kvothe (sometimes), Silk, Mal Reynolds, etc. Darian Frey is right up there with them. He's a broken man who sometimes does some pretty low things, but you can't help but love him.

I'd also put this book on your Christmas wish list if you're a fan of adventure books. Peter F. Hamilton's cover blurb says it quite nicely: "Retribution Falls is the kind of old fashioned adventure I didn't think we were allowed to write any more..." I can't agree more. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a book like this, something lighter, but something that still has a deep world beneath it. Sure, the characters all have their problems, but you get a feeling that this is going to be a book where the characters' problems eventually push them closer together and form something special between them, and they do.

Finally, this book needs to go in your to-read pile if you're looking for fantasy with guns. It's nice to see a book where magic co-exists with pistols nicely. It's happening more and more lately, which I think is a good thing.

Speaking of the magic, there's a lot to like here. It's just complex enough to keep you interested, and the magic often has a light-hearted feel to it since it's often involved in some of the more comical aspects of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the Daemonist Crake and his...well, her name is Bess, and that's the best way to describe her.

Don't get me wrong, even though this book is bursting with adventure and there are some very good laughs to be had, there's plenty of serious talk going on as well. These characters are all flying for a low-life small-time pirate captain for a reason, and by the end of the book you'll know them all. They're not happy stories, but they really give depth to the characters, and make those final scenes of action much more meaningful.

I loved

• Frey. He's just so darned hard to hate!
• Guns & Magic. It's nice to see them getting along again.
• The excellent balance of humor and sadness.
• The characters. We're working heavily with archetypes in this book, but they all have a vibrant life of their own. Very well done.

I hated

• Some small parts of the ending. It seemed like things just happened a little too fast in places for my liking.

Retribution Falls gets a 9/10. I'm already sailing my way through The Black Lung Captain, the second volume in the series, and it's just as enjoyable as the first. If you're a fan of capers, adventure, magic with guns, or the loveable rogue, you owe it to yourself to give this one a go.