That is how Retribution Falls was pitched to me on the shelves of Waterstones and that just about sold it to me. There will be others out there like me who fondly remember Joss Whedon's seminal and thoroughly too short-lived TV series Firefly. Anything that reminds me of this is a good thing in my book and I was keen to give this a whirl.
Retribution Falls is the first in a series of (so-far) four books detailing the adventures of Darian Frey and his crew aboard the Ketty Jay. The setting is very similar to Whedon's series and it is obvious where Wooding has got at least some of his inspiration. For those who aren't familiar with Firefly here goes; it is a steampunk-type setting with flying vehicles, a similar level of technological advancement as our world (guns, computers, and a hint of mystery and magic thrown in for good measure.
The world described is typical of this genre; a slightly over-bearing government, some evidence of religious skull-duggery, the majority of people just trying to live day-to-day and a seemingly endless collection of towns and cities with names like "Scarwater" where the more nefarious members of society live. It feels like a sci-fi version of the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy and, in fact, the story embraces these piratical elements wholeheartedly.
Wooding does manage to create an interesting framework in which to introduce the characters and the background detail he brings to the world shows that he has more to divulge in later tales. There is a fair amount of showing you the bigger picture (or at least hinting) and certainly there is plenty more going on for us to want to explore beyond this book.
Frey and his crew are similarly typical of this type of setting. Well meaning mostly but morally ambiguous at times, everyone has their own story and their own reasons for being where they are. Trust is in short supply and it is generally your classic ragtag bunch of misfits who manage to come together when needed for the common good. Again there are striking parallels between Wooding's characters here and some of Whedon's Firefly creations but that isn't necessarily a bad thing as manages to give them a sense of depth and gritty realism. No-one feels particularly underused or there for reasons which don't seem to fit and he has pieced the element together nicely.
The story itself is nothing too original but has its moments and it works very nicely within the setting. It clips along at a decent rate, I cracked through this book in a weekend which usually tells you that I was engrossed and desperate to keep finding out more about the characters and the world they inhabit.
Verdict
This was as advertised. If you like Firefly then I think you will LOVE this book. If you haven't seen Firefly but enjoy "space adventures" then you will still really enjoy this I think. Well written, excellently paced and with interesting and well developed characters - I'll definitely be following up with the further adventures of the Ketty Jay soon.
4.5 stars out of 5
Note: I'm aware that most of my reviews recently have been 4.5 stars! This isn't deliberate, or unimaginative, on my behalf - I've just had a really good run of books lately but none of them have been quite good enough for a 5 star rating. Keep the faith, the next one won't be 4.5 stars. Probably.
Till next time,
DT
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