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A review by novoaust
The Iron Jackal by Chris Wooding
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Iron Jackal is the penultimate book of this wonderful steampunk fantasy scifi series Chris Wooding has created. Like the previous books, this book is filled with non stop action due to a high stakes plot, and fantastic character work.
Characterization still remains the highlight if the series to me. While this isn't by any means an epic fantasy character cast in the hundreds, we do have a fairly large main cast, and each character is so unique and nuanced. We continue to see every single character develop, battling their own struggles, while still coming together as a family on board the Ketty Jay. This disfunctional mess of a crew has quickly grown into a favorite of mine, and they are arguably my favorite characters of any story I have read.
The writing has improved from the last book, and I love that the world building continues to expand. This is a vast world, filled with various races, religions, and cultures, and I like that Wooding hasn't shied away from giving us more details, despite the series ending soon.
The plot read like a lot like a Hollywood blockbuster action film. There is never a dull moment, and I did like that the story took a different path than the previous two books. Where the other two are based on the pursuit of wealth, this one is based on saving Captian Frey's life, and it was full of exciting moments.
The plot is also the reason this one wasn't a five star review for me. It felt a little bit clunky and forced at times. This story was very heavy on learning about Silo, and how his backstory was encorporated into the plot felt a bit weak. Same with the Harkin's side plot. It seems as though Wooding wanted to develop these characters more, but decided to try and throw them into the overarching story without proper planning. Simply, the story felt a lot less continuous than the previous few.
Overall though, I still really enjoyed it, and will always be happy to be following the absolute mess of a crew that are aboard the Ketty Jay.
Characterization still remains the highlight if the series to me. While this isn't by any means an epic fantasy character cast in the hundreds, we do have a fairly large main cast, and each character is so unique and nuanced. We continue to see every single character develop, battling their own struggles, while still coming together as a family on board the Ketty Jay. This disfunctional mess of a crew has quickly grown into a favorite of mine, and they are arguably my favorite characters of any story I have read.
The writing has improved from the last book, and I love that the world building continues to expand. This is a vast world, filled with various races, religions, and cultures, and I like that Wooding hasn't shied away from giving us more details, despite the series ending soon.
The plot read like a lot like a Hollywood blockbuster action film. There is never a dull moment, and I did like that the story took a different path than the previous two books. Where the other two are based on the pursuit of wealth, this one is based on saving Captian Frey's life, and it was full of exciting moments.
The plot is also the reason this one wasn't a five star review for me. It felt a little bit clunky and forced at times. This story was very heavy on learning about Silo, and how his backstory was encorporated into the plot felt a bit weak. Same with the Harkin's side plot. It seems as though Wooding wanted to develop these characters more, but decided to try and throw them into the overarching story without proper planning. Simply, the story felt a lot less continuous than the previous few.
Overall though, I still really enjoyed it, and will always be happy to be following the absolute mess of a crew that are aboard the Ketty Jay.