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Post by Flight on Jul 4, 2009 14:08:22 GMT -5
Haha, got it this morning and read pretty much non-stop (except when my sister dragged me out to the kiddy school fete and then when I made muffins) so I've just finished. I'm a quick reader, but I'll be going over it again tonight or tomorrow then again and again slower >D
I doubt you need warning, but SPOILERS D<<
Loved the quick pace, though I got real confused as to who was who and who kicked the bucket and why and how does this tie back to X person until somewhere about just past the middle of the book. But yeah, it was sharp and witty and the characters were all amazing with real depth. Perhaps the ending was a bit rushed what with Fray's execution dramatically stopped last minute. But really, can't wait 'till the next book. I found myself particularly fond of Slag (I can really empathise with Harkins) and Bess, the former because he's so unusual and quirky, the latter because she's so cute (for lack of a better word). Though I did manage to guess Bess' origins very early on, and knew pretty much as soon as the niece was introduced. And I'm unusually thick when it comes to stuff like that. Crake I find myself liking as well because he's more civilised (like us (well... like me at least, I can't account for the rest of you lot...) then the rest. Pinn irritated me which is good because it shows he's like a real person not just words. So did Jez to an extent because there were a few too many times where it seemed she was one of those clichés with a horrific secret that would make everyone hate her if they found out but otherwise she's Miss Perfect with all the answers and ideas etc etc. But not nearly that severe.
I think I caught a typo? But that might be me. And also a line where the font is larger then the rest .___.
But all in all it's one of my favourite books >D
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Post by Maliris on Jul 7, 2009 12:48:37 GMT -5
Spoilers for RetFalls OMG!!! I love the characters! Those are the best ones yet, I think, and carry the story really well. You start to like them and want to see what they do next. And most importantly: You want to know their stories, too. About Jez: Well, I think it's pretty plausible that she does all the stuff that she does in the book. After all, she cannot die and boy, all the possibilities that arise from that! It's only logical that she faked her "death" and did all the awesome stuff. If she hadn't we'd complain about plot holes. I wonder - if she tried could she turn someone into a Mane? >_> Anyway. Jez, Malvery and probably Crake are my favourite characters. Crake's such a... wimp. <3 (Only - not. I mean, sure, he's horribly useless in a (fair) fight but I wouldn't want to have him as an enemy. He might pull all that daemonist stuff and that would turn out badly for me! XD) And amazingly enough, at the end of the book I was no longer miffed at Frey for being such a lousy captain. He redeemed himself - also something I like about the book. We don't enter the story when they've already forged strong bonds as a crew but can watch how they started out. The last few chapters were really heartwarming. *is a wimp herself* (I admit, after reading the first chapter online I was amazed what an unfriendly fellow Frey could be. And I thought it was a daring move to show his bad side right at the novel's beginning because people might be taken aback by that. But over the course of the book I started to first feel sorry for him and then to cheer for him. So his character development was really nice~ literally.) And the cat! I love the cat! The chapter title "What the cat thinks about Jez" - brilliant stuff. And so cute. What I really wanted to say was: Awesome book! Moar please~
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Post by zemira on Sept 25, 2009 15:50:50 GMT -5
I'm so slow! I just finished RetFalls a few days ago. >_> It took me quite some time to get through it for some reason. Anyways. My reactions, complete with possible spoilers. The characters were definitely the high point of the book for me. I liked almost everyone who was introduced, including the passing characters, like Amalicia (I think she's my favorite secondary-and-below character, lol) and Vexford. But I think my favorite(s)...Jez, Silo, and Frey. Of course, I liked Frey more when he was selfish, lol. I'm horrible like that. I liked Frey a lot less when he gave up the code to the Ketty Jay to Trinica when she threatened Crake, lol. And Pinn and Harkins were great. Slag was, of course, perfect. Chris just always seems to write the best cat scenes. I guess he's a cat person himself, but either way, he writes them so accurately. I can't help but luve any cats he introduces, from Andersen to Slag and all the kitties in between (like all the cats in MALICE). All of these characters were just so human, with faults and weaknesses, and that's what I tend to enjoy. I enjoy the more vice-ridden characters, rather than the all-powerful perfect characters. And Chris is one of the best authors I've found at writing human characters. ^_^ I found myself actually not interested in the plot line really. I mean, I figured Frey'd get out (since I knew additional books were coming) and I spent more time leafing ahead in the book to find out about Jez, who instantly struck me as odd. I figured Crake out fairly early, so I spent the book spotting scenes between him and Malvery, and him and Jez in particular. I wanted them to get together, lol, especially after the ball. And it made me quite sad to see the scene where Crake explained to Jez what had happened and Jez didn't really care. Ahhh, Chris is cruel to dash my dreams that way. The book was fun, and after finishing it, I went back and re-read all the posts on the blog Chris had written, which increased my enjoyment of both. But for some reason, this one isn't one of my top favorites of his. Not my least favorite either. Placed firmly in the middle, lol. I think my partial problem was that I got too excited. I built it up in my head too much, especially after how much I luved MALICE and after reading the blog posts. And my expectations almost ruined it for me. >_< Which is purely my fault, as this book was indeed quite good. Just...not as good as I had built it up to be. And no blame rests with Chris for that. I'm still looking forward to the sequels as I still adore the characters more than most I've seen in books. ^_^
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Post by Raihor on Sept 27, 2009 14:00:18 GMT -5
Regarding characters, I like Jez best. First because she was so mysterious, and then because when the mystery got revealed I was like "Oh that's awesome in a horrible way!" Yeah, she's pretty awesome. Also I'm probably kinda sexist when it comes to fave characters.
That said, I really liked Frey. He's just so damn likable! This is possibly my new favourite Wooding book too. Deffinitely preferred it to Malice, for some reason.
I really should read that Blog thingy now...
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Post by Aryeec {E.F. Forester} on Mar 7, 2010 21:09:23 GMT -5
I'm on a mission to buy any UK books in their original UK versions, even if they've been released in the US. I did so with The Fade and it adds a sense of nostalgia to the book. I'll finally be able to get Retribution Falls in a month or so, once I get done reading the many books for school.
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Post by bluephoenix on Mar 9, 2010 22:24:39 GMT -5
I recently studied abroad in the UK and got my hands on Retribution Falls and The Fade in original UK version, and chewed through them while I was there. Ret Falls wasn't even in the USA yet, so I was extremely excited. I really enjoyed Retribution Falls more then the Fade, and I think it's because, like all of you, of the amazing characters. Every last one of 'em pretty much stole my heart.
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valkines
New Member
at least i'm free
Posts: 2
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Post by valkines on May 26, 2013 0:59:04 GMT -5
ALRIGHTY it's been a while since I actually read Retribution Falls but this is my favorite book series OF ALL TIME so I'm gonna post a review here anyway!
The first time I bought the book I was on vacation in Texas and I needed a book for the drive home, so I journeyed into the Steampunk section of the bookstore (which was only one shelf, sadly). I saw the cover art and fell in love. I read the synopsis and fell in love even more so. I read the book and now I am ACTUALLY IN LOVE.
First off, let me tell you a bit about myself. I've been in love with aircraft since I was a wee child. It all started with this little Nintendo DS game called Nostalgia, and in the game you travel around the world in an airship and there's all these fun characters and cities and it was such a tiny and under-appreciated video game but it was just so exciting to me as a kid. But that's another tale for another time.
Fast-forward ten-or-so years and there's me reading Retribution Falls on the car ride home. The very first chapter had me hooked--it was exciting and fast-paced but still managed to introduce all the crew members in a way that wasn't overwhelming at all.
I'll admit, I set the book down at one point and it took me a long time to pick it back up, but that was mostly because I was so busy with school and whatnot an eventually forgot about it. I actually ended up losing my copy, so when I got a REALLY SUDDEN URGE to finish it, I had to go to Barnes and Noble and buy a new one (thank goodness they had it, because these books are so damn hard to find in the US).
So this time I re-read it from the beginning and actually finished it. I gotta say, these books really are brilliant. My favorite character is Silo, because I'm so drawn to those strong silent types, and he had this air of mystery around him that just made him so lovable to me. Of course, Frey was also one of my favorites because who doesn't love a snarky asshole of a captain? I'm currently reading The Iron Jackal (which I had to order online because it's not released in the US yet *DEEP SIGHS*) and okay, I wasn't that big a fan of Frey until the third book when the author really lets us into his head, and we can see his desperation and vulnerability. If there's anything I love more than a snarky asshole of a captain, it's a snarky asshole of a captain who is actually afraid for his life and will do anything to save himself (and his crew, of course). Alas, I have yet to finish the book, but I am actually on vacation as I type this, so another long car ride awaits!
Anyway, sorry. RETRIBUTION FALLS. Fantastic book. The first of a fantastic series. The character development was extremely intriguing, as were the characters themselves, which made this book so hard to put down once I got really into it. I've always thought that characters are what make a story, and this story is proof of that. I mean, the story itself is good, and the world is INSANE. There's so much history and uncharted territory that the author barely touches on, and it just really opens my imagination to what this world he's created is like. I love that this series runs on Steampunk technology, but it's not central to the plot--it's part of the world itself, and that's just so great. Wooding isn't overloading our brains with all this technological jargon to the point where we really have no idea what is going on. He explains it well, but leaves out just enough so that our imaginations can decide what to do with the information. IF THAT EVEN MAKES SENSE.
Basically, this world is so well-thought out and the story is exciting and the characters are brilliant. What's not to like? I've seen/heard a lot of people say that it reminds them of the much-loved Firefly, and I have to agree. However, this book (Retribution Falls, in case you forgot which one I was supposed to be reviewing--I seem to have) has such an originality that to compare it to anything at all seems irrelevant.
I guess what I'm trying to get across in a billion and one words plus my life story is that you should READ THIS BOOK. THEN READ ALL OF THE OTHERS. You will not regret it.
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