Tales of the Ketty Jay

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Since he'd almost crashed in the canyon, the question had been haunting him. "What would he leave behind?" Now he had an answer. A damn good story. —"The Black Lung Captain"

Picture, for a few seconds, a tale of scallywag sky-pirates trying to survive beneath the notice of the law. A tale of steampunk airship pirates. And now that we have your attention...

Tales of the Ketty Jay is a series of books by Chris Wooding which focuses on an aircraft called the Ketty Jay. We follow the ship from the arrival of Jezibeth "Jez" Kyte, the new navigator. She discovers that everyone on this ship has a reason to leave the world behind. Meanwhile, the world keeps trying to drag the crew into the schemes of the great and powerful.

The series plays in a well-established toolbox and doesn't add much (apart from psychological depth), but is damn good fun. As of 2020 there are four books in the series: Retribution Falls, The Black Lung Captain, The Iron Jackal and The Ace of Skulls.

Tropes used in Tales of the Ketty Jay include:

• A Simple Plan - the books follow a formula that begins, "the ship is hired to do a simple job for quite a lot of money. Then it turns out someone tried to take them for a ride."
  • It continues: "Hilarity Ensues. Then some other stuff happens, and then the crew shoot people and we cheer."
• All There in the Manual - The first book has a set of rules for the card game Rake in the back.
• Big Good - The Century Knights.
• Cool Sword
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder - Trinica Dracken in the second book.
• Deadpan Snarker - Darian, Jez, Crake. Malvery and Silo have their moments.
• Dysfunction Junction - Everyone has issues. However, in the process of getting over them, they demonstrate surprising psychological complexity.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold - Darian Fray
• Path of Inspiration - the Awakeners, especially during the second book.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits - the captain is a drug addict with commitment issues, the medic is an alcoholic Sad Clown, the mechanic is an escaped slave, the wingmen are a delusional fantastist and a Shell Shocked Senior, the Magitek guy is wanted for manslaughter, the navigator is a Half-Human Hybrid... and you cross them at your peril.
• Rape as Backstory It's all but stated that after Frey left her at the altar, this was her fate, turning her into the dread queen of the skies she is today
• Villain Exit Stage Left - The Ketty Jay and the Delerium Trigger, whenever they are involved in a fight between the good guys and the book's villains. Because, well, if they stick around, someone might try to arrest them.
• Worthy Opponent - Trinica Dracken, "Death's Whore", the captain of the Delirium Trigger, and the biggest name in outright piracy in these skies.