The Black Lung Captain

Tales of the Ketty Jay, Book 2

By: Chris Wooding

Narrated by: Rupert Degas

Darian Frey is down on his luck. He can barely keep his squabbling crew fed and his rickety aircraft in the sky. Even the simplest robberies seem to go wrong. It's getting so a man can't make a dishonest living any more.

Enter Captain Grist. He's heard about a crashed aircraft laden with the treasures of a lost civilisation, and he needs Frey's help to get it. There's only one problem. The craft is lying in the trackless heart of a remote island, populated by giant beasts and subhuman monsters.

Dangerous, yes. Suicidal, perhaps. Still, Frey's never let common sense get in the way of a fortune before. But there's something other than treasure on board that aircraft. Something that a lot of important people would kill for. And it's going to take all of Frey's considerable skill at lying, cheating and stealing if he wants to get his hands on it....

Strap yourself in for another tale of adventure and debauchery, pilots and pirates, golems and daemons, double-crosses and double-double-crosses. The crew of the Ketty Jay are back!

©2019 Chris Wooding (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group

A unique experience

A fun, adventure filled story not derived from stand fantasy/sci-fi tropes. Steampunk firefly with a distinctly British flare.

So happy for the next three books!!

The narration was excellent, writing was perfect, and the story progressed perfectly. A seamless transition from book one that is so hard to do well. The vivid descriptions of another world and another time are splendid. I'm an endurance biker and listen while I ride for hours. When I get off my bike it takes me a minute or two to readjust this world.

Thanks Chris and Rupert for a magnificent and immersive listening experience!

A wonderfully functioning dysfunctional team

Chris Wooding and Rupert Degas have brought the Ketty Jays crew to life. It’s great to see writer and narrator work so well together. As the listener I’ve become fully invested in the lives and fortunes of these people. Hope this series continues on.

A Fun Romp

A new adventure for the Ketty Jay and crew that further develops the back story of the crew in variant degrees, making the listener care more about some and dislike others – however the contrast adds to the storyline and demonstrates the challenge of getting a rag tag group to work together. Good production quality and excellent narration. Story is complex enough to be mysterious and exciting, without being too hard to follow. A fun romp.

Outstanding vocal work, satisfying story

Wooding’s second offering, like his first, jumps all over the steampunk-punkish world from rain forests to the North Pole- relatable characters told in excellent character voices- the plotting turns and twists and covers more ground than you would expect in a mid-length story. Imaginative and humane. Likeable villains, flawed heroes, hopeful romance - hopeless quests - good stuff!

Amazing Character-Driven Adventure

Not much else to say. A thoroughly enjoyable book with sublime narration. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy, action, intrigue, and well-written characters.

Another fantastic work by CW and RD.

I wrote a review about Retribution Falls after I heard it making it clear I felt it was one of the single best forms of pure entertainment in any genre that I have ever experienced. The Black Lung missed that top end excitement of discovering for the first time something wonderful you never knew existed but adds an emotional depth needed for characters to grow and develop into new and better centerpieces for the next stories.

Rupert easily the best narrator Americans are not allowed to hear (the name of the wind) and perhaps the best narrator full stop.

This book is for those looking to escape for a laugh or a cry into a world of gamblers, cultists, drunks and cut throats...basically your average group of friends.

Thanks again!

Another great installment in this series.

I really enjoyed the first book and was eager for this next one. I live the characters and it’s an interesting world.

I was a bit nervous as I read several reviews that indicated that half this book was a romance. I hate romance so I wasn’t looking forward to that and was ready to skip ahead if/when the annoying romance scenes happened. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t need to. This book continues with the pre established story, characters and back stories well and consistently. Some other reviewers commented that Captain Frey was out of character and behaved like a child. Well, yes, just like in the first book. Markedly more in this book and yes he is more emotional and irrational but it’s within his character and explained by circumstances. It follows well with what was set down in the first book.

I enjoy this series with interesting flawed characters and an interesting world with fun adventures and good action.

The narration is excellent also. Rupert Degas does a fantastic job with all the character voices and accents. His rendition of the Pirate King in the first book was way too jarring and I couldn’t listen to those scenes (luckily they weren’t important), in this book all the voices and accents were good and not jarring or off putting to me.

Great read for High Airium Action

For those in search of light, heady action played out over the multiple landscapes of a rich and face paced world, where the action moves as quick as the aircraft these stories are Centred around!
A solid follow up to the first book, good healthy swashbuckling adventure at its best! We may never get another Firefly, but with luck Wooding will maintain this quality for many novels to come!

Just—so much fun. Worth more than 1 credit

For all the waste bin fodder I find on audible it’s a shame that series’ as good as this haven’t garnered more attention. I mean, I’ve listened to some real crap—crap with 10k+ 5 star reviews—and I just can’t say enough how thoroughly entertaining the Ketty Jay books are (Black Lung Captain is my personal favorite). The characters have some of the best, most cohesive arcs I’ve seen. The world building is fascinating. The action is enthralling. The magic, demonism, so interesting and with such high stakes! The tension throughout much of the Ketty Jay books is dark and tight and Wooding plays it like a master violinist. If I sound overly wordy I’m sorry, but I can’t encourage you enough to invest in these books. They are more than worth your credit.

Also, Rupert Degas is amazing. Please narrate more books!