Chris Wooding

It's a light and entertaining read, mixing steampunk and fantasy elements. From the blurb: Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small and highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves.

And I stop there because I don't want to spoil. It has a firefly vibe, but the Ketty Jay crew is way more dysfunctional. They get unwillingly involved in a nefarious plot and we get to explore the characters and the world while enjoying a fast-moving adventure. Nothing very deep, but quite enjoyable.… (more)

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Jed seems to have it all, loyal friends, girlfriend of 2 years and a hot shot lawyer father. That all changes when he pushes his girlfriend out of the path of a car.
Jed wakes up after the accident not sure what is going on, that is until his mom hands him a mirror and he learns that he is now a Pale. his girlfriend made the decision to have him injected with what is known as the Lazarus Serum; which can bring you back to "life" if you happen to have the right blod type. Sadie, the girlfriend, knew that Jed had the right blood type and even though she knew becoming a Pale was not something he would want she decided to do it anyway.
Jed's father is an Afterlife lawyer, who takes everything from the Pales since they aren't really alive and can have no property. This new development in his son's "life" makes it really hard on him and he pushes Jed away. Jed's close friends and girlfriend no longer want anything to do with him and threaten him on his first day back at school.
The story is a great one and even though it is only 72 pages total, you get enough to make you want to keep reading and know more.… (more)

A fair old adventure romp but no real surprises and not really any progression of any of the characters since the first novel. I think the world, the overall plot and direction and or the characters need to develop a lot more as the series continues for it to be worthwhile. You could skim read several pages and not really miss anything - something which I never normally do.

It's not a bad story and it kept me reading but it's a Saturday morning cartoon and I really want a bit more from a nearly 500 page novel that is the part of (at least) a trilogy).… (more)