Tales of the Ketty Jay

Darian Frey, captain of the airship Ketty Jay, is a sky pirate out of his league. His motley crew also hides troubled pasts: Crake, a guilt-ridden daemonist with an armored golem; Jez, the new navigator desperately guarding her secret; and Malvery, a disgraced, drunken doctor.

When a chance arises to steal a chest of gems, Frey sees an easy score. But the heist goes horribly wrong, making him Vardia's most wanted man. Hunted by bounty hunters, the elite Century Knights, and the dread queen Trinica Dracken, Frey realizes they were set up. Their only hope lies in the legendary hidden pirate town of Retribution Falls, if they can navigate the treacherous skies to uncover the endgame and survive.

Author Chris Wooding returns to a fantastical world of spectacular sky battles and high-flying heroics. Captain Darian Frey of the airship Ketty Jay embarks on an epic adventure deep into the Kurg rainforest, seeking an elusive treasure hidden within a long-forgotten wreck. Behind a magically protected door, a fortune awaits, and Frey's best chance to open it lies with his daemonist, Crake—if he can be sobered up. For a prize this enticing, Frey is willing to brave the island's legendary monsters and ally himself with a partner even less trustworthy than he is. However, what's behind that door is not what any fortune hunter expects. Adding to the challenge is their fiercest competitor: a formidable woman from Frey's past, who also happens to be the most feared pirate in the skies.

Things are finally looking up for Captain Darien Frey and his crew aboard the Ketty Jay. Their ship is fixed, they’ve tasted fortune, and for once, even Frey’s ex-fiancée and long-time nemesis, Trinica Dracken, isn't out for revenge. But this calm is short-lived when they’re offered a job that will plunge them deep into Samarla, the desert heart of their ancient enemies.

Here, the unwary are met by the secrets of the past – secrets that could cost Frey everything. As they navigate mayhem, roof-top chases, and death-defying races, they’ll face murderous daemons, psychopathic golems, and a particularly cranky cat. This time, Frey isn't just seeking adventure; he's in a desperate race against the clock to save his very existence.

The infamous crew of the Ketty Jay, led by Captain Darian Frey, have a history of trouble: shot down, double-crossed, treasure stolen, an ancient city destroyed, and the Archduke's son accidentally blown up. Now, they've gone and started a civil war, plunging Vardia into chaos and putting them in their deepest trouble yet.

As cities fall and daemons rise, Frey desperately tries to keep his crew out of the escalating conflict, his mind preoccupied with the fate of Trinica Dracken. But wars have a way of dragging everyone in, forcing difficult choices. Old secrets resurface and new threats emerge, leaving the crew with a life-staking decision: which side will they pick? When the smoke clears, only one thing is certain – nothing will ever be the same.