This review is a bit different.
It begins with the novel Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding—the first book in Tales of the Ketty Jay. I picked it up after reading online that it carried a similar vibe to one of my favorite TV series: Firefly. That comparison is spot on. The book features a ragtag crew, a witty and daring captain, and a generous dose of humor. I’m absolutely picking up Book #2 (The Black Lung Captain) in my next order.
The setting leans heavily into steampunk, and while the worldbuilding is more hinted at than deeply explored, the focus stays squarely on the crew—the potential for the next three books in the series feels promising.
But how does any of this relate to a game review?
Throughout the story, Wooding references a card game called Rake. In the narrative, details are sparse—it’s essentially a money-based card game, a cousin to poker—but its repeated mention stands out because the actual rules for Rake appear in the back of the book.
Rake uses a 52-card deck with four suits: Wings, Fangs, Crosses, and Skulls. Face cards are Priest, Lady, and Duke. It’s familiar, but flavored to fit the world. The standout is the Ace of Skulls, the card that can instantly win a hand if used in a combination, or cause you to lose if you keep it unused.
The game supports two to eight players (six is ideal). Everyone antes, receives three cards, and bets based on basic poker-style hands. Then each player plays two cards to the table—one face up, one face down. Players choose their fourth and fifth cards in order, with betting rounds in between, until no one wants to raise further. It’s reminiscent of Texas Hold’em, but with enough quirks to make it worth trying.
Of course, Rake isn’t the first fictional game to leap into the real world.
Jetan, or Martian Chess, first appeared in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Chessmen of Mars in 1922. More recently, Tak began as a fictional game in Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle before being developed into a real, published abstract strategy game by James Ernest and Rothfuss in 2016.
Rake may not reach the iconic status of Jetan or Tak, but for an avid reader and tabletop gamer, it’s a delightful discovery—and well worth a play.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
Great Book Offers Up a Fine Card Game
It begins with the novel Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding—the first book in Tales of the Ketty Jay. I picked it up after reading online that it carried a similar vibe to one of my favorite TV series: Firefly. That comparison is spot on. The book features a ragtag crew, a witty and daring captain, and a generous dose of humor. I’m absolutely picking up Book #2 (The Black Lung Captain) in my next order.
The setting leans heavily into steampunk, and while the worldbuilding is more hinted at than deeply explored, the focus stays squarely on the crew—the potential for the next three books in the series feels promising.
But how does any of this relate to a game review?
Throughout the story, Wooding references a card game called Rake. In the narrative, details are sparse—it’s essentially a money-based card game, a cousin to poker—but its repeated mention stands out because the actual rules for Rake appear in the back of the book.
Rake uses a 52-card deck with four suits: Wings, Fangs, Crosses, and Skulls. Face cards are Priest, Lady, and Duke. It’s familiar, but flavored to fit the world. The standout is the Ace of Skulls, the card that can instantly win a hand if used in a combination, or cause you to lose if you keep it unused.
The game supports two to eight players (six is ideal). Everyone antes, receives three cards, and bets based on basic poker-style hands. Then each player plays two cards to the table—one face up, one face down. Players choose their fourth and fifth cards in order, with betting rounds in between, until no one wants to raise further. It’s reminiscent of Texas Hold’em, but with enough quirks to make it worth trying.
Of course, Rake isn’t the first fictional game to leap into the real world.
Jetan, or Martian Chess, first appeared in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Chessmen of Mars in 1922. More recently, Tak began as a fictional game in Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle before being developed into a real, published abstract strategy game by James Ernest and Rothfuss in 2016.
Rake may not reach the iconic status of Jetan or Tak, but for an avid reader and tabletop gamer, it’s a delightful discovery—and well worth a play.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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