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Corpse-Rat King, The (2012)

by Lee Battersby(Favorite Author)

3.29 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1469208865 (ISBN13: 9781469208862)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Angry Robot on Brilliance Audio

series

Marius don Hellespont

review 1: Ugh. I really like the first couple chapters of this book, but with the protagonist using half the book to (in a gambit that is all too predictably futile) avoid his fate, it just feels like a wank-fest. The world-building is generic, none of the characters are very well developed, and the humor, to my eyes anyway, was forced and not funny. If I was the kind of person to put down books halfway through, I would have never made it through the tedium.
review 2: Marius don Hellespont is perfectly happy in his life as a somewhat notorious con artist, gambler and thief, never looking back, treading on whoever he needs to to end up on top. And he'd probably carry on like this, if a case of mistaken identity amid the wreckage of a battlefield hadn't landed him with ... morea task from the dead, a deeply resentful travelling companion, and his life essence held hostage. Still, even with these inhibitors, Marius isn't going to give in easily - or at all...This is a gloriously enjoyable adventure novel, smart and blackly humourous and just a little creepy. Battersby has built up a wonderfully rich world, steeped in its own history without cramming it down your throat, peopled with corrupt nobles, crazed islanders, skeletal kings and angry mobs. Marius' journey carries him through a variety of beautifully created locations - I won't spoil some of the more surprising ones for you - each one established and described viscerally and gorgeously. Sometimes fantasy can find itself caught up in either too much or too little detail for its setpieces, but that isn't the case here; I could picture everything, from lonely villages to vast bone cathedrals, without having to chew through pages of dense text. Battersby has a fabulous way with words and this book has some of the best (and unexpected) similes I've read in a long time. Every one of the readers' senses is catered for - even when you'd rather they weren't - and I felt wonderfully immersed in this world, regretting it when I had to pull myself out again.The Corpse-Rat King is a debut novel, so there are a few things that Battersby probably needs to learn to iron out of his writing, but overall the prose is gorgeous, the dialogue is smart and sharp, and the whole thing is frequently laugh-out-loud funny. I was gripped throughout, not just by Marius' seemingly-impossible quest, but by the exquisitely created characters, the thoughtfulness in the world-building, and the genuine emotion that bleeds through the pages.Marius is a fabulous anti-hero, self-centred and too clever for his own good, but his gradual softening around the edges is handled well and delightful to watch, and whether alone or participating in an uncomfortable and entertaining forced partnership, he's a character I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with (and look forward to meeting again in the sequel).Something that makes this book stand out a little from the usual fantasy fare is the touch of horror threaded through it; deliciously creepy and occasionally a little startling, the current zombie trend gets a good shaking and reworking here, sometimes to brilliantly humourous effect, sometimes for something more sinister. There were some scenes with long-dead kings that reduced me to helpless laughter, while Marius' experiences aboard a shipwreck had me shuddering. It's a clever take on the zombie trope: sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes scary.I was reminded of Scott Lynch, or a more scary Pratchett, but Battersby has a style that is all his own, and I highly recommend this rollicking, dark and gripping novel. Read it, and I'm sure you'll be joining me in running for the sequel! less

Download links for: Corpse-Rat King, The

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