One Sentence Review: If you like gritty urban fantasy give King Rat a whirl.

King Rat is a blending of many old tales in a modern setting, from Rat King Folklore to The Pied Piper of Hamelin to Anansi. If you aren’t a lover of folklore, fear not; the novel’s still enjoyable even if you are not familiar with these tales. It’s a swiftly paced novel, full of fleshy characters and a lush world in which it’s easy to lose yourself. Some may argue that Miéville is a bit too florid but the prose flowed smoothly enough for me.

This novel is very visceral: violent and grimy and dark but not without hope. Lots of obscene language, but that’s hardly worth noting these days. Point is, it fits with the characters and makes them believable but this isn’t a book I’d read to Little Timmy as a bedtime story.

The downside is that King Rat is one of the weaker works of Miéville. Still a worthy read, but not up to Perdido Street Station or The Scar. If you’re tired of dragons and elves, China Miéville’s novels are a refreshing change of pace and King Rat is certainly no exception. ( )

Another success.: Especially if you are into the music scene, ie drum and bass. A fun read, and I hope to read the rest of his work soon. Not as good as Perdido, but close.

King Rat was a fast read, but once the Pied Piper of Hamelin story clarified, it ran along rather predictably. The book does delve into the world clearly enough, and takes the reader into the world of Drum and Bass music sympathetically. ( )

I liked this a great deal, more than a number of others whose comments I have seen. It isn't on the grand scale of Perdido Street Station, and the fantasy elements don't sit quite so well with its London setting, but it has some great ideas and his enthusiasm for the subjects really comes through. There are times when China seems to be a slightly detached observer of the jungle scene rather than an insider, but this may be down to the writing as much as anything else. A fun read. ( )

http://nomiddlename.blogspot.com/2008... ( )