mjdoe's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
hoperu's review against another edition
4.0
Like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, King Rat shows a hidden side of London where gods come to life and the uninitiated must struggle to survive. It is a bit darker and gorier than Neverwhere though.
nanethfuin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
magslhalliday's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Exceptionally 90s punk magic realism with drum and bass as a key thread. The early magic police procedural subplot vanishes near the end. I struggled at first as one character is so obnoxious, but then it became compelling.
neko_cam's review against another edition
3.0
Having read a lot of Miéville's work before King Rat, his first published novel, it was interesting to recognize so many elements which would come to define his style in later years.
The story is solid urban fantasy with a protagonist who thankfully comes to embrace the strange world he's thrust into (instead of floundering in useless disbelief for the whole book). The narrative has some refreshing twists and turns that refuse to confirm to the well-trod paths of other stories in a similar vein.
The story is solid urban fantasy with a protagonist who thankfully comes to embrace the strange world he's thrust into (instead of floundering in useless disbelief for the whole book). The narrative has some refreshing twists and turns that refuse to confirm to the well-trod paths of other stories in a similar vein.
fuchsia_groan's review against another edition
4.0
El Rey Rata es la primera novela publicada por China Miéville. Si la comparamos con sus obras posteriores, mucho más redondas y perfectas en su mayoría, diríamos que es algo que se aprecia perfectamente en la lectura. Pero es también una gran novela de fantasía.
Es fácil sorprenderse y disfrutar de este Londres subterráneo lleno de suciedad, del uso que hace de historias ya conocidas dándoles una genial vuelta de tuerca, de la música, y de un protagonista (el Rey) difícil de olvidar. Una historia entretenidísima y original, con un buen final, aunque quizás podría haberles sacado más jugo a los secundarios y al submundo creado. Todo esto unido a la prosa de calidad del autor, que aquí era ya indiscutible, hacen que esta obra merezca la pena sin duda alguna.
Una enorme mole de edificio achaparrado se alzaba frente a ellos, un monstruo financiero al estilo de Gormenghast, una bestia de acero y hormigón que parecía destilarse, como si fuese una extensión de los edificios circundantes. ¡Oh!
Es fácil sorprenderse y disfrutar de este Londres subterráneo lleno de suciedad, del uso que hace de historias ya conocidas dándoles una genial vuelta de tuerca, de la música, y de un protagonista (el Rey) difícil de olvidar. Una historia entretenidísima y original, con un buen final, aunque quizás podría haberles sacado más jugo a los secundarios y al submundo creado. Todo esto unido a la prosa de calidad del autor, que aquí era ya indiscutible, hacen que esta obra merezca la pena sin duda alguna.
Una enorme mole de edificio achaparrado se alzaba frente a ellos, un monstruo financiero al estilo de Gormenghast, una bestia de acero y hormigón que parecía destilarse, como si fuese una extensión de los edificios circundantes. ¡Oh!
fletchie's review against another edition
5.0
Hot diddly darn this is excellent for a debut novel.
It's well written. It's compelling and engaging. The plot twists and turns unexpectedly. A true page turner, the only reason it took me three weeks to read is because my reading has been highly erratic the last month. It was genuinely difficult to put down, every little session of reading I could get in ended up at the very least twice as long as I had anticipated. I highly recommend this book, it's a definite purchase and if you're a re-reader this would probably be among those book that deserve a second devouring.
Just be wary though, that Mieville's fondness for the concept of 'kill your darlings' comes through heavily in this work. If you can't deal with your protagonist going through grueling torment at the hands of his adversary, then perhaps this novel isn't for you. Additionally, the ending feels a little unresolved for a couple of the secondary characters, but in its entirety is satisfying.
Buy it, read it, love it.
It's well written. It's compelling and engaging. The plot twists and turns unexpectedly. A true page turner, the only reason it took me three weeks to read is because my reading has been highly erratic the last month. It was genuinely difficult to put down, every little session of reading I could get in ended up at the very least twice as long as I had anticipated. I highly recommend this book, it's a definite purchase and if you're a re-reader this would probably be among those book that deserve a second devouring.
Just be wary though, that Mieville's fondness for the concept of 'kill your darlings' comes through heavily in this work. If you can't deal with your protagonist going through grueling torment at the hands of his adversary, then perhaps this novel isn't for you. Additionally, the ending feels a little unresolved for a couple of the secondary characters, but in its entirety is satisfying.
Buy it, read it, love it.