Description: Something has murdered Saul Garamond's father and left Saul to pay for the crime, but a shadow from the urban waste of London breaks into Saul's prison cell and leads him to freedom. The shadow, called King Rat, reveals Saul's royal heritage, which opens a new world for Saul, but also drags him into King Rat's plan for revenge.
Brief description: China Miéville has received numerous awards for his writing, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award (three times), the British Fantasy Award (twice), and the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (four times). His novels include Perdido Street Station, King Rat, Un Lun Dun, The City & The City, Railsea and The Last Days of New Paris. He has also written a narrative history of the Bolshevik Revolution, October.
Review Quotes:
"In the past decade, contemporary renderings of traditional fairy tales have become a staple of fantasy fiction. This flashy riff on the Pied Piper theme marks a notable extension of the trend and an auspicious debut for its author." - Publishers Weekly
"Mieville's book is a modern urban fable which shines through well-drawn characters and a witty Dickens-dark atmosphere." - Bewildering Stories "King Rat is a strong first novel in the quirky sub-sub-genre of subterranean fairy tales." - The Onion