On the HahaFiction shelf
The Corpse-Rat King
The Corpse-Rat King · Book 1 · 2012
Marius makes his living stealing from battlefield corpses. A stolen crown gets him mistaken for a monarch by the dead, who need a king of their own. To get his life back, he has to supply a replacement.
From the publisher’s blurb
“Marius don Hellespont is having a really bad day.”Read the full description at Publisher description, Angry Robot
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What makes it funny?
Marius would much rather escape than finish the job. Running away is a poor strategy when the people enforcing the bargain are dead, numerous and hard to avoid.
The comedy at work
A thief pockets a royal accessory and inherits royal obligations. The dead take the crown seriously; Marius approaches their demand with the instincts of a con man. The narration keeps a cynical view of his attempts to wriggle free.
Try this if…
Readers who like fantasy adventures led by self-interested rogues may enjoy following Marius through a macabre predicament of his own making.
Good to know
Battlefield looting, violent deaths and an undead apprentice give the comedy a grisly setting.
A few distinguishing details
- A stolen crown brings an unwanted job
- A fugitive pursued by the dead
More funny mythic fantasy
Sources & further reading
- The Corpse-Rat King by Lee Battersby | Penguin Random House
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- Publishers Weekly review
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- Starburst review
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- Publisher series page
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- Publication details
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