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Aug 18, 2012shelleysf rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
King Rat was Mieville's first book, and perhaps will be most interesting to readers already familiar with his later work. The concept and plot are both simple, almost embarrasingly so: it's the Pied Piper versus the half-rat heir to the throne of King Rat, played out in late-90s London to the tune of Drum n' Bass. It's a cousin of Jeff Noon's Vurt, playing out a ubiquitous folk tale in the context of a particular underground music scene in London. Although the hook is a bit too easy, it is interesting to see Mieville writing about his favorite theme: the secret cities that exist inside of the apparent urban landscape of London.