Book Review: I read Tom Moorhouse's The River Singers which was predominantly about water voles, but also featured rats I remember. This book focuses on the rats and their world which revolves around earning a name for themselves by pleasing one of their "gods" as it were, the Hunter, the Taker, the Trickster. Their world is quite expertly built up within this book. The rats live in their separate clans, the Greenhedge, the Damplings and in Notratlan, and within their clans is the hierarchy with the clan leader, the Akla, followed by the bigrats, the ratlings, the flatfoots, with other rats being drudges or the Mothers.
Within that world are Gabble and Ash, two brother rats, living in Greenhedge. They are opposites, one "impetuous, reckless, set on living life to the full", the other "cautious, sensible but determined to protect his brother." And that leads to trouble, a war between the clans, unless the Trickster can skilfully find a peaceful solution.
So that is the book. The rats have funny names (Fo'dur, Ar'bus etc.) and a way of speaking which isn't necessarily the most child friendly reading. And there are no pictures along the way either. But it is good in the creation of the world, which I assume is because it relates to real-life behaviour of rats given the author's day-job is working in a zoology department.
Amazon UK link (currently £6.29): Trickster
Publication date: 4 Feb 2016
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