A Rat's War

by R.M.F. Brown

In the dying days of the Nazi regime, two teenagers are conscripted into the home guard to fight the Russians, but one of them possesses a dangerous secret…

74 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2013

About the author

A writer for over ten years, R.M.F.Brown's works include 'Death to Love,' 'Dr Acula's book of horror,' 'The Painter of Guernica,' and 'A Rat's War. He has had stories and reviews published in a diverse range of publications from Spiked Magazine to Stalking Elk, Cassiopeia Magazine to the Weekly News. He has also been published in Paragraph Planet, and his work has featured on the Cult of Me web blog. His influences include Michael Moorcock, Stephen King, Ian Botham, Fred Dibnah, Field Marshal Montgomery, and Alfred Bester.

A historian, poet, film critic, and cartographer, R.M.F.Brown is a multi-genre author who dabbles in Fantasy, Sci-fi, Horror, and Historical Fiction.

Reviews

[Michael Brookes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rat's War tells the story of two young boys in Germany in the last days of World War II. The perspective on the story makes it different to many similar tales which interested me. It paints a vivid picture of the horrors of the day. It's quite short, but don't let that put you off as it is an excellent read and a good story.

My only minor complaint is that I would like to have read a bit more about their survival at the beginning. A good story well worth a read.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this short tale set during the end of World War II. It was gritty, and delightful ~ in a disturbing way. Hans is a girl masquerading as a boy (for good reason, the world was a dangerous place for a teenage woman at that time) and Otto is her dedicated companion. The story of how they endure on a day to day basis, and how they too get sucked into battle is compelling. Very well written, almost poetic at times ~ I felt it to be a love story at heart. A very satisfying short read, I highly recommend it!
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of his work in exchange for my honest opinion.