The Rat King

The Rats of Letniv #1

by Emma Miles

Being the son of a Coven Lord is a far and desperate cry from luxury and safety. Every day Rothfel must prove he is worth the food his father puts on the table, and avoid the notice of Lord Atise’s brutal bodyguard, Bicken. When his only friend, a lowly slave, is cruelly taken from him, Rothfel finds himself alone in the sprawling, chaotic city of Letniv.
Yearning for friendship, love, and approval, he is offered a hand from the unlikeliest of places…
But who is really worth his loyalty?
Akimas Atise, his distant, cold, and terrifying father?
Golghen, the mysterious chameleon of Letniv city; king of liars, king of thieves?
Gentle, brave Leida; slave, concubine, descendant of the free women of the north?
Or Zephyr? Ghost, murderer, and devoted follower of the King of Rats.
Rothfel is only ten, but his choices, his love, his loyalty… will change the Land Beneath the Sky.



The Rats of Letniv is a prequel to the Fire-Walker saga and Land Beneath the Sky companion books.

523 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

I often get asked when I knew I was a writer; the answer is always. A writer is what I am, it’s in my soul. There have been times in my life when I couldn’t write, and times when my writing has been the only thing that kept me going. I think I always longed for something deeper from life, something more meaningful, and I found it in my imagination and in the music of words.
It was poetry which first caught my attention, and whilst my younger cousins called for ghost stories it was animals I first wrote of. I think I gravitated toward fantasy because of the freedom it gives, I could create my own worlds and decide my own rules. My Wind’s Children trilogy was born from an image that came to me whilst daydreaming, of a young man sitting alone below a bridge. I didn’t know who he was; it turns out neither did he, but we found out together.
I’m now working on my seventh book and love writing more than ever, it’s an addiction, an obsession, but one I now share with my wonderful writing family. My beta readers, my editor, and you, my readers, having you with me on my journey means the world to me.
I write as much as I can around work, but I also try to squeeze in a ridiculous amount of hobbies! I’m a wildlife photographer and do a little archery. I paint, sculpt with clay, withies and driftwood, preferring to be outdoors if I can. I still have a love for the theatre, having started out in life studying backstage crafts, and a great love for language. I speak a little French, Romanian and Italian, ma non molto bene!

Thanks for reading this. If you read any of my books and love them, please come say hello and tell me, you’d be surprised at how much that means to an author.
Take care of yourself.
Em x

Reviews

[Charlotte (thepennotthesword) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rat King follows Rothfel, the ten year old son of a wealthy coven lord, who despite his status, is far from safe. If his father has another heir, but one with power, Rothfel could be sold into slavery, or worse, be killed. Powerless, friendless and without a loving family, he is left to navigate and learn to survive in Letniv alone. When he meets Golghen, the King of Rats, he is given the opportunity to become a Rat, undertaking all manners of training to influence the city and complete tasks required by the King of Rats. However, all is not as it seems. Who can Rothfel trust? All is definitely not as it seems, with loyalties tested, friendships made and Rothfel’s need for approval, from both his father, and Golghen himself, a constant battle.

This book is an epic adventure, with plots to overthrow the coven lords, finding out what happened to his mother, and protecting those he holds most close. This journey is one that was incredibly entertaining to read. With brilliant characters such as Zephyr, Leida and Rothfel, you are with these characters every step of the way, watching Rothfel progress from a boy with no control or safety, to someone able to defend himself and his friends, able to find the answers he had desperately been searching for. But everything you think you know may not actually be the truth, with secrets uncovered and hidden pasts revealed, this book keeps you guessing until the very last page.

The first in a series, The Rat King: The Rats of Letniv Volume 1, is a book with a captivating plot, brilliant characters, dividing loyalties and a plot that I definitely cannot wait to continue following in the next book! For lovers of fantasy, child heroes and morally questionable characters, this series is one to watch!

[Charlene Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fantastic Start to A New Trilogy

I was so excited to hear that more novels were being written in the Land Beneath the Sky and this one does not disappoint. Great characters, lots of action, and a satisfying ending.

If you are looking for something akin to Valdemar, these books scratch that itch perfectly.

[PagesAndInk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for a good map so I was instantly nodding my head when I saw the map of Letniv City at the start of this one.The first book in the Rats of Letniv trilogy is based in this city. It’s rare enough that you see a fantasy so based within the bounds of a city so that made a nice change. The main character Rothfel is a well meaning young boy surrounded by some pretty tough folk and when he loses his best friend he is forced to forge a new path for himself.

This was my first exposure to Emma’s writing and she definitely has potential as an author. Her strength is certainly in her characterisations. There is quite a collection of interesting characters in this one from Rothfel himself to Manus, Etru and Chem. I did find the author had a tendency to over use people’s names which at times made the writing feel a bit more clunky than it needed to be but that is a pretty minor gripe. All in all The Rat King is a good entertaining read!

[Theartsyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

With over 500 pages, The Rat King is quite a chonky read! It took me a little while to get a handle on this one; we are thrown right into the action and at first I was a bit confused about the setting, the characters, who is related to whom etc., but if you stick with it things start to make sense. I guess in a book of this length it is okay to take a little while to get into it! In the end I can safely say the best thing about this book is the characters.
All in all, The Rat King is an exciting and captivating fantasy story with great characters to empathise with and latch on to. Once you start reading you want to follow Rothfel on his journey and find out if he will be able to change the course of his life and perhaps turn it into a bit more of a self-determined one.
4 stars from me, and I am looking forward to read more by Emma Miles!
For my full review please head over to my blog:
https://theartsyreader.com/book-revie...

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rat King is the first book in the Rats of Letniv series and follows the ten year old Rothfel, son of a powerful ‘coven lord’, on his journey through the streets and alleys of Letniv.

When Rothfel falls under the influence of the King of rats Rothfel becomes a ‘Rat’ and gets involved in all of manner tasks of varying danger and morals. Rothfel never really knows who trust and there is always a spectre/threat of danger lurking in the shadows. The story would likely appeal to most lovers of fantasy and adventure, has a large selection of interesting characters and feels like it is part of a bigger story with a lot of room for more adventures.

The writing was not spectacular or anything, but also not bad. It does not get in the way of the story, or feel overly verbose as is often the case in less well known indie books. Good book and if you see it on offer you likely won’t regret picking it up

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this for free, to review as part of a book tour with The Write Reads.

This was the first book in the Rats of Letniv series.

This was a charming fantasy novel, and I enjoyed escaping into this world created by this author. While I was reading, I formed images in my mind of the characters and setting, and I thought about how my 10 year old self would probably have enjoyed this as much as my 33 year old self did. I thought the story was very original, and it didn't really remind me of any other fairy tale or fantasy story. I enjoyed being part of Rothfel’s journey while I was reading.

Thank you to The Write Reads, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The city of Letniv is not the safest of place at the best of times and as the son of a Coven Lord, Rothfel is always in particular danger. Will he find somebody he can trust in the infamous King of Rats?

Although I can't say I was ever blown away or super engaged it did keep me turning the page until the end so for that alone it gets three stars. I quite liked some the descriptions of the city and it has a very rich cast of characters.

I found the writing itself could have been a bit more active and engaging, but it wasn't bad or anything. I think others would probably like it more than me but I do think it was a pretty solid read.

[Booklover69 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as part of a blog tour but that has not affected my review.

Despite being a bit longer than it needs to be The Rat King by Emma Miles is a solid indie read. I feel it could have had a clearer introduction to settle you into the world. I found myself spending a little longer than I would like just trying to get an understanding of who is who. I think that might be because it is, as I understand it, a prequel book to a larger series by the author.

However it is well written and imaginative the city and the world are rich and evocative and the author has a particular talent for writing characters.

Overall I’d give it 3.5 stars and calling it 4 for Goodreads.

[Fi Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rat King is a wonderful adventure for hearts young and old (or like me – in between). The main character, Rothfel, may be the son of a wealthy coven lord, but that doesn’t mean that he feels safe or loved. It’s hardly a surprise that his loyalties are split, or that they waiver over the course of the book.

This is an exciting but heartfelt novel as you follow Rothfel’s journey from being a miserable boy with no control over his life to someone altogether more… Sorry, that would spoil the ending for you. Following Rothfel’s journey, though, was immensely enjoyable. There are so many brilliant characters in this novel, and as it’s the first in a series, I look forward to revisiting those faces.

If you enjoy fantasy, young heroes, and morally grey characters, you’ll love The Rat King.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a beta reader for this novel.