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House of the Rain King
When the Rain King comes, the floodwaters rise.
On the banks of Lake Tilehat lies the Rain House monastery: ancient, sprawling and corrupt. It’s also the closest thing to a true home for the young novice Emwort. A bookish child from a family of hardworking fisherwomen, Emwort wants nothing more than to find a place for himself among the Rain King’s worshippers.
Then the Rain King arrives in person, and Emwort’s world is thrown into chaos.
Suddenly, the monastery becomes a death-trap, as a senile deity wanders the halls trampling his devotees underfoot. And out beyond the walls, the floodwaters are rising. As Emwort’s sisters struggle to warn their people of the coming danger, Emwort discovers a conspiracy among his fellow monks to erase the King’s true history.
With no-one else to trust, Emwort forges a fragile alliance with the mercenaries of Sparrow Company, who serve the Rain King while trying to mitigate his destruction. But the Sparrows have their own dark past to reckon with, and the secrets Emwort reveals may turn one comrade’s blade against another…
As the flood reaches its peak, Emwort and the Sparrows will face a terrible decision. For the Rain King is waiting to claim his Bride. And if he does not have her, he will leave the land flooded forever more.
On the banks of Lake Tilehat lies the Rain House monastery: ancient, sprawling and corrupt. It’s also the closest thing to a true home for the young novice Emwort. A bookish child from a family of hardworking fisherwomen, Emwort wants nothing more than to find a place for himself among the Rain King’s worshippers.
Then the Rain King arrives in person, and Emwort’s world is thrown into chaos.
Suddenly, the monastery becomes a death-trap, as a senile deity wanders the halls trampling his devotees underfoot. And out beyond the walls, the floodwaters are rising. As Emwort’s sisters struggle to warn their people of the coming danger, Emwort discovers a conspiracy among his fellow monks to erase the King’s true history.
With no-one else to trust, Emwort forges a fragile alliance with the mercenaries of Sparrow Company, who serve the Rain King while trying to mitigate his destruction. But the Sparrows have their own dark past to reckon with, and the secrets Emwort reveals may turn one comrade’s blade against another…
As the flood reaches its peak, Emwort and the Sparrows will face a terrible decision. For the Rain King is waiting to claim his Bride. And if he does not have her, he will leave the land flooded forever more.
- GenresFantasy
486 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2025
10 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Will Greatwich
2 books5 followersWill Greatwich is an Australian fantasy writer. He lives in Melbourne, on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Much of his writing is inspired by the Australian landscape and its unique place at the far southern edge of the world.
When he isn't writing, Will can be found out by the creek looking for birds, collecting vintage paperbacks, or running Dungeons & Dragons for children at his local library.
Find Will's books, stories and bonus content at willgreatwich.com
When he isn't writing, Will can be found out by the creek looking for birds, collecting vintage paperbacks, or running Dungeons & Dragons for children at his local library.
Find Will's books, stories and bonus content at willgreatwich.com
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 16, 2025
TL;DR: If you're here and wondering whether you should read this book, the answer is "YES, please do yourself a massive favour and get yourself a copy RIGHT NOW" because this is the best standalone fantasy novel I have read since The Spear Cuts Through Water.
I very rarely do rereads—there's just too many great books out there, waiting to be discovered. For me to want to reread a book, it has to be something special.
This one is.
I love this book so much that I've read it three times. (Disclosure: twice as a beta reader and once as an ARC reader.) Each time, I found myself moved. House of the Rain King is a standalone literary fantasy in a richly detailed setting. It's a story about faith and grace in a time of swift and inexorable change as ordinary lives are upended by imminent disaster and confronting truths.
The lush Australian-inspired setting snared me from the get go.
It is so rare to find a modern work of sci-fi/fantasy by a fellow Aussie author where the Aussie-ness of our writing hasn't been dialled down to the minimum. Australia is a small market, after all. So many of us end up doing things like writing fantasy settings where north is cold and south is hot, modulating our voices and publishing in US English to cater to overseas markets.
Nothing of that sort here.
Will Greatwich makes no apologies and gives no explanations for leaving in all his u's and writing in Australian English or being inspired by our unique part of the world. The Tile Valley (where the titular House of the Rain King stands) is filled with all sorts of distinctly Australian flora and fauna. Some come straight from the trees that line my street and the plantlife that proliferates in local parks; others I recognize from bushwalks and camping in more remote places. On every page, his deep love and reverence for the beauty of the Australian bush shines through, perfectly captured in evocative passages such as this one:
The range of characters are all wonderfully written; each one distinct, with their own depth.
Greatwich has that uncommon ability to sketch out fully fleshed and nuanced characters with an economy of prose. You can immediately tell whose POV you're in purely based on the voice. The young novice monk Emwort and his five sisters, the rash and impulsive Tarwin, the grizzled and weary veteran Brywna, the hypercompetent Fitchin and his fixations, the fey attendant Fanuwe, the ancient and primordial Rain King—I could go on and on, but I would end up listing the entire cast.
The richly imagined history and the mystery at the heart of the myth-pattern captivated my attention.
Like Jimenez with The Spear Cuts Through Water, Greatwich deliberately keeps the story tightly focused by sticking to a simple plot: The Rain King is come again, and with him, the High Flood that drowns the valley.
I'm a sucker for deep lore puzzles and the foreshadowing for the one at the heart of this mythic story is excellently done. The slow unraveling of the secrets of the Rain House—the way Greatwich gradually peels back the centuries of legend to dig into the layered bedrock of history and expose the deeply buried truth behind the Rain King's Sainted Brides—was my favorite part of the book.
Everything just flows.
Multi-POV narratives are hard to pull off, let alone in a single volume, but Greatwich does this with aplomb, weaving in and bringing together all of the POVs, their plotlines, and character arcs into a very satisfactory convergence.
This is a true standalone.
No prerequisite reading required. No cliffhangers. What you get in this book is a single well-rounded story, told through multi-POVs, with a definitive beginning and a conclusive end.
Throughout the book, Greatwich sprinkles tantalizing glimpses of a far greater world beyond the Tile Valley. These details endow the setting with solidity without ever detracting from the core story. The world feels lived-in; expansive; real—and I'm eager to explore more of it.
Thank you, Will, for letting me beta read this beautiful book, and for the ARC. Congratulations on publishing!
“Humans never deserve our grace,” she said, “but we give it anyway.”
I very rarely do rereads—there's just too many great books out there, waiting to be discovered. For me to want to reread a book, it has to be something special.
This one is.
I love this book so much that I've read it three times. (Disclosure: twice as a beta reader and once as an ARC reader.) Each time, I found myself moved. House of the Rain King is a standalone literary fantasy in a richly detailed setting. It's a story about faith and grace in a time of swift and inexorable change as ordinary lives are upended by imminent disaster and confronting truths.
The lush Australian-inspired setting snared me from the get go.
Astride the north bank of the lake, the ancient monastery sprawled. No one of its roofs was quite aligned with any other. They tumbled down like slate skirts around the monolith of the central tower. Between the parapets of old blue stone, a hundred prayer flags fluttered in the wind. Balconies leaned down precariously. High balustrades enclosed rooftop gardens. Over everything wheeled a great ring of birds, black against the overcast sky: crows and doves, magpies and miners, swallows and cockatoos.
It is so rare to find a modern work of sci-fi/fantasy by a fellow Aussie author where the Aussie-ness of our writing hasn't been dialled down to the minimum. Australia is a small market, after all. So many of us end up doing things like writing fantasy settings where north is cold and south is hot, modulating our voices and publishing in US English to cater to overseas markets.
Nothing of that sort here.
Will Greatwich makes no apologies and gives no explanations for leaving in all his u's and writing in Australian English or being inspired by our unique part of the world. The Tile Valley (where the titular House of the Rain King stands) is filled with all sorts of distinctly Australian flora and fauna. Some come straight from the trees that line my street and the plantlife that proliferates in local parks; others I recognize from bushwalks and camping in more remote places. On every page, his deep love and reverence for the beauty of the Australian bush shines through, perfectly captured in evocative passages such as this one:
It was a silence studded with sounds, yet all the deeper for them: the gregarious slide-whistles of the currawongs, the lofty warbling of the magpies, the trickling chatter of the fairy wrens. The bird calls rose in chorus with the dawn and subsided as the light grew strong. But today that light was blotted by the rain that fell through the canopy, making the sprays of the she-oaks hang heavy with droplets.
The range of characters are all wonderfully written; each one distinct, with their own depth.
Greatwich has that uncommon ability to sketch out fully fleshed and nuanced characters with an economy of prose. You can immediately tell whose POV you're in purely based on the voice. The young novice monk Emwort and his five sisters, the rash and impulsive Tarwin, the grizzled and weary veteran Brywna, the hypercompetent Fitchin and his fixations, the fey attendant Fanuwe, the ancient and primordial Rain King—I could go on and on, but I would end up listing the entire cast.
The richly imagined history and the mystery at the heart of the myth-pattern captivated my attention.
Like Jimenez with The Spear Cuts Through Water, Greatwich deliberately keeps the story tightly focused by sticking to a simple plot: The Rain King is come again, and with him, the High Flood that drowns the valley.
“Six days and six nights he stayed in the Rain House,” she had said. “And on the seventh day he was married...
“Then the people will come down from their hiding places in the mountains. All they will have is what they can carry on their backs, and all will labour together to restore the valley. There will be a jubilee, all debts wiped away, and each man and woman will begin anew. You see, children—the flood washes everything clean.”
I'm a sucker for deep lore puzzles and the foreshadowing for the one at the heart of this mythic story is excellently done. The slow unraveling of the secrets of the Rain House—the way Greatwich gradually peels back the centuries of legend to dig into the layered bedrock of history and expose the deeply buried truth behind the Rain King's Sainted Brides—was my favorite part of the book.
Everything just flows.
Multi-POV narratives are hard to pull off, let alone in a single volume, but Greatwich does this with aplomb, weaving in and bringing together all of the POVs, their plotlines, and character arcs into a very satisfactory convergence.
This is a true standalone.
No prerequisite reading required. No cliffhangers. What you get in this book is a single well-rounded story, told through multi-POVs, with a definitive beginning and a conclusive end.
Throughout the book, Greatwich sprinkles tantalizing glimpses of a far greater world beyond the Tile Valley. These details endow the setting with solidity without ever detracting from the core story. The world feels lived-in; expansive; real—and I'm eager to explore more of it.
Thank you, Will, for letting me beta read this beautiful book, and for the ARC. Congratulations on publishing!
February 24, 2025
House of the Rain King is one of the rarer things these days. A novel that unabashedly believes in the power of good, that common decency can triumph over ancient injustice.
For monastic novice Emwich, this is the most important day in his life, the day when he takes his vows and becomes a monk sworn to the service of the Rain King. Pretty big stuff. And then the actual divinity shows up and everything goes entirely off the rails. It's one thing to believe in a centuries old mythic cycle; it's another thing to have an actual god who drowns people by his presence show up with a retinue of supernatural creatures and human mercenaries and demand the old ways be followed.
The Rain King's mythic cycle is one of flood, marriage, and sacrifice. Seven days of rain fill the valley of the Tile to brim, inundating every sign of human activity under the High Flood. At the end, a princess of the birds arrives and marries the Rain King, dying and becoming one of the saints. The Rain King departs, the waters recede, and life in the Tile begins afresh.
At least, that's the plan. The first obstacle is the ordinary obstinance of people in the face of catastrophe, as the good farmers, burghers, and monks of the Tile try really hard to deny the presence of a god in their midst, and the water lapping under their doors. The second obstacle is that the mythic cycle is grounded in truth, but only partially in truth, and the whole truth shall set ye free.
For there is corruption at the heart of the monastery, and the monks (save young Emwich) have forgotten the truth of their vows and are more interested in maintaining the web of debts that secures the valley. Tarwin, an orphan and victim of this system (he is enslaved until he pays off the debt of raising him), discovers early on that the flood has broken open a local ruin called the Rose Tomb, which is full of gold, and undead horrors, and gold!
These two storylines, or perhaps quests, cut a line through the human mercenaries, a band called The Sparrows. The Sparrows owe an obvious debt to The Black Company, with their skill at arms, absolute adherence to the honor of their contract, a surface nihilism concealing a moral heart. Brywna, one of the leaders of The Sparrows, is a bone deep romantic. Fichin, the other leader, is a callous materialist. The company splits to pursue both courses, and well, I won't spoil the book, but magic, adventure, and mystery happen.
House of the Rain King is a good book: imaginative, well-paced, often surprising, and warm-hearted. There are gems of writing and world-building that sparkle, and nothing that cracked my suspension of disbelief. But I also felt that there was an edge missing that would be present in a great novel, and the closest that I can come to expressing it is that while the story tracks many characters, they all have the same point of view. It's a strong, moral point of view, but what is most precious about myth is its fluidity.
(I received an ARC of this book from the author, and no other compensation)
For monastic novice Emwich, this is the most important day in his life, the day when he takes his vows and becomes a monk sworn to the service of the Rain King. Pretty big stuff. And then the actual divinity shows up and everything goes entirely off the rails. It's one thing to believe in a centuries old mythic cycle; it's another thing to have an actual god who drowns people by his presence show up with a retinue of supernatural creatures and human mercenaries and demand the old ways be followed.
The Rain King's mythic cycle is one of flood, marriage, and sacrifice. Seven days of rain fill the valley of the Tile to brim, inundating every sign of human activity under the High Flood. At the end, a princess of the birds arrives and marries the Rain King, dying and becoming one of the saints. The Rain King departs, the waters recede, and life in the Tile begins afresh.
At least, that's the plan. The first obstacle is the ordinary obstinance of people in the face of catastrophe, as the good farmers, burghers, and monks of the Tile try really hard to deny the presence of a god in their midst, and the water lapping under their doors. The second obstacle is that the mythic cycle is grounded in truth, but only partially in truth, and the whole truth shall set ye free.
For there is corruption at the heart of the monastery, and the monks (save young Emwich) have forgotten the truth of their vows and are more interested in maintaining the web of debts that secures the valley. Tarwin, an orphan and victim of this system (he is enslaved until he pays off the debt of raising him), discovers early on that the flood has broken open a local ruin called the Rose Tomb, which is full of gold, and undead horrors, and gold!
These two storylines, or perhaps quests, cut a line through the human mercenaries, a band called The Sparrows. The Sparrows owe an obvious debt to The Black Company, with their skill at arms, absolute adherence to the honor of their contract, a surface nihilism concealing a moral heart. Brywna, one of the leaders of The Sparrows, is a bone deep romantic. Fichin, the other leader, is a callous materialist. The company splits to pursue both courses, and well, I won't spoil the book, but magic, adventure, and mystery happen.
House of the Rain King is a good book: imaginative, well-paced, often surprising, and warm-hearted. There are gems of writing and world-building that sparkle, and nothing that cracked my suspension of disbelief. But I also felt that there was an edge missing that would be present in a great novel, and the closest that I can come to expressing it is that while the story tracks many characters, they all have the same point of view. It's a strong, moral point of view, but what is most precious about myth is its fluidity.
(I received an ARC of this book from the author, and no other compensation)
May 26, 2025
Easily the best standalone fantasy novel I have read in the last few years and one of the few that most made me want to read more in the same setting or explore the characters more.
Truly exceptional.
Truly exceptional.
August 13, 2025
House of the Rain King does some fascinating things and is intensely readable, albeit a bit rough around the edges.
The big selling point for me is the way the story handles religion. In so much of fantasy, it feels like religion is either pure window dressing or nothing but a cover for corruption. Here, it’s absolutely vital to the plot, and the vast majority of its tenets are objectively, provably true. And yet there are still corrupt people in it! The way that plays out is fascinating and a real breath of fresh air.
It’s also just a really well-written story, in the sense that it’s consistently engaging and immersive. The prose flows smoothly and keeps the pages turning, and there are always new plot developments on the horizon to head off any potential slow spots.
So what’s rough around the edges? The majority of the story feels like it’s written in the sort of language you might expect from third-person epic fantasy, but there are occasional sentences (narration, not dialogue) that are informally colloquial, which can throw off the rhythm a bit. The foreshadowing also comes through a hair too strong at times, so some of the plot twists are pretty predictable.
There are several perspective characters but two main storylines, one focusing on a religious order dealing with the return of their god—and one young monk working out what’s being left unsaid—and another from an indentured servant on a glorified dungeon crawl looking to buy his freedom. These stories do converge in a satisfying way, but the religion story is more thematically compelling. The dungeon crawl is fine, but it’s not especially my style. And I would’ve liked for a little bit longer of a denouement. The ending pays off on the plot threads that needed tying up, but it does come a bit quickly.
A good read overall!
First impression: 15/20. Full review to come at www.tarvolon.com
The big selling point for me is the way the story handles religion. In so much of fantasy, it feels like religion is either pure window dressing or nothing but a cover for corruption. Here, it’s absolutely vital to the plot, and the vast majority of its tenets are objectively, provably true. And yet there are still corrupt people in it! The way that plays out is fascinating and a real breath of fresh air.
It’s also just a really well-written story, in the sense that it’s consistently engaging and immersive. The prose flows smoothly and keeps the pages turning, and there are always new plot developments on the horizon to head off any potential slow spots.
So what’s rough around the edges? The majority of the story feels like it’s written in the sort of language you might expect from third-person epic fantasy, but there are occasional sentences (narration, not dialogue) that are informally colloquial, which can throw off the rhythm a bit. The foreshadowing also comes through a hair too strong at times, so some of the plot twists are pretty predictable.
There are several perspective characters but two main storylines, one focusing on a religious order dealing with the return of their god—and one young monk working out what’s being left unsaid—and another from an indentured servant on a glorified dungeon crawl looking to buy his freedom. These stories do converge in a satisfying way, but the religion story is more thematically compelling. The dungeon crawl is fine, but it’s not especially my style. And I would’ve liked for a little bit longer of a denouement. The ending pays off on the plot threads that needed tying up, but it does come a bit quickly.
A good read overall!
First impression: 15/20. Full review to come at www.tarvolon.com
February 21, 2025
A world you want to dig deeper into. Mysteries of fortune and dark deeds that lure you in. Characters with personalities and motivations that keep you reading as the chapters rotate. This book gives you just a slice of a valley of greater wonders and yet it's more than enough to fill sagas.
Once every hundred years or so the Rain King returns to the valley and takes a bride. As dramatic and wondrous as it sounds, it's also deadly and life-altering for the people who have to suffer through this ritual directly. People like Emwort the newest monk at the Rain monastery, responsible for ushering the Rain King through the various stages of the marriage. Like Brywna, a mercenary who, though she's being paid to be there, feels an extra obligation to make sure no one dies on her watch. Like Tarwin, who sees this as finally his chance to escape servitude and even get rich while he's at it.
My favorite thing about this book are the strong female characters. All strong in their own ways, they have different strengths to contribute to the story and very, very rarely in a romantic way. (This ace reader thanks the author!) They've got gold to find, corruption to uncover and a valley to save. And they do it in unique fashion.
I would compare this book to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark or Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki in the way it handles multiple story lines that surround what comes together as the greater, more fascinating plot. At the end, you're left satisfied yet still longing for just a little bit more time spent in this engrossing world. You won't regret this read.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
Once every hundred years or so the Rain King returns to the valley and takes a bride. As dramatic and wondrous as it sounds, it's also deadly and life-altering for the people who have to suffer through this ritual directly. People like Emwort the newest monk at the Rain monastery, responsible for ushering the Rain King through the various stages of the marriage. Like Brywna, a mercenary who, though she's being paid to be there, feels an extra obligation to make sure no one dies on her watch. Like Tarwin, who sees this as finally his chance to escape servitude and even get rich while he's at it.
My favorite thing about this book are the strong female characters. All strong in their own ways, they have different strengths to contribute to the story and very, very rarely in a romantic way. (This ace reader thanks the author!) They've got gold to find, corruption to uncover and a valley to save. And they do it in unique fashion.
I would compare this book to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark or Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki in the way it handles multiple story lines that surround what comes together as the greater, more fascinating plot. At the end, you're left satisfied yet still longing for just a little bit more time spent in this engrossing world. You won't regret this read.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
May 15, 2025
I couldn't put it down, what a fun read.
August 3, 2025
I love a book with intricate worldbuilding, complex magic systems, and dynamic action scenes. However, I also love books that capture the mystery and magic of ancient religion, forgotten gods, and backwoods settings. House of the Rain King is plainly written, but doesn't neatly slot into the storytelling styles of the current fantasy market. Its a great example of how indie and self publishing fills niches that mainstream books leave open.
Read if Looking For: ancient magic, cruel gods, books that evoke Princess Mononoke, protagonists that happen to be queer
Avoid if Looking For: endings that clearly resolve all conflicts, compelling action scenes, mercenary companies that feel like mercenaries
Elevator Pitch:
The Rain House is a monastary in a very rural valley. They are the power center of the small community, and keep their land ready for the return of the Rain King. On the day an aspiring monk Emwort takes his initation rituals, The Rain King returns, bringing a flood to the valley that won't end until he marries (and kills) a Bird Princess who sacrifices herself for the valley. He's escorted by a company of soldiers hired to protect him, and whose two unofficial leaders vie for control. And an indentured servant is joyful that his debts since childhood will be wiped away with the flood, as the scripture says. The book explores the ancient mysteries of the town, haunted ruins, and a growing corruption amongst the elderly monks of Rain House.
What Worked For Me:
At some points, this book feels like a myth. The book is at its best when it lives in the unexplained gaps between folklore and history, of a senile god wandering a monastary and bringing flood and fear wheverever he visits. This book, more than so many stories with Dark Lords and invading armies, feels like a more honest exploration of the intersection of religion and rurality. The church is the center of the community, but what happens when God shows up. What should be a religious experience turns into an era of fear for the people who paid respect and honor to the god in his absence.
While I think many will feel frustration at the ending of the story, I quite liked it. To be frank, it didn't resolve most of the problems put forward in the book. It's unclear what the future of the valley is, what most of the characters futures look like, and without tidy resolutions to many character-arcs. It goes so counter to how authors typically end their books, but I think it reflects some of the core themes of the book. What happens when your faith is shattered, when your god turns out to be a monster? How the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster is devastation and hope, but with no real plan for how to return life to normal. How sometimes doing the right thing means losing everything you hold dear, and not knowing what's on the other side of the reinvention to come. The start and end of this book committed to existing in that liminal space, and I loved it for that.
What Didn't Work For Me:
I think the middle section of this book struggled a bit. The mystery and dreamlike quality of the opening (which returns to a certain extent at the end of the book), fell away for a fairly traditional style of storytelling. Characters going on adventures, uncovering mysteries, and advancing the plot in a fairly straightforward manner. While these plot threads did coalesce, I think I would have preferred had this story stripped away the multiple POV structure and focused most on Emwort, the new initiate at Rain House. His journey the thematic core of the book, but it ironically felt the least developed of the three main storylines (the new initiate, the mercenary company, and the indentured servant turned Indiana Jones).
Perhaps this feeling comes from how Greatwich was a competent plotter. All the storylines intersected in neat ways and slotted together like a puzzle, but I wanted him to commit to the messiness of the main storyline. The competency lead to predictability, as each plot progressed in jumps, instead of step by step. The biggest loss here was the monastic corruption plotline, which could have been an interesting examination of religious politics gone wrong, but ended up getting reduced to a single corrupt Abbott with a crowd of faceless monks at his back. It led to Emwort's disollusionment with a religious order he idolized losing some of its power, which was really unfortunate.
Finally, while there was a lot to love with the mercenary company, but it felt artificially rigid. They hold to their contract terms with aggressive rigidity, even when it would lead to easily preventable deaths of their members. One of the two aspiring leaders of the company is even more rigid (which, along with some other parts of the story, lead a strong case for reading him as a character with autism), but it ended up feeling forced for the sake of manipulating plotlines. I think the book would have benfitted from simplifying the story to give more focus and development to one of the three storylines.
Conclusion: a creative and intriguing story about the power of religion in a rural community, though it tried to span a few too many plotlines to develop each fully
Read if Looking For: ancient magic, cruel gods, books that evoke Princess Mononoke, protagonists that happen to be queer
Avoid if Looking For: endings that clearly resolve all conflicts, compelling action scenes, mercenary companies that feel like mercenaries
Elevator Pitch:
The Rain House is a monastary in a very rural valley. They are the power center of the small community, and keep their land ready for the return of the Rain King. On the day an aspiring monk Emwort takes his initation rituals, The Rain King returns, bringing a flood to the valley that won't end until he marries (and kills) a Bird Princess who sacrifices herself for the valley. He's escorted by a company of soldiers hired to protect him, and whose two unofficial leaders vie for control. And an indentured servant is joyful that his debts since childhood will be wiped away with the flood, as the scripture says. The book explores the ancient mysteries of the town, haunted ruins, and a growing corruption amongst the elderly monks of Rain House.
What Worked For Me:
At some points, this book feels like a myth. The book is at its best when it lives in the unexplained gaps between folklore and history, of a senile god wandering a monastary and bringing flood and fear wheverever he visits. This book, more than so many stories with Dark Lords and invading armies, feels like a more honest exploration of the intersection of religion and rurality. The church is the center of the community, but what happens when God shows up. What should be a religious experience turns into an era of fear for the people who paid respect and honor to the god in his absence.
While I think many will feel frustration at the ending of the story, I quite liked it. To be frank, it didn't resolve most of the problems put forward in the book. It's unclear what the future of the valley is, what most of the characters futures look like, and without tidy resolutions to many character-arcs. It goes so counter to how authors typically end their books, but I think it reflects some of the core themes of the book. What happens when your faith is shattered, when your god turns out to be a monster? How the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster is devastation and hope, but with no real plan for how to return life to normal. How sometimes doing the right thing means losing everything you hold dear, and not knowing what's on the other side of the reinvention to come. The start and end of this book committed to existing in that liminal space, and I loved it for that.
What Didn't Work For Me:
I think the middle section of this book struggled a bit. The mystery and dreamlike quality of the opening (which returns to a certain extent at the end of the book), fell away for a fairly traditional style of storytelling. Characters going on adventures, uncovering mysteries, and advancing the plot in a fairly straightforward manner. While these plot threads did coalesce, I think I would have preferred had this story stripped away the multiple POV structure and focused most on Emwort, the new initiate at Rain House. His journey the thematic core of the book, but it ironically felt the least developed of the three main storylines (the new initiate, the mercenary company, and the indentured servant turned Indiana Jones).
Perhaps this feeling comes from how Greatwich was a competent plotter. All the storylines intersected in neat ways and slotted together like a puzzle, but I wanted him to commit to the messiness of the main storyline. The competency lead to predictability, as each plot progressed in jumps, instead of step by step. The biggest loss here was the monastic corruption plotline, which could have been an interesting examination of religious politics gone wrong, but ended up getting reduced to a single corrupt Abbott with a crowd of faceless monks at his back. It led to Emwort's disollusionment with a religious order he idolized losing some of its power, which was really unfortunate.
Finally, while there was a lot to love with the mercenary company, but it felt artificially rigid. They hold to their contract terms with aggressive rigidity, even when it would lead to easily preventable deaths of their members. One of the two aspiring leaders of the company is even more rigid (which, along with some other parts of the story, lead a strong case for reading him as a character with autism), but it ended up feeling forced for the sake of manipulating plotlines. I think the book would have benfitted from simplifying the story to give more focus and development to one of the three storylines.
Conclusion: a creative and intriguing story about the power of religion in a rural community, though it tried to span a few too many plotlines to develop each fully
June 27, 2025
🌧 "You don't fight the rain, Vivien. You just have to let it fall where it falls." 🌧
📖⭐Personal Ratings⭐📖
- Story - 5/5
- Characters - 4.8/5
- Ending - 5/5
- Setting - 4/5
- Writing - 4.8/5
Overall Rating -> 4.72 ⭐ -> 5⭐ - 😲 (Two in one year!)
Okay so... wow. This is book was really good. I'm normally really critical and rarely give out a 5 star rating. So I was surprised when I finally finished to find that this would be the second one I'd give out this year!
General thoughts
This book is amazing. Greatwich does a fantastic job at world building here, not too big and not too small, feeding tidbits of information about customs and the way of the land that the book sets its self in. Given that this book switches between perspectives and has a strong emphasis of comradery I was worried about finishing it with a sense that I hadn't gotten to known the cast of characters we are introduced to. However, it was really refreshing to find my self feeling as though I've really got know nearly every single character throughout the book. Speaking of which, this roster is fairly large and while some play more of a role than others, our side characters' quirks and backstories and not left untold or underdeveloped. It is incredibly impressive that Greatwich was not only able to achieve such a thing (with this being one of their first works (I believe)), but also achieve it in such a manner in such few pages!!
The writing style had me concerned at first, using a plethora of words I did admittedly had to go searching up. However, after a chapter or two in, you really get a feel for how Greatwich wants you to see their world and it really, really works. Weather you believe this to be a good or bad thing, I can now accurately describe the horrid things that marshmen will do if you do not comply with their wishes.
Overall this is a perfectly crafted story from start to finish, leaving me not only yearning for more but also completely satisfied with the brilliant and (for once!!) not rushed ending!!!
So... who is this for?
If you love fantasy, or even if you don't, this book will offer you one of the most gripping and fun stories you have read in a long time (at least it did for me). From secrets left untold, lies and truths uncovered and the story of accepting one's duty... this book has it all.
And with that, my third ever 5 ⭐ goes to this book, hats off to you Greatwich, this was so much fun to read.
(Not a book reviewer as always, just my thoughts after reading!)
📖⭐Personal Ratings⭐📖
- Story - 5/5
- Characters - 4.8/5
- Ending - 5/5
- Setting - 4/5
- Writing - 4.8/5
Overall Rating -> 4.72 ⭐ -> 5⭐ - 😲 (Two in one year!)
Okay so... wow. This is book was really good. I'm normally really critical and rarely give out a 5 star rating. So I was surprised when I finally finished to find that this would be the second one I'd give out this year!
General thoughts
This book is amazing. Greatwich does a fantastic job at world building here, not too big and not too small, feeding tidbits of information about customs and the way of the land that the book sets its self in. Given that this book switches between perspectives and has a strong emphasis of comradery I was worried about finishing it with a sense that I hadn't gotten to known the cast of characters we are introduced to. However, it was really refreshing to find my self feeling as though I've really got know nearly every single character throughout the book. Speaking of which, this roster is fairly large and while some play more of a role than others, our side characters' quirks and backstories and not left untold or underdeveloped. It is incredibly impressive that Greatwich was not only able to achieve such a thing (with this being one of their first works (I believe)), but also achieve it in such a manner in such few pages!!
The writing style had me concerned at first, using a plethora of words I did admittedly had to go searching up. However, after a chapter or two in, you really get a feel for how Greatwich wants you to see their world and it really, really works. Weather you believe this to be a good or bad thing, I can now accurately describe the horrid things that marshmen will do if you do not comply with their wishes.
Overall this is a perfectly crafted story from start to finish, leaving me not only yearning for more but also completely satisfied with the brilliant and (for once!!) not rushed ending!!!
So... who is this for?
If you love fantasy, or even if you don't, this book will offer you one of the most gripping and fun stories you have read in a long time (at least it did for me). From secrets left untold, lies and truths uncovered and the story of accepting one's duty... this book has it all.
And with that, my third ever 5 ⭐ goes to this book, hats off to you Greatwich, this was so much fun to read.
(Not a book reviewer as always, just my thoughts after reading!)
January 23, 2026
A god with dimensia, and a people with amnesia
On my YouTube channel, I exclusively review self-published and indie fantasy books. First of all, I love the author name. So cool. But I promise that did not have any influence on the overall score of 8.5/10 on my INDIE ranking scale. My full review can be seen here: https://youtu.be/NxmgZq-xdOk
Here's the quick summary:
Immersion (worldbuilding): 9/10 - So much rain! Makes sense for a book about a rain king. But you really get a sense of how miserable that would be. There's also plenty of lore and history between the Saints and the founders of the village. You get lots of mystery with the religion and how it originated. Very tangible and somewhat depressing world.
Names (characters): 8.5/10 - Characters were good, but I ended up liking more of the side characters than I did the main characters. But I didn't deduct too many points here because I felt like the Emwort and Brywna did make realistic choices, even if they drove me crazy.
Da Magic (& creatures): 9/10 - The Rain King is like a god with dimensia. He is basically the embodiment of rain but his memory is very fragile after so many centuries, so he's very unpredictable and dangerous. He has an entourage of fairies to guide the rituals. There's magic with specific words and sigils. There's a tomb with the living dead. Marge-men that are like human-insect hybrids that feast on filth and debt. Birds that can take the form on humans. Just a lot of unique ideas that worked very well in the overall story.
Infrastructure (plot, pacing, prose, etc.): 8/10 - Pacing is very slow for the first half and somewhat repetitive/overexplained. The second half was much smoother, but I didn't find the love story very compelling personally. So there were a few things that I think could've been refined and condensed, but overall, it still flowed very well for a slow-burn, low-stakes story.
Enjoyment: 8/10 - The pacing was a challenge for me, but I did enjoy unraveling the mystery of the religion of the Rain King.
If you like books that focus more on themes and how past decisions impact the lives of future generations, then I think this is definitely worth a read.
On my YouTube channel, I exclusively review self-published and indie fantasy books. First of all, I love the author name. So cool. But I promise that did not have any influence on the overall score of 8.5/10 on my INDIE ranking scale. My full review can be seen here: https://youtu.be/NxmgZq-xdOk
Here's the quick summary:
Immersion (worldbuilding): 9/10 - So much rain! Makes sense for a book about a rain king. But you really get a sense of how miserable that would be. There's also plenty of lore and history between the Saints and the founders of the village. You get lots of mystery with the religion and how it originated. Very tangible and somewhat depressing world.
Names (characters): 8.5/10 - Characters were good, but I ended up liking more of the side characters than I did the main characters. But I didn't deduct too many points here because I felt like the Emwort and Brywna did make realistic choices, even if they drove me crazy.
Da Magic (& creatures): 9/10 - The Rain King is like a god with dimensia. He is basically the embodiment of rain but his memory is very fragile after so many centuries, so he's very unpredictable and dangerous. He has an entourage of fairies to guide the rituals. There's magic with specific words and sigils. There's a tomb with the living dead. Marge-men that are like human-insect hybrids that feast on filth and debt. Birds that can take the form on humans. Just a lot of unique ideas that worked very well in the overall story.
Infrastructure (plot, pacing, prose, etc.): 8/10 - Pacing is very slow for the first half and somewhat repetitive/overexplained. The second half was much smoother, but I didn't find the love story very compelling personally. So there were a few things that I think could've been refined and condensed, but overall, it still flowed very well for a slow-burn, low-stakes story.
Enjoyment: 8/10 - The pacing was a challenge for me, but I did enjoy unraveling the mystery of the religion of the Rain King.
If you like books that focus more on themes and how past decisions impact the lives of future generations, then I think this is definitely worth a read.
February 27, 2025
In my life, I have had the good fortune to receive several advanced review copies of friends’ novels, and it can sometimes be a struggle to find the right balance of honesty and support in my reviews. I have no such issues with Will Greatwich’s “House of the Rain King,” as it is quite simply an excellent book.
A good book usually begins with a good premise, and “House of the Rain King” is no exception. In “House of the Rain King,” the titular Rain King has returned to his castle after more than a century away, and he brings with him a catastrophic flood that promises to drown the many inhabitants of the valley. This is a particularly large problem for Emwort, the young monastery initiate who has been tasked with keeping the mad king happy. It’s also a problem for the Sparrows, a mercenary band contracted to defend the king until he can unite with his sainted bride. As the deadly waters rise, Emwort and the Sparrows will have their devotions tested, and their choices will shape the future of all life in the valley.
The strength of Greatwich’s novel lies in its attention to detail, both in the setting and the ensemble cast. While Greatwich’s fascination with ecology and religion comes through on every page, he parses out technical information with restraint and lets his characters guide you through the world. Some of the characters in this novel will live in my mind for the rest of my life, particularly the mercenaries Warlock and Fitchin. There’s never a dull moment with those two, nor in the rest of the novel. It is, at the risk of repeating myself, a truly wonderful book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with an appetite for compelling new fantasy.
A good book usually begins with a good premise, and “House of the Rain King” is no exception. In “House of the Rain King,” the titular Rain King has returned to his castle after more than a century away, and he brings with him a catastrophic flood that promises to drown the many inhabitants of the valley. This is a particularly large problem for Emwort, the young monastery initiate who has been tasked with keeping the mad king happy. It’s also a problem for the Sparrows, a mercenary band contracted to defend the king until he can unite with his sainted bride. As the deadly waters rise, Emwort and the Sparrows will have their devotions tested, and their choices will shape the future of all life in the valley.
The strength of Greatwich’s novel lies in its attention to detail, both in the setting and the ensemble cast. While Greatwich’s fascination with ecology and religion comes through on every page, he parses out technical information with restraint and lets his characters guide you through the world. Some of the characters in this novel will live in my mind for the rest of my life, particularly the mercenaries Warlock and Fitchin. There’s never a dull moment with those two, nor in the rest of the novel. It is, at the risk of repeating myself, a truly wonderful book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with an appetite for compelling new fantasy.
February 26, 2025
If you like books about people coming together to solve impossible problems, books where the setting is a character in its own right, and, of course, BIRDS, you will love this book. I cannot describe how stoked I was to get my hands on an ARC (which I received from the author in exchange for leaving an unbiased review)
House of the Rain King had me from the first page with its lush scenery and complex, fascinating characters. Not every book is in love with its setting, not every book makes it clear from the get-go that the landscape is a character in its own right. House of the Rain King does. Every plant, every bird, every building is elegantly and lovingly described in such detail that even if you are unfamiliar with Australian flora and fauna you'll find yourself fully immersed in the setting.
Another reviewer mentioned that this is a book that profoundly believes in the power of Good, of good people doing the right thing. This is absolutely the case. It also never lets you forget that the right thing is often terrifyingly difficult, complex, and that certain debts simply can't be paid. It doesn't let you look away from the consequences of choices.
There is grace in these pages. Not just the grace of Greatwich's prose, but the grace of birds and humanity alike. Not all debts can be paid, but some can be forgiven. Some must be forgiven.
House of the Rain King had me from the first page with its lush scenery and complex, fascinating characters. Not every book is in love with its setting, not every book makes it clear from the get-go that the landscape is a character in its own right. House of the Rain King does. Every plant, every bird, every building is elegantly and lovingly described in such detail that even if you are unfamiliar with Australian flora and fauna you'll find yourself fully immersed in the setting.
Another reviewer mentioned that this is a book that profoundly believes in the power of Good, of good people doing the right thing. This is absolutely the case. It also never lets you forget that the right thing is often terrifyingly difficult, complex, and that certain debts simply can't be paid. It doesn't let you look away from the consequences of choices.
There is grace in these pages. Not just the grace of Greatwich's prose, but the grace of birds and humanity alike. Not all debts can be paid, but some can be forgiven. Some must be forgiven.
February 24, 2025
A stellar Australian debut
House of the Rain King gripped me from the start, carried me through to the end, and left me wanting more.
This is an excellent debut novel by an Australian author who clearly takes his craft seriously, and who is championing an unadulterated antipodean voice in his work. The characters all manage to play with tropes and yet avoid becoming cliché stand-ins (something a lot of fantasy work is guilty of), and there was not a single perspective I did not enjoy reading.
The setting stood out to me because it was unapologetically Australian, yet also otherworldly. This is what fantasy is missing out on. It felt lived-in, in equal parts mundane and mystifying, and Greatwich walked the line between showing us too much and too little. I desperately want to see more of this world, of what happens beyond the valley, but that's beyond the scope of this text and that is fine!
The mercenary company, the Sparrows, are my personal favourite aspect of this piece. They are reminiscent of Glen Cook's The Black Company, yet different enough to make them truly memorable. I loved every second we spent with them and would happily read more about their adventures!
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for fantasy that is unafraid to do something a bit different.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
House of the Rain King gripped me from the start, carried me through to the end, and left me wanting more.
This is an excellent debut novel by an Australian author who clearly takes his craft seriously, and who is championing an unadulterated antipodean voice in his work. The characters all manage to play with tropes and yet avoid becoming cliché stand-ins (something a lot of fantasy work is guilty of), and there was not a single perspective I did not enjoy reading.
The setting stood out to me because it was unapologetically Australian, yet also otherworldly. This is what fantasy is missing out on. It felt lived-in, in equal parts mundane and mystifying, and Greatwich walked the line between showing us too much and too little. I desperately want to see more of this world, of what happens beyond the valley, but that's beyond the scope of this text and that is fine!
The mercenary company, the Sparrows, are my personal favourite aspect of this piece. They are reminiscent of Glen Cook's The Black Company, yet different enough to make them truly memorable. I loved every second we spent with them and would happily read more about their adventures!
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for fantasy that is unafraid to do something a bit different.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
March 29, 2025
Absolutely loved this book! Couldn’t put it down at night and looked forward to picking it up in the morning.
The poetic prose paints a clear image of this fantasy world, where magic is subtly entwined throughout the natural, abundant landscape. Native plants and animals (especially birds) of Australia are joyfully included. The plot is intriguing and slowly builds tension toward a satisfying yet bittersweet end.
I want to read more!
The poetic prose paints a clear image of this fantasy world, where magic is subtly entwined throughout the natural, abundant landscape. Native plants and animals (especially birds) of Australia are joyfully included. The plot is intriguing and slowly builds tension toward a satisfying yet bittersweet end.
I want to read more!
May 5, 2025
House of the Rain King was absolutely phenomenal. Fitchin might be one of my favourite characters across every fantasy book I've ever read. I cannot recommend the book highly enough. While I enjoy fantasy books, many of them trend towards the cloying or the camp, even the phenomenally popular entries. This book is very rare in the genre in that the prose and thought is beautiful enough that I'm going to be happy to stick it on my bookshelf and tell future children that it's a classic.
April 18, 2025
Beautiful, evocative (particularly if you like birds) and high stakes on a small enough scale that you can feel what the events are doing to everyone involved .
Not wanting to spoil anything, but when it became clear what's going on and the choices thereby forced,I was in awe of how well it all tied together. An impressive debut!
Not wanting to spoil anything, but when it became clear what's going on and the choices thereby forced,I was in awe of how well it all tied together. An impressive debut!
April 20, 2025
A wonderful and unique read, and very polished for a debut novel. Read it if you're tired of every fantasy novel needing grand world-saving stakes. The conflict here is intimate - it's about the honor of about thirty monks and about thirty mercenaries, and the fate of a few hundred villagers. Worth remembering the small things matter too.
June 29, 2025
Wonderful world-building saturated with details like a vivid Ghibli movie, soaked in themes of obligation: the debt, oaths, contracts, and duty that we have towards our communities and the land, and when we need to break those constraints in order to heal.
Rounded up my rating since this is such a great showing for a first novel. Looking forward to more.
Rounded up my rating since this is such a great showing for a first novel. Looking forward to more.
March 29, 2025
It's like studio ghibli, but instead of stepping into a fantastical world, the world of myths and fairy tales smoothed by time and those in power came to you. And also you just started a new job and you realise you're better at it than 99% of the people there and your boss is shit.
April 22, 2025
Incredible and original read. Beautiful story telling and descriptive writing that spans topics like faith, morality, and law. I would highly recommend to a friend who wanted to carried away to another land - the whimsy just reminds me of Ghibli movies. Love love love
August 3, 2025
Excellent debut novel, slow starting but worth it
January 8, 2026
Classic fantasy styling with an Australian flavour. I didn't end up taking my time, much to my regret because now it's done. Adding to my potential re-read shelf of comfort fantasy
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