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Rat's Reputation
Orphans have it tough no matter where they are. But for an orphaned rat in a community of mice, it’s twice as hard. For every mouse willing to look past Rat’s oversized physique and sketchy relatives, there are two convinced he’s just a thief and a murderer biding his time. It doesn’t help that Rat has a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and to do the wrong thing just when someone’s watching. Vandalism, robbery, even murder: as he grows, so does the legend around him, and Rat will have to separate truth from fiction to find out not only where he comes from, but where he’s going, and, most importantly, where he belongs.
For the first time in print, Rat’s Reputation is author Michael Payne’s further exploration of life in the lush, beautifully realized world of The Blood Jaguar. More a companion story than a prequel or sequel (though some characters will be familiar to readers of his first book), Payne here shows that you don’t have to follow a prophecy to travel an epic journey, and you don’t have to save the world to be a hero.
For the first time in print, Rat’s Reputation is author Michael Payne’s further exploration of life in the lush, beautifully realized world of The Blood Jaguar. More a companion story than a prequel or sequel (though some characters will be familiar to readers of his first book), Payne here shows that you don’t have to follow a prophecy to travel an epic journey, and you don’t have to save the world to be a hero.
360 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 25, 2016
Michael Payne's latest book is a bit unusual. It's broken into four uneven parts, each of which contains several short or very short stories, each of which is preceded by quote from some work from that world. These smaller stories are not titled, and the table of contents does not refer to them, but just gives a couple passages from each part, along with the page it appears on.
So it's not really conceived and structured as a short story collection, even though it technically is one. The volume is a publication of a bunch of stories that has been available in in bits and pieces for decades, and has gone from being about the anthropomorphic town of Ottersgate to centering on Rat.
As a unified set of stories, it's all told from Rat's point of view, except for the first story, which details his mysterious rescue as a small child from some large fire by one of the Curials (gods). The later parts of the book answer the mystery raised here, and also goes some into the nature of the Curials, but largely the book is a 'fish out of water' story, with the orphaned Rat growing up among squirrels and mice, and not quite fitting in (somewhat literally; the animals here have human intelligence, but the same forms we know, and somehow have buildings, and clothes, and tea—it doesn't bear thinking about too hard—so Rat is larger than many of the people he deals with), and faces persecution from many deeply prejudiced people.
There's also a bit of travelogue to the book. Rat spends some years on the road at one point, and you get glimpses of plenty of other towns and societies. And just what is shown of Ottersgate itself is enough to make you realize the iceberg hiding beneath the surface of this book is massive indeed. Payne has an expansive world worked out, and we're getting bare glimpses of it.
Its structure means Rat's Reputation does not have the tightest writing you'll see, but each story works on its own, and while building the whole. I recommend it, and if you wonder just where some of the secondary characters disappear to near the end, I also recommend Payne's earlier book, The Blood Jaguar . Both are good furry fantasy novels.
So it's not really conceived and structured as a short story collection, even though it technically is one. The volume is a publication of a bunch of stories that has been available in in bits and pieces for decades, and has gone from being about the anthropomorphic town of Ottersgate to centering on Rat.
As a unified set of stories, it's all told from Rat's point of view, except for the first story, which details his mysterious rescue as a small child from some large fire by one of the Curials (gods). The later parts of the book answer the mystery raised here, and also goes some into the nature of the Curials, but largely the book is a 'fish out of water' story, with the orphaned Rat growing up among squirrels and mice, and not quite fitting in (somewhat literally; the animals here have human intelligence, but the same forms we know, and somehow have buildings, and clothes, and tea—it doesn't bear thinking about too hard—so Rat is larger than many of the people he deals with), and faces persecution from many deeply prejudiced people.
There's also a bit of travelogue to the book. Rat spends some years on the road at one point, and you get glimpses of plenty of other towns and societies. And just what is shown of Ottersgate itself is enough to make you realize the iceberg hiding beneath the surface of this book is massive indeed. Payne has an expansive world worked out, and we're getting bare glimpses of it.
Its structure means Rat's Reputation does not have the tightest writing you'll see, but each story works on its own, and while building the whole. I recommend it, and if you wonder just where some of the secondary characters disappear to near the end, I also recommend Payne's earlier book, The Blood Jaguar . Both are good furry fantasy novels.
October 3, 2016
Rat's Reputation is a beautiful, lyrical book that follows the main character, Rat, through decades of his life, and doing so, it allows the reader to see a wide swath of the world he lives in. In many ways, it's similar to Brian Jacques' Redwall books, but it has a depth and maturity that they don't. I loved the Redwall books when I was about twelve, but I can love Rat's Reputation now, as an adult. Metaphorically, Rat's Reputation is a graphic novel with gorgeous illustrations to Redwall's newspaper comic strip.
Even if you don't love the Redwall books, though, there's a lot of substance to Rat's Reputation -- it looks very carefully at what it feels like to grow up as an outsider and what it means to find your own position in the world as an adult. It's a powerful and yet extremely pleasant read.
Finally, this book is an ideal introduction for new readers to furry fiction.
Even if you don't love the Redwall books, though, there's a lot of substance to Rat's Reputation -- it looks very carefully at what it feels like to grow up as an outsider and what it means to find your own position in the world as an adult. It's a powerful and yet extremely pleasant read.
Finally, this book is an ideal introduction for new readers to furry fiction.
August 27, 2016
(Please note: I work for the publisher of this book, Sofawolf Press.)
“This feels like Redwall,” I thought as I cracked the spine on my copy of Rat’s Reputation and started to dig in.
“No,” I corrected myself as I flipped through more and more pages. “This feels like Redwall done right.”
Many furries, myself included, have fond memories of the Redwall books, but also can recall a lot of issues with the series as well: the repetitiveness of the story arcs and—perhaps more commonly among furry readers—the stereotyping of various species. With very few exceptions, if you were a mouse, badger, hedgehog, hare, hawk, or squirrel person in the Redwall universe, you were a good and virtuous gentlebeast. If you were a fox, cat, raven, weasel of any kind, or a rat, then you were cruel and evil. If you had an affinity for any of the latter species, you probably didn’t think much of Brian Jacques’s speciesism.
Rat’s Reputation feels like an extended middle finger pointed squarely in Redwall’s direction (or it would if the book was mean-spirited in any way): most every character reacts to the titular Rat as if he were a Redwall-esque scoundrel and the novel covers his journey to attain respect and a place in the world. However, the history of the novel is such that I cannot tell you if this reading was intentional from its author, Michael Payne, or just how I, as a young Redwall fan, interpret it.
Rat’s Reputation began its life as a short story, published in the early days of the fandom in FurVersion #16 (1989). It was picked up later by Fred Patten as the earliest printed story in the Best in Show anthology. Meanwhile, Payne was publishing a variety of other stories inspired by the setting of Rat’s Reputation, several shorts and novelettes published through the years, and a novel, The Blood Jaguar, first published by Tor in 1998 and picked up for later printings by Sofawolf Press in 2012. The full novel of Rat’s Reputation came out last year from Sofawolf.
The story of Rat’s Reputation begins with Rat himself being rescued from a fire by a band of roaming gypsy squirrels, thanks to the intervention of the squirrel High Ones. He is raised by the squirrels, but distrusted due to his species, and is eventually forced to leave, joining the Nibbler mouse clan of Ottersgate. There he is adopted by the Nibblers, attends school, picks up a trade in being a private investigator, gets embroiled in local mouse politics, and finds himself still distrusted, to the point where one classmate plays a prank on him that nearly gets him killed. Rat eventually sets out, with adventures both in and out of Ottersgate, to find his place in the world and understand the destiny the High Ones have set out for him.
The world of the story is full of mice and rats, hawks and owls, otters, fishers, beavers, and so on, all more animal than anthropomorph, but able to use tools and wear clothes on special occasions. The feeling is similar to The Wind in the Willows. And we see far more than just one village: Rat, like Bobcat in The Blood Jaguar, is a world traveler, working on an otter ship to head downriver and falling in with a bunch of foxes on the way to the meerkat city of Kazirazif. The timeframe of the story is hard to pin down. Various in-universe book, poetry, and pamphlets are included in between chapters and are dated in the 1700’s. Although the book reminded me of Redwall, it feels more pre-industrial than medieval (but anachronisms like a Tilt-a-Whirl burst onto the scene on occasion).
One of the unique aspects of this universe is its mythology, which is front and center here just as it was in The Blood Jaguar. Many species acknowledge the twelve Curials, such as Lord Kit Fox or Lady Raven, who take mixed roles as folk tale heroes, deities (although they would be the first to point out they are not), overseers of primal aspects of the world such as the earth or the sky, and meddlers in the roles of mortals. The gypsy squirrels likewise acknowledge twelve squirrel High Ones who take similar roles. Both Curials and High Ones make a few appearances over the book, and Lord Kit Fox steals the show when he shows up, as he always does.
In The Blood Jaguar, the Curials were the instigators of the story, with the eponymous jaguar threatening the world with a cataclysmic plague. Here, though, they still work as instigators, but the stakes are far more personal than world-shattering. Rat’s Reputation is an adventure novel where the adventure is Rat’s life. He wants to be accepted and loved, but never is. He grows up, fights his battles, works hard, and sometimes runs away. It’s a much more grounded work and Rat himself fits well as an everyman (everyrat?).
If it’s not clear by now, I liked it. My biggest complaint of The Blood Jaguar is how disjointed it feels, both in the overarching story which flits Hobbit-like from one peril to the next and in the world which felt like a succession of strange lands that had nothing to do with one another. I read through it, but I don’t think I’d want to read it again. On the other hand, Rat’s Reputation feels like a much more cohesive story and far more realistic, despite the occasional reappearance of the Curials. Payne, it feels, even used his new novel to help patch some holes in the previous one. “Why,” I wondered as I read The Blood Jaguar, “do Skink, Fisher, and Bobcat have names after their species while others do not?” That gets answered here. In fact, all three of the main cast of The Blood Jaguar show up again and their backstories expanded upon.
The artwork, done by Louvelex, is also a perfect complement to the Kenneth Grahame-esque creatures of the book. Having seen her work, it is hard to imagine any other artist capturing the spirit of the books as well as she did.
And, of course, it also made my inner child want to stand up, wave the book around and declare, “See? This is what I wanted in a Redwall sequel, Brian Jacques, you jerk!”
My faults with the book are few. Rat’s early days in Ottersgate seem to linger a bit too long before more exciting things happen, although most of the events that occur pay off at the conclusion. On the other hand, the end rushes by just a bit too quickly. And while Rat’s Reputation has largely improved on the disjointed feeling of its predecessor, a few plot threads feel off-kilter. Rat’s investigatory capabilities are hinted once early on, made use of much later, but are strangely absent for much of the middle of the book. And then the introduction of the gypsy squirrels early on seems to serve no narrative purpose but to allow Payne to wax lyrical about the equivalence of the High Ones and Curials later on. And, finally, while I enjoyed the connections between this novel and The Blood Jaguar, a few of the connecting pieces did feel a bit forced. It sounds like I’m making lots of critiques, but this is my internal editor at work. These are nitpicks in an otherwise great story.
I give the book my hearty recommendation. Pick up a copy for yourself and maybe an extra one for that bibliophile younger cousin of yours who read through all your old dog-eared Redwall books and still wants more.
“This feels like Redwall,” I thought as I cracked the spine on my copy of Rat’s Reputation and started to dig in.
“No,” I corrected myself as I flipped through more and more pages. “This feels like Redwall done right.”
Many furries, myself included, have fond memories of the Redwall books, but also can recall a lot of issues with the series as well: the repetitiveness of the story arcs and—perhaps more commonly among furry readers—the stereotyping of various species. With very few exceptions, if you were a mouse, badger, hedgehog, hare, hawk, or squirrel person in the Redwall universe, you were a good and virtuous gentlebeast. If you were a fox, cat, raven, weasel of any kind, or a rat, then you were cruel and evil. If you had an affinity for any of the latter species, you probably didn’t think much of Brian Jacques’s speciesism.
Rat’s Reputation feels like an extended middle finger pointed squarely in Redwall’s direction (or it would if the book was mean-spirited in any way): most every character reacts to the titular Rat as if he were a Redwall-esque scoundrel and the novel covers his journey to attain respect and a place in the world. However, the history of the novel is such that I cannot tell you if this reading was intentional from its author, Michael Payne, or just how I, as a young Redwall fan, interpret it.
Rat’s Reputation began its life as a short story, published in the early days of the fandom in FurVersion #16 (1989). It was picked up later by Fred Patten as the earliest printed story in the Best in Show anthology. Meanwhile, Payne was publishing a variety of other stories inspired by the setting of Rat’s Reputation, several shorts and novelettes published through the years, and a novel, The Blood Jaguar, first published by Tor in 1998 and picked up for later printings by Sofawolf Press in 2012. The full novel of Rat’s Reputation came out last year from Sofawolf.
The story of Rat’s Reputation begins with Rat himself being rescued from a fire by a band of roaming gypsy squirrels, thanks to the intervention of the squirrel High Ones. He is raised by the squirrels, but distrusted due to his species, and is eventually forced to leave, joining the Nibbler mouse clan of Ottersgate. There he is adopted by the Nibblers, attends school, picks up a trade in being a private investigator, gets embroiled in local mouse politics, and finds himself still distrusted, to the point where one classmate plays a prank on him that nearly gets him killed. Rat eventually sets out, with adventures both in and out of Ottersgate, to find his place in the world and understand the destiny the High Ones have set out for him.
The world of the story is full of mice and rats, hawks and owls, otters, fishers, beavers, and so on, all more animal than anthropomorph, but able to use tools and wear clothes on special occasions. The feeling is similar to The Wind in the Willows. And we see far more than just one village: Rat, like Bobcat in The Blood Jaguar, is a world traveler, working on an otter ship to head downriver and falling in with a bunch of foxes on the way to the meerkat city of Kazirazif. The timeframe of the story is hard to pin down. Various in-universe book, poetry, and pamphlets are included in between chapters and are dated in the 1700’s. Although the book reminded me of Redwall, it feels more pre-industrial than medieval (but anachronisms like a Tilt-a-Whirl burst onto the scene on occasion).
One of the unique aspects of this universe is its mythology, which is front and center here just as it was in The Blood Jaguar. Many species acknowledge the twelve Curials, such as Lord Kit Fox or Lady Raven, who take mixed roles as folk tale heroes, deities (although they would be the first to point out they are not), overseers of primal aspects of the world such as the earth or the sky, and meddlers in the roles of mortals. The gypsy squirrels likewise acknowledge twelve squirrel High Ones who take similar roles. Both Curials and High Ones make a few appearances over the book, and Lord Kit Fox steals the show when he shows up, as he always does.
In The Blood Jaguar, the Curials were the instigators of the story, with the eponymous jaguar threatening the world with a cataclysmic plague. Here, though, they still work as instigators, but the stakes are far more personal than world-shattering. Rat’s Reputation is an adventure novel where the adventure is Rat’s life. He wants to be accepted and loved, but never is. He grows up, fights his battles, works hard, and sometimes runs away. It’s a much more grounded work and Rat himself fits well as an everyman (everyrat?).
If it’s not clear by now, I liked it. My biggest complaint of The Blood Jaguar is how disjointed it feels, both in the overarching story which flits Hobbit-like from one peril to the next and in the world which felt like a succession of strange lands that had nothing to do with one another. I read through it, but I don’t think I’d want to read it again. On the other hand, Rat’s Reputation feels like a much more cohesive story and far more realistic, despite the occasional reappearance of the Curials. Payne, it feels, even used his new novel to help patch some holes in the previous one. “Why,” I wondered as I read The Blood Jaguar, “do Skink, Fisher, and Bobcat have names after their species while others do not?” That gets answered here. In fact, all three of the main cast of The Blood Jaguar show up again and their backstories expanded upon.
The artwork, done by Louvelex, is also a perfect complement to the Kenneth Grahame-esque creatures of the book. Having seen her work, it is hard to imagine any other artist capturing the spirit of the books as well as she did.
And, of course, it also made my inner child want to stand up, wave the book around and declare, “See? This is what I wanted in a Redwall sequel, Brian Jacques, you jerk!”
My faults with the book are few. Rat’s early days in Ottersgate seem to linger a bit too long before more exciting things happen, although most of the events that occur pay off at the conclusion. On the other hand, the end rushes by just a bit too quickly. And while Rat’s Reputation has largely improved on the disjointed feeling of its predecessor, a few plot threads feel off-kilter. Rat’s investigatory capabilities are hinted once early on, made use of much later, but are strangely absent for much of the middle of the book. And then the introduction of the gypsy squirrels early on seems to serve no narrative purpose but to allow Payne to wax lyrical about the equivalence of the High Ones and Curials later on. And, finally, while I enjoyed the connections between this novel and The Blood Jaguar, a few of the connecting pieces did feel a bit forced. It sounds like I’m making lots of critiques, but this is my internal editor at work. These are nitpicks in an otherwise great story.
I give the book my hearty recommendation. Pick up a copy for yourself and maybe an extra one for that bibliophile younger cousin of yours who read through all your old dog-eared Redwall books and still wants more.
December 31, 2017
The unlikely hero of Michael Payne's "The Blood Jaguar" never seemed to get the respect he deserved in exchange for the adventure he'd been on, the growth he'd experienced, and the lives he'd saved. Nothing wrong with the way Payne wrote it, just a matter of personal taste on my part. He had questions and he wasn't getting answers.
I guess that's why I approached "Rat's Reputation" with concerns. I wasn't ready to see another Michael Payne hero march through hell and back only to be treated like dirt by the people he was trying to save. Payne takes a different tack, however - not that Rat is a universally adored figure at the end of the story, but that whether or not he's adored isn't what's most important about his adventure. The story isn't so much about what he experiences as how he's perceived. For the record, Rat does go a lot farther in getting his own back than "Blood Jaguar's" Bobcat did, but those few holdouts who still think he's some kind of thug no longer have any power over him, so let 'em think what they want.
I guess that's why I approached "Rat's Reputation" with concerns. I wasn't ready to see another Michael Payne hero march through hell and back only to be treated like dirt by the people he was trying to save. Payne takes a different tack, however - not that Rat is a universally adored figure at the end of the story, but that whether or not he's adored isn't what's most important about his adventure. The story isn't so much about what he experiences as how he's perceived. For the record, Rat does go a lot farther in getting his own back than "Blood Jaguar's" Bobcat did, but those few holdouts who still think he's some kind of thug no longer have any power over him, so let 'em think what they want.
December 1, 2016
Full disclosure: The author is a friend of mine. Make of that what you will in this review... I really enjoyed reading this book. Besides the engaging and well-developed characters (and there are plenty of those), the world itself is fascinating. Little time is spent on "how things work" exposition, which makes it very interesting to have everything make sense in a multi-species world like this. (Seems that fish and insects are about the only non-sentient animals, which helps to answer the old "what do carnivores eat?" question handily.) The world itself is also an interesting polyglot of periods and technologies -- transportation appears to mostly be medieval in nature, but the inhabitants have electricity. The fun part is that it all works, and you soon just accept everything and get back to watching the engaging characters go through their lives and grow. Minor spoiler, perhaps: The story takes place over 25+ years, but it never lags and in fact it all moves along quite briskly. Highly recommended for readers of most any age.
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