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The King of Rhye
Forsake the real life. Embrace the fantasy. The Song of the Prophet has long foretold that an apocalypse of storms, pestilence and war would tear the land of Rhye asunder. The path to salvation is obscure - hope seems to lie in a mysterious saviour, somewhere beyond the Seventh Sea. For friends Mustapha, Harold, Meadow and Dique, a moment of mischief leads to the greatest adventure of their lives. A simple heist turned sour hurls them into a monumental journey, culminating at the heart of Rhye's crisis. Along the way, all the existential questions are Can true love heal the gravest ill? Will the Gods of old hear a solemn plea? Most importantly - can pixies survive without cheese or drowseberry wine? 'The King of Rhye' is part fairy tale, part dark fantasy, part whimsy and all heart, as the glorious legacy of rock band Queen is realised in a full-blown literary adventure for the ages.
- GenresFantasy
514 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2022
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22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 16, 2022
Gripping, complex tale of love and loss and redemption and finding a better world
The story is gripping and the complex characters fully fleshed out. A little bit of deus ex machina but thats ok with me since I like happy endings.
To be a Queen fan and comprehend the clever use of story references from the band and its music renders this tale exciting for me.
However, I have also purchased a copy for each of two grandchildren who, as fantasy fans, I think will enjoy the story despite not being Queen fans.
Good work Craig. Cannot wait till Luc Hudson creates drawings of all the characters for an illustrated version. The ones created ( see the book cover) so far are spectacular.
And finally, listening to the recording ( as their third album) of the music for the story by Fat Bottom Boys- a French rock group that, as an hommage, creates the Queen experience in their own music through their harmonies , vocals and musicianship- can render the experience of reading this story an all encompassing experience.
The story is gripping and the complex characters fully fleshed out. A little bit of deus ex machina but thats ok with me since I like happy endings.
To be a Queen fan and comprehend the clever use of story references from the band and its music renders this tale exciting for me.
However, I have also purchased a copy for each of two grandchildren who, as fantasy fans, I think will enjoy the story despite not being Queen fans.
Good work Craig. Cannot wait till Luc Hudson creates drawings of all the characters for an illustrated version. The ones created ( see the book cover) so far are spectacular.
And finally, listening to the recording ( as their third album) of the music for the story by Fat Bottom Boys- a French rock group that, as an hommage, creates the Queen experience in their own music through their harmonies , vocals and musicianship- can render the experience of reading this story an all encompassing experience.
February 14, 2026
Even though I'd bought this book a few weeks ago, I'd hesitated to read it until now because, well, I worried I wouldn't be able to relate to so much Queen-flavoured content. It wasn't until I dived in that I realised my mistake (don't judge a book by its...inspiration?). While the Queen references certainly enrich the experience, they are far from the whole of the dish.
The King of Rhye is packed to the brim with toffee-sweet protagonists, sometimes-salty side characters, sour villains, and bitter gods. The story is rich, in that kind of timeless, classic way -- like the chocolate lava cake you ate in your grandmother's kitchen. It is - if I may move away from this food metaphor I'm baking myself into - fantasy as I remember it from my childhood. It's the captured essence of hot afternoons spent reading about elves and dragons in front of the old, tick-ticking pedestal fan. It's adventuring with fairies on winter evenings, until the book lands on my snoring face. It's all of these imagined journeys and wistful recollections and youthful hopes...and yet, TKOR is far from childish. You could say... that it's chocolate lava cake, if the gooey centre actually contained all that which Pandora wasn't supposed to let loose.
All of that to say that TKOR made me feel, as an adult, the way Bridge to Terabithia or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe made me feel when I was eleven. Utterly enthralled and, sometimes, just as heartbroken.
But I suppose it'd pay to tell you about the actual story at some point, so here goes. Although TKOR features a rich selection of characters, it centres around five main protagonists -- Harold (a dragonfly), Dique and Meadow (pixies), 'Wagoner' Will (a human) and our main mischief-maker, Mustapha (a strangeling). The five's friendship was founded on pranks and petty thievery, and thus the story starts -- with a plot, and a prize. But when this particular heist turns out to be higher stakes then they'd anticipated, the crew are scattered, and the fate of Rhye is thrown into uncertainty. The subsequent tale is a recipe for fantasy pudding: a world in jeopardy, some unlikely heros, competing magics, a prophecy, a dash of romance, a dollop of treachery, and some vengeful gods. Praise Offler, I feel like I'm ten again!
As for the book's inspiration -- yes, TKOR has given me a new appreciation for Queen. Even without being a superfan I spotted a few lyrics nestled within the dialogue, and their corresponding songs lived in my head for days afterwards. But even if you come out earworm free, there's a list at the end of the book which details every reference you missed, so you won't be left behind. And if you really just aren't into Queen at all... I still kind of think you should read it. If your childhood was enriched by the likes of Pratchett, Adams or Jacques, then this book has something for you. It really does.
I want to draw your attention to this line, which Mulhall wrote in the acknowledgements -- "Queen music is the soundtrack of my own life and an indelible part of rock history." There can be no doubt, flicking through the pages upon pages of references, that The King of Rhye is a worthy homage. It does exactly what you'd expect an homage to do: rediscovering, with reverence, these precious little pieces of the past.
What I didn't expect, was to rediscover little pieces of *my* past as I read it. On to book two!
The King of Rhye is packed to the brim with toffee-sweet protagonists, sometimes-salty side characters, sour villains, and bitter gods. The story is rich, in that kind of timeless, classic way -- like the chocolate lava cake you ate in your grandmother's kitchen. It is - if I may move away from this food metaphor I'm baking myself into - fantasy as I remember it from my childhood. It's the captured essence of hot afternoons spent reading about elves and dragons in front of the old, tick-ticking pedestal fan. It's adventuring with fairies on winter evenings, until the book lands on my snoring face. It's all of these imagined journeys and wistful recollections and youthful hopes...and yet, TKOR is far from childish. You could say... that it's chocolate lava cake, if the gooey centre actually contained all that which Pandora wasn't supposed to let loose.
All of that to say that TKOR made me feel, as an adult, the way Bridge to Terabithia or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe made me feel when I was eleven. Utterly enthralled and, sometimes, just as heartbroken.
But I suppose it'd pay to tell you about the actual story at some point, so here goes. Although TKOR features a rich selection of characters, it centres around five main protagonists -- Harold (a dragonfly), Dique and Meadow (pixies), 'Wagoner' Will (a human) and our main mischief-maker, Mustapha (a strangeling). The five's friendship was founded on pranks and petty thievery, and thus the story starts -- with a plot, and a prize. But when this particular heist turns out to be higher stakes then they'd anticipated, the crew are scattered, and the fate of Rhye is thrown into uncertainty. The subsequent tale is a recipe for fantasy pudding: a world in jeopardy, some unlikely heros, competing magics, a prophecy, a dash of romance, a dollop of treachery, and some vengeful gods. Praise Offler, I feel like I'm ten again!
As for the book's inspiration -- yes, TKOR has given me a new appreciation for Queen. Even without being a superfan I spotted a few lyrics nestled within the dialogue, and their corresponding songs lived in my head for days afterwards. But even if you come out earworm free, there's a list at the end of the book which details every reference you missed, so you won't be left behind. And if you really just aren't into Queen at all... I still kind of think you should read it. If your childhood was enriched by the likes of Pratchett, Adams or Jacques, then this book has something for you. It really does.
I want to draw your attention to this line, which Mulhall wrote in the acknowledgements -- "Queen music is the soundtrack of my own life and an indelible part of rock history." There can be no doubt, flicking through the pages upon pages of references, that The King of Rhye is a worthy homage. It does exactly what you'd expect an homage to do: rediscovering, with reverence, these precious little pieces of the past.
What I didn't expect, was to rediscover little pieces of *my* past as I read it. On to book two!
August 18, 2025
If you only have fourteen hours to save the earth, you should probably spend them doing something other than reading this book, like say, saving the earth, but fifteen hours or more? Prioritise it. The earth can figure its own shit out.
First, a note: I rarely need to refer to a book's map, but a good chunk of 'The King of Rhye' is so geographically specific, I found myself flicking to it a lot. Very rewarding, but unfortunately only really viable with the paperback...which is quite rare now. Same with the insane deep-cut Queen references listed at the back of the book -- but those I only glanced at, because I wanted to see if this odd duck could quack on its own, bereft of superfan-level knowledge.
Oh, it quacked. And it roared. And it sang.
Now, I'm a moderate Queen fan. I've listened to their most known albums many times. I've seen 'em in concert with Lambert. I played the hell out of Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre. I think the Japanese Queen tribute band 'Joousama Monogatari' is hilarious. I know Brian May is a genius.
All that, and I reckon I got maybe 5% of the references in this book. And of the ones I did get, they were delightful and clever. Not a groaner in sight. The repurposing of 'WWRY' fucking blew me away. The complexity of Mulhall's Black/Killer Queen evoked an elegantly enigmatic femme fatale. Mulhall almost never just quotes the song lyrics but instead rewords them for his own brilliant purposes. A good way to sidestep any copyright issues as well, although I have it on good authority he crossed his Is and dotted his Ts there.
So even if you don't 'know' Queen, it's almost impossible to not know some of their influence. You've seen or heard of Wayne's World. You probably know there can be only one. Queen are, indeed, the champions, my friends.
Similarly, you know some of what influenced Queen as well. The Faerie Queene. Oedipus Rex. Astrology. Numerology. Generational Trauma. All that.
Which is all to say, The King Of Rhye both pulls from Queen and pushes their core themes forward, and it does so on its own very confident terms. It can be as theologically grand as the Silmarillion and as whimsical as A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The action sizzles. The romance simmers. The world rocks and rolls, lurching towards catastrophe, grasping at the dim hope that a new song might save it.
The Black Queen marches; the Ogre Battle is imminent. Let Us join hands and Cling Together, then, because reading The King of Rhye? It's a Kind of Magic.
There is already a sequel to The King of Rhye, Metropolis: The King of Rhye, and I very much look forward to seeing what's next. Mulhall keeps giving us this prize; don't stop him now.
First, a note: I rarely need to refer to a book's map, but a good chunk of 'The King of Rhye' is so geographically specific, I found myself flicking to it a lot. Very rewarding, but unfortunately only really viable with the paperback...which is quite rare now. Same with the insane deep-cut Queen references listed at the back of the book -- but those I only glanced at, because I wanted to see if this odd duck could quack on its own, bereft of superfan-level knowledge.
Oh, it quacked. And it roared. And it sang.
Now, I'm a moderate Queen fan. I've listened to their most known albums many times. I've seen 'em in concert with Lambert. I played the hell out of Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre. I think the Japanese Queen tribute band 'Joousama Monogatari' is hilarious. I know Brian May is a genius.
All that, and I reckon I got maybe 5% of the references in this book. And of the ones I did get, they were delightful and clever. Not a groaner in sight. The repurposing of 'WWRY' fucking blew me away. The complexity of Mulhall's Black/Killer Queen evoked an elegantly enigmatic femme fatale. Mulhall almost never just quotes the song lyrics but instead rewords them for his own brilliant purposes. A good way to sidestep any copyright issues as well, although I have it on good authority he crossed his Is and dotted his Ts there.
So even if you don't 'know' Queen, it's almost impossible to not know some of their influence. You've seen or heard of Wayne's World. You probably know there can be only one. Queen are, indeed, the champions, my friends.
Similarly, you know some of what influenced Queen as well. The Faerie Queene. Oedipus Rex. Astrology. Numerology. Generational Trauma. All that.
Which is all to say, The King Of Rhye both pulls from Queen and pushes their core themes forward, and it does so on its own very confident terms. It can be as theologically grand as the Silmarillion and as whimsical as A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The action sizzles. The romance simmers. The world rocks and rolls, lurching towards catastrophe, grasping at the dim hope that a new song might save it.
The Black Queen marches; the Ogre Battle is imminent. Let Us join hands and Cling Together, then, because reading The King of Rhye? It's a Kind of Magic.
There is already a sequel to The King of Rhye, Metropolis: The King of Rhye, and I very much look forward to seeing what's next. Mulhall keeps giving us this prize; don't stop him now.
September 3, 2024
A Queen inspired masterpiece of magical, mystical story telling, that everyone will enjoy.
The story has a lovely flow and invited me to continue reading! There's a big mix of events and emotions that are packed with clever references and inspirations from Queen.
Craig Mulhall does this very intelligently and organically, without it feeling forced into the story. The Queen references fit into the story seamlessly, and provide the reader with great amusement, even if you're not a Queen fan (there can't be many surely).
The book itself is rich with characters and adventure that tie in to an epic tale.
I can't wait to start reading the next adventure (Metropolis) of the King of Rhye.
The story has a lovely flow and invited me to continue reading! There's a big mix of events and emotions that are packed with clever references and inspirations from Queen.
Craig Mulhall does this very intelligently and organically, without it feeling forced into the story. The Queen references fit into the story seamlessly, and provide the reader with great amusement, even if you're not a Queen fan (there can't be many surely).
The book itself is rich with characters and adventure that tie in to an epic tale.
I can't wait to start reading the next adventure (Metropolis) of the King of Rhye.
August 20, 2022
This book is just fab if you like fantasy fiction and even better if you are a Queen fan. I find myself smiling as I recognise connections to the band. The description of the characters is so entrancing I can see them forming in my head. The description of some of the lands where they live remind me of places I’ve seen and/or been. It is a page turner urging you to read about the next adventure or troubles the characters are dealing with. Superb writing Craig. Thank you for bringing the land and lives, from the songs we love, alive 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
July 22, 2023
I loved Craig Mulhall's writing style from the first word - it reminds me of HG Wells, richly crafted with just the right word used in just the right way. His world is similarly rich, a brilliant tapestry beautifully woven, and I love the way he nods to classical themes with lesser known deities from the Greek and Roman pantheon dropping in for a cameo role. Looking forward to the next one!
February 25, 2025
For someone who does not read fantasy, I soon found myself enjoying the characters and their loyalty and caught up in the momentum of a complex plot. I am in awe of Craig's links to Queen when I found Appendix B! And then there is the music. I can imagine a movie of a rich fantasy world.
September 13, 2023
This novel is amazing and it’s very easy to tell which characters are based off of all four members of the band if you’re new to the Queen fandom
March 17, 2024
Quite likely the best Queen-inspired-fantasy-novel you’ll ever read.
This is a story that trusts its audience. It doesn’t barrel along from set piece to set piece. Rather, it invites you to marinate in the prose and the quirks of its characters. But when it does go widescreen, it goes very wide. The scale of the finale took me by surprise. Even so, the story never loses its heart. I think you’ll find something rather grand and original here.
This is a story that trusts its audience. It doesn’t barrel along from set piece to set piece. Rather, it invites you to marinate in the prose and the quirks of its characters. But when it does go widescreen, it goes very wide. The scale of the finale took me by surprise. Even so, the story never loses its heart. I think you’ll find something rather grand and original here.
August 13, 2024
The fact that about 40 pages at the end are dedicated to all the references in the story to queen made me giggle because if you know me y’all know I got them all “IT WAS A WORTHWHILE EXPERIENCE!”
October 21, 2022
I'm blown away!!!
What did I love about this book? Where do I start? I, unfortunately, only began listening to Queen a couple of years ago. Little did I know it would be the start of the most magical musical journey of my life. I can't even imagine not having the constant influence of Queen and Freddie Mercury around me now. From the first moment his voice pierced my heart, there was no going back! I'm also a HUGE lover of books and of fantasy (I'm sure you can guess that Queen II is my favorite of the band's albums, LOL!). When I saw that someone had taken the time to write a fantasy story out of admiration for those early fantasy-themed songs, I knew I had to give it a read. But, I was COMPLETELY unprepared for the epic journey The King of Rhye took me on!! Oh, fellow Queenies, PLEASE, for the love of all that is wonderful, READ THIS BOOK. The way it weaves its nods to obscure "Queen lore" details only avid fans will pick up on throughout the novel- like threads of a tapestry- is masterful. Mr. Mulhall is CLEARLY a deep, seriously devoted admirer of the band and of Freddie, and his repect for their legacy shines through on every page. It's a sweeping, grand, quirky, whimsical, romantic, epic tale in every way. The only complaint I have is that Mr. Mulhall hasn't written a sequel for me to read yet!! LOL. In all seriousness, I would recommend this book, not only to fellow Queen lovers, but to anyone who loves and appreciates darn good fantasy writing. Bravo, and well done! Sequel? Pretty please???! With whipped cream and a Red Special on top??!!
What did I love about this book? Where do I start? I, unfortunately, only began listening to Queen a couple of years ago. Little did I know it would be the start of the most magical musical journey of my life. I can't even imagine not having the constant influence of Queen and Freddie Mercury around me now. From the first moment his voice pierced my heart, there was no going back! I'm also a HUGE lover of books and of fantasy (I'm sure you can guess that Queen II is my favorite of the band's albums, LOL!). When I saw that someone had taken the time to write a fantasy story out of admiration for those early fantasy-themed songs, I knew I had to give it a read. But, I was COMPLETELY unprepared for the epic journey The King of Rhye took me on!! Oh, fellow Queenies, PLEASE, for the love of all that is wonderful, READ THIS BOOK. The way it weaves its nods to obscure "Queen lore" details only avid fans will pick up on throughout the novel- like threads of a tapestry- is masterful. Mr. Mulhall is CLEARLY a deep, seriously devoted admirer of the band and of Freddie, and his repect for their legacy shines through on every page. It's a sweeping, grand, quirky, whimsical, romantic, epic tale in every way. The only complaint I have is that Mr. Mulhall hasn't written a sequel for me to read yet!! LOL. In all seriousness, I would recommend this book, not only to fellow Queen lovers, but to anyone who loves and appreciates darn good fantasy writing. Bravo, and well done! Sequel? Pretty please???! With whipped cream and a Red Special on top??!!
July 4, 2023
I'm a big fan of the band called Queen
I'm a big fan of high fantasy and particularly love world building and character's with.....well character and motivation
I'm sometimes weary of these things, is it parody? Is it taking itself too seriously?
Fortunately Craig takes the middle road, it feels like a genuine fantasy story whilst wearing it's Queen influences on it's sleeve.
You could be a fantasy fan and not get the Queen stuff and enjoy this
You could be a Queen fan and not into fantasy and enjoy this (I know that for a fact from friends)
This is how this stuff should be done.
Is this the real life? Nope it's just fantasy.....but done very well
I'm a big fan of high fantasy and particularly love world building and character's with.....well character and motivation
I'm sometimes weary of these things, is it parody? Is it taking itself too seriously?
Fortunately Craig takes the middle road, it feels like a genuine fantasy story whilst wearing it's Queen influences on it's sleeve.
You could be a fantasy fan and not get the Queen stuff and enjoy this
You could be a Queen fan and not into fantasy and enjoy this (I know that for a fact from friends)
This is how this stuff should be done.
Is this the real life? Nope it's just fantasy.....but done very well
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews