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Ratstrike
AS THE VERMIN GET BIGGER, THE HUMAN RACE GETS SMALLER
Over a decade from now, mutant killer rats rise up to terrorise the English population. Life is short and hard; death quick and violent. The towns and cities are no-go death zones; survivors retreat to the rural areas. The only hope – fight back against a deadly species of fast evolving vermin.
Over a decade from now, mutant killer rats rise up to terrorise the English population. Life is short and hard; death quick and violent. The towns and cities are no-go death zones; survivors retreat to the rural areas. The only hope – fight back against a deadly species of fast evolving vermin.
- GenresHorror
ebook
Published June 28, 2022
26 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Jools G. King
6 books6 followersJools G King is a British horror indie author who takes feverish delight in scaring readers, and occasionally himself. He’s self-published three novels and one novella, with more to come. His latest novel is Catz of the Undead, which features a malevolent witch and zombie cats.
By day, he’s a civil engineer, and when he’s not writing he enjoys watching movies, reading books, especially about history and the occult, chess and travelling. He lives with his cat, Yoshi, who last time he looked has not turned into a zombie.
By day, he’s a civil engineer, and when he’s not writing he enjoys watching movies, reading books, especially about history and the occult, chess and travelling. He lives with his cat, Yoshi, who last time he looked has not turned into a zombie.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 17, 2022
This is such a good book. I should also note this is the author's debut, which is very refreshing. Rats are everywhere in the future. So yes, it's set in the future but there's no internet and barely even electricity. I suppose, rats, in large numbers could be a viscous foe. Then imagine those rats evolving in size.
I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy reading about rats, but the writing style was so good that I couldn't help but enjoy myself
I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy reading about rats, but the writing style was so good that I couldn't help but enjoy myself
October 20, 2023
It’s the near future and rats have become the top of the food chain. Guess where that leaves us. In a day to day fight to survive. There’s some electricity and the only safe time to venture out to forage is during the day.
This story felt somewhat believable. Maybe not with the size of the rats, but definitely with their dominion over us. I’ve always believed rats and cockroaches would be here long after us.
I expected some bloody mayhem. Whew, some scenes had me cringing. The rats are so vicious and relentless. And the author gave me a little something else to keep me entertained. There’s more to these rat strikes than meets the eye!
A solid creature feature that kept me focused from beginning to end.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
This story felt somewhat believable. Maybe not with the size of the rats, but definitely with their dominion over us. I’ve always believed rats and cockroaches would be here long after us.
I expected some bloody mayhem. Whew, some scenes had me cringing. The rats are so vicious and relentless. And the author gave me a little something else to keep me entertained. There’s more to these rat strikes than meets the eye!
A solid creature feature that kept me focused from beginning to end.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
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July 28, 2024Creepy.
Jools G. King did an excellent job of implementing macabre elements into "Ratstrike." There were several yucky moments, as well as twists and turns. The dystopian world that Jools G. King created blew me away, and Felix's introduction made my reading engagement increase. Every true horror fan will appreciate "Ratstrike." I hated those pesky vermin, as the author's highly imaginative writing made them tough to deal with.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Jools G. King did an excellent job of implementing macabre elements into "Ratstrike." There were several yucky moments, as well as twists and turns. The dystopian world that Jools G. King created blew me away, and Felix's introduction made my reading engagement increase. Every true horror fan will appreciate "Ratstrike." I hated those pesky vermin, as the author's highly imaginative writing made them tough to deal with.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 9, 2022
I was sent a free copy of this novel via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
An extremely well written debut novel from this author, who doesn't shy away from blood, gore and even more blood. This novel starts along the same vein as the series of novels by the late great James Herbert, but then diverts along another path and becomes so much more.
Rats have become the superior species and mankind is forced to hide from this voracious hunter, venturing out only in the daytime. A small band of vigilantes band together to try and fight back but the rats they encounter are truly the stuff of many nightmares!
An extremely well written debut novel from this author, who doesn't shy away from blood, gore and even more blood. This novel starts along the same vein as the series of novels by the late great James Herbert, but then diverts along another path and becomes so much more.
Rats have become the superior species and mankind is forced to hide from this voracious hunter, venturing out only in the daytime. A small band of vigilantes band together to try and fight back but the rats they encounter are truly the stuff of many nightmares!
July 22, 2022
Having had rats when I was younger, I know how very intelligent and social they are. These rats are something else. They are utterly terrifying. Just a well written horror story that touches on alot of peoples fear of vermin. Don't read too late into the night as sleep may bring on dreams that feature that fear.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion of the tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion of the tale.
August 8, 2022
Raytstrike
It was an interesting concept. One thing is not mentioned. As the rats continue to grow, they will quickly run out of the protein they desperately need. Then they will eat each other and possibly destroy themselves.
It was an interesting concept. One thing is not mentioned. As the rats continue to grow, they will quickly run out of the protein they desperately need. Then they will eat each other and possibly destroy themselves.
July 4, 2024
Hahaha
What a fun read. These rats are...terrifying. the people are involved are fun characters and let's face it. So many deaths. Plus so many twists and turns. I really want to see what happens next.
What a fun read. These rats are...terrifying. the people are involved are fun characters and let's face it. So many deaths. Plus so many twists and turns. I really want to see what happens next.
February 12, 2022
I was sent a free copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. This book was kind of a Walking Dead with rats instead of zombies, taking place in England instead of in Georgia. And like that show, this book does not shy away from blood, gore, or body horror. This is NOT a book for the squeamish, or those with weak stomachs. Definitely ruined my appetite a few times. Regardless, this book is engaging and fast paced, and well written and enjoyable. The author is great at setting the scene and getting across the creepy, terrifying aura that pervades this book.
February 13, 2022
In England 13 years in the future, the human population is minimal, TV and Internet nonexistent, electricity limited. The nation has reverted to agriculture, and a sunrise-to-sunset existence. The great and fatal bane is an evolved and mutant overrunning rat population. Several years of this have circumscribed humanity, yet the fatalities continue. Like James Herbert's RATS, to which the author humbly pays homage, vermin are the apex predator; but where Mr. Herbert's novel viewed the commencement of the overwhelming infestation, in RATSTRIKE this chaotic reversal of the food chain has already been in place for several years and become a way of life (and death). I believe Mr. Herbert would approve of this new novel.
June 17, 2022
I thought it started well as a kind of post-apocalypse social commentary but then began to go swiftly downhill. James Herbert wrote three successful Novels about the same subject over forty years ago and with better originality and style. The author would be well advised to consider what his runaway imagination is telling him to write before committing to publication. It started well but was just implausible to the point of being silly.
March 7, 2022
I received this ARC for an honest review. This is a very good book. Page one starts you off in the horror and mayhem that is being caused by mutant, vicious rats that are picking off humans to near extinction. One man decides enough is enough and decides to face this evil face to face. The book is well written and keeps you engaged. The writing puts you right into the action and the horror.
December 15, 2025
Very graphic horror story of an overwhelming rat epidemic where the rats evolve with humans unable to compete. Many despicable humans are rats ...
Borrowed this edition on May 27, 2025, Kindle Unlimited.
Horror got to me and I could only scan to the end after chapter 55. December 14, 2025. About 80 chapters total.
Borrowed this edition on May 27, 2025, Kindle Unlimited.
Horror got to me and I could only scan to the end after chapter 55. December 14, 2025. About 80 chapters total.
July 24, 2022
Not Very Good
I was expecting a B Movie Creature Feature, but this throws so much at the reader, a lot of it strains credulity and what could have been an ok book collapses under the weight
I was expecting a B Movie Creature Feature, but this throws so much at the reader, a lot of it strains credulity and what could have been an ok book collapses under the weight
December 5, 2025
Intense and unforgettable!
This book pulled me in instantly. Ethan’s fight to survive the rat-plagued chaos feels real, brutal, and gripping. The mutant twist and the mysterious stranger kept me turning pages nonstop. A fast, thrilling read I couldn’t put down.
This book pulled me in instantly. Ethan’s fight to survive the rat-plagued chaos feels real, brutal, and gripping. The mutant twist and the mysterious stranger kept me turning pages nonstop. A fast, thrilling read I couldn’t put down.
February 12, 2023
You'll never look at a rat the same way.
This story looks like it might be the third movie at the drive-in (nothing wrong with that), but it is so much more than that. This author has the imagination to came up with more incarnations that a rat might go through than most of us could ever begin to get to. Read this story, open your mind and have fun.
This story looks like it might be the third movie at the drive-in (nothing wrong with that), but it is so much more than that. This author has the imagination to came up with more incarnations that a rat might go through than most of us could ever begin to get to. Read this story, open your mind and have fun.
February 2, 2025
The Walking Dead meets Willard in this gory apocalyptic novel
In the countryside of England, rats roam the land. While not an unnatural occurrence, these rats have dominated the area for the last five years. As a modern-day plague has gripped the land only a fraction of the prior population remains. Those that survive are relegated to only venturing out cautiously during the day and hiding in their homes at night for fear of being the next victim. Among the pockets of survivors, several brave men and women have risen to combat the ever-growing vermin, but they are evolving in ways that are terrifying and at a rate that seems insurmountable. When a mysterious man shows up at the Black Lion seemingly with information about the rats’ origin and a theory on how to combat them the survivors are skeptical. Recruiting two of the “Rat Liquidators”, they are moved to a high-tech government facility where they learn more about the plague origins and the vermin mutations than they could have guessed. Working with other similarly trained rat teams, the ragtag band undertakes their first mission. Testing a theory that with modern technology, the larger rats can be controlled and used to assist the humans in taking back the land. The “Sigma rats” as they have been dubbed could be their greatest asset or their worst liability.
Ratstrike by Jools G King is on the surface a straightforward horror where one animal species overruns and conquers another almost to extinction, but with this author nothing is ever straightforward. Using his brand of extreme gore and shocking situations, King has created a nightmarish distant future England overrun by rats of all kinds. With an almost “Walking Dead” sort of vibe, the rats are evolving and mutating with each new turn of the book. And with the government involved at least partially with the creation of the Sigma Rats to combat the larger populace, one cannot help but wonder if this entire thing isn’t just a lab experiment gone terribly wrong.
I was recently introduced to King with his novella Raven Hill which can be summed up as a fast past, blood-soaked witch war. While Ratstrike is a longer story than Raven Hill, King does an excellent job laying the framework and building the story to its cliffhanger end for a future return to this apocalyptic rat ridden wasteland. The world created by King is bleak, violet and graphic. If you are easily disgusted Ratstrike is probably not the book for you; but if you like your horror, gory and graphic to the point where you can smell the words coming from the pages, this will not disappoint.
Full disclosure - I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author or their representative but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own
In the countryside of England, rats roam the land. While not an unnatural occurrence, these rats have dominated the area for the last five years. As a modern-day plague has gripped the land only a fraction of the prior population remains. Those that survive are relegated to only venturing out cautiously during the day and hiding in their homes at night for fear of being the next victim. Among the pockets of survivors, several brave men and women have risen to combat the ever-growing vermin, but they are evolving in ways that are terrifying and at a rate that seems insurmountable. When a mysterious man shows up at the Black Lion seemingly with information about the rats’ origin and a theory on how to combat them the survivors are skeptical. Recruiting two of the “Rat Liquidators”, they are moved to a high-tech government facility where they learn more about the plague origins and the vermin mutations than they could have guessed. Working with other similarly trained rat teams, the ragtag band undertakes their first mission. Testing a theory that with modern technology, the larger rats can be controlled and used to assist the humans in taking back the land. The “Sigma rats” as they have been dubbed could be their greatest asset or their worst liability.
Ratstrike by Jools G King is on the surface a straightforward horror where one animal species overruns and conquers another almost to extinction, but with this author nothing is ever straightforward. Using his brand of extreme gore and shocking situations, King has created a nightmarish distant future England overrun by rats of all kinds. With an almost “Walking Dead” sort of vibe, the rats are evolving and mutating with each new turn of the book. And with the government involved at least partially with the creation of the Sigma Rats to combat the larger populace, one cannot help but wonder if this entire thing isn’t just a lab experiment gone terribly wrong.
I was recently introduced to King with his novella Raven Hill which can be summed up as a fast past, blood-soaked witch war. While Ratstrike is a longer story than Raven Hill, King does an excellent job laying the framework and building the story to its cliffhanger end for a future return to this apocalyptic rat ridden wasteland. The world created by King is bleak, violet and graphic. If you are easily disgusted Ratstrike is probably not the book for you; but if you like your horror, gory and graphic to the point where you can smell the words coming from the pages, this will not disappoint.
Full disclosure - I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author or their representative but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews