Plague! Shadow of the Rat King (Now available on Amazon KDP!)

Information

Status

Ongoing

Year

2024

Author

God of Lies

• Chapter 4. The Wrath of Pepys
  Dec 18, 2024
• Chapter 3. Nonsuch House
  Dec 18, 2024
• Chapter 2. London Bridge
  Dec 17, 2024
• Chapter 1. Backalong in Devon
  Dec 17, 2024
• Prologue – Derry Way, London
  Dec 17, 2024

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• Thorn GreenwoodRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  So far, Plague! Shadow of the Rat King has delighted and astounded me more than anything else that I've read on Royal Road. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun while reading. The humor is reminiscent of Monty Python, and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the more ridiculous scenes. If you love dark British humor, you should stop whatever you're doing right now and start reading this story. Not only is it funny, though, it's also downright very well written! Between the frequent wordplay, innuendos, and flawless dialogue, it's clear that the author has a refined grasp of the English language.
  Style: The author's style is unique and consistent. I read in the description that this story was adapted from a musical, and it absolutely feels like this story has been brought to life before my very eyes! It reads like I'm watching everything unfold on a stage. The pace is well done- it moves slowly enough to allow us to get to know the characters well, but fast enough that the action really never ceases. This story runs like a well-oiled machine.
  Story: The storyline is interesting, with a lot of tension being built around the rivalry between the Undertaker and the Alchemist, and I'm excited to see where that aspect is headed. I love the chapters sprinkled in that follow the rats, hinting towards a much deeper plot looming in the murky sewers below the surface.
  Grammar: The grammar is without error. Thank you, dear author, from someone who can easily be taken out of a story like whiplash when there are glaring grammatical errors. I truly appreciate how easy your story is to read.
  Characters: The characters are vibrant and fleshed-out. Clive is a poor farm boy that just hit the big city, and it is so fun to follow him because he really is a dolt! The author did say that he will grow a lot later on in the story, which I'm looking forward to seeing for Clive's sake, but I actually love how foolish he is at the beginning. He is constantly getting himself
• DreamDrakeRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I agreed to review this in a swap and didn't want to procrastinate any further
  Even after one chapter I can tell this is a good one, because the book knows what it wants to be. The maturity, dry wit, and characterization of the world and the people in it is clear, and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds. And more importantly, doesn't need any rising numbers to accomplish this
• Bruce FreadrichRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  If you have been secretly wishing that someone would find a lost Terry Pratchett novel tucked in a desk somewhere… tough luck there isn't one. Instead we have The God of Lies with Plague! Shadow of the Rat King.
  The Divinity of Falsehoods, leads us through a whimsical London which never was, and yet very much existed. Wannabe actor Clive (played in my mind by Harold Lloyd) has come to the big smoke hoping to find fame, but a grave digger named Jerry has designs. I suspect there will be were-rats and a big fire at some point. Literary allusions, historical personages, Easter eggs, and intertextualities, abound. Grammar has been discarded (and ridiculed) and something wonderful has been left in its place. Storytelling.
  Well paced. Chapters are a nice coffee break in length.
  It is British humor, so if Blackadder isn't your cuppa…
  We all type LOL, but how many time have you actually disrupted a coffee shop?
• MagecrafterRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  The story is very well-written.
  If I was to give a basic review, that's what I'll say. The narrative structure, use of language, and uses of words to elicit feelings in me all feel so surreal. It's clear the author isn't only talented, but also skilled.
  I really like that there are pictures in the chapters that help you visualize certain places and descriptions better. I also really like the language of the novel. Gives me old-school drama vibes... like Bridgerton with the Old English. Overall, I like the story's concept.
  This isn't usually my type of novel, but I was really attracted to the cover and ended up being captivated with the story that I read more than I bargained for. God of Lies... keep delivering peak to us!
• estheryangRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  Humourous, historical, and colorful, this book has it all! The style of writing is on par to the time period. The grammar is flawless. I felt drawn into the book, its settings, and the characters as they were very well written. The comical relief made me hanker for more of the story.
• fachefaucheuxRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  If you're looking for well-written dark comedy along the lines of Blackadder, or maybe Johnathan L. Howard's Johannes Cabal series with a bit less less edge, you've found the right story!
  First off, I love a good historical story. And this story is packed to the brim with history -- references to places and people that I'm sure I only caught maybe a third of, since Restoration London is not 100% my historical wheelhouse, though it's within walking distance at times. The author does a great job of dropping the references but not making the reader feel lost or stupid for not catching them all. Excellent.
  Secondly, the writing is also excellent. Grammar is on point, sentences are varied, creative, and never drag on despite being rather long in the tooth. (Which I very much enjoyed...I love a good semi-colon.) The one quibble I have with the writing style of the narration is the! Exclamation! Points! They decrease in number as the story continues, which I appreciated, but I'm not sure what purpose they're serving in the story. The humor stands well enough on its own without them, and I'm not sure they add much to it. But I have the feeling that the reader's thoughts on the exclamation points will be very much a personal thing.
  As for the dialogue...it's witty, zany, fast-paced, with a good ear for dialect and time period. But way too often I feel like the characters are talking at each other rather than with each other. I'm not sure if I'd be as conscious of it if I hadn't been made aware that it is an adaption from a musical, but it definitely does give the vibe of people delivering lines to one another rather than talking, person to person.
  Which leads to the one point in the story that I wish the author would capitalize more on -- which is the interiority provided by the switch from musical to novel. I feel like delving deeper into the characters' minds and experiences, and not just for the sake of poking fun at poor, country bumpkin Clive, would really make the stor
• wigochickRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  Nothing much to criticize about the writing from an objective standpoint. The author is impressively skillful with wordplay and building atmosphere, which are the elements that really carry the story.
  So far, up to the point that I've read (around Chapter 8) the characters tend to border more on elaborate caricatures than fully fleshed out. Clive, the main character, seems to be more of a not-so-straight man for the colorful events and historical cameos swirling around him to bounce off of, rather than someone to actually root for. He kind of comes off like Alice as a himbo ingenue lost in a diseased Wonderland before they put in proper plumbing and a few more human rights, jumping from one wacky character introduction and set piece to another. It's all good fun, although the madcap pace, puns and plot points being thrown at you in these earlier chapters could tend to overwhelm.
  For some reason, in the prologue and first chapter, it took me a while to feel immersed in the era where the book is actually set since there was something about the style and tone that kept reminding me of late 1970s-early 1980s pulp/hardboiled UK fiction instead of the 1660s. Think Dick Francis. I was finally able to snap into the proper period mood by the first historical cameo though. I also kept thinking how much Clive's arrival in plague-ridden London reminded me of something I'd seen or read before, then it hit me - the 1995 film Restoration with Robert Downey Jr! My vague memories of the movie kind of helped me orient myself amid the bewildering barrage of Restoration references.
  I think, betraying its origins as a musical play, some scenes do come off more as if they're sketches, with characters lobbing zingers at each other. As I'd earlier bought up, this makes some of them come off as rather one note, and rather loud notes at that. There are a lot of exclamation points! perking up the dialogue! Maybe they develop further later!?
  I know this review may come off as more critical tha
• BulbusRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  A very well written dark comedy/romance.  The characters are brimming with life and adventure, and I'm enjoying the story so far (on about chapter 7).  If there's one suggestion that I could make to the story - it would be the grammar choice.  Sometimes ( not often - maybe a word a chapter) it comes off as too eccentric or extreme for my taste, where I feel that the average reader might have to reach for a dictionary to understand you.  I would keep in mind the audience that you're aiming for with the story when it comes to word choice.
• JustSomeGuyonRRRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  This is a unique and entertaining dive into 1665 London, blending dark humor with historical fiction. The story follows Clive Hucklefish, a hapless aspiring actor who stumbles into the grim business of being an undertaker as the Great Plague ravages the city. His misadventures are filled with sharp wit, absurd situations, and a wonderfully satirical take on historical events. The humor reminds me of a mix between Blackadder and Terry Pratchett—clever, biting, and sometimes wonderfully ridiculous.
  The historical setting is richly detailed without feeling like a history lesson. You can almost smell the filth in the streets and feel the paranoia creeping through the city. The dialogue is witty, the prose is polished, and the tone strikes a great balance between comedy and grim reality.
  However, the story isn’t without flaws. The pacing can be uneven—some sections are fast-moving and engaging, while others drag, lingering on side plots that don’t always feel necessary. The overarching narrative isn’t always clear, and while the humor is fantastic, it sometimes overshadows character depth. I would have liked to see more emotional growth in Clive rather than just reacting to chaos around him.
  Overall, if you enjoy historical fiction with a comedic twist and don’t mind a bit of meandering story, this is definitely worth a read!
• Sink0 PesoRoyal Road

  ★★★★ 4.0

  While the first chapter is confusing as we don't know anything about the context of the surreal conversation between the characters in an old language that is quite dense to read, it does give us an idea of ​​the dynamics that comes later with Clive, which soon shine in chapter two, where poor Clive physical and improvised comedy shines.
  Even though I'm not a big fan of the history of London or the 17th century, the story certainly immerses you in this era, the place feels very alive in the middle of so much death and it is certainly a fun and interesting narrative, extremely theatrical, silly, fantastical and real at the same time.