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Barbara Hambly
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Bride of the Rat God Kindle Edition

by Barbara Hambly (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 228 ratings
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A Hollywood diva. A Chinese curse. A suspense-filled fantasy from the New York Times–bestselling author “who can write well in any genre” (Charlaine Harris).
 It is 1923, and silent film reigns in Hollywood. Of all the starlets, none is more beloved than Chrysanda Flamande, a diva as brilliant as she is difficult to manage. Handling her falls to Norah, widow of Chrysanda’s dead brother. She has always done her job well, but she was never equipped to deal with murder. When a violent killing shocks Chrysanda’s entourage, and other weird happenings swiftly follow, Norah begins to suspect that some strange power is stalking the star. In Chinatown she receives warning that a curse has been placed on the actress as vengeance for wearing a sacred amulet in one of her films—and this curse could mean death for all who surround her. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Barbara Hambly, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.
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  1. Print length
    380 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  4. Publication date
    March 29, 2011
  5. File size
    8212 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Barbara is a fabulously talented writer who can write well in any genre.” —Charlaine Harris

"The novel is set among the film-makers in 1923 Los Angeles. Everything is described in a highly evocative, sensual manner so that as a reader, you can see the scenery clearly in your inner eye, hear the sounds, and almost smell the smells. A lot of information about Hollywood's early history and the making of silent movies is included yet Barbara Hambly never begins to bore with lengthy descriptions. Instead she seamlessly inserts details that the narrator observes or considers at a given moment and that are relevant to her situation right then." — Rike Hortsmann, All About Romance

"It’s fascinating, well written, fast paced, and packed with tension leading to a dynamite ending. It’s also got a sweet romance between a woman who thought her heart was dead and a fantastic hero who’s probably a good four inches shorter than she is, bearded and who wears glasses. Readers who want to experience an unusual hero need look no further …The wealth of period detail, the pulse pounding ending, the complex characters, the tight narrative, and three wonderful little dogs make Bride of the Rat God a winner for me." — Dear Author

From the Publisher

Even though I don't usually read fantasy, I read this book because of the interesting setting--Hollywood in the 1920s. A strange setting for magic, so I had to find out how Hambly could make it work. And she does. This is an enjoyable romp--and if you're an SF editor who reads Fantasy for fun on the subway, this book is just the ticket.

--Ellen Key Harris, Editor, Del Rey Books

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004TC146E
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy (March 29, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 29, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 8212 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 380 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 228 ratings

About the author

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Barbara Hambly

Barbara Hambly

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"Barbara Hambly (b. 1951) is a New York Times bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction, as well as historical novels set in the nineteenth century. After receiving a master’s degree in medieval history, she published The Time of the Dark, the first novel in the Darwath saga, in 1982, establishing herself as an author of serious speculative fiction. Since then she has created several series, including the Windrose Chronicles, Sun-Cross, and Sun Wolf and Starhawk, in addition to writing for the Star Wars and Star Trek universes.

Besides fantasy, Hambly has won acclaim for the James Asher vampire series, which won the Locus Award for best horror novel in 1989, and the Benjamin January mystery series, featuring a brilliant African-American surgeon in antebellum New Orleans. She lives in Los Angeles."

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
228 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very enjoyable, readable, and fun. They describe the plot as original, memorable, and evocative of time and place. Readers appreciate the great characters and the skillful characterization. They praise the writing quality as great and the author as a master of descriptive writing and suspense.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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EnjoymentStory qualityCharacter developmentWriting qualityDetail accuracy
24 customers mention "Enjoyment"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very enjoyable, readable, and fun. They say the story sucks them in and keeps them reading. Readers also mention the book is worth their time.

"...This is fun reading as she hits all the tropes from that period but manages to make her characters very real and engaging and the action is thrilling..." Read more

"...her way with words IS top notch and the story sucked me in and kept me reading...." Read more

"...itself is a bit rough around the edges, but generally this is an enjoyable book that readers of all ages and genres should enjoy...." Read more

"...Well written and well realised, this book by Hambly has never received the attention that her series fantasy earned, and yet within its genre the..." Read more

24 customers mention "Story quality"21 positive3 negative

Customers find the story original, memorable, and evocative of time and place. They also say it's a great fantasy with enough magic and mystery to keep them intrigued. Readers also mention the book is interesting and descriptive of the time period.

"...manages to make her characters very real and engaging and the action is thrilling. It's a great, fun, escapist read and I highly recommend it." Read more

"...Things do heat up toward the end of the book and the climax is satisfying and fitting for an old Hollywood spectacle, like the ones often portrayed..." Read more

"...It's clear that Hambly has done her research and she creates a great backdrop - if a Rat God is going to pop up somewhere to claim his bride then LA..." Read more

"This is an intriguing look at the early days of Hollywood motion pictures, which doubles as the setting of a fantasy horror story...." Read more

17 customers mention "Character development"14 positive3 negative

Customers find the characters great, loveable, and sympathetic. They also appreciate the skill of the author's characterization.

"...hits all the tropes from that period but manages to make her characters very real and engaging and the action is thrilling...." Read more

"...There is also much more character development than a standard pulp story, so much so that not much happens - action wise - for several chapters...." Read more

"...Hambly has assembled a sympathetic cast: Norah, mourning her husband killed in the Great War; Christine, over the top movie star and Norah's sister-..." Read more

"...The characters are vivid, and it's interesting to see how the industry sucked in whoever had useful talents (or the right appearance)...." Read more

13 customers mention "Writing quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They say the author is a master of descriptive writing and suspense.

"...Barbara Hambly is an excellent writer and Bride of the Rat God is a well-written, absolutely fun, window on a world and a genre...." Read more

"...harkens back to the glory days of pulp fiction, the writing raises it to another level...." Read more

"...It helps of course that Barbara Hambly is a fantastic writer, across various genres...." Read more

"...Humbly has the energy, and manages to inject some good writing as well." Read more

3 customers mention "Detail accuracy"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing precise, vivid, and fantastic. They also say the author does a great job filling in the details that really make the world of Hollywood.

"...This is another good book by Hambley. Again she dazzles us with her precise, vivid writing and heartfelt characters...." Read more

"...enjoy about Barbara Hambly's writing is that she does a fantastic job filling in the details that really makes the world of the book come alive...." Read more

"...the realities of film-making in early Hollywood, wrapped in a wry, perceptive, and compassionate horror story (I know, right?),..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Star map junkie
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books. A great, fun, escapist read.
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2023
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I bought the paperback years ago and bought the ebook recently because I get a kick out of reading it every three or four years. Barbara Hambly is an excellent writer and Bride of the Rat God is a well-written, absolutely fun, window on a world and a genre. Set in California in the Roaring Twenties, a poor and thoroughly downtrodden young Englishwoman is rescued by her distant film star relative and taken to Hollywood. The film industry, excesses, parties, egocentric film executives and the general obsession with Mah Jong in Hollywood are all described in loving detail. A curse (Asian, of course since it's the 1920s) happens, the young relative and her boyfriend photographer are warned by his Asian grandmother about the curse of the Rat God and how to end it. This is fun reading as she hits all the tropes from that period but manages to make her characters very real and engaging and the action is thrilling. It's a great, fun, escapist read and I highly recommend it.
7 people found this helpful
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Lou1492
4.0 out of 5 stars Literary Pulp, Period Piece, Romance
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2014
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I purchased this book for my Kindle on a whim. Having never read anything by Barbara Hambly, I had no preconceived expectations, other than having read she was an excellent writer. Well, her way with words IS top notch and the story sucked me in and kept me reading. I love old pulp magazine tales, but many of them are terribly written and amateurish. While this novel harkens back to the glory days of pulp fiction, the writing raises it to another level. There is also much more character development than a standard pulp story, so much so that not much happens - action wise - for several chapters. I'd liken it to watching a classic B&W film, where it's all about style and mood, rather than explosions and special effects. Things do heat up toward the end of the book and the climax is satisfying and fitting for an old Hollywood spectacle, like the ones often portrayed in this tale.
2 people found this helpful
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Korrigan
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book, great writing, great fun
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
I must admit to a little nostalgia here. Many years ago a friend held out the paperback and said: read this. I looked at the title and went - Bride of the Rat God? Are you serious? But I read it and I loved it. It helps of course that Barbara Hambly is a fantastic writer, across various genres.

Reading this again on my Kindle was partly a nostalgia trip, but it was also great fun.

The setting is Hollywood, 1923, the silent movie era, with movie stars, speakeasies, wild parties and in this case one very dangerous creature on the hunt: The Rat God. Hambly has assembled a sympathetic cast: Norah, mourning her husband killed in the Great War; Christine, over the top movie star and Norah's sister-in-law; Chang a mysterious elderly gentleman with seemingly mad warnings, and a host of others, including three fabulous little Pekes.

Using the seemingly prim, English Norah as the POV character is perfect. A stranger in a strange land, Norah negotiates Los Angeles and the movie world with a combination of amazement and a down to earth attitude. Even Rat Gods aren't able to phase her, at least not completely.

It's clear that Hambly has done her research and she creates a great backdrop - if a Rat God is going to pop up somewhere to claim his bride then LA of 1923 seems somehow just the place.

I only wish someone had made this novel into a movie.

Grab the popcorn and read this.
9 people found this helpful
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C. S. Schofield
5.0 out of 5 stars Pulp, but excellent pulp
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2023
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I’m a sucker for urban fantasy set in odd places, and this one just worked for me. The Silent Era Hollywood setting felt solid. Maybe a historian expert in the period would have issues, but I sure didn’t. Yes, the ‘threat’ is hokey. Hokey fits the genre. If you aren’t looking for something with the feel of the great old pulps like THE SHADOW, this isn’t the right book for you. With rare exceptions (Hammett, Chandler) the pulps were written with more energy than art. Humbly has the energy, and manages to inject some good writing as well.
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Verity Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Chinese demon stalks silent film Hollywood
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2024
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This is an intriguing look at the early days of Hollywood motion pictures, which doubles as the setting of a fantasy horror story. The characters are vivid, and it's interesting to see how the industry sucked in whoever had useful talents (or the right appearance). The monster is truly frightening, and the aged wizard that is Hambly's touchstone character is very loveable (although not a love interest here).

One thing saddened me as I read: this book could not be published today. Even this respectful use of Chinese myth, magic, and people by a non-Asian author, would not be allowed now. Those who would object should steer clear.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Cracking read, shame about the Kindle price.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
I read this many years ago in paperback and remembered it well, so when I saw it was available on Kindle I wanted to buy it straight away but was put off by the ludicrously high Kindle price. If it wasn't for the fact that I was stuck for something to read and that I knew what an excellent read it was I would not have brought it. Why oh why do some publishers set the price of their e-books so ridiculously high? I can only assume it's sheer stupidity. Lower the price, sell more copies, it's not rocket sciences guys! Anyway rant over. This is a superb romp, well written, well researched, full of atmosphere, great characters. I loved it. Just hated the price!
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