The Marching Dead

“Battersby absolutely nails the narrative style, balancing humour and horror, fantasy and felony. It’s another quick-moving, well-written story that amuses, excites, and concludes with some rather deep, and remarkably heavy musings on the subjects of life, death, and the afterlife – or the lack thereof.”
– Bob Milne, Beauty in Ruins

“With this sequel, Battersby kicked up everything I loved about the first novel by a notch or two – world-building, storytelling, hilarity, and most of all, characters who just made me punch the air over and over again, usually while laughing.”
– Kate Of Mind

Praise for The Corpse-Rat King

“A stunning debut novel, well-crafted and grotesquely inventive. With its madcap story, unforgettable characters and fine balance between humour and pathos, The Corpse-Rat King ticks all the boxes. Fans of Joe Abercrombie will love this.”
– Juliet Marillier , award-winning author of the Sevenwaters series and Bridei’s Chronicles

“ The Corpse-Rat King is rugged, muscular fantasy, sure to please those who like their adventures rough around the edges, with wit and style to burn.”
– Karen Miller , author of The Innocent Mage and the Godspeaker trilogy

“One of the best books of 2012, nailed on. Brilliant.”
– Steven Savile , author of London Macabre , Black Chalice and many more.

“Wry, absurdist, and pleasantly cynical, Battersby’s debut will appeal to fans of Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora and Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal .”
– Publishers Weekly , Starred Review

“This is a tale of con-men, their victims and the undead, and will appeal to fans of Scott Lynch or Mark Lawrence, or anyone who likes a not-so-loveable rogue.” 8 out of 10.
– Ed Fortune, Starburst Magazine

“If you had a wish list every time you read a book – great characters, story, pace, writing – that you ticked off every time you came across one of them, you’d soon wear out your pencil while reading The Corpse-Rat King .”
– Katy O’Dowd for The British Fantasy Society

“The last three-fourths of this book are beyond spectacular. Lee Battersby definitely saved the best for last in this unforgettable tale of death, dead things, and more awesome dead stuff.”
– Liam at The Troubled Scribe

“This was a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and will gleefully recommend, without reservation.”
– Bob Milne, Beauty in Ruins

“ The Corpse Rat King is fast, furious, and Fun. In a genre that can so often take itself far too seriously it’s a hugely refreshing read. Battersby is a wonderfully fresh new voice.”
– Zoe Oliver, Fantasy Bytes

“ The Corpse-Rat King is the very definition of a great story; the perfect concoction of old world fantasy, intrigue, adventure and full-bodied characters that sweep you deeper into the story with each turn of the page.”
– Greg Chapman, Thirteen O’Clock

“This book was outstanding! The author, Lee Battersby should be proud to have written such an amazing masterpiece of imagination, sarcasm and fantastic inventiveness”
– Melinda le Baron, Melinda’s Bibliophile Blog

“ The Corpse-Rat King is different enough to appeal to most readers while the engaging, intelligent and wildly different narrative should keep any reader glued to the pages, a brilliant début from a promising talent.”
– Ant, SFBook.com

“I like my humor like I like my chocolate… dark. The Corpse-Rat King gave me plenty of those laugh out loud moments. I could imagine the main character played by Bruce Campbell. The story marched along at a fast pace with plenty of gags.”
– Barry Huddlestone, Gnostalgia

“If you’re looking for an interesting new voice in fantasy and an entertaining read, look no further than Lee Battersby and his debut The Corpse-Rat King .”
– Mieneke van der Salm, A Fantastical Librarian

“A very unusual and inventive examination of the age old fantasy and mythology staple, the Realm of the Dead”
– Gav at Mass Movement Magazine

“There are a lot of things to like in this debut novel from Battersby. If you are into weirdness and / or reprehensible knaves, I think you will get a real kick out of this story.”
– Ryan Lawler, Fantasy Book Review

“ The Corpse-Rat King is an absurd and fantastical tale of a man about to learn the error of his ways the hard way.”
– Hannah Mariksa, My Book Journey

“Bawdy, inventive, and often darkly funny, The Corpse-Rat King is an entertaining and surprising fantasy adventure.”
– Scott Pearson, The Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s Author Magazine

“A word about a part of this book that I really appreciate in books, it’s its humour: impertinent, pungent and grotesque found throughout the story. Whether in dialogue or in situations, there is always something to smile or laugh. This is not just a book of undead (or living dead for Marius) but a true adventure book, funny and epic. I give it 4/ 5.”
– Vanessa S Bookshelves

“Battersby absolutely nails the narrative style, balancing humour and horror, fantasy and felony. It’s another quick-moving, well-written story that amuses, excites, and concludes with some rather deep, and remarkably heavy musings on the subjects of life, death, and the afterlife – or the lack thereof.”
– Bob Milne, Beauty in Ruins

“With this sequel, Battersby kicked up everything I loved about the first novel by a notch or two – world-building, storytelling, hilarity, and most of all, characters who just made me punch the air over and over again, usually while laughing.”
– Kate Of Mind

Praise for The Corpse-Rat King

“A stunning debut novel, well-crafted and grotesquely inventive. With its madcap story, unforgettable characters and fine balance between humour and pathos, The Corpse-Rat King ticks all the boxes. Fans of Joe Abercrombie will love this.”
– Juliet Marillier , award-winning author of the Sevenwaters series and Bridei’s Chronicles

“ The Corpse-Rat King is rugged, muscular fantasy, sure to please those who like their adventures rough around the edges, with wit and style to burn.”
– Karen Miller , author of The Innocent Mage and the Godspeaker trilogy

“One of the best books of 2012, nailed on. Brilliant.”
– Steven Savile , author of London Macabre , Black Chalice and many more.

“Wry, absurdist, and pleasantly cynical, Battersby’s debut will appeal to fans of Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora and Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal .”
– Publishers Weekly , Starred Review

“This is a tale of con-men, their victims and the undead, and will appeal to fans of Scott Lynch or Mark Lawrence, or anyone who likes a not-so-loveable rogue.” 8 out of 10.
– Ed Fortune, Starburst Magazine

“If you had a wish list every time you read a book – great characters, story, pace, writing – that you ticked off every time you came across one of them, you’d soon wear out your pencil while reading The Corpse-Rat King .”
– Katy O’Dowd for The British Fantasy Society

“The last three-fourths of this book are beyond spectacular. Lee Battersby definitely saved the best for last in this unforgettable tale of death, dead things, and more awesome dead stuff.”
– Liam at The Troubled Scribe

“This was a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and will gleefully recommend, without reservation.”
– Bob Milne, Beauty in Ruins

“ The Corpse Rat King is fast, furious, and Fun. In a genre that can so often take itself far too seriously it’s a hugely refreshing read. Battersby is a wonderfully fresh new voice.”
– Zoe Oliver, Fantasy Bytes

“ The Corpse-Rat King is the very definition of a great story; the perfect concoction of old world fantasy, intrigue, adventure and full-bodied characters that sweep you deeper into the story with each turn of the page.”
– Greg Chapman, Thirteen O’Clock

“This book was outstanding! The author, Lee Battersby should be proud to have written such an amazing masterpiece of imagination, sarcasm and fantastic inventiveness”
– Melinda le Baron, Melinda’s Bibliophile Blog

“ The Corpse-Rat King is different enough to appeal to most readers while the engaging, intelligent and wildly different narrative should keep any reader glued to the pages, a brilliant début from a promising talent.”
– Ant, SFBook.com

“I like my humor like I like my chocolate… dark. The Corpse-Rat King gave me plenty of those laugh out loud moments. I could imagine the main character played by Bruce Campbell. The story marched along at a fast pace with plenty of gags.”
– Barry Huddlestone, Gnostalgia

“If you’re looking for an interesting new voice in fantasy and an entertaining read, look no further than Lee Battersby and his debut The Corpse-Rat King .”
– Mieneke van der Salm, A Fantastical Librarian

“A very unusual and inventive examination of the age old fantasy and mythology staple, the Realm of the Dead”
– Gav at Mass Movement Magazine

“There are a lot of things to like in this debut novel from Battersby. If you are into weirdness and / or reprehensible knaves, I think you will get a real kick out of this story.”
– Ryan Lawler, Fantasy Book Review

“ The Corpse-Rat King is an absurd and fantastical tale of a man about to learn the error of his ways the hard way.”
– Hannah Mariksa, My Book Journey

“Bawdy, inventive, and often darkly funny, The Corpse-Rat King is an entertaining and surprising fantasy adventure.”
– Scott Pearson, The Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s Author Magazine

“A word about a part of this book that I really appreciate in books, it’s its humour: impertinent, pungent and grotesque found throughout the story. Whether in dialogue or in situations, there is always something to smile or laugh. This is not just a book of undead (or living dead for Marius) but a true adventure book, funny and epic. I give it 4/ 5.”
– Vanessa S Bookshelves

Lee Battersby was born in Nottingham, UK, in 1970 and moved to Australia at the age of 5, bringing his parents with him for protection. A multiple award-winning author of over 70 short stories in Australia, the US and Europe, He writes across a wide range of forms, including poetry, reviews, stand-up comedy and film, and has taught writing for both Clarion South and the Australian Writers Marketplace. He lives in Mandurah, Western Australia, with his wife, writer Lyn Battersby, and a brood of increasingly weird children. His long-running weblog, the Battersblog, is archived by Australia's National Library as an electronic source of log-term research value, which amuses him greatly. The author lives in Mandurah, Australia.