Rat's Reputation - Michael H Payne;Lauren Henderson

Orphans have it tough no matter where they are. But for an orphaned rat in a community of mice, it's twice as hard. For every mouse willing to look past Rat's oversized physique and sketchy relatives, there are two convinced he's just a thief and a murderer biding his time.

It doesn't help that Rat has a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and to do the wrong thing just when someone's watching. Vandalism, robbery, even murder: as he grows, so does the legend around him, and Rat will have to separate truth from fiction to find out not only where he comes from, but where he's going, and, most importantly, where he belongs.

For the first time in print, Rat's Reputation is author Michael Payne's further exploration of life in the lush, beautifully realized world of The Blood Jaguar.

More a companion story than a prequel or sequel (though some characters will be familiar to readers of his first book), Payne here shows that you don't have to follow a prophecy to travel an epic journey, and you don't have to save the world to be a hero.

Cover and interior art by Lauren Henderson (aka: "Louvelex"), who also illustrated Sofawolf Press's edition of The Blood Jaguar.