Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Rafael  By  cover art

Rafael

By: Laurell K. Hamilton
Narrated by: Kimberly Alexis
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Rafael, king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown. He wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before. He will ask Anita to risk everything to be at his side....

But some of the wererats fear that Rafael depends too much on Anita and her ties to the vampires. They believe that there is only room in America for one supernatural king, and Rafael will turn them into nothing more than food for the bloodsuckers.

Among his enemies, a new challenger has arisen who is younger, hungrier, and has dark secrets that could destroy both the wererats and the vampires. Rafael will go into the magical heart of his people to find the power and violence that he needs to save them all, or die trying.

©2020 Laurell K. Hamilton (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Featured Article: The 25 Best Vampire Audiobooks to Suck You In


Vampire stories have fascinated people across cultures for generations. From gothic Transylvania to early-aughts Washington, it seems like vampires have taken every form in every culture and every country around the world. From all of these options, we’ve selected 25 of the best audiobooks from the pack—those with the most captivating characters, creepiest settings, and, perhaps most importantly, the best vocal performances available.

What listeners say about Rafael

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,356
  • 4 Stars
    272
  • 3 Stars
    70
  • 2 Stars
    22
  • 1 Stars
    12
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,381
  • 4 Stars
    128
  • 3 Stars
    28
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,179
  • 4 Stars
    221
  • 3 Stars
    102
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    16

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

why do I keep doing this to myself?

I keep buying her books. why??!! there hasn't been a solid story since about book 15 in this series yet I feel like I'm in too deep all I can't just give up. At this point in the series it's less story and more of an in depth treatise on why polyamory and alternative lifestyles are great and healthy. Lady, I agree with you already. can we move on now? I mean, I like a good sex scene but this is getting boring. I want zombies, murder mystery, vampire/were court intrigue. oh well. can't always get what we want, eh?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

115 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good but to short and started off slow..

I liked this book but once again if there was not to much sex there was way to much of the book talking about it and BS about it. I really wish the author would get back to the good much better older and longer books when the books were about crime fighting, vampires mystery and Anita Blake tough fighting monsters and raising the dead, more of Jean Claude and Ted/Edward, Spottedhorse and Olaf etc. Especially Olaf, he is scary and a book about him would be extremely good and exciting. Even a little sex mixed in with him would not be to bad becuase he is so messed up. It would make it more interesting and wondrous and different. Like The exciting scary interesting first 14 or so books WITH THE SOUND EFFECTS INCLUDED. We have had to wait to long in-between books for them to be just about sex or to much sex and the adore etc. She could quickly mention the adore has been fed and move on to the real story. But other than that the book was exciting and started to get back to the excitement we all love about her books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

So tired of the mansplaining

Let me start by saying I used to loved each Anita Blake book. In the beginning they had a great mix of romance, mystery, and description. Now 95% of each book is mansplaining each concept that crosses any characters mind. Male or female. The over the top explaination of things and then turning around and reexplaining is tiresome. The book is short, and not filled with much action. The ending is abrupt and leaves a few questions. I'm so dissatisfied that if I could return the book I would. Even though I own every book in this series, I won't be buying more. I may check them out from the library, but no preorders and one clicks. I think at this point in the series it's just about the author writing books with so much filler to make money. There is no closure in sight and this is book 28. The characters haven't grown much over the 28 books. I'm being vague cause there is only a few things of note happen in this book and if I talk about it, it can ruin it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The 1st nine chapters...oy!

I think there are a lot of people who put this book down because of the 1st 9 chapters. It plodded along, with Anita once again doubting herself, her strength, relationships all before they left the locker room area was just trying. Chapter 10 is where it all picks up and from then on the book is absolutely great! It had the action, humor, bloody bits we all love. It's just those 1st. Nine. Chapters...OY!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Well, spoilers.

I love Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake universe. I've read all the books more than once and listened to them as well. This one I was very excited about, because one of my favorite characters is Rafael the Rat King. I was so desiring a deep dive into Rafael, who he is, how he got that way, what is happening in his kingdom of were-rats.

Surprisingly I'm a good way into the book and it is all about sex, discussion and discourse about problems, problems. In essence it is once more about Anita and sex and power. Not really about Rafael, well...a little bit about Rafael. There is so much detailed description, and at the same time too much euphemism rather than direct talk. The plot doesn't advance much through the first hours. I am hoping something will actually happen, aside from sex and arguing about sex. What a complicated love life.

As the story at last gets going, it feels more like an interlude than a full tale. The way LKH writes deserves a huge long book. It is not uncommon for the recent books to be 15-20 hours, sometimes more. This is a tiny glimpse. What isn't truncated is the knowledge that despite rules and restrictions Anita must once more save the day.

A fight to the death it seems is going to take place. The king of all the rats, versus the young challenger...who turns out to be ridden (possessed) by an evil vampiric force we are familiar with. There are partially developed glimpses at the rich culture of the Rodere. Too many rules, ones that get bent of course. The Rodere is one of the few intact Were cultures for thousands of years, ripe with magic and customs. We don't have the time necessary to see it all. All this comes together to surround the bloody fight.

So. I did listen to the full book and am about to go back and re-listen to be sure I missed nothing. LKH is a wonderful writer, I always devour her work. I would like to see her return to the full investigative and hunting of rogues, evil doers. As I wait for that I have this smaller treat. A little look at political maneuvering and Therianthropic cultures. It feels incomplete.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not really about Rafael

As usual, everything centered on Anita, not Rafael. It was nice to finally go into the rodere inner sanctum, because in all of the books, it has never happened before. But I expected to learn more about him as a person and the steps that led to him becoming the king. It may be time for Anita to hang up her guns because she never understands anything until the last minute. I want a book that is named Rafael to be about Rafael, like Jason was about Jason and Micah was about Micah. Also, since when is Claudia Spanish? Is that going to be a permanent change moving forward, or was that just for this book. Although it does (for some reason) seem like the majority of the rats are Spanish. Why is that? Another review said this book is racist. Perhaps that’s why? 😳Yep, it may be time to stop. Maybe go to book 30 and call it quits. You gave up on Merry Gentry a lot sooner that that!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

get back to plots and drop the sex

Hoped the shorter lenght would mean less sex. It didn't. The actual plot was enough for one or two chapters, not even a short story. I'd go for no stars if I could.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointed... It was like being on a diet

DIETS suck. This book was like a diet. As always narration was great. The story was more like an intro scene. First there was no marshal investigation. That is like the main course. Second no romance or sex scenes, missed my dessert and half the meal.
Disapointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

My least favorite book do far

The writing was not as well developed in my opinion. This book feels rushed. I would have liked to have seen more in depth about Rafael. Also the leap in Anita's abilities is only going to cause more troubles. I see less marshall duties and more vampire/wereanimal issues coming up. I miss the Marshall duties!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Waiting

It takes so long to get to the plot. The interesting part didn’t happen until the end, then the book was over.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful