Malig Tumora

Doomsday Rats #3

by James Moloney

Book 3 in James Moloney's page-turning Doomsday Rats series. Berrin has been one of only a handful of humans to escape the control of the evil Malig Tumora. But when Berrin emerges onto the creek bank after a scorpion-like cannon has flooded the tunnels, Malig Tumora's servants, the gruesome-looking Gadges, recapture him. Imprisoned within Malig Tumora's menagerie, Berrin meets Aden, an unusual boy with a powerful learning ability. Together, the boys face many challenges as they complete a series of tests aimed at identifying a suitable clone that will make all remaining humans obsolete. But Berrin and Aden face a more immediate threat when they come face-to-face with Malig Tumora's most terrifying creation: a computer that turns against its own creator, successfully enlisting the support of the Gadges in return for a blood promise. Berrin's mission intensifies as he sets out to find the moths that are capable of destroying the purple flower, the fragrance of which controls the humans under Malig Tumora's power. When all hope seems lost, can the boys escape the bloodthirsty Gadges and complete the task of saving humankind from a horrifying fate?

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 27, 2005

About the author

My full name is James Francis Moloney and I was born in Sydney, Australia on 20 September, 1954. When I was seven years old, my family moved to Brisbane and except for the odd year or two, I have lived in Brisbane ever since. At school, I was into every sport going - cricket, footy, swimming - you name it. It's hard to believe now but in High School, I was a champion Long Jumper! After University I became a teacher and then a Teacher Librarian. I moved around from school to school and in 1977-8 found myself in Cunnamulla, a little "outback" town where many Indigenous Australians live. These turned out to be important years for my writing.

In 1980, I look a year's leave, stuffed a backpack full of clothes and went off to see the world. Got to do it, guys! There's so much out there, from things to uplift your spirit to things that make you question the humanity of your fellow man. I stepped over rotting dog carcasses in Mexico city, got all weepy in a roomful of Impressionist paintings and met some fascinating people. Hope you'll do the same one day.

1983 was another big year. I got married and started work at Marist College Ashgrove, an all-boys school in Brisbane, where I stayed for fifteen years. During this time, I became interested in writing for young people, at first using the ideas and experiences gained from my time in Cunnamulla, mixed in with the thinking and wondering I'd done overseas. After my early attempts were rejected, the first of my novels, Crossfire , was published in 1992.
In 1997, my fifth novel for young adults, A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove won the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award. At the end of that year, I decided to leave teaching and become a full time writer.

In the mean time, my wife and I have produced three great children, two of whom are currently studying at University. Photos of them to the right, along with my lovely wife, Kate, who has encouraged me along every step of the way.

Now that I have turned my hobby into my job, I have had to develop some other interests. For exercise, I go cycling along the bike paths around Brisbane. I'm also into great books, great food, movies, travelling, learning to speak French and I dabble in a little painting. In recent years Kate and I have spent an extended period in France, cycled through Vietnam and soon we will be off to the USA.

Reviews

[Jill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the first two books in this series, but, James Moloney cleverly added enough information to follow at least the basic run of the story so far.

Berrin was the only one to escape the flooding of the underground tunnels, at least as far as he knew. The Gadges were after him. They were half-man, half-wolf creatures, and he felt the claws dig into his shoulder. He didn't know how to escape but Gadger Red told him that Malig Tumora wanted him alive.

The other Rats, his friends from the underground, were not there to help him. He ran ahead of the wolf beast as he was being shepherded towards the Menagerie. Malig Tumora was the enemy and Berrin wasn't sure if he was more afraid of being eaten or meeting the man whose reputation for mean treatment of animals of all kinds, creating these cross-bred beasts.

Once inside the complex, a robotic voice emanating from a hovering observation ball demanded his name. The Dfx guards took him through many corridors. A man stood before him. He was locked in a room with anemic anemic-looking boy called Aden. Information flowed from the other boy, talking all the while. The Dfx came with a knife and took some of his blood. Berrin found it annoying when Aden said they were taking DNA samples.

The observation ball led him along corridors again, leaving Aden behind. When they reached another chamber Berrin saw an adult in the corner. He spoke with the same voice as the observation ball but the words were seamlessly together not disjointed. The ball was attached to a machine. Malig Tumora was the enemy the Rats had been trying to thwart.

Berrin had no way of escaping the tunnel maze as Malig Tumora showed him the Menagerie. The strangled cries of creatures could be heard. Then the man was friendly but Berrin saw the creatures in pain as they'd been failures of the man's experiments.

When Malig Tumora showed off his computer, he boasted that took it up three levels of the building. He was proud to say he'd even named the machine, Malig Tumora after himself.

When Berrin returned to the chamber with Aden and the lean-to they lived in they talked about the Maze challenge Aden had been in. The next thing Berrin knew he was being told he would go into the maze and he had to choose a weapon to take with him. Berrin demanded Aden join him, as the boy had learned all the previous mazes easily. He also ate a lot and regurgitated the knowledge he had been learning.

Would they survive the maze? Would they escape the menagerie? Would Malig Tumora turn them both into his abominations? Would Berrin see his friends the Rats again? Would the machine learn more about it being a machine and not a man? Would Malig Tumora continue to torment their lives and double-cross them?

You'll have to read this book with all it's twists and turns to find out the answer. James Moloney is an exceptionally talented Australian author.

[Eleyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining book