Review: A Rodent of Unusual Size

A Rodent of Unusual Size
Rebecca Cascane

Transcendent Fiction Publishing
March 2026

Print Edition A$26.00
Ebook Edition A$5.99

“Short person wants to be taller” isn’t an uncommon way to start a story about giants, and it’s the desire that kicks off A Rodent of Unusual Size. The short person in question here is Vicki the mouse, who we’re introduced to playing a strapping wolf warrior woman in a tabletop roleplaying game. Vicki’s friend Tanya the meerkat has been secretly working with the mouse on what amounts to a growth potion, using a formula stolen from the pharmaceutical company that Tanya’s brother happens to work at.

The potion works, making Vicki a startling seven feet high—but only temporarily. The two try to fix the formula with a new, powerful stolen ingredient, pressing Tanya’s reluctant brother into their conspiracy. Now, the formula works too well—and keeps working. Vicki’s height, and the situation, start spiraling out of control. Tendrex, the pharmaceutical company, wants their hands on the new formula, and hiding a mouse who’s getting bigger with each passing day gets progressively harder.

While out-of-control growth may be a canonical macrophile trope, Rodent isn’t just for macrophiles. It features a wide cast of well-drawn characters, from members of the tabletop RPG group to employees and scientists at Tendrex, and an increasingly complicated plot with multiple threads—and the twists and turns can be surprising. There are romances and secret crushes, villains of both the evil and amoral variety, and subtly radical politics handled with a light touch. It’s hard to get more deeply into the plot than I have without starting to spoil things, and you won’t want to be spoiled. You’ll find yourself caring about not just Vicki but all her friends and helpers; this is a story which balances strong characters with a solid structure.

Full disclosure: I read an earlier draft of the novel on the author’s Patreon (and enjoyed it then, and, yes, I’m a fan of big mice. But the thing is, this story is just fun: it ticks the boxes for both action comedy and monster movie matinee. It’s not a short novel, but it’s a fast, compelling read, and it’s definitely worth your while.