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Rage Master
Soviet Russia dropped an atomic bomb on one of its own towns in the winter of 1962. The intention was to exterminate an entire tribe of men, women, and children known collectively as The Wolf People. A few survived and escaped to the West. This is the story of what happened to the remaining Wolf People, and their bitter struggle to stay alive.
Present day.
The Wolf People cannot stop killing when "the Rage" takes hold. In turn, they are relentlessly hunted to the brink of extinction by government death-squads. Then a child is born and brings about a transformation of the group. But does he represent a chance for his people to at last control their blood-thirsty nature, or represent a threat to the entire human race?
Present day.
The Wolf People cannot stop killing when "the Rage" takes hold. In turn, they are relentlessly hunted to the brink of extinction by government death-squads. Then a child is born and brings about a transformation of the group. But does he represent a chance for his people to at last control their blood-thirsty nature, or represent a threat to the entire human race?
- GenresHorror
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2015
About the author
Simon Clark
223 books303 followersBorn, 20th April, 1958, Simon Clark is the author of such highly regarded horror novels as Nailed By The Heart, Blood Crazy, Darker, Vampyrrhic and The Fall, while his short stories have been collected in Blood & Grit and Salt Snake & Other Bloody Cuts. He has also written prose material for the internationally famous rock band U2.
Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs, that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stacking, office work, and scripting video promos.
He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.
Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs, that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stacking, office work, and scripting video promos.
He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 7, 2015
3.5 *
Simon Clark brings us an all-new take on the "werewolf" folklore. The "Dog-faces" are adept at hiding and survival after being nearly wiped out from an attack in Russia. Always on the move, the clan find themselves in France where their world is about to accidentally collide with that of regular humans.
One among them will find a previously unknown ability--but is it a blessing for them, or a curse?
For the most part, this story flowed fairly well, despite a mixed-up name or two. However, I didn't care for the "narration interruptions" that came from a government's point-of-view. For myself, I found that distracting from the overall story, and the information relayed was much that I could have surmised simply by reading the action of the novel and comments from the main characters, instead.
Overall, a solid read from Earthling's Halloween Series, and a unique take on an old sub-genre.
Simon Clark brings us an all-new take on the "werewolf" folklore. The "Dog-faces" are adept at hiding and survival after being nearly wiped out from an attack in Russia. Always on the move, the clan find themselves in France where their world is about to accidentally collide with that of regular humans.
One among them will find a previously unknown ability--but is it a blessing for them, or a curse?
For the most part, this story flowed fairly well, despite a mixed-up name or two. However, I didn't care for the "narration interruptions" that came from a government's point-of-view. For myself, I found that distracting from the overall story, and the information relayed was much that I could have surmised simply by reading the action of the novel and comments from the main characters, instead.
Overall, a solid read from Earthling's Halloween Series, and a unique take on an old sub-genre.
Want to Read
February 20, 2016This is copy 344 of 500 signed and numbered copies. Additionally there were 15 lettered copies produced.
This is also volume 11 of Earthling Publication's annual Halloween Series. The others being:
Titles in the Earthling Halloween Series
#0: MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
#1: BLOOD RED by James A. Moore
#2: THE UNBLEMISHED by Conrad Williams
#3: THE HAUNTED FOREST TOUR by James A. Moore & Jeff Strand
#4: MOONTOWN by Peter Atkins
#5: OCTOBER DARK by David Herter
#6: BY WIZARD OAK by Peter Crowther
#7: BLOOD HARVEST by James A. Moore
#8: MOTHERLESS CHILD by Glen Hirshberg
#9: THE BONES OF YOU by Gary McMahon
#10: THE HALLOWEEN CHILDREN by Brian James Freeman & Norman Prentiss
#11: RAGE MASTER by Simon Clark
This is also volume 11 of Earthling Publication's annual Halloween Series. The others being:
Titles in the Earthling Halloween Series
#0: MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
#1: BLOOD RED by James A. Moore
#2: THE UNBLEMISHED by Conrad Williams
#3: THE HAUNTED FOREST TOUR by James A. Moore & Jeff Strand
#4: MOONTOWN by Peter Atkins
#5: OCTOBER DARK by David Herter
#6: BY WIZARD OAK by Peter Crowther
#7: BLOOD HARVEST by James A. Moore
#8: MOTHERLESS CHILD by Glen Hirshberg
#9: THE BONES OF YOU by Gary McMahon
#10: THE HALLOWEEN CHILDREN by Brian James Freeman & Norman Prentiss
#11: RAGE MASTER by Simon Clark
September 5, 2015
My first exposure to Simon Clark and I was completely entertained. I do enjoy stories based on werewolves. This novel starts off in high gear and continues in overdrive. With the Wolf People, aka Dogheads, being hunted across Europe, a child is born into the camps. He could be the answer to the tribes survival and future existence. Simon Clark no hold barred prose is enjoyable and vivid. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be reading more of Simon Clarke
January 26, 2022
Totally absorbing and thought provoking novel of a race of homo lupus, or man wolves as they journey across Europe in an attempt to escape being the victims of genocide at the hands of mercenaries from various countries. Fast paced and provocative and an original take on the werewolf mythos. I highly recommend this novel.
October 16, 2017
Really interesting and exciting story. Kept me riveted until the end.
September 11, 2015
Autumn and the Halloween season bring a lot of fun things, and Earthling Publications Halloween Series novel is near the top of that list. The consistently great series continues this year with a new novel from British horror icon Simon Clark. Rage Master can best be described as a very original approach to the mythology of the werewolf, unique to the point that werewolf isn’t a very accurate term for it, but it’s the closest word there is.
The narrative is told from two perspectives, that of Kavell, who narrates most of the novel from the first person, and through documents written after the events of the novel have concluded, looking back in retrospect.
The book kicks off with an excerpt from the fictional recounting of the books events, Operation Wolf- The Secret Kill. It tells of how the Russian government, under Stalin, tried to eradicate an entire group of people, or possibly animals, called Dog-Heads by dropping an atomic bomb on their community in 1962. This book is referenced throughout the novel to augment Kavell’s story, as is the transcript from the Stockholm Inquiry, an international gathering to discuss the situation after its conclusion.
Kavell tells the majority of the story, how he and his fellow Dog-Heads have been hunted and in hiding and on the run from various world governments for generations. Dog-Heads are not werewolves, they don’t physically transform and the full moon has no effect on them. They are lupine in other ways, especially in the formation in their facial features, having a more sloped forehead and a more protruding snout. The differences are clear between them and humans, but not so much that most Dog-Heads can blend in with humans if they take precautions.
The most animalistic characteristic of the Dog-Heads is when they go into the Rage. When they Rage they become killing machines, willing to tear up anyone or anything that isn’t a fellow Dog-Head. This is the reason they have been hunted so long and so hard. They present a possible threat with their innate killing abilities, but they also present a possible military advantage if they can be harnessed for military use.
The story involves the Dog-Heads being hunted and having to survive on the run, first from Romania and into France. In the contemporary world of the novel there is a mass movement of refugees from the Middle East and Africa through Europe and into France. The Dog-Heads find themselves caught up with the refugees trying to make it to the coast of France as fellow refugees, though for completely different reasons.
The other main narrative thread involves Kavell and his younger brother Sebastian. There’s something very different about Sebastian as he grows into young adulthood. He doesn’t have the pronounced features through the snout and forehead like other Dog-Heads, though there are very slight indications of his parentage. He also hasn’t had the Rage yet, which usually starts about the same time as puberty, and something about him indicates that he has unique and powerful abilities. The story is solid from beginning to end, with a few especially well executed twists in the final act of the novel.
Simon Clark has a rare ability to suck the reader so deeply into the story they feel like they are traveling along with the characters, a real part of the story. Clark’s body of work is diverse, but there are recurrent ideas and plot devices throughout it, and possibly the most common is the epic journey. With Rage Master the reader will be thrilled and moved as they travel through the novel with the Dog-Heads, who may not be homo sapiens, but are the most human characters in the novel.
The narrative is told from two perspectives, that of Kavell, who narrates most of the novel from the first person, and through documents written after the events of the novel have concluded, looking back in retrospect.
The book kicks off with an excerpt from the fictional recounting of the books events, Operation Wolf- The Secret Kill. It tells of how the Russian government, under Stalin, tried to eradicate an entire group of people, or possibly animals, called Dog-Heads by dropping an atomic bomb on their community in 1962. This book is referenced throughout the novel to augment Kavell’s story, as is the transcript from the Stockholm Inquiry, an international gathering to discuss the situation after its conclusion.
Kavell tells the majority of the story, how he and his fellow Dog-Heads have been hunted and in hiding and on the run from various world governments for generations. Dog-Heads are not werewolves, they don’t physically transform and the full moon has no effect on them. They are lupine in other ways, especially in the formation in their facial features, having a more sloped forehead and a more protruding snout. The differences are clear between them and humans, but not so much that most Dog-Heads can blend in with humans if they take precautions.
The most animalistic characteristic of the Dog-Heads is when they go into the Rage. When they Rage they become killing machines, willing to tear up anyone or anything that isn’t a fellow Dog-Head. This is the reason they have been hunted so long and so hard. They present a possible threat with their innate killing abilities, but they also present a possible military advantage if they can be harnessed for military use.
The story involves the Dog-Heads being hunted and having to survive on the run, first from Romania and into France. In the contemporary world of the novel there is a mass movement of refugees from the Middle East and Africa through Europe and into France. The Dog-Heads find themselves caught up with the refugees trying to make it to the coast of France as fellow refugees, though for completely different reasons.
The other main narrative thread involves Kavell and his younger brother Sebastian. There’s something very different about Sebastian as he grows into young adulthood. He doesn’t have the pronounced features through the snout and forehead like other Dog-Heads, though there are very slight indications of his parentage. He also hasn’t had the Rage yet, which usually starts about the same time as puberty, and something about him indicates that he has unique and powerful abilities. The story is solid from beginning to end, with a few especially well executed twists in the final act of the novel.
Simon Clark has a rare ability to suck the reader so deeply into the story they feel like they are traveling along with the characters, a real part of the story. Clark’s body of work is diverse, but there are recurrent ideas and plot devices throughout it, and possibly the most common is the epic journey. With Rage Master the reader will be thrilled and moved as they travel through the novel with the Dog-Heads, who may not be homo sapiens, but are the most human characters in the novel.
October 9, 2015
In typical Simon Clark fashion, Rage Master is not your typical werewolf story. Rage Master is about a dying tribe known as “Dog-Heads” or “Wolf People” due to their physical resemblance to canines – backwards sloping cheekbones, prominent and protruding jaws, sharpened and elongated canines. They also attain a state of Rage that begins during puberty. The rage triggers extra energy and the urge to kill.
The Dog-Heads are necessarily nomadic, having been hunted for years in an attempt to eradicate them. Although the tribe has been dwindling steadily, they are survivors. The tribe do their best to stay away from populated areas both to avoid detection and unnecessary killing. Even though the Rage comes on them, they do their best to focus the rage on killing animals for food rather than needless slaughter.
The story is told from multiple perpsectives: newspaper clippings, journals and reports, and a book called Operation Wolf: The Secret Kill. The primary narrative voice is that of Kavell, a 29-year-old Dog-Head. He recounts the events that occur as the last remnants of the clan flee Siberia and move across Europe in an attempt to live a “normal” life where they are free from persecution. The plight of the Dog-Heads is similar to that faced by many groups of people, even today, who are attacked for merely being different. Clark manages to meld the plight of the Dog-Heads with the plight of refugees making their way across Europe and the discrimination and hardships they face.
The strength of Simon Clark’s work is his ability to blend fast-paced action with a focus on character description and development. He manages to do this again in Rage Master. Kavell’s story is one of someone on the true fringes of society and his desire to stop running and merely live. But he does not believe that can happen. He is also protective of his family, particularly his little brother who is different from the others. He looks more human and does not seem to experience the Rage. What does this mean for the future of the tribe?
Rage Master is a mix of character development and action, providing a story that is both emotional and exciting as it examines who the real monsters are. I highly recommend this book for Clark fans and for those new to his work.
The Dog-Heads are necessarily nomadic, having been hunted for years in an attempt to eradicate them. Although the tribe has been dwindling steadily, they are survivors. The tribe do their best to stay away from populated areas both to avoid detection and unnecessary killing. Even though the Rage comes on them, they do their best to focus the rage on killing animals for food rather than needless slaughter.
The story is told from multiple perpsectives: newspaper clippings, journals and reports, and a book called Operation Wolf: The Secret Kill. The primary narrative voice is that of Kavell, a 29-year-old Dog-Head. He recounts the events that occur as the last remnants of the clan flee Siberia and move across Europe in an attempt to live a “normal” life where they are free from persecution. The plight of the Dog-Heads is similar to that faced by many groups of people, even today, who are attacked for merely being different. Clark manages to meld the plight of the Dog-Heads with the plight of refugees making their way across Europe and the discrimination and hardships they face.
The strength of Simon Clark’s work is his ability to blend fast-paced action with a focus on character description and development. He manages to do this again in Rage Master. Kavell’s story is one of someone on the true fringes of society and his desire to stop running and merely live. But he does not believe that can happen. He is also protective of his family, particularly his little brother who is different from the others. He looks more human and does not seem to experience the Rage. What does this mean for the future of the tribe?
Rage Master is a mix of character development and action, providing a story that is both emotional and exciting as it examines who the real monsters are. I highly recommend this book for Clark fans and for those new to his work.
December 9, 2015
Much different book than the cover implies, but still it is a fantasticly good read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews