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Rogue Team International #1
Rage: A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel
Rage is the first title in Jonathan Maberry's brand new Joe Ledger spin-off series of international weird science thrillers.
A small island off the coast of Japan is torn apart by a bioweapon that drives everyone—men, women, and children—insane with murderous rage. The people behind that attack want Korea united or destroyed. No middle ground. No mercy. And they are willing to punish any country that stands in the way—the United States, China, and Japan could all be consumed by a plague of pure destructive slaughter.
Joe Ledger leads his newly formed band of international troubleshooters in their first mission to stop the terror cell, fighting alongside agents from North and South Korea. With the lives of billions at stake, Ledger is willing to bring his own brand of terror to this frightening new war.
Rage is the first of the new adventures of Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International.
A small island off the coast of Japan is torn apart by a bioweapon that drives everyone—men, women, and children—insane with murderous rage. The people behind that attack want Korea united or destroyed. No middle ground. No mercy. And they are willing to punish any country that stands in the way—the United States, China, and Japan could all be consumed by a plague of pure destructive slaughter.
Joe Ledger leads his newly formed band of international troubleshooters in their first mission to stop the terror cell, fighting alongside agents from North and South Korea. With the lives of billions at stake, Ledger is willing to bring his own brand of terror to this frightening new war.
Rage is the first of the new adventures of Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International.
Unknown Binding
First published November 5, 2019
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4557 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maberry
518 books7,779 followersJONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
June 20, 2022
My thanks to St. Martin's Publishing, Netgalley and the amazeballs author Jonathan Maberry! We are now Rogue Team International! That's right! Church, Ledger and the team's are now unofficially "of course" working internationally! I love it! To Heck with being under the thumb of one whacked out President. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Trump! As always, Joe and his team rock! And as always I can never loosen up because I have learned that in this series many people die! I love that, and I hate that! The best thing about this book wasn't just the lovely and exotic locations.. "From Greece, the Korea's, Japan and Norway." It has some returning favorite bad guy's. Some of the scariest of the bunch. Also, many good guys too. Or should I say gals? As always, the ending is freaking bleak. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to some revenge and a whole lot of payback in the next book.
January 9, 2025
Rage is the perfect title for this edition of the Rogue Team International series since Joe's done dealing out mercy because he is enraged - now his only interest is dealing out pain and death.
Loved every single episode, and I have to say this is my favorite to date. A plethora of deaths, torture, and plotting out the best way(S)to take down some of the most decadent degenerates Joe has encountered to date. Siblings, Adam and Eve are perfectly serpent like and a fantastic addition to stir a pot that's already boiling over with "havoc" and "chaos."
The ending blew me away and would never have imagined this outcome in a million years. Disturbing, thrilling and just so well done! Now I'm left itching at the bit more than ever for the next episode.
Much thanks to Mr. Ray Porter for the incredible and consistent job with every single character. Always spectacular and (for me) listening to the narration raises the excitement, intensity and overall experience of the story to whole new dimensions.
Loved every single episode, and I have to say this is my favorite to date. A plethora of deaths, torture, and plotting out the best way(S)to take down some of the most decadent degenerates Joe has encountered to date. Siblings, Adam and Eve are perfectly serpent like and a fantastic addition to stir a pot that's already boiling over with "havoc" and "chaos."
The ending blew me away and would never have imagined this outcome in a million years. Disturbing, thrilling and just so well done! Now I'm left itching at the bit more than ever for the next episode.
Much thanks to Mr. Ray Porter for the incredible and consistent job with every single character. Always spectacular and (for me) listening to the narration raises the excitement, intensity and overall experience of the story to whole new dimensions.
July 15, 2020
RAGE by Jonathan Maberry is the first book in a new series featuring Joe Ledger. This time he is no longer with the Department of Military Sciences, but leading a team of independent troubleshooters, Havoc Team. The new series is called Rogue Team International. This action thriller / military thriller can be read as a standalone novel, but the previous Joe Ledger series would give the reader more of the back stories of the key players.
Joe Ledger and Havoc Team start out by trying to rescue a girl who has been kidnapped and is being held in Syria. From there, this newly formed group is soon trying to stop a terror group that has released a bioweapon on a small island of the coast of Korea. Does this terror group want Korea to unite or tear itself apart? Can Havoc team stop the killing?
The story starts off with a scene that immediately pulls the reader in and never lets him or her off the rollercoaster of action and emotion. The main character, Joe Ledger, is well-developed, compelling and someone the reader can cheer for. His motivation is believable and well-drawn. The secondary characters enhance the story and the relationships are believable.
For an action / military thriller, I loved the style that Maberry used. While there is some discussion of weapons, it does not go into minute detail. I believe this approach makes this more of an action thriller that will appeal to a wider audience. The fast-paced story also takes the reader to many different locations ranging from Syria, Turkey, Greece, North Korea, South Korea, Norway, Arizona, California, Virginia, Sweden, and Maryland to Florida and more.
Overall, this novel is a fresh, entertaining, emotional ride. Be aware that there is plenty of violence in this story, but there is also friendship, family, and brotherhood/sisterhood relationships.
This is the only book that I have read by this author but I am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as going back and reading the original Joe Ledger series. I believe those readers that enjoy action thrillers and military thrillers will enjoy this book.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry for a digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Joe Ledger and Havoc Team start out by trying to rescue a girl who has been kidnapped and is being held in Syria. From there, this newly formed group is soon trying to stop a terror group that has released a bioweapon on a small island of the coast of Korea. Does this terror group want Korea to unite or tear itself apart? Can Havoc team stop the killing?
The story starts off with a scene that immediately pulls the reader in and never lets him or her off the rollercoaster of action and emotion. The main character, Joe Ledger, is well-developed, compelling and someone the reader can cheer for. His motivation is believable and well-drawn. The secondary characters enhance the story and the relationships are believable.
For an action / military thriller, I loved the style that Maberry used. While there is some discussion of weapons, it does not go into minute detail. I believe this approach makes this more of an action thriller that will appeal to a wider audience. The fast-paced story also takes the reader to many different locations ranging from Syria, Turkey, Greece, North Korea, South Korea, Norway, Arizona, California, Virginia, Sweden, and Maryland to Florida and more.
Overall, this novel is a fresh, entertaining, emotional ride. Be aware that there is plenty of violence in this story, but there is also friendship, family, and brotherhood/sisterhood relationships.
This is the only book that I have read by this author but I am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as going back and reading the original Joe Ledger series. I believe those readers that enjoy action thrillers and military thrillers will enjoy this book.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry for a digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
July 15, 2020
My favorite Joe Ledger book thus far! It just kicked my ass down the road and back again.
Now I'm experiencing some RAGE waiting for the next book!
Bravo to Mr. Maberry and to Ray Porter!!!
Now I'm experiencing some RAGE waiting for the next book!
Bravo to Mr. Maberry and to Ray Porter!!!
September 8, 2022
Another great Joe Ledger Adventure/Thriller. These are exceptional fast paced and action filled stories. you are flying through the book like the hero is through danger. Very recommended
February 13, 2020
My review of RAGE can be found at High Fever Books.
The DMS may have disbanded, but Joe Ledger isn’t one for resting on his laurels. No longer beholden to the government of the United States, Mr. Church has put together a new organization that exists under, but is not beholden to, the UN: Rogue Team International. Now-Colonel Joe Ledger and his international team of shooters (goodbye Echo Team, hello Havoc Team!) are the first line of defense against global threats involving mad science run amok.
Although Rage is billed as the first Rogue Team International novel, there’s a whole hell of a lot of history behind it thanks to the 10 Joe Ledger books that came previously. While Jonathan Maberry does his best to fill new readers in on the big plot points that came before, seasoned veterans will note the reappearance of two major bad guys from the old DMS days. Much like the last four or five Joe Ledger books, Rage builds off what came before and acts somewhat like a sequel to prior installments. It may not be necessary, but the Joe Ledger fanboy in me highly recommends you start way back at square one if you’re not already familiar with this universe and its characters.
Rage is also, perhaps, the most comic book-like Joe Ledger entry thus far (as a fan of comic books, this is not necessarily a bad thing, mind you). While even the DMS books had a sort of Jame Bond-ian flare about them thanks to the larger-than-life mega-wealthy and ultra-resourceful super-villains hellbent on global domination, Mr. Church seems to have gotten in on the act now, too. Rogue Team International operates out of a secret, super-sophisticated high tech underground lair hidden in an inactive volcano on a privately owned island. Blessedly, everyone involved is in on the joke and absolutely no one, including Maberry himself, are taking it too seriously. In fact, there’s a pretty hilarious conversation between Ledger, Church, and team psychologist, Dr. Rudy Sanchez, about all this, which helps ground things a bit. It’s a welcome touch of self-aware humor that no doubt mimics what the reader is thinking and gets everyone on the same page. Hell, even the bad guys are in on the joke, realizing that they, too, are, in fact, super-villains right off the funny pages and in need of a cool nickname for their brotherhood of evil!
It’s not all fun and game, though. While Rage has a good deal of humor, and Ledger is as much a sarcastic wise-ass as ever, it’s also wicked, dark, and brutal when it needs to be. A weaponized pathogen has been unleashed off the coast of North Korea that causes the infected to become psychopathically, violently enraged murderers. By the time Rogue Team learns of the incident, it’s too late… everyone on the island has brutally killed one another — and it’s only the beginning. What follows is a race against time to find the culprits before they can launch a much larger attack and drag the world into another global war.
The rage virus at the core of this book ain’t no joke, and Maberry doesn’t shy away from the resultant horrors. Some of the scenes in here might be among the most brutal Maberry has written, including a vicious depiction of hand-to-hand combat late in the book that had me squirming (and that’s even on top of a fight scene in the shower that, erm, really goes some places…).
What really put Rage over the top for me, and right into five-star territory, was the last couple chapters. Obviously, I won’t spoil it for you, but I can’t think of the last time as book — let alone a long-running series like the Joe Ledger books — have left me so utterly shaken and surprised by the lengths this author will go to punch us right in the heart (and then, in a brilliant display of sadomasochism that can only exist between an author hellbent on torturing his audience and the readers that love him for it, leave us asking for more, for Christ’s sake!). Yeah, goddamn it… I’m gonna need that next Rogue Team International book right…fucking…now.
The DMS may have disbanded, but Joe Ledger isn’t one for resting on his laurels. No longer beholden to the government of the United States, Mr. Church has put together a new organization that exists under, but is not beholden to, the UN: Rogue Team International. Now-Colonel Joe Ledger and his international team of shooters (goodbye Echo Team, hello Havoc Team!) are the first line of defense against global threats involving mad science run amok.
Although Rage is billed as the first Rogue Team International novel, there’s a whole hell of a lot of history behind it thanks to the 10 Joe Ledger books that came previously. While Jonathan Maberry does his best to fill new readers in on the big plot points that came before, seasoned veterans will note the reappearance of two major bad guys from the old DMS days. Much like the last four or five Joe Ledger books, Rage builds off what came before and acts somewhat like a sequel to prior installments. It may not be necessary, but the Joe Ledger fanboy in me highly recommends you start way back at square one if you’re not already familiar with this universe and its characters.
Rage is also, perhaps, the most comic book-like Joe Ledger entry thus far (as a fan of comic books, this is not necessarily a bad thing, mind you). While even the DMS books had a sort of Jame Bond-ian flare about them thanks to the larger-than-life mega-wealthy and ultra-resourceful super-villains hellbent on global domination, Mr. Church seems to have gotten in on the act now, too. Rogue Team International operates out of a secret, super-sophisticated high tech underground lair hidden in an inactive volcano on a privately owned island. Blessedly, everyone involved is in on the joke and absolutely no one, including Maberry himself, are taking it too seriously. In fact, there’s a pretty hilarious conversation between Ledger, Church, and team psychologist, Dr. Rudy Sanchez, about all this, which helps ground things a bit. It’s a welcome touch of self-aware humor that no doubt mimics what the reader is thinking and gets everyone on the same page. Hell, even the bad guys are in on the joke, realizing that they, too, are, in fact, super-villains right off the funny pages and in need of a cool nickname for their brotherhood of evil!
It’s not all fun and game, though. While Rage has a good deal of humor, and Ledger is as much a sarcastic wise-ass as ever, it’s also wicked, dark, and brutal when it needs to be. A weaponized pathogen has been unleashed off the coast of North Korea that causes the infected to become psychopathically, violently enraged murderers. By the time Rogue Team learns of the incident, it’s too late… everyone on the island has brutally killed one another — and it’s only the beginning. What follows is a race against time to find the culprits before they can launch a much larger attack and drag the world into another global war.
The rage virus at the core of this book ain’t no joke, and Maberry doesn’t shy away from the resultant horrors. Some of the scenes in here might be among the most brutal Maberry has written, including a vicious depiction of hand-to-hand combat late in the book that had me squirming (and that’s even on top of a fight scene in the shower that, erm, really goes some places…).
What really put Rage over the top for me, and right into five-star territory, was the last couple chapters. Obviously, I won’t spoil it for you, but I can’t think of the last time as book — let alone a long-running series like the Joe Ledger books — have left me so utterly shaken and surprised by the lengths this author will go to punch us right in the heart (and then, in a brilliant display of sadomasochism that can only exist between an author hellbent on torturing his audience and the readers that love him for it, leave us asking for more, for Christ’s sake!). Yeah, goddamn it… I’m gonna need that next Rogue Team International book right…fucking…now.
May 1, 2022
Easily the best Ledger book to date. There’s not as many one paragraph chapters and there’s a lot more depth and characterization as a result. This is also the most mature Ledger book, dealing with family and love as well as loss and grief in equal measure. The ending was so unexpected I had to start the next book in the series, Relentless, straight away. Another SOLID Maberry read.
June 10, 2021
This Joe Ledger novel starts a new series. It’s the first Ledger book I read, but I soon found out there are a lot of previous books. Still, it was okay to start here. The characters obviously have a lot of history already, and the book does reference previous events that are kind of spoilery.
Anyway, Joe is part of a team of badasses: international spy types. Modern James Bondses. They’re international and don’t answer to a government. They’re highly skilled, they have lots of high-tech gadgets, and they even have a secret lair.
Some bad guys release a plague-like bioweapon that turns people into raging, homicidal maniacs, a little like zombies. This puts the world on the brink of a world war, so it’s up to Ledger’s team to get to the bottom of it.
The book alternates between the present (with Joe in first person) and the past (with the villains in third person). These guys are really, really bad.
The story is full of action—lots of fight scenes—but it’s not nonstop, so it doesn’t get boring. It’s a good balance of action and character development. The ending isn’t quite a cliffhanger, but it does set things up for the next book. (I can’t believe how the author treats Joe at the end.)
Language: Moderate amount of strong language and lewd language
Sexual Content: Moderately explicit
Violence: Lots of violence, often gory: military weapons, bombs, cannibalism, torture, bones breaking in hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, etc.
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
Anyway, Joe is part of a team of badasses: international spy types. Modern James Bondses. They’re international and don’t answer to a government. They’re highly skilled, they have lots of high-tech gadgets, and they even have a secret lair.
Some bad guys release a plague-like bioweapon that turns people into raging, homicidal maniacs, a little like zombies. This puts the world on the brink of a world war, so it’s up to Ledger’s team to get to the bottom of it.
The book alternates between the present (with Joe in first person) and the past (with the villains in third person). These guys are really, really bad.
The story is full of action—lots of fight scenes—but it’s not nonstop, so it doesn’t get boring. It’s a good balance of action and character development. The ending isn’t quite a cliffhanger, but it does set things up for the next book. (I can’t believe how the author treats Joe at the end.)
Language: Moderate amount of strong language and lewd language
Sexual Content: Moderately explicit
Violence: Lots of violence, often gory: military weapons, bombs, cannibalism, torture, bones breaking in hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, etc.
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
December 7, 2019
Thanks to the publisher and Goodreads for the ARC of this book.
This was a fantastic addition to the Joe Ledger story arc. He's the same guy with the same team, just operating as an independent international group instead of one that was, tangentially at least, an American governmental organization.
The core cast of characters remains the same. I wish we would have seen more Ghost and Toys and we saw very little Junie (which was enough for me). There are a few new characters that are very interesting and I hope they will come back in the next story.
The bad guys in this one are amazing. They are completely amoral and find plenty of new ways to torment and torture Joe and the rest of the world. Some will be familiar to you if you have read previous Ledger books, and some are brand new.
One thing to note... The end of this book will absolutely take your breath away. It sets up the potential for a huge revenge/retribution storyline and I'm really interested to see how that plays out.
This was a fantastic addition to the Joe Ledger story arc. He's the same guy with the same team, just operating as an independent international group instead of one that was, tangentially at least, an American governmental organization.
The core cast of characters remains the same. I wish we would have seen more Ghost and Toys and we saw very little Junie (which was enough for me). There are a few new characters that are very interesting and I hope they will come back in the next story.
The bad guys in this one are amazing. They are completely amoral and find plenty of new ways to torment and torture Joe and the rest of the world. Some will be familiar to you if you have read previous Ledger books, and some are brand new.
One thing to note... The end of this book will absolutely take your breath away. It sets up the potential for a huge revenge/retribution storyline and I'm really interested to see how that plays out.
October 13, 2020
Okay, I'll confess, this was my first Maberry read. I know, I know, shame on me. Having said that, I have sort of a mixed review.
I've found that I enjoy his writing, his snarky action based characters, but alas, I wish would have been more familiar with his work sooner. Having no knowledge of the Joe Ledger series, I feel I was at a slight disadvantage with this one.
Let me tell you what really pushed this from a 3 star rating to a 4 star rating for me... Ray Porter. His narration was FABULOUS. I listen to a lot... I mean A LOT of audiobooks these days, so when a narrator can stand out the way he did for me, well then hats off to you sir! There are many different characters in this novel, and his ability to capture each one shows us just how multifaceted he truly is. I will definitely be on the lookout for novels narrated by him going forward.
As for Maberry, don't worry, I'm off to check out his other work immediately.
I've found that I enjoy his writing, his snarky action based characters, but alas, I wish would have been more familiar with his work sooner. Having no knowledge of the Joe Ledger series, I feel I was at a slight disadvantage with this one.
Let me tell you what really pushed this from a 3 star rating to a 4 star rating for me... Ray Porter. His narration was FABULOUS. I listen to a lot... I mean A LOT of audiobooks these days, so when a narrator can stand out the way he did for me, well then hats off to you sir! There are many different characters in this novel, and his ability to capture each one shows us just how multifaceted he truly is. I will definitely be on the lookout for novels narrated by him going forward.
As for Maberry, don't worry, I'm off to check out his other work immediately.
January 27, 2020
Hope springs eternal. Arteries do not.
Top.
Bunny.
Bug.
Bell.
Toys.
Violin.
Church.
And…
Joe F*ucking Ledger.
What do you do when they turn off all your lights?
“You become the darkness.”
Top.
Bunny.
Bug.
Bell.
Toys.
Violin.
Church.
And…
Joe F*ucking Ledger.
What do you do when they turn off all your lights?
“You become the darkness.”
January 3, 2020
Wow. Rarely does a story leave me speechless.
April 28, 2022
This is a new series with most of the same characters as were in the Joe Ledger Series, with a few new characters thrown in. The Joe Ledger series has always had an international flair, but now the teams are based internationally also.
So much action involved in the new book. the same sarcastic Joe Ledger is there, I especially liked the reference to It was only a throw-away comment, but I noticed it.
The ending tore a hole in my heart and I am very concerned that there was no mention of
So much action involved in the new book. the same sarcastic Joe Ledger is there, I especially liked the reference to It was only a throw-away comment, but I noticed it.
The ending tore a hole in my heart and I am very concerned that there was no mention of
July 13, 2021
11/03/2020 Notes:
- I didn't enjoy the re-read of the book as much as I did the first time. But! I am eager to see if the foreshadowing in the first series come about in RTI.
- It's cool that my re-read of the series landed me in November for this book. =)
11/19/2019 Notes:
I would not recommend jumping into this book without having read the other Joe Ledger books. It jumps right into the action and there are brief summaries but not enough to give you the depth of know how that you gain from reading all of the books. That said, what a great book! Good pacing for the plot and dollops of the elements that I love in the series.
- I didn't enjoy the re-read of the book as much as I did the first time. But! I am eager to see if the foreshadowing in the first series come about in RTI.
- It's cool that my re-read of the series landed me in November for this book. =)
11/19/2019 Notes:
I would not recommend jumping into this book without having read the other Joe Ledger books. It jumps right into the action and there are brief summaries but not enough to give you the depth of know how that you gain from reading all of the books. That said, what a great book! Good pacing for the plot and dollops of the elements that I love in the series.
September 5, 2020
I have enjoyed the Joe Ledger series as silly fun, but this one seems like it was written by a second-string assistant in the Maberry factory just spitting out another novel with the same plot, but with less care. For example, we're told many times about how the Sea of Japan is west of Korea. No, it's not. If it doesn't matter, then don't mention it over and over. If it does, then take ten seconds to think about it or to look at a map. Also, this book is just full of gloominess in the main character as opposed to the humor present in the earlier stories.
July 18, 2021
Rage is an awesome read. The novel has non-stop and worthwhile action.
Read
November 25, 2019This was another great addition to this series. Lots of pros and some cons. Certain characters still annoy the shit out of me *cough, cough, Junie, cough, cough*. The two new members were my favorite part. Also can we get more of Violin because she’s my FAVORITE!!!!
Read
November 14, 2019DNF
Not really a mood thing at this point. I'm just flat out bored.
Not really a mood thing at this point. I'm just flat out bored.
July 4, 2022
Wow! Starts with a bang, and just gets more actiony from there on in! I’m sure in the first few chapters, more people died (baddies only) than I actually know irl.
Long story short: all of a sudden, people on an island off N Korea start viciously attacking each other to the death. Why? And more importantly, who? Enter: Rogue Team International and Joe Ledger, who, it would appear as one of my trademarks, featured in another book, and I’ve just jumped in at book 2, however, there’s no missing out because of that, it’s not like you’ve got a knowledge gap of events, and if you do, it’s not particularly relevant.
Fully fast-paced and informatively written (although personally, I really don’t need that depth of detail on guns/weapons, but it may be to others’ tastes), and giving an insight into the people behind the people we trust to keep us safe. Also: future nightmare on how interested third parties try to start wars and International Incidents.
Will look out for book 3 (or, for me, book 2), as this quite long but very captivating novel, in a repeat of the beginning, ,ended in a bang.
Long story short: all of a sudden, people on an island off N Korea start viciously attacking each other to the death. Why? And more importantly, who? Enter: Rogue Team International and Joe Ledger, who, it would appear as one of my trademarks, featured in another book, and I’ve just jumped in at book 2, however, there’s no missing out because of that, it’s not like you’ve got a knowledge gap of events, and if you do, it’s not particularly relevant.
Fully fast-paced and informatively written (although personally, I really don’t need that depth of detail on guns/weapons, but it may be to others’ tastes), and giving an insight into the people behind the people we trust to keep us safe. Also: future nightmare on how interested third parties try to start wars and International Incidents.
Will look out for book 3 (or, for me, book 2), as this quite long but very captivating novel, in a repeat of the beginning, ,ended in a bang.
July 18, 2021
July 2021
I had forgotten somewhat how close Maberry gets to horror with this series. There's a hint of a supernatural element that makes things really creepy.
And Joe, a seriously flawed guy who's disturbed. As would be anyone in his situation. But man is he likable and seriously kickass. So bring it.
And Ray Porter is most certainly his voice.
November 2019
Joe's back! Joe's back! Gah, I love this guy.
However, I did not love (overmuch) what happened to him here. Two things: First Mr. Maberry, apparently you've been reading some steamy romance novels. Hoo baby! Second, I knew you were going to do something drastic - while I was listening I kept imagining standing there pointing at you and saying "don't you do it! Don't you do it!" Well, you did it anyway. This time my heart isn't breaking over Joe, it's for Joe. You're going to have to double time it on a sequel or we'll all have to come after you.
Ray Porter, you ARE Joe Ledger. It wouldn't surprise me at all if you not only narrate audiobooks but also can do kung-fu. Amazing.
I had forgotten somewhat how close Maberry gets to horror with this series. There's a hint of a supernatural element that makes things really creepy.
And Joe, a seriously flawed guy who's disturbed. As would be anyone in his situation. But man is he likable and seriously kickass. So bring it.
And Ray Porter is most certainly his voice.
November 2019
Joe's back! Joe's back! Gah, I love this guy.
However, I did not love (overmuch) what happened to him here. Two things: First Mr. Maberry, apparently you've been reading some steamy romance novels. Hoo baby! Second, I knew you were going to do something drastic - while I was listening I kept imagining standing there pointing at you and saying "don't you do it! Don't you do it!" Well, you did it anyway. This time my heart isn't breaking over Joe, it's for Joe. You're going to have to double time it on a sequel or we'll all have to come after you.
Ray Porter, you ARE Joe Ledger. It wouldn't surprise me at all if you not only narrate audiobooks but also can do kung-fu. Amazing.
November 16, 2019
FUUUUCK
I know these characters are fictional, but I am so ready to open a can of whoop ass on Kuga and Daddy myself. How dare they?
I know these characters are fictional, but I am so ready to open a can of whoop ass on Kuga and Daddy myself. How dare they?
February 12, 2025
Overall Rating : A-
"Peace through vigilance and action."
The Department of Military Science is no more. Now, say hello to Rogue Team International.
What a brutal way to start the new series for Joe Ledger and his team. Even expecting it, I did not expect to hurt that much.
"Peace through vigilance and action."
The Department of Military Science is no more. Now, say hello to Rogue Team International.
What a brutal way to start the new series for Joe Ledger and his team. Even expecting it, I did not expect to hurt that much.
November 26, 2019
The first book in a new series featuring Joe Ledger, RAGE by Jonathan Maberry is a non-stop action novel with an exciting plot and fine characterization. Though I have yet to read all the books in the previous series this one works as a stand-alone novel. It involves North Korean and bio-weapons. As expected, it’s up to the Rogue Team International to save the day. Will they? I didn’t expect to have so much fun reading RAGE but I did, reaching the end at a lightning speed. If you like tightly woven plots and terrifying villains, not to mention some funny dialogues in between or during the many action sequences, then you can go no wrong with RAGE. Like I, you’ll be eager to read the next chapter in the series. Now I need to go back and read the novels I have missed from the previous series. ‘Later. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this great ARC.
October 25, 2019
I won an Advance Reader Copy of Rage: A Joe Ledger International Novel by Jonathan Maberry from Goodreads.
Readers figuratively jump on a speeding train as they begin to read Rage: A Joe Ledger International Novel by Jonathan Maberry. This fast-paced story starts with intrigue and action, and barely let's up all the way to the explosive ending. Even then, readers are shocked and tantalized, left breathlessly waiting for the next Joe Ledger novel. It is impossible not to get hooked on this series.
Readers figuratively jump on a speeding train as they begin to read Rage: A Joe Ledger International Novel by Jonathan Maberry. This fast-paced story starts with intrigue and action, and barely let's up all the way to the explosive ending. Even then, readers are shocked and tantalized, left breathlessly waiting for the next Joe Ledger novel. It is impossible not to get hooked on this series.
October 23, 2019
This book wasn't bad, but It was difficult to see past the descriptive violence and vulgar language. It would be the perfect book for someone, just not me.
November 6, 2019
Jonathan Maberry won’t be a new name to many of you, probably not most of you. Author of the Pine Deep Series, the straight up trilogy of traditional horror novels that made his bones and started him down the path toward success, he’s made himself pretty much synonymous with franchise genre fiction since 2006 and his name is steadily on the tips of tongues everywhere in the horror reading community. He made his start there and cemented a lot of lifelong fans for himself in the genre. In fact, it’s still what he’s most well-known for to this day. But it isn’t his only specialty, and possibly not even the one he’s best at. Since 2009, this prolific author has been continuously cranking out what has become a major cash cow for him and his publishers and it’s paid off in spades. I’m talking of course about his Joe Ledger novels, beginning with the opening book, Patient Zero the best entry of the bunch so far, and most recently culminating in Dogs of War and now migrating into the new “Rogue Team International” in the form of Rage.
You can read Shane's entire review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Shane's entire review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
September 15, 2019
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I've read all ten books in the previous Joe Ledger series, and to be honest, I'm not totally sure why Maberry decided to start a new series with this one. It felt very much like a continuation of the previous series, and I mean that in the best possible way.
This series picks up where Deep Silence left off, with many familiar characters (Joe Ledger, of course, as well as Church, Junie, Top, Bunny) and some new, super interesting characters. There was for some reason a distinct lack of Ghost in this volume, but I'm hopeful he'll play a bigger role in the series moving forward. This one had a more international twist, hence the name of the new series. New bad guys and mysteries to solve, and of course, a craaaazy new terrorist plot complete with diabolical villains and bioweapons.
I love the world of Joe Ledger. Lots of action, as always, but this volume also had a lot of introspection about how violence leaves a lasting mark. Highly recommended for Joe Ledger fans, but also a great place for new readers to pick up. Highly relevant yet escapist at the same time. Loved it.
I've read all ten books in the previous Joe Ledger series, and to be honest, I'm not totally sure why Maberry decided to start a new series with this one. It felt very much like a continuation of the previous series, and I mean that in the best possible way.
This series picks up where Deep Silence left off, with many familiar characters (Joe Ledger, of course, as well as Church, Junie, Top, Bunny) and some new, super interesting characters. There was for some reason a distinct lack of Ghost in this volume, but I'm hopeful he'll play a bigger role in the series moving forward. This one had a more international twist, hence the name of the new series. New bad guys and mysteries to solve, and of course, a craaaazy new terrorist plot complete with diabolical villains and bioweapons.
I love the world of Joe Ledger. Lots of action, as always, but this volume also had a lot of introspection about how violence leaves a lasting mark. Highly recommended for Joe Ledger fans, but also a great place for new readers to pick up. Highly relevant yet escapist at the same time. Loved it.
September 26, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, the characters were great and I enjoyed the plot of the book. It had what I was looking for in this type of book. I liked Joe and thought he worked well as a leader, I look forward to seeing where this series goes.
November 20, 2019
Jonathan Maberry has had much success in his career that has featured a diverse list of both novels he wrote as well as various anthologies he has edited. He is a five-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, the first for the vampire trilogy of novels that he burst on the scene with --- GHOST ROAD BLUES, DEAD MAN'S SONG, and BAD MOON RISING --- a different take on the over-populated vampire genre that is one of the best and most original I ever read.
However, he is best known for his most prolific character --- Joe Ledger. Ledger is so popular that Maberry's series featuring him has already been optioned for a TV/Cable series. RAGE marks the 11th full-length novel featuring Joe Ledger. The difference with RAGE is that it marks a change in the series as it represents the first Joe Ledger International novel. This time around, our favorite ex-Special Forces guy is leading an eclectic team of like-minded folks from all over the globe. His new Havoc team is prepared to hit the ground running and take on any issues that require immediate response to global threats.
It's too bad for Joe that his first case with his new International team may be his last. A small island off the coast of Korea is all but obliterated by an airborne bio-weapon that creates a murderous rage in all who get just a whiff of it. Maberry does such a great job of taking this plot and infusing it with real-world characters and problems --- like Kim Jong-un's desire for a nuclear weapon that he can threaten China, Russia or even America with. Ironically, all of those countries have a hand in RAGE as the realization that just such a weapon could cripple their populations has been made real by the example the owners of the bio-weapon of the small Korean island.
The head villain is someone just known as Kuga. While his real identity is not uncovered until much later in the story, his number one soldier is someone who is already well known to Ledger --- a murderous convict named Santoro who is a master at torture. Santoro has a demented young couple working directly for him and doing much of his dirty work who is nick-named Adam and Eve. RAGE is full of cool nicknames and most of the players on Ledger's team have one. Ledger himself answers to 'Outlaw' and that goes just fine with some of his colleagues that bear interesting monikers like Bug, Violin, Bunny, and the person Ledger reports to who is known merely as Church.
Everyone under Church's guidance has a unique skill-set and all of their talents will be pushed to the limit when Kuga and his evil minions plan to release the Rage bio-weapon during a meeting of several International leaders that would have devastating consequences. Church subscribes to the mantra: 'Peace through vigilance and action'. Regrettably, sometimes the problems they face may require a slightly ramped up version of this in order to save the planet and everyone on it. Ledger realizes that this threat is criminal and not political and must be met with equal or greater violence via extreme prejudice.
RAGE is not for the faint-hearted as your heart will be in your throat during the non-stop action that Jonathan Maberry has created. It also opens up a new chapter for Joe Ledger and, I believe, the opportunity to tackle things on a more International level really raises the bar for a series that was already one of the best series of thrillers in the business!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Criminal Element
However, he is best known for his most prolific character --- Joe Ledger. Ledger is so popular that Maberry's series featuring him has already been optioned for a TV/Cable series. RAGE marks the 11th full-length novel featuring Joe Ledger. The difference with RAGE is that it marks a change in the series as it represents the first Joe Ledger International novel. This time around, our favorite ex-Special Forces guy is leading an eclectic team of like-minded folks from all over the globe. His new Havoc team is prepared to hit the ground running and take on any issues that require immediate response to global threats.
It's too bad for Joe that his first case with his new International team may be his last. A small island off the coast of Korea is all but obliterated by an airborne bio-weapon that creates a murderous rage in all who get just a whiff of it. Maberry does such a great job of taking this plot and infusing it with real-world characters and problems --- like Kim Jong-un's desire for a nuclear weapon that he can threaten China, Russia or even America with. Ironically, all of those countries have a hand in RAGE as the realization that just such a weapon could cripple their populations has been made real by the example the owners of the bio-weapon of the small Korean island.
The head villain is someone just known as Kuga. While his real identity is not uncovered until much later in the story, his number one soldier is someone who is already well known to Ledger --- a murderous convict named Santoro who is a master at torture. Santoro has a demented young couple working directly for him and doing much of his dirty work who is nick-named Adam and Eve. RAGE is full of cool nicknames and most of the players on Ledger's team have one. Ledger himself answers to 'Outlaw' and that goes just fine with some of his colleagues that bear interesting monikers like Bug, Violin, Bunny, and the person Ledger reports to who is known merely as Church.
Everyone under Church's guidance has a unique skill-set and all of their talents will be pushed to the limit when Kuga and his evil minions plan to release the Rage bio-weapon during a meeting of several International leaders that would have devastating consequences. Church subscribes to the mantra: 'Peace through vigilance and action'. Regrettably, sometimes the problems they face may require a slightly ramped up version of this in order to save the planet and everyone on it. Ledger realizes that this threat is criminal and not political and must be met with equal or greater violence via extreme prejudice.
RAGE is not for the faint-hearted as your heart will be in your throat during the non-stop action that Jonathan Maberry has created. It also opens up a new chapter for Joe Ledger and, I believe, the opportunity to tackle things on a more International level really raises the bar for a series that was already one of the best series of thrillers in the business!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Criminal Element
November 5, 2019
JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, he writes comics which includes Marvel, writes about vampires, horror novels, young adult fiction, teen books, children’s books and thrillers. Many of his past work has been adapted for television, some upcoming Netflix original series are also slated for release soon which is based off his vampire anthology. His upcoming novel RAGE featuring protagonist Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International is available now.
Joe Ledger is back in a new series with a new team, working for a secret organization calling themselves Rogue Team International or RTI. Previously employed by the U.S. Government, as part of the Department of Military Sciences, or DMS. The constant bureaucratic red tape made it difficult to operate at full potential, therefore their founder, Mr. Church, took them into international waters per se, and this gave them the advantage of picking their own cases and avoiding constant oversight.
Rage starts off with a daring rescue, filled with humor and high-speed action from the very first page. Quickly thereafter, the action intensifies with multiple things at play from the mastermind villain that Joe has been after for years. For this villain, things are personal, because not only is he a fierce adversary, he also holds a long burning grudge against Joe Ledger. Utilizing his vast network of cells he has spent years building, he unleashes hell on earth, utilizing coercion on anyone he needs to do his bidding. His reach seems to hold no limits and his desire to succeed knows no moral dilemmas. “If the Devil took human form, he would be this villain.”
A bioweapon is used to terrorize a small island off the coast of North Korea, targeting everyone – men, women, and children. Everyone who comes into contact with it goes into a murderous rage. A rage you as the reader get to experience in first-person perspective. Utilizing the dark web, the media, clever positioning of those coerced participants for their ultimate scheme, the world sees these villains the way they want to be seen, meaning they think these attacks are State sponsored. The United States, South Korea, and even China is implicated and soon world war III with nuclear threats is on the horizon.
Rage is a fun read, the type of novel you can’t simply put down at any point in the book. The desire to keep reading burns as the bad guys plot their scheme, the good guys try to get a handle on what is happening. The media throwing more fuel on the fire and the world at the brink of panic as threats become reality. In addition to top-notch action, gun fights, knife fights, fist fights. Rage also has an impressive amount of technology that rivals any Marvel movie in regard to high speed tech. One thing I absolutely have to mention is the ending, without spoiling anything, I can promise you a couple of tears may be shed. This must-read novel has earned itself a Blast Radius of a Dirty Bomb!
Joe Ledger is back in a new series with a new team, working for a secret organization calling themselves Rogue Team International or RTI. Previously employed by the U.S. Government, as part of the Department of Military Sciences, or DMS. The constant bureaucratic red tape made it difficult to operate at full potential, therefore their founder, Mr. Church, took them into international waters per se, and this gave them the advantage of picking their own cases and avoiding constant oversight.
Rage starts off with a daring rescue, filled with humor and high-speed action from the very first page. Quickly thereafter, the action intensifies with multiple things at play from the mastermind villain that Joe has been after for years. For this villain, things are personal, because not only is he a fierce adversary, he also holds a long burning grudge against Joe Ledger. Utilizing his vast network of cells he has spent years building, he unleashes hell on earth, utilizing coercion on anyone he needs to do his bidding. His reach seems to hold no limits and his desire to succeed knows no moral dilemmas. “If the Devil took human form, he would be this villain.”
A bioweapon is used to terrorize a small island off the coast of North Korea, targeting everyone – men, women, and children. Everyone who comes into contact with it goes into a murderous rage. A rage you as the reader get to experience in first-person perspective. Utilizing the dark web, the media, clever positioning of those coerced participants for their ultimate scheme, the world sees these villains the way they want to be seen, meaning they think these attacks are State sponsored. The United States, South Korea, and even China is implicated and soon world war III with nuclear threats is on the horizon.
Rage is a fun read, the type of novel you can’t simply put down at any point in the book. The desire to keep reading burns as the bad guys plot their scheme, the good guys try to get a handle on what is happening. The media throwing more fuel on the fire and the world at the brink of panic as threats become reality. In addition to top-notch action, gun fights, knife fights, fist fights. Rage also has an impressive amount of technology that rivals any Marvel movie in regard to high speed tech. One thing I absolutely have to mention is the ending, without spoiling anything, I can promise you a couple of tears may be shed. This must-read novel has earned itself a Blast Radius of a Dirty Bomb!
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