Stuff I've Read: Rage by Jonathan Maberry

One of my favorite series is back from the dead! After falling out of favor with the United States government, the Department of Military Sciences has disbanded. They reorganized into Rogue Team International, an independent network of operatives that proactively eliminates techno- and bio-terrorist crises globally. No national affiliation means no red tape, no oversight, and the ability to deal with any threat they deem imminent. Joe Ledger and Havoc Team are back in Jonathan Maberry’s Rage.

Rage: A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel by Jonathan Maberry

When the residents of a North Korean fishing village inexplicably tear each other to pieces, Rogue Team International is called in to see what could possibly have happened. Joe Ledger runs point to investigate a new biological threat: a toxin that fills everyone exposed with uncontrollable, violent aggression. The US military is filmed in this village just before the violence explodes, and the implication could lead to a nuclear conflict that could either unite or destroy Korea. At the heart of this is a shadowy figure known as Kuga, and no one knows if the name refers to a man, an organization, or a terrorist spook story. Whoever or whatever Kuga is, though, they have a bone to pick with Joe Ledger. Can RTI figure out who’s behind Kuga, and how to stop this outbreak of rage?

I make no secret of my affection for the Joe Ledger series. When it ended in 2017 with Deep Silence, I mourned. Sure, the last book wasn’t as innovative as the first. It was still fun. They’re not high art or capital-L Literature. They’re popcorn-lit, filled with explosions, badasses, and fast-moving plots that aren’t meant to be examined too closely. Losing that wasn’t fun, as that sort of reading is a great outlet; when I found out the series had been rebooted, I cheered out loud and ordered a copy. This is big, dumb fun, and was the perfect thing to help pass time during quarantine.

And if you love the Joe Ledger series, rejoice, because he and his team are back in all their gun-toting, blood-soaked, pseudo-sciencey glory. The basic plot is familiar—mysterious bio-agent turns people into mindless killers while nefarious organization twirls moustaches—to the point where it feels like a retelling of the first book in the OG Joe Ledger series, Patient Zero. We’re quickly introduced to the new team, with familiar members and redshirts mixed in. The structure—short chapters with no page breaks—is endlessly readable and the plot is digestible enough to get through large chunks in a single sitting. Thematically, it’s a bit darker than the original series, and that’s even with the Lovecraftian nods peppered in the OG series. Where Joe used to be an unkillable wrecking ball who got through unimaginable horrors unscathed (and through much of this adventure, he still is), Maberry takes a deeper look at how this endless war against literal and figurative monsters has taken a toll on his hero. There is more of a focus on what he has lost—such as the opportunity to have a child with the woman he loves—and what he has left to lose. It makes for a fascinating character study of a man who only knows how to fight.

The downside is that while Rage is a welcome return for the Joe Ledger series, it’s more of the same. The villains are still moustache-twirling evil, relishing in chaos for the sake of profit. The heroes are protected by plot armor, and you never really feel like any of the important people are in any immediate, personal danger. And while the ending does a great job of pulling the rug out from under you, it’s still not difficult to imagine Maberry as having a Joe Ledger app that churns out random plots, and he fills in dialogue. Formulas are formulas for a reason though. They work, and I’m a fan.

Jonathan Maberry refreshes his Joe Ledger series with a fresh coat of paint. But underneath it all is the same action-hero we know and love, with the same story as the previous 10 iterations. And you know what? That ain’t a bad thing.

Pros: Joe Ledger is back with a new bio-threat, new villains, and a darker storyline.

Cons: For better or worse, it’s still the same old song.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

#jonathanmaberry #joeledger #bookreview #scifi #horror