Rage Master

In this original but tedious take on the legend of the werewolf, Clark pits lycanthropes called Dog Heads against wary humans in a fight for survival. Kavell and his pack are the last of the Dog Heads. Chased from Russia by an atomic bomb attack on their home, and surviving as hunted nomads under attack by every government on the planet, the pack endures desperation and isolation from civilization. When Kavell sneaks into a French village for a romantic tryst, with his brother watching over him, both end up attracting attention from their enemies and putting the entire pack at risk. Clark makes every effort to raise the stakes, but the narrative relies on coincidence and improbable action. Speculation on genetic traits is mostly a distraction, filled with inaccuracy and misapplication of science. The writing is clear but repetitive. The resolution depends on a plan that misunderstands geography and grasps only at empty hope. Clark invokes little in the way of fear or terror, but there is plenty of action and gore when the story runs out of other options. (Oct.)