CAVE 13 - A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel (Vol. 3) by Jonathan Maberry
Release Date: 08/29/2023
Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan
By Jenny Robinson
** POTIENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE ROGUE TEAM INTERNATIONAL SERIES **
It is no secret that we are huge fans of the Joe Ledger world here at Atomic Geekdom, the series (both DMS and RTI) have some of the best heroes and villains that can be found in an action/thriller story. We’ve followed Joe and his teams through some of the most terrifying missions that feel as if they can come to life in the here and now. This makes us fall in love with these figures and constantly mourn those we’ve lost along the way. Before we even cracked the spine, we knew that Cave 13 was not letting everyone out alive.
The prologue to Cave 13 is one of the most frightening starts in Joe’s book career. We are introduced to the BIG BAD, the antagonist with the contradictory name of Mr. Miracle (aka Jason Aydelotte - who is named after a fan and charity auction winner) and who looks like Santa Claus. Joe and Ghost are trapped, hurt, beaten, and time was running out. This may be the best and frustratingly great way to start a book. Every chapter you know you’re going to come to this point where Joe is compromised. You KNOW that nothing can end well with that much stacked against them. Yet we continue to turn the page as it gets darker and darker. The RTI series is pushing to be some of the finest sinister plot and character development to date.
Being the third volume in the RTI series, the first two (Rage & Relentless) not only linger but shape this world. Most of the DMS stories (Patient Zero on through Deep Silence) can easily stand as individual stories, where RTI continues as more of a serial. Yes, you can pick up Relentless without having read Rage. Same with Cave 13. Maberry does a splendid job adding enough background of the previous events for new comers while also not exasperating life long fans. Honestly, it’s a beautiful example of balance that a lot of authors can get wrong (for example, do we really need to see Bruce Wayne’s origin story again?). This is where Maberry excels. For RTI though, the more you know of the scars the characters all carry from Rage and Relentless, the more the reader is invited to walk in the valley along side them.
Doing the opposite of what I said above, let’s dive into Rage/Relentless a touch before proceeding.
At the end of Rage, Santoro murders Joe’s entire family. Only he, Ghost and Junie make it out (barely) alive. Over the years and books, we have come to know and love Joe’s family. This loss hit hard and was such a painful shock right out of the gates for RTI. This continues as a sense of reprisal in Relentless by the addition of Joe’s fourth head companion, The Darkness. The Darkness was the most horror-struck one dancing inside his brain (which may or may not have originated by Nicodemus - I still ponder that). If the Warrior/Killer is afraid of you, then of corse the Cop/Modern man may want to run and hide. Joe has had the original three riding around in his head due to some serious childhood PTSD. Joe’s scars run deep. That mindset, emotion and accountability from all of his horrors has put a lot of hesitation in the thoughts of Joe’s closes allies (like Tops and Rudy).
Cave 13 carries some of that uncertainty. Is it safe to have Joe in field?
This chapter in RTI originates with the discovery of a 13th cave containing additional Dead Sea Scrolls. And they bring a bit of history, politics, religion and war. The world is unknowingly on the brink of an interesting arms race that is set to launch catastrophic wars throughout the already troubled Middle East. Those scrolls bring a sense of magic and mayhem, sparking confusion. The best description would be a World War while high on violent hallucinogens.
A prize for the readers in this book would be the multiple teams. Not only do we follow Joe’s Havoc team, but they are working along side two additional and surprisingly awesome crews. Mr. Church has compiled a pack including himself, Sergeant Brick Anderson and Repairman Jack (yes, THAT Jack, the character from the F. Paul Wilson novels). The second team must be hands-down the favorite surprise. Lead by the one and only Alexander “Toys” Chismer, this ragtag group seeking redemption has banded together to form THE WILD HUNT. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we get more stories from this point of view. Having Toys lead missions similar (yet different ) to Joe’s but in a more devious manor, is absolutely fantastic. Because of these groups, we get to participate in the growth of these characters by thier unlikely partnerships. The growth of Toy’s relationship with Joe alone has matured so well and this volume has expanded their characters in a very unexpected and welcoming way.
The Aydelote villain, Mr.Sunday (Nicodemus), terrorist organizations and magical illusions keep you on the edge of your seat from literally the beginning to end. I’ll shy away of talking about who we lost. There are some pretty horrible losses in this book. The way we loose those friends is even rougher than anyone could have guessed. Those losses are sure to impact how RTI moves ahead. And since this book ends with so many unanswered questions, BURN TO SHINE (Volume 4 expected out next year) will definitely provide all the anxiety we love as readers. “The war is the war.”
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