Master of Rods and Strings

by Jason Marc Harris

Jealous of the attention lavished upon the puppetry talents of his dear sister—and tormented by visions of her torture at the hands of the mysterious Uncle Pavan who recruited her for his arcane school—Elias is determined to learn the true nature of occult puppetry, no matter the hideous costs, in order to exact vengeance.

Genres: Horror

104 pages, Paperback

Published January 12, 2024

Reviews

[Horror Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a creepy novella that delves into the world of puppetry with the darker occult elements fully on display to give a morbidly fascinating story.

A young boy is looked over by his uncle in favor of his sister as a protégé to become a puppet master. This town in France has a prestigious school for young people to learn the art of the puppet and is considered to be the best of the best.

He loves his sister but his jealousy over her skills eat away at him to the point of obsession. One night he'll make a discovery about his uncle and his mastery of this art form that will change the course of his life.

From there, our protagonist is on a mission to understand and intimately connect to puppet occultism. This involves much more than manipulation of strings. There's a history of the dark arts associated with this mastery. It's a world filled with blood, sacrifices, and betrayal.

This novella explores these themes with a first person narrative of this young man and the horrors he encounters on his journey. Along the way there will be secrets to discern and a twist or two that adds to the narrative.

I thought this was a fascinating subject and the scenes of blood, using dead things as a marionette, and the horrifying things some will do to achieve more power in this secretive society was creepy and chilling. The use of puppets (something most people would find innocent and child like) to perform bizarre and gruesome rituals really added to the overall terror.

I can highly recommend this novella. It's a short read but with a unique gruesome theme and it's definitely not your typical puppet book!

I received an ARC of this book with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely haunting debut. Comparisons to Ligotti are inevitable, but there's a different tone here, more focused on character growth and interiority - Elias is a deeply sympathetic protagonist, even as he sinks (or ascends?) into monstrosity. Plenty of intriguing meditations on humanity and inhumanity, as the two blur increasingly into each other. VERY dark at points. Overall, a must read!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a seriously impressive debut. The story is confidently told by a narrator who undertakes a hellish journey to learn the deepest secrets of the art of puppetry, which is no less than power over life and death itself. The imagery is both nightmarish and lushly beautiful. Even if you don't find puppets creepy, this is bound to give you nightmares.

[Jim Andrew Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lush, gothic novella is full of creepy puppet folklore and lavish imagery that is both beautiful and unsettling. The tale is told by Elias, a young boy who longs to be a puppeteer like his sister Sonja and his strange Uncle Pavan. The lengths Elias is willing to go to achieve his dream of being the world's best puppeteer take the story from "coming of age" in the beginning to "quest for revenge" and ultimately "cosmic horror" by the end. I learned way more about the history and technique of puppeteering than I ever thought I would before having read this. The style of the prose is genuine to the period and lends a sense of authenticity that transcends the book beyond what could otherwise have been a typical "haunted puppet" story. It's a quick read and a good one at that. 4/5 stars

[Tom Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not surprised that Ligotti would be the featured pull quote on this book’s cover (Kindle Edition). Like Ligotti, Jason Marc Harris conjures up a vibrational frequency that pulsates on every page, pulling the reader out of the corporeal world and into an “other” space unique to the narrative – a story living in a world not quite specific to a time or place, but yet still eerily familiar. As an avid horror and fantasy reader, I am fascinated by stories of the twin, the doppelgänger, and the poppet. For me, Master of Rods and Strings has quickly become a favorite example of mine when discussing these sorts of works. A highly engaging, creeping, dark fantasy tale.

[Ian Gielen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and fantastical, this is a superbly written novella that is dripping atmosphere with every word.
The story follows Elias from childhood through to adulthood as he struggles with jealousy when his older sister is taken under his uncles wing to learn the art of arcane puppetry. The story takes a darker turn than I expected when he discovers the dark past of his family and Elias goes down a path that few have gone down before in order to learn the secrets of puppetry to exact vengeance.
A great read and I’ll follow the authors career with interest from here.

[Chanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary, haunting, disturbing. This novella definitely has the makings of a full fledged novel or of a sequel. In fact, my only complaint is that some parts felt rushed and I feel like it could have been more fleshed out. However, the writing was nuanced and superb. There was a rather disturbing moment that was written in a way that continued it’s disturbing feeling but was respectful, thoughtful and considerate of the subject matter… I appreciated the care that the author took to relay the uncomfortable subject matter… Overall, I appreciate the uniqueness of the subject matter and feel like the novella perfectly leant itself to a sequel. What will Elias be up to next?

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this darkly lyrical and magical story about occult puppetry. Elias and his sister are subjected to a lifetime of demented torture and twisty secrets at the hands of the evil Uncle Pavan, master of this sinister puppetry. This book is an elegantly horrific read that has a dreamy feel to it. The story feels old and ancient, like a dark secret passed down through time. Pick it up and let it whisper terrible nothings in your ears too 🖤.

[Cindy O’Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master of Rods and Strings by Jason Marc Harris is the perfect fictional tale of how scary puppets and the world of puppetry can be. I’ve always been creeped out by puppets, but Harris takes it to an all new level of terror.

This is one expertly written, twisted, horror story, and I love it!
Highly recommend!!

[S. Policar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why I do this to myself. I really don't.
This book has a lot of promise. I mean there's a lot to work with to turn this mediocre novella into a great novel. But as it is, it's at most okay. The plot is deliciously dark and twisted, but for a novella, the story is so slowly drawn out that it's almost boring. Then, by the time it starts to get good and show the goth-horror beauty it possesses, it ends. Abruptly. And in a most unsatisfying way. We never learn who these masters of rod and strings are, or what they are. We never learn anything beyond Elias and Virgil's performance for them, because the story simply ends. I almost regret reading this, but perhaps a bad book at the start of the year leaves plenty of room for better books the rest of the year.
I give this book 3 of 5 Paws only because I can see the authors vision, even if this book didn't quite bring it to life like it should have.

[Dawn Colclasure · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and captivating story!

When I learned of this book’s publication, I added it to my TBR. Then I was able to get a copy and, at long last, read it! And I am so glad I did! This is such a good book! I have never heard of occult puppetry, so I was very interested in this story. It is told so well and the writing is almost lyrical. I was pulled along from the very first page! It’s a good thing I looked up the word “homunculus” because it’s important to know it when it comes up again later. I appreciated how Elias’ love and devotion to his sister never wavered in spite of everything that happens in the story. Some parts of this story were gruesome. But overall, it’s a really good book! It is masterfully executed and very well written!

[Hailey Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

HORROR - Master of Rods and Strings

“The puppets were more than vessels; they were living bodies of the gods.”

Occult puppetry and vengeance?! Count me in!!

I loved the continuous sense of foreboding dread throughout the storyline. I knew something sinister was going to happen but I wasn’t sure when it would hit…

“Puppets bridge between life and death.”

This novel kept me entertained from beginning to end with a much deserved climactic ending!

Available now!

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review to come in Cemetery Dance.

[Chris Aynesworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite an interesting tale I must say. The narration and style of writing in “Master of Rods and Strings” very quickly pulls you in, sort of like descending into a cave. This was one of those rare reads where the imaginal awareness from the author really expands what the reader experiences. There is an urgency to the main character that never seems to falter and it kept the pages turning for me. I found myself rooting for Elias as he progresses down his chosen dark path. This author has successfully created a character I would follow through more stories. Excellent!