With a title like THE DOG MASTER, one would expect W. Bruce Cameron’s latest novel, a tale of the first domesticated canine, to feature the bond between said animal and his lucky companion first and foremost. Instead, he delves deeply into the doings of two Paleolithic tribes, excavating fascinating human machinations amidst a deadly Ice Age.

Cameron plays fast and loose with his timeline, flickering back between an anthropologist in the present, a time 19 years in the future --- when an unknown young man rescues a mother wolf and her pups from a lion --- and the past, in which two separate tribes struggle to survive. The Wolfen are the most compelling, since, as their name suggests, they have close ties to wolves. In fact, they survive by following lupine trails and honoring that animal. Glimpses into their life draw the reader in as tribe leader Silex forms a bond with one particular line of wolves.

"While THE DOG MASTER chooses to focus on the humans of the story rather than the canines referenced in the title, it still provides an intriguing glimpse into a perilous period in which the slightest change in climate could mean death for all."

The other tribe present calls itself the Kindred. Most of the human characters in the story hail from this group, but their intrigues aren’t as compelling as they might be. The youngest generation of the Kindred includes Calli, who desires to go behind Council Mother Albi’s back to wed her love, Ursu. Of course, spiteful Albi chooses to wed Calli to her own son, Palloc.

As Calli ages and gains wisdom, the reader finds her more relatable and sympathetic. This follows a pattern, as Cameron’s female characters in THE DOG MASTER could stand to be developed more thoroughly, except for an older Calli and Denix, Silex’s lover. Calli’s two sons, Dog and Mal, then take center stage. Dog is the golden child, but the schemings of the women’s council leads him down a dark road.

Born with a deformed leg, Mal faces a hard road in a hunter-gathering society, in which mobility and the ability to flee from predators is key. He’s far and away the most interesting character in the story, both courageous and one to be admired, but he only appears midway through the novel. Perhaps the author should have made the book only Mal’s story, as he is both the best-developed individual on the canvas and the titular “Dog Master.”

While THE DOG MASTER chooses to focus on the humans of the story rather than the canines referenced in the title, it still provides an intriguing glimpse into a perilous period in which the slightest change in climate could mean death for all.