Tim Marquitz

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Title: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters
Series: Kaiju Rising #1
Editor: Tim Marquitz
Rating: ½ of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy Short Story Collection
Pages: 444
Words: 161.5K

Synopsis:

Table of Contents

Foreword – Jeremy Robinson

Big Ben and the End of the Pier Show – James Lovegrove

The Conversion – David Annandale

Day of the Demigods – Peter Stenson

The Lighthouse Keeper of Kurohaka Island – Kane Gilmour

Occupied – Natania Barron

One Last Round – Nathan Black

The Serpent’s Heart – Howard Andrew Jones

Monstruo – Mike MacLean

The Behemoth – Jonathan Wood

The Greatest Hunger – Jaym Gates

Heartland – Shane Berryhill

Devil’s Cap Brawl – Edward M. Erdelac

Shaktarra – Sean Sherman

Of the Earth, of the Sky, of the Sea – Patrick M. Tracy and Paul Genesse

The Flight of the Red Monsters – Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam

Operation Starfish – Peter Rawlik

With Bright Shining Faces – J.C. Koch

The Banner of the Bent Cross – Peter Clines

Fall of Babylon – James Maxey

Dead Man’s Bones – Josh Reynolds

Stormrise – Erin Hoffman

Big Dog – Timothy W. Long

The Great Sea Beast – Larry Correia

Animikii vs. Mishipeshu – C.L. Werner

The Turn of the Card – James Swallow

About the Authors/Artists

Acknowledgments

My Thoughts:

I picked up this collection on the strength of Correia's name being prominent on the cover I saw. Unfortunately, for me, it was a story he had included in his first Target Rich Environment collection, so I had already read it.

Josh Reynold's story was about the Royal Occultist, so that was a nice little visit and reinforced my decision to read more in that universe should Reynold ever be able to release more.

Sadly, those 2 were really the only bright spots. Most of the other stories were either Cli-Fi, Angst-ridden or so full of hatred for Humanity that I had to wonder why the authors hadn't killed themselves in protest of being human. So this was definitely on the path to 2stars. Some of the stories had Buddhist monks, Japanese nuns, Islamic warriors and one and all, they respected the environment, respected women and were paragons of virtue, which I have to admit, didn't even fly across my radar in any way.

Then I read stories like “Conversion” and “Fall of Babylon” and this completely entered into Blasphemy territory. They didn't make me angry or upset, I just sighed and shook my head. It was evident that the authors despised Christianity, not just didn't believe it and that showed through like a drop of blood on a white canvas.

So between the religious hypocrisy and the blasphemy, this is getting the rare ½ star. Last time that happened was with Torchship Captain. Not good company to be in.

As I was writing this review, I realized that the editor's name sounded familiar. If I had paid more attention and realized Tim Marquitz was involved with this project, I never would have touched this with a 10foot pole. Certainly explains the blasphemy and religious hypocrisy.

☆☆☆☆✬… (altro)

In this third installment in the Demon Squad series, Frank Trigg is once again trying to prevent the apocalypse from happening. It seems like he always has to prevent the world from ending. In this case, it is because heaven has fallen from a coup led by the Arch Angel Gabriel, and now various groups are fighting for supremacy in the heavens. They don’t seem particularly concerned that they might destroy humanity in the process. Fortunately, Frank and his allies have a fondness for people and don’t want to see all of them die.

The novel is compact without a whole lot of wasted space. It moves at a quick pace and never has a point where it slows down. Frank is a well developed character who is a bit rough around the edges but still has a good heart. One thing I didn’t quite get was that it was established that he had newly acquired magical abilities, but he never seems to use them. I thought that was something that could have been more developed. I liked that there were a great many biblical references, but they weren’t depicted the same way that these biblical characters and references are traditionally depicted. It created an interesting juxtaposition. The ending of the novel was explosive, and just like the last novel, it sets up well for a sequel, where Frank will undoubtedly go through more harrowing events, take a beating, and keep on pushing through the pain to accomplish his goals.

Carl Alves - author of Battle of the Soul… (altro)

In the second entry in the Demon Squad series, Frank Triggaltheron is back at it again doing what he does best. In his usual stylish and snarky self, Frank is the middle of a major grab for power with the fate of humanity at stake. Maximus Longinus, the anti-Christ, is at the center of this power grab. A necromancer and the demon he is working with are trying to resurrect him from his long slumber after having been put to pasture by Lucifer. The devil’s wife and a super powerful white knight have their own designs for Longinus.

What Frank seems to do best is take one ridiculous beating after another against far more powerful foes. Although that might deter some with a little less heart and fortitude, it never seems to stop Frank from getting in the middle of the fray. The writing style perfectly matches Frank’s character. It’s fast paced, witty, and sarcastic. I enjoyed Frank’s jokes and sense of humor, although on occasion, it was a bit over the top. I also enjoyed the fight scenes, which this novel is chocked full of. There was a good intrigue. Things weren’t always as they seem, and the plot unfolded to the reader in the same way that it unfolded to Frank. The ending was fiery, and the conclusion left for multiple sequels in the series as there was still much that needed to be resolved. I look forward to reading more and I most certainly recommend this novel for your reading pleasure.

Carl Alves – author of Battle of the Soul… (altro)