Individual reviews below:



Big Ben and the End of the Pier Show:

The first story in this collection, and it's great introduction so far. Focusing on a small pier owner in England and the effect of a Kaiju attack on his failing business, I get the feel that focusing on human element of the kaiju situation is the right way to tell these kinds of stories in fiction, and it's something I hope to see more of in the future stories. The monster fight between Red Devil and Big Ben (awesome awesome awes

Individual reviews below:



Big Ben and the End of the Pier Show:

The first story in this collection, and it's great introduction so far. Focusing on a small pier owner in England and the effect of a Kaiju attack on his failing business, I get the feel that focusing on human element of the kaiju situation is the right way to tell these kinds of stories in fiction, and it's something I hope to see more of in the future stories. The monster fight between Red Devil and Big Ben (awesome awesome awesome to see a giant robot this early) was well described and interesting, and a giant robot BONUS! I'd rate this story as 3 stars, since it doesn't do anything particularly new, but is well written nonetheless, and enjoyable.



The Conversion:

The second story in this collection, and we move into the idea of a Great Beast as a kaiju and sign of the end times. I saw this in the previous kaiju book I read, and honestly, the religious connotation bored me a little bit. It seems like an easy out. That said, again we hit the human element in this story, a crisis of faith of sorts. It's well-written, and a fun addition. I'd go 3 stars on this. The introduction to the story is fun, with two characters arguing, but I felt like it took away from the rest of the story and the focus on the sister and brother with their differing views on religion. The heart of the story is the most interesting part, as is the description of the kaiju, actually, which excites the imagination. So, a little bit of wasted space and the inclusion of the religious element make it not quite a fantastic story, but still well-told and fun.



The Day of the Demigods:

The third story. Thoroughly not my cup of tea. Kaiju stories lend themselves to a humorous overtone, because they are pretty inherently silly, ridiculous even. This story takes it further than that, and tells what is barely a kaiju story, it seems to be more of a parody of Hollywood and the kaiju story at the same time. With me looking for more serious stories, this one doesn't do it for me. The satire on Hollywood seems obvious, and the voice is too easy for me, it undermines any real conflict in the story - which is a problem with a lot of comedy, if you don't have a real story under the hood to connect to, then your writing had better be damn good or stylistic enough to forget that. This story has neither, and so leaves you with the feeling that it could have used another round or so of solid rewriting. In keeping with the star reviews, I'd give this a one.



The Lighthouse Keeper of Kurohaka Island:

The fourth story. This one took me by surprise. The first few pages of this one are the best in the book so far it deals with a father/son team of a lighthouse repair crew going to a kaiju graveyard island. The atmosphere here is amazing, and the lack of kaiju is actually what sells this story for me. The beginning focuses more on the ramifications of the father/son relationship and their reactions to the kaiju than the kaiju themselves. Then halfway through, we switch to a WWII narrative of the boy's grandfather to follow a kaiju fight in Hiroshima, as it seems that both Nagasaki and Hiroshima were the result of some giant kaiju fights. The Kaiju themselves are interesting and fun, and the author's language in this was amazing, the descriptions of the kaiju fight and the destruction are compelling, but ultimately it takes a great father/son story and slides into mediocrity when the author realizes that he needs to include a kaiju battle in the story. Because of the writing and the amazing bookends between the actual kaiju fight, this one garners 4 stars, it's well written, interesting, and has pretty great characters.



Occupied:

Fifth story. Probably a better writer than the others with regards to mood and tone and feeling, this story was hard to read because of its obtuse approach and refusal to baby the reader into the story. This initially put me off it, but gradually the mystery and superb writing drew me in. It's another religion tie-in, this time dealing with fallen angels and the non-canon "Watchers." from the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Four stars. It's interesting that so far, 2/5 stories have had to do with Biblical content, as Kaiju are something I would normally reserve for kind of silly or less serious storytelling. I'm not sure the connection works a hundred percent, and a lot of the time it seems like the Biblical connection is really only there to lend weight to the story, like a "see? The Bible has kaiju in it! This is serious storytelling!" kind of thing. It's not a bad connection to make, but so far, it seems tenuous rather than story-necessary. This one had an interesting take on the POV, bouncing back and forth between a possessed character and a fallen angel, less of a giant kaiju attack and more focus on the ramifications of the Fall and an angel's actions. I think the biblical doomsday kinds of stories just don't grab me for that reason alone, they tend to take themselves much too seriously, and I like the idea of Kaiju as a natural impossibility rather than a divinely inspired monster.



One Last Round:

Sixth story. The first thought that went through my head reading this was - "This is fanfic." At the beginning, listed under author, this has a "Kaiju Rising backer" disclaimer on it, so I'll be taking that into account with the review. For a novice, a decently told story, badly in need of proofreading. The characters, plot, kaiju, and setting are all initial sketches, not finished. One star. As a first attempt, or perhaps a first published attempt, I applaud the author for boldly submitting something like this, it feels proud and it feels unashamed of what it is. There's merit in that, a story that draws upon the rich history of kaiju, mecha, and superheroes all in the same wacky world. In a way, this is the most pure expression of the Kaiju story I've seen so far - a fully id-driven love for the genre expression. With some work, the three main characters could be fascinating, the world could be fleshed out (I'm sure the author has more in his head, but for the limitation of time and space) and the reasoning behind the kaiju and superheroes could be explained. It's a good effort, but not in keeping with the quality of the rest of this collection so far.



The Serpent's Heart

Seventh story. I've found my favorite story in this collection so far. A great tale with a sea serpent and a wildly imaginative setting, great characters, and a fantastic, self-contained plot, this story has the makings of a series. We follow a mysterious crew after being shipwrecked and their encounter with a Chinese sorceress with a terrible secret hunting the serpent. This will garner 4 stars! After I finished the story, I went ahead and looked up the author, and there is indeed a series of stories featuring these same characters. I'll definitely be checking those out soon, as this tale was well put together, focused on the human drama in a way that other stories seem to forget, and propels the narrative in an imaginative and interesting way. Although, on a technicality, I don't know if the sea serpent counts as a kaiju, so I'll cite this as my favorite story so far, not my favorite kaiju story. Excellent read, and I look forward to more from this author.



Monstruo

Eighth story. This one had the potential to be a great story, we have an interesting perspective, from the story of a kid and an agent, a simple delivery system for the kaiju. But ultimately, the story is written like it's a hard-boiled detective, something that doesn't fit with the somber tone of the subject matter - possibly killing a kid. There's a flippancy that doesn't quite work. Three stars here. The problem is the subject matter doesn't quite gel with the voice, so any weight the story has naturally is dissipated because the narration and voice is so casual. Other than these issues, it's an interesting story, well-told, and at least semi-focused on the characters rather than the monster. The end is rushed a bit, but the implications are interesting. As far as the kaiju goes, it's fairly standard, but fun.



The Behemoth

Ninth story. I think this is my favorite in the collection so far. We have an excellent focus on the characters, a unique world where fighting against kaiju has a desperate human cost to it, a great structure, and ultimately, was incredibly well-written. This story is what I would want the base-line of a kaiju story to feel like, it delivers perfectly. Jonathan Wood delivers. Four star story. This one gave me a lot of the same feelings that The Serpent's Heart did - it's a piece of a larger story, with well-fleshed characters and a well-put together world, with the setting only being kaiju-related. It's incidental, but key to the world and the conflict. The human cost of the fighting is an interesting angle as well - something to hope for. And the most surprising aspect of the story - a main character who just loves his goddamn fighting. It's refreshing to see a flawed protagonist in a kaiju story here. Usually these stories have humanity rising above itself, but this one really deals with the inner turmoils of a flawed addict and fighting junkie. I'll be looking into Woods' stories due to this one as well.



The Greatest Hunger

Tenth story. I liked the idea behind this story, a monster being utilized in psychically controlling kaiju to fight each other, and the monster woman's (witch's?) eventual rebellion against her captors, but ultimately, the writing, while solid, was a little ambiguous for me, leaving a lot of questions and confusion when the story was finished. Enjoyable but murky. Two and half stars rounded down to two. The weird thing is, there were a lot of GREAT descriptions in this one, like highlight-able poetic stuff, but the rest of the story was opaque when it would have benefited from some simple description. The POV character's nature and life is obscured for what seems like no good reason, the world is described, the rules aren't, and the infrastructure of this post-apocalyptic world is glossed over in such a way that stakes are hard to divine. It's weird that it's right on the line, but I liked it well enough, it just needed an editor, perhaps?



Heartland

Eleventh Story. One of the best stories in the collection so far. It focuses on a woman trying to escape from her hometown and her cheating wife with her children, one of whom has been chosen to be sacrificed to the kaiju god who lives in the town. This is an example of a kaiju story that focuses on the characters, has a good style, and narrow focus that creates drama and tension. Four stars for this one. There's not much more to say about this fantastic story - it just reaffirms pretty much everything I assume works about a great kaiju novel/story - being a visual medium, kaiju prose has to REALLY focus on the characters and the repercussions in their lives of these monstrous demigods - describing them on terms we can understand is almost impossible, so we have to keep the focus tight.



Devil's Cap Brawl

Twelfth Story. Like the Serpent's Heart story earlier, it was great to see a kaiju story that doesn't take place in modern times or in Japan. The addition of a Western setting and a whole new world built around a weird west theme really interested me. The story itself was decent, not amazing, with stock characters, kind of pulpy and fun - but the world-building on display is awesome. I'd give 4 stars here. Reading up on it a little bit tells me that this is actually meant to tie in to another weird-west themed universe, and so I find another kaiju story leads me to another series of books to put on my plate. This one teaches me that the setting is important in any kaiju story, immersive storytelling is essential, because once you get to the brawl, all you have is your world and your characters - no visuals for the fight, only an idea or the stakes. I think this is key to telling a great kaiju story - character stakes and build up.



Shaktarra

Thirteenth Story. A fun premise that never really delivers, this is the second of the backer stories, and it shows. It's an admirable attempt at world building, and the plot is intriguing, but the writing just isn't quite there yet, along with key things like character development and emotion. As a pulpy fun story, it works, but ultimately falls down when compared to the rest of the collection. 2 stars. It's strange, but I come at these pulpy two-fisted tales with Indiana Jones always in mind. There's a way to do pulpy silly tales and still have it mean something to the characters and the reader, there's a way to engage and have great action while still being motivated. A lot of new writers seem to forget that everything is rooted in character. EVERYTHING. This one has a cool premise, but nothing more, and it always shows in the execution of a story. A kaiju story that has 2 pages of kaiju and 15 of character will be more engaging than one that has helicopters and robots and tanks and shotguns and blood and battles constantly. It's fanservice. But again, as a beginner, it's tough to see that. It takes years of practice. And this one has the potential, for sure.



Of the Earth, of the Sky, of the Sea

Fourteenth Story. One of the best short stories in the collection so far. It examines kaiju in a metaphorical way, as the clashing might between feudal Japan and the invasion of the Western people at the height of the Edo period. Tied together with dueling cross sections of naturalism and industry, mysticism and rationality, this makes for a satisfying, if long, read. 4 stars."



The Flight of the Red Monsters

Fifteenth Story. A well written entry, with good prose and an interesting point of view. The style seems to place more emphasis on the feelings of the characters than the actual giant monsters, wanting to say something about environmentalism, again, a great aim which the story never wholly grasps. I appreciate aiming high and falling short more than aiming low and achievement. 3 stars.



Operation Starfish

Sixteenth Story. An aspiring Lovecraft tale, the previously respected narrator, now dismissed as mad due to his ramblings, and cosmic unexplained incident. It mostly succeeds, this still feels like an imitation, however. There isn't as much mystery or wonder. The descriptions use the same tired tropes and buzzwords. The structure doesn't lend to something new or fresh. Fun but unoriginal. 3 stars.



With Bright Shining Faces

Seventeenth Story. Very interesting twist on the kaiju story, this one involving ancient spirits and magic, channeled through a child's drawings. Puts in mind a Warren Ellis story I read some years ago, the idea that kaiju spring from children's unfiltered ID is an interesting idea, explored here with decent writing and a fun premise. This could have been longer, perhaps a novel. 3 stars.



The Banner of the Bent Cross

Eighteenth Story. An Indiana Jones story set in an archaeological kaiju universe. The beginning is great fun, watching a very familiar "in the know" type situation with archaeologists and historians working together against Nazis, along with a Jones analogue to free the mythical Scylla and Charybdis. The final bit peters out, but overall a fine entry in the collection. 4 stars.



Fall of Babylon

Nineteenth Story. Another religion-inspired kaiju story, one that starts with promise of something different, dealing with character over plot, following a brother and a sister. However, it eventually degenerates into a story where we're being told about a clever idea - the author is interested in creating a mythos around Revelation, not in telling a story. It stumbles soon after with focus. 2 stars.



Dead Man's Bones

Twentieth Story. Like the Dead Western type story, this one has a LOT going for it. World War I, likable and fun characters, a great mythic base - along with a plausible and slightly sad plot about a German scientist creating a flesh golem for use in war, spreading mustard gas. I'll seek out more; it's another example of the kaiju genre done right, with a focus on character over spectacle. 4 stars.



Stormrise

Twenty-First Story. A complete break from what's come before, a kaiju interpreted as a cloud artificial intelligence. The story follows two women, the designer, and a prisoner, and their interactions with the newly formed beast, Keto. It's something that feels like it belongs in a science fiction anthology rather than a kaiju anthology, but I'm glad it was. Classic science fiction, well told. 4 Stars.



Big Dog

Twenty-Second Story. A great WWII kaiju story, complete with an alternate universe feel in a pulpy universe. The Japanese are in control of alien kaiju, and this is the first test of a giant mech to combat them. The focus on the characters is key here, and it works beautifully, a Nazi tank commander working with an American engineer. 4 stars.



The Great Sea Beast

Twenty-Third Story. A Japanese-inspired tale, with an interesting anchor: we follow a man who is destined to become a kaiju hunter after his life is ruined and he becomes ronin. This is one of the more solid stories, focus on the character is paramount and it proves it works here. The Beast isn't as interesting as the man, and serves as a focus into a decent but not amazing tale. 4 stars.



Animikii vs. Mishipephu

Twenty-Fourth Story. Very well-written, as expected from C.L. Werner, but the story ultimately falls flat. The beginning works, setting the story as an allegory against strip mining, environmentalism, then devolving into a simple smash-em-up between two kaiju. Although this is what's sold in the collection, there's not enough depth in a simple fight between two behemoths to satisfy. 3 stars.



The Turn of the Card

Twenty-Fifth Story. James Swallow delivers an excellent, character focused, but epic in scope story about multiple kaiju attacking all over the world at once. The stakes are clear, the focus is small, a woman goes into a combat zone to save her uncle. The kaiju are imaginative and insane And the writing is clear and concise. This is the kind of story I expected from the collection. 4 Stars.