According to paleontologist Dr. Warren Callaway a species of super-sized “Behemoths” lived during the last ice age. Somehow they survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. Or maybe, he speculated, they were the catalyst for the extinction event.  

The Behemoths trampled the earth with primal impunity and possessed abilities only seen in mythology. They flew in the air, spit ice and fire and inspired all sorts of Toho-like havoc. Unlike the wimpy dinosaurs, these gigantic colossi didn’t perish—they simply went into hibernation or some other type of natural stasis.

And now they were back. After taking a nap for millions of years, they awoke to a new tumultuous era. It had been 30 years since the modern world exploded—coastal cities gone, places like Arizona almost unlivable due to rising heat, fires, massive storms, earthquakes. The recent shifts in weather patterns were like a ringing alarm clock for the Behemoths.

One by one they arose from their deep slumber—a 600-foot-tall bipedal lizard from Siberia, A pterosaur-like firebird from Brazil and an enormous kraken from the Atlantic Ocean. Within a few pages they were pounding New York City and each other. To the winner: world domination!

Even though Behemoths Rising is a short novel, the author includes lots of daikaiju battles and go-for-broke combat scenes. This is the first book in a Kaiju Overlords trilogy, so I assume there will be more thunderous world-shaking action TK.

Two comments: An elite air force squadron confronts the prehistoric creatures at every opportunity. There are big chunks of text devoted to aerial combat, but don’t expect any sort of descriptive air strategy or compelling tactical maneuvering from the pilots. This isn’t Twelve O’Clock High or The Blue Max (or even Snoopy vs. the Red Baron). “Hit the bastards with everything you’ve got,” ordered Captain Jason Bagley at one point. That’s all the strategy you get.

And lastly: I’m especially happy to see that love blooms even during a Behemoth uprising. Geologists, paleontologists and fighter jet pilots—they all deserve a little love and affection, right? After all, if you can’t find time to hook up during a world-ending disaster like this, when can you?

[Behemoths Rising / By John Grover / First Printing: November 2020 / ISBN: 9798561093319]