This second Megadrak novel from Christofer Nigro picks up immediately following the events of the first book (read my review here). It was 1954 and a gigantic  reptilian monster with ill intent was racing toward Japan’s largest island Honshu.

Spawned by the atom bomb, but deadlier than the bomb itself, Megadrak wanted to topple humanity from its exalted place at the top of the planetary food chain. The 55-meter-tall behemoth perceived Honshu’s largest city Tokyo as an affront to its primal cognitive directive. Megadrak was, according to one eyewitness, “the beast of the apocalypse—Leviathan manifested.”

Megadrak was the first daikaiju the world had ever seen, so it made sense for people to compare it to age-old religious and folkloric monsters such as  Jörmungandr, Tiamat and Yamata no Orochi. Said the author: “It was a beast that looked as if it could be challenged by nothing less than one of the gods themselves.” 

Unfortunately, there were no benevolent Shinto or Christian gods available for duty. It was up to Japan’s ground and air forces (along with some help from nearby U.S. troops) to counter the oncoming titan. Spoiler alert: the military couldn’t stop mighty Megadrak from tearing up Tokyo. That was bad news for Tokyoites, but good news for the rest of us. 

Megadrak’s attack on the city’s metro railway system was particularly memorable, and featured (perhaps) the best descriptive writing in the volume. Take my advice, when a giant monster comes to your prefecture, stay away from trains and the subway. You’ll never get out of the city alive.

The destruction of Haneda Airport and the National Diet Building were also pretty awesome. Somehow Megadrak instinctively knew that destroying these two locations would break the spirit of Japan. Here and elsewhere, the author does a good job of describing what it would be like to be inside a building being torn apart by a super-monster. Before the dust even settled “the kaiju announced his multiple triumphs with a roaring hiss that seemed to evoke a sense of sadistic glee.”

Nigro drops a bomb during a brief moment at the Yasukuni Shrine. I’m not 100 percent what happens here, but it definitely opens the door for numerous sequels to come. There are other moments throughout the book that provide a bit of foreshadowing—the epilogue, in particular, is filled with a mad jumble of clues for future volumes. 

The novel ends with an intense double-fisted climax featuring an unlikely crucifixion and a heroic kamikaze gambit. Does Megadrak survive? Do other mutant monsters reveal themselves? And what’s up with the Kaiju Kombat Force? Monster fans (like me) want to know. 

[ Megadrak: Tokyo Screams, Book 2 / By Christofer Nigro / First Raven Tale Edition: June 2023 / ISBN: 9798396849945 ]