Throughout the course of Kaiju United’s spotlight features, we have covered the emerging rise of independent comic books created for the community. Our next few articles will showcase the other side of the coin — independent writers creating full-length novels, showcasing their original kaiju stories through a prose medium. First published around 2014, Realm of Goryo, a thrilling kaiju adventure series by Dane G. Kroll, has emerged in this medium as one of the few ongoing titles. ROG sees a post-apocalyptic Earth in which mankind, now in a peace treaty with kaiju, must coexist with their behemoth partners. The titular kaiju, Goryo, is the king of all the monsters, cementing his lair within Tokyo itself, because of course he did.
Reading like a classic pulp adventure novel of yesteryear, readers more familiar to books like Steve Alten’s MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror and Jeremy Robinson’s Project Nemesis series will definitely enjoy this one. Realm of Goryo has continued to this day, cementing itself in the kaiju book community with six original novels, as well as a brand-new spinoff book, a Choose Your Own Adventure book! We at Kaiju United think that these books read like movies, and are truly truly entertaining, fast-paced adventures. Of course, as revealed in our upcoming interview with Mr. Kroll, that is completely intentional! Dane went to film school, and many of his books were screenplays first. As most of us at Kaiju United are big film fanatics, this excited us even more, and we’ll be continuing to read the Realm of Goryo series!
KU plans on covering all the books, but we’re going to start at the beginning for now!
Book 1: The Four Pillars
Synopsis:
By the year 2061, Japan has been overrun by kaiju. The Earth is in peril by threats looming from the bottom of the ocean to distant planets. Now, the world has united in the hopes of regaining their home. The scientist and soldiers in Japan have to work carefully to avoid bringing the world to war. The Mighty Tengi has seen to it that there is peace between mankind and the kaiju, but her reign teeters on the brink of destruction. The destructive Goryo roams free in Tokyo, unchecked by any power. The United Nations hold back in defense. World leaders and secret organizations are patient for their newest scientist, Dr. Scott Macy, to discover the solution to their problems, a giant soldier. Then the addition of the Mu society to the surface world leaves a trail of destruction. The fight to claim the Earth begins here.
Thoughts:
The foundation of the Goryo series is wickedly entertaining, and does a stellar job at some serious world-building. Readers are introduced to four main kaiju, of course, the titular “Four Pillars”, as well as their different characterizations. The treatment of the kaiju as characters is also a standout feature of this series. Sure, there’s kind of familiar trope “archetypes”, but it’s not directly rip-off, or too referential. Tengi, the Swan kaiju, is “Mothra” of course, having two psychic spokespeople to communicate with our human protagonists, but author Dane Kroll takes it further, having the majestic beast actually negotiate a peace treaty amongst the inhabitants of Earth, be it kaiju or human. There are clearly examinations of what living in a world full of gigantic beasts would be like, and sometimes, that means the relationships with humans and kaiju may turn into governmental policy. That is something that has only been done with negotiations with Mothra’s shobijin, and really, it’s more like “return the shobijin, or Mothra will destroy Japan.” kind of situations. That idea itself fascinates me, and I can’t wait to see what else happens.
The other fun idea that stood out to me in The Four PIllars, is the super-wealthy daredevils paying top dollar to parachute their way into kaiju-occupied Tokyo. I hate to reference current events, but there’s a particular situation that happened a few weeks ago in the Ocean that kind of echoes just how realistic this idea really is. But, if you don’t want to go there, just look at storm chasers, and tornado watchers. It’s a baffling concept at first, but really, go look at Godzilla 2000: Millennium, and you’ll see a group of “storm chasers” chasing Godzilla, and you’ll see why Mr. Kroll took that idea to the next level.
The cover art is spectacular. Personally, it gives serious Godzilla: Tokyo SOS vibes, with the faces of the titular group of monsters, lined up in, you guessed it, “pillars”, with the same kaiju about to unleash their wrath upon each other in mortal combat pictured below.
Overall, a blast to read, and I have truly enjoyed going through this series, because it’s a perfect example of seeing an author get better over time. KU’s thoughts on Book 2 will emerge very soon, but it is miles better than the previous one. That being said, my personal preferences tend to be the first installment of anything, as it’s the make-or-break of the entire series. I love world building, and I lore dive franchises frequently, so this book will probably remain my favorite in the series, for all of the above reasons. See what else lies within the REALM OF GORYO, and give the book series a read!
Dane’s Links:
Official Website
Dane’s Facebook Page
Realm of Goryo Instagram
Realm of Goryo Books on Amazon
About Dane G. Kroll
From hosting television to writing books, Dane G. Kroll is a passionate author whose love for giant monsters, horror, and adventure knows no bounds. Frustrated with the endless stream of re-runs and remakes, Dane took matters into his own hands, and embarked on a journey to create enthralling stories that would captivate and entertain him. Little did he know that his creative endeavors would win the hearts of readers worldwide.
Dane’s ongoing series, “Realm of Goryo”, presents a world hanging by a thread, threatened by colossal monsters, extraterrestrial beings, and enigmatic amphibious creatures. In these action-packed books, readers are thrust into a high-octane battle for survival, where every moment counts and the fate of humanity rests in the balance. With relentless pacing and heart-stopping suspense, Dane ensures that once you start reading, you won’t be able to put the book down.
