Rise of the Giants

Heaven's Dark Soldiers #1

by Steve Gilmore, Jeremy Arthur (Narrator)

Listening Length: 8 hours and 55 minutes

Angels and giants and beasties. Oh my…

Dean Robinson used to be a soldier.

That is, until a fallen angel with a God complex and a snappy wardrobe killed him.

Now he is something else.

Not quite an angel but no longer human, Dean is thrust into the prophetic pinnacle of a timeless battle raging in the shadows of the Earth and the Heavens.

He and his newfound gang of arcane sidekicks might be the only thing standing between mankind and an incursion of otherworldly giants.

No pressure…

Semi-divine super soldiers, supersized bad guys on high protein diets, a Heavenly grudge match played out on an Earthly stage – Just another day at the office apparently.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology, Adventure, Fiction

9 pages, Audible Audio

First published August 10, 2021

Reviews

[ShannaBanana✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Rooster for me! The characters and the world are brilliant but Rooster is the one I like the most.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rise of the Giants
By Steve Gilmore
Not sure what I expected but this was incredible! A soldier, Dean, has visions and the doctor comes to listen to his new visions in the war torn areas during battle. The doc knows Dean is the new Deacon that is prophesied. Dean dies in battle with a fallen angel but Dean doesn't stay dead. He is given powers of the Deacon. He will be a soldier for god, someone to keep the balance.
There is lots of great characters, wonderful battles, giants, besties, angels, Nephilim, and I love the many shape shifting capabilities!
This is non-stop action and I read it straight through! Loved it! Will get the next book for sure!

[Simon Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest I wasn't overly impressed with this.... Took a long time to get anywhere. Don't think I'll be carrying on with the series.

[Bo Poske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rise of the Giants by Steve Gilmore is one of those books that knows exactly what it wants to be and goes all in. This is a fast, action-heavy ride that barely lets you breathe, following Dean Robinson, an elite soldier turned supernatural Deacon after his death. From there, it’s angels, giants, Nephilim, and a full-on war against Azazel, and it never really slows down.
Dean carries the story with a solid mix of humor and grit. He’s got that lovable, slightly unhinged soldier energy, and the dialogue lands more often than not. The “holy handgun of Antioch” line alone had me laughing more than I expected. The tone stays light even when the stakes get big, which keeps it fun the whole way through.
It does get a little crowded with characters at times, but the nonstop action and humor make up for it. I finished this in two sittings and I CANNOT wait to get to the next book 5
Thank you Steven for a copy of the book!

[Christopher Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly good, the authors take some things from the Bible, arch-angels, Deacons, Nephilim, etc. and insert a navy seal/ranger to help fight for the humans. The story is told from the ranger point of view which makes the story real, even tho it is clearly fantasy! This makes the story relatable, as you forget about the fantasy element, this is good story-telling! I recommend this book highly!

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜]

👣👣 $1.99 Nov 15, 2024 👣👣

[David Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I listened to the audio, and the narrator, Jeremy Arthur, brought this to a higher level. Dean is dragged from his life as a soldier, rescuing people in bad situations, into a world where he is responsible for dragging the entire world to safety. The story is good. The characters are intersting, but this book needs a serious edit. It's a strong story, and held my interest all the way to the end on shoulders of characters I loved, voiced perfectly, but there were times I wanted, for instance, to just sit back and go MUHAHAHAHAH because of the over-the-top descriptions, sometimes flowing three or four like otheruearthly, unimaginable, arcane, etc into one thought. Other times (one in particular that stopped me dead) were things like a characters brain coming to a FULL STOP and less than a sentence later, just beginning to dull. I would recommend this book regardless of all of that, and from the number of reviews, and the continuing series, I feel confident no one is going to be disappointed. I just can't give a higher rating to a book that was good and could have been much better with more work.

[Jake · Rating 2 out of 5]

About 10% into it and mostly enjoying the tempo but not the overly done soldierly exchanges: Don't call me Big Sarge; I told you not to call me that. Understanding verbal camaraderie expressions is one thing but quit beating that poor down horse. Great action going on and an OK story to boot. The rest is some quite mediocre writing.

[Angela Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun and witty book with a great plotline. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I'm on book 2 now. I would recommend for sure.

I don't do a lot of reviews unless I REALLY like the book or absolutely felt needs a warning label of "do not read". This falls into the 1st category.

[Bill Krieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
This book is FUN: 4 bill-stars.

Our first-person narrator, Dean, used to be an army guy, but now he’s a deacon fighting evil (giants, fallen angels, etc) for God. The genre is fantasy, and it has a lot of creative twists to it. The writing style is very good and is appropriately light. There’s lots of action and drinking and all. It’s pretty guy-oriented. Humor is a key part of the book from start to end. (yes!)

The lead character is interesting/positive, and that adds a lot to the book. Dean is a primary source of fun and shenanigans. He’s the new guy among Heaven’s Dark Soldiers, and his personality is that of an endearing lunkhead. Example: He says “friggin” all the time. (ha)

QOTD

I couldn’t help but think that the legendary Irish drinking establishment and all its old-world charm and lustrous dark wood didn’t hold a friggin candle to the Quartermaster. I bet they didn’t even serve RoosterBragh. Damn that ginger bastard for turning me into a beer snob.

- Dean/Deacon, Rise of the Giants

I’ve already Kindle-bought Book #2 in the Heaven’s Dark Soldiers series.

A good read. thanks...yow, bill
 

[Megan Cutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this app gave me the option to put half stars because I want this one to be 4.5 stars. Not quite a 5 star read, but so close. I'm going to give it 5 stars here anyway.

What a ride! A very fast read because the action is non-stop. Dean Robinson is an elite soldier who has been having dreams about a conflict from Biblical times. When he is KIA he becomes a "Deacon", a supernatural being who is almost an angel. The Deacons, 7 of them, are tasked with taking out Azazel an Angel who is trying to take over the world by creating Nephilim by breeding human women with his angel genetics.

The side characters are great, if not featured quite enough, probably because there is a glut of them. The book is funny too! I laughed outloud when Dean called his weapon "the holy handgun of Antioch" (and if you don't get that reference we can be friends, but not GOOD friends). This one also made me giggle madly. "I also came to the conclusion that being seven hundred years old and Scottish does not make you proficient at the bagpipes."

Worth the read! I will continue the series.

[Julie A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following is my review from Amazon in 2021 … currently I have read each book in the series and am patiently awaiting for Steve’s new book to come out in 2023 “Harbinger’s Hex”
From my Amazon review”: I’m a newbie to urban fantasy style books, and this book is a superb introduction! Dean Robinson is a character like no other. His quick wit and humor grab your attention right away and keeps you on your toes for the entire book. The rest of the characters quickly become like family due to the author’s ability with character development. He has a talent for creating quirky and lovable characters, and he creates their antagonists with the same talent. I loved all the “good” folk and equally despised the “villains”. This book is FILLED with action, humor, and is an all-around good read. I was on the edge of my seat turning each page and while starting each new chapter.

[Ford Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, enjoyable fun read!

I enjoyed this book that leads the beginning of the series. The world building had a fresh perspective although some of the pop culture dated the author a bit, it was still enjoyable to read even if you've never seen caddyshack. You could tell the author had prior military experience. The world building he created was full and detailed. The main character was likeable with good dialogue. The only critique I would have is that the events of the book overwhelm the main character however certain points of logic would never have escaped a military man such as questions as to who and what his teammates are or their skill level. None of that ruined the fun action and quick pace of the story and I look forward to book number two.

[Sharon Hendrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book!

I love Dean Robinson!
Surprised to find himself somewhere totally unreal after dying in Bosnia on a mission, Dean finds itself in the company of someone he had dreamt about for 177 nights prior to his death. That someone is the original Deacon, chosen by God to wield his Wrath. Then finding out he was destined to be the Seventh of the Seven, a Deacon wielding the Wrath of God. The fight is on for the fate of mankind, a fight against Azazel, the fallen Angel working to bring back the Giants and planning to bring about the downfall of the human race.
This is a race against time for Dean to learn all he can about his powers, his new brothers in arms and his enemy. And save the world!

[Amelia.S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Gilmore’s Heaven’s Dark Soldiers: Rise of the Giants delivers a bold fusion of military action, biblical myth, and urban fantasy. Dean Robinson’s transformation from soldier to reluctant semi-divine warrior creates a protagonist caught between humanity and the heavens, battling not only supernatural foes but also his own unwanted destiny. The novel thrives on its high stakes blend of ancient prophecy and modern grit, populated by fallen angels, otherworldly giants, and a crew of unlikely allies who provide both depth and dark humor. Fast paced, cinematic, and charged with mythological resonance, Rise of the Giants is a thrilling opening to a saga that feels both epic in scope and personal in its exploration of resilience and sacrifice.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good

So glad I seen this pop up on FB. I am never on it much but that algorithm always throws books at me. This is one I am SO glad I clicked on. I do read/listen that way when I get busy I don't have to stop. And I did not want to stop. The narrator was FANTASTIC!!! I will be looking for his other voice acting. I enjoyed his voice and loved how he was able to keep up with his different voices when they were all going at the same time. I enjoyed this book so much I already bought the next. Definitely having a good month with books. Usually I go through so many bad ones. I am a happy woman I found this book. There seems to be 6 more. Already want more from the awesome side characters!!! Thanks so much for sharing you great imagination.

[Ron · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @14%

There are a lot of em-dashes — not that the em-dash is bad, but it shouldn't appear several times on every page.

Unlike past dreams, I remembered every detail, every moment, as if instantaneously burned into my memory. Things I could not unsee — unfeel — unlearn. Amazing things. Impossible things.

Overuse of em dashes, Rule of three

I drifted to my left as I fired an additional two more slugs (...)

There are two adjective phrases here, and only one is needed. Either of:

I drifted to my left as I fired two more slugs (...)
I drifted to my left as I fired an additional two slugs (...)


Overall, sloppy writing, and not a really great story line.

[Wesley A Ouzts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Fantasy series - Great fun

Interesting read that taught me more religious and Yiddish terminology than I have learned since college "Judaism in the Post Holocaust Era". Fortunately, Kind let's instant Wikipedia and the author's great writing style made it a much more pleasant experience.

This is not my typical read, I usually read David Drake and Apocalypse tripe. I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. Steve Gilmore's protagonist talks just like a real soldier and not some end-to-end armchair commando like more than a few Kindle Unlimited authors.

Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks Steve

[Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insane. Ridiculous. Incredibly awesome

To steal a quote from the end of the book, that's what this was. The book grabbed me from the start and never let up. This is already in my top five favorite series, and we're only at book 1. This book has it all. Action, and tons of it. Humor, sparky, sarcastic, unapologetic, and extremely relatable for anyone with time spent in the military. Mystery, trying to piece together Azazel's grand plan and who is helping him. And there's a brief cameo by a surprise character that had me wanting more. I cannot wait to start book 2 and continue the adventures of Dean.

[K A Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snark and End-of-Days go together well

The male protagonist has some delightful dark humor and thinks in the snark. The premise of the story is a very interesting take on the balance between good and evil and is told from the point of view of the protagonist. There are times when you, as the reader, will be as confused as the protagonist. This is not something I minded, I found it gave me more empathy for the protagonist.

There are some things that didn't hold together for me on some of the power capabilities and power players. I still enjoyed the romp of a story, the dialogue, and very much the main character enough to call it four stars.

[Jordan Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has a great idea and an interesting world to build around but there is no depth. No character development. All of a sudden the MC has these amazing powers with no explanation to what they actually or what all they entail. Then there are allies that aren't really explained and they all trust the MC without building any relationships and a potentially amazing idea on how some people have powers but then never explain the powers or how the magic works, just that there are different types. It almost felt like you were dropped into the last quarter of an epic book but we never got the chance, as readers, to grow attached to the characters or world.

[Gene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t have very high hopes for Rise of the Giants by Steve Gilmore because it was advertised like so many under-performing books as I scrolled through Facebook. It was cheap though so I gave it a shot. It turned out to be a legit page-turner I have rated ★★★★. With a unique good vs evil norse/ biblical-esque storyline, this was a lot of fun. If you liked Constantine, you will enjoy this.
Without spoiling this one, the author has written a story where “the wrath of God” is actually an elite group of warriors that have fallen over the centuries. Much like the Norse Valhalla warrior.
350 pages on Kindle accompanied by Audible.

[Per Gunnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that the story of this book showed some originality.

As the blurb says, the main protagonist is a former soldier who met a somewhat premature demise at the hands of a supreme asshat with heavenly powers. Fortunately the rumors of his death was greatly exaggerated.

I like the main protagonist. He is a soldier trough and trough. If you cannot solve a problem by hitting, stabbing and shooting it then use C5… and some colorful language for good measure.

There’s plenty of action, ass-kicking, dying (obviously) and so on and so forth in this book. Dean has been recruited into the elite group of heavenly ass-kickers and by some magnificent constellation of the stars (or whatever) he is the long rumoured supreme ass-kicker.

Unfortunately his opponent is a supreme asshat so things goes sideways more often than not. It is really annoying when the bad guy will not stay dead is it not?

Overall, I liked the book. It is an easy read focusing a lot on the action bits but still it does not forget to have a interesting story to move everything forward.

My main concern with this series is that the first book starts with quite a bit of bang with angels, giants and other uber-powerful creatures. It is like starting world war two by dropping the bomb right away. I have read too many urban fantasy series where the author just goes overboard with sensation instead of bothering to write a good story so I hope this series does not end up going that way.

[William Newbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and action

Enjoyed the book, the middle took a little while to go through but the beginning and end were good. Just feel like the middle and connections were a bit rushed but I still liked the characters. The action with humans being the bearers of wrath was entertaining. Wondering at the twist with Lucifer and another arch angel. The giants are cool but seem to die too easily to be teally threatening.

[Blake Billings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting to read/listen to this book all in one day. I actually had other things to do, but I could not put it down! I found myself just stopping or intentionally delaying moving from one task to the next to continue to listen.

I loved all the twists and turns and have already bought book 2 on Audible (and downloaded it from Kindle Unlimited). I have a feeling I'm going to tear through these.

[Nancy Warr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get into this book, only made it halfway. I found it frustrating that the author loosely based this on biblical accounts only to use the lords name in vain every other sentence. Got confusing with the story switching from one setting to another without any explanation. I liked the cover art though.

[Mick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, enjoy

Gilmore writes a fun and very creative play on elements of biblical arcanum. He mixes elements of supernatural, absurd and numerous into a fast paced graphic novel style narrative. The villains are a little one dimensional and predictible, but hopefully they develop in upcoming books. It was an enjoyable read.

[Joseph Courtemanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a fun romp

He pulled me in with a great ad on Facebook. He kept me reading with witty dialogue. He will draw me into the next book with his ending.

Yup. Fun reading indeed.

[Suzanne Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Once I got passed about Chapter 8 I couldn’t put this book down. What a read! I love the science fiction/fantasy novels and this one did not disappoint. I’ve been on a zombie kick for quite a long time, this was a very good distraction. I can’t wait to read the second book.

[John T Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Heck of a read , I really enjoyed it. Lots of action and humor. Love the characters and the story line flows well. Keeps you interested. Good job Mr. Gilmore, I will continue this series .