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Station Cores #4

The Kingdom Rises

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The Fortress that the Station Core had constructed was completely destroyed following a particularly brutal attack by superior forces – but they had won, albeit by the skin of their teeth. Fortunately, using his drones and multiple Molecular Converters to clean up the rubble, Milton was able to piece together everyone who had fallen under the Bearilla’s assault.

Unfortunately, the force that had attacked him on his home turf was only a very small portion of those heading inevitably closer to the Kingdom’s border. After the beating that they had just taken, Milton, Rosewyn, Moxwell, Brint, Whisp, and the rest of the Guardian Guild knew that even with access to the Station Core’s dungeon, they wouldn’t be able to save the entire Kingdom all by themselves.

Therefore, they must do all they can to delay the northern army of Bearillas and Quizards, knowing all the while that time was not on their side. Meanwhile, other plans are hatched to bend the citizenry to their cause; however, Milton and the others are not the only ones devising plans – the Cordpower Company still has it out for the Guild.

But will their efforts be enough to save everyone? Only the brave actions of the Proctans – and Milton’s Combat Units, of course – will determine that, as various plans come to fruition as The Kingdom Rises.


Contains LitRPG and GameLit elements such as level progression and experience, optional tables, no harems, and a heavy Dungeon Core emphasis.

Note: The optional stat tables skew the percentages toward the back of the book, so be aware that the locations may be a tad deceptive. Given that the book is 134,000 words, the optional stat tables comprise only about 6% of the total word count.

465 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2019

331 people are currently reading
84 people want to read

About the author

Jonathan Brooks

82 books486 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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5 stars
365 (44%)
4 stars
305 (37%)
3 stars
123 (15%)
2 stars
14 (1%)
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8 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for GaiusPrimus.
870 reviews96 followers
May 1, 2019
Great and unexpected

I love how Jonathan's books drop without pre-amble and surprise everyone. It's like a nugget of awesomeness.

This series continues to raise the stakes and delivering on them. Great continuation of the story and really excited to see where it goes.
Profile Image for Crissy Moss.
Author 36 books42 followers
January 8, 2023
This felt a bit more like a filler book. It is a lot of building up to a huge battle, and a bit of a twist at the end. But once you think about it out does make sense.
However it does set the stage for the final book and exactly what is going to be needed to win the final battle.
90 reviews8 followers
July 26, 2019
A decent book. After the first book, the series improved, a lot. My one criticism would be the future weaponry used here. It seems incredible inefficient and terribad.

For example, railguns in the story have an effective range of about 400 feet and shoot once every 30 seconds. Meanwhile, Railguns in development by humans have a range of 15-100 nautical miles and shoot about 10 times per minute. And these are experimental/early installments.

It's no wonder the collective was losing their war, their weapons are absolute garbage. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Profile Image for Vincent Archer.
443 reviews22 followers
September 14, 2019
Transitional book.

This is a straight continuation of the previous book, with relatively little new elements. If this were a trilogy, it would be the obvious middle book. There's only a single major twist near the end, which was relatively predictable.
Profile Image for Colin Rowlands.
240 reviews2 followers
February 3, 2020
This latest instalment in the series is unsuitable for those just starting the series, but for those already engaged with it, you get an entertaining mix of new developments for the main characters, major changes to the main plotlines, some plots being concluded and a major revelation concerning the main foe of the hero and his friends as this series starts heading towards it's eventual conclusion.

Like the previous books in the series, we again get another increase in scope with the dungeon core becoming involved with even more of the wider population as they face an invasion larger that needs a larger force to repel it than just the guardian guild. Along with dealing with this existential threat from the invading monsters, this book also deals with threat coming from the Cordpower company and it is quite interesting to see the way that threat is dealt with so readily without it becoming the main focus since it shows how some of the characters have grown well beyond their initial need for vengeance on that company since they have the much bigger threat to face instead.

The narration is once again a strong point, a good range of distinctive tones ensure the expanding cast remains easily distinguishable from each other.

Overall, a good balance of closing off some plotlines and escalation of others as the series heads towards a conclusion, but I would prefer a bit more brevity when it comes to the stats sections since they are readily available in the included pdf if you really want to dig into them.

[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
Profile Image for Charles Daniel.
586 reviews6 followers
April 1, 2021
I'm running out of good things to say about this series that won't be repetitive or overly revealing about the plot.

Can Milton, Whisp, Brint, and their Guardian Guild Allies save the Proctan species from extinction? Will five billion sentient humanoids be able to defeat the threat of the monstrous Quizard and Bearilla hordes? Or will Hilton's mission to protect the Proctans be forced to change into a mission to avenge their genocide? Read this book to find the answers, but I strongly recommend reading the series from book one through three before cracking this one open!

This book will likely appeal to fans of the Fantasy, LitRPG, Dungeon Core, Science Fiction, and Military Action genres and to RPG players of either video or tabletop games.
147 reviews2 followers
December 25, 2025
The War Escalates in a Pivotal (If Padded) Series Entry (4/5 Stars)

What’s up, dungeon divers and LitRPG lovers? We’re back in the thick of it with The Kingdom Rises, the fourth book in Jonathan Brooks’s Station Cores series. If you’ve made it this far, you know the drill: Milton, the human-turned-Station-Core, and his Guardian Guild allies are perpetually up against impossible odds. This installment takes the already massive stakes of The Guardian Guild and cranks them up to eleven, transforming a local dungeon defense into a full-scale war for the survival of an entire kingdom. It’s a relentless, action-packed ride that solidifies the series' epic scope, even if it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own setup.

Key Themes
Brooks leans hard into the consequences of Milton’s presence, exploring what happens when a dungeon core stops being a location and becomes a nation’s last hope.

Total War & Military Strategy: The core theme here is escalation. The battle is no longer contained to Milton’s dungeon. He must coordinate with the Proctan Kingdom to delay a northern army of Bearillas and Quizards, making large-scale tactics and kingdom-wide mobilization the central focus.

The Burden of Leadership: Milton’s evolution from a self-preserving core to a strategic leader responsible for billions reaches its zenith. The book delves into the grim calculus of war, where winning a battle might mean sacrificing a city, and explores whether his mission might shift from protection to vengeance.

Unity vs. Internal Corruption: While facing an external apocalyptic threat, Milton’s team also has to contend with the lingering machinations of the Cordpower Company and work to unify a skeptical citizenry. It’s a classic two-front struggle that tests their diplomacy as much as their combat skills.

Character Analysis
The established cast gets to stretch their legs in new, command-oriented roles.

Milton: He’s fully embraced his role as a strategic commander. The book shines when showcasing his gamer-mind devising large-scale delay tactics and leveraging his unique abilities in ways that affect the entire theater of war, not just a dungeon corridor.

Brint, Whisp, Rosewyn & Moxwell: These core allies are now seasoned veterans and leaders in their own right. They execute Milton’s plans on the ground, and their development is more about refined competence and unwavering loyalty than radical change.

The Proctan Kingdom: The kingdom itself functions almost as a new character. Its mobilization, the reaction of its citizens, and the sheer scale of its military become central to the plot, moving the story firmly into the "kingdom-building" subgenre.

Writing Style & Pacing
This is a massive book at 134,000 words, and you feel every page. Brooks’s prose remains clear and functional, perfect for describing complex battle formations and dungeon mechanics.

Pacing: This is the book’s most divisive aspect. A significant portion of the narrative is dedicated to preparation, alliance-building, and positioning for the inevitable clash. Some readers find this build-up tense and engaging, while others feel it has "filler book" or "transitional book" energy, serving primarily to set the board for the final installment. The payoff, however, features some of the series’ most epic and large-scale battle sequences to date.

LitRPG Mechanics: A note for Kindle readers: the optional stat tables are clustered at the back and comprise about 6% of the total word count. This can make your progress % seem deceptive, but it’s a smart compromise that keeps the main narrative clean for story-focused readers.

What I Liked/Disliked
The Good:

Epic Scale: The shift from dungeon defense to kingdom-wide warfare is executed brilliantly and feels like a natural, thrilling progression for the series.

Strategic Depth: Milton’s plans are clever and feel earned, showcasing his growth as a tactician against overwhelming force.

High-Stakes Payoff: When the battles finally hit, they are cinematic, desperate, and incredibly satisfying.

The Less Good:

Pacing Sags: The extensive build-up, while necessary, can feel slow, especially compared to the breakneck second half of The Guardian Guild.

A Predictable Arc: The structure (prepare for huge threat, face huge threat) is straightforward and some plot twists feel telegraphed.

The Cliffhanger: Fair warning—the ending is a major cliffhanger that will have you immediately downloading Book 5.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Final Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. The Kingdom Rises is a pivotal, war-focused entry that successfully escalates the series to its promised epic conclusion. While the pacing is uneven and it undeniably functions as the "calm before the storm" middle act of a larger saga, the sheer scale of the conflict and the thrilling payoff make it a must-read for invested fans.

You should read this book if: You’ve enjoyed the first three books and are ready to see the conflict explode onto a truly grand stage. It’s perfect for readers who love military strategy, large-scale dungeon/kingdom building, and stories where the heroes are perpetually on the back foot.

Do not start the series here. This is the absolute worst possible entry point. The emotional weight and complexity rely entirely on your investment from the previous books.

Content Note: Contains large-scale fantasy violence and war themes.

This book solidifies the Station Cores series as a standout in the Dungeon Core genre. It stumbles slightly in its middle section, but it successfully sets the stage for what promises to be a spectacular finale. I’m diving into Book 5, The Other Core, immediately
Profile Image for Eric Cooley.
91 reviews2 followers
January 6, 2020
An interesting look at LitRPG dungeon types

An interesting series. A nerd is abducted by alien on Earth. Then given a vast powerful shell while shucking his body.
This is the fourth, and to me, most interesting book.

What can you do when you face insurmountable odds? Martin the station core has to figure it out.

Martin has a new core that wants his destruction. PowerCord hasn't stopped looking. Internal monsters and external beasts.

An insightful book smartly done. I like the ending too. This is not the OP type of dungeon core. Martin can very easily die. He has to use his resources smartly and against incredible odds.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,187 reviews86 followers
May 2, 2019
Book four

Mistakes: I found a good one five words long. Looked almost like part of a sentence was repeated inside the middle of another sentence.
Plot: The war picks up in tempo and scope.
Characters: we get more of the side characters and get a chance to see the MC use some actual battle tactics. No waving the magic fairy wand and having everything work out perfect for everyone.
8/10
388 reviews
May 7, 2019
Got game.

Awesome cover. 😻 Sparkle on Quagon! 🎆 Gorgeous. Kudos to Yvonne Less, Art 4 Artists.

I'm not sure why, but I liked this book the most so far. Possibly the crafting, city building, and community focus? Battle wonks really get their moments as well. Gotta admit that a 700+ feet tall Hammerslug makes for a worthy boss fight. Loved Cordpower as the dangling cliffhanger choice.
794 reviews7 followers
July 23, 2019
Scorched earth

Just after winning a seemingly impossible battle. The core and friends get a new impossible challenge. Now we get to extra brutal nightmare mode. I am really curious what's next for the last book. Planet busters? I like the character development of the planet's people. The core protagonist is half part of the terrain/scenario half actor in this large scale apocalyptic fight. Loving it. Book 5 time.
2,560 reviews72 followers
January 26, 2020
This is becoming sad.

This whole series needs a complete redo. The writing is subpar, the characters are weak and there is NO balance to any of the combat. I think that in trying to write a dungeon book without using tables throughout, the content has suffered. There is no balance to the stats. And several parts seem tacked on for added intensity.
Profile Image for Danny Moody.
1,427 reviews11 followers
February 25, 2021
I am still really enjoying this story. I definitely thought that things would be in a different place right now but I am happy with where things are in the plot. I enjoy a lot of the characters and their leveling. That is one of the more satisfying aspects of the book. I am wondering how everything will conclude next book.
42 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2019
Just keeps getting better

This is one of those series where you stop reading everything else and read it. Fantastic, for those who like the maths side of progression and crunchy stat sheets you've got them... If you dont. you dont . Genius
Profile Image for Alex Matheny.
78 reviews2 followers
April 29, 2019
Pretty great read

The statistics might be getting a bit obscene, but its still been a great ride. Some of the advancments finally happebing was great too. Very excited for the next in this series
Profile Image for Zerdath.
89 reviews
August 21, 2019
Continues to delight

Loved everything about this one. Great continuation of the series, builds on everything prior and adds more to it! I'm loving this world and the characters. Next book, here I come!
217 reviews26 followers
November 7, 2019
Series is definately getting better!

Good series, good plot with real change and progress being made. I'm looking forward to the next book as it feels like it's about time to wrap things up.
1,003 reviews13 followers
January 22, 2020
Excellent read and core book

Worthy continuation in this series. Large scale battles are the thing here. More of the overarching plot/story is slowly being revealed and the new core/opponent is confirmed. The next book should be a whopper story wise. Looking forward to it.
757 reviews5 followers
August 19, 2020
Great book

I am really enjoying reading this book. Well written and. Interestjng world. Love the way dungeons are explained and how they work. Highly recommend this book and the series.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
651 reviews1 follower
April 29, 2019
Fun

Great addition to the series. Some interesting twists and developments. I truly loo forward to the next book. Enjoy it.
2 reviews
May 20, 2019
Great

Great each book in the series makes the world seem more real. I can't wait for the next one to come out.
698 reviews5 followers
September 17, 2019
Great book

Stellar work once again from Jonathan Brooks! The war finally hits; tons of action and even a few twists. Looking forward to the next one!
Profile Image for Erica Hernandez.
264 reviews5 followers
January 5, 2020
100%

Great book but don’t have time to give description (sorry)
Maybe I’ll edit later :)
Great action, and interesting new monsters. Well described fights and lots more!!!
Profile Image for Chris Evans.
903 reviews43 followers
January 28, 2020
Not much to say, it's pretty good. There's a lot more strategy going on in this one than previous books, but it's more of a tower defense at this point.
Profile Image for Jim.
230 reviews
April 16, 2022
the battle goes on

Plenty of excitement in this book. I’m looking forward to the last one and am downloading it now! Thank you!
Profile Image for Aaron Eichler.
789 reviews
July 29, 2022
awesome battle

The battle at the end was awesome, I liked the Hammerslug. I want to know what gave Milton was referring to, if it really exists I want to play it.
Profile Image for Bill Jones.
436 reviews
April 20, 2023
Onward and upward - the first major battle against the real enemy! Worth reading. Note: typos and edit errors can get distracting . . .
13 reviews
April 30, 2025
It could have been four or five stars if I didn't have to skip every other chapter of the audiobook due to detailed list of stats that were extremely repetitive...
12 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2019
Excellent

This series continues to improve with each book. The characters have extremely impressive growth and depth, the game-lit elements combined with sci-fi are refreshing, and I’m absolutely itching to get the next book. Absolutely give this book a try, great work and looking forward to what comes next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

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