**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**
I remember when I first discovered Project Nemesis; years ago, I was on a kaiju (giant monster) kick and I wondered “Hm… I wonder if anyone ever tried to tell a giant monster story in novel form?” I searched on Amazon and came across several. I remember THIS catching my attention and I simply decided to take a chance.
As I think you can assume by my rating, I became an instant fan of not only Nemesis, but her creator as well (and I don’t mean Zoomb).
Without giving a full plot synopsis, this story examines humanity’s response to a giant monster arriving in the world. While that sounds done to death, Project Nemesis has several differences. For starters, the human stories (yes, plural) are just as compelling as the title behemoth. They have arcs, wants, characters flaws to overcome, and are interesting enough that you’re not impatiently waiting for the monster to start stomping. One of the things that keeps the book moving is it’s almost juvenile sense of cussing. It’s absolutely low-brow language but definitely realistic to the situation the characters find themselves in and definitely lightens what would otherwise just be doom and action.
The main character, Jon Hudson, has an almost artistic use of foul language that nonetheless doesn’t feel forced and fits with his situation of having to try and stop Nemesis. His partner/love interest Ashley Collins straddles the line between competent and able to trade smart aleck remarks to each other. The supporting heroes, Woodstock, Watson, and Cooper, don’t have a ton to do but are instantly memorable and are each unique additions to the story.
We also get great villains in General Lance Gordon and his assistant Katsu Endo. They have understandable desires without being too sympathetic and basically stand toe-to-toe with the heroes. Ruthless, smart, and have moments of where they’ll make you chuckle too. All the characters have three-dimensional personalities, even the nameless victims who, in a change from most giant monster media that I’m aware of, often get a chapter to themselves before their demise. They’re not always sympathetic, but they well-rounded in the time they have and are certainly more memorable than a lot of victims in other kaiju media.
Which brings us to the star herself: Nemesis. Jeremy Robinson clearly wanted to make an impact with his creation and made something that would clearly stand out even without illustrations (although you get the cover and some art at the end of the ebook). More importantly, though, is she has a soul and is as well developed as the humans she stomps/tries to stomp. We see her thoughts and how she’s understanding what’s going on, giving us her views. Unless I need to watch more kaiju films, I don’t think any other media dives this deep.
That’s not to say this is some stuffy, literary tome; it’s a smart story but it’s also a VERY pulse-pounding summer blockbuster of a book. Your mind will play the events in your mind like a high-budget action flick, and you WILL want to read it to the big finale. That said, it’s smart and there’s a mystery building throughout the novel to, which builds to make for an extremely satisfying climax. You’ll likely be sad once you reach the end, to which I say “Have I got five reason for you to be happy?” There are five sequels (one taking place in an alternate universe) and they’re unlike summer movies in that they’re about as high quality as the original, but that’s for future reviews 🙂
I’ve read this novel several times, the most recent time being this audiobook edition in anticipation of 2023’s Nemesis, the most recent novel to star the Goddess of Vengeance (Nemesis’ nickname). Jeffrey Kafer is, in a word, awesome as the narrator. First off, he’s straight up perfect as Jon Hudson’s voice but he’s able to embody every other role in the book. It’s occasionally difficult to know when one character ends their dialogue and another starts but 95% of the time, you’re fine. Even then, I can imagine it being hard to make up voices for multiple characters (even Mel Blanc needed electronic help) so I don’t let a few minor moments of confusion take away from a great performance of a great book.
And that’s what that is. Without the miniature sets and dedicated actors in heavy rubber costumes, Jeremy Robinson crafted an excellent story that can stand alongside your favorite Godzilla film. It’s a serious story but it still knows when to cut loose and make you laugh or your pulse pound. I’ve heard rumblings about Project Nemesis being adapted into a TV series. If the series is even half as good as the book is, we’re in a good spot (I say that knowing things DO have to change when adapting books to TV/film). But even if it bombs harder than the military’s attempts to stop Nemesis, this book will still stand as a great Kaiju thriller, a great sci-fi book, and just a great overall story. Buy this NOW, you won’t be sorry.