**DEFINITE SPOILERS FOR THIS & PREVIOUS BOOKS**
Even a novel clearly meant to set-up the next book, Jeremy Robinson expands the Nemesis saga in a thoughtful, funny, and action installment and gives this novel its own arc and conclusion. I can think of a few would-be franchises that could’ve taken notes from this.
We learn more about the alien threat that ultimately led to this series’ events and that Earth stands on the precipice of utter destruction. Nemesis becomes a force of good, or at least willing to fight against the ultimate villains without also wiping out humanity in the process.
And a giant robot gets added to the mix. Is there a series that isn’t improved by the addition of a giant robot? (Imagine how hilarious it’d be if Paddington Bear got his marmalade-stained paws on the controls of some giant mech?)
We get to see Maigo become more assertive and take an even more active part in the team. We get to see her as a leader, taking cues from her adoptive father and getting rewarded with a new weapon. It’s also fun & sweet to see more of the sisterly bond with Lilly that was hinted and mentioned in Project 731 as well as just seeing the two play off each other. If Jeremy Robinson ever wrote a spin-off series with just them, I would be on board.
We get to see how Nemesis evolved with having Katsu Endo as her human conscious. It not only keeps the series fresh but also helps showcase the differences between Katsu and Maigo, from their maturity and morality to, ultimately, a good illustration to how better things can be when people aren’t forced into doing something.
Typing that last sentence made me realize that might be the point of the novel. It is revealed that, in an ongoing war between two different offshoots of the same species, humanity’s nature was altered to make it more willing to fight for freedom. It opens a can of worms of whether free choice really exists if the very idea was forced onto humanity and the novel’s answer to it, acceptance but with a hand sign that’s neither Hawaiian nor peaceful, is likely the best answer any media can have and especially fits this series’ tone and viewpoints.
Hyperion is also a fun addition. Emotionless/subdued characters have a long history of adding to the dynamics of a cast of characters with their hearts on their sleeve (see Spock or Data) and Hyperion joining the likes of Jon Hudson and the FC-P doesn’t disappoint. It’s droll delivery against Maigo’s panic is fun and her and Nemesis learning to trust this mechanical thing is a nice touch (all the characters are wary of it but Maigo and Nemesis have a particular reason).
The action is always cool and Jeremy Robinson always seems to find new ways to depict battles, including an awesome drone fight (I’m not doing it justice; trust me, it’s cool). The new monsters are cool and imaginative, and we get a few returning kaiju that’s, while not earth-shaking (pun not intended), still a nice touch at showing the powers of one of the factions in this book.
Jeffrey Kafer excels again narrating the novel. While it’s sometimes hard in multi-character dialogue scenes to know when one character starts and another begins, it’s still mostly clear who’s speaking and he performs the emotions of each character flawlessly. Jeremy Robinson’s writing doesn’t need elevating but Jeffrey does it anyway.
Like I said before, Project Hyperion manages to be a satisfying novel in its own right while making sure the stage is set for the big finale, a rare feat considering how many companies want to get into the big crossover business. Thankfully, Jeremy Robinson knows people only come back if the current story is great. I find it hard (not impossible; everyone has different tastes) to think of no one who wouldn’t want to read the next book after reading this.