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Nemesis Saga #1

Project Nemesis

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Jon Hudson, lead investigator for the Department of Homeland Security's Fusion Center-P, thinks his job is a joke. While other Fusion Centers focus on thwarting terrorist activity, Hudson's division is tasked with handling paranormal threats to national security, of which there have been zero during his years at the DHS. When yet another Sasquatch sighting leads to a research facility in the backwoods of Maine, disguised as an abandoned Nike missile site, Hudson's job becomes deadly serious.

Hudson and the local Sherriff, Ashley Collins, suddenly find themselves on the run from a ruthless ex-Special Forces security team, but the human threat is short-lived as something very much not-human destroys the facility and heads for civilization, leaving only a single clue behind-a name scrawled in blood-Nemesis. Working with his team at Fusion Center-P, Sherriff Collins and a surly helicopter pilot named Woodstock, Hudson pursues the creature known as Nemesis, attempts to uncover the corporate secrets behind its creation and accidental release, and tries to comprehend why several clues lead to a murdered little girl named Maigo.

But as the body-count explodes, along with the monster's size, it quickly becomes clear that nothing short of a full military response can slow Nemesis's progress. Coordinating with every branch of the U.S. military, Hudson simultaneously searches for clues about Nemesis's origins and motivations, and leads the counterattack that will hopefully stop the monster before it reaches Boston and its one million residents.

Witness the birth of a legend as Jeremy Robinson, bestselling author of SecondWorld and Ragnarok, combines the pacing of Matthew Reilly with the mystery of James Rollins and creates the first iconic American Kaiju* story since King Kong.

*Kaiju is Japanese for "strange beast." The genre includes classic monsters such as Godzilla, Gamera, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah.

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published November 13, 2012

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About the author

Jeremy Robinson

141 books2,439 followers
Jeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
Profile Image for Dr. Cat  in the Brain.
169 reviews54 followers
June 21, 2022
Often hilarious and sometimes bizarre giant monster (or Kaiju if you're feeling sexy) book featuring a wholly original creature going on a rampage through the United States named "Nemesis".

The monster is named after the goddess Rhamnousia, the great geek Nemesis who was a blind champion of justice that would bring down terrible judgement on those who dared to wander the pastures of hubris.

Of course, what Greek myth meant by hubris in this context is dramatically different from what we mean by the term in the modern era.

Back then it meant those who attempted to harness the powers of the gods. To control fate and all that jazz. In this novel Nemesis just unleashes her terrible fury at the whole planet. Just call this lady the internet, because everybody's guilty in her eyes.

Shadowy government agencies? Smite. Military trying to stop her? Smite. Rapist on a boat? Smite. Everybody who looks at her funny? Smite!

She's got one answer to all mankind's attitude problems and that's a big old giant monster bitch slap.

And I'm down with that. We suck. We deserve it. Smite us, you super-hot giant monster lady.

Nemesis is being chased by a government agent sent to investigate monster claims (notably Sasquatch) and the agent's local cop love interest. Also there's a scary military man who helped to create the monster in a lab for his own health purposes. And the military man might be transforming into something much, much worse.

Project Nemesis is a super cheesy and really fun bit of monster mayhem. It reminds me of Beastmaker by James V. Smith Jr. (1988). An over the top cross-country hunt of a big, ever-transforming, invincible beastie as it makes its way from one city to the next. However this book has noticeably less gore and a lot more snappy character interactions.

On the downside its pacing is all over the place, the chemistry between the two leads is awkward at best and the ending where the heroes feel sorry for the monster is a bit unearned? But still, I think there's a little Nemesis in all of us. Or a lot in the case of that evil military guy.

I give this one a 6/10

A part of my giant sized Review Round-Up: https://www.patreon.com/posts/68034532
Profile Image for Terry.
414 reviews104 followers
August 28, 2019
I was looking for a quick book I could get on audio for a road trip I was taking this past weekend, and after a short search, settled on this book by Jeremy Robinson. I was hoping for something fun and easy to listen to, and boy did this work for me! I'm a big fan of the old monster movies with Godzilla that I watched as a kid. This reminded me of those movies, only better written, with better characters and even some good witty moments. I've had my eye on this for a while, and glad I've jumped into this series as I plan on reading some more of them. 4.5/5.0 stars for this monster nerd!
10 reviews
February 24, 2013
This would have gotten 4 stars (ok, 3.5) but for one thing: sound suppressed .50 caliber gun. Yah, right.
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
4,884 reviews2,298 followers
April 27, 2024
Project Nemesis
By Jeremy Robinson
Do you ever get in the mood for a monster movie? Even a B rated movie, those cheesy Godzilla or Mothra ones? Well, I do. They are fun, no-brainers, but fascinating at the same time. Some are really poorly written but still fun. Others are a bit better. Then there's Jurassic Park type that are excellent. This book was pretty good, predictable, and only a little cheesy. 🤩☺️ I enjoyed it for that!
Profile Image for GrilledCheeseSamurai (Scott).
637 reviews114 followers
November 14, 2017
This is my first Jeremy Robinson novel...and I am happy to say it won't be my last! In fact, when next I make an Amazon order you can best bet your biscuits that I'ma be adding on the next book or two in this series.

I mostly read fantasy/Sci-fi novels, and while this one certainly isn't anything but a monster book (and doesn't pretend to try and be anything else) it is still outside of my usual wheelhouse. I think this added to my enjoyment of it so much. It was a breath of fresh air to be in our present day real world. Granted there was a giant Kaiju monster ravaging downtown Boston...but you understand my point, I'm sure.

Anyways, fast-paced, enjoyable characters, and an interesting spin on a genre that, until this point, hasn't really been Westernized a whole lot before. At least not that I'm aware of.

I feel like if you were to take the X-Files and mash it together with a Harry Dresden personality type and throw in skyscraper-size monsters and a ninja or two...well...this is what you get. And you know what? It really, really works!
Profile Image for John Kelly.
194 reviews128 followers
December 29, 2023
Jeremy Robinson consistently delivers, and "Project Nemesis" is no exception. After finishing his Infinite Worlds series, where elements of Nemesis intrigued me, I started this novel, and it didn't disappoint.

True to Robinson's style, the story is a bit over the top, which aligns perfectly with my expectations. The book offers a shorter, quick read with a straightforward plot that effortlessly weaves in various tropes most will be familiar with from action and monster movies.

What sets "Project Nemesis" apart is its genesis story for the monster at the center of the plot. The narrative is fast-paced, featuring enjoyable characters and injecting a fresh spin into the genre. Once the story gains momentum, it becomes a nonstop rollercoaster of action—buckle up for thrills, intrigue, suspense, gunfights, fistfights, destruction, missiles, romantic interests, shadow government organizations, even Bigfoot, and at its core--a massive monster. In essence, there's something for everyone.

The novel's tone oscillates between hilarious and sometimes bizarre, adding a unique flavor to the overall experience. The audio version, narrated by Jeffrey Kafer, is excellent, making it a fun and easy listen. Kafer's performance goes beyond mere reading; he skillfully performs the story, bringing it to life with finesse.

In summary, "Project Nemesis" is a wild ride filled with action, humor, and a monster tale that manages to surprise and entertain. Whether you're a fan of Robinson's previous works or new to his writing, this book is a good choice for those seeking an exciting and amusing escape.
Profile Image for Rick Gualtieri.
Author 80 books758 followers
January 22, 2014
I don’t make it much of a secret that I’m absolutely in love with giant monster movies. I've been waiting with barely contained enthusiasm for Legendary’s 2014 Godzilla film to open, hoping for the best yet dreading it might be another heart-breaker like the 1998 Tristar Godzilla. I've had the Blu-ray of Pacific Rim for just a few weeks and have already watched it multiple times (despite having seen it in the theaters). Suffice it to say, I have seen every single Toho Kaiju movie - most of them several times.

Thus it was with great excitement that I was casually browsing my Amazon recommendations last week and saw Jeremy Robinson’s Project Nemesis appear in the list. This was a pleasant surprise in two ways. One: obviously a novel about giant monsters smashing shit caused the ten year old kid in me to scream out in joy. Two was that I've read Robinson before and know him to be a skilled fantasy/adventure storyteller so I felt absolutely no trepidation when it came to hitting the purchase button. I don’t mind taking a leap of faith, but I think it’s occasionally nice to forgo those first date jitters and hop in the car with someone you know can drive.

Project Nemesis is a fascinating read from several levels. The story itself is both unique while still being a loving homage to several Kaiju movies, perhaps the two that come most to mind being the original Godzilla and Frankenstein’s Revenge. Another unique aspect is the perspective. Robinson alternately tells the story from a first person present perspective from the eyes of the main protagonist, Jon Hudson, to third person past for all of the other characters. At first this was a little jarring as well as worrisome. I’m not a fan of first person present, primarily because so few authors do it well. I find it to be, more often than not, a painful experience. Yet I was pleasantly surprised to find that Robinson makes it work. I actually found myself enjoying switching back into Hudson’s eyes after reading what the monster or other characters were up to. It doesn't hurt that Hudson is a flawed, but ultimately likeable fellow.

The story itself follows your basic sci-fi plot of an experiment gone horribly wrong - resulting in a rapidly growing monster, Nemesis, that’s horrifying yet sympathetic at the same time. Hudson is at first scoffed at, but then by the time he's finally believed it's too late. The monster has grown too strong and the nation’s military...well, if you've ever seen a Godzilla movie you know how that ends. The science is ultimately a bit goofy with references to DNA combination, aliens, and ancient gods, but that, too, serves as a loving nod to the genre from the old Ghidorah movies with their invaders from Planet X to newer fare such as Jurassic Park.

The only real downside to the entire experience is the human antagonist, General Gordon, who is given some backstory, but ultimately comes across as a cookie cutter military bad guy - Eeeevil for the sake of nothing more than being evil. This is minor, though, because every time you meet Gordon you can be sure some violent action in on the horizon and that’s really what one is probably reading a book like this for: tons of city-stomping, gun fights, missiles, and big-ass monsters. In that aspect, Robinson most certainly does not disappoint.
Profile Image for J.M. (Joe).
Author 30 books159 followers
June 9, 2017
Nobody writes kaiju fiction like Robinson

Fast paced action, likable characters, humor, thrills, intrigue, gun fights, fistfights, massive-scale city-leveling destruction...and a big fricking monster. Robinson's kaiju thriller is the real deal and fun as hell.
Profile Image for Julie Carter.
922 reviews11 followers
July 4, 2023
This was a fun read that was loaded with action. I have a soft spot for the huge monsters, as I used to watch monster movies with my dad on Sunday afternoons. This was definitely an updated version of that!
Profile Image for Leevora.
79 reviews15 followers
December 22, 2013
I swear its as though almost all of my favorite authors, completely different genre's came up with the same carbon copy of the same... (perfect in every conceivable way that even Angels smile upon) ...female love interest, sidekick etc.
The only difference is hair and eye color.

Even the Monster was beautiful... I mean... In a totally Japanese monster sort of way. -chuckles-

Whoa?! Pfft... Did you just say I'm jealous because the female characters never resembles me?!! Have you been talking to my husband?? (O.o) Ugh.... Regardless of what the hubby says, he's not always right but in this regard I'd have to knock out 50 push ups for you, because he and you would be right. LOL

So I was contemplating not purchasing the story because I didn't think I can read another book filled with how incredibly hot and perfect and impressive the lead female is. Been there, done that way too many times. I read freakin much.

I just want an action packed mystery suspense thriller read without the corny romance!! Anyway...

Little Miss Perfect turns out to be firecracker! "Kudos to Collins for being a bada$$." She would take down dudes like she was a line backer and throw punches like a boxer. Damsel in distressed, she was NOT. I appreciated that.

Another bit of the story I appreciated... (there are points in a story that most people would never consider essential to the story but those are the things that make a great story for me) ... was Ted and his sensitive soul and the way the lead character would interact with him.
It just gave this odd ball of a story a real human aspect to it and made me care for the lead character even more.

So overall, even though I'm anti-romance (pure jealousy of the perfect Victoria secret female character) when it comes to kick a$$, in your face action novels, there was more than enough explosions, shoot outs, and hand to hand combat to keep me entertained.

Oh and I loved when Jon is getting his butt kick but he takes a step back and says, "seriously... Kung fu?" As though kung fu or ninja style fighting was an utterly ridiculous way to be killed. <------ (Do not worry, I promise that statement is not really a spoiler). I could barely contain my laughter at that.

Awe much thanks to the author for adding humor into a monster gore feast. Xoxo
Profile Image for Russ.
399 reviews67 followers
February 1, 2020
As far as kaiju books are concerned (novels about city-flattening monsters), I preferred the novelization of King Kong and perhaps Pacific Rim: The Official Movie Novelization as well. However, there aren't a whole lot of titles to chose from in the genre. This book has the rare distinction of being original, ie, not based on a screenplay to promote a movie. So if you like Godzilla-type stories, but you've never been able to find a book, this is a good one for you.

That being said, I wasn't crazy about the melding of a girl with the monster. And I didn't really understand the heart transplant and the psychotic military general. Maybe I got confused because it took me over four years to finish reading this book. I found the beginning slow and disjointed, so I set it aside for a long time.

But when I returned to it, it picked up pace toward the middle and held my interest better. Much more exciting once Nemesis/Maigo was fully grown and on the loose. However, there is some room for improvement there as well. The descriptions of Nemesis weren't as vivid, say, as Saphira in Eragon or the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. In particular the movements, maneuvers, and orientation of the monster in relation to buildings and other characters was a bit foggy. I think this was a negative side effect of the shifting points of view.

Could've been better but I'm glad somebody is writing books like this.
Profile Image for Paul (Life In The Slow Lane).
773 reviews54 followers
December 21, 2023
Break out the rubber suits and modelling clay, ‘cos it’s Kaiju time.

I must have said to my wife, “Hey, where’s my book? It’s getting to an exciting part,” at least 5 times. That must be a good omen (not that I keep misplacing my Kindle – the “exciting part” thing).

The creature is very reminiscent of Godzilla. Not in a bad way though. In fact, towards the end, I was appreciating how “different” this beastie was. Writing style is not deep or cerebral; it’s action aplenty. Think of that Kaiju movie – what was it? Oh, yes! Think of Pacific Rim. Are you thinking of it? Now, throw that image on the floor and stomp on it and put it in the garbage. This is much better, albeit more cheesier than that. More humorous too. You want sweaty, muscly action guy and girl. You got it. You want big fights, shoot-outs, planes getting swatted out of the sky, cities being flattened, cats sleeping with dogs? You got it.

I liked this because I didn’t have to think to hard about it, just read it and enjoy. Good ending too. Five thumbs up Mr Robinson.
Profile Image for Michael Manas.
5 reviews
April 28, 2021
Giant monster, corrupt government agencies, ninja assassins, and plenty of carnage and destruction. What’s not to love? Not everyone’s cup of tea but if you like Kaiju classics like Godzilla and Gamers there’s plenty here for you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tad.
405 reviews50 followers
January 1, 2013
Project Nemesis is a throwback and homage to monster books and movies from years ago as well as a brand new direction for giant monsters, or Kaiju. Either way it is a lot of fun and a nice light entertaining read.

Project Nemesis keeps the mix just about right. You’ve got enough character depth to keep you rooting for or against the heroes and villains along with the right amount of monster description and scenes of death, destruction and general rampage to keep the pages flying and the stakes increasing. The good guys are a little too good and nearly indestructible, and the bad guys a little too evil and indestructible, but that’s kind of the point. The goal here, I think, is not so much believability as plausibility.

Robinson keeps the danger and the action ramping up throughout. The heroes, Hudson and Collins grow as well while they must stay ahead not only of the beast, but its creators. It all combines to keep the pages flying. This is escapist fun at its best.
Profile Image for Matt (TeamRedmon).
354 reviews67 followers
April 15, 2020
A Godzilla movie in book form. It's totally ludicrous and totally fun. The characters are extremely one dimensional and the plot straight forward but you don't read a Kaiju book for it's literary value. You read a Kaiju book to have fun and read about a giant monster wreaking havoc. There's lots of havoc to be had here and I very much enjoyed it. My favorite part is the creative origin for the monster.
Profile Image for Tarl.
Author 25 books79 followers
February 4, 2018
The most interesting thing in a kaiju novel is not the monster itself, but rather the people dealing with it rampaging around. All good kaiju writers know this, as do all good writers of monster movies. This is something Robinson understands, and because of it, he has crafted a wonderful novel that concentrates on the human elements while Nemesis goes rampaging about.

There are things in this novel that took me by surprise with some of the sheer brutality of them. That's not to say I was horrified, but more surprised that they were in the book. It added a certain level of realism to the story that helped push things along (and seemed to get forgotten later on near the end of the book with the flightsuit scene.... you'll know when you get there). Still, people die, a lot, and often in horrible ways in this book. And that has nothing to do with the monster itself. Heck, I tip my hat to Robinson for the manner in which Nemesis comes about, for not only does it convey a good amount of shock and empathy, but also a good dose of horror and sympathy.

My only real complaints with this book is that often the protagonist manages to do something that seems physically impossible to survive. I'm not saying that they couldn't happen, but in the context of the story it just seems like he is incredibly lucky. Also, action scenes tended to get bogged down in a lot of the protagonist's inner monologue rather than keeping it short, quick and exciting. This meant that things tended to slow down to the point where I found myself fighting the urge to skim read just to get to the point where things continued happening. With there being so many action scenes in this book, this kinda became a major issue for me.

Still, Robinson has crafted a good story here. All the elements are there, and overall the story was wonderfully done. The monster was unique, the transformation of it kept things interesting, the way that the USA reacted was believable, as were their screw-ups. I liked this story enough to buy the next in line in the series, and will probably continue to do so if Robinson's writing continues to be as good as it was in this book. If you are interested in kaiju fiction, this book is a good place to start.
Profile Image for Leda.
15 reviews
December 14, 2023
My first kaiju novel and it was all right. I’ll be seeking out more stories in this genre, but perhaps not from this author. The concept was interesting, but if it weren’t for the illustrations of the monster, I would have no image of what she looks like because the descriptions of her are weak. Also, his male protagonist’s relationship with his female counterpart looks like it was written by some 13 year old boy with a confident image in his head of how adults speak to each other in the real world. It was some Reddit-type humor that was cringe and took you away from the story.
What absolutely drove me nuts was at one point, the story switched to the female protagonist’s point of view and she’s met face-to-face with a guy that was ready to kill them in earlier chapters, but now is on their side. She’s naturally wary of his ulterior motives, but her immediate thought is something along the lines of, “Oh so you’re trying to sleep with me.” Bro, WHAT??? There is nothing in that scene that would lead to that dialogue making sense and if it was a joke, it was a really, really weird and cringe one. Get your wife or any other woman in your life to review your female characters and their reactions to male dialogue before you publish because that’s crazy.
Profile Image for Barb.
832 reviews50 followers
May 24, 2022
I loved watching Godzilla movies as a kid and this book brought back all those memories! I really liked the main character. He sort of reminded me of Owen in the Monster Hunter series (which I loved). This book didn’t really end on a cliff hanger but it’s obvious there’s more to come & I couldn’t wait. I’ve already started the next book.

—Godzilla has been defeated. The monster lays on the ground surrounded by the destroyed city. The people celebrate & congratulate each other. The camera zooms in on Godzilla’s face & one of the monster’s huge eyes suddenly opens! Roll credits.—That’s not how this book ended, but kind of how I pictured it ending.

This was a super fun read & I’m already enjoying the next in the series.
Profile Image for Daniel.
622 reviews13 followers
January 11, 2017
I picked this book up the other day, added to my Amazon order. When I read some of the reviews about it being the best and highest sold Kaiju series not connected to an owned IP, I was sold. I tore into this book eagerly and I was truly rewarded.
Mr. Robinson has written a fine novel here, that is believable and action packed. Of course the point must be made that this is a book about a giant monster tearing down through New England with its terminus being Boston, but there is much more to this book than that.
Jon Hudson works for DHS, the Department of Homeland Security. He leads a strange little entity called Fusion Center-P. There are only a handful of people who work for him. There are small centers exactly like his, strategically placed in the U.S. and some other places around the world. But Jon isn't working, totally. He is in the woods at a woodsman's cabin, taking some r+r and might be looking into reports of a local who has seen Sasquatch. He has seen the creature a lot.
Jon arrives in his favorite beater truck, Betty. She's a good ol' gal that he loves dearly, even though her speakers are blown and her passenger side door is tied shut with a rope. When Jon arrives, he goes into the cabin, where a momma bear and her cubs have taken up residence. Jon then spends several minutes getting the crap beat out of himself and almost dying due to said momma bear's insistence that he be dead. He gets away from her and she takes her cubs and runs off. Jon begins drinking beer, because of course the best medicine for a beaten up body is to get hammered. Several hours later Jon is awakened by the local sheriff beating his door in. It appears as he meets the beautiful and very snarky Sheriff Ashley Collins that he is informed that he had an interesting night. Jon ran through the woods in his underwear, screaming and shooting his gun. The local who reported the Sasquatch called the police with more Sasquatch sightings six times. The sheriff gave Jon an ultimatum; talk to the local and apologize, or be arrested. She then proceeded to offer Jon coffee and painkillers, so he agreed.
Nearby, hidden in an old WW2 bunker, a crazed General Gordon has decided to pursue a radical plan. As an associate of his found some rather strange genetic material in Alaska years back, the good General has decided after years of research with said material, to grow himself a new heart, as his is failing. A powerful corporation has funded his research under the umbrella of regrowing organs for people in need. The General is in need and helping others is a far removed byproduct. The head of his team uses the material to grow a new body, heart included. The genetic material is of a small girl, shot in a tragic "accident". She died soon after the genetic material was extracted. What is interesting is that it worked and the body grows, very quickly. After several hours, the body is removed from its tank and the surgery is started, to take the genetically altered heart and put it in the General.
Jon and the Sheriff are nearby, speaking with the local, who happens to be a retired Marine. Apologies are given and taken and then things get weird. Searching through the woods behind the man's house the pair find a defunct government facility. A man warns them off his property but things don't feel right. Soon they pair returns to the local's house to find him dead, killed with a shot to the head. Then they are attacked by a group of professionals, almost Spec-Ops type killers.
The General's surgery goes well, and then things get a bit weird. The body, left to be disposed of, awakes and begins growing and changing even more. It is not human at all and grows at a terrific rate. They try to kill it but it ends up destroying all in the facility except for the General and his bodyguard, Endo. Endo found the original genetic material years back, and has a vested interest in what happens with it.
This review is going long so I won't linger too much more. Can't help myself, this book is a thrill ride!
The creature almost kills Jon and Ashley, and then starts heading south. It grown larger every hour and hits a center of population, killing and eating most of the unfortunates it comes across. It attacks Portland, Maine with 63,000 plus population, destroys a good bit of it and continues south.
Jon finally gets the government to allow him command of the field after several terrible and trgic mistakes. Through many moments that are horrific and awesome, Nemesis as it is now called lands on the shores of Boston. Bad things happen. Wondrous things happen, and an end that needed to happen comes to fruition. Wow.....

Robinson has written a gem here, and the thing is its a series. I have already just ordered the second and third books in this series. The man can write action. This isn't just a monster book. There is a reason why there is a monster. There is a thinking, calculating intelligence within the monster, and lots of depth to this story that you would never expect. The thrills grab you, the loss saddens you and the creature enthralls you. The true monsters here are of course the human element, but Nemesis sorts them out to their bitter end. All in all, this book was a pleasure to read and as I am a die hard Godzilla fan it pains me to say this, but I think I like Maigo (Nemesis) better. She has won me over to her side. Yeah, Jeremy Robinson...... I'm a fanboy.

Danny
Profile Image for Steve.
439 reviews39 followers
March 26, 2017
A monster thriller with character and heart. If you're a fan of Godzilla and Kaiju fiction, you're in for a treat. If you're not currently a fan of the genre, you're about the become one. The book's protagonist, Hudson, bounces between amusing and laugh out loud funny and the action is non-stop from beginning to end. This book would make a killer movie.
Profile Image for Blake the Book Eater.
1,186 reviews409 followers
August 5, 2018
An insanely fun Kaiju book, with a fun cast of characters that keeps the momentum going throughout. Cinematic writing and super easy to blow through in a day or two. Definitely recommend if you love monster movies!
Profile Image for Twainy.
1,037 reviews
July 20, 2022
That last revelation got me in the feels! Great start to an easy fun fast paced kaiju story! Hit the spot! Will read them all!!
Profile Image for Kacy❁.
367 reviews45 followers
January 31, 2022
I usually adore Jeremy's books, but didn't feel Nemesis was as good of a book as the rest. I liked the beginning, but it didn't have the wow factor for me. It could've been the narrator, but I just wasn't hooked. How can a Kaiju thriller not be thrilling?
Profile Image for Ian Casey.
395 reviews13 followers
August 5, 2015
The kaiju genre – of which film understandably remains the centrepiece – has never threatened to attain the status of high art but it can be a lot of fun. I’m beginning to think the same could be said of Jeremy Robinson. I wasn’t impressed by the sort-of-prequel Island 731 but Project Nemesis, like its titular monster, is a more formidable proposition.

It would be easy to call this unoriginal since all its individual ideas are thoroughly cliché. And yet I think that would be unfair. For a start, it’s mostly homage and more loving than lazy. And although both kaiju and ‘ultra-secret research facility where something goes horribly wrong’ scenarios have been done countless times – films like Species and Resident Evil spring to mind – I’m not personally aware of anyone having combined both into a novel in this way.

The over-the-top action movie style is the same but somehow it works better this time around. I suspect the tighter focus on a single monster has a lot to do with it. Nemesis itself is cool in a bunch of ways I won’t spoil and doesn’t feel like a ripoff of anything else with which I’m familiar. Also, it would take a considerable effort to ignore the laws of physics any harder than they are in this book, and that’s not just referring to the kaiju.

The rushed romance under duress didn’t work for me as it felt far too forced and typical of a macho fantasy. I suspect Robinson regards his male lead as some kind of wise-cracking lovable rogue but he comes across as a bit of a creep. Jokingly implying to a woman you met the previous day that you might install secret cameras in her bathroom is not my idea of charming small talk.

I get that macho male protagonist has the hots for curvaceous female protagonist, but do we really need to be told every chapter or two that he’s thinking about gettin’ jiggy wit it even while all manner of violent calamity is occurring around them?

I would still like to see someone attempt a novel in a more serious tone conveying something of the awe and immensity of a kaiju event for those struggling to survive it. Dare I say something closer to the tone of the 2014 Godzilla than Pacific Rim, though hopefully with superior characters and dialogue. Even so, Project Nemesis is a fun romp and did enough to make me want to continue reading the series and see how the rival monsters pan out.
Profile Image for AudioBookReviewer.
949 reviews165 followers
April 1, 2014
My full Project Nemesis: A Kaiju Thriller audiobook review can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Are you a fan of giant monster invasion stories? Or, are you just a fan of good old action adventure, stop the bad guy, or monster in this case, or the world as we know it will be destroyed? Well, you're in for a treat with this tribute or throwback to the classic black and white movies of yesteryear. Combining great action sequences, interesting characters, military involvement, oh yea, and a giant monster hellbent on its mission of destruction. Project Nemesis has been on my wish list over at Audible since it came out and for whatever reason I found ways to choose others to listen to first, don't make the same mistake I made by waiting. Jon Hudson is the lead investigator for a special branch of the Department of Homeland Security that only deals with paranormal investigations. He thinks its a joke and rest of the DHS thinks he's a joke by filling his time examining Sasquatch sightings. However, it is this very task that takes him to the backwoods of Maine where he discovers a secret research facility. Even though he didn't want to get involved he was brought in by gunfire when he got too close. This is where scientists were working on human gene splicing and created the Kaiju, that surprisingly started out small and continued to grow taller throughout the story. Jeremy Robinson was able to bring action, tension, horror, love and romance, to what could have been a very sterile and straight forward tale. My favorite aspect was the changing of the point of view to the monster itself, giving me insight on what the mission really was and what was going on within.

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.
Profile Image for Chris Bauer.
Author 6 books35 followers
April 16, 2013
"Project Nemesis" by Jeremy Robinson is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a while. And given the price of the book, it is the best bargain I've found all year.

Kaiju is Japanese for "strange beasts" and Robinson has certainly created that in his book. I first heard about the book while listening to the excellent podcast "ThrillerCast" (done by Dave Wood & Alan Baxter - a MUST listen if you do any genre writing at all) and they interviewed Robinson about a number of topics, including this work.

One can easily tell from the cover that the story is (at first glance) about a giant monster (remember kaiju, from before?) but the book is just so entertaining to read.

The plot is fast paced and filled with great tension and unexpected scenes. There are a great many tropes in the sub genre and Robinson does a great job of either avoiding them or "baiting" the reader into one assumption while pivoting the tale at the last minute for maximum impact.

It does get gruesome is several instances but hey, its a story about a giant CARNIVORE. What did you think was gonna happen?

The protagonists are great; hilarious dialogue, invisible wounds and themes of redemption abound. The bad guys are "bad" for their own legitimate reasons and that lends some heavy credence to the plot as well.

The only aspect of the work which prevented me from giving it 5 stars were the last few chapters. The book ended in an almost abrupt manner which left a few too many holes for my taste. Yes, it does seem to be set for a sequel which I'd be the first to purchase. But it was a messy bow and ribbon and one of the final chapters was a tad over the top, compared to the previous chapters.

But still - a fantastic book and a helluva lot a fun to read.
Profile Image for Shawn M..
Author 1 book1 follower
December 29, 2017
This Novel scratched the itch that i've wanted to heal for a long time. It's a giant monster book, but not just that. It's a well written one also. This writter was a fan of those Japanese monster movies, but I also noticed the story behind it had the quality of King Kong and I think Dragonheart as well. And that's a breath of fresh air cause most giant monster books tend to focus on just the action and destruction. And that's where Project Nemesis shines most. The writer gave the monster a reason and a back story to do what it's doing making it an anti-hero sort of monster. Not to mention I loved the illustrations of the monster's shapes and transformations they we're pretty neat and helped mold my imagination to see the monster as they wanted me to see it. If there's a sequel I will read it, but I would prefer if the writer would do another giant monster novel instead.
Profile Image for Ricky.
538 reviews2 followers
May 19, 2022
I'm a big fan of early Godzilla films, so I thought this would be a great mindless audiobook. In some ways it was. But I was looking for something a bit ridiculous, and got a whole lot of stupid instead. This is indeed modern Godzilla rip-off, but it's more American teenage action/thriller than classic Japanese kaiju. I can't understand how or why the main character is essentially 16 years old. He's completely inept and speaks like a redditor - overall feels like a comic relief character instead of a protagonist. Humor like "Your so hot if we were co-workers I'd hide a camera in the bathroom" just really missed the mark. I guess I didn't realize that this was a Young Adult novel, can't we have an adult kaiju novel?
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