The Final Evolution is the fifth and final installment of the Avery Cates series. Unfortunately, this is the only book of the series that I’ve actually read. Normally, missing the previous four books in a series would leave a reader lost. Jeff Somers does a remarkable job of filling in enough information throughout the fifth installment that it manages to stand well on its own. He manages to do this without stalling or interrupting the current story to fill in background information, which would More...

I broke the cardinal rule and read the final book in a series first. I was expecting to struggle to understand most of what was going on. I didn’t. This book works well as a stand-alone novel. I would recommend starting from the beginning though as there are lots of points where I felt some background information and emotional investment was hinted at.

Avery Cates is a Gunner, an assassin, and a street kid criminal pressed into the army and implanted with cybernetic implants that as well as givin More...

ok- I bought Final Evolution not realizing it was 5th in series so I kindled the other 4 and read back to back so some of the story is blurry - I can't remember which book parts came from. In the beginning it reminded me a bit of early Richard K Morgan (Altered Carbon) which is a compliment. Avery Cates is a hitman - with a bit of a soft heart ( of course) - people are being turned into avatars - he almost becomes one but it backfires and he has a few brains/persons/systems added to his head. He More...

Good sci fi (in my opinion) should be inventive without being random, should be suspenseful without resorting to deus ex machina, should have compelling character development without resorting to stock archetypes. The Avery Cates series, and this final volume in particular, achieves all that. Somers manages to up the ante in his own game, bringing to full fruition the potential and the nightmare of the cyborg "monks" he introduced in book one. The irony of inventing immortal machines that will b More...

The Final Evolution is the fifth book in the Avery Cates sci-fi series by Jeff Somers however this is the first I've read.

Avery Cates is your average hard-ass tough guy. There are lots of guns, augmented brains, avatars with downloaded artificial intelligence, psychics that can control your actions and did I mention guns? It's certainly action packed and has some good themes going on but I think I have missed out by starting this far in. It takes a while for any sort of plot to form and I think More...

I was traveling the week this book was released and wasn't just disappointed when I arrived home to find it NOT here, I was outraged. A quick complaint to Amazon got me the book a few days after my return home.

I finished it the day after it arrived.

Judging by back cover copy, I expected a simple revenge tale - Avery Cates finally - after four books - gets even with Canny Orel, the legendary gunner who set him up.

Against the apocalyptic backdrop of a post-Unification/Plague/War System, Jeff Som More...

The final book in this great series was a solid, fitting conclusion to the storyline. The only challenge I had reading it was the setting, tone and numerous other elements made me feel as tired and beat down as the protagonist at times. But a very good ending to a series I've enjoyed for quite some time. Avery Cates is one of my favorite all time characters. Dialogue, action and attitude have been incredibly consistent over the course of five books; no small feat I imagine.

I was so excited about this book, you don't even know. And you know what? IT SUCKS! Jeff Somers you fucked me. I even read it three times to make sure I wasn't missing something brilliant. I wasn't. Read the first four in this series, or maybe even only the first three. But leave this one in the trash.

My all-time favorite new series ended with a big CRAP.

Lets just hope the world does not gets this developed, only to disintegrate into squalor and evil.

Jeff Somers's writing takes you to a world of technology,enhancing humans, destroying the world . At times you are on a roller coaster buckled in or not,he take no prisoners. Warning if you want something warm and fuzzy then leave this book on the shelf.

If the whole series had been like this ...

The book probably only deserves three stars, if only because it still has many of the problems that plague the series and has a totally useless epilogue (although it was labelled "Appendix, so I guess its uselessness was known).

Still ... a very satisfying ending to a very hit-or-miss series.

Well Jeff did it again. Another amazing book with all the twist and a few old friends and foes revisited. Is this truly the end of Avery Cates? well jump on in and read it to find out. Let's just say it ended in a manner suitable for our friend. Thanks Jeff for the hours of entertainment. It's going to be tough to top such an icon as Avery, but patiently waiting to see where you go next.

Excellent conclusion (?) to the Avery Cates series. Resolution of the primary narrative arc, but still enough left open to justify another book in the future. Full of action, deep concepts, and excellent characterization. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this one just as I did the last. I do find that the fourth and fifth to tend to repeat a few things which were minor but overall still a great story and character.

As always fast paced prose and the spiralling life of Avery Cates. More death more destruction with a list of enemies growing shorter as the series ends.

A Perfect ending to a great series of books. If you like Anti-hero bleak future books start with The Electric Church. Thanks Jeff Somers.

Wow..
Non-stop kick ass rock and roll face-smashing funny as hell action.
God bless Avery..

This whole series is fun to read.

Good finish to a great series

A fitting conclusion to the Avery Cates series.

This was a so-so ending to a great series.

Read only the first three books of this series. Books four and five are a total let down.

I love the Avery Cates novels. They are the perfect dystopian world, gritty and tough. The world is dead and everyone is just trying to survive. I am sad that the story is over, but I was just happy to be along for the ride.

(Supposedly) The last book in the series, this is a wonderful ending to a great story. Great characters, lots of action, and some nail biting situations. Let us just hope we have not seen the end of Jeff Somers.

Really really good! It had me missing all of the old characters and setting in a nostalgic kinda way. My only gripe is that at the end.... It's over and I mean it's really over...

A great book full of gun fights, psychic abilities, action and a very interesting group of characters. A nice end to the Avery Cates series.

Closed up the loose ends. Felt like Somers was tired of his own series though. Perhaps he'll start something else and reinvigorate himself.

Amazing finale to the Avery Cates series. Bravo. Mr Somers. Bravo.