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Evolved
A frighteningly realistic technothriller about the choices we make when confronted with primal instinct.
A SELF-REPAIRING TOOTH FOSSIL...
A SECRET MILITARY RESEARCH PROJECT...
AND AN ANCIENT ENEMY WITH A THIRST FOR BLOOD.
Dr. Lexa Rogers, a former Marine turned archaeologist, is hired by the government to help investigate a tooth fossil that regenerates itself.
When the underwater habitat where the secret research is being conducted starts falling apart, the crew learns that they were lied to about why they were there.
And as they race to survive deep underwater, they come face to face with a nightmare that's been hunting them the whole time.
A SELF-REPAIRING TOOTH FOSSIL...
A SECRET MILITARY RESEARCH PROJECT...
AND AN ANCIENT ENEMY WITH A THIRST FOR BLOOD.
Dr. Lexa Rogers, a former Marine turned archaeologist, is hired by the government to help investigate a tooth fossil that regenerates itself.
When the underwater habitat where the secret research is being conducted starts falling apart, the crew learns that they were lied to about why they were there.
And as they race to survive deep underwater, they come face to face with a nightmare that's been hunting them the whole time.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 7, 2018
23 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Lawson
7 books5 followersBestselling science writer, Data Science in Higher Ed. Action thriller author & Austin Film Festival quarter finalist!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 13, 2018
Evolved, by Jesse Lawson, is a short fast-paced action thriller, set deep beneath the Mediterranean Sea.
Lexa Rogers, former marine, turned archeology professor, is down on her luck, struggling to make ends meet, sleeping on her sister’s couch, when she is approached by a mysterious branch of the US Homeland Security agency, and offered a small fortune for a weekends work, as long as she leaves straight away. Whisked off to the Southern Italian coastline, she is taken to a secret research base on the sea floor, with some other highly specialised scientists, and told that their work on an ancient self-repairing fossilised tooth will have far-reaching benefits. Unfortunately the owner of that tooth has other plans for the base and it’s inhabitants...
I was invited to request this by Hidden Gems, a newer alternative to NetGalley for ARCS from newer authors. This is only the second I have requested/received and I was ambivalent, being quite behind on my reviews as it is, but it helped that this was not too long, and I was in the mood for an adventure thriller after reading a lot of crime recently.
This did have some sci-fi elements, but nothing supernatural or alien, and there was a bit of sciency jargon, but at heart this is a classic primeval monster tale, with all the familiar tropes - mad scientists, a scary isolated location, victims being bumped off one at a time, and a plucky heroine in the Ellen Ripley mould. Oh and a sympathetic intelligent octopus who speaks sign language!
I am pleased to see that this is the beginning of a series and look forward to seeing what Lexa and the newly formed SPIDER team do next.
Lexa Rogers, former marine, turned archeology professor, is down on her luck, struggling to make ends meet, sleeping on her sister’s couch, when she is approached by a mysterious branch of the US Homeland Security agency, and offered a small fortune for a weekends work, as long as she leaves straight away. Whisked off to the Southern Italian coastline, she is taken to a secret research base on the sea floor, with some other highly specialised scientists, and told that their work on an ancient self-repairing fossilised tooth will have far-reaching benefits. Unfortunately the owner of that tooth has other plans for the base and it’s inhabitants...
I was invited to request this by Hidden Gems, a newer alternative to NetGalley for ARCS from newer authors. This is only the second I have requested/received and I was ambivalent, being quite behind on my reviews as it is, but it helped that this was not too long, and I was in the mood for an adventure thriller after reading a lot of crime recently.
This did have some sci-fi elements, but nothing supernatural or alien, and there was a bit of sciency jargon, but at heart this is a classic primeval monster tale, with all the familiar tropes - mad scientists, a scary isolated location, victims being bumped off one at a time, and a plucky heroine in the Ellen Ripley mould. Oh and a sympathetic intelligent octopus who speaks sign language!
I am pleased to see that this is the beginning of a series and look forward to seeing what Lexa and the newly formed SPIDER team do next.
October 13, 2018
Review: EVOLVED by Jesse Lawson
I admire a good tecnothriller, and EVOLVED is beyond "good": it is exceptional. I tend to be a fan of cephalopods as a Lovecraftian (though 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea certainly scared me as a child), and I got to learn a lot about the species while reading EVOLVED. From the terrifying reader's hook right through, the novel rings a lot of my "must-have" bells and gave me a lot of characters from whom to choose where to place my empathy. Plus, I loved the science. All win all the way--can't wait for the next in series.
I admire a good tecnothriller, and EVOLVED is beyond "good": it is exceptional. I tend to be a fan of cephalopods as a Lovecraftian (though 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea certainly scared me as a child), and I got to learn a lot about the species while reading EVOLVED. From the terrifying reader's hook right through, the novel rings a lot of my "must-have" bells and gave me a lot of characters from whom to choose where to place my empathy. Plus, I loved the science. All win all the way--can't wait for the next in series.
January 12, 2020
Once the action kicks in, this story is frightening. When things go wrong under the sea, it keeps me sitting up straight and at times holding my breath until I read what comes next. I didn't do too much relaxing during the reading of this novel. So, that's what I like, a lot of action and this one did not disappoint.
I liked the characters and felt satisfaction at the final outcome and the one who survived. I do think there was room for another book with the main character. She is one toughie and yet has the feminine qualities to make her attractive. Almost makes me wish I could have been a Marine.
I love the style of this author and I am pleased to see there are more novels penned by his fascinating mind. I will certainly read more of his work.
I liked the characters and felt satisfaction at the final outcome and the one who survived. I do think there was room for another book with the main character. She is one toughie and yet has the feminine qualities to make her attractive. Almost makes me wish I could have been a Marine.
I love the style of this author and I am pleased to see there are more novels penned by his fascinating mind. I will certainly read more of his work.
December 29, 2019
Fast paced quick read
This is a fast pace keeps you busy from start to finish. This author does good basic character building to keep the story moving. I sometimes enjoy a light read without all the investment of time and effort. I did enjoy the story line.
This is a fast pace keeps you busy from start to finish. This author does good basic character building to keep the story moving. I sometimes enjoy a light read without all the investment of time and effort. I did enjoy the story line.
December 30, 2019
There is something about the deep dark unexplored parts of the ocean that excite and thrill us. A great read, fast paced and believable.
October 14, 2018
Lexa Roger is a former marine and now living at her sister’s house to make ends meet. She goes to see what her teaching timetable will be for her archaeology classes for the next semester, before going to her second job in a coffee shop, when she is met by her boss and a couple of strangers. They are from a new division of Homeland Security and would like her to go and look at a fossil.
They want her to go and investigate a 100,000 year old tooth fossil that can apparently self-repair itself, at a military research facility that was also working on a camouflage project based on the skin from a particular sea creature. The money they are offering is more than she can imagine and would help out her and her sister a lot. The other part of the job is to ensure the research projects data is secured.
But, they haven’t exactly told her the whole story and because of her past experiences, they chose her specifically, for the best chance of getting the data on the project, no matter what happened. Lexa and two other experts are taken to a deep water research environment and given two teeth to examine. One is the fossil but the other is very recent!
The research facility is tethered to a ship above and consists of two separate lab areas. One where they are working on the camouflage skin and the other where Lexa and co. are, which is looking at the teeth. The only way between the two, is via a small sub. When warning alarms start to go off, their attempts to recover from the long journey are destroyed and they find that the other half of the research facility is no longer responding.
They have lost half the crew down there and worse is to come it seems. Something out in the depths, is hunting them. It seems they weren’t exactly told the whole truth! If any of them are to survive, it seems they will have to rely on their own strengths and their own primal survival instincts. Lexa has to let go of her academic side and use her military training and experience to assist in her own survival.
But, how far would you go to survive? If it is you or one of the others, does morality hold any weight, or is every man/women for themselves and the primal survival instinct that has to overrule your thought processes?
The book has a lot going for it, you are caught up in a military research project, which has a head scientist doing other work on the side and with a different agenda of who this research is going to. You also have this tremendous fight for survival between man and beast, this time taking place in an environment that is not conducive to human survival and where the foe has all the advantages.
A full, action packed thriller, with a good bit of science and survival thrown in. The characters are believable and the book, is a sci-fi thriller introduction really, that leads you into what will become a series. Evolved is the starting point for the Special Projects and Intelligence Division Emergency Response unit (SPIDER) series.
Although quite short, this was a fully finished tale and one I read in one sitting, just desperate to see who might prevail. I look forward to reading some more books in the SPIDER series, once they are written. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
They want her to go and investigate a 100,000 year old tooth fossil that can apparently self-repair itself, at a military research facility that was also working on a camouflage project based on the skin from a particular sea creature. The money they are offering is more than she can imagine and would help out her and her sister a lot. The other part of the job is to ensure the research projects data is secured.
But, they haven’t exactly told her the whole story and because of her past experiences, they chose her specifically, for the best chance of getting the data on the project, no matter what happened. Lexa and two other experts are taken to a deep water research environment and given two teeth to examine. One is the fossil but the other is very recent!
The research facility is tethered to a ship above and consists of two separate lab areas. One where they are working on the camouflage skin and the other where Lexa and co. are, which is looking at the teeth. The only way between the two, is via a small sub. When warning alarms start to go off, their attempts to recover from the long journey are destroyed and they find that the other half of the research facility is no longer responding.
They have lost half the crew down there and worse is to come it seems. Something out in the depths, is hunting them. It seems they weren’t exactly told the whole truth! If any of them are to survive, it seems they will have to rely on their own strengths and their own primal survival instincts. Lexa has to let go of her academic side and use her military training and experience to assist in her own survival.
But, how far would you go to survive? If it is you or one of the others, does morality hold any weight, or is every man/women for themselves and the primal survival instinct that has to overrule your thought processes?
The book has a lot going for it, you are caught up in a military research project, which has a head scientist doing other work on the side and with a different agenda of who this research is going to. You also have this tremendous fight for survival between man and beast, this time taking place in an environment that is not conducive to human survival and where the foe has all the advantages.
A full, action packed thriller, with a good bit of science and survival thrown in. The characters are believable and the book, is a sci-fi thriller introduction really, that leads you into what will become a series. Evolved is the starting point for the Special Projects and Intelligence Division Emergency Response unit (SPIDER) series.
Although quite short, this was a fully finished tale and one I read in one sitting, just desperate to see who might prevail. I look forward to reading some more books in the SPIDER series, once they are written. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
January 19, 2019
Good story
Very well written with interesting plot. Perhaps not quite as original as I would like,seems as if I had read it before or at least seen the movie (giant squid/octopus) takes on humans. But still a good read. I look forward to seeing more by this author.
Very well written with interesting plot. Perhaps not quite as original as I would like,seems as if I had read it before or at least seen the movie (giant squid/octopus) takes on humans. But still a good read. I look forward to seeing more by this author.
March 24, 2020
Enjoyable
A lively read, completed over a few days. Interesting premise and nicely constructed but I did struggle with orientation of the characters at times, a bit more clarity over deep sea lab layout may have helped.
A lively read, completed over a few days. Interesting premise and nicely constructed but I did struggle with orientation of the characters at times, a bit more clarity over deep sea lab layout may have helped.
April 30, 2020
Entertaining and Intelligent
First I’ve read from this author, and I quite enjoyed it. Good story, interesting subject and characters and a bit of gore. If you enjoy creature stories, give this one a try.
First I’ve read from this author, and I quite enjoyed it. Good story, interesting subject and characters and a bit of gore. If you enjoy creature stories, give this one a try.
October 30, 2020
interesting story. its almost believable fast paced book.
January 26, 2020
This was so good I want the second book now! Are you writing it Mr. Lawson? Because I need to know what happens next! Coming from a forensic archaeological background and facination with the deepest parts of the ocean, this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved the scientific details and suspense. The idea that there may be undiscovered, enormous creatures in the ocean like that is fascinatingly horrifying and exciting all at the same time. I wish the book were longer or a sequel to come out because I want to know what's going to happen next.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews