Strange anomalies are ripping holes in the fabric of time, allowing creatures from the distant past and far future to roam the modern world. Evolutionary zoologist Nick Cutter and his team must track down and capture these creatures and try to put them back where they belong.
Primeval: Extinction Event by Dan Abnett is based on the popular UK television show of the same name. Nick, Abby and Connor are busy trying to deal with the anomalies that are appearing randomly across the UK. Connor notices that the anomaly phenomena are behaving differently each time they occur. While investigating the latest occurrence the team are kidnapped and taken thousands of miles away to help a foreign power deal with their own anomaly issues.
Moving the action out of the UK to the wilds of the Russian Federation is a good move. The TV show has always suffered a bit with the limitations of its budget. There are no such considerations here.
Meanwhile, with the majority of the Anomaly Research Centre team missing, it is up to the boss Lester, and his assistant Jenny, to figure out just what is going on. Enter the diabolical Helen Cutter, Nick’s estranged wife and anomaly expert. She has her own agenda but offers to help locate the team.
Most of the characters will be familiar to anyone who has watched the television show. It is certainly easy to visualise Douglas Henshall, Andrew Lee Potts, Hannah Spearritt and Ben Miller playing their respective parts. The author effectively captures these portrayals on the page.
My only disappointment was that the story is based on the characters as they were a few years ago, rather than they were in the most recent season of the show. In saying that however, as a fan of the franchise, it was nice to revisit some of the characters that have now moved on.
Primeval has always reminded me of the classic monster B-movies of the nineteen fifties and sixties. The show never takes itself too seriously it just sets out to entertain. Dan Abnett’s novel does the same thing. Action packed, fast paced and loads of fun from beginning to end.
A special thanks to Blogomatic3000 for giving me the opportunity to read the novel.
No Comments