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The Black #4
Evolution
They thought they’d escaped…
After fleeing the doomed oil rig Leaguer and the creature that destroyed it, Shawna Sigler and Catfish are rescued by a shadowy government agency. Upon discovering that samples of the M2 substance have survived, they agree to join a classified project to study the creatures and find a way to destroy them.
Ensconced in a secret underground lab, Shawna and three scientists who survived the events at HAL study the creatures while Catfish develops new weapons. Shawna realizes a troubling trend as the experiments the M2 samples are evolving.
Tying together the first three books, The Black, Arrival, and Outbreak, The Evolution adds to the M2 mythos and leads to a fiery conclusion.
After fleeing the doomed oil rig Leaguer and the creature that destroyed it, Shawna Sigler and Catfish are rescued by a shadowy government agency. Upon discovering that samples of the M2 substance have survived, they agree to join a classified project to study the creatures and find a way to destroy them.
Ensconced in a secret underground lab, Shawna and three scientists who survived the events at HAL study the creatures while Catfish develops new weapons. Shawna realizes a troubling trend as the experiments the M2 samples are evolving.
Tying together the first three books, The Black, Arrival, and Outbreak, The Evolution adds to the M2 mythos and leads to a fiery conclusion.
Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2024
About the author
Paul Elard Cooley
34 books252 followersPaul E Cooley is a full-time writer and Parsec Award Winning podcaster from Houston, Texas. In 2009, he began producing free psychological thriller and horror podcasts, essays, and reviews available from Shadowpublications.com and iTunes.
His stories have been listened to by thousands and he has been a guest on such notable podcasts as Podioracket, John Mierau‘s “Podcast Teardown,” Geek Out with Mainframe, Shadowcast Audio, and Vertigo Radio Live. In 2010, his short story Canvas and novella Tattoo were nominated for Parsec Awards. Tattoo became a Parsec Award finalist. He has collaborated with New York Times Bestselling author Scott Sigler on the series “The Crypt” and co-wrote the novella “The Rider” (projected to release in 2014). In addition to his writing, Paul has contributed his voice talents to a number of podiofiction productions.
He has two Amazon best-selling series: The Black and The Derelict Saga.
He is also a co-host on the renown Dead Robots’ Society writing podcast.
His stories have been listened to by thousands and he has been a guest on such notable podcasts as Podioracket, John Mierau‘s “Podcast Teardown,” Geek Out with Mainframe, Shadowcast Audio, and Vertigo Radio Live. In 2010, his short story Canvas and novella Tattoo were nominated for Parsec Awards. Tattoo became a Parsec Award finalist. He has collaborated with New York Times Bestselling author Scott Sigler on the series “The Crypt” and co-wrote the novella “The Rider” (projected to release in 2014). In addition to his writing, Paul has contributed his voice talents to a number of podiofiction productions.
He has two Amazon best-selling series: The Black and The Derelict Saga.
He is also a co-host on the renown Dead Robots’ Society writing podcast.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 25, 2025
sooooo awesome!!! as some other reviewers have said thids book is slower than the last two but for me it worked! you get some more insight into dr. moore's character and of course the black is still creepy evil awesome! of course shenanigans happen and chaos ensues without spoilers the ending has echoes of neon genesis evangelion and the tail scene of shin godzilla i need book 5 stat!!!! i wish i could give this more than 5 stars!
May 27, 2025
I waited so long for this, only to be let down spectacularly.
If you’re on book four, I assume you’ve read the others—unless you just thrive on chaos. M2 is back, and this time the survivors from previous books reunite for one last round of experiments on the creature. Naturally, nothing can possibly go wrong… right?
The first half of the book drags with a scattered backstory that could’ve been handled through flashbacks or a quick meeting scene. Instead, it stretched on so long that I struggled to remember who was who. By the time things picked up, I wasn’t sure if the sluggish start had dulled my enthusiasm or if M2 itself just didn’t feel like a real threat anymore. It was less terrifying, more absurdly improbable—so much so that I found myself indifferent to whether it won or lost.
I'm relieved to have finished the series at last, but sadly, this final installment felt like a letdown.
P.S. Paul Elard Cooley, please hire someone to handle your audiobooks. The editing is rough, mispronunciations abound, and at one point, you audibly sigh at yourself for messing up. That pretty much sums up the experience.
If you’re on book four, I assume you’ve read the others—unless you just thrive on chaos. M2 is back, and this time the survivors from previous books reunite for one last round of experiments on the creature. Naturally, nothing can possibly go wrong… right?
The first half of the book drags with a scattered backstory that could’ve been handled through flashbacks or a quick meeting scene. Instead, it stretched on so long that I struggled to remember who was who. By the time things picked up, I wasn’t sure if the sluggish start had dulled my enthusiasm or if M2 itself just didn’t feel like a real threat anymore. It was less terrifying, more absurdly improbable—so much so that I found myself indifferent to whether it won or lost.
I'm relieved to have finished the series at last, but sadly, this final installment felt like a letdown.
P.S. Paul Elard Cooley, please hire someone to handle your audiobooks. The editing is rough, mispronunciations abound, and at one point, you audibly sigh at yourself for messing up. That pretty much sums up the experience.
December 4, 2019
I was excited for another installment of The Black. Unfortunately, this one was just okay. I just didn’t get the emotional connection with the characters or the nervousness of seeing The Black eat it’s way through the walls. It just learned/evolved too quickly for me. I did enjoy the foreshadowing to the next book though
September 2, 2024
Great
Not necessarily the ending I wanted but dang. What a mess. This M2 is something else. Just when you can't get any more scared, there's a new fly in the ointment. I don't think its over though time will tell.
Not necessarily the ending I wanted but dang. What a mess. This M2 is something else. Just when you can't get any more scared, there's a new fly in the ointment. I don't think its over though time will tell.
September 6, 2024
a good next chapter in the Black series
Lots of slow development of previous events, for those who didn’t read the earlier (and better) 2 episodes. Character development seemed to have stalled out, leaving the plot a little flat. Can’t wait to dive into the next in the series!
Lots of slow development of previous events, for those who didn’t read the earlier (and better) 2 episodes. Character development seemed to have stalled out, leaving the plot a little flat. Can’t wait to dive into the next in the series!
November 7, 2024
Best of the series
The Black had been captured and secured. Sarah and the remaining survivors were tasked with uncovering secrets of the entity. They knew it was futile and dangerous... Thrilling and flat out scary!
The Black had been captured and secured. Sarah and the remaining survivors were tasked with uncovering secrets of the entity. They knew it was futile and dangerous... Thrilling and flat out scary!
December 3, 2024
The Black: Evolution by Paul E Cooley
Is this the end of a nightmare? You can only hope so.
A living creature of oil has decimated buildings and lives. The survivors have to deal with it. Can they, or will they lose it all?
Is this the end of a nightmare? You can only hope so.
A living creature of oil has decimated buildings and lives. The survivors have to deal with it. Can they, or will they lose it all?
March 20, 2026
I keep going back and forth between a four star review and a three star. Ended up settling for three though for a few reasons.
For one, the pacing and how much detail from previous books was given through the meeting that was held in the book. Some things just needed a quick recap and not get dragged out. This may have been good for people who may have picked this book up and not read the first three maybe.
Also, not much really happens until after halfway through the book. I will admit the situation the characters were in would be awful and nerve wracking in its own, but some wasn’t interesting enough for it to fill over half of the book. Maybe 1/3 or less, maybe having more on the monster itself.
Another thing that bothered me was the character involvement in the book. We’re back to the focus of Shawna and Catfish. The others fell so far to the background that they almost could have been replaced or absent.
I really wish more of the ending of the book had more to it.
So the ending alone almost did get this book four stars but the rest of the book kind of dragged it down to a three star review for me. I really wish there was an option for a half star so I could bring it up to 3.5 stars, but I can’t bring myself to say this was four stars for me. I’d still recommend it to those who read the previous three books to get a conclusion as it is still interesting and does have some good parts.
For one, the pacing and how much detail from previous books was given through the meeting that was held in the book. Some things just needed a quick recap and not get dragged out. This may have been good for people who may have picked this book up and not read the first three maybe.
Also, not much really happens until after halfway through the book. I will admit the situation the characters were in would be awful and nerve wracking in its own, but some wasn’t interesting enough for it to fill over half of the book. Maybe 1/3 or less, maybe having more on the monster itself.
Another thing that bothered me was the character involvement in the book. We’re back to the focus of Shawna and Catfish. The others fell so far to the background that they almost could have been replaced or absent.
I really wish more of the ending of the book had more to it.
So the ending alone almost did get this book four stars but the rest of the book kind of dragged it down to a three star review for me. I really wish there was an option for a half star so I could bring it up to 3.5 stars, but I can’t bring myself to say this was four stars for me. I’d still recommend it to those who read the previous three books to get a conclusion as it is still interesting and does have some good parts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2025
Originally published on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
*Trigger Warning: Very brief lab rat death
Super excited to read this book! The Black: Evolution brings together the characters from the first 3 books in the series. Not a lot of re-hashing what happened in those previous stories, so I did feel a little bit lost at first because I couldn’t remember who all was who at first. It had been a while since I read the first few books. I felt like I needed a refresher! 😮
In Evolution, the characters get together to finally study the M2 entity. There was a LOT of sitting around and doing science stuff. A LOT. The first 3 books were overflowing with action. This book definately has a lack of action. I kept waiting for the creature to break out of the lab and it took FORever to get there! Literally took until the 70% mark before the creature escapes!!
Now, once we hit that 70% mark… the creature action was awesome!! I loved seeing how this monster evolved. The fear and tension from the people all felt so real. Great final boss battle. Very curious what happens next…? 😮
I enjoyed Evolution. It did take me a while to remember who and what was going on in the previous books. The book could have used a little bit more recapping up front. There was also a lot of sitting around with not much creature action. It’s a solid story but not as much fun as the previous books.
*Trigger Warning: Very brief lab rat death
Super excited to read this book! The Black: Evolution brings together the characters from the first 3 books in the series. Not a lot of re-hashing what happened in those previous stories, so I did feel a little bit lost at first because I couldn’t remember who all was who at first. It had been a while since I read the first few books. I felt like I needed a refresher! 😮
In Evolution, the characters get together to finally study the M2 entity. There was a LOT of sitting around and doing science stuff. A LOT. The first 3 books were overflowing with action. This book definately has a lack of action. I kept waiting for the creature to break out of the lab and it took FORever to get there! Literally took until the 70% mark before the creature escapes!!
Now, once we hit that 70% mark… the creature action was awesome!! I loved seeing how this monster evolved. The fear and tension from the people all felt so real. Great final boss battle. Very curious what happens next…? 😮
I enjoyed Evolution. It did take me a while to remember who and what was going on in the previous books. The book could have used a little bit more recapping up front. There was also a lot of sitting around with not much creature action. It’s a solid story but not as much fun as the previous books.
March 9, 2025
Adequate ending
This addition to the series has far less action than the previous three. The first 50% or so of the book is just rehashing the previous books, reintroducing the characters along with a few new ones.
Once the action or interaction starts, it certainly picks up pace. But you're left with a lot of questions at the end and some interesting ways the story could go.
This addition to the series has far less action than the previous three. The first 50% or so of the book is just rehashing the previous books, reintroducing the characters along with a few new ones.
Once the action or interaction starts, it certainly picks up pace. But you're left with a lot of questions at the end and some interesting ways the story could go.
December 27, 2024
the Black
I read all 3 action packed books, one after the other. It was awesome and nerve wrecking. The descriptions leaves one with an overload of gruesome images. This would make a fantastic movie. I’m so glad I found this author on Amazon.
I read all 3 action packed books, one after the other. It was awesome and nerve wrecking. The descriptions leaves one with an overload of gruesome images. This would make a fantastic movie. I’m so glad I found this author on Amazon.
January 30, 2025
Recomendable : Si
Ciencia ficción : 3/5
El final de esta entrega puede considerarse el final temporal : Si
Deja abiertas muchas preguntas : Si
Habrá que esperar a la siguiente entrega (aprox. 2025-2026) para concluir definitivamente de la entidad / organismo "M2"
Ciencia ficción : 3/5
El final de esta entrega puede considerarse el final temporal : Si
Deja abiertas muchas preguntas : Si
Habrá que esperar a la siguiente entrega (aprox. 2025-2026) para concluir definitivamente de la entidad / organismo "M2"
May 7, 2026
Wasn’t expecting the XTRO 2 and LIFEFORM vibes.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews