Evolved by NR Walker
Standalone
M/M Sci-Fi Romance
April 22, 2018
About the Book: In 2068, androids are an integrated part of human life. Big Brother no longer just watches from the shadows. It’s in every household.
Lloyd Salter has OCD issues with noise, mess, and he’s uncomfortable with human interaction. When his ex claimed the only thing perfect enough to live up to his standards was an android, Lloyd dismissed it. But two years later, after much self-assessment, Lloyd thinks he may have been right.
SATinc is the largest manufacturer of androids in Australia, including the Fully Compatible Units known as an A-Class 10. Their latest design is the Synthetic Human Android UNit, otherwise known as SHAUN.
Shaun is compatible with Lloyd’s every need; the perfect fit on an intellectual and physical basis. But Lloyd soon realises Shaun’s not like other A-Class androids. He learns. He adapts. Sure that SATinc is aware Shaun functions outside of his programmed parameters, Lloyd must find a way to keep Shaun safe.
No one can know how special Shaun is. No one can know he’s evolved.
There’s something about the concept of a human falling in love with an Android that continues to intrigue me. I’ve read multiple stories with this premise, and I have admit that android’s who are so human as to have emotions piques my interest. It’s ultimately what drove me to reading Evolved in the first place.
Thankfully, I thought the execution in this story was very well done. There’s a line between Android and Human that needs to be met. The Android can’t be too robotic, but they also can’t act exactly human either, and it was a line I thought NR Walker kept to very well. I never forgot Shaun was a robot, which was great because we got the opportunity to read him learning and picking up more human traits. In a way it was a bit like Supernatural’s Castiel (Angel picking up human characteristics), and he’s my favorite character. I love that change in the foundation of each character’s personality.
However, there were times I would have liked to forget Shaun was a robot. For instance, when Shaun and Llyod would make love, we were reminded how Shaun was equipped with a fleshlight that was ribbed for Lloyd’s pleasure. I can understand why it was stated in the beginning, but I could have done without the constant reminder as Shaun evolved and they fell in love. For me, it detracted from Shaun’s growing individuality to be reminded that Lloyd designed him as the perfect man (sexually, physically and intellectually). In the same vein, I also had a hard time with Shaun’s programmed inability to orgasm unless Loyd was also. The more I saw Shaun as a human, the more abusive it felt. It wasn’t a consensual act for Shaun, and because he was sentient it made me very uncomfortable.
It was only because Lloyd didn’t revel in his control over Shaun, and tried in every way he could to treat him with respect, that I ended up enjoying Evolved as much as I did. I never doubted Lloyd’s and Shaun’s feelings for each other. There was something very sweet about their relationship that I found so much happiness in. I think I can comfortably say I’ve never been truly disappointed in any book I’ve read by this author so far.
Birdie Bookworm 