Month: Dec 2024

Book Review: ‘Caliban Cove (Resident Evil, #2)’ by S.D. Perry

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For the final book of my 2024 reading challenge, I picked up S.D. Perry’s ‘Caliban Cove (Resident Evil, )’.

Having enjoyed Perry’s first ‘Resident Evil’ novelization, I wanted something lighthearted and easy. With its evil corporations, secret labs, and hordes of zombies, this book was a no-brainer. Pun intended.

Unlike most of Perry’s Resident Evil books, ‘Caliban Cove’ is not tied to a specific video game. There is no ‘Caliban Cove’ game – this story is Perry’s creation. Free to craft her own story, she takes us on a new romp with Rebecca Chambers, the rookie medic from the first story. The story follows the events of ‘The Umbrella Conspiracy’. Perry dives straight into the action.

Like its predecessor, ‘Caliban Cove’ is fast-paced and easy to read, making it a breeze to fly through the pages. I appreciated Perry’s creativity with new monsters and villains, bringing some freshness. That said, the ending felt rushed, and I wanted more details about some of the creatures. While keeping your big bads in the shadows can build suspense, having some payoff at the end is nice.

Although weaker than book one, ‘Caliban Cove’ is still fun – it’s good cheesy action to turn your brain off.

Book Review: ‘The Umbrella Conspiracy (Resident Evil, #1)’ by S.D. Perry

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I picked up ‘The Umbrella Conspiracy (Resident Evil, )’ by S.D. Perry, for my next read of the year.

I’ve loved the ‘Resident Evil’ games since my older brother got ‘Resident Evil 3: Nemesis’ in the early 2000s. I’ve since devoured every game. With ‘Resident Evil 3’ day at the end of last month, I wanted to delve back into Raccoon City. But I didn’t have the time to replay the games. So I thought, ‘Why not try the novels?’ I’ve heard other fans talking about them in horror circles, and I’m a big fan of trashy books and B-movie horror.

The book follows – surprise, surprise – the S.T.A.R.S. members as they investigate trouble in Raccoon Forest. People have been disappearing, sometimes turning up eaten. Perry opens the novel with the S.T.A.R.S.’s Bravo team going missing, leaving the Alpha team to investigate. It doesn’t take long until a zombie shambles onto the page, and from there, the book follows the game’s beats. We even get P.O.V.s from Jill and Chris – the first game’s two playable characters – along with the rest of the cast.

The book follows the game’s story much more than its silver-screen counterparts. It might do too well, describing the maze-like corridors and endless puzzles. But I understand that Capcom must’ve insisted Perry do this. This adherence might also be a plus for those who felt the movies should have stuck to the source material.

I went in expecting it to be enjoyable but flawed – after all, I have a soft spot for the movies – but it turned out decent. It’s not ‘The Shining’ or anything, but who would expect that from a video game novelisation? The characters are as we remember them, with some embellishment. The settings are all there, and the atmosphere is suitable. The puzzles fit into the story, and all the monsters appear – even if killed “off-screen”.

Perry’s book scratches the itch (itchy, tasty) well if you want to return to the Spencer Mansion.