Written by: S.D. Perry
Review by Ryan Buckley
Most of us know the Resident Evil series as the movies that spawned the Survival/Horror genre in video games, and as what helped to create a whole new generation of zombie loving fanatics in general. As we all know, the video game, lead to the movies, comics, and of course...more video games. As a huge fan of Resident Evil, I was not surprised to find that there is a book series out there. What does surprise me? Discovering that the series is damned good!
The book is authored by S.D. Perry who has taken the characters, concepts, and yes, continuity errors of the Resident Evil video game universe and molded them into a functional series, that delves not only into the thoughts and feelings of the various characters in the series, but also helps to elaborate the behind the scenes aspects that happen while you are playing.
In this first installment we begin as the first game did, with the strange killings labeled as a "cannibalistic cult" terrorizing the remote mountain community of Raccoon City. Strange reports begin flooding in to the local police department of attacks from strange creatures, some human...some not. With the victims apparently, being partially eaten alive, only adding to the oddity of this situation.
In an effort to stop these attacks, the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) is deployed to the nearby forested area of the Arklay Mountains to investigate the situation, little knowing the danger that lies ahead.
After the initial Bravo Team’s helicopter crashes, and no contact is able to be established, the Alpha Team takes off in a search and rescue attempt, only to find the wreckage of a crashed helicopter and an ambush of bizarre creatures to meet them. The S.T.A.R.S. team quickly rushes through the woods to find an old mansion hidden in the forest, where the find refuge from their attackers. From there, the real terror begins as the team begins to unravel the mystery behind the strange attacks, the reason that the dead have begun to rise and just how much the Umbrella Corporation has to do with it all.
I liked this novel not just for the wonderful way the author paints a picture for those of you who may not have had the chance to enjoy the video game series, but also for the wonderful way that she allows you to get into the heads of the various characters, and feel the terror that they do at the horror that has befallen them. My personal favorite baddie, Albert Wesker, is fleshed out especially well, and with the latest video game installment (Resident Evil 5) out it helps you to understand how he got locked up into all of this.
As far as the writing goes, anyone (whether you are a die-hard RE fan like myself, or just enjoy a good thriller novel) can pick this book up and get a good read out of it. My only complaint is that this book is incredibly short at 262 pages, so it definitely leaves the reader wanting more...luckily for us there is an entire series of these out there.
I would give this book a 4 out of 5. This book is definitely a good read, and plenty heart racing for what you get, but again I complain about the length of the novel itself.
Until next time! BRAAAAINS!!!!!