Caliban Cove

Resident Evil #2

by S.D. Perry

In the aftermath of their ordeal through the Umbrella Corporation's genetic research facility, the surviving members of the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) attempt to warn the world about the conspiracy to create terrifying biological weapons. But the conspiracy is far from dead, as the S.T.A.R.S. learn when they are declared outlaws by the very people who trained them. Forced to go underground, the S.T.A.R.S. resolve to battle the conspiracy on their own, determined to seek out and stop Umbrella's experiments wherever they may be.

Combat medic and biochemist Rebecca Chambers, the sole survivor of Bravo Team, joins a new S.T.A.R.S. strike force when rumor comes of another Umbrella experiment: hidden beneath the rocky cliffs of Caliban Cove, Maine, someone is building an army of the undead. Within a sinister lighthouse, through a complex maze of sea caves, inside the shell of a sunken shipwreck, the S.T.A.R.S. must battle more unspeakable horrors and stop a madman from unleashing the biohazard upon the world.

But the S.T.A.R.S. may never get the chance, as the aggressive DNA-altering virus Umbrella has engineered to create its living weapons begins to infect them...

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Fiction, Science Fiction, Video Games, Action, Novels

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

SD Perry (Stephani Danelle, by the way, though she prefers SD or Danelle) has been writing novelizations and tie-ins for most of her adult life. Best known for her work in the shared multiverses of Resident Evil, Star Trek, and Aliens, SD is a horror nerd and an introvert. Her father is acclaimed science fiction author Steve Perry. SD lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caliban Cove is the second book from the Resident Evil novel series. Unlike the first book, this one takes the series on a different path than the movies and videogames. Some might actually say (like me) that the novel is so different from the first that it seems something from a distinct series. Perry did such a great job with the first novelization that it could not be differentiated from the movie and video game. That was a great thing. When you read Resident Evil, you want Resident Evil, survival horror, finding weapons and ammo, and all manner of grotesque infected mutations. I feel that those things are not as evident.

Here, Rebecca Chambers, a survivor from the first book decides to go to Caliban Cove where the Umbrella Corporation is attempting to hide another biohazardous event. The team tasked to help her is fully equipped and ready-prepared with sufficient ammunition to take down a small island nation. Even so, the plot turns on a Chekov's Gun amateurly telegraphed from early in the book. I don't hate the novel, but I find myself annoyed by the distinct tenor that makes this entry inconsistent with all the things I enjoyed from the first one.

“The truth was, she couldn't stand to let such an opportunity pass; she wanted to see what was behind the closed door, because it was there. Because leaving it unopened would get under her skin.” I hate this about most female main characters, when they just can't control themselves. Their excuse being, "I just have to." No you don't. Adults control themselves. I don't just have to cheat on my wife. I don't just have to do things that are illegal. And no, I don't just have to go into a dark garage that is in somebody else's house.

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this entire series a few years ago. I am a huge fan of the games and the books are more or less just written adaptations of each video game. The writing is good, but for those not familiar with the video games, these may or may not peak your interest.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the past three months, she'd graduated college, gone through S.T.A.R.S. Bravo training, and moved to her first apartment in a new city — only to end up one of the five survivors of a man-made disaster involving biological weapons and a corporate conspiracy. In the past three hours, her life had taken yet another totally unexpected turn. She thought about what she'd wished for earlier, a chance to get out of Raccoon City and study the T-Virus; the irony of the situation wasn't lost on her, but she wasn't so sure she liked the circumstances.

As a direct sequel to The Umbrella Conspiracy that isn't novelising any particular installment in the video game franchise, Caliban Cove has free rein to expand on this universe.

Naturally, this removes a substantial amount of the awkwardness from Perry's writing — the horror evoked in the games is harder to accomplish on the page, where bombastic violence trump subtly and detail. And the unsuccessfully incorporation to some of the stories game-y aspects like puzzles can be completely excised.

Following Rebecca in the aftermath of the Spencer estate outbreak, the surviving S.T.A.R.S. are put on suspension and smeared as raving drug addicts. Their claims about the T-Virus are widely discredited by the media and a city too dependent on Umbrella's continued investment to investigate in earnest.

With the S.T.A.R.S. organisation infiltrated by Umbrella, Rebecca and the survivors of the Spencer Mansion have to fend the corporation as they search for unimpeachable evidence of their complicity. A slew of new serviceable characters are introduced as Rebecca is whisked off to investigate another research facility. I was perfectly fine leaving Jill, Chris and a lot of this series baggage behind — if only for a book.

Once Rebecca lands on Caliban Cove, the pace is breakneck: monstrous patchwork zombies wielding M16s doesn't instill horror like shambling zombies, but that role is filled when one of their team is infected with the T-Virus. Perry does a good enough job with this group of characters that by the time they start dropping like flies, I was genuinely unsettled.

He turned, gesturing at a row of shining oxygen tanks next to the lab's entrance. "Do you know what that is, do you know what I've managed to synthesise? Peace! Peace and the freedom from choice for all of mankind!"

Griffith, our antagonist, is an afterthought. He's created a strain of the virus that can turn everyone into a mindless zombie (without cannibalism, I think; it's unclear) and something, something save humanity from itself by reverting them to their most base instincts. Or something. It's not that important.

Either way, Griffith is thwarted by Rebecca and the book ends on a shrug-inducing cliffhanger of Trent, the trenchcoat-wearing bearer of exposition that works as a slab of tape over the plots larger holes that the games can get away with.

Caliban Cove is a fun diversion from the game series.

[Brandon Karcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the Resident Evil series of games and although I was skeptical that these books would be worth my time, I was amazed at how good they were. If you are coming to them fresh, without having played the games, you might not be inclined to agree, but S.D. Perry is a fine writer and she makes these books shine despite the inherently ridiculous premise. In this particular book, there is an unintentionally hilarious passage that acknowledges the impossibility of a virus that cross infects completely unrelated species (think dogs and plants) but there it is right before the hapless heroine's eyes. It's a credit to Ms. Perry that she doesn't completely insult the reader's intelligence by just glossing over that. This whole series is a fun time between the covers.

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star rating
This was really mellow compared to the two previous books in the series. I wasn't sure at first if i should attempt to read this when it was nearing evening but i did and i could sleep after 😄.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot of this one better than of the previous book, "The Umbrella Conspiracy", and it also used the tests and clue-finding in a better, more organic way. At the same time, it wasn't as scary/creepy and David and his team simply weren't up to the Raccoon team's standards. David really was no Chris as far as leadership goes, he should've been a great tactician but he kept falling apart again and again, even Rebecca, a girl half his age and with much less training and experience, had more spunk and a cooler head than he. I missed Chris, Jill and Barry who handled their situation with definitely more aplomb than the Exeter team.

[Jawairia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

I really liked the characters in this one.

Rebecca was absolutely my favourite I think making an 18 year old biochemist genius a likeable yet realistic character that you wanna root for is a challenge from the getgo, but I think Perry handled it well. I like that Rebecca is actually written like an 18 year old who just happens to be super intelligent as opposed to a know-it-all who's above everything. I like that even though she checks out her hot teammate, it isn't used to diminish her character.

I also love how no one underestimates or patronises Rebecca. Although everyone does a double take when they first see her and how young she is, they don't use that as an excuse to keep her on the sidelines or are overly protective of her to the point of condecension. I like how no one is threatened by her intelligence or her age or because she's a woman. All of her teammates become her cheerleader, it was really wholesome to read.

I also really liked David's character. He had more depth than I was expecting and I'm really glad he acknowledged his issues with guilt and need for therapy 👍

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean, I wasn't the target audience of this book. It was......fine.

https://www.idontevenownatelevision.c...

[Paulo Bana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.80 . . .
DONT READ THID BOOK BEFORE OR WHILE EATING!!! like seriously!

This book is sooo much better that the 1st one (the one that felt like a walkthrough).
As I progressed in the story, I was beginning to feel itchy for some reason. I felt like a loaded syringe of T-virus is next to me. But I hated the ending, well not a really bad ending but they didnt get the info they need to take umbrella down.
I liked this better than the 1st book because this one feels a continuation of resident evil 1 game, the mansion, if you played and read the 1st book, you will wonder what happened to Rebecca. I love rebecca as a player and I hope she will show up again on RE games and books.

[Shannon Poole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 Flew through this. Not as good as the first one but still enjoyable.

[Jozua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set between the first and the second game, I was lost because I couldn't remember playing this game... this book is to fill the gap between those games, it was never made into a game itself.
It took some pages to get into the story, but the second half made up for it with the gore and action scenes.
Another book in the series worth reading if you love Resident Evil.

[Jana A · Rating 2 out of 5]

OKAYYY NOW WE’RE TALKING
(definitely cooler than the first book)

The beginning was kinda boring but it immediately got intense and interesting. It’s so fast paced and full of action, you don’t have time to breath. I felt like I was reading the first book just to get through it, while reading this one was actually entertaining.

The whole book was crazy and shocking. There were so many plot twists that had me genuinely baffled. I was screaming so hard at the last 5 chapters, it was so painful. TOO MANY STUFF HAPPENED 😭

(To all the good characters that died in this book: I love you, and I hate the way u died ,it was terrible. Griffith deserves hell. Rip ❤️‍🩹)

AHHH ITS GETTING BETTER IM NOT READY

[Biondy · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Resident Evil: Caliban Cove" bercerita tentang Rebecca Chambers, satu-satunya anggota S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad) Beta yang berhasil selamat dari peristiwa Spencer Mansion (Resident Evil The Umbrella Conspiracy), yang memutuskan untuk kembali mengejar Umbrella Corp.. Kali ini, bersama anggota S.T.A.R.S baru yang belum terbeli oleh Umbrella, Rebecca menyelidiki sebuah labolatorium di daerah bertebing karang di Caliban Cove, Maine.

"RE Caliban Cove" adalah novel original dari novelisasi Resident Evil. Sayangnya, novel ini tidak sebagus empat novel adaptasi yang sudah kubaca.

Ceritanya terasa membosankan. Tidak banyak aksi yang terjadi. Tidak banyak juga puzzle yang dipecahkan. Chemistry antar tokohnya juga nyaris tidak ada. Coba bandingkan dengan chemistry Rebecca dan Billy di RE Zero Hour (review di sini).

Selain itu, saya rasa ketegangannya juga tidak begitu dapat karena Rebecca selalu bergerak dalam kelompok, beda dengan di novel RE lainnya. Walau tokohnya selalu berpasangan di novel-novel lainnya, tapi kedua tokoh utamanya selalu terpisah dan menghabiskan banyak waktu dengan berjuang seorang diri.

Eksperimen maju yang ditampilkan sebagai ancaman di sini juga kurang digunakan dengan baik. Rasanya sia-sia sudah ditampilkan suatu kondisi yang begitu menarik, tapi tidak terasa memberikan ketegangan lebih dalam cerita.

Secara keseluruhan, saya rasa novel ini kalah jauh kalau dibandingkan dengan novel adaptasi Resident Evil yang ada. Ceritanya tidak begitu seru dan karakter-karakternya kurang kuat.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I originally picked this up on a whim since I'm a huge Resident Evil fan. I was excited to read an original story based on the games, but I ended up being quite disappointed. Caliban Cove isn't badly written. It's just incredibly slow going. At least half of the novel is just build up and background setting up the small bits of action in the last half. Plus, the story revolves around a secondary character from Resident Evil, Rebecca Chambers. While I think that writing about Rebecca is a great idea, Perry just didn't put enough into her characterization, in my opinion. She was shy, smart and sort of brave, but nothing more. She wasn't very dynamic, which is almost a must for a main character, especially when the other characters around her seem to be more compelling. There just wasn't a lot of expansion on her from the games. Add that to the slow plot and it's just all around disappointing.

If you are thinking of getting this just for fun, I'd suggest skipping it. I would only recommend this to a die hard Resident Evil fan, and even then I'd say not to expect too awfully much from this novel. Two stars.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Resident Evil, but not as we know it :(

SD Perry missed one of the major themes of Resident Evil, it's Survival Horror. Caliban Cove has the protagonists fighting the zombies as a team with seemingly a full arsenal at their disposal. Resident Evil should always be about, one or two people working together, under duress, with limited bullets and supplies. Caliban Cove didn't succeed in capturing these themes. Plus, Caliban Cove should have centered its story around Rebecca Chambers. But, by the middle of the book, Rebecca become nothing more than another side character. Disappointing.

The thought process behind giving the lower-caste zombies, guns and the ability to speak, didn't work for me. If a zombie is going to retain some kind of humanity and the ability to converse, they need to be important characters within the story, like William Birkin. Also, SD Perry should have used a different puzzle to the one used in Die Hard With A Vengeance.

Overall, an OKish Resident Evil story that should have been more about Rebecca Chambers and more about Survival Horror.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Éste segundo libro dentro de la saga, y serie de novelizaciones de los juegos clásicos de Capcom, es una libre adaptación de lo que pasó entre la precuela: “Residen Evil Zero” y el clásico “ Resident Evil”; un 1.2 con elementos característicos del video juego, pero, y que sin embargo, tiene un resultado poco logrado respecto a las adaptaciones de la misma autora. En el riesgo es dónde uno encuentra sus límites, sea el campo que sea. Y aquí queda claramente demostrado, con una novela escrita con más ganas que garra o destreza.
Los sucesos transcurren después que los S.T.A.R.S se vieran envueltos en una masacre, a modo de cobayas, en la mansión Spencer (la del creador de Umbrella). Aquí nuevamente, como en Zero, vuelve a ser la protagonista Rebecca Chambers, que después del infierno vivido en la mansión junto a Barry, Jill y Chris, siendo expulsados de la corporación para que no vea la luz las atrocidades de Umbrella, se reúnen en la casa de Burton para ir en búsqueda de un laboratorio de la famosa y perversa corporación en la población que da título al libro, situada en Maine. Allí podrán hallar pruebas de los virus y especimenes con los que trabaja Umbrella. La pista les es proporcionada por un jefe de otra división de los S.T.A.R.S: David, un británico especialista de las fuerzas y antiguo compañero de Barry. Debido a un acuerdo mutuo grupal, y después de un accidentada reunión en casa de Burton, se decide que vayan David y Rebecca, junto a otros compañeros de la división del Británico: Steve, John y Karen. Allí descubrirán las demenciales y extremas acciones de uno de los especialistas del laboratorio: El Doctor Griffith, sediento de Narcisismo y egolatría hasta límites insospechados....

La narración de la novela comienza bien, parece sobria en su argumentación y acción, con unos pasajes que resumen el altercado de la mansión y la destitución de los S.T.A.R.S mediante informes. Pero en el primer capitulo ya se nos da muestra que algo no marcha bien del todo (en relación a la añadidura de nuevos elementos y enfoque general). A las pocas páginas nos encontraremos con descripciones y pensamientos de vergüenza ajena, como el que se le pasa por la cabeza a Rebecca cuando su amigo Barry le abre las puertas de su casa para la reunión:”Su musculoso cuerpo tapaba casi todo el umbral de la entrada. Barry hacía pesas. Con muchas ganas”...pero, ¿se puede ser más ridículo describiendo?; totalmente abrumador por desconcertante para el lector al que está enfocado, a priori, la obra.
La primera escena de desarrollo y acción: la reunión y su incidente, en términos generales, es coherente con el enfoque de la saga, pero las reiteradas observaciones narrativas por parte de Chambers acerca de los atributos masculinos de sus compañeros, , además del perfil de según qué nuevos personajes, con un pasado psicológico lleno de penurias, hacen adolecer y minimizar la calidad de lo que merece un libro de Resident Evil y su línea encauzada a una trama sugerente de poder y Sci fi, a la par que Terror e investigación, mezclada con pura acción, a la par es arduo el trabajo de la inmersión en la historia. Todos ésos elementos los tienen éste libro, pero con menor intensidad.
Y la cosa no acaba aquí, ya que en la segunda parte, con escenas algo tópicas previas a la incursión en las instalaciones científicas (Leviatán gigante que surge de la nada), siguen los “entresijos” amorosos entre bastidores, o entre matanza y matanza, con diálogos y retornos absurdos estando metidos en pleno peligro. Todo es muy YA, y destaca por inverosímil, ojo, en los Resident Evil. A medias de éste, la cosa se caldea (para bien) cuando el grupo se separa y investiga por bloques en el laboratorio. Y aquí es cuando Resident Evil se cruza con Silent Hill, por ciertas descripciones algo Gore. Por descontado, tenemos algunos puzzles, pero ni la mitad de interesantes que los de los juegos, y unas triadas de Zombies tipo ejército. Un aspecto novedoso, podría decirse, dentro del argumento (al no ser citado explícitamente en los vídeo juegos, pero se puede deducir en según cuales), pero sacado de romero y su “ Día de los muertos”. Debido a ello tendremos un tramo final que mejora bastante a nivel cualitativo (y en dónde decrece claramente el diálogo YA), con un big Boss ególatra, persecuciones mortales por los túneles con especímenes gigantescos, pérdidas en la batalla y una final poético en su resolución. Lo malo, pese a la gran mejora de la culminación de ésta obra libre, es que le falta más exploración, sobretodo en el apartado de objetos y archivos a encontrar, así cómo mayor número de contiendas con hordas de Zombies y Boss – criatura final; todos con la finalización de éstos.

Así pues, la sensación que deja su lectura, en su globalidad, es la de un batiburrillo de varios homenajes, además de intentar preservar la esencia de Resident, pero lastrándola por la inclusión de diálogos de patio de escuela con las hormonas desorbitadas (supongo que para que éste tenga cabida en los lectores actuales..), que si bien tiene una historia coherente con la tónica de los video juegos, y recupera su nivel en el último tramo, no destaca en ningún aspecto por encima de lo que ya sabemos dentro de su línea argumental temporal.
Además, y cómo colofón, el lector (o por lo menos yo) que lea éstas novelas, desea visualizarlas a modo de vídeo juego. Aquí costó imaginarlo (no por no hacerlo) pues teniendo elementos comunes a la famosa saga de Capcom, se asimila más a un film de Resident evil que a sus vídeo juegos.
Todo parece indicar que es una autora que se le da especialmente bien las adaptaciones de los juegos. Los que lean éste libre, que lo hagan con la mente abierta a no esperar lo que podría ser otra entrega que pudiera traspasar a nuestras consolas. Quedáis advertidos.

[WACHOVIA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best original RE novels

This was a really good original Resident Evil story. I really wish they (meaning Capcom) would make a game of this it fits in to the game story so well plus I think it would be cool to see Rebecca Chambers again. Well I had the physical copy of this year's ago and decided to finally finish it so I bought it on my Kindle. It was worth the purchase can't wait to read Resident Evil Underworld.

[♤Nora · Rating 1 out of 5]

No me gustó para nada, la historia un tanto sin chiste y aburrida.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars in that “I enjoyed this trashy novel because I am it’s target audience” kind of way. I thank SD Perry for these indulgences that keep me in the RE universe.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is 80% spoiler free, names and story spoilers are written intentionally vague, major spoilers are hidden with spoiler tags.

Obviously, this book is not an example of great literature. It’s a cheaply-written piece of entertainment, and that’s why I love it. It’s fun, simple as that. The RESIDENT EVIL series is one of my favorite multi-media franchises ever (and if we’re talking strictly about the video games, than it *is* my favorite of all time). Perhaps that makes me a bit less critical of the duds in the series, but I do try to be objective in my overall opinions of what the franchise has to offer. For example, I enjoy the movies as nothing more than mindless fun to consume despite the inconsistent continuity, warped logic, and inept writing. It’s just FUN to watch, and I feel the same way about these books. One has to remember that these novels are nothing more than quick and dirty novelizations adapted from a video game…what do you expect?

So, in CALIBAN COVE, we find Rebecca Chambers (our heroine from the prequel Zero Hour, and a supporting player in the previous novel The Umbrella Conspiracy) tasked with helping a group of renegade S.T.A.R.S. agents uncover the evil Umbrella Corporation’s secret experiments on the titular island. It’s a fairly straight-forward story, and doesn’t open up anything particularly new except for a modified virus strain that turns subjects into mindless drones susceptible to command, instead of the generic infected Zombies and mutant experiments we got in the previous book(s) [I say “book(s)” because the prequel Zero Hour didn’t come out until after Caliban Cove, so it depends on how you view the series chronologically – it could be one previous book or it could be two]. There is also a new type of mutant enemy, the members of the island’s security patrol called TriSquads – basically Zombies with the gift of tactical thinking and the ability to use machine guns.

Overall, the story is fun and it maintains the same style and flavor that the series established both in the original Resident Evil game and the previous novelization. The story’s main players move from area to area; fighting through enemies; uncovering critical information (and exposition) via hidden papers, corporate reports, journal entries, letters, etc; and solving a wave of puzzles. The puzzles in this book are basic and simple, but they have just the right amount of the Resident Evil style to them to satisfy anyone who has played the games or read the previous book(s).

The evil mastermind in this story stays locked up in a secret laboratory, and we only get a brief confrontation in the book’s final chapters. But his plan, maniacal in every sense of the word, is consistent with the series as a whole. He may be a stock villain with no depth, but there is a brief passage towards the end of the book where he contemplates ‘monologue-ing’ in classic style and decides against it, referring to the act as a foolish plot point. I giggled a bit at that, because 80% of his storyline up to the climax is internal monologue and exposition. But the idea that he is aware that he’s a stock villain was a nice touch.

I could write more words complaining about the book’s faults than there are words in the book itself, but I will give the author a pass on this because of my love for the series. However, to remain objective I will talk about some of the major problems this book had. These aren’t trite issues that only the picky would lose sleep over, these are actual problems with the story and the characterizations and faults in the continuity/pre-established storyline. These kind of problems reside on the literary level, and not the fan base level.

My second-largest complain was with a particular character on Rebecca’s team. We are given PAGES of exposition in the form of warnings and examples of how the virus is incredibly easy to contract and that everyone going on the mission to the island should stay as far away from any potential contact as possible. This idea is ingrained so deeply into our heads that it becomes borderline obnoxious. But then, merely as a convenience to propel the plot, one of the characters does something incredibly stupid and ends up contracting the virus. The momentary lapse in judgment from this character is entirely out of left field and makes no sense. Before this moment, we are shown and told how capable and smart this person is. I highly doubt a person like that would make such a stupid move for any reason other than the author’s need to give SOMEONE the virus for the plotline and for an attempt at faux-drama.

Having said that, when this character eventually does begin to mutate into a Zombie, we see the transformation process from their perspective and the description is actually quite interesting. I found myself feeling the things that character felt, because the way it’s presented to us is by feelings and body functions that we’ve all felt before. I thought those passages were the best parts of this book. The slow but drastic loss of sanity and the physical metamorphosis is actually quite sad – but then you remember that the only reason this person is going through this change is because the author needed a quick plot device, and that takes away from the impact quite a bit.

In addition to that character’s ridiculous plot device transformation, we are told that they have a particular superstition before the mission starts. Conveniently, this very superstition is exactly how the surviving characters eventually escape the climactic confrontation and win the “game”, so to speak. I understand that things like this happen all the time in stories, but this particular example is so weak that I can’t excuse it. We’re told about it once, when Rebecca first sees it; and then we don’t hear about it again until the very end when she suddenly remembers and uses it to her advantage. It was a simple plot convenience that could have actually been developed a bit more. Perhaps that character could’ve run into several situations when their superstition plot device could’ve been used, but chose not to because saving it for later might be more beneficial. And then when that character ultimately comes to the end of their storyline and can no longer use it, the fact that Rebecca takes over and uses it would feel like a tribute and less of a convenience.

You’ll notice that most of my complaints are about the characters and the way they are utilized in this story. Well, that’s pretty much it. There is another member of the S.T.A.R.S. team that is set up as the most obvious love interest possible for Rebecca. Their romance is forced and no more than a school-age crush that never advances beyond that. And because this is a survival horror story, that love interest must obviously bite the bullet at some point…which he eventually does. It’s a brutal way to die, and I appreciated the ballsy-ness of it, but it was so obvious that it was going to happen that I just couldn’t get attached to the character. It just seemed like it was done to ramp up the faux-drama.

Speaking of faux-drama, ANOTHER member of the S.T.A.R.S. team (this is now the third major character complaint…can you see the pattern?) is written in a way that he seems to be either bipolar or suffering from several personality disorders. He’s introduced as the wise-cracking comic relief, then he turns into the flirtatious creep, then he turns into a hardened soldier with a deep personal vendetta fueled by vengeance for another character’s fate. This last twist to his characterization is so out of character that it threw me out of the story for a while. I can understand a jokester with a light and fun personality becoming more of a sexual-innuendo swinging pervert at some point; that kind of thing happens in real life sometimes. But to then turn into a raging madman over a character’s fate is just going over the line. At no point were these two character established to have a relationship deeper than “we just met and now we’re teammates”. Yes, this person made some sexual advances in his second stage of Multiple Personality Disorder, but that’s not exactly grounds to act as though an entire school bus full of children have been murdered once the person you vaguely hit on a few minutes ago begins a downward spiral to their doom. That’s just ridiculous. Faux-drama.

Now, before I move onto the biggest character complaint I have for this book, let me just mention some tiny things that I felt needed to be addressed. First, the last four chapters or so feature a section of action that requires the characters to go in a particular direction. They get lost, and there is another attempt to create dramatic tension out of the simple fact that these people have no idea where they’re going and which way is North. Well…isn’t a compass standard gear for people like this? I can’t imagine any seasoned S.T.A.R.S. operative (or even a rookie for that matter) would go on a mission without a compass. That’s one of the most common and basic items in any inventory, especially when moving through unknown territory. It’s a minor thing, but the way it’s used to build fake tension bothered me. And another thing – on page 203 there is a reference to Dr. Strangelove that makes absolutely no sense. I don’t think S.D. Perry knows what Dr. Strangelove is actually about or who the character is. I think she just knows the name and assumed she could apply it to a ‘strange’ Doctor character. Perhaps a little research would help every now and then?

Alright, here we are – at my biggest complaint. Be prepared for a bit of fanboy whine mixed in with legitimate critical points.

Why are the original Resident Evil characters only in this book for a measly four chapters? I understand that this is a vehicle for the Rebecca Chambers character; and at the time the novel was written, Resident Evil Zero the game and ZERO HOUR the book had not yet been released (both of which expanded Rebecca’s character and made her a major player in the overall storyline). But the fact that the surviving members of the S.T.A.R.S. teams from the previous story are JUST AS IMPORTANT, if not MORE important to the story than Rebecca just makes little sense to me. I understand they were established as rogue agents in order to fill in the gap between the games Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2, but since that’s their only purpose in the story I felt passing dialogue would’ve been better utilized. Instead of getting fans of these characters excited for an original adventure featuring them, just use some more blatant exposition (the book is full of it) to explain where they are and what happened to them.

In my opinion, the S.T.A.R.S. team we got in the book – David, Karen, John, and Steve – should’ve been whittled down to just Karen and David. The rest of the team could be Barry Burton as team lead, Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and then Rebecca as the main focus. Barry was already leading the fight against Umbrella for infiltrating the S.T.A.R.S. ranks and branding them as traitors; why did we have to bring in the David character to take over as team lead? He could still be the same character, just reduced to a lesser role as a support for the rest of the team. Jill, having already been established as being contacted by the mysterious Trent character in the previous book, could be the one to have received his new information instead of David. That would give both Barry and Jill an important role to play and a legitimate reason to travel to Caliban Cove. Chris has little to do, and wouldn’t really have much going on in this book if his role was expanded too, but since he was part of the original group he would have to be included. His flirting with Rebecca from the first book could be carried over and the faux-love story that’s already in the novel could be between those two instead.

The reason I would add in Karen and David is to fill out the team to six members. Karen would remain the same as she is in the real book, and David could take over for John and Steve (minus the romance). He could share Steve’s fate, and Chris could take John’s fate. The dramatic tension would be so high in a story like that, because the characters involved in the action are ones that we know and love. And it would still, at the end of it all, fit within the continuity of the series (with an injury on Chris’s part that could heal before the events of Resident Evil 2). That’s my idea, and I think it would’ve worked out so much better. Rather than introducing and then discarding one-off characters we don’t know and can’t grow to like because we know they’re expendable, the original group of characters should’ve been used instead. They were already on a vendetta to take down Umbrella, the motivations and the collective knowledge of these people were perfect. A lost opportunity. :-(

Like I said, this book is cheap. It’s not well written, but it tells the story in an efficient way even if it’s not particularly pretty. Nobody should go into a multimedia novelization expecting beauty. These are meant to be quick and dirty and fun, which is exactly what this book is. Not every published work has to be a literary diamond. I can forgive the faults in style, but some of the missed opportunities and plot-propelling characterizations are harder to set aside. The entire Resident Evil franchise is built on the premise of fun and interesting ways to twist the basic trope of “evil corporation has a hand in releasing an agent that leads to the Zombie Apocalypse”. Each entry does so by having intriguing characters, an interesting lore, and exciting action to drive the simple plots forward. Sometimes you just want to sit back and go for a ride, and that’s why I love this series. The book didn’t disappoint beyond the faults I mentioned, and for an original story it does a great job of taking the main flavors of the established series regular and using them to season something new set in the same world.

It’s fiction, it’s fun; enjoy it or get over it.

[Cretin Workshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second novel in S.D. Perry's Resident Evil book series, and the first to be an original story and not a direct adaptation of any particular video game, Resident Evil: Caliban Cove can be described as modest. Despite the cataclysmic world-ending stakes of the plot, the whole thing feels rather small-scale, all things considered. That in and of itself is fine, as Resident Evil plot scenarios often overextend further than they need to. However, the word "modest" also applies to how interesting Perry's original narrative is. This is largely due to Caliban Cove's very uninteresting antagonist, Dr. Nicolas Griffith, who fits into every single stereotype that a Resident Evil villain could fit into, bar transforming into a freakish monster at the end. Dr. Griffith is yet another insane eugenics freak who wants to use his new creation to mold the world in his image, with egotism bursting at the seams to boot. There's little else to him, and while Perry does make an earnest attempt to get into his head, it's not nearly as compelling as her interpretation of Albert Wesker was in the previous novel, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy. I want to give Perry some slack here; Caliban Cove was released in 1998. At that time, only two games in the series had been released, so Dr. Griffith as a concept likely didn't feel nearly as tiring back in the late '90s as it does nowadays. Even with historical context in mind, though, he is simply too boring to carry the narrative.

Thankfully, the more virtuous characters are more interesting. I applaud Perry for writing an entire novel centered around Rebecca Chambers, one of my favorite Resident Evil characters and one who I felt was always criminally underused. Considering how Perry frequently describes Rebecca as strong, intelligent, and brave beyond her youthful years, it seems she sees something to connect with in Rebecca and that's sweet as repetitive as it can sometimes be. Once again, as Perry did with the pre-existing characters in the previous novel, she does a very good job of getting inside of Rebecca's head here, fleshing her out more than Capcom often did in their own games. The original characters, who compose the majority of the cast, are largely decent, all things considered. David Trapp was easily my favorite, as his brave leadership crumbling into paranoid grief as the mission goes increasingly poorly was fairly compelling. The other characters, such as John and Karen, are characterized decently and you're given enough to care about them despite the cast's relative flatness. Steve Lopez is easily the least interesting of the main cast, as he seemingly only exists to be Rebecca's prospective love interest, which never goes anywhere and is developed in exactly one page. It was extremely difficult to care about.

Perry is a shockingly good writer, given the fairly low standards of franchise tie-in books. While it'll never bring you to tears with its beauty, her prose is workmanlike and fairly detailed; Her descriptions of the gory details and the characters' increasingly worsening mental states put a very good picture in my mind and helped to immerse me. She has a solid sense of setup and payoff, with a grenade memento introduced early on becoming key to Caliban Cove's final pages. Hailing from a heritage of writers, this is not terribly surprising but nonetheless appreciated. That being said, I feel that Perry is better when working from a template, so to speak. While The Umbrella Conspiracy was not a perfect novel, with some strange pacing at points, it served as a great adaptation of the original Resident Evil and a solid sci-fi horror novel in its own right. Perry's original narrative in Caliban Cove is simply not very impressive by comparison and pales next to her adaptation of Capcom's work. It is, as I said earlier, a very modest book.

That being said, Resident Evil: Caliban Cove is still a decent sci-fi horror novel that was consistently pleasant as a light read. Despite the weak villain and rather standard scenario, Perry's pacing and character writing kept it engaging enough for me to finish it. I enjoyed it despite its rather large flaws, and for die-hard fans of Resident Evil like myself, I do recommend giving it a read. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, though, Caliban Cove is somewhat skippable.

[Harrison Bahe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so badly wanted to skip this book. Only because it isn't an adaptation of any Resident Evil game. Instead, it's an original storyline taking place in the Resident Evil universe. Sole survivor of the Bravo team from the Mansion incident Rebecca Chambers joins another S.T.A.R.S. team to investigate some strange incidents occurring around an old lighthouse. It just so happens that it's another Umbrella facility doing research on the deadly T-virus.

After awhile, it all just sort of fits into the Resident Evil formula we all know and love. Maybe love. An elite unit of soldiers fights through waves of mutated monsters and solves puzzles to get to the madman responsible for this outbreak. It all seemed fairly standard for this reader. Sorta like a villain of the week. Of course the scientist is a megamaniacal mad man bent on world domination. And of course our heroes prevail by blowing something up.

It took a long ass time for me to get through this one. Just because I wanted to get to the third entry of the series which focuses on the T-virus outbreak in Raccoon City. Caliban Cove is a filler book. Beginning to end. Except this time, the zombie have guns! Haha! Onward to book three!! 😝

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I’m probably going to rate every book in this series five stars because I love Resident Evil. However, without my incredible bias, Perry crafted yet another artistic and focused novel based on Caliban Cove.

Perry does such a good job bringing these characters to life and people that you care about even when you know of their demise. I have grown so fond of Rebecca Chambers and I’m so excited to have her appear in future books.

On to book 3!! RE 2!!! LEON KENNEDY BABYYYYY

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A junk food type of read if I ever did see one (or read one). It’s not particularly good tbh. There’s massive plot holes that are glaringly obvious, the characters feel mostly like sketches, there’s a few typos (one that IS IN ALL CAPS AT THE BEGINNING OF A CHAPTER… “GRENDADES” really??!) 🤦🏻‍♂️

But honestly, it’s short, it’s a bit goofy, it’s got some decent action, but overall it plods along and is kind of an unnecessary addition to the string of novels. It was Perry doing her best to make a creative decision to mesh together the ideas and events between RE1 and RE2, but it’s kinda silly tbh. However, I did have fun and I like Resident Evil stuff, even if it is trash. Which lets be honest, like any franchise it has it’s fair share. Also, this book is less than 300 pages, so it’s not like it’s a massive investment of time.

[Letícia Peregrino · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish this, simply because I wasn’t enjoying it. I didn’t care for the characters or the setting, and the whole thing felt like a task, tbh. I’m obsessed with the games, but I’m not sure if I’ll give the book series another shot 😕

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read : August 9, 2022
Rating :3,5 Stars

Was once again, fun.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good! The twist was good, and even though the writing is a little juvenile, u enjoyed it a lot!

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it but as weird as it sounds i found the last few pages that most interesting and kind of wish the whole book was that nail biting.

[Mark Gannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, but not as good as I was expecting. Rebecca is a likable enough character, but swerves very close to being a Mary Sue.