Konspirace Umbrella

Resident Evil #1

by S.D. Perry

Vstupte do světa hororového boje o přežití…
Raccoon City: odlehlá horská komunita, kterou znenadání postihne série brutálních vražd, k nimž došlo v okolních lesích. Začnou se šířit bizarní zprávy popisující útoky zákeřných stvůr, zčásti lidských… zčásti ne. Oběti jsou očividně sežrány.
V epicentru úmrtí stojí temná, odloučená usedlost tajemné společnosti Umbrella Corporation. Dlouhé roky tady Umbrella nepozorovaně pracovala a prováděla údajně neškodný genetický výzkum.
Vyšetřováním těchto podivných událostí je pověřena zvláštní taktická a záchranná jednotka S.T.A.R.S., neobvyklá polovojenská skupina, která se pyšní různorodými specialisty, mezi něž patří sympatický Chris Redfield, bývalá zlodějka Jill Valentinová, ostrostřelec Barry Burton a tajemný velitel týmu Albert Wesker. Společně s ostatními příslušníky S.T.A.R.S. mají dobré důvody myslet si, že jsou připraveni na všechno.
Když ale jednotka S.T.A.R.S. do dlouho uzavřeného sídla pronikne, rozpoutá se hrůza, která překoná i nejhorší noční můry: střetne se tu se stvůrami popírajícími zákony života i smrti – s následky zakázaných experimentů, které se děsivě vymkly kontrole. Za vším navíc stojí obrovská, zákeřná konspirace, kvůli níž budou S.T.A.R.S. zrazeni zevnitř, jen aby se svět nikdy nedozvěděl tajemství Umbrelly. A pokud někdo přežije… možná bude závidět těm, kdo už jsou po smrti.

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Fiction, Science Fiction, Video Games, Fantasy, Thriller

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 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

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Resident Evil junkie. I have played all the games, watched all the movies, and now I will read all the books. I didn't even know this series existed until I ran across them on Thrift Books. I was very excited to go back to Raccoon City! I have to say, Perry did a wonderful job staying close to the actual game. If you are a fan of Resident Evil, pick these books up.

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in 1996 my dad brought home a game for our playstation called Resident Evil. At the time I thought it was one of the scariest things I'd ever seen and I watched my dad play the whole game. I even had a go myself but quit after that zombie dog jumps through the window, I threw the playstation controller down and hid behind the door, leaving Jill to die a horrible death. I watched my dad play the others in the series and now I watch my boyfriend play the more recent games. I love the movies, I think they are awesome regardless of what anyone says. So was pretty excited when I saw this book on amazon. It was very nostalgic. I have a pretty good memory for the layout of the mansion. I knew that if they went left they would hit the dinning room with the zombie or if they went right, they would hit the zombie dog coming out of the window....ahhh! They made sure to include the puzzles from the game. The only thing that was different was that more of the characters entered together when I'm pretty sure it was just Jill and Chris. I enjoyed this trip down memory lane though I'm not sure of it's appeal to people who arn't already fans of the franchise.

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I am a fan of the Resident Evil franchise: videogames, movies, and now these books. Also, S. D. Perry is the perfect horror-geek to write these books. Clearly, she knows how to drop her characters into a ready-made world of corporate espionage conspiracies, walking infected zombies, and gore-splattered scenarios having written Alien and Star Trek stories in the past.

Resident Evil #1: The Umbrella Conspiracy is a novel based on both the first incarnations of the game and the movie. The story follows the two main characters that are members of the STARS elite force aka Special Tactics and Rescue Service: Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, as they along with their unit go to investigate a mountain community called Raccoon City. There are odd things happening in the area, and there appear to be corporate shenanigans being played by the Umbrella Corporation that could constitute a viral outbreak.

I believe that fans of the prior iterations will be happy and satisfied that Perry sticks close to the source material while allowing readers insight into the villains, satellite characters, and the possibility of subsequent novels. The writing is sufficiently infused with the grotesqueries that gamers have grown to expect and love of the franchise, and Perry also writes to build suspense before climaxing scenes with blood and gory splatter. A really good read bordering on great.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first in the series and is based on the top selling video game. Chris Redfield, Barry Burton, Jill Valentine, and Brad Vickers, members of the Alpha S.T.A.R.S ( Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) team in Raccoon City, are dispersed to find the missing Bravo team. On their way out though, Jill is stopped by a man named Trent. He gives her some information and some clues to help her out. Jill doesn't know why he is giving her the information but she takes it just in case. When the team arrives at the Bravo crash site they encounter a horrer beyond imagine. They find refuge in the "abonded" Spencer estate. The team splits up to find out what they're up against and to try to find a way out. Will they be able to get out? Or will they die to the horrors that await them in the mansion?

This book would fit under the genre of survival horror. This was a very well written book and had very little errors. One of my favorites part of this book was the fact that it changed from the different view points of the characters. One thing I didn't really like though was that it didn't exactly follow the storyline of the games. The language in the book gets grafic at times, but that is what makes it more interesting to read. Near the beginning of the book, when Trent gives Jill the clues and map, it foreshadows that she will encounter puzzles and she will be in a house of some sort. There are many suspensful moments in the book. One is when the Alpha team has to run away from the horrors in the forest. It is a fast paced chase scene and it makes you want to read so that you know who makes it to the mansion and who is killed. Altogther, this was a very well written and because of it I have gone on to read the rest of the series.

[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.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book #1 in the "Resident Evil" series. Takes place at the same time as "Zero Hour", book #0. Where "The Umbrella Conspiracy" is told from the POV of the Alpha Team, "Zero Hour" is told from the POV of the Beta Team that crashes its helicopter right at the beginning. I read ZH first - unfortunately. Why? Even though the events should take place simultaneously, there are so many errors, it's not even funny. Rebecca is the main heroine of ZH, the young field medic slash chemist and she kicks major butt, zombies, other monsters, whatever, she survives the self-destruction of the training facility and THEN goes to the Spencer estate - in TUC, she doesn't have a gun, she doesn't recognize the monsters, she ran towards the Spencer estate together with her team right away, so basically, ZH didn't happen. In ZH, Wesker is at the training facility - in TUC, he's the leader of the Alpha Team. And that totally ruined the fun. So, my advice, either read "Zero Hour" or "The Umbrella Conspiracy", NOT both!

Another thing - the beginning was awesome and I was totally hooked, the team was simply great. But soon, it was back to the same old, same old: open a room, find a clue, solve a puzzle, find a key, fight a monster, move on - lather, rinse, repeat ad infinitum. Seriously, dear author, you really do NOT have to copy everything you see happening on your computer screen, scene for scene. It was rather ridiculous after a while. And what's with the "let's split up" routine? What a great idea to split up in a house that's built like a booby-trapped maze.

I think that this will be the last book in the "Resident Evil" series that I'll read. You read one book, you read them all. It's a carbon copy of a rehash of a carbon copy.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Killer plants, giant snakes, the walking dead — all that's missing is a flying saucer, maybe a dinosaur —

The Resident Evil franchise isn't an obvious candidate for novelisation: the atonality of its writing — a consequence of bad localisation (from Japanese to English) — would require a deft hand. Managing to do just that and retain the games' signature blend of horror and mawkish melodrama is another thing entirely.

Seriously, it's the kind of series that can have a newly-orphaned child happily ask to be adopted by the protagonists and walk off into the sunset, as with RE: 2's true ending.

With that in mind, Perry does an excellent job. Some of her additions include a man in a trench coat approaching Jill at work, Jill's father being an incarcerated thief who trained Jill in his ways — alluding to the iconic "master of unlocking" title Barry gives her in the game but left out here — and some decent dialogue. We even get the immortal "Jill sandwich" line.

The strongest of these additions is giving Jill and Chris personal connections to the murders in Raccoon. The strangest (but not necessarily bad) is Rebecca's larger role. All in all, its better than it has any right to be.

After a little set-up, the S.T.A.R.S. team end up inside the Spencer Mansion after an ambush of zombie dogs. Naturally, within minutes they lose track of each other and Jill and Barry split up for good measure.

I don't fully understand how the team lost each other in a mansion. Mansions are bigger than the average house, sure, but the idea that they couldn't shout out to each other from different rooms is hard to believe. Everyone is able to go on solo adventures, too, with little crossover. It's incredibly silly.

The game-y elements of puzzles and traps never mesh naturally on the page, and neither do some of the freakier monsters, although I appreciate Perry's attempt to incorporate them. The intrigue of the Spencer Mansion found in the game is absent, however, and what we're left with is generic characterisation.

Here, character motivations are hastily drawn: the S.T.A.R.S. team leader, Wesker, gets many point-of-view chapters about how he's betraying his team for the money. Which, while believable, isn't all that interesting. The Umbrella corporation are as nebulous as in the game. And lastly, Brad Vickers gets off way too easily. He abandoned them and at the end there's no acknowledgement of that? Unforgivable.

[César Bustíos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy bueno.

"La Conspiración Umbrella" es la novelización del primer juego de Resident Evil lanzado en el año 1996 y que, dicho sea de paso, dio origen a la millonaria franquicia de Capcom. Fue uno de mis juegos favoritos para PlayStation 1.

Sentí mucha nostalgia al leerlo, recordé las muchas horas que pasé muerto de miedo tratando de terminar el juego (con la luces prendidas y el volumen al mínimo, claro). Perry lo narra de una forma bastante fácil de seguir y que, según recuerdo, termina siendo bastante fiel a la historia original del juego. Los personajes son bastante creíbles. Sin duda, una excelente novelización.

Los S.T.A.R.S. de Raccoon City en la Mansión Spencer:

[Gwen Guerrero Maciel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amo la saga de videojuegos de RE y es por eso que hace años leí las novelas, por fin encontré los tomos en físico y me dispuse a releer este libro. Ha sido gratificante, me vuelve a llevar de la mano a la mansión de spencer y ver los comienzos del brote en Raccon city, sin duda es de mi saga favorita de libros...
Los personajes, la ambientación, todo corresponde como es y me es bastante bueno volver a conocer a mis personajes favoritos.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate Wesker even more after reading this book. I hate him from head to toe - or shades to boots, in his case - and this is coming from a person who played and complete Resident Evil 5!
Before reading this, I'd looked in every nook and cranny or cyberspace to soak up RE info. On my journey, I've been able to watch the RE 1 live action intro cutscene. With that visual image imprinted in my mind, this book was more then easy to see in my head. Not only thanks to the into movie, but by the author getting the right balance of descriptive terms so the reader can paint their own mental pictures but are directed in the right direction.

I got this on the 10th May - for my birthday - and I broke my one chapter a day rule very quickly with this book. The fast pace and never ending feel of suspense, adventure and that tingly feel you get while playing the game that feeling where there's always something around that corner, door and so on... Absolutely fantastic from start to end with no lulls, quiet moments or filler of any kind. I literally couldn't put it down. I'm now, sadly done with this book,but I am more ready for the new ones!! But to be honest, I will most certainly reread this in the wait for new material - it's just that good!

The characters are more then spot-on, with their descriptions matching each one. I feel enjoyment with the small backgrounds and inserts of the characters whilst all the action is going on, too! Gory creators, floods of emotions, loveable characters - obviously! This book is an absolute must, must read for RE fans!

This leaves you wanting more, leaves you wanting to meet with your beloved STARS team and leaves you despising the Cheshire Cat Wesker... and this is once again coming from someone who hasn't played the 'classic' RE games!!

DCIPHOENIX

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itchy. Tasty.

[Andrew Leavitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for what it is: an attempt to novelize a video game that, though it has a large amount of action content, is really more of a puzzle game. And Perry does a good job writing around the puzzles. Or as good a job as anyone can do, at least. After all, without leaving at least some of the puzzles in, this book would have been a very short trip through a mansion of zombies and into a science lab. Not much to keep interest without a puzzle aspect. Sure, it works much better in the game, but Perry also comes up with some creative ways around some of the more ridiculous puzzles and simply ignores others.

Perry also does a good job juggling the fact that at any given time there are five people in the mansion, and the mansion isn't that big. Chris and Rebecca teaming up helps, as does her conveniently finding a room for Wesker to huddle down in. She avoided the kidnapping plot that the games have to fix some of that, which is good. Simply kidnapping one of the characters would probably have made this book very tedious, as rescuing the kidnapped character in the games is more of a last minute hassle than something fun.

I also found the back story Perry adds to the beginning interesting. We get characterization, which the games kind of lack, even on the current generation of platforms, and we get more to the story than just the basic less-than-a-minute explanation the game gives when you start. It was refreshing and, although not cannon to the game series, compelling in its own way.

And that is something to keep in mind while reading this book. Perry didn't write these books with the intent of staying solidly within the cannon of the series. In fact, she started writing these books before many of the later games came out. So while this book remains parallel to the game for the most part, it shoots off at sometimes jarring angles.

I picked up this book mostly as a casual read because I'm a huge fan of the game series. And as a fan, understanding the drawbacks of the timing for these books and the problems with translating the game to text, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to any fan of the games, though it might not be nearly as interesting to someone who never played them. And ultimately I think this book was good enough fluff reading that I will probably buy the next one at some point too.

[Santiago · Rating 2 out of 5]

Segundo libro de la saga que leo. Si bien me llama mucho la atención la historia, no me gusta como están escritos los libros. Están dirigidos a un público determinado (los fans de los videos juegos) y eso se nota. Demasiada acción, el 90% son descripciones físicas de peleas. Se vuelve aburrido y repetitivo.

[Joss loves Jace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book and video game I really like.

[🌈⭐️RoseOfRainbows⭐️🌈💕 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will forever be my fav Resident Evil book. I loved every minute of it. Five stars all the way.

[Jonathan Leon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m preparation for the 30th anniversary of the games I decided to jump into these novels. Enjoyed the first in this series.

[Sunny Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because of my love for the RE series (particularly Wesker, and it seemed some personality traits that Perry gave Wesker were very out of character) but I would have been better off just watching a "Let's play RE" on Youtube. Anyone else who hasn't played the first game (like me) and wanted to read this to find out what happened - don't. This novelization was truly terrible. Perry would be better suited to writing a Wikipedia article instead of a proper novelization.

What earned it's 1 star? For me, the gore, the story, the characters. Two of the three didn't originally belong to Perry, but at times the characters were done justice. We have their backgrounds - Air Force, ex-thief, family man, etc, and their personalities are clear. You see different sections of the story through each person's unique spin. That's about all it has going for it.

The language the author used was "telling, not showing" and it was told in the most unexciting ways. There were repetitive, boring actions and the only things explained in depth were the rooms in the mansion (and the gore) but after the first few rooms, I began skipping those descriptions because, again, it wasn't portrayed as a magnificent place aside from Jill saying, "Wow, this is magnificent." And the thing that gave me near physical pain was when Chris was thinking that it wasn't a game you could redo after hitting the reset button. What the hell was that? Every 13 year old girl that has published anything on fanfiction.net knows NOT to put something that cheesy in the story. That line alone made me lose a considerable amount of respect for the author.

Some scenes that should have been suspenseful weren't at all. Wesker admitting he's a spy and threatening Barry's family was very anticlimactic and a complete failure except for the humorous buildup. Everyone's self-flagellation made sense, but got old fast. Once was enough, but that dominated a good 15% of each character's sections and after a certain point, you're just reading the same damn thing you JUST read in the last person's section.

Do I regret reading it? No. Not at all. I needed a reminder of what NOT to do when I write.

[♠ Eze ♠ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Se sintio mas como una transcripcion del juego que como una novela en si. A cada segundo el punto de vista cambia a otro personaje y con esto nos llena de sus ideas y pensamientos, hasta el punto de ser bastante molesto.

Que me llevo a leer este libro? Sera mi pasado como gamer y/o el que nunca terminara este juego de la saga, aunque si unos cuantos otros.
No me esperaba la gran cosa, y no me sorprendio ni decepciono. Es basicamente todo lo que ocurre si lo estuvieramos jugando en lugar de leyendo.

Las peliculas basada en juegos son malas, los juegos basados en peliculas son malos. Bueno, las novelas basadas en juegos tambien, quien lo diria, no?

Todo esto no quiere decir que fuera una mala lectura, para nada. Entretuvo bastante la mayor parte del tiempo. Pero la verdad es que se pueden leer cosas mucho mejores, como tambien se pueden leer peores.

[Erik Castillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despise de leer el libro basado en Resident evil zero, este me decepciono un poco. Creo que el Pero tenia mejor narrativa y otros elementos que te hacia adentrarte mas a la historia. Aquí esta mas calcado del juego y el problema es que en el primer titulo había muchas incoherencias que nunca pudieron corregir. Y aquí están en el libro haciendo contradicción con las otras entregas. Estuvo pasable pero esperaba algo mejor.

[Jamie Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decided to give this reread after being disappointed by Resident Evil 3 Remake. While it’s not going to get any literary awards this story about a police unit that becomes trapped in a mansion filled with the undead is greatly enjoyable. The best sections of it are when the author flesh’s out the supporting cast, adding scenes that aren’t in the original game.

[Pinkerton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cito:
“Non è una specie di videogioco, dove puoi premere un pulsante e ricominciare se qualcosa va storto”
E c’ha ragione. Nonostante fossi stato messo in guardia ho cominciato questo libro colmo di aspettative, all’inizio subito gambe in spalla e si parte per quest’avventura creepy…

…dove “impersoniamo” singolarmente i membri della scuderia STARS di volta in volta, che ci forniscono le cose dalla loro prospettiva (pensieri compresi). La villa agghiacciante, i mostri, i trabocchetti… dai lo sapete.
Il problema è che qui, su carta, il tutto risulta di una piattezza incredibile. Sebbene al proprio arco ci siano frecce tipo un’organizzazione fica come l’Umbrella ed il contesto di svolgimento, lo scritto risulta sì scorrevole, ma incredibilmente “vuoto”, privo di qualsivoglia nota caratteristica in grado di dargli quella carica che attrae magneticamente il lettore.

Non ho dato 1 stella solo per via del rispetto che nutro verso questo brand v_v

[Jawairia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill 🥰🥰🥰🥰 I love you Jill 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Umbrella Conspiracy is a novelisation of the first Resident Evil game, which expands on the story slightly. In Raccoon City, people are disappearing and mauled bodies are showing up in the woods. The police have been unable to solve the case, with many people believe it to be the work of a cannibal serial killer. After much public pressure, Chief Irons employs the help of a SWAT-like unit, called S.T.A.R.S to investigate the woods and the creepy rotting mansion located inside them.

But what the team finds is straight out of a horror movie. Can the team, consisting of Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton and Albert Wesker, survive the horrors??

My boyfriend is a HUUUUUUGGGGEEE Resident Evil fan (the games, not the movies, obviously) so I knew the basic story of the first game and have been slightly interested in this universe for some time. I wanted to pick this book up to explore this world more. It was an okay read. Nothing groundbreaking, but the author did a really good job of building the tension from the games and she's amazing at writing action scenes, which thankful there are a lot of in this book.

Overall, it was a fun read but not one of my favourites. If this had been an original book, maybe I could have vibed with it more, but knowing the original work so well, I was expecting more development.

[HUD · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved this book when I was younger, it doesn’t really hold up. I still enjoy it cause it’s another way to experience one of my all-time favorite games, but the quality of writing is meh. At 280 pages (at least in this edition) it covers the broad strokes of the plot, but there’s really no there there; this book could have easily been one to two hundred pages longer and given us a little more body, a little more flavor. Plus, so many of the puzzles are easily solved (another issue that could have been mitigated with more time dedicated to putting meat on the bones) the coincidences conveniently stacking up so quickly in such a short page count. Don’t get me wrong, Perry managed to streamline some of the events in a really smart way, but so much here felt like she was mechanically checking off boxes instead of exploring and evolving the story more organically.

Again, I still enjoy it as a quick, disposable way to experience the game’s story, and as a relic of my youth, but it’s a bit of a lifeless husk — a zombie, if you will — compared to most of what I read.

[Cassie Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO MUCH ACTION, so much blood, so much gore!! I've reread this countless times since I was a teen, and it's still such an excellent adaptation. I LOVE IT! Jill & Rebecca are badass babes, Chris is basic but fine (as per usual, this is not a reflection on the writer, just how I feel about him in general lmao), WESKER IS A SNEAKY SNEAK! The descriptions of the creatures here, from zombie dogs to sharks to crows to snakes to PLANTS! and more, wow wow wow just so good. I love this book series, so happy to be rereading them!

[Glenjamin Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm probably going to be super biased, clouded judgment and all that. Resident Evil has been one of my favorite video game franchises for as long as I can remember. My first playthrough of any of the games was Resident Evil 2, and I've been hooked ever since. The world-building, the characters, the monsters, the Jill sandwiches, and the EXPLOSIONS.

I found out about the books not too long ago, actually, and honestly, I was a bit hesitant to get into them because most adaptations can be on the not-so-good side and don't capture the same magic. It's like how movies can't capture the same essence as the games themselves (most of the time). I haven't had the luck of finding any of the books at thrift shops yet. Luckily for me, until that time comes, the YouTube channel Residence of Evil has been releasing their own audiobooks for the series.

Funnily enough, I hadn't actually beaten the first game until COVID. It damn near took me 30 years to finally sit down and do it. Like with most of the games, I was a bit worried about how the book would handle the characters running back and forth multiple times through each wing of the mansion just for one key item. Luckily, it was very fluid, with the characters crossing paths after splitting up and working together to move forward. They included pretty much all of the memorable scenarios that came to my mind. I'm sure there are plenty of things that weren't included that some people might be upset about, like maybe the bees? I don't know if I missed them or not. Regardless, it was pleasant being able to listen to this book and picture all the scenarios as they played out in the game.

Overall though, it really comes down to personal preference. Both the book and the game are pretty much the same. The game, obviously, is way more interactive, with puzzles, weapons, ammo, and tons of creatures. The book is a bit more realistic and straightforward in its own sense, not wasting time on picking up every item, with fewer zombies, and it reads you the lore notes that you can optionally skip in the game. What a win! I'd say both mediums are thoroughly enjoyable in their own right. Not like Wesker is going to make you choose one over the other. Enjoy them both!

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, I kick myself in the tail for being so blind to the wonderful world of Resident Evil for so long. I do distinctly remember playing one of the earlier games years and years ago when a friend brought it over. I was such a wimp back then, I never had any inclination towards horror media at all. In recent years, it’s become my preference in nearly all forms of media. I find myself once again trying to revisit those titles that I knew back in the day but never became familiar with. So, I found these books awhile back and have been anxiously awaiting to dive into them. Luckily enough, the PS4 remake for RE1 was on sale around the same time I picked up this book, so I started the game around the same time. Let me tell you, playing the game whilst reading this book is a real treat. While they aren’t exactly the same, there’s plenty of similarities and enjoyment to be had in both forms. Perry does a really great job of translating a lot of the material and the exposition of the story into a novel format. While this isn’t fine literature or anything like that, it doesn’t claim to be. It’s just a fun all around read and I really had a great time. I will say the maze-like aspect of the mansion in the game is translated relatively as best as it could be. Things are a bit disorienting to read, but I’m okay with that as it can seem intentional. It’s not your typical zombie fare, and that’s what I love most. It’s one of those series that I wrote off for years as just being more of the same, but honestly I’ve fallen head over heels for it. There’s still a great bit nuance to the story and intrigue as well as action that makes things interesting and fresh. I’m excited to continue with the novel series as well as enjoying the games hopefully in release order. If you’re an avid fan of any part of the franchise, or even just getting your feet wet like me, pick these up and get going. It’s easy, fun reading and I’m sure you’ll have a good time.

[Tom Stockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've played the game, this provides some nice character backstory and internal monologue that feels like it belongs. It does some work to justify the capabilities we see in-game, like Jill's history as a thief (hence the lockpicking), or to give more insight on Wesker's motivations and Barry's internal conflict.

The thing I found most interesting was seeing how the writer solved the logistics of where each character would be during the events of the game. Duties normally carried out by a single chosen player character are divied up among all S.T.A.R.S. members as they explore the Spencer Mansion. It's rewarding for someone familiar with the game to see which bosses or rooms are assigned to which characters.

On occassion the infamously clunky game dialogue is faithfully recreated at key moments (like the scene in the woods). It's brief and rare, but it can feel a little bit out of place compared to the higher quality dialogue original to this book.

Overall a fun and light read for RE fans.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a novelization of a video game, so I had pretty low expectations going into this book. However, my love of Resident Evil has combined sublimely where these books have been mentioned frequently, so I had to start the series of books.

Perry is genuinely a good writer. Her choices of what to include and what to leave out were well thought through and felt more complete than the game in some ways. She also played homage to all the silliness of the games that attribute to their greatness.

RE1 was a quick, fun read, and confirms the true testament of Jill is the best girl in the franchise.

[Sanny☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

bueno ha sido un poco meh y aburrido para que mentir 😭 Ha sido todo el tiempo descripciones de cuartos y de bichos y yasta, las peleas han sido inexistentes, además de que no se veían ni momentos de tensión ni de miedo y en un libro de re por lo menos me gustaría sentir un poquito de esas cosas. La verdad es que se me ha hecho cuesta arriba leerlo, pero no le doy mala nota porque el cometido hace que es que yo me entere bien de la historia del juego así que 👌🏻. También los personajes han estado curiosos de leer, me ha gustado estar en la cabeza de Chris y Jill!! Y bueno el Wesker increíble escrito no veas lo cabron y pesaito que era