Release Date: 04/11/14
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
SYNOPSIS:
Humanity has been forced to the brink of extinction. Even as we take our first steps into space, civil strife, the enigmatic legacy of an ancient civilization, and a fanatical covenant of alien races each threaten to destroy us. All eyes turn to the Spartan super-soldiers to save us, and in particular to their symbol and leader, Master Chief John-117. Once a legendary instrument of death, he has now become an unlikely symbol of hope.If we can emerge from the chaos of war and reclaim the ancient mantle of stewardship over a troubled galaxy, we may find the secret to our ultimate evolution.
REVIEW:
I don’t know if I’m getting bored with the Halo titles or if they seem to be failing more and more for me as a reader but this latest release was something that was more than flat. It relies on people being fans of the series with two dimensional characters that feel more phantom than anyone you’d want to spend time with.
The overall arc is sadly lacking and at the end of the day, when you really don’t care about either the players or wondering what the hell the plots up to then it is perhaps time to let it go.
Release Date: 22/11/13
Publisher: Titan
SYNOPSIS:
Back in the 19th century a Wesen and a Grimm fight to the death. The Grimm wins, but the Wesen's son escapes and vows revenge. In the present day, Captain Renard sends Nick and Hank to investigate a crime cartel named Le Touche Givre (The Icy Touch), who are involved in forced prostitution and drug pushing. Nick gradually realises that their dangerous leader is intent on tracking him down -
REVIEW:
OK, so I’m a huge fan of the TV series having loved the concept from the very first episode, however there are times when such a thing only really works in one format and sadly that’s the case with this. Its not that it doesn’t bring it to life, it does but without a lot of the background the reader is left feeling fairly flat as the author obviously is relying on people having seen what has gone before to get the full depth of character, the complex relationships and of course to be up with all the terms that is commonly used within.
Not that it’s a bad thing catering to just that one market, but to be honest with you, its something that I feel is lacking due to not bringing the whole thing to a new audience. It is OK as a book, but for me, I missed the more personal interactions between Nick and Monroe with the whole thing feeling a little flat. OK, so it’s the first book and future titles may improve on this but for me, if you can’t get it fully right with the first title, then you’ve automatically cut off a huge part of your audience for subsequent titles.
Release Date: 14/09/12
SYNOPSIS:
"Resident Evil: Retribution in 3D" will be released on September 14, 2012. It is the fifth instalment in the massively successful "Resident Evil" film series, based on the hugely popular Capcom survival horror video game series "Resident Evil". The movie stars Milla Jovovitch and Wentworth Miller and is directed by Paul WS Anderson. This is the official novelization of the brand-new movie.
REVIEW:
To be honest if there is one game franchise that’s chased me through life its been the Resident Evil one. Its got great characters, some magical twists and when you add that creepy scary zombie ass feel to it, you know damn well that it gives you the chills every time you turn the console on.
All this is a great thing and whilst I absolutely loved the first two films, the later seemed to have fallen a little flat so I really wasn’t expecting that much from this, the latest title. That was until I picked up the novelisation, I loved the way that John brings it over to the reader and the close work between the novelisation and the script is obviously very clear. It works wonderfully well for me as a reader and when the emotional aspect is brought over with cracking high action sequences it may well prove that this film (if as good as this book) could be the one to bring it back in line.
Release Date: 19/07/11
SYNOPSIS:
After barely surviving a plane crash, a man discovers an undersea city called Rapture, a failed utopia created by Jack Ryan, a man who looked to embrace a world surrounding the objectivist ideals of Ayn Rand. Power and greed have run amok and the city has succumbed to civil war and the only question is who really deserves to survive this maniacal debacle of science gone mad.
REVIEW:
This title is set to attract the attention of gamers who have fallen for the charms of Bethesda’s Under Sea cities through the two games out there where Big Daddies and Little Sisters roam the realm in a city of ruins. What this title by John Shirley does is takes the reader back to the time before the games where they get to see some of the prehistory that led to the downfall.
It’s well written, the characters vivid and for a game inspired title, it’s one that really hits the spot. Add to this some wonderfully clever touches that make sure that it moves at its own pace alongside the tides and all in a very satisfactory read. Other than this, if you’re not a fan of the games it may well not hit the spot in quite the same way as established histories and understanding are key to the titles pace as well as flavour for the readers pleasure.
