Resident Evil: Extinction is a 2007 science fiction post-apocalyptic zombie horror novel written by Keith R.A. Decandido. Alice and other survivors are cutting through the wastelands of the United States on a long trek to Alaska. Hunted by the minions of the scheming Dr. Isaacs, Alice has zombies hungry for her flesh and the Umbrella Corporation’s monstrous lab rats hungry for her blood…while Alice herself hungers only for revenge.

I’m a fan of the film and seeing it in a literary format was good. The story follows the survivors of the destruction of Raccoon City struggling to survive in a world ravaged by the T-virus which has destroyed society. The narrative is good, and I didn’t mind the back-and-forth storytelling where we follow the events after the worldwide outbreak while giving exposition to what happened before. The timelines can be a bit confusing, but it does tighten up towards the end.

A few new subplots were added to explain more of the lore. One of the best subplots is DeCandido’s exploration of the events after Raccoon City involving Jill Valentine and what happened to the survivors. It was well thought out, interesting, provided some much-needed backstory that the films lacked. Also, we get backstory as to what happened to Angela Ashford and why Alice left the group of survivors which does explain why she’s alone. The fears that haunt her from those experiences were very compelling. I personally enjoyed the story and the additional subplots. (3 out of 5)

Really enjoyed the characters, both returning and new. Of course, the main protagonist is Alice and she’s awesome. She’s fierce, she’s smart, she’s resourceful. She feels a bit more grounded in the book and not as O.P. as she appears in the films. Claire Redfield is one of my favorite characters in the franchise and I liked Ali Larter’s performance in the films. I like her character her as well. She’s smart but sometimes uncertain. She’s courageous yet human. She’s capable and sincere and I liked her dynamic with Alice. I liked seeing Carlos and L.J. return and how well they’ve become friends. Also, I liked seeing the romance between Alice and Carlos and seeing how strong their connection still was after so long.

I liked that DeCandido does give us insight into original characters such as Alice, Carlos, and L.J. while also introducing us to new characters in Claire’s group. Characters that stand out are Betty, K-Mart, Mikey, Chase, and Otto. It’s not that they’re incredibly deep but they’re deep enough for you to care about them. I think some of the minor characters could’ve been handled a little better (such as Jill). (3 out of 5)

Keith R. A. DeCandido does a great job of adapting the movie to the novel. It goes at a good pace, but pacing can be an issue for some people who don’t like time jumping plots. The time jumping may stick out more to viewers of the film because it does bridge a lot of gaps that the film had concerning many of the characters. However, I found them easy to follow.

The action sequences​ are decent and the description does keep it clear. There’s gunfire, violence and gore and in a world transformed by the T-virus, these elements help show the severity of the situation. It’s good to see this because the book does balance action with horror. The dialogue can be meaningful though sometimes it comes off cheesy. I did find it expressive and unique to the characters, though some characterization could’ve been handled better, especially supporting cast. I thought the writing was good and liked the direction the author went though I had some nitpicks. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: Resident Evil: Extinction is a surprisingly good read despite the flaws of the movie that it was based on. There’s a lot to like when it comes to the narrative and writing, and the author should be commended. True, there are some issues with the writing and with some of the pacing, but the overall experience is really good. Resident Evil: Extinction gets 3 out of 5.