by Matthew Wilson
The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos was written by Kami Garcia, published in January 2017. This is book one of the Origins series.
SUMMARY
After Samantha, Fox Mulder’s little sister was abducted by …someone or something… a wedge was driven into the family. His parents’ marriage fell apart and the couple separated, with Fox having to split his time between the two. He and his father don’t have a solid relationship, it’s more business that father/son. In this tale, we spend time with Fox while he has to stay at his father’s home.
Fox is watching the news when a story breaks that a child was kidnapped. He takes a special interest in the story, he believes it could be related to the disappearance of his sister. He comes across a crime scene when the body of another boy is found, and what he witnesses fuels his determination to find the abductor/killer. When he brings information to the police, they shove him out of the department, brushing off his information.
He’s got two friends, Phoebe and Gary Winchester, aka, Gimble. Gimble’s father is the one who really began to peak Mulder’s interest in conspiracies, government cover-ups, and the possibility of extra-terrestrials and UFOs.
In this book we follow Mulder and his friends as they attempt to uncover who is kidnapping and killing children. Mulder holds onto hope that it will uncover the mystery of who or what took his sister.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This is was an excellent read. Diving into Fox Mulder’s past, with his desire to learn the truth about his sister was an excellent way to tell a prequel story focused on the character. Getting into the young mind of Mulder was both sad and enlightening. A boy, mostly lonely with a scarred past, who blames himself for the loss of his sister. He’s determined to find out the truth, to find out what happened to Samantha. He’s a smart kid with strong will and knack for solving mystery.
The author did an excellent job laying out different aspects of the story; the mystery, the romance, the friendships, and thrills. The novel has the perfect amount of humor, that wasn’t over the top or cheesy. Many moments in the story were intense, driven by excellent dialogue.
This X-Files prequel is well worth the time to read. It was fun picking up on little bits that would have deeper meaning in the show. Kami Garcia wrote an exciting book and did a wonderful job with the characterization of a young Fox Mulder.
RATING
I give The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos an A+.
by Matthew Wilson
The X-Files: Perihelion, was written by bestselling author, Claudia Gray.
SUMMARY
Dana Scully and Fox Mulder are back! The FBI has called upon the two seasoned agents, who were previously suspended from the bureau. The duo have been asked to investigate an unusual murder by the hands of a Washington, DC serial killer; with the latest crime scene appearing to have ties to the supernatural. This new X-File case appeals to Scully, as the serial killer’s victims are pregnant women; like herself.
Mulder and Scully still mourn the loss of their son, William. Yet, a rekindling of their relationship is sparked by the mysterious pregnancy of Scully. The couple dust off their guns and badges to report back to the FBI headquarters to find new X-Files piled high on their desks.
The Inheritors, a mysterious group lingering in the shadows have intentions of altering the course of humanity! The members are cautions of Mulder and Scully and keep a watchful eye on the duo. As Dana Scully’s pregnancy progresses and through her and Mulder’s investigation, the massive threat to humanity is revealed.
This novel is a story of self discovery in a world of constant change, violence, and mystery!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I must clarify, before getting into the review, that my knowledge of all that happens in the X-Files show is limited. I am a new fan of the series and have only watched the first two seasons as of this book review. However, I have read just about all of the X-Files novels. It’s exciting to get new material in the world of the X-Files!
This story is a continuation of the X-Files timeline, so if you are not familiar with the material that came before this novel, such as the later seasons of the show, you may be scratching your head many times trying to piece together what all had happened leading up to this novel. I would have appreciated the story more if there was a dedicated chapter or even a prologue that summarized the history that ties into this story. Previous books were simple X-Files adventures that didn’t require foreknowledge that linked to the show to understand what was happening or who characters were.
It’s easy to see that the author has a genuine attachment to the characters and source material. There are many moments where the story feels like an episode of the show, which is fantastic. However, there are also many moments that feel completely disjointed, as though the material was written by someone else entirely. The mention of William and the emotional state of Dana and Fox regarding him, is repeated so many times it just becomes filler, to expand the word count.
Yet, when it comes to the meat of the story, the investigations and the explorations of the unexplained, Claudia Gray did a fantastic job. Chunks of the book feel like an older episode that really grabbed my attention. I could have done without the unnecessary pop culture references to Star Wars and a few other franchises; it went too far, giving someone the name, Starwarski. Those were the moments that brought in the cheese factor… so cringey at times.
I did enjoy this book overall, but there were many times I questioned the decisions made in the direction of the story. My experience with this book would jump from love it to hate it to like it. I am curious to know how some of the content/writing style could be so great, while some of it seemed to have been scrapped from the bottom of a dumpster. In the end though, there were more pros than cons.
RATING
I will give The X-Files: Perihelion a B.
by Matthew Wilson
The X-Files: Skin, is book six in an X-Files expanded series. This novel was written by Bestselling author Ben Mezrich and was published in April 1999.
SUMMARY
Mystery surrounds a the deaths of a few individuals. It appears that a deadly bloodborne virus is spreading, the last time this virus was spread, was over 70 years ago. Mulder and Scully dig into a strange case that involves a burn victim, who – with super human strength, destroys his hospital room and murders a nurse. He then proceeds to jump from a second story window and evade authorities.
The X-Files investigation leads the FBI agents into another race against time. The root of the issue stems from a psychopath with an obsession with skin transplants. The story leads from the US, to a research facility in a small village in Thailand.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
So, this this book was written by a different author. So far we’ve had Charles Grant, Kevin J. Anderson, and now, Ben Mezrich. Mezrich did a fine job with this X-Files story for the most part. There was one bit of dialogue that didn’t quite fit into the vibe of the series, the author uses the “F” word. I don’t like it when that happens, Charles Grant did that a few times in his X-Files books. It takes me out as it doesn’t flow with the show, or Anderson books.
I’d say Mezirch did well with setting the tone and direction of the story. Our main characters were treated very well. I like how they were thrown into some really dangerous situations, where things got really tense. The action was written well. I believe in my review of Antibodies I said it contained the most graphic death scene. Skin now holds the title for most graphic death scene. I may have even said “eww” as it happened.
My only complaint other than the F-bomb that was dropped, was the development of new characters in the book. I’m not gonna lie, I got confused with who was who. There were a lot of doctors and victims, I just couldn’t keep track sometimes.
Do I recommend this novel? Yes, this book was a fun one, the last half was very adventurous.
RATING
I give The X-Files: Skin, a B+
by Matthew Wilson
The X-Files: Antibodies, is book five in an X-Files expanded series. This novel was written by Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and was published in July 1997.
SUMMARY
The DyMar genetic research laboratory was focused on a new form of cancer therapy, was, because the lab was destroyed by activists, and now the land has been sold off for development. An eerie death occurs on the closed lab grounds which is scheduled for demolition.
Mulder and Scully receive an X-File focused on the DyMar Lab death, the victim appears to have been killed instantly by some sort pathogen, looking like an insect killed by bug spay. It’s assumed by the duo that it’s likely that an animal, a test subject from the laboratory may have escaped when the place was burned down; it’s possible that a new disease may be on the verge of breaking out.
A mother, her sick child suffering from Leukemia, and their pet dog are in hiding out in the woods of Oregon. The husband/father was a scientist at the DyMar lab, doing everything he could to create a cure for his son. The failed prototype and final product of the potential cure, a nano-tech that manipulates DNA, is released from the burring lab. Now a man hunt on multiple fronts for multiple causes is taking place across the state of Oregon.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This is the first book in the series that makes me feel as though I needed to be up to date on the show, some things are mentioned that I don’t recall happening in the previous book, but the details seem rather important as it affects Agent Scully.
Even though I just said watching the show would be beneficial, most of what happened is touched on in the book. This story is the best one yet, with a hook at the beginning that really pulled me in. Anderson did a great job setting the tone. This book was cut up into many small chapters, which was nice, for some reason that makes me feel like I’m moving along rather quickly while reading. At the end of each chapter, I wanted to keep going, keep reading, find out what happens next.
This story was wild! I feel like we may have less of Scully and Mulder in this book compared to the others, or maybe we just had so much of them in the previous book they felt absent here. This story was not only a race against the clock, but race against who would catch up with who first.
The climax of this X-Files book may be the most graphic/goriest in the series. I actually got grossed out by some of the highly detailed action. I enjoyed the characters in the story, though one of them seemed to really lack emotion at a point that I expected to see a lot of emotion. However, people are people and we all react in different ways to different things. The plot of this book was highly entertaining.
Do I recommend you read this book? Yes! An intense, fun X-Files book.
RATING
I will give The X-Files Book 5: Antibodies, an A.
by Matthew Wilson
The X-Files: Ruins, is book four in an X-Files expanded series. This novel was written by Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and was published in February 1997.
SUMMARY
An archaeological dig in the Yucatan Jungle awakens a mystery berried in the earth. People go missing! The logical explanation is that a local cartel is responsible for snatching up individuals. Of course, Ageng Moulder believes something more supernatural is at play.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I’ve always thought The X-Files was a fun, cheesy, comfort show for a cool rainy day, this one is more eerie. I like the atmosphere, a new location. Characters actually have a sense of fear on them. The author does a good job keeping the mystery – a mystery! I found this story to be more entertaining and interesting than the previous novels. While the previous books are focused on strange earthly phenomena, this one brings in the extraterrestrial/alien stuff.
Anderson sets a dark tone and brings in a highly action packed moment. The characters feel right, remaining true to how they are typically depicted. The “third wheel” character is an interesting fellow, and somewhat lacks emotions he should be displaying. However, the author does a fine job of developing the character into a work focused individual over a typical emotional being.
RATING
This book gets an A.
by Matthew Wilson
The X-Files: Ground Zero, is book three in an X-Files expanded series. This novel was written by Kevin J. Anderson and published in June 1996.
SUMMARY
Similar, unusual deaths are popping up across the nation! When Mulder and Scully are put on the case, pieces to the mysterious puzzle begin to fall into place. The victims are all tied to a secret weapons defense program. A new type of nuclear weapon is being developed with materials from an unknown origin. Is possible that spirits from the past have come to put an end to the development of future weapons of mass destruction? Is the mysterious material reacting to human touch? Scully is determined to find the logical reason for the incineration of government officials. Mulder will follow the
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Finally, an X-Files book that’s enjoyable from the start, and all the way through. Kevin J Anderson’s writing style is smooth and easy to grasp the points being made. Unlike the previous X-Files novels, this one is easy to follow all the way through. I did not care for the writing style of the first two books, which had too many things going on, too many names, locations, and even foul language. Kevin J Anderson brings it back to the feel of the show.
The chemistry between the characters is great, it feels professional but also friendly. There’s also some real character development, diving into the past of Scully – Growing up a navy brat, going to college and dabbling in activist groups in an attempt to change the world. That was before she matured and decided to seek a career with the FBI. Unlike the first two books in the series with the lack of character depth, this simple addition really brings life to the character.
While the plot is interesting and keeps building all the way up to the climax of the book, the final event that happens comes off a little silly, but when we see how Mulder and Scully experienced the final event a differently as they deliver their detailed report for their superiors, the story feels grounded when we get to Scully’s perspective.
This was a fun book, the chemistry between the characters really drives this story along and the interesting plot kept me excited to see how the story would wrap up.
Do I recommend you read The X-Files: Ground Zero? Yes, out of the three I’ve read so far, this is the only one I’d say was worth the time.
RATING
I give this book, an A.
