Book Review: Wishmaster by Christian Francis

By georgelthomas on 25 Oct 2024 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone! How are you all? It’s Friday, and it’s time for another review. Today, I am reviewing the novelisation of the 1997 film Wishmaster by Christian Francis.

Wishmaster – The Novelisation was published in 2021 by Encyclopocalypse Publications and is 226 pages long.

The Plot
The novel follows the story of a mischievous Djinn, trapped inside a gemstone centuries ago and now freed. The Djinn has the power to grant wishes, but his intentions are far from benevolent, as he seeks to wreak havoc and destruction wherever he goes.

Characters
Alexandra Ambers
Alexandra is a young woman who works as a gemologist at Buried Treasure Auction House. She unwittingly awakens an ancient Djinn when, after appraising a mysterious antique opal, she asks her friend to examine the gem, and he accidentally releases the Djinn.

As the story progresses, Alex must contend with the Djinn, who is determined to get her to make three wishes, freeing him from his prison permanently.

She is intelligent, resourceful, and determined to prove she isn’t having a relapse of psychosis, making her a sympathetic character that readers can easily root for.

Josh Aickman
Josh, a science teacher at St Marion’s High School, is Alexandra’s best friend and is head over heels in love with her, though he suspects she only wants to be his friend. Unfortunately, things don’t turn out too well for Josh; he’s the friend examining the gem when the Djinn escapes.

Anthony Beaumont (called Raymond in the film)
Anthony Beaumont is a wealthy art collector who inadvertently sets events in motion by buying the ancient sculpture which houses the fire opal containing the essence of the Djinn. Beaumont’s greed and desire for power prevent him from seeing the dangers posed by his latest acquisition, leading to catastrophic consequences for himself and those around him.

Shannon Amberson
Shannon is Alexandra’s sister, who also works at the auction house. Shannon becomes caught up in the chaos unleashed by the Djinn when her sister begins to believe she is seeing the Djinn’s atrocities as he commits them. Shannon thinks her sister is becoming mentally unwell again (which also happened years before when Alexandra saved her from the housefire that killed their parents).

Wendy Derleth
Wendy Derleth is a professor of folklore and serves as a mentor (of sorts) to Alexandra, offering her all her knowledge about ancient myths and legends in her quest to understand how to defeat such a powerful adversary as the Djinn.

Nick Merritt
Nick is an appraiser who works at the auction house and is Alexandra’s boss. He works Alex hard and is obsessed with making as much money from the auction house’s artefacts as possible.

The Djinn/Nathaniel Demerest
The Djinn is an ancient and powerful entity capable of granting wishes but with a sinister twist. The Djinn is a charismatic and menacing figure who preys on unsuspecting victims by tricking them into making wishes that ultimately lead to their demise. He can take on the appearance of others — most notably Nathaniel Demerest, a deceased man whose face he steals.

Writing Style
Christian Francis has done a rather impressive job of bringing the story of Wishmaster to life in novel form.

The writing is engaging, with plenty of fast-paced action and suspense to keep readers turning pages. The characters’ backstories are more well-rounded and fleshed out than in the film, giving the story more depth.

One of the book’s standouts is the vividly graphic descriptions of the Djinn’s powers and the havoc and atrocities he wreaks throughout the story. From turning unsuspecting shop assistants into living mannequins to causing an unsuspecting chemist to become overcome by melanomas, the Djinn is a formidable and terrifying villain.

One downside to the book, I felt, was that some of the dialogue was a bit stilted and unnatural at times, but it wasn’t enough to pull me out of the story.

What I did enjoy, however, was that the book, just like the film before, raises thought-provoking questions about the consequences of our actions and challenges us to consider what we would do if granted three wishes. How would you word your wishes to ensure they didn’t backfire? Would that even be possible?

While not the very best novelisation I’ve read, this one certainly wasn’t the worst (that award lies solely with Grease), and overall, it was an easy and enjoyable read.

Final Thoughts
I remember watching Wishmaster in the 90s and thinking it was great fun. At times, it’s chilling, sometimes funny and ridiculously campy at certain parts — all of which can make for an excellent horror film. With all that in mind, I was eager to read the novelisation to see if the story still held up and whether or not the author added anything to the plot.

I was not disappointed. The story is still a good yarn with lots of gruesome scenes that horror fans will love and plenty of extra character development, adding to the story’s intensity.

If you’re a fan of horror and supernatural stories, or if you enjoyed the Wishmaster movies (yep, there are a couple of sequels), this novelisation is worth checking out. It’s a good adaptation that captures the essence of the original story whilst adding an extra layer of depth and complexity.

I am giving Wishmaster a fair 5/10.

Have you seen the film Wishmaster? How do you think the novel compares?

As ever, thank you for stopping by to check out my review. Your time means a lot.

Until next time,

George