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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
The plot twist at the end was obvious to me from the start, but this is pretty much my favorite style of story and I am very familiar with it. Also it shares some similarities with Sigler's Generations series. It was awesome from beginning to end. It would be neat to have a sequel even though one is completely unnecessary. It would just be interesting to see what happens to this community in the future. One of my favorite Aliens stories.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
where the hell is hollywood when you need them
Splendid piece of military fantasy that treats the Alien lore simply as an ornamentation to a story about the unspeakable horrors of war, oppression and bureaucratic failure, set in a world populated by adequately fleshed out characters, political machinations, minimalist sociological storytelling and maximalist war fantasy. Had some pacing issues here and there and the epilogue seemed disproportionately cheesy to the rest of this bloody, unflinchingly violent story. Scott Sigler really does have a way with words; the battle sequences are written in such a way that you never tire of them despite their length, every paragraph fastened to their adjacent ones by beautiful descriptors, forming a very well-flowing, visceral stream of consciousness. The first act was my favorite segment of the book with the tense, unpredictable survival horror of having to navigate an unforgiving terrain while having to hide from death itself. Also absolutely loved that twist towards the end that explains pretty much everything.
Splendid piece of military fantasy that treats the Alien lore simply as an ornamentation to a story about the unspeakable horrors of war, oppression and bureaucratic failure, set in a world populated by adequately fleshed out characters, political machinations, minimalist sociological storytelling and maximalist war fantasy. Had some pacing issues here and there and the epilogue seemed disproportionately cheesy to the rest of this bloody, unflinchingly violent story. Scott Sigler really does have a way with words; the battle sequences are written in such a way that you never tire of them despite their length, every paragraph fastened to their adjacent ones by beautiful descriptors, forming a very well-flowing, visceral stream of consciousness. The first act was my favorite segment of the book with the tense, unpredictable survival horror of having to navigate an unforgiving terrain while having to hide from death itself. Also absolutely loved that twist towards the end that explains pretty much everything.
Quick fun read. The world building was necessary, but a bit tedious a times. The action and intense parts of the novel are by far the highlight, and it felt like a great addition to the Alien universe.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
There is no way this book should be as entertaining as it is.
Fast, fun read. I started this one at work and finished it when I got home in the morning. The main core of characters are very likable even if one is supposed to be a sarcastic ass. I never knew that I needed a story of aliens vs medieval weapons and tactics but boy was I missing out all these years. I would have liked more xenomorphs early on but the end battle more than made up for it
‘Aliens’ was a massive deal for me in my teens. Blending sci fi and horror in a blockbuster package that ticked all the boxes for me it became a movie I geeked out massively on. I read Alan Dean Foster’s novelisation before I saw the film (and after), as well as a few of the spin off books and comics that came out later. None of them really captured the brilliance of the film for me. ‘Aliens: Phalanx’ doesn’t either, but it’s still a solidly entertaining read which fans of the movie series will enjoy.
What makes the book different from the other xenomorph spin off fiction I’ve read is that does away with the Weyland Yutani/Colonial Marines universe and is set instead on the planet of Ataegina. It’s a primitive world where the previous medieval society has been brought down by “demons” (the aliens) and the survivors now live in isolated keeps. The various groups use “runners”, conscripted teenagers who travel between the keeps, carrying messages and goods, and dodging demons. One such runner is heroine Ahiliyah, a determined young woman in the YA world, who leads a disparate squad of other teens. As the story develops, she fights the aliens, as well as the rigid patriarchal social structure she lives in.
Like the movie, the book has a slow buildup. The world building is good, but the first third of the novel is a bit heavy in that and a bit light on action. Once it gets going though it’s a lot of fun. Gripping and funny, with the occasional scare and a few really good twists. It mixes satisfying YA coming of age themes with tense action sequences to create an entertaining popcorn thriller. Despite the different setting, it’s very faithful to the series, weaving in familiar motifs effectively. This isn’t a book that’s going to set the world on fire, but if you love ‘Aliens’ as much as I do it’s definitely worth a read.
What makes the book different from the other xenomorph spin off fiction I’ve read is that does away with the Weyland Yutani/Colonial Marines universe and is set instead on the planet of Ataegina. It’s a primitive world where the previous medieval society has been brought down by “demons” (the aliens) and the survivors now live in isolated keeps. The various groups use “runners”, conscripted teenagers who travel between the keeps, carrying messages and goods, and dodging demons. One such runner is heroine Ahiliyah, a determined young woman in the YA world, who leads a disparate squad of other teens. As the story develops, she fights the aliens, as well as the rigid patriarchal social structure she lives in.
Like the movie, the book has a slow buildup. The world building is good, but the first third of the novel is a bit heavy in that and a bit light on action. Once it gets going though it’s a lot of fun. Gripping and funny, with the occasional scare and a few really good twists. It mixes satisfying YA coming of age themes with tense action sequences to create an entertaining popcorn thriller. Despite the different setting, it’s very faithful to the series, weaving in familiar motifs effectively. This isn’t a book that’s going to set the world on fire, but if you love ‘Aliens’ as much as I do it’s definitely worth a read.