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garethmk's review
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
orion1225's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
3.25
jobby's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
The worst of Hollywood style writing. The heroine is invincible, she can't doing any wrong and everybody else waits to be told by her what to do. Those that don't do what she says wind up dead by the aliens (serves them right?). in fact, the heroine is totally unlikeable - I have never wanted a character in a book to die so much.
The writing lacks detail. Descriptions of locations, characters and events are absent unless they are of the heroine or her family. There is unnecessary repetition. Several non-sensical exchanges occur where characters are unsurprised by things they had no idea of, for example:when Mae appears on the bridge in a different synth body after the first dropship destroyed, Zula remarks "Mae? Did you abandon your body?" yet Zula was unaware that Mae had transferred to a different synth to sneak aboard the dropship in the first place! .
A lot of the book feels cut and pasted from the various Alien films. The bits that aren't feel like they don't quite line up with established lore from the franchise.
The author should really going back to writing fantasy. Or possibly Hollywood action films. Science fiction is really not her forté. An element that has to be heated to "millions of degrees" to become liquid? 🤣🤣🤣
Such terrible, terrible writing. Such a disappointment after The Cold Forge and Into Charybdis. I read this so you didn't have to; avoid - even if you are a die-hard Alien fan!
The writing lacks detail. Descriptions of locations, characters and events are absent unless they are of the heroine or her family. There is unnecessary repetition. Several non-sensical exchanges occur where characters are unsurprised by things they had no idea of, for example:
A lot of the book feels cut and pasted from the various Alien films. The bits that aren't feel like they don't quite line up with established lore from the franchise.
The author should really going back to writing fantasy. Or possibly Hollywood action films. Science fiction is really not her forté. An element that has to be heated to "millions of degrees" to become liquid? 🤣🤣🤣
Such terrible, terrible writing. Such a disappointment after The Cold Forge and Into Charybdis. I read this so you didn't have to; avoid - even if you are a die-hard Alien fan!
parenthesis_enjoyer's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Abandonment, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
itcamefromthepage's review
4.0
I had a lot of fun with this one. Very tight action with some great characters in it. It incorporates elements from other Alien books but does so in a nice subtle way.
The main bulk of the book spent with the miners on the surface of the planet was outstanding and I love the examination of the 'company store' mentality.
My only slight issue will most likely be solved on a re-read as I felt like I got a little lost spatially in the final act as they seem to escape aliens, then encounter them again, and escape them again but it worked for the frenetic pace of the book.
The Jackals were an interesting concept and I like that the characters we do know in their ranks are more background characters. The AI daughter who is our main POV starts a bit iffy but I acclimated to her perspective throughout the story. Overall I don't think the Jackal segments are AS strong as the Miners but they are still good.
I hope both Philippa and Clara get to write more Alien books! All hail the neomorphs.
The main bulk of the book spent with the miners on the surface of the planet was outstanding and I love the examination of the 'company store' mentality.
My only slight issue will most likely be solved on a re-read as I felt like I got a little lost spatially in the final act as they seem to escape aliens, then encounter them again, and escape them again but it worked for the frenetic pace of the book.
The Jackals were an interesting concept and I like that the characters we do know in their ranks are more background characters. The AI daughter who is our main POV starts a bit iffy but I acclimated to her perspective throughout the story. Overall I don't think the Jackal segments are AS strong as the Miners but they are still good.
I hope both Philippa and Clara get to write more Alien books! All hail the neomorphs.
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