'It's Medieval carnage meets Alien as a pre-industrial society fights against extinction brought about by a massive infestation of Xenomorphs.
'Ataegina was an isolated world of medieval castles, varied cultures, and conquests, vibrant until the demons rose and spread relentless destruction. Swarms of lethal creatures with black husks, murderous claws, barbed tails and dreaded "tooth-tongues" raged through the lowlands, killing ninety percent of the planet's population. Terrified survivors fled to hidden mountain keeps where they eke out a meager existence. When a trio of young warriors discovers a new weapon, they see a chance to end this curse. To save humanity, the trio must fight their way to the tunnels of Black Smoke Mountain--the lair of the mythical Demon Mother.'
Titan Books have been publishing some really good Alien books recently. They've provided adaptations of existing entries in the series such as Alien Isolation, tie-in's to the comics like Alien: Prototype, and completely new stories like Alien: Cold Forge. Every book has brought something new to the table, whether it be a new type of Xenomorph, or a new insight to an existing story. But I don't think any of the Alien books are as different, or as bold as Alien: Phalanx.
The thing that immediately sets this book apart from the others is the fact that it's not really a science fiction story. Other than the presence of the Xenomorph, this is a fantasy story. It's set on another world, a world where nations have risen and fallen, where humans have their own societies that trade with each other, plot against each other, and distrust each other based on the gods they worship or the way they treat their women.
Much of the story of Alien: Phalanx is such a human, personal story, set within a world we've never seen before that at times I sometimes forgot that this was actually an Alien story. And I want to make it clear, that's not a bad thing at all. I was never waiting for the creatures to turn up, never found myself sitting through scenes I found dull or variations of things we've seen before waiting for the action to happen. It was a change I didn't know I wanted, but loved so much.
Most Alien stories will show you a group of people living their lives, whether they're colonists, or people on a ship, who end up in a situation where a Xenomorph either arrives or escapes from some kind of lab. Then it's a desperate fight to survive and escape. Not here. Here we had a world where the Xenomorphs have already been around for decades, where there are people who have no concept of a life or society that isn't built around surviving these creatures.
The humans of Ataegina are living underground, hidden away in ancient strongholds that have been repurposed into cities. In order for these cities to survive they need to trade for important things with other cities. This is where we find out lead characters for the book, runners who have to make the dangerous trek across the surface from place to place gathering supplies. Instead of the cramped hallways and tunnels that are usually the places to be afraid of, now it's the outside world. The people feel safe in their confined tunnels, whilst going for a stroll in the woods is an almost guaranteed death sentence.
The change that Sigler makes, to flip the expectations upon the readers is something so obvious, yet something I can't really remember having seen before. The Xenomorphs are things that live in the outside, that keep humans trapped away, living inside their own warren of tunnels. The fact that this is a pre-industrial world makes a huge difference too, as there is nothing for the humans to fight back with. No guns, no explosives, nothing.
Readers learn very early on that there are simple rules to survive in this world, stay quiet, stay hidden, and if one of them comes for you, you kill yourself. The fact that the people of this world have only one solution to a Xenomorph attack, kill yourself before they take you, is one of the most chilling things I think I've ever read in an Alien book. The moments where characters are forced to stand still as a Xenomorph comes past them, or sneak around knowing that the creatures are there somewhere, are some of the most tense and horrifying moments I've read in an Alien novel, and I loved every moment of it.
I won't go into too much detail about plot and characters, as I think this is a story best experienced with a little warning or knowledge as possible to get the most out of it, but I will say that the story did things that I was not expecting, went in fascinating new directions, and drew me in more than any other Alien story. These were characters that I spent a lot of time getting to know in the quieter moments, and a world I ended up really fascinated with. There were times I really struggled to put the book down because I just wanted to read more and more.
I hope that this is the start of a trend for the Titan Alien stories, where we get more unusual takes on the formula, and writers take bigger chances. I also hope that Scott Sigler gets to play with this universe again, as the imagination and energy he brought to it was absolutely amazing. I'd even love to read a follow-up book to this one, even if it doesn't have a single Xenomorph in it; because I would love to spend more time with the characters and their world.
Alien: Phalanx is an amazing combination of a traditional fantasy novel, mixed with the horror of the Alien franchise. It's a book that sent me on a roller-coaster of emotions, that had me wishing it was twice as long, and makes me eager to see what the author does next. Easily in my top ten books of the year.
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