On the world of Ataegina, one where humanity had backslid into little kingdoms and petty states, with only a rough medieval level of technology, death has risen up in the night. Like a plague, hundreds and then thousands of demons have swarmed forth from Black Smoke Mountain. They have destroyed the great cities, ravaged the armies, and driven the survivors into mountain fortresses eking out a meager existence. Scott Sigler brings us to the exciting world of Aliens Phalanx!
Ahiliyah is a runner from Lemeth Hold. She maintains the tenuous lines of trade and communication between the scattered human populations. Braving a world overrun by demons who will kill, or worse, carry off any unfortunate humans they find to do God knows what! Her life is defined by her running, braving the open air and making herself indispensable for the hold. Unable to be a warrior like she wants to, she is determined to serve her people in the best way she knows. Her two companions Brandun, a mountain of a boy determined to become a great warrior, and Creen genius but socially inept are her runners in training.
With them she tries to do what she can to keep her people safe. Then one day, as tensions mount between the holds and rumors of fresh horrors creep closer, they find a weapon that might just help them defeat the demons.
The world of Ataegina gives a great Metro 2033 vibe, but on a much grander scale! The horror is no less real, but even more relatable as the siege mentality has taken hold. The people eke out a very slim life, desperate for even the tiniest shreds of hope, but most will spend their lives deep in the mountain holds never seeing the sun. The idea that the open sky presents such horror is so clever, and then when we do see the xenomorphs in the flesh, Sigler writes them well and never once fails to show their amazing menace.
Honestly, the transposing of the well known Alien franchise into a different setting is quite clever. We have seen this done for the Predator franchise in Prey, but pairing the xenomorphs against a setting which is much different creates an amazing dynamic. There’s no fancy tools, no clever technology, just guts, blood, and bronze. Really well imagined how a society like that of Ataegina was caught so off guard by the xenomorph invasion.
The use of the Holds as redoubts of humanity was also clever. A bit of worldbuilding, but also expands on the setting quite well. The needs of the hold come before everything else, and society is built around its safeguarding and secret keeping. The tenuous trade networks between Holds is what keeps them going. Then the exacting punishments for failures make a lot of sense. I genuinely enjoyed the different flavors of each, having developed their own unique cultural ideas and attitudes. Even trade rivalries. The end of the world can be upon us and humans will still plot against one another.
Most epic I thought was the clever use of phalanx tactics, and some ingenious plot, to fight the xenomorphs. The way Sigler envisages the phalanx as a method of protecting the warriors while dishing out the utmost damage to the xenomorphs is extremely well done. I loved the detail on phalanx fighting, the way he imagines its use against the xenomorphs themselves, and the clever management of long range bows and heavy crossbows to thin their ranks as they come charging at the human warriors.
Of course, that doesn’t discount the horror before the new anti-xenomorph weapon is found of course. Even so, the demons are fast, hardy, and the acidic blood is oh so dangerous!
Ahiliyah knows this, and her inner monologue with the mantra that keeps her alive is excellent. As a character, she felt immensely real and fleshed out. Her hopes, her dreams, and the constraints society places on her were all well done. I liked that she felt like someone who naturally grew up in this dark setting. Her companions, all marked by loss of their own, felt just as real. The society around her is well crafted and the interactions within it are all too human.
Breakneck action gives way to thoughtful character moments, and genuinely creepy horror. The pace is well managed and I think anyone who is a fan of either low fantasy, or Aliens would genuinely love this story. I know I did!
We desperately need more stories like this! Great to see a familiar monster in a new and imaginative setting!
Matthew Stienberg 