The #1 New York Times best-selling author of Infected delivers medieval carnage as a pre-industrial society fights extinction at the hands of 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 meagre 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.
***
[Stillness is strength]
***
(@TitanBooks, 25 February 2020, 512 pages, e-book, copy from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed)
***
***
I'm a fan of the Alien moves but have never read any books. Apparently there's rather a lot so I may need to check those out at some point. This is fanfic; make no mistake but well-written, enjoyable fanfic all the same. But it's not what I expect; there are no futuristic elements here or cramped, dark spaceships. The community the aliens terrorise here are an ancient, medieval one. The few people who survived the slaughter by the aliens live underground because the surface of their world is crawling with aliens, known to them as demons. There is also no science fiction here and the focus is on fantasy which also surprised me. This is a thick book and it takes a lot of patience to read but it's worth every second. Ahiliyah, one of the key characters is a runner, one who risks her live to make scavenging trips to the surface. She's a brilliant character. Her journey is the most enjoyable thing about the book.
