Author: S.D. Perry and B.K. Evenson
Pages: 573
ISBN: 9781783299133
Publisher: Titan Books
Published: 24 December 2018
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: Review copy from publisher
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CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE by S. D. Perry
Thomas Chase wakes up from cryosleep to his first day at a new job - as a pilot for a contraband drug company dropping a shipment on Fantasia, a planet hiding an elaborate drug manufacturing operation. Everything from synthetic heroin to MX7 is cooked here, in protected caves guarded by the savage Aliens. When Chase touches down on Fantasia, a chain of events begins that cannot be stopped. As criminals and competitors try to take over the drug empire from the dangerous kingpin, Chase and his brother Pete are caught in the crossfire... with the Aliens adding blood to the mix.
NO EXIT by B. K. Evenson
After thirty years of cryosleep, Detective Anders Kramm awakens to a changed world. The Alien threat has been subdued. Company interests dominate universal trade, with powerful men willing to do anything to assure dominance over other worlds. But Kramm has a secret. He knows why the Company killed its top scientists. He knows why the Aliens have been let loose on the surface of a contested planet. He knows that the Company will do everything it can to stop him from telling his secret to the world. Haunted by the brutal murder of his family, Kramm is set adrift amid billion-dollar stakes... with Aliens waiting around every corner.
This was my first foray into the world of Alien tie-in novels and it turned out to be a largely mixed experience. This omnibus contains two novels, Criminal Enterprise by S.D. Perry and No Exit by B.K. Evenson.
Criminal Enterprise by S.D. Perry tells the story of two brothers, Thomas and Pete Chase, who get forced into the seedy world of drug dealing. In order to save his brother’s life Thomas has to act as pilot, transporting drugs and personnel to and from an illicit drug manufacturing plant hidden on a barely terraformed world overrun with aliens. The xenomorphs are purposefully used as a security measure and when the manufacturing plant is attacked all chaos ensues.
Criminal Enterprise just didn’t work for me. I never connected with any of the characters, they all felt disposable and their inevitable deaths seemed certain. The pacing is uneven, mostly due to the odd focus on the sex lives of the plant’s ragtag crew consisting mostly of sex workers. When the action starts, people start to die by droves and everything happens too fast. The aliens are largely used as an afterthought and plays only a small role in the story The ending is predictable and while there is a redemption arc, it left me cold. An average read at best.
No Exit by B.K. Evenson delivered the goods in more ways than one. It drew me in from the start and had me engaged until the very end. When you think of the Alien franchise you think about the horrific experience of being trapped in confined spaces with the xenomorphs and No Exit manages to deliver on that traumatic, claustrophobic horror in unexpected ways. You actually care about the main protagonist, Anders Kramm, and the traumatic experiences he has gone through. The story takes unexpected twists and turns which will have you on the edge of your seat. While there are some rough spots towards the end Evenson delivers a captivating ride that remains true to the franchise with some truly horrific moments. Recommended!
The Verdict:
The Complete Aliens Omnibus Volume 7 is quite a mixed bag. I didn’t much care for the first novel, Criminal Enterprise, but the second story, No Exit, single-handedly redeems the omnibus. Evenson provides the claustrophobic horror you’d expect from the Alien franchise and then some!
The Rating: 6.5/10 (Good)
Thanks to Charlene from Jonathan Ball Publishers for the review copy.
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