Book Review // Sea of Sorrows by James A. Moore
Whenever summer holidays hit, the time for blogging and video creation seems to disappear, so even during the joys of holidays it is important to get some much-needed reading completed. So, today’s blog post will be the third book in the Alien series. If you haven't seen the other reviews go seek them out in the Alien section.
Title: Sea of Sorrow
Author: James A. Moore
Publisher: Titan Books
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 352
Fluff:
"As a deputy commissioner for the ICC, Alan Decker’s job is to make sure the settlements on LV178 follow all the rules, keeping the colonists safe. But the planet known as New Galveston holds secrets, lurking deep beneath the toxic sands dubbed the Sea of Sorrows.
The Weyland-Yutani Corporation has secrets of its own, as Decker discovers when he is forced to join a team of mercenaries sent to investigate an ancient excavation. Somewhere in that long-forgotten dig lies the thing the company wants most in the universe—a living Xenomorph. Decker doesn’t understand why they need him, until his own past comes back to haunt him. Centuries ago, his ancestor fought the Aliens, launching a bloody vendetta that was never satisfied. That was when the creatures swore revenge on the Destroyer…Ellen Ripley."
Review
For those who don't know, the series Sea of Sorrows is a sequel to Tim Lebbon's opening novel Alien: Out of the Shadows. The tale happens roughly 300 years later in the Alien timeline. Early on in the story, we get introduced to Decker, a descendant of Ellen Ripley (yes, the movie heroine). It is also revealed early on that this hive of Xenomorphs can detect his DNA and his link to Ripley. Making him a prime target whenever they attack. Expect a lot of “Why me!?” and it's “coming straight at me!” which can get annoying.
Overall the story is really good. Action scenes are spread out and well-paced (an issue with some Alien Novels). Once again, Weyland-Yutani is the real villain of the piece as they continue to attempt to capture one of these foul beasts. The cast of characters is extensive, and I do not care when they start getting killed off. Only a few of the side characters get any background info delivered about them, so it is hard to care, but if they all got page time, then this tale would be longer than Lord of the Rings!
The ending seems to arrive nicely packaged and wrapped in a bow. Weyland-Yutani will ultimately cover up the events of this book and one day forget them (a bit like me). Unfortunately, it left many unanswered questions. Why did the ship crash there? Why were these aliens collecting Xenomorphs? How can they remember Ripley's genes? How could the company forget they once had resources in that system? Is it the planet seen in Alien: Covenant?
If you are an Alien fan and want a mindless read, then this book is for you. If you have read it, please comment.
