This was a genuine surprise as I did not have high expectations going in, but I was absolutely blown away.

Deneen does A LOT of work building characters and creating a story where both sides of the conflict are flawed but feel real. It's a tale about the meaningless of war and the Alien is kept in the background for the most part.

The Alien stuff is genuinely creepy as their sparse appearances make them feel like a real threat when they arrive.

Setting it after Alien Resurrection makes this feel like a unique Alien tale, probably not for everyone but I loved it.