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The Complete Alien Collection: Symphony of Death
Collected together for the first time, this action-packed omnibus is filled with secrets, lies, and the silver smile of the deadly Xenomorphs. Across three epic novels, see how the Xenomorph doctrine of Weyland-Yutani and Venture is a short and angry road to hell.
The Cold Forge
Weyland-Yutani has suffered a devastating the loss of the Xenomorphs they aggressively sought to exploit. True to form, they have a redundancy already in place… the facility known as The Cold Forge. When company man Dorian Sudler is sent to assess their progress, he discovers that there’s a spy aboard who may destroy the entire station… That is, if the Xenomorphs don’t do the job first.
Prototype
Corporate spy Tamar Prather steals a Xenomorph egg from Weyland-Yutani, taking it to a lab run by Venture... Former Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks has been tasked with training personnel to deal with anything that gets thrown their way, but nothing can prepare them for the horror that breaks out of Venture’s lab.
Into Charybdis
“Shy” Hunt and the tech team from McAllen Integrations thought it was an easy job—set up environmental systems for the brand new Hasanova Data Solutions colony, built on the abandoned ruins of a complex known as “Charybdis.” There are just two the colony belongs to the Iranian state, and the complex is located above a series of hidden caves. Charybdis has a darker history than any could imagine, and its depths harbor deadly secrets.
The deeper they dig, the more Shy is convinced there's no one they can believe. When a bizarre ship lands on a nearby island, one of the workers is attacked by a taloned creature, and trust evaporates between the Iranians and Americans. The McAllen integrations crew are imprisoned, accused of being spies, but manage to send out a distress signal... to the Colonial Marines.
The Cold Forge
Weyland-Yutani has suffered a devastating the loss of the Xenomorphs they aggressively sought to exploit. True to form, they have a redundancy already in place… the facility known as The Cold Forge. When company man Dorian Sudler is sent to assess their progress, he discovers that there’s a spy aboard who may destroy the entire station… That is, if the Xenomorphs don’t do the job first.
Prototype
Corporate spy Tamar Prather steals a Xenomorph egg from Weyland-Yutani, taking it to a lab run by Venture... Former Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks has been tasked with training personnel to deal with anything that gets thrown their way, but nothing can prepare them for the horror that breaks out of Venture’s lab.
Into Charybdis
“Shy” Hunt and the tech team from McAllen Integrations thought it was an easy job—set up environmental systems for the brand new Hasanova Data Solutions colony, built on the abandoned ruins of a complex known as “Charybdis.” There are just two the colony belongs to the Iranian state, and the complex is located above a series of hidden caves. Charybdis has a darker history than any could imagine, and its depths harbor deadly secrets.
The deeper they dig, the more Shy is convinced there's no one they can believe. When a bizarre ship lands on a nearby island, one of the workers is attacked by a taloned creature, and trust evaporates between the Iranians and Americans. The McAllen integrations crew are imprisoned, accused of being spies, but manage to send out a distress signal... to the Colonial Marines.
- GenresHorrorScience Fiction
896 pages, Paperback
Published November 28, 2023
65 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Alex White
115 books532 followersAlex White was born and raised in the American south. He takes photos, writes music and spends hours on YouTube watching other people blacksmith. He values challenging and subversive writing, but will settle for a good time.
In the shadow of rockets in Huntsville, Alabama, Alex lives and works as an experience designer with his spouse, son, two dogs and a cat named Grim. Favored past times include Legos and racecars. He takes his whiskey neat and his espresso black.
Alex is the author of THE SALVAGERS book series (Orbit, 2018), a magical space opera treasure hunt, ALIEN: THE COLD FORGE (Titan, 2018)(yes, THAT Alien), and EVERY MOUNTAIN MADE LOW (Solaris, 2016), a dystopian Southern American yarn.
In the shadow of rockets in Huntsville, Alabama, Alex lives and works as an experience designer with his spouse, son, two dogs and a cat named Grim. Favored past times include Legos and racecars. He takes his whiskey neat and his espresso black.
Alex is the author of THE SALVAGERS book series (Orbit, 2018), a magical space opera treasure hunt, ALIEN: THE COLD FORGE (Titan, 2018)(yes, THAT Alien), and EVERY MOUNTAIN MADE LOW (Solaris, 2016), a dystopian Southern American yarn.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 2, 2025
Three stories. Three reviews.
The Cold Forge:
This is a good one. Typical story of scientist trying to study the Xenomorph. Sabotage. Xenomorphs on the loose! Scientist has to control android with her body, because severely disabled. Android not cool with the humans choices. Corporate guy, cold hearted, out to do away with everyone. It's a bit unbelievable in points, about what the disabled scientist can accomplish physically, if really that handicapped, but I'll attribute it to massive adrenaline spikes and a strong will to live.
Prototype:
So short aside. The start of this one informs you it takes place after Alien: Isolation. I figured, well I have the game, so I stop reading and go play the game. Unfortunately, if you played the game it wouldn't matter to the book. However, if you read the Alien: Isolation book, then you get a short flashback of Amanda Ripley working with a Private Zula who injured her back. Even then, you really don't need to read Alien: Isolation, because like nothing carries over really. *shrug*
Anyway, another solid story. Xenomorphs, plagues, trying to hide the outbreak. It's mayhem!
Into Charybdis:
This third book ties back into the first book. I won't say how it ties in, but it is an interesting twist that also connects this book into the Alien Prometheus movies.
It is also a good story. Everyone is fair game. Just because you've been reading one of the characters for awhile, doesn't mean they have plot armor.
All three books were pretty solid.
The Cold Forge:
This is a good one. Typical story of scientist trying to study the Xenomorph. Sabotage. Xenomorphs on the loose! Scientist has to control android with her body, because severely disabled. Android not cool with the humans choices. Corporate guy, cold hearted, out to do away with everyone. It's a bit unbelievable in points, about what the disabled scientist can accomplish physically, if really that handicapped, but I'll attribute it to massive adrenaline spikes and a strong will to live.
Prototype:
So short aside. The start of this one informs you it takes place after Alien: Isolation. I figured, well I have the game, so I stop reading and go play the game. Unfortunately, if you played the game it wouldn't matter to the book. However, if you read the Alien: Isolation book, then you get a short flashback of Amanda Ripley working with a Private Zula who injured her back. Even then, you really don't need to read Alien: Isolation, because like nothing carries over really. *shrug*
Anyway, another solid story. Xenomorphs, plagues, trying to hide the outbreak. It's mayhem!
Into Charybdis:
This third book ties back into the first book. I won't say how it ties in, but it is an interesting twist that also connects this book into the Alien Prometheus movies.
It is also a good story. Everyone is fair game. Just because you've been reading one of the characters for awhile, doesn't mean they have plot armor.
All three books were pretty solid.
February 4, 2026
From Titan Books comes The Complete Alien Collection: Symphony of Death, a massive collection of three novels from the Aliens series. This collection contains The Cold Forge by Alex White, Prototype by Tim Waggoner, and Into Charybdis also by Alex White.
As a collection, Titan Books compiled great examples of the expanded universe of the Aliens franchise. For those familiar only with the movies, you’ll recognize the usual names, like Weyland-Yutani Corporation, and the usual terms, like xenomorph. From there, this collection serves as a wonderful introduction into Aliens canon.
The Cold Forge by Alex White is a bit of a slow burn that deals largely with the bureaucracy of running a major bio-engineering facility. One of the main characters will help tie the three stories together as they return later in the series. Prototype by Tim Waggoner is more exciting, combining the slow methodic process of the xenomorph life-cycle with the introduction of the colonial marines who help quash a unique xenomorph threat. Into Charybdis by Alex White sees the colonial marines dealing with a geo-political crisis and will have the reader’s head spinning as to who the real bad guys are.
For those who thought Weyland-Yutani Corporation was the only game in town, you’ll be pleased to know there are other sinister corporations out in space. Some, like the Seegson Corporation, have no qualms about poaching promising scientists for their own gain. While others, like Venture, are keen on straight up poaching the rarest lifeforms right from Weyland-Yutani ships. Even so, these corporations might not be as ruthless as the governments at play in his Franchise.
One of the best products to come out of the Alien’s movies was the old line of Kenmore toys. The produced toys gave the possibility of over-the-top Alien variations. So, when it comes to getting xenomorph variants in canon, that’s something special. While something like the “chimp alien” might not be that unique, a creature dubbed “the necromorph” with a unique ability unlike anything a xenomorph has possessed before opens all sorts of possibilities. Couple that with human/xenomorph genetic mutation and you’ve got reasons to keep reading.
One of the biggest differences between the movies and novels is who assumes the role of antagonist. In the movies, it’s fair to say that the creatures play the biggest roles, while the human baddies are secondary. Those roles are swapped in the novels—the creatures play secondary to the scheming or mishaps of their human counterpart. The biggest bads are scientists or rogue agents of the various above corporations trying to weaponize and study the xenomorphs.
The Complete Alien Collection: Symphony of Death from Titan Books is an amazing example of the wider canon of the Alien Franchise. The three books chosen to fill it are well connected and provide an interesting reader payoff. For fans of the movies who’ve never read the comics or novels, this collection is highly recommended.
As a collection, Titan Books compiled great examples of the expanded universe of the Aliens franchise. For those familiar only with the movies, you’ll recognize the usual names, like Weyland-Yutani Corporation, and the usual terms, like xenomorph. From there, this collection serves as a wonderful introduction into Aliens canon.
The Cold Forge by Alex White is a bit of a slow burn that deals largely with the bureaucracy of running a major bio-engineering facility. One of the main characters will help tie the three stories together as they return later in the series. Prototype by Tim Waggoner is more exciting, combining the slow methodic process of the xenomorph life-cycle with the introduction of the colonial marines who help quash a unique xenomorph threat. Into Charybdis by Alex White sees the colonial marines dealing with a geo-political crisis and will have the reader’s head spinning as to who the real bad guys are.
For those who thought Weyland-Yutani Corporation was the only game in town, you’ll be pleased to know there are other sinister corporations out in space. Some, like the Seegson Corporation, have no qualms about poaching promising scientists for their own gain. While others, like Venture, are keen on straight up poaching the rarest lifeforms right from Weyland-Yutani ships. Even so, these corporations might not be as ruthless as the governments at play in his Franchise.
One of the best products to come out of the Alien’s movies was the old line of Kenmore toys. The produced toys gave the possibility of over-the-top Alien variations. So, when it comes to getting xenomorph variants in canon, that’s something special. While something like the “chimp alien” might not be that unique, a creature dubbed “the necromorph” with a unique ability unlike anything a xenomorph has possessed before opens all sorts of possibilities. Couple that with human/xenomorph genetic mutation and you’ve got reasons to keep reading.
One of the biggest differences between the movies and novels is who assumes the role of antagonist. In the movies, it’s fair to say that the creatures play the biggest roles, while the human baddies are secondary. Those roles are swapped in the novels—the creatures play secondary to the scheming or mishaps of their human counterpart. The biggest bads are scientists or rogue agents of the various above corporations trying to weaponize and study the xenomorphs.
The Complete Alien Collection: Symphony of Death from Titan Books is an amazing example of the wider canon of the Alien Franchise. The three books chosen to fill it are well connected and provide an interesting reader payoff. For fans of the movies who’ve never read the comics or novels, this collection is highly recommended.
May 21, 2025
The Book is comprised of 3 separate novels. The first book was awful IMHO the ML is a narcissistic sociopath with the most unrealistic plot armor. At one point the ml and a side character are crawling thru a cable tunnel. They run into a sleeping xenomorph whose described as being two feet away. The side character is panicking bc another xenomorph is chasing her, urging the ml to move. Then suddenly another xenomorph drops in from above, the ml head is pinned between its LEGS. Yet neither character suffers an injury and the author doesn't even make an attempt how they survived. I stopped reading bc it was so unbelievable how 3 xenomorphs would not unalive them.
The second book was way better with more world building and likeable characters. The villains were also fleshed out characters. There were some disappointments, most significant was the ending. The main character missing the ovamorph, is not believable after establishing the characters intelligence and thoroughness that she would not have thought to kill any possible eggs or hosts.
I didnt bother with the 3rd after reading the summary. I got the impression that the author could not decide on a single plot and tried to do all of them unsuccessfully.
The second book was way better with more world building and likeable characters. The villains were also fleshed out characters. There were some disappointments, most significant was the ending. The main character missing the ovamorph, is not believable after establishing the characters intelligence and thoroughness that she would not have thought to kill any possible eggs or hosts.
I didnt bother with the 3rd after reading the summary. I got the impression that the author could not decide on a single plot and tried to do all of them unsuccessfully.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2025
If “Phalanx” hadn’t existed, I’d say that Book 1 & 3 (book 2 tells a completely different story) are my front runners of all Aliens books. The first entry takes the more trusted and tried Alien trope of greedy WY doing what it does best, however uniquely delving into the world building of the franchise with a couple of well appreciated twists with the last novel.
I always recommend “Cold Forge” then “Phalanx” specifically in this order.
I always recommend “Cold Forge” then “Phalanx” specifically in this order.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews