Alien: Into Charybdis

Title: Alien: Into Charybdis

Author: Alex White

Published in: 2021

Date read: 20th April 2026

Score: 3/5

Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
Published in 2021, this novel is a standalone sequel to Alien: The Cold Forge. It is a high-octane blend of corporate espionage, survival horror, and military sci-fi, known for its intense pacing and deep dive into the terrifying adaptability of the Xenomorphs.

The Plot:
The story is set on Hasanar, an independent colony world that has built a technologically advanced society outside the control of the "Big Three" corporations. However, when the colony faces a massive technical failure, they are forced to hire a specialised team of contractors from Weyland-Yutani to fix their deep-sea facility, "Charybdis."

Among the contractors is Shy Hunt, a woman trying to escape her past. Upon arrival, the team realises that the "technical failure" was actually a cover for a secret research project involving a captured Xenomorph. When a rival corporate strike team from Seegson arrives to steal the research, the facility's containment fails. The "Charybdis" base, located miles underwater, becomes a pressurised deathtrap filled with warring soldiers and a rapidly evolving alien threat.

Key Characters:
• Shy Hunt: A tough, resourceful communications specialist and the heart of the story.
• Blue Marsalis: A returning character from The Cold Forge (via a synthetic body), whose brilliance and morally grey motivations drive the scientific plot.
• The Colonial Marines: A squad of soldiers caught between corporate orders and the sheer instinct for survival.

The Resolution:
Once again, I am not populating this part of the story. Partly to remove spoilers and partly because I am not fully sure of the best way to write it. I just didn't follow it closely enough to do this part justice.

Comments:
I am far too polite to give books a negative review, however, this one was not brilliant. I think that the most important thing to mention is that I loved Alex White's previous book that I read, Alien: Cold Forge so much that it may have given this one too big a pair of shoes to fill. (Not sure about my metaphors here). The story had merit and I was very impressed with the "Blue" link across the two books, however, the action took too long to start and when it did, it wasn't as smooth a process within the story telling. Good story, just not as good as the last one.

Books that we've read by Alex White (2):
Alien: The Cold Forge (2018), Alien: Into Charybdis (2021)