I lurk a lot, but wanted to throw in my two cents.
Out of the Shadows started brilliantly. Got weak in the middle. And the ending was a bit of a head shaker.
Sea of Sorrows was pretty weak all around. So much gunfire for nothing. Mired in action movie cliches. And a main character that was like 'He's what? And he's who?' Burke might have been a corporate stooge who saw an opportunity and jumped at it, but that doesn't make him a compulsive liar.
If River of Pain gives us a good backstory without trying to do its own thing, I'll be happy.
The biggest disappointment is that the novels are titled ALIEN. I was hoping for something more Alien, and less Aliens. Mind, I got Alien: Isolation, so I can't complain.
I'm going to keep an open mind for River of Pain. I like Chris's writing. I'll enjoy it, regardless. But I hope it sticks closer to the dynamic we've seen in Fire and Stone so far.
Ordinary people in extraordinary situations.