Michael Flynn’s 2006 Sci Fi novel Eifelheim, is a winner.
It’s a story that plays against type from the beginning and never lets go. Very imaginative and well done, particularly the dialogue between the Medieval European villagers and the grasshoppers from the stars.
I kept hoping the latter would save the former but finally realized they couldn’t. They weren’t much better equipped than their hosts. It’s a sad story but not a hopeless one and that makes it especially memorable and appealing.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
I recently finished January Dancer and Up Jim River by Flynn (two thumbs up on both, FWIW), and was wondering where to go next with him. So…this goes in the queue.
I have the sample of JD but haven’t gotten to it yet. UJR looked interesting. I’ll sample it, too. Thanks.
They’re part of loosely-connected serial.