@thraeryn Have you read any Julie Czerneda? Her Species Imperative trilogy is my favorite.
One of the cool things about her writing is that she’s a biologist, so she comes up with all kinds of interesting aliens and how their biology impacts their societies and their ability to interact with other species. (ex. ship design for a species that communicates by scent.)
She’s also got several other sci-fi series and a fantasy duology that are absolutely worth checking out.