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dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Exciting story about humanity's first contact with the Covenant, and the deadly first battles of the war. There's also a great b-plot about a Grunt and an Engineer that humanizes the aliens of the Covenant, reminding us that there's actual characters on the other side outside of the Prophets and everyone's favorite Arbiter. And it's by Joe Staten, one of the lead writers on the Bungie-era Halo games, so you know there's some great lore in here. Check it out, even if you're not a mega-fan of the games.
Honestly, I liked this a lot more than I expected to. I enjoyed the first 2 Halo games (really hope to play 3 someday), and as I've heard the series called "the Star Wars of this generation I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the non-game material out there. This book was written by one of the series' developers (who also happens to have a theater degree). It was more well-written than I thought it would be, even if things started to fall apart a little near the end. It was also great to see more of Johnson, who is little more than a caricature in the games.
A neet pre Halobstory of Sergeant Avery Johnson. As a fan of the games I enjoyed this story a lot. Sone Halo books fail to deliver. This one doesnt
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great origin story of Sgt. Johnson. Also very topical with the insurrection that he's fighting at the beginning. Neat to see the origin of the minor character of Jenkins who makes an appearance in Halo: Combat Evolved. No Spartans in this one, but it does not suffer for it.
PARENTAL WARNING! There is a sex scene at the very end. While not terribly graphic or anything, it is obvious what's going on. It was the last 5 min in the epilogue on the audio version. If you miss it, it's not that bad, they actually care about each other.
PARENTAL WARNING! There is a sex scene at the very end. While not terribly graphic or anything, it is obvious what's going on. It was the last 5 min in the epilogue on the audio version. If you miss it, it's not that bad, they actually care about each other.
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Part of my 2021-2022 Halo Timeline-order read-a-thon series.
Joe Staten's foray into the novelization of Halo came at a great time in the series: With Halo 3 well on its way and the extended universe (EU) having covered everything else from pre-first contact to the end of the war, it was time to delve into how the Human-Covenant War all began.
To Joe's credit, multiple lenses are cast on the start of the war: An Unggoy (the lowest caste of the Covenant's hierarchical empire) whose deep faith is challenged in the face of the discovery of humankind; a clever and enterprising tribe of Jiralhanae well-positioned to set history; the politically fraught heart of the Covenant Empire as seen through the eyes of its to-be leaders; and most importantly, the human and A.I. characters who are the staple of most of Halo's EU, who shepherd us through those uncertain early days of first contact.
The read is engaging and rewarding for both lore enthusiasts and character-driven readers alike, and although I have read this book multiple times, it is always a pleasure to return to.
Joe Staten's foray into the novelization of Halo came at a great time in the series: With Halo 3 well on its way and the extended universe (EU) having covered everything else from pre-first contact to the end of the war, it was time to delve into how the Human-Covenant War all began.
To Joe's credit, multiple lenses are cast on the start of the war: An Unggoy (the lowest caste of the Covenant's hierarchical empire) whose deep faith is challenged in the face of the discovery of humankind; a clever and enterprising tribe of Jiralhanae well-positioned to set history; the politically fraught heart of the Covenant Empire as seen through the eyes of its to-be leaders; and most importantly, the human and A.I. characters who are the staple of most of Halo's EU, who shepherd us through those uncertain early days of first contact.
The read is engaging and rewarding for both lore enthusiasts and character-driven readers alike, and although I have read this book multiple times, it is always a pleasure to return to.