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A review by _library_of_lucy_
Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten
3.0
Joseph Staten’s Contact Harvest is a science fiction novel based on the Halo Universe video games. I, personally, am a massive fan of the Halo Universe. Being able to read deeper into the world that I have grown up with has been amazing. That being said, this novel was not one that flowed easily for me. I started it January 4th and it took a solid three weeks to finish this 393-page book.
Contact Harvest is the beginning of it all. The story follows the battle-weary Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson as he struggles through a human-controlled space locked in the Insurrection, a virulent civil war. Despite the peaceful, agricultural populous that resides on the planet, Harvest, humanity is about to make the first contact with the aggressive, zealous aliens making up the Covenant.
I love having, even more, history into Halo and it’s characters, however, the build up in the book was like slogging through cold molasses. The character building for both the human and the alien individuals was surprisingly thorough. Nevertheless, there was a lot of information to absorb. The book was heavy with detail; even for someone who has read other Halo novels and played most of the Halo video games multiple times, I caught myself rereading several paragraphs just to retain and understand a great deal of the particulars.
Overall, it was a good read and after about 250 pages in, the story really picked up and became a real page turner. I like the fact that I was given more history into a universe that I have loved for a very long time, but I do wish I had been better hooked in the beginning. I give it a 3 out of 5 for great character development and attention to detail, and while I thought the overload of information and details was hard to labor through, it did help provide insight into Halo Universe.
Contact Harvest is a great read and I do recommend it. I also recommend being able to devote quite a bit of time and mental space to the story.
Contact Harvest is the beginning of it all. The story follows the battle-weary Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson as he struggles through a human-controlled space locked in the Insurrection, a virulent civil war. Despite the peaceful, agricultural populous that resides on the planet, Harvest, humanity is about to make the first contact with the aggressive, zealous aliens making up the Covenant.
I love having, even more, history into Halo and it’s characters, however, the build up in the book was like slogging through cold molasses. The character building for both the human and the alien individuals was surprisingly thorough. Nevertheless, there was a lot of information to absorb. The book was heavy with detail; even for someone who has read other Halo novels and played most of the Halo video games multiple times, I caught myself rereading several paragraphs just to retain and understand a great deal of the particulars.
Overall, it was a good read and after about 250 pages in, the story really picked up and became a real page turner. I like the fact that I was given more history into a universe that I have loved for a very long time, but I do wish I had been better hooked in the beginning. I give it a 3 out of 5 for great character development and attention to detail, and while I thought the overload of information and details was hard to labor through, it did help provide insight into Halo Universe.
Contact Harvest is a great read and I do recommend it. I also recommend being able to devote quite a bit of time and mental space to the story.