A review by fieldofhats
Broken Circle by John Shirley

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“‘As you well know, Alpha Halo has been destroyed,’ Zo Resken said glumly as they paused by a pond. Something finned and golden wriggled in the water, like a bright thought in a dark mind.”

Unlike most Halo novels, this book spends much more time on political intrigue and world building, which is a very nice change of pace. If you’re looking for an action-packed, high-stakes story of super soldiers and aliens, this is not the book for you. This book is for the Halo fans who love world building, particularly when it relates to the aliens. It can get rather confusing at times, but it’s so worth it. It’s much more reminiscent of hard science fiction, as opposed to the action military sci-fi that most Halo novels are. That’s not a dis on traditional Halo novels by any means, I love the character work and themes that they bring to the literary canon of the universe, but Broken Circle brings something different and unique, which is nice.

I rather enjoyed the dual perspectives of Ussa and M’Ken

in the first half of the novel

and how they each dealt with the politics of their respective factions. They were also fantastic foils; both dedicated to honor, truth, and faith, with differing perspectives on faith and subsequently truth. Their ideologies aligned when it came to honor, though, making them great opposing foils.

The book spends more than half of the time with Ussa and M’Ken, and when their story ends, it feels complete. I felt like Shirley spent just enough time with them and ended that story right where it should have ended.

Speaking of the time jump, I loved Zo Resken and seeing his part in the Great Schism. I loved how Zo did what M’Ken couldn’t by siding completely with the Sanghili and doing what he knew was right, and I love that he found the courage to do that through M’Ken’s writings.

The theme of finding home is a very strong one in this novel, arguably the main thematic point of the novel. Every character is searching for either a home or somewhere to belong,

and while some don’t get the home they want, they find a place that accepts them. I loved the arc of Ussa and the colony being broken, then to be reforged millennia later with the help of M’Ken’s ancestor. And it was a very nice touch that the reforged colony resembled a Halo ring, reaffirming the thematic sacredness of home. And even though Bal’Tol wasn’t able to go back to Sanghelios, many of his people did, and they carried the message of Ussa with them.

The main characters of this book are those who have doubts about the Covenant. Of course the rebel factions of Ussa and his descendants, but also M’Ken and Zo. Both of the main San’Shyuum characters believe in the religion, but hate how the hierarchs are going about the doctrine. I don’t believe the intention of Shirley was allegorical, but it feels very much like people being driven away from a fundamentalist religion due to the church’s actions, but still believing in the spirituality of it.

One thing I’ve noticed in other Halo books which have Covenant perspectives is the uncanny parallel between the Covenant and fundamentalist christianity, and that’s still very much prevalent here, as is apparent with the point directly above. While this book doesn’t dive into the social politics of their system all too much, we know that the San’Shyuum and Sanghili culture are very patriarchal and structuralist, so it’s nice to see the main characters break away from that system, be it in action (like Ussa) or in thought (like M’Ken or Zo).

Overall, this is the best Halo book I have read so far. It’s so incredibly deep in its world building, themes, and characters. While it was confusing at times, the wiki was a great tool for a quick summary. If you’re a fan of political science fiction and themes of finding home, you’ll love this. If you’re intrigued by the aliens of Halo and how they function, this is the book for you.