I am typically leery about books or movies
that are tied to video games. There are a few good ones but the majority
are not so good. I have not read any of the other Halo novels and I
have only played the original Halo game on the PC. I do not remember
much about the game except it was an above average run-n-gun shooter.
But, I am big a fan of Tobias Buckell. His three other novels, Crystal
Rain, Ragamuffin and Sly Mongoose, were excellent and I thought that his
writing style would blend seamlessly with this type of book.
Tobias Buckell excels at writing converging complex action sequences that leave you on the edge of your seat. Think of it this way, remember the end of Return of the Jedi. There was three different story lines going on at the same time; the space battle, the battle on Endor and Darth Vader and Luke going at each other with lightsabers. Very exciting and the viewer could follow the action with ease. Tobias Buckell replicates this type of excitement in his Halo novel and more importantly, you always know what is going on.
Dust Jacket Summary: In the first, desperate days of the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC has enacted the Cole Protocol to safeguard Earth and its Inner Colonies from discovery by a merciless alien foe. Many are called upon to rid the universe of lingering navigation data that would reveal the location of Earth. Among them is Navy Lieutenant Jacob Keyes. Thrust back into action after being sidelined, Keyes is saddled with a top secret mission by ONI. One that will take him deep behind enemy lines, to a corner of the universe where nothing is as it seems. Out beyond the Outer Colonies lies the planet Hesiod, a gas giant surrounded by a vast asteroid belt. As the Covenant continues to glass the human occupied planets near Hesiod, many of the survivors, helped by a stronghold of human Insurrectionists, are fleeing to the asteroid belt for refuge. They have transformed the tumbling satellites into a tenuous, yet ingenious, settlement known as the Rubble–and have come face-to-face with a Covenant settlement of Kig-Yar . . . yet somehow survived. News of this unlikely treaty has spread to the warring sides. Luckily for the UNSC, this uneasy alliance is in the path of the Spartan Gray Team, a three-man renegade squad whose simple task is to wreak havoc from behind enemy lines in any way they see fit. But the Prophets have also sent their best—an ambitious and ruthless Elite, whose quest for nobility and rank is matched only by his brutality . . . and who will do anything to secure his Ascendancy and walk the Path.
What I liked: You do not need to familiar with the source material to enjoy this novel. Tobias Buckell does a good job of providing the reader enough of the background of the Covenant, the UNSC and the reason there is war between the two factions. I really enjoyed the storyline involving the Covenant and its different factions that make it up. The Prophets, Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Sangheili are all different species and their rivalries inside the Covenant make of some of the best parts of the novel.
The factions of the UNSC are also well represented. The UNSC, a Spartan Gray Team and the colonists of the Rubble are forced into an alliance when the Covenant attacks. Lieutenant Keyes is my favorite character along the members of the Spartan Gray Team and I hope to further adventures involving them.
Lastly, the cover art is flat out cool.
What I didn’t like: This is not a character novel. The backgrounds of the characters are only touched upon but never fully fleshed out. This may put off some readers who enjoy their 700 page magnum opus.
Last word: Personally, I think this novel works because it is not tied to a specific product and the writer was allowed to tell his story inside the Halo universe. If you enjoyed previous Halo or Tobias Buckell novels, then this book is for you. If you are uneasy about a video game tie novel, don’t be, this high adventure space opera at its finest.
Tobias Buckell excels at writing converging complex action sequences that leave you on the edge of your seat. Think of it this way, remember the end of Return of the Jedi. There was three different story lines going on at the same time; the space battle, the battle on Endor and Darth Vader and Luke going at each other with lightsabers. Very exciting and the viewer could follow the action with ease. Tobias Buckell replicates this type of excitement in his Halo novel and more importantly, you always know what is going on.
Dust Jacket Summary: In the first, desperate days of the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC has enacted the Cole Protocol to safeguard Earth and its Inner Colonies from discovery by a merciless alien foe. Many are called upon to rid the universe of lingering navigation data that would reveal the location of Earth. Among them is Navy Lieutenant Jacob Keyes. Thrust back into action after being sidelined, Keyes is saddled with a top secret mission by ONI. One that will take him deep behind enemy lines, to a corner of the universe where nothing is as it seems. Out beyond the Outer Colonies lies the planet Hesiod, a gas giant surrounded by a vast asteroid belt. As the Covenant continues to glass the human occupied planets near Hesiod, many of the survivors, helped by a stronghold of human Insurrectionists, are fleeing to the asteroid belt for refuge. They have transformed the tumbling satellites into a tenuous, yet ingenious, settlement known as the Rubble–and have come face-to-face with a Covenant settlement of Kig-Yar . . . yet somehow survived. News of this unlikely treaty has spread to the warring sides. Luckily for the UNSC, this uneasy alliance is in the path of the Spartan Gray Team, a three-man renegade squad whose simple task is to wreak havoc from behind enemy lines in any way they see fit. But the Prophets have also sent their best—an ambitious and ruthless Elite, whose quest for nobility and rank is matched only by his brutality . . . and who will do anything to secure his Ascendancy and walk the Path.
What I liked: You do not need to familiar with the source material to enjoy this novel. Tobias Buckell does a good job of providing the reader enough of the background of the Covenant, the UNSC and the reason there is war between the two factions. I really enjoyed the storyline involving the Covenant and its different factions that make it up. The Prophets, Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Sangheili are all different species and their rivalries inside the Covenant make of some of the best parts of the novel.
The factions of the UNSC are also well represented. The UNSC, a Spartan Gray Team and the colonists of the Rubble are forced into an alliance when the Covenant attacks. Lieutenant Keyes is my favorite character along the members of the Spartan Gray Team and I hope to further adventures involving them.
Lastly, the cover art is flat out cool.
What I didn’t like: This is not a character novel. The backgrounds of the characters are only touched upon but never fully fleshed out. This may put off some readers who enjoy their 700 page magnum opus.
Last word: Personally, I think this novel works because it is not tied to a specific product and the writer was allowed to tell his story inside the Halo universe. If you enjoyed previous Halo or Tobias Buckell novels, then this book is for you. If you are uneasy about a video game tie novel, don’t be, this high adventure space opera at its finest.
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