Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
by Eric Nylund, William C. Dietz
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Book Summary Information
Author: Eric Nylund, William C. DietzEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Box set
Published: 2004-09-28
ISBN: 0345473043
Number of pages: 200
Publisher: Del Rey
Product features:
- The Fall of Reach
- The Flood
- First Strike
Book Reviews of Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
Book Review: Books flesh out the details of the amazing "Halo" series
Summary: 5 Stars
At first, I was hesitant to pick these titles up for the simple fact that, while I am a "gamer," I'm not real big on sci-fi reading. I also feared that these books might add up to little more than fodder to lure more money out of the pockets of die-hard "Halo" fans by pandering to the already fanatical following the game has produced.
And I was wrong.
Halo's story successfully crosses the media lines in three amazing books that actually enriched my appreciation of the games.
I used to like the fact that the Master Chief was that quintessential tough guy: mysterious and unbeatable, eternally resourceful and cool-headed, cold and battle-hardened. And, if you've played the games, then you know the gimmick: you never see his face.
Well, these books unmask our beloved Spartan 117, literally and figuratively. Initially, I was a little jaded that these authors took it upon themselves to encroach upon the intergalactic man-of-mystery, but it wasn't long before I warmed up to learning his history and fighting his battles from a third-person perspective that's actually more "first-person" than even the game can offer. I learned to appreciate the depth of the human inside the helmet.
I also enjoyed learning about the other Spartans and the tight fraternal bonds they forge with each other: bred and trained for battle, loyalty and duty, though essentially ostracized, feared and misunderstood by their "normal" human counterparts; there are several points when it's said that the other marines see the Spartans as being as alien as the alien race their fighting against.
Most interesting, however, are the stories you get that the games never touch upon. There's many story-lines and characters introduced here that the games don't even mention, for obvious reasons- primarily because the games came out first. The first book takes place before (and sets up) the first game; the second book is pretty much the first game verbatim, from beginning to end, and the third is the detailing of events between the end of the first game and beginning of the second, Halo 2. In a lot of ways, it seems as if this console-to-page transition is similar to the efforts made a couple years back with the Matrix titles. In order to get the whole Matrix story, aside from the three films, one had to play a Matrix video game, watch a direct to DVD title and read Matrix books, all of which acted as vital arcs in the circle of events throughout the saga. Halo's last book, "First Strike" introduces a lot of loose ends that are left to dangle even throughout the second game. And we thought Halo 2's cliff-hanger ending couldn't get any worse! Now, I'm positively chompin' at the bit with anticipation of Halo 3.
I'd say these titles work on a number of levels. Most importantly, I believe that the success of these games and books somehow asserts and validates gaming as a rapidly growing and infections new form of entertainment capable of holding its own next to blockbusting movies and New York Times best-selling novels; video games aren't just "for the kids" anymore. The story-telling and intrigue found in a game can be just as compelling, if not more so, than most of the rubbish Hollywood churns out anymore- not to mention that you get to participate and enjoy a sense of achievement as the stories unfold.
I don't know if anymore books are in the making; perhaps they're waiting for Halo 3, but there's still a lot of story to tell, so I certainly hope I get the chance to read on.
Summary of Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
The official novels of the award-winning Xbox game! This set contains The Fall of Reach, First Strike, and The Flood -- the complete chronicles of the bloody Human-Covenant War on Halo.The Fall of Reach
As the bloody Human-Covenant War rages on Halo, the fate of humankind may rest with one warrior, the lone SPARTAN survivor of another legendary battle . . . the desperate, take-no-prisoners struggle that led humanity to Halo--the fall of the planet Reach. Now, brought to life for the first time, here is the full story of that glorious, doomed conflict.
First Strike
The Human-Covenant war rages on as the alien juggernaut sweeps inexorably toward its final goal: destruction of all human life!
The Flood
The Human-Covenant War, a desperate struggle for humankind?s very survival, has reached its boiling point on the mysterious, ring world called Halo. But the fierce Covenant warriors, the mightiest alien military force known, are not the only peril lying in wait.
Bungie, Halo, Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. (c) 2001-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved
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