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itcamefromthepage's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was SO good and such a fun surprise. So much of the spirit of the series is there from the beginning, which is really impressive.
Spartans were horrible child soldiers from day one.
Spartans were horrible child soldiers from day one.
fieldofhats's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
“The junior bridge officers took a step back from the Chief. They weren’t used to seeing a Spartan in full Mjolnir armor up close. Most line troops had never even seen a Spartan. The ghostly, iridescent green of the armor plates and the matt black layers underneath made him look part gladiator, part machine. Or perhaps to the bridge crew, he looked as alien as the Covenant.”
It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid Halo novel and a great start to the whole series. I think Eric Nylund juggles a lot here; he wants high-stakes action, character moments, pressing thematic points, and allusions to mythology to top it all off. Nylund is good at all of these things, but details fall through the cracks when putting them all together in an average-length novel. Luckily, authors like Troy Denning and his Master Chief books help to fill in those gaps, though, which is nice. All in all, Nylund did a really great job with the story he set out to write. It’s not perfect, but I feel satisfied having read it.
Speaking of balancing a story, the book isn’t overloaded with action, but there’s plenty to keep that crowd entertained, and there’s a variety of it. I’m not a big fan of the ground battles, but I loved the space ship battles, particularly from Keyes’ point of view.
And to speak on the characters, Nylund is also good at setting up characters. We see John grow into his own as he finds his purpose in the UNSC, which informs everything else he learns about sacrifice, winning, and honor. Keyes has a creative mind, which got him in trouble before the narrative, but we see him use that mind in battle in a way that tells us a lot about who he is as a leader. Halsey represents the inner turmoil of the book, not only with the moral grayness of the Spartans but with all the downfalls and moral mishaps of the UNSC; she is there to remind us that just because something is effective, doesn’t make it right. Even characters like Lovell and Cortana have distinct character traits which the readers latch onto. Lovell’s laziness, informed by his traumatic past, makes him a sympathetic character, and his pairing with Keyes puts these two fractured minds together; and Cortana’s sly attitude is illustrated in how she talks to John, as well as how she amusingly sabotages Ackerson.
I want to mention the mythological allusions as well. Throughout the novel, Nylund ties the worldbuilding to real-world ancient mythologies and legends (Spartans, Mjolnir, Beowulf, etc.), which I think he does beautifully. Of course this wasn’t solely his idea, since many of the allusions appear in the game, but Nylund creates a world where it makes sense. The UNSC is a human military organization much like the United States, but connecting them to the ancient Spartans and having them fight a seemingly all-powerful, monstrous foe elevates them to a mythological perspective. And because of that, Nylund makes the reader feel as though they are reading the mythology of the future.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid Halo novel and a great start to the whole series. I think Eric Nylund juggles a lot here; he wants high-stakes action, character moments, pressing thematic points, and allusions to mythology to top it all off. Nylund is good at all of these things, but details fall through the cracks when putting them all together in an average-length novel. Luckily, authors like Troy Denning and his Master Chief books help to fill in those gaps, though, which is nice. All in all, Nylund did a really great job with the story he set out to write. It’s not perfect, but I feel satisfied having read it.
Speaking of balancing a story, the book isn’t overloaded with action, but there’s plenty to keep that crowd entertained, and there’s a variety of it. I’m not a big fan of the ground battles, but I loved the space ship battles, particularly from Keyes’ point of view.
And to speak on the characters, Nylund is also good at setting up characters. We see John grow into his own as he finds his purpose in the UNSC, which informs everything else he learns about sacrifice, winning, and honor. Keyes has a creative mind, which got him in trouble before the narrative, but we see him use that mind in battle in a way that tells us a lot about who he is as a leader. Halsey represents the inner turmoil of the book, not only with the moral grayness of the Spartans but with all the downfalls and moral mishaps of the UNSC; she is there to remind us that just because something is effective, doesn’t make it right. Even characters like Lovell and Cortana have distinct character traits which the readers latch onto. Lovell’s laziness, informed by his traumatic past, makes him a sympathetic character, and his pairing with Keyes puts these two fractured minds together; and Cortana’s sly attitude is illustrated in how she talks to John, as well as how she amusingly sabotages Ackerson.
I want to mention the mythological allusions as well. Throughout the novel, Nylund ties the worldbuilding to real-world ancient mythologies and legends (Spartans, Mjolnir, Beowulf, etc.), which I think he does beautifully. Of course this wasn’t solely his idea, since many of the allusions appear in the game, but Nylund creates a world where it makes sense. The UNSC is a human military organization much like the United States, but connecting them to the ancient Spartans and having them fight a seemingly all-powerful, monstrous foe elevates them to a mythological perspective. And because of that, Nylund makes the reader feel as though they are reading the mythology of the future.
mpalacio's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mrsandwitch77's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
owlyreadsalot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
joshpro's review
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I really enjoyed parts of this book being a Halo fan but I got to admit it was kind of a struggle to get through the whole thing. It really shined when we saw and maybe sometimes felt the emotions of master chief but some of the battle sequences really didn’t hold my attention overall not bad.
bordcat's review
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
whatisjacobreading's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
This book was pretty poorly written. It felt like a reading comprehension test you’d give to a 7th grader. If I hadn’t spent money on it I’d have DNF’d it around 25%. The beginning felt like a poor ripoff of Enders Game and while the second half of the book was more interesting it was overshadowed by prose so bad it made Brandon Sanderson look like Shakespeare. I feel betrayed by every positive review I’ve seen of this book.
bandren's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5