I found the book only started to get good about 150 pages into it.

ItotheCtotheE

"if you're a fan of overly-descriptive novels, full to the brim with nigh-impenetrable military jargon and acronyms, this one's just calling out for you."

Why yes, yes it is.

Sonic84

I thought Contact Harvest was the weakest of the Halo books. The story was perfectly fine and quite intriguing, but the writing really turned me off.

.endejas.

I can say with full confidence that you will be terribly, terribly disappointed if you buy these. It has the worst over writing I've ever seen.

If you ever forget that there are aliens in the game, you won't in this book, they remind you every four lines.

Narb

Ive already read all of the books so meh

Enojy this halo related vid instead

+ Watch video

ZOIDBERG IS YOUR GOD

Yeah, I got two Halo books way back before Halo was a huge hit with people. I'll never get a Halo book ever again. I'm just wondering why we're talking about this now, when the books have been out since the first Xbox.

Legendary GIR

@topcatticus: As an atheist, I'm automatically predisposed to liking Biblical allusions in my writing. Its all a part of my brilliant sense of contradiction.

Linden Hills, here I come!

2NinjasTapedTogether

I own them all and am currently reading "Contact Harvest". Like most everyone else said "The Fall of Reach" and "First Strike" are both excellent reads. "Ghosts of Onyx" was really good but ended weird (REALLY weird.) And "Contact Harvest" is almost as good as "Fall or Reach" (so far, hopefully it doesn't take the same weird dip at the end like "Onyx".)

"The Flood"? Meh. It's an unfortunate catch-22 in that it won't make much sense if you haven't played the game, but if you HAVE played the game it's like reading a novelization of Legendary mode. Which isn't exactly BAD, just uninteresting; even with the extra, non-Master Chief scenes. In fact, I'm torn in that I hope they make novelizations of Halo 2 & 3 (I don't own an Xbox or Vista so I haven't played them), yet I'm concerned they would suffer the same fate if anyone but Eric Nylund wrote them.

Overall though, even for anyone NOT into Halo, but into good books in general (especially sci-fi/military stories), you can't go wrong with this series.

theblogcomics

@Dumari:

In that case, allow me to present you with a math or vision based trick to see if you meet some grisly end or continue with your story.

I think I only ever had one of those books. The one based on SMB 2. It was some weird shit. You could end up with Donkey Kong (somehow?!?), and some of the 'deaths' I remember scarred me as a child, haha.

Komrade_Kayce

Good points on both sides. I thought "The Flood" was sort of tough to get through, but I did sort of appreciate the way it incorporated some of the elites and grunts as actual thinking characters. The Fall of Reach was the best, IMO.

appaws

The author of the Flood is really quite good, but since "The Flood" was based on the actual game he couldn't do exactly what he wanted. Most of the other books by him are quite fun to read, especially his Legion of the Damned series. Anyways back to "Contact Harvest". It isn't the best book of the series, but it was okay. I would really suggest starting off with "The Fall of Reach", and working your way up from there. Doing this makes everything a bit easier to understand. Yeah, and I agree with what Kinburn said about understanding the story line better after you read at least "The Fall of Reach".

Woden501

@2NinjasTapedTogether: "Hey! I know what would be a great idea! Let's make a game, but it's like Genesis....you know, the Bible! They'll eat that shit up. Doesn't matter if our characters have the oration skills of a cactus, we're telling the story of the greatest best seller in history! With guns and semi-badass names! And then we can sell 'em all books based on our game, based on the bible. Ka-ching!"

I can hear the fellating sound from Kirkland from here.

topcatticus

I'll stick to Daniel Pennac, thank you ! I know I'm judging something I've never layed my eyes on, cause I'd feel like I'm betraying a whole bunch of good, well written books ! You know the ones not made to make profits on the hype surrounding a video game ...

Anyway, going to read ­«La petite marchande de prose», brb

Shteve

The flood wasn't a bad novel. I found it that it some very good action sequences. I think the only reason it gets a bad rap is because it was actually based on the game. So after playing the game and reading the novel people got a bad taste I assume.

exkon

Hold it - why all the lame Halo: The Flood reviews? I found it to be second best in the series, just after Fall of Reach (First Strike was very good but I had to read it twice to reall get it). Yes it's about what went on during the events of Halo but it follows SO much more then just the Chief. Great insight into many more characters.

I have finished Ghosts but I'm still working on this one. So far so good:)

Kovitlac

@Kinburn: I was just about to mention picking these up from my local library as well. Good to hear they're a good read, and w/o the Flood. I only ever played the first Halo, but quit shortly after the Flood were introduced.

eugaet

I borrowed all the Halo books from my local library. First Strike and Ghosts of Onyx were really good, skip the flood. I found after reading the books I had more of apparition of the Halo games plot line since I finally understood what was going on.

Kinburn

I did like the first Halo book quite a bit (The Fall of Reach). It basically starts with MC as a little kid getting pulled into this military program against his will and talks about the Spartan program's origins.

I tried to read the second book (by a different author) - it's essentially the novelization of Halo 1, so it's obviously not going to be as good as the first book. I don't necessarily fault the author, I can't imagine trying to get a couple hundred pages out of that game.

I'll eventually read the rest of them.

KaneRobot

The book is perhaps, third on my list of Halo novels. Good, but Fall of Reach and First strike are better. Ghost of Onyx had its moments but in the end it left me with a bad taste... sort of like paper in my mouth.

Contact Harvest is very military focused story telling. So don't expect any romance or Spartan stories. That much I did love. I'm sort of burned out on all the Master Chief wins all, bull.

Black_Ops_19

The books by Eric Nylund are all very good. As a matter of fact I was really pissed off that halo 3 barely even aknowleged they existed. The books are actually much better than the games story wise. Hell if Microsoft did a spinoff game that followed Nylund's origin story for the Spartan program it would be a megahit.

Reading the Nylund books really adds a lot of perspective to the game's story and makes Master Chief a much more dynamic, interesting character. As far as his writing style goes, if you like Ender's game then you'll most likely enjoy his stuff. He's like a low rent Orson Scott Card, which isn't a bad thing by any means.

Stay far away from "The Flood". It was not written by Nylund, and it's basically a written account of what it's like to run down a million corridors that all look the same while mindlessly shooting stuff. Basically it's all the worst aspects of the first Halo in book form. Hopefully the author for "Contact Harvest" won't be equally dissapointing.

HamboneWilson

i dont play halo but i'd buy the novels.

Amiash

Wow im surprised, the book actually seems qutie decent - surprisingly.

I'd actually consider buying it now....

muscrat_01

FTA: "You're in a pickle. I can sense it. You love Halo. But you don't love reading. Or, you love Halo, and love reading.."

What if I hate Halo and love reading?.. oh wait, that's right, I pick up a standard book.

Now if I love reading, and want to read a book based on a game, I'd read the Doom books by Dafydd ab Hugh (yes, that is his name), again.

They're pretty freaking sweet.

AndrewDB

@Rickster: You don't need to. It was pretty obvious, and wouldn't change the meaning of your award-winningly clever remark at all.

Moonshadow101

@Moonshadow101: forgot to put my /sarcasm tag

Rickster

@Rickster: You're so clever, YOU should be a writer.

Moonshadow101

I'll stick to my 'Super Mario Bros : Choose your own path' books thank you

Dumari

reviews: OMG 9.5/10!!!!11

Rickster

Eric Nylund is by far the best writer for the Halo books.

Nature_1

Good luck to the book author! :D
Imagine the reviews of this book:

tl;dr

tei

I turn to Dickens if I'm in an "overly-descriptive" mood.

Which is never.

SmilingPolitely

How 'bout those of us who love reading... but hate Halo?

Yeah, I'll move along...

2NinjasTapedTogether

Hey, I like the Halo books. The Fall of Reach is still the best in the series, Eric Nylund does a great job, especially when hectic making action scenes easy to understand. This Contact Harvest does seem quite heavy on the military jargon in comparison. I'll still pick it up though.

DismantleRepair

PDF warning on that link please. My laptop ground to a halt opening it.

SPni

nice plug
real tidy

matteblender

well i've read about 4 five hundred page books in the last two weeks(fiction is entertaining, sue me). I had gotten ghosts of onyx, and no doubt the book started out rockem sockem, describing a battle more epic than anything found in any of the games, but then it it started going into a form of story telling that skips to the past, and back to the future over and over again and I hate that crap.

Dimipapa

I got Contact Harvest the week it came out. It was okay, but not up to the standard of First Strike and Ghosts of Onyx.

Wookiee1