Customer Reviews

Halo: First Strike

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Star Wars. The Forever War. The Golden Age. Starship Troopers. Halo: The Fall of Reach.

What do these have in common? They are among the SF stories (or franchises) that have had the greatest impact on me. And I can say with certainty that Nylund's "Fall of Reach" was at the top of my list. Until Halo: First Strike.

I borrowed FoR from a friend. I read it 6 times before he made me give it back and buy my own copy (a decision I have not regretted yet). I then read it at least a dozen more times. It is the reason I am a Halo fan. It was that good.

When The Flood came out, I was both excited and dismayed- excited because there was more Halo for my insatiable mind to absorb, but disappointed because Nylund was not the author. (I have nothing against Dietz, but he needs to stick to books in universes of his own creation. He's too by-the-book for Halo, especially for a pre-established plot.) I read it and was inevitably disappointed- it was good, but by no means did it live up to FoR's legacy.

I was among the first to find out about the release of First Strike, and I was excited to hear that Nylund was writing it. I was also happy to hear that it would not take place as part of the plot of either game, but as its own unique story, which is part of what made FoR really shine. I had high hopes for this book.

I was not disappointed.

Halo: First Strike surpasses FoR in every conceivable way. The characterization is incredible, the action is mind-blowing, the plot twists stunning. It will answer questions about Halo you have not even thought of. It takes place between Halo and Halo 2, but goes deeper than even I could have imagined. And over it all, there are subtle hints that something bigger is going on. It is the same mysterious sense of majesty that made Halo so incredible. The atmosphere, the mood, the wonder of it-this is a book every Halo fan should read. But First Strike, like FoR, is not just for fanboys. It is not just the best of the three Halo books, but it is among the best SF I have ever read. And I've read a whole freaking lot.

First Strike was satisfying in the same way FoR was: when I turned the last page, the only thing on my mind was "Wow." Immediately followed by "I gotta read that again." The only disappointing thing is that like its predecessor, it will be vastly under-publicized. As a serial paperback, it will receive no media attention, no appreciative comments by fellow authors printed on the back, no chance of becoming a hardcover. Just the fact that it is a video-game novel will prevent most people I know from picking it up. But none of that prevents First Strike from being one incredible piece of work. Even flawless. Nylund has an incredible gift, and I am truly inspired.

After I finish this review, and after finishing my third read, I'm going to go shove this book in the faces of everyone I know and scream "READ THIS!!!" Then I'm going to sit down and finish my own SF classic, which I will dedicate to Eric Nylund. And then... I'll read it a couple dozen more times.

It's just that good.

This is an excellent book. I am a science fiction fan but only read this because my kids had it and they wanted to read it simply because they have the Halo game. This book holds it's own as great science fiction and I recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction, as well as to gamers who want more Halo!

This is a must for Halo fan, and even if your just a casual gamer and played Halo, will find this an amazing Sci Fi twist turning novel. I loved this book and plus it leads into Halo 2. Although I would recommend you play halo or read Fall of Reach before this or else it will seem out of place.

It had all the elements to make up an exciting and believable space opera within the Human-Covenant War storyline and characters. Just as other great sci-fi works, past and present, have done in this same adventurous genre: "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "Foundation", "2001", "2010", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Ringworld", all the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" books, "Advent of the Corps" and others.

ok now I Have read all the halo books including first strike. the fall of reach and the flood are both great books, and so is First strike. it follows the journey of Master Chief on his way back to earth (at the same time setting it up for halo 2). it is very well written and will keep you reading and reading until you either have to stop because it is so late at night, or you have finished the book. it also brings up some interesting plot twists that will be dealt with in halo 2. the action sequences are top-notch, and the surroundings are very detailed when you read the book and you almost feel like you are there. so basically, if you have played halo and have read the other 2 books before this, then this book is a must read, if you dont even know who master chief or cortana is or even what halo is, stay away from this book, because it will confuse you.

For some, the Halo Series has been at it's best when written by Eric Nylund. While the Flood certainly wasn't bad, combined with the fact that it was written by a different author with a plot that most of us knew, made it a little boring but nonetheless a more indepth version of Halo.

However, Nylund is back and so is his brilliant style of writing and conveying scenes of non-stop acting in First Strike.
Those who have loved the series so far will continue to be impressed with the newest novel until the one which will tell the story of Halo 2.

First Strike of course picks up pretty much right where Halo (The Flood) leaves off with John and Cortana floating in space in the hope of finding survivors.

They find survivors and embark on a quest to find Reach and possibly any Spartan's left on it.

Without spoiling the book too much, John will have some backup for the upcoming war with the Covenant.

Overall, if you haven't read this book you're missing out on a great preview to Halo 2 and a great read for any science fiction fan as well.

This book is a must have for all Halo: Combat Evolved fans. I first played Halo and became addicted to it. It became my favorite game. Then as I am walking through a book store I see books with the label Halo! I immeadiately bought all three and have enjoyed them ever since. The books explain and expand the story of Halo. You would never get the true depth of the story by only playing the game. First Strike covers the time period immeadiately after the ending cinematic scene in Halo. It continues the story and puts into perspective just how close the human race is to destruction. The Covenant have found Earth and are now preparing a huse assualt force. Also there is a surprise. Let me ask you, is the sentence "The last surviving Spartan" completely true? Read the book.

Without a single doubt in my (...)self, "First Strike" is an excellent novel and definitely a must-read for any reader whos looking into the sci-fi side of things. For hardcore Halo fans though this book is a tad-bit misleading. First off, according to the back of the book this story takes place AFTER Halo the game. Thus I was intrigued to read this novel as I wanted to know what was going to happen in Halo 2. Then I read the first two pages. It turns out that this really isn't after Halo is takes place after the Fall of Reach and before The Flood. As I said before, it still is a great book; but, those who bought it looking for what the book advertised (the story after Halo) will be sorry to find a sequel to the prequel. Enjoy!

It had all the elements to make up an exciting and believable space opera within the Human-Covenant War storyline and characters. Just as other great sci-fi works, past and present, have done in this same adventurous genre: "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "Foundation", "2001", "2010", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Ringworld", all the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" books, as well as books as new to the genre as "Advent of the Corps" and others.

Um.... WOW

Im a comlete HALO fanatic. I love the game and needed more. Bought The Fall of Reach, it was awesome as well. But after it all i was left craving more. Yesterday i bought First Strike and read it in one sitting. It was that engrossing. Everything from the Escape from Halo to the actual strike upon the Covenant it was a tactical masterpiece. The combat scenes were well planned and actualty made sense. The space battles ans scientific descriptions of theories made sense as well. Plot was clearly driven, well just about everything was awesome.

Amust read for fans of Halo, but before you do, buy The Fall of Reach, beat halo countless times and then read it so you are not confused with story as it is a direct continuation.
Awesome read.