Damn right! I loved the entire Republic Commando series, and I was so sad when Etain died ! There were just so many compelling characters in the series, but it's such a shame that it got canned because Lucas decided to retcon the SW universe and make the Mandos pacifists. WHAT?! Anyway, I absolutely loved Glasslands! It really takes the Halo series into a new realm of politics and espionage, essentially interjecting Clancy-esque writing into a world essentially established by Nylund. I saw no real problems with this book, though I do kinda see what y'all are saying about Halsey losing those battles, but in all honesty, with the way Mendez and the others were approaching it, there was no real way to win, at least for her. And with all the others bashing Halsey, it pretty much shows how people make snap judgments without the whole details, ya know, the fact that the SPARTAN-II program essentially saved humanity's collective ass.
I'm glad some others are taking issue to Bear's style of writing. I read Cryptum, which was a fun read, don't get me wrong (essentially rewriting everything you know about the universe is pretty cool, btw), but there were several instances where I was left saying, "What the fuck just happened?" This mainly happened when Born gets captured, as well as when Mendicant Bias makes the whole world go to shit. He really could've explained the visuals a little more than he did.
And in response to the current topic, yeah, Halsey knew about SPARTAN-III since the novel First Strike when she found the file on Ackerson's computer
I had no problem understanding the events in Cryptum. You have to kinda put yourself in a different state of mind, since the book is written from the memoirs of a Forerunner, and therefore the language and style have reason to be so complex.
I started reading glasslands...I couldn't finish it. I had been eagerly awaiting the continuation of ghosts of onyx. I was kind hesitant when of someone else taking on the story. I didn't like what they did with Halsey, like a lot of people didn't, but it was more. I didn't like how they made everyone seem so backstabby. Halsey is manipulative, ONI is manipulative, hell someone is trying to restart the war with the Elites. the Fuck? why? We were on the brink of defeat and they want to start something? The side story of the elites needing to rediscover technology and stuff was cool though, I have to admit.
I'll probably get around to reading it again, make myself get all the way through it, but I like Bear's trilogy a lot better so far.
Trust me bro, It gets better. It look me a couple weeks to read the first chapter, but after that I kept reading on. And ONI is like americas CIA, very backstabbing. No trust. I loved it and Kilo-5, I thought it was a cool new perspective. What Traviss did with Halsey was my only problem with the book. I think Nylund should have been the one to finish the Onyx story, because he started it. and Left everything else up to Traviss. But overall it's a well written book and The ending is awesome.
And Bear's trilogy is amazing, just finished Primordial(I know, late to the party) but cant wait for the final book in the trilogy,
Err. It's not Traviss that made ONI "Backstabby" it's implied from the get go in Nylunds book that ONI are the good guys... but you really, really, really wish they weren't.
And besides, inciting a civil war among defeated enemies is not a new thing at all either.
That and can everyone NOT blame Karen Traviss for all these? The plot threads (e.g. the Sangheili Civil War) were set up by 343 to set things up for Halo 4
And, really, I find it not surprising that Halsey was made more overtly manipulative. She "kidnapped" Linda, and did all sorts of things on her own with the S-IIs.
And ONI have always been black-is-the-new-grey-area (e.g. kidnapping kids and replacing them with short-term flash clones); after all, ONI is who got the S-II and S-III programs rolling in the first place .
I dont think it was all of ONI that did certain actions such as flash clones. Halsey's section was a secret section. Even then sections within it were secret amongst each other. Halsey and maybe.. MAYBE a few good researchers knew the whole picture. Mendez didnt. You could say the left hand didnt know what the right was doing within ONI. Then ONI was only a section of the UNSC as a whole. So at most a group of less then 1000 people knew about the Spartan Program in an way. Halsey was made to be a villain instead of a shadowy figure who helped to make something to fight the Covenant. (Yes I know they were meant to fight the Insurrection but had a much larger purpose later.)
A secret section of ONI? Dude. That would imply there was a section of ONI that didn't keep a secret... and it wouldn't surprise me that leaking the inter-office coffee recipe probably gets you assassinated in ONI.
And yes, that was the point, secret agencies tend to go not only for the "Right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing" but ONI probably would make sure that one hand is hiding a knife, the other has a gun, and little does anyone know the other hands involved are typing in the detonation codes...
I had no problem with the complexity of his style, it's just that there wasn't enough about those scenes. I would've preferred to see lots of complicated crap about them than a paragraph or two glossing over how shit just hit the fan
Yeah, I don't agree with these common criticisms of both trilogies.
Maybe i'm missing something because Cryptum and Glasslands are the first Halo novels I read, but I really like both books. And I am eagerly anticipating the respective new releases. Only a month or so to Kilo-5 2!!!
Well, the sequel to Cryptum is already out (the third book will be coming out next year), but Fall of Reach is a must-read. It just about sets the precedence for space combat in sci fi
Sorry but no. Im still reading it, halfway through, and I know plenty of books that are better at Space Combat. Hell other Halo books take it. It it wasnt pitch black in my room I would check book case but off the top of my head. Old Man's War by John Scalzi, and the sequels are excellent space combat.
I just started Primordium last night and, like the idiot I am, I flipped through a few pages of the book and checked out the last few pages and I think I spoiled a pretty major plot point for myself
WARNING! BELOW IS A HUGE POTENTIAL SPOILER FOR THE HALO UNIVERSE! If I'm understanding it all correctly, Chakas becomes Guilty Spark?!
Please, no one tell me if I'm right in understanding, I'd rather find out for myself.
Not really. 343i Has actually gone back WITH the original authors and a few of the inconsistencies have been changed in newer editions of the book. Reach actually fits in with the books ALMOST perfectly now.
Ok took the time to finish Cryptum today. The "Space Battle" wasnt super impressive. Granted it gave a hell of a lot of insight into how Halos travel, defend themselves, and in general exist. I really do hope that the next book has combat of some kind. Atleast... more combat. Something... Also, Bornstellar is now Diadact? WAT
Something that gave me a moment of pure oh man what... And feel free to look at me and laugh for this But I never put two and two together.
The Librarian's Ark and the foe of the Flood. Noah's Ark and The Flood. IT WORKS
There are, it isn't perfect BUT if you get creative it can make SOME sense. The biggest inconsistency is Halsey finding out about the Spartan-III's existence, because if I remember correctly that happens right around the time Reach is glassed, but according to Reach Halsey ALREADY knew about the Spartan-III's.
That's the point. She learned about the Spartan-III's as Reach was being glassed, but in the GAME she knew the Spartan-III's before that point.
And she went to Onyx BECAUSE of the Spartan-III project. She kidnapped Kelly and went to Onyx specifically so she COULD observe/interfere with the Spartan-III project.
It's the one major inconsistency between the books and Reach that exists IMO.
That said, you could always assume that someone at UNSC/ONI fucked up the records and we're getting information out of chronological order. The Legendary Edition of Reach actually comes with a note saying that the game is an "Interactive Memoir" and that, like memories, not all the details are perfect. It's kind of a cop out in a way, but it makes the most sense to just assume these things aren't in the proper order.
I dont care that Bungie/Microsoft/Authors retconned what happened. I have Fall of Reach and to me its what happened... I have the audiobook. I think I will start listening to that this week. Again.
I can understand that, especially since Bungie's policy was apparently "The new information overwrites the old".
But like I said, if you look at the books and games as record files instead of first-person events as-they-happen, then you can (In your imagination) account for the inconsistencies.
Has anyone else finished reading The Thursday War by Karen Traviss? It's a really good book and I think I figured out how it leads into the reason for battling on Requiem.
Well, actually, it might be a little more like the book posted a billboard for the Halo 4 storyline.
