Book Description
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.
While the brutal Covenant juggernaut sweeps inexorably through space, intent on wiping out humankind, only one stronghold remains--the planet Reach. Practically on Earth's doorstep, it is the last military fortress to defy the onslaught. But the personnel here have another, higher priority: to prevent the Covenant from discovering the location of Earth.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers seem to have little chance against the Covenant, but Reach holds a closely guarded secret. It is the training ground for the very first "super soldiers." Code-named SPARTANs, these highly advanced warriors, specially bioengineered and technologically augmented, are the best in the universe--quiet, professional, and deadly.
Now, as the ferocious Covenant attack begins, a handful of SPARTANs stand ready to wage ultimate war. They will kill, they will be destroyed, but they will never surrender. And at least one of them--the SPARTAN known as Master Chief--will live to fight another day on a mysterious and ancient, artificial world called Halo. . . .
Bungie, Halo, Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States andor other countries. Used under license. (c) 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved
From the Inside Flap
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.
While the brutal Covenant juggernaut sweeps inexorably through space, intent on wiping out humankind, only one stronghold remains--the planet Reach. Practically on Earth's doorstep, it is the last military fortress to defy the onslaught. But the personnel here have another, higher priority: to prevent the Covenant from discovering the location of Earth.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers seem to have little chance against the Covenant, but Reach holds a closely guarded secret. It is the training ground for the very first "super soldiers." Code-named SPARTANs, these highly advanced warriors, specially bioengineered and technologically augmented, are the best in the universe--quiet, professional, and deadly.
Now, as the ferocious Covenant attack begins, a handful of SPARTANs stand ready to wage ultimate war. They will kill, they will be destroyed, but they will never surrender. And at least one of them--the SPARTAN known as Master Chief--will live to fight another day on a mysterious and ancient, artificial world called Halo. . . .
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 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved
About the Author
Eric Nylund has a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a Master’s degree in chemical physics. He has published five novels: virtual reality thrillers A Signal Shattered and Signal To Noise; contemporary fantasy novels Pawn’s Dream and Dry Water (nominated for the 1997 World Fantasy Award); and the science fantasy novel A Game of Universe. Nylund attended the 1994 Clarion West Writer’s Workshop. He lives near Seattle on a rain-drenched mountain with his wife, Syne Mitchell.
Halo: The Fall of the Reach FROM THE PUBLISHER
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.
SYNOPSIS
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.
FROM THE CRITICS
VOYA - Timothy Capehart
Back in the year 2517, Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey began an experiment she hoped could improve the military's ability to keep the peace. She scoured the human colonies for genetically perfect soldiers... all aged six. Her Spartans spent their youth training to become an elite fighting force. Once graduated, their bones are strengthened mechanically and their minds biochemically sharpened. Now as humanity faces a new enemy, the adult Spartans are ready. The Covenant, a consortium of alien races, begins attacking outlying human colonies. Their god has ordered the destruction of humankind, and the Covenant is gunning for the military stronghold of Planet Reach and Earth itself. The Spartan soldiers are further augmented by computerized armor, and the real battle begins. This military science fiction novel, billed as a prequel to the Microsoft Xbox game Halo, is an excellent genre read. The central figures in the novel, Dr. Halsey, Captain Keyes, and Spartan Master Chief John (the last two of which appear in the game), are all well-constructed, thinking characters. The pace is snappy. The bad guys are way bad (and not all of them are alien), and the good guys are not flawless. Even those teens who do not have the game, which indeed takes up where the book leaves off, will enjoy the shoot-'em-up heroics and the twisting plot line. The narrative jumps around a bit too much in time throughout the first half of the book, and readers might feel as if they need a star chart or a fleet manifest at times. Even devout PlayStation2 gamers who will never see the Xbox exclusive will find this military thriller set in the far future hard to put down. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P S A/YA (Better than most, marredonly by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2001, Del Rey, 340p,
Art & Photography
Book Info
