The very first Halo novel, Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund tells not only the Battle and Fall of Reach, but how the Spartan-2 project came into existence, how Jacob Keyes became a Captain, and how Cortana was created into being. 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 alien onslaught. But Reach's defenders 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 the Master Chief--will live to fight another day on a mysterious and ancient artificial world called Halo...
The prologue beings with the Battle and Fall of Jericho VII. The Master Chief and Blue Team prevent Covenant forces from getting a fortress up and running, but lose the planet to the Covenant's glassing. Back in the past, Lt. Jacob Keyes and Dr. Catherine Halsey land on Eridanus 2 where Halsey looks over a boy called John. For the next few years, John and the other children, trained by CPO Franklin Mendez and an AI called Deja to fight against the Insurrectionists. Halsey has them bioengineered for super strength and speed. Not all make it through. A few months later and their first mission against the Innies goes well but dark times approach soon.
Admiral Stanforth, in a private meeting, reveals that Harvest has fallen to an unknown alien race. John-117 and the rest of the SPARTANs are being accelerated to Project MJOLNIR. During a fight against the Covenant, the SPARTAN known as Sam dies. In the Sigma Octanus Star System, the Covenant appear and attack. Jacob Keyes, now a Commander, fight the enemy. Admiral Stanforth arrives with the second largest space fleet ever seen and help retake the system while the Master Chief and three teams of SPARTANs retake the planet. During the battle, Keyes is promoted to Captain. The Covenant retreat, but not before placing a tracing beacon onto Keyes' ship. It leads them to Reach.
John-117 is given the MJOLNIR armor and tests it out with the AI Cortana. They pass with flying colors. A new mission is assigned the entire SPARTANs and Keyes. They are to take Pillar of Autumn and perform a hit in Covenant Space and capture a Prophet. Just as they are about to leave, the Covenant show up and being to destroy the planet. The Master Chief sends all of the SPARTANs down to defend Reach except Linda. Johnson and his strike team are disabling every vessel that's been damaged, wiping data so the Covenant can't find Earth. Linda and John end up in cryo. (This whole ending part of the novel takes place over the events of Halo: Reach, which shows the SPARTAN 3's waging war against the Covenant). Pillar of Autumn flees Reach and ends up in the Threshold system, where a mysterious ring is balanced between Threshold and its moon Basis.
All in all, a very well crafted and fast-paced novel from Eric Nylund. Despite being an 11-year-old novel, it's still one of the best in the Halo franchise.
The prologue beings with the Battle and Fall of Jericho VII. The Master Chief and Blue Team prevent Covenant forces from getting a fortress up and running, but lose the planet to the Covenant's glassing. Back in the past, Lt. Jacob Keyes and Dr. Catherine Halsey land on Eridanus 2 where Halsey looks over a boy called John. For the next few years, John and the other children, trained by CPO Franklin Mendez and an AI called Deja to fight against the Insurrectionists. Halsey has them bioengineered for super strength and speed. Not all make it through. A few months later and their first mission against the Innies goes well but dark times approach soon.
Admiral Stanforth, in a private meeting, reveals that Harvest has fallen to an unknown alien race. John-117 and the rest of the SPARTANs are being accelerated to Project MJOLNIR. During a fight against the Covenant, the SPARTAN known as Sam dies. In the Sigma Octanus Star System, the Covenant appear and attack. Jacob Keyes, now a Commander, fight the enemy. Admiral Stanforth arrives with the second largest space fleet ever seen and help retake the system while the Master Chief and three teams of SPARTANs retake the planet. During the battle, Keyes is promoted to Captain. The Covenant retreat, but not before placing a tracing beacon onto Keyes' ship. It leads them to Reach.
John-117 is given the MJOLNIR armor and tests it out with the AI Cortana. They pass with flying colors. A new mission is assigned the entire SPARTANs and Keyes. They are to take Pillar of Autumn and perform a hit in Covenant Space and capture a Prophet. Just as they are about to leave, the Covenant show up and being to destroy the planet. The Master Chief sends all of the SPARTANs down to defend Reach except Linda. Johnson and his strike team are disabling every vessel that's been damaged, wiping data so the Covenant can't find Earth. Linda and John end up in cryo. (This whole ending part of the novel takes place over the events of Halo: Reach, which shows the SPARTAN 3's waging war against the Covenant). Pillar of Autumn flees Reach and ends up in the Threshold system, where a mysterious ring is balanced between Threshold and its moon Basis.
All in all, a very well crafted and fast-paced novel from Eric Nylund. Despite being an 11-year-old novel, it's still one of the best in the Halo franchise.
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