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Yep, another Halo book, this one by Joseph Staten, one of the writers for the game. For a debut novel, it's pretty strong. It does suffer from one consistent inconsistency - the main character is the only human in the book that is always referred to by first name, rather than last. I don't think this was an intentional humanizing touch as it was a novel-length blind spot.
The story itself discusses the first contact, leading up to the conflict in the first installment of the video game series, and is surprisingly nuanced and features a balanced array of motivational facets, each contributing in a small way to the war that provides the conflict of the video game. Politics, inter-species rivalries with deep roots, and some fairly deft characterization add at least a few deep wrinkles to what could have been easy cardboard cutouts. Taking advantage of the several species that make up the Covenant, Staten does an excellent job imbuing each of them with a personality and their own internal conflicts and synergies.
Three and a half galaxy-cleansing superweapons out of five.
The story itself discusses the first contact, leading up to the conflict in the first installment of the video game series, and is surprisingly nuanced and features a balanced array of motivational facets, each contributing in a small way to the war that provides the conflict of the video game. Politics, inter-species rivalries with deep roots, and some fairly deft characterization add at least a few deep wrinkles to what could have been easy cardboard cutouts. Taking advantage of the several species that make up the Covenant, Staten does an excellent job imbuing each of them with a personality and their own internal conflicts and synergies.
Three and a half galaxy-cleansing superweapons out of five.
