The Fall of Reach (Halo, Bk. 1)
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
The Fall of Reach (Halo, Bk. 1) Accessories
 The Flood (Halo #2)
First Strike (Halo #3)
Ghosts of Onyx (Halo)
Contact Harvest (Halo)
Halo: The Cole Protocol
The Halo Graphic Novel
Mass Effect: Revelation
Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3)
Halo 3 Original Soundtrack (2-CD Set)
The Fall of Reach (Halo, Bk. 1) Reviews
for any sci fi lover the first of the halo series is the choise for you this book will keep you at your feet wanting to see more
My rating is 1 being the worst 10 being the best, 112. This story is way better than the story of halo 1,2, and 3. That has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I like the games. This story is a grabber and could cause you to read it in one night. That's not a typo. Yes, it's that amazing.
Commander Keyes at first is the commanding officer on the Iriquois. Nylund quickly establishes the UNSC jargon. Many of John's dear friends were permanently mangled. So in a way the Spartans were John's family. It almost appears as if Halo: Combat Evolved took it's story from Eric Nylund. His first combat experience occurs at the tender age of eight years old.
I will be reading more of his books. John is found to be a suitable candidate for the Spartan II program as he is physically and mentally superior to average children. Not only the thoughts of The Chief, but all the people he interacts with as well play into the vibrant plotline in The Fall of Reach. It also shows he still is a human inside that suit of armor. What is most impressive about the book is the psychology involved.
Halsey - who isn't in the game, but is the Doctor who started the Spartan program and is the closest thing John has to a mother - is where the book starts out. When he first talks to Captain Keyes, Keyes says "There are more important things than winning, son." John wonders what is more important than winning. Even at 42 and decades of combat experience, the Chief ponders what could be more important than winning. The action sequences are also very well done and keep you captivated constantly. The book is just a brilliant example of when the writer created a whole universe instead of a story. The Spartan II program kidnapped the children they used for training and replaced them with clones. In the beginning there were over 100 Spartan soldiers, but at 14 modifications were made to every one of them and around half died.
You'd think that a prequel book written for a videogame would not have a very solid storyline. In fact the first quarter or third of the book chronicles his life in this secretive super soldier Spartan program. Eric Nylund paints a vivid picture of the Halo universe which centers around the Master Chief's life. Each of the major characters in the game is also brought into the mix. Dr.
He of course took to the enhancements well, which increased his strength many times over, reinforced his skeletal structure, lowered his reaction time and subsequently took him one step further to becoming THE Master Chief. This couldn't be further from the truth. Everything you see in the game including the specifics of: the rounds used, types of weapons, both Covenant and human, vehicle names and descriptions, some of the science involved, the details about the legendary suit (which is actually the fourth incarnation)"The Chief" wears as well as how he acquired the energy shield surrounding it. He begins the story with "John" as a 6 year old boy.
Please stop reading if you don't want spoilers. The infrastructure and protocol of the Navy is also very well done. Because of this his commanding officer (Chief Mendez) was like his father and even later on in the book he goes back to what Petty Officer Chief Mendez told him throughout his training.
Overall-I had never heard of this author before but he is very good. . Its really great how the author fleshes out the personalities of each of the characters. In the terms of a direct videogame adaptation that is hands down the best I have ever read and that's saying something I didn't think anything could beat the Warcraft books. In spite of that the book reads fairly quickly. .
In this book the plot also involves wars in space that remind one of Invaders from the Infinite which is one of the oldest space operas from the 30's. This book is obviously a serial type of. Eric Nylund has done pretty good on a writing "contract" here, but it could have been better. Dark Angel - The Complete Series is about a girl much like John 117 in this novel, but done better. Earth is behind in a war with an Alien confederation/ society and must come up with new weapons fast or have all their planets "glassed". wars in space with a hero who is "designed" to be a deadly killer. Cobra was the first of a series about medically "improved" warriors.
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