I’ve been a die-hard Halo fan for many years now, but despite my love for the acclaimed sci-fi franchise, I never read any of the equally acclaimed Halo novels. I’ve always been a little skeptical of books that are based on video games; many of these adaptations are underwhelming at best and utterly horrifying at worst.
I was at the Georgia Tech bookstore in Atlanta waiting for my brother to get done in class when I saw the first book of the series- Halo: The Fall of Reach, by Eric Nylund. I decided to buy the book and see what all the hype is about. Surely a book based on a video game can’t be that fantastic.
To quote Thorin Oakenshield… I have never been so wrong.
The Fall of Reach is one of the most well-written and well-thought-out books I have ever read. The amount of characterization ensures the reader’s attachment to the story’s characters, and this immerses every reader into the awe-inspiring universe of Halo, regardless of whether the reader has any pre-existing knowledge of the franchise or not (this novel is the perfect entry point into the franchise for non-gamers). The level of depth to the story is incredible, as it combines action, intelligence, and emotion to create a multidimensional story of epic proportions.
The novel, which was released simultaneously with the first Halo game, is a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved. The story has two main components: the first shows exactly how Master Chief comes to discover Halo, and the second is actually an origins-story for the Chief himself. The book follows John and tells the story of how be becomes Spartan-117. The two components of the story combine flawlessly with each other and lead to the opening events of Halo.
The attention to detail is to be commended as well; each and every nuance of the book fits in with the rest of the entire franchise. In fact, there are many mythological references in The Fall of Reach to things that only appear in the Halo games many years after the book was written. This level of collaboration between Nylund and the games’ writers is truly impressive, especially considering the fact that the book went from conception to completion in an unheard-of four months.
I could rant forever about how good this book is, but I want to give you a chance to read it for yourself, so I’ll just say this: any person who enjoys sci-fi, action, or reading in general should give this book a try. And if you’re a Halo fan who hasn’t already read this book, you must do so. Despite my affinity for Halo, there were still things I didn’t know that I learned about the universe by reading The Fall of Reach. This novel is a masterpiece, and once you read it, you’ll understand why it has reached an unprecedented level of success.
On a quick side note, I read the Definitive Edition, which contains over 20 pages of cool supplemental content, including an ONI interrogation of an Elite and the official evacuation order for Reach. If you’re a Halo fan, definitely get this version!
