good novel in the Halo line
599023
Enjoyable read and well written.  I feel that this is worth the purchase and you will enjoy reading this book.
2753798
I read this book in its first edition, the original version from way back in 2001. While the third edition from Tor is supposed to be better, 'The Fall of Reach' was great in its original print, and I imagine it could only be better in the reprint.

However, this book was awesome in almost every aspect - Nylund showed Master Chief to be much more than just a super-soldier, and developed the characters of John, Kelly, and Sam, and other key characters well over the course of the book. His depictions and descriptions of every character were cohesive, and matched with the depictions of the characters in the 'Halo' games, for those who appear in both the games and 'The Fall of Reach'.

The story was awesome as well - Nylund conveyed the tale well, though some of the earlier parts of the book were boring and seemed unnecessary at times (thus only four stars). The latter part of the book, however, contained some very emotional scenes, such as (spoiler), Sam's death, and some very epic battle sequences, such as the battle over Reach.

Overall, 'The Fall of Reach' was a great read, and a novel in its own right. It's a good book wether or not you're a fan of the games. I loved the book and hoped you will enjoy, or have, for that matter. Now, if you'll excuse me, i'm going to go stab 'Halo' in the back by playing 'Destiny'.
230805
The book was well written as most Halo books have ben. However how all this ties together still is a little confusing.
2866123
I'm a big fan of the first Halo and I love the Red vs. Blue series online! I have also always been a big fan of first person shooters. So, I may be a bit biased about Halo 2. There is no doubt that I love it!

My opinion is that Halo 2 is the most-fun shooter game available.

It's the right combination of pretty graphics, playablity, and tough action with some humor.

The aliens have gotten more interesting for sure and the new weapons - it's like being a kid on Christmas morning again. The layouts of the areas to explore and fight in are really impressive.

Hijacking a vehicle from one of the aliens is a bit tough to do, but adds excellent possibilites to the game!

I have not played the multi-player deathmatch yet, but being able to customize my character - or even play one of the aliens looks really cool!

With that said, a few things are less than perfect. You start out with some very dark areas to play through and the headlamp does not last very long. Not a big deal, but a little annoying.

I have found no problems in the game, but I noticed a few minor glitches in the cinematics. I chalk that up to Bungie trying to get the game out the door on time, so I don't mind.
1911284
I've been a Halo fan since it's inception. With a disappointing #3 and not so entertaining ODST and Reach, Halo 4 is back at it. Nothing beats the Master Chief story.

Campaign is good and multiplayer is also enjoyable.
1454984
This one ranks right up there with The Illearth War, the second book of the first trilogy.  Thomas Covenant and his companions sail deep into the Sunbirth Sea on a quest for the One Tree, from which Covenant hopes to fashion a new Staff of Law.  Much of the novel (perhaps half) takes place aboard the huge Giantship Starfare's Gem.  During this time the major characters have nothing to do but walk around on the boat or help with chores, so the pace of the book is clearly slower than that of the others in the series.  Aside from a couple moments of excitement, Donaldson spends the bulk of the ocean sequences in developing the characters.  We learn a lot more about Linden and she begins to understand her capabilities.  Some of the Giants acquire distinct personalities as we spend days with them at sea.  Vain is more perplexing than ever before, especially as we see how he interacts with Findail (a new character in the series).  It becomes evident that these two will play some major role in the sequel "White Gold Wielder".
The story heats up in the second half, when Starfare's Gem is forced to make landfall at a fascinating but sinister port town called Bhrathairain.  Here a plot unfolds to get Covenant to give up his white gold ring.  We also encounter a deadly Sandgorgon, which I'm hoping will make a re-appearance in the sequel.  This part of the story was my favorite.  Also, the climactic events that occur at the objective of the party's quest are exciting and revealing.  We learn why Lord Foul tainted Covenant with venom and get hints of the awesome might of the creature that formed the Earth.
The One Tree also has the most deaths of major characters so far in the series.  So there are several tragic moments in the novel, which in my opinion gives it an element of realism and poignancy that the other novels lacked.  This combined with the very good character development during the ocean sequences and the moving backstory related by the Elohim make The One Tree the deepest of the novels in the series up to this point.
4278501
Eric Nylund in my opinion should be the only Halo (novels) author. He brings the reader into the Haloverse and I love it. Ghost of Onyx is the first Halo novel to not inculde the Spartan 117 in a central role. As a result the book is intresting because we are introduced to a new Spartan as a central character, but don't worry plenty of characters of the perivious novels return.

Ghosts features pleantly of what any Halo fan wants. In the dirt, gritty ground combat between Spartans and Covenant, ship battles, plot twists, new reveleration, loose ends dealt with, new ones created. My real big complaint about this book is that it WILL NOT keep you satisfied till the relase of Halo 3! It made me wanting more, more, more!

I read the whole thing in three days so its a fast read because it is highly addicative. You'll want to keep reading each chapter. This is also because some of the chapters are really short, which threw me for a bit of a loop. Another minor nitpick is some of the tech that appears at times seems to advance for what we've seen established in other Halo media. But unless your a serious Halo-fan it won't bug ya.

So go pick up this book! Its well worth your money.
2290156
Overall, this is a great addition to the Halo family of games. For me, the campaign was a little too short, and there is a lot of focus on multiplayer, but the graphics are awesome, the controls are fantastic, the story is solid; it really is a great game.

Why didn't I give it five stars, then? Well, there's a couple of story points that I won't spoil in this review that I had a few issues with. Normally, it wouldn't bring my rating down, but these particular points annoyed me to no end when I finished the campaign. Hopefully, 343 will make up for it in the next installment in this series.
4816083
I am a fan of both Greg Bear and Halo. I've never read any of the Halo fiction, and my interest in the universe never extended beyond the games (which I've played Halo / 2 / 3 / Reach / ODST). When I saw Greg Bear had a book I'd not read, I *had* to get it and read it, even though it happened to be Halo-related: I tend to stay away from game / tv fiction.

I was immediately at home with the writing. Like many of Bear's books, the story unfolds without much explanation, you're instantly immersed in the world. Despite knowing a fair amount about the Halo universe, most everything in this book was new to me. It's set well before the Halo games, and has more to do with the Forerunners and the Precursors than anything else. These races are almost mythical in the game, discussed only tangentially.

The story unfolds through the eyes of a young forerunner, eager to explore the universe for reasons of his own. Although it starts a little slowly, this lets you get at least a preliminary bearing in the universe. From there the story unfolds, and the relevance to the Halo universe becomes more clear.

I found the characters interesting, as well as the technology, and the mythology of the universe. The story unfolds in a way which almost makes me forget it's based on the Halo game universe. To me, this is a Good thing.

If you're not a fan of immersive science fiction (jumping straight into the universe without much in the way of explanations), this will probably be a hard read for you. If you DO like that sort of fiction, however, and you like Bear's other works, you'll be in heaven. And, even if you hate Halo, if you're a fan of some of Bear's other works, I suspect you will be quite happy to read this book.

Personally, I loved it and I'm happy we own a copy!
1638164
These shorter strories by various authors are wholly wonderful novelas that give the reader a much more detailed look into the Halo universe, from both Human and Covenant perspective.  Many of the stories have intricate details that make subtle appearances in the games, but anyone who truly appreciates the franchise that basically changed the gaming world will catch them.  You will not want to stop reading if you are a true Halo fan.  I hope they eventually come out with more Evolutions stories.
3277377
Campaign:
-Story was Great but the Campaign should have really explained the Halo universe more. I read all the books, and am familiar with the Halo canon so this was not a problem for me, but I could see how it would be very difficult for people to understand it without that knowledge, even having played all the games. Also, the terminal videos should be included as part of the campaign, not as extras because they explain a lot. The look of the game is simply beautifuly. It really mimics that feeling of wonder and exploration that was present in Halo: Combat Evolved. The enemies in campaign are unique and diverse, so fighting them always requires a strategy and not just spraying. The cutscenes are unreallisticly realistic... They are simply amazing. Some of my friends thought they had used live-action, which is not true by the way, it is all CGI.

Multiplayer:
Multiplayer is the part where this game really stands out. From a competitive view, it is not too great, because of the random oridnace, but from just a "fun" point of view, it is AWESOME! The randomness is actually fun, and provides a nice change of pace. The maps are all great, especially Ragnarok, the remake of Vallhalla. It is much faster paced by the way, but don't worry, it's still Halo.

Spartan Ops:
Dare I say it, but the story of Spartan Ops is actually better than the actual part where you play. I believe the story is actually better than campaign. It is very similar to Red Vs. Blue if you are familiaer with that. They have also been great about keeping up with releasing weekly content, and so far it's been great. Season 1 is over, and Season 2 is confirmed.

Forge:
With the recent addition of the new map Forge Island, which in 100% free by the way, Forge in Halo 4 is definatley something something unlike any forge before it. Definately would reccomend.

This game is really great everywhere, except campaign needs improvement. I would definately reccomend getting this game.
688051
If you are a Halo fan.  You must read.  Bottom line.  Extremely well written and very interesting story line in concern to the Halo legacy.
152469
Spheres of Influence, by Ryk E. Spoor, TPB in print now. This is the sequel to Grand Central Arena, and carries on that story in fine style. We meet several of the other survivors of the infamous Hyperion Project, some of whom Marc DuQuesne recruits to go back to the Arena to help in holding the Terran sphere there. Theres lots of action, and the main characters, including Ariane Austin as the pilot and leader of the Human Faction and Orphan, the alien who has allied himself with the Humans as the last representative of his race, are engaging and well-drawn. I liked this one even better than the first one, I think.
712480
A well-written continuation of the Forerunner saga by Greg Bear. In it, we start to learn the fates of The Didact, Bornstellar, and Chakas from the previous novel. I loved the wide scope, imaginative backgrounds, and unfathomable technology of the Forerunners. Although, they eventually fall despite their technology. Greg Bear is one of my favorite SciFi novelists. Fans of Halo everywhere will be pleased with this fascinating addition to the lore.
1987404
In writing this review I have to break it into two pieces the story campaign and multiplayer.

The story is campaign is good, but it could be great. The main problem is the story takes for granted that the player has a basic knowledge of the expanded Halo universe. There are several moments where you will not have the emotionally attachment unless you know everything that has happen in the past. Please do not misunderstand, it is still a fun game to play but with this being the 5th game in the series there is a lot of back history now.

Multiplayer is where Halo 5 truly shines the brightest. I have never been a fan of multiplayer. I have always hated getting killed by a pro and spending hours just trying to get better gear. Halo 5 has a new mode that changes all of that, and I'm talking about Warzone. 12 on 12 battles over a huge map. The mode allows for all skill levels and all plays styles. I find myself playing this mode over all others because of the constantly evolving game play during a match. Halo 5 still has its standard multiplayer options but Warzone is a great new addition.
658642
Overall 4 Star

-Book Description: 3

-Cover: 3

-Plot: 4

-Creativity: 4

-Grammar: 4.5

-Simile Use: 4

-Description: 3

-Show Not Tell: 4

The description of Halo caught me up, and I found myself one-clicking it; however, during the course of the book and at the end, I felt it didn't really describe what I was getting in to. I liked what I got into, but it left me with a totally different impression than what actually did ensue. That being said, the cover didn't draw me in at all. The original cover when the novel was Rashka, had drawn me in and that was why I originally went looking for it. I also found the glossary at the front of the book to be a little too much; as a reader I wanted to learn what those things were while reading the book. It made it feel more like a text book in the beginning than anything else, plus the terms weren't difficult to grasp onto within the book itself. Overall, the book was creative and had interesting twists by juxtaposing two different worlds right next to one another. They each house very similar and cruel games, of which they have different reasons for having. It still amounts to the same thing, though--an unneeded death. Throughout the story I grappled with the fact that I felt the very first thing that happened in the book was completely illogical. What Cai did made absolutely no sense, other than to move along the story. He knows there is a way out--he could have done the same thing, without doing what he did, during a training match. Once I got past the fact that his actions made no sense, especially for someone who was thoughtful about every single move, I enjoyed the story. It moved at a good pace, there were no grammatical issues that I could spot and there was minimal simile use. There where, I must admit, periods where I found myself skimming portions. I have previously read other books by Frankie Rose, so I had prepared myself for this already. I have to admit, I didn't skim as much as I normally do--and I am going to read the next book in the series. The last series I read by her, I picked up the first book and then didn't continue. This level of description became more arduous towards the end where the action heated up, and I found myself skimming at those parts to get past the description and get to the actual action. Besides this, I really did enjoy the novel! I've already one clicked the next one!
4641945
First and foremost I loved playing the Halo series primarily because of the Master Chief character. That being said I did enjoy playing this even though you leave behind the Chief and the front lines of the war. For the die hard fans like myself it shows you a part of the Halo universe you rarely experience in Halo 1-4. That of a soldier (still more badass than the average marine) who is less occupied with being the spearhead of the fight against The Covenant and more concerned about being a shield for the civilian population and Earth. You still get to mow down plenty of grunts and stick everything that's neon and/or talking in an alien language so the essence of Halo is very noticeable. The difference is you are not an enhanced human tank supporting a strike team of elite troopers taking the fight to The Covenants front door, but an elite trooper supporting police/home defense forces against The Covenant who just kicked in HUMANITIES front door.

So ya the new perspective is interesting, the game lore/glimpse at the civilians hardships is different, the look and feel of the gun play is familiar and even without the Master Chief this game was pretty enjoyable.