Halo: The Fall Of Reach - Eric Nylund

...Halo novel.

Halo: The Fall Of Reach by Eric Nylund - 2001

What is encouraging from the onset is the author. Eric Nylund is a professional technical writer, holds a B.Sc. in chemistry and an M.Sc. in chemical physics, and has recently been employed by Microsoft Game Studios as a writer, chalking up the massive title Gears Of War! He had worked for Microsoft previously - in the 90s he helped write and edit Microsoft's ...
...- so if there is anybody qualified to write this book then Nylund must get the job.

If you don't want to read the story summary you can skip to the end and read my closing statements.

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Overview of plot / Story summary
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If you have played the Halo games you will know that the main protagonist is Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan 117 or 'John' as ... more

Developers Bungie in conjunction with Microsoft brought us the computer game Halo and since the original release the Halo universe had known no boundaries. 3 Games later, with another one on the way and comics under the belt also - this is my review of the first Halo novel.

Halo: The Fall Of Reach by Eric Nylund - 2001

What is encouraging from the onset is the author. Eric Nylund is a professional technical writer, holds a B.Sc. in chemistry and an M.Sc. in chemical physics, and has recently been employed by Microsoft Game Studios as a writer, chalking up the massive title Gears Of War! He had worked for Microsoft previously - in the 90s he helped write and edit Microsoft's mulit-media encyclopedia. His wife also writes Sci Fi novels - so if there is anybody qualified to write this book then Nylund must get the job.

If you don't want to read the story summary you can skip to the end and read my closing statements.

====================
Overview of plot / Story summary
==========================
If you have played the Halo games you will know that the main protagonist is Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan 117 or 'John' as he was named by his parents. You will have also noticed characters like Captain Keyes referring to "...When Reach fell." and Cortana the A.I.'s "...I chose you because you were lucky.". This novel explains in-depth and at pace what you must be able to gather from the afore mentioned quotes. It tells the story of John 117's life and his transition through childhood to adolescence as a super-soldier-to-be, to a battle hardened fortuitous leader of a squad of genetically enhanced humans desperately trying to save humankind's military headquarters on the planet Reach...the planet John calls home. Chronicling the events leading up to start of the first Halo XBOX game.

Throughout we follow not only John's progression from a 6-year-old child - one of 150 children carrying a specific gene crucial to Spartan development - through Spartan training but also his fellow Spartan II soldiers and you quickly realise that whilst John isn't necessarily the best Spartan he is the luckiest and the one most clued-in to the way of the warrior. John takes control of the 75-strong Spartan trainees from an early age and friendships and favourites begin to form. Not in a bad way it would seem, John chooses certain people for certain assignments and the Spartans' overwhelming sense of duty aid them to understand and accept their leaders choices. John wants the best and most relevant specialists around him at all times.

At the age of 14 John and his fellow Spartans undergo biogenetic, cybernetic, physiological and neurological enhancements that should - if all goes well - turn them into even more deadly and highly efficient super soldiers. Unfortunately only 33 remain capable to continue in the program. In this experiment 30 of John's comrades die and 12 are permanently disfigured and debilitated.

As well as the Spartan storyline we are taken through the motions with Captain Jacob Keyes - a career officer who's actions against the Covenant earn him his promotion to Captain during the novel. We first encounter Keyes as a Lieutenant chosen by Dr Catherine Halsey - the brains behind the Spartan project - to escort her around the various planets looking for suitable Spartan candidates - this takes place many years earlier. Keyes wasn't chosen by Halsey because of his ability or successful service instead she chose him because she new he could keep a secret - and secrets were part and parcel of the Spartan program.

Keyes leaves the story for a while as Nylund concentrates on John's youth but returns later as we find out how his crew were put together and how he came to be in command of The Pillar Of Autumn - the UNSC ship from the game HALO - this ship only comes into play at the end of the novel, throughout his is instead in command of The Iroquois. Every detail is in place from the features and mannerisms of the bridge crew and how they came to be on there and why Keyes chose them - to why Keyes carries a non-regulation ancient tobacco pipe.

The SPARTAN program is the brainchild Dr Catherin Elizabeth Halsey, mentioned earlier. Halsey hand picked her children from the 150 suitable candidates and put them in place in the Spartan training program. Halsey is an extremely intelligent and successful, yet outspoken and controversial, scientist. Many disapprove of the Spartan program. Stripping down to the core facts - Halsey chose John because he was lucky. He was strong, fast, ruthless and intelligent but he was fortuitous - something that she knew would save his life on countless occasions.

Dr Halsey takes a step back and concentrates on Project Mjolnir, she also creates her own A.I. and by the time John is reunited with her - they are apart for a long time as she was no longer part of his daily life - she has grown old. The A.I. Halsey has created called Cortana can think freely and is not restricted by UNSC protocols like all other A.I.s in the service are.

Whilst all this is going various space battles are being fought between Covenant cruisers and UNSC frigates over strategic planets and some seemingly not-so-strategic ones. Of the course the Spartans are deployed on many planets to help neutralise Covenant threats gaining praise and setting the foundations that are to cement themselves in history as Earth's finest and bravest warriors. Some think that the Spartans are a myth, a propoganda tool put in place by the UNSC but those who see the Spartans in action know the truth.

It is John and his Spartans who - on a mission to Cote D'Azur - first encounter and record proof of the existence of Hunters and Covenant Scientists. In a debriefing concerning what they have witnessed during the mission John is reunited with Halsey.

During the fight in space over Cote D'Azur - where Keyes intercepts Covenant transmissions from the surfaces - the Covenant managed to secretly place a tracking device on Keyes' ship The Iroquois - eventually providing them with the coordinates of Reach. It is the Covenant discovering Reach that lead to the death of all but one Spartan and the discovery of the first HALO ring.

Back to Halsey, John and Cortana - The A.I. Cortana was modelled on Halsey's younger self and when she is asked by Halsey which Spartan she wants to accompany on a mission to capture a Covenant ship she chooses of course Halsey's favourite John. Here the bond between John & Cortana that lasts throughout the 3 games is started. When John is introduced to Cortana he is amazed at how much she looks like a younger Dr Halsey, attractive and intelligent. Likewise, Cortana is equally attracted to John. Now, if you think human - A.I. love is wrong then sod off because Cortana is possibly the sexiest thing alive alright!

Eventually the Covenant arrive at Reach and proceed as you no doubt have already guessed to destroy it. The remaining Spartans' mission to capture a Covenant ship is put on hold as they try to defend Reach. John however points out to Keyes that they can capture a Covenant vessel here without the Pillar Of Autumn - the ship where the Spartans were assigned at the time - leaving the battle. This however never happened as the Covenant's fleet was too strong and the Spartans - split into two team Red and Blue [starting another Halo universe all of its own :D] were set in place to defend Reach (Red team) and stop the Covenant getting their hands on the UNSC Slipspace navigation database (John's Blue team) which would provide them with coordinates to Earth.

Although John completed his mission with the Blue team and saved Earth the mission was a disaster for the Spartans. All remaining Spartans had been killed in the mission except for John. With John back on board the Pillar Of Autumn Keyes jumped away on a randomised exit vector as per procedures and stumbled upon something that was eventually going to bring peace between Humans and Covenant - HALO - and set in motion the events leading up to John 117's status as Spartan, Hero, Legend...Saviour.

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End of summary
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Well that's from memory and I reckon I got it right :)

If you love Halo games, graphic novels or comics then you will adore this book. Nylund writes with passion and clarity, with pace and subtlety. Every detail you can imagine is in place in this novel. John's history, Keyes' and Cortana's histories also.

The novel isn't just a prequel to a computer game it is a story about growing up and coming to terms with not having parents and always having the will to succeed. Knowing that if you do your very best and lay you life on the line, and if you are willing to spend the lives of those you love then you just might make a difference. It is about doing what you do so well that you will inspire others to follow suit.

The characters are well written and realistic, the detail is fantastic - I could imagine myself at one point stood in Halsey's office talking to Cortana. The relationships that are formed are true to life and the sorrow and joy that is felt throughout is spot on.

Bollocks to War & Peace - I say well done Eric Nylund - may you sleep well knowing that you have created this masterpiece. 

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