Halo: Primordium by Greg Bear review - Bear’s narrative takes a different path in this second instalment of the Forerunner trilogy. He begins in the “present” as ONI (the Office of Naval Intelligence) is interrogating a damaged Forerunner monitor (an AI). They are seeking answers about the Didact and the Forerunners’ past relationship with humans. As the monitor tells them the information, it begins from Chakas’ childhood and how he met his friend, Riser, both of whom we met in the prequel. It gives a basic overview of what took place in the prequel. After the end of that book, we don’t know what happens to Chakas and Riser. The monitor tells that story, which leads to a remarkable discovery that explains a certain Forerunner artefact in the game, Halo 5: Guardians, including a mind blowing reveal about Chakas. We also find ourselves with Bornstellar again, who takes on a new significant role in the story and meets an extremely enigmatic entity. ‘Primordium’ gives more details about the Flood and the origin story of 343 Guilty Spark, the prominent antagonist in the first Halo trilogy (besides the Covenant). By this book, you are used to Forerunner culture and language, so it’s not as confusing to read as the first one. However, I found Bear’s scenic descriptions a bit difficult to imagine. I understand we’re literally dealing with alien worlds, but the imagery he uses is just TOO alien to picture what he’s describing, if that makes sense. It seems like he’s trying too hard to make the alien worlds actually alien that it just comes across as something completely unrelatable, which he also does in ‘Cryptum.’ I might give this trilogy a third read to see if my opinion changes. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚫️ #bookstagram #bookreview #Halo
Halo: Cryptum by Greg Bear review - The first of the Forerunner trilogy 100,000 years before the video games’ events, the primary protagonist throughout is an average Forerunner called Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting (aka, Bornstellar). This first book is where we learn the most about Forerunner culture and religion. One of these vital aspects includes their caste system. From highest to lowest, they are Builders, Miners, Lifeworkers, Warrior-Servants, Juridicals, and Engineers. Builders are responsible for constructing architecture and infrastructure, which leads the reader to rightly assume they were largely responsible for building the Halo Array. Miners provide the materials needed for the Builders. Lifeworkers specialise in biology and medicine. Warrior-Servants, as the vocation suggests, make up the military. Juridicals are the legislative body, eminently presiding over cases violating the Mantle, which is the Forerunners’ religious creed of being responsible for all life in the galaxy. Engineers, the lowest class, maintain the infrastructure and machinery. Bornstellar is a Manipular, the Forerunner equivalent to an adolescent, who refuses his father’s wishes to become a Builder. He prefers to research an enigmatic, ancient alien race called the Precursors. With the help of some ancient humans, Chakas and Riser, he discovers a long ancient secret in the Cryptum that could threaten the galaxy. The book is a little confusing to read at first because there’s no Covenant or UNSC, but mostly because there’s a whole “new” alien culture you have to get used to. Bear doesn’t ease you into this new world; he just throws you right in and you have to stumble your way through it. It wasn’t until I had read the entire trilogy a second time that I finally understood what was going on. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚫️ #bookstagram #bookreview #Halo
Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten review - This book is the origin story of the famous Sergeant Avery Johnson who makes his first debut in the first #Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved. In fact, it is rich in origin stories, as you also read about the Prophet Hierarchs and the Brute named Tartarus from Halo 2. The reader gains insight into Sergeant Johnson’s military career and it also tells the story of humanity’s first, unprecedented contact with the menagerie of religious alien zealots calling themselves the Covenant on the human Outer Colony world, Harvest. Thus, you learn more about the Covenant’s fanaticism as well. You get part of Harvest’s story in the game, Halo Wars, but this book is from Sergeant Johnson’s perspective, in addition to other lore. Here, you learn why Harvest was such a significant loss for humanity as it tells Sergeant Johnson’s role in preventing the Covenant from finding an important Forerunner artefact. In the parts where you read about the Prophet Hierarchs, Truth, Mercy, and Regret, you also learn the reasoning behind their conspiracy that is first unearthed by the “heretic” leader in Halo 2 that will eventually lead to the Covenant Schism and winning the Arbiter over to humanity’s side in that same game. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #bookstagram #bookreview
The Lutheran Column 