The Fall of Reach (Halo, Bk. 1)

This book was great for anyone wanting to explore the Halo universe and understand more about the Spartan Program. After being an enthusiastic Halo player for years, it was really nice to open a book and find such a great dialogue between the characters. I’m excited to read more in the series especially by this author.

You may or may not have played the game, but either way this is the story that preludes it all. This book covers most of the life of a few unique individuals, the Master Chief and his fellow Spartans. This book follows much of the development of the Spartan program and the fight against the Covenant. Yes, this is the book where you meet such characters as Cortana and Keyes, but you meet others such as Dr. Halsey, the founder of the Spartan program. This book covers much of what the normal Halo player does not know and it gives great insight into the life of the Master Chief, the character you are in the Halo game. This is just a great book. Although I preferred the Halo book I think this is right about there with it. So read this one first to get the intro, then read the book and if you haven't played the game already, do that. Even if you're not a Halo fan now, you probably will be, or you'll just enjoy this as being a good sci-fi action book.

I usually try to avoid books that are based on video games, as I find that they can be shallow at times. Plus, they usually try to follow the game storyline too closely and that results in a very predictable and sometimes undeveloped story. However, due to the game involving such an excellent storyline, I thought I'd give the book a [try], as it already had a pretty good game foundation. I was pleasantly surprised.Eric Nylund does an excellent job of writing the prequel to the video game. Not only does he stay true to the video game route, he makes the book interesting by adding in various aspects that are found in more creative titles. Such as explaining the space & terrestrial combat sequences with a creative flair that rivals most military fiction books. He also incorporates creative military strategy that is not clichéd, and sounds truly hypothesized. Although, don't let this fool you, as Mr. Nylund does not completely center this book around military action. Instead, he manages to successfully develop multiple characters through the course of the novel as well as character interaction.This is certainly the best game-based book since the first and second book of the "Doom" series in the mid-1990's. I'd highly recommend "Halo: The Fall of Reach" to any action/adventure or military fiction fan.

As many people have said, most books of this type (based on a game) seem to be quickly written and rather unexciting. This book is the exception to the rule. I was rather apprehensive going into this book but found myself hooked very quickly. From the training of the new breed of 'supersoldiers' to the fantastic space and ground battles this book never slows down. The characters are wonderfully well developed, the action is intense and exciting (loved the battle for Sigma Octanus), and the book as a whole is perfectly paced (you'll never say 'it was good, but slowed down a bit in the middle'). If you are planning on playing the game (I'm halfway through it myself) this book is a must read. Even if you don't plan on playing Halo but are a fan of military sci-fi action this book will satisfy. I will also be seeking out Nylunds other novels.

I read this as soon as I could get my hands upon it and let me tell you that it was not in the least a letdown. I loved the book from start to finish and now know a lot deeper into the story of Halo. The book starts out with Dr. who started the whole Spartan project looking for candidates into the program for the soldier that is seen in Halo. The story progresses focusing on the boy who would grow up into the Master Chief [I don't want to give anything away] But, as the covenant begins to close in the story escalates to a large battle between the human and covenant that ends where Halo begins. So this is a great book if you wish to delve deeper into the story behind Halo and why it is one of the most innovative storylines in the gaming industry as well as the best game for Xbox. Enjoy!