Anybody read the Halo:Flood book?

**Brevity** · 04-14-2003

I read alot with my none gaming spare time, and I like fiction so I thought about picking this one up. If you have read it let me know if you liked it. Also check this out I read where its #11 on the best sellers list. Thanks

**J Dub** · 04-14-2003

I'll probably be picking it up this summer. I'm going away to Mexico, so this might be something to read while I'm there. The other thing to read will be The Lord Of The Rings (books 2 and 3).

I tried to convince a friend of mine to buy it so I could just borrow it, lol. But it doesn't seem to be working. I might have to buy it myself.

**carlbme** · 04-15-2003

Do you mean Halo:The Fall or Reach or is there another one that I'm not aware of?

If it's Fall of Reach then yup, read it. Was pretty good.

**MerimacHamwich** · 04-15-2003

There is two books. Halo: The Fall of Reach and Halo: The Flood.

**TheJackal** · 04-15-2003

Wait a minute..There are two Halo books? I thought Halo:The Fall of Reach was the only one. If you want to know about that one, it's good, pick it up. Well, looks like I'm buying another Halo book... BTW, I also have the Book Diablo: Legacy of Blood(inspired by the Diablo pc games), and it's also a good read. I have noticed that if I like the games, there's a big probability that I will like the books, so I like buying those types of books. You guys should too...

**Brevity** · 04-22-2003

Halo: The Flood - My review of the 2nd Halo novel
NOTE: I tried to keep spoilers out.

While on holiday this week I finished reading the eagerly anticipated 2nd Halo book, 'Halo: The Flood'.

Whereas the first book 'The Fall of Reach' dealt with how the human-Covenant war began, the childhood, training and experiences of the Master Chief and the other SPARTANs, and the events leading up to the game, the 2nd book deals with what we already know has happened, as it is a novelisation of 'Halo: Combat Evolved'.

The best part about the book is that, although you'd expect to know everything that happens in it if you've played the game, that certainly is not the case. The book reveals a massive wealth of information that will encourage you to play through the game again and spot lots of new things.

For example, one reason why the book is so interesting is that it is told through multiple viewpoints. The main viewpoints the story is shown through are the Master Chief's (obviously), the Marines and shock troopers that landed on Halo, and most interestingly, the Covenant.

Yep, you got to experience the events of the game from the Covenant's perspective. Ever wondered how they talk to each other? What they think of the humans? Why they're fighting the humans? Well, the book reveals a lot of this, and centers in particular on a few important Covenant characters.

Some of the cool stuff you get to learn about in the book (I'll leave out the spoilers) are: Foehammer's backstory, the awesome story of the Marines staging the resistance on Halo and what they get up to, you read a description of one of the Covenant homeworlds, we find out where the Covenant got all their technology from and what their major weakness is, more is revealed about the flood and Halo itself, and you get to see what it's like to be taken over by the flood, from the perspective of Captain Keyes.

There's loads of interesting details and revealtions in the book, making it an absolute must for all Halo fans.

I present 2 excerpts from different parts of the book, with no spoilers, and demonstrate to show how good (in my opinion) it is:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Silva stood and started to pace back and firth behind the chair. "However, there is a chain of command, which means that you report to me. Not to Keyes, not to Cortana, and not to yourself."
The Marine stopped, turned, and looked the Master Chief square in the eye. "I thought it would be a good idea for you and I to pull a com check. So here's the deal. I'm short a captain, so Lieutenant McKay is serving as my Executive Officer. If either one of us says 'crap', then I expect you to ask 'what color, how much, and where do you want it?' Do you read me?"
The Chief stared for a moment and clenched his jaw. "Perfectly, sir".
"Good. Now one more thing. I'm familiar with your record and I admire it. You are one helluva soldier. That said, you are also a freak, the last remaining subject in a terrible flawed experiment.

"When we push the Covenant back, which I sincerely believe we will, that victory will be the result of work by men and women like Lieutenant McKay. Human beings who are metal tough and green to the core. Do you read me?"
The Master Chief remembered Linda, James and all the rest of the seventy-three boys and girls with whom he learned to fight All dead, all labeled as "freaks", all dismissed as having been part of a failed experiment. He took a deep breath.
"Sir, no sir!"
There was a long moment of silence as the two men stared into each other's eyes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jones was only halfway up the side of the hill, but that was high enough to see the top of the opposite hill, and the tiny figures who stood there. Not the Grunts who were running this way and that, not the Jackals who lined the edge of the summit, but the shiny armor of the Elites. Those were the targets he wanted, and they seemed to leap forward as the Marine increased the magnification on his scope, and let the barrel drift slightly. Which life should he take? The one on the left witht he blue armor? Or the one on the right, the gold *******? At that moment in time, in that particular place, Lance Corporal Jones was God.
He clicked the sniper rifle's safety catch, and lightly rested his finger on the trigger.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**TheJackal** · 04-22-2003

*Runs to the store to buy Halo: The Flood, along with the Second Volume of Diablo*

CARDINALS RULE · 04-22-2003

ya i think i'll try to read this sometime.....i only really read when i'm bored so i'll have to find somet ime...hopefully it'll be good

**matt_ch86** · 04-22-2003

Originally posted by CARDINALS RULE
ya i think i'll try to read this sometime.....i only really read when i'm bored so i'll have to find somet ime...hopefully it'll be good

i read this book before I bought halo! pff

**Duke** · 04-22-2003

Mostly I read literature, but since I'm kinda ghey for halo, I might have to pick it up.

literature=not tom clancy, not video game books, and not anne rice bullsh*t.

my recommendation to anyone who hasn't read it is 100 years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Also, I know it's a high school book, but I just saw the movie, is The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm not saying that the Halo books and others aren't worth reading (I'm proably about to order this one off amazon right now) but read the other ish. It's good.

**JADE8704** · 04-22-2003

i really liked FoR alot...maybe because it had some well written space engagements...TF is more ground battle than anything...not bad, but it was kind of like playing the game, except reading about it....i liked how we get the covenant perspective though

if you liked FoR...you should definitely get TF

**Anthony4sho** · 04-23-2003

Itz out? I'ma go cop dat shyt. How much is it?

**thesecreted** · 04-23-2003

The flood is the game. Only there is some other scenes in the book that are not included in the game, making it more interesting, and the story flows more. I have also read The fall of reach, and i really like that book much better. You should get that first then The flood. That's just my input

**Professor Kaos** · 04-23-2003

I think Fall of Reach was/is better then The Flood, but it is sweet how they take the perspective of grunts and elites and such.

**GrizzlySuit** · 04-24-2003

i didn't read it... should i?

**BlindSniper** · 04-24-2003

Originally posted by Brevity
Halo: The Flood - My review of the 2nd Halo novel
NOTE: I tried to keep spoilers out.

While on holiday this week I finished reading the eagerly anticipated 2nd Halo book, 'Halo: The Flood'.

Whereas the first book 'The Fall of Reach' dealt with how the human-Covenant war began, the childhood, training and experiences of the Master Chief and the other SPARTANs, and the events leading up to the game, the 2nd book deals with what we already know has happened, as it is a novelisation of 'Halo: Combat Evolved'.

The best part about the book is that, although you'd expect to know everything that happens in it if you've played the game, that certainly is not the case. The book reveals a massive wealth of information that will encourage you to play through the game again and spot lots of new things.
Wow thanks for this...I cant wait to read flood. I read fall of reach and it was sweet! that sniper quote slounds great...
For example, one reason why the book is so interesting is that it is told through multiple viewpoints. The main viewpoints the story is shown through are the Master Chief's (obviously), the Marines and shock troopers that landed on Halo, and most interestingly, the Covenant.

Yep, you got to experience the events of the game from the Covenant's perspective. Ever wondered how they talk to each other? What they think of the humans? Why they're fighting the humans? Well, the book reveals a lot of this, and centers in particular on a few important Covenant characters.

Some of the cool stuff you get to learn about in the book (I'll leave out the spoilers) are: Foehammer's backstory, the awesome story of the Marines staging the resistance on Halo and what they get up to, you read a description of one of the Covenant homeworlds, we find out where the Covenant got all their technology from and what their major weakness is, more is revealed about the flood and Halo itself, and you get to see what it's like to be taken over by the flood, from the perspective of Captain Keyes.

There's loads of interesting details and revealtions in the book, making it an absolute must for all Halo fans.

I present 2 excerpts from different parts of the book, with no spoilers, and demonstrate to show how good (in my opinion) it is:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Silva stood and started to pace back and firth behind the chair. "However, there is a chain of command, which means that you report to me. Not to Keyes, not to Cortana, and not to yourself."
The Marine stopped, turned, and looked the Master Chief square in the eye. "I thought it would be a good idea for you and I to pull a com check. So here's the deal. I'm short a captain, so Lieutenant McKay is serving as my Executive Officer. If either one of us says 'crap', then I expect you to ask 'what color, how much, and where do you want it?' Do you read me?"
The Chief stared for a moment and clenched his jaw. "Perfectly, sir".
"Good. Now one more thing. I'm familiar with your record and I admire it. You are one helluva soldier. That said, you are also a freak, the last remaining subject in a terrible flawed experiment.

"When we push the Covenant back, which I sincerely believe we will, that victory will be the result of work by men and women like Lieutenant McKay. Human beings who are metal tough and green to the core. Do you read me?"
The Master Chief remembered Linda, James and all the rest of the seventy-three boys and girls with whom he learned to fight All dead, all labeled as "freaks", all dismissed as having been part of a failed experiment. He took a deep breath.
"Sir, no sir!"
There was a long moment of silence as the two men stared into each other's eyes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jones was only halfway up the side of the hill, but that was high enough to see the top of the opposite hill, and the tiny figures who stood there. Not the Grunts who were running this way and that, not the Jackals who lined the edge of the summit, but the shiny armor of the Elites. Those were the targets he wanted, and they seemed to leap forward as the Marine increased the magnification on his scope, and let the barrel drift slightly. Which life should he take? The one on the left witht he blue armor? Or the one on the right, the gold *******? At that moment in time, in that particular place, Lance Corporal Jones was God.
He clicked the sniper rifle's safety catch, and lightly rested his finger on the trigger.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thankjs alot for this brev....cant wait to read flood as I read fall of reach.....and now I know everything bout halo when Im playing! hehe

**GrizzlySuit** · 04-24-2003

thats long... can't read it right now

**Arrakis44** · 04-25-2003

I just finished reading "Flood" today, i enjoyed it and found it to be an entertaining read, but i still think fall of reach was better.

Somehow i felt that Fall was more of a page turner than Flood was, perhaps becuase flood was more familiar.

Even so it is certainly worth reading, so my advice would be to buy it.

**Anthony4sho** · 04-25-2003

Doesn't it seem that in the second book, the humans have the upperhand most of the time, while in the FoR, They got their azz kicked on sigma octanuz and and they weren't very good in the game either. It seems a little out there for the humans to last that long, but maybe itz becuz this time they had very good leadership. I hope this is the kind of intelligence that we can expect in Halo 2 4rom the A.I.