First, thanks to Halobungie.org for posting the link to this on Twitter.
Check out some new images from the book by DK, due out October this year:
Click pics for bigger pics.
Here’s the ISBN: ISBN: 9781409334828
Here’s the link from the UK site.
This is a MUST buy for any Halo fan if you’re into knowing more of the lore.
-Sal
My lovely wife was nice enough to buy these for me. I would have had Primordium and The Thursday War sooner, I’m just not one for hardcover books. They take up too much space…
A long time ago, I was a living, breathing human being. I went mad. I served my enemies. They became my only friends.
Since then, I’ve traveled back and forth across this galaxy, and out to the spaces between galaxies–a greater reach than any human before me.
You have asked me to tell you about that time. Since you are the last true Reclaimer, I must obey. Are you recording? Good. Because my memory is failing rapidly. I doubt I’ll be able to finish the story.
Once, on my birth-world, a world I knew as Erde-Tyrene, and which now is called Earth, my name was Chakas…
In the wake of apparent self-destruction of the Forerunner empire, two humans–Chakas and Riser–are like flotsam washed up on very strange shores indeed.
Captured by the Master Builder, misplaced during a furious battle in space, they now find themselves on an inverted world where horizons rise into the sky, and where humans of all kinds are trapped in a perilous cycle of horror and neglect. For they have become both research animals and strategic pawns in a cosmic game whose madness knows no end–a game of ancient vengeance between the powers who seeded the galaxy with life, and the Forerunners who expect to inherit their sacred Mantle of duty to all living things.
In the company of a young girl and an old man, Chakas begins an epic journey across a lost and damaged Halo in search of a way home, an explanation for the warrior spirits rising up within, and for the Librarian’s tampering with human destiny.
This journey will take them into the Palace of Pain, the domain of a powerful and monstrous intelligence who claims to be the Last Precursor, and who now has control of both this Halo and the fate of Forerunners and Humans alike.
Called the Captive by Forerunners, and the Primordial by ancient human warriors, this intelligence has taken charge of, and retasked, the Master Builder’s cruel researches into the Flood–which it may have itself unleashed on the galaxy more than ten thousand years before.
The Thursday War: Welcome to humanity’s new war: silent, high stakes, and unseen. This is a life-or-death mission for ONI’s black-ops team, Kilo-Five, which is tasked with preventing the ruthless Elites, once the military leaders of the Covenant, from regrouping and threatening humankind again. What began as a routine dirty-tricks operation―keeping the Elites busy with their own insurrection―turns into a desperate bid to extract one member of Kilo-Five from the seething heart of an alien civil war. But troubles never come singly for Kilo-Five. Colonial terrorism is once again surfacing on one of the worlds that survived the war against the Covenant, and the man behind it is much more than just a name to Spartan-010. Meanwhile, the treasure trove of Forerunner technology recovered from the shield world of Onyx is being put to work while a kidnapped Elite plots vengeance on the humans he fears will bring his people to the brink of destruction.
Halo: Evolutions Volume I: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe:
Tobias S. Buckell
B. K. Evenson
Jonathan Goff
Eric Nylund
Frank O’Connor
Eric Raab
Halo: Evolutions Volume II: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe:
Tessa Kum & Jeff VanderMeer
Kevin Grace
Robt McLees
Karen Traviss
Fred Van Lente
I am SO excited to finally read these. Now I can be completely caught up all all Halo books.
With Silentium (third book in the Forerunner Saga) right around the corner, I need to get these read!
Article via HaloWaypoint.com.
The Master Chief returns to fight the Covenant and his new foes,
the Prometheans, in his next epic quest.
Created in collaboration with DK Publishing, we are proud to announce Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, a companion to the world of Halo 4.
Featuring detailed, annotated artwork, Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide fleshes out this broad universe with a vast collection of facts from the first installment of Halo’s Reclaimer Saga. Fiction fans will love immersing themselves in the perilous world of Halo 4 with detailed sections about the characters, factions, weapons, vehicles, equipment, armor, ships and locations.
Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide engrosses readers in the rich lore with in-depth profiles focusing on the roles and significance of the many things which inhabit the vast, mysterious and dangerous Halo Universe.
Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide will be available to purchase on 9/24/2013 for $16.99.
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Wow I can’t wait for this! I wish I could get my hands on the book sooner.
You can pre-order this from Amazon for $11.55 and save $5.44.
While the book isn’t due to hit retailers until next year, I found this pic of the cover of Halo Silentium on Amazon (with a little help from Cowboy over at littleenglishhaloblog.com). It shows the Didact and the Librarian. MMMM, good stuff here!
Text from Tor.com
Tor Books has just announced the title, first cover, and release date for the third novel in the New York Times bestselling Halo Forerunner Saga, Halo: Silentium, written by legendary science fiction author Greg Bear. The first two books of the Forerunner Saga, Halo: Cryptumand Halo: Primordium are currently available in trade paperback, e-book, and audiobook. This newest book in the series will release in hardcover from Tor on January 8, 2013 alongside simultaneous audio and e-book editions.
In Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-book arc set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic creators and builders of the Halos, which continued in Halo: Primordium. Now, in the last years of the Forerunner empire, chaos rules. The Flood—a horrifying shape-changing parasite—has arrived in force, aided by unexpected allies. Internal strife within the ecumene has desperately weakened Forerunner defenses.
Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian—husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict—hold the keys to salvation. Facing the consequences of a mythic tragedy, one of them must now commit the greatest atrocity of all time—to prevent an unmatched evil from dominating the entire universe.
Tor Books has proudly partnered with Microsoft and 343 Industries to publish every book set in this iconic universe. Along with the books of the Forerunner Saga, Tor also publishes another all-new Halo trilogy penned byNew York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss that explores the Halo Universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3. Traviss’s first novel, Halo: Glasslands, came out in 2011, with Halo: The Thursday War due out in October 2012.
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I don’t know about you folks, but I’m REALLY excited to read this last in the trilogy of books. The cover art is amazing and gives us yet another glimpse into the scope and size of Forerunner technology.
-HFFL
This text is reposted from HaloWaypoint.com:
New York, NY – April 25, 2012 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—is excited to reveal the title and release date for the second novel in the “Kilo-Five Trilogy” written by bestselling novelist and renowned game writer Karen Traviss. HALO: THE THURSDAY WAR will release in hardcover alongside a simultaneous audio edition on October 2, 2012.
Traviss, whose first foray into the Halo Universe came with the short story “Human Weakness” in Fall 2009’s New York Timesbestselling “Halo: Evolutions” anthology, launched her new trilogy last fall with the acclaimed bestseller Halo: Glasslands. A #1 New York Times bestselling author who has penned novels in the Star Wars and Gears of War franchises (she most recently served as lead game writer for Gears of War 3), as well as her own critically acclaimed science fiction series, The Wess’har Wars, Traviss has an incredible gift for writing believable and compelling military science fiction.
“From the very first page, The Thursday War propels you into a universe on the brink of chaos,” says Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director, 343 Industries. “It will immerse you immediately and enthrallingly into the events and circumstances that will come to define the state of the Halo universe in Halo 4. I can’t wait for fans and newcomers alike to experience the sequel toGlasslands.”
HALO: THE THURSDAY WAR picks up immediately where Halo: Glasslands left off, with forces on Earth and among the Covenant threatening a peace that is precarious at best. With a splinter group among the Sangheili pushing for war, some human colonies rebel against earth authority; and as ONI policy continues to shift with the volatile situation in space, the discovery of a trove of Forerunner technology on Onyx provokes leaders on Earth to seek uses for it in the conflict. For the fight is far from over…
“I wanted to focus on what it feels like to operate in a fragile ceasefire that’s turning into a mass of small, unpredictable wars where the enemy is much harder to spot and define,” says author Karen Traviss. “It’s not about big set piece space battles, superheroes, and hardware; this is a messy conflict seen at close quarters by real people with their own problems, whether those people are human, alien, or artificial intelligences.”
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Okay, while the book itself sounds great, the title…not so much.
Really? I mean, a writer couldn’t think of a better name for their own novel? Who knows, maybe Karen Travis did and the publishers renamed it, or 343. Seriously, it’s a bland name for a Halo book.
Cryptum, by Greg Bear, is an interesting look into the pre-halo game history of Forerunners seen through the eyes of a very young Forerunner. The story takes us through a winding tale of a young Forerunner who goes against the grain and seeks to explore rather than be tied down by the traditions of Forerunner classes or rates. He was to be a “Builder.” Instead he goes off exploring for an ancient artifact and instead finds an old Cryptum. Not just any one though. It’s that of the Didact himself.
The Didact was perhaps the most powerful of the Warrior-Servant class and was/is married to the Librarian, the highest of the lifeworkers. When our young hero “Bornstellar” revives the Didact, they immediately begin a mission that would change the course of history for Forerunners and indeed all sentients.
Along with two humans, who against their will are taken along, Bornstellar and the Didact visit places from the Didact’s past. An age old “enemy” has escaped and another old enemy is soon to make a reappearance. It’s up to this band of Forerunners and Humans to figure out the truth of the situation. Before all can be revealed, the Didact mutates Bornstellar so that our young hero would have the memories of the elder Forerunner.
They meet up against the Master Builder, the highest of the highest Forerunners, who test one of the Halos against the San-Shyuum homeworld. The Didact is taken into custody, Bornstellar is returned to his home and family, and the whereabouts of the humans remains to be seen.
While home, Bornstellar learns more about the universe and specifically his father’s role in it. Bornstellar is summoned to appear before the council of Forerunners. The Halos have been brought to the Forerunner homeworld, the Master Builder is in custody and a possibly mad/rampant AI known as Mendicant Bias takes control of roughly half of the Halos.
All hell breaks loose when the Halos begin to charge up or flee. The Forerunner fleet comes for a rescue. However, before we find out the fate of the homeworld, Bornstellar and two council members flee and are transported through a wormhole with one of the Halos to the Ark.
There Bornstellar meets the Librarian…
There is more to know and understand in this novel. If you want to enjoy and learn more information about the Haloverse then this book and eventual series of three is a must buy. The writing style is a little wonky at times. However that may in part be due to the perspective of it coming from a Forerunner and the use of terms the casual fan won’t be familiar with.
There is a rich sense of history and order in this novel that gives into personal decisions.
I’d say more about the book, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.
Book two “Primordium” is out now and I will be reviewing that soon. As soon as I finish Glasslands, a tale of the aftermath of the presumed ending of the Human-Covenant war.
I hope you enjoyed the synopsis and review and again if you haven’t read this book, then I highly recommend buying it and reading for yourself.
Please feel free to sign up for my Blog and post a comment or three.
-HFFL
Go to the following links for more info of this second book of the Forerunner Saga.
Excerpt 1: http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/12/halo-primordium-excerpt
Excerpts 2, 3, and 4: http://halo.xbox.com/blogs/Headlines/post/2011/12/28/The-Halo-Bulletin-122811-Exclusive-Book-Excerpt-Primordium.aspx
Primordium will be released officially on January 3, 2012, just days away. You can order from Amazon.
Hard Cover: http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Primordium-Book-Forerunner-Hardcover/dp/0765323974/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325230623&sr=8-1
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Primordium-Forerunner-Hardcover-ebook/dp/B005FWOS8I/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1325230623&sr=8-5