I have played all the Halo games and have watched some youtube videos on Halo lore (specifically the forerunner saga), and I am interested in reading the books. There are 32 of them, and I don’t have an interest in reading all of them to find out which ones are good or meaningfully contribute to the story. As of right now, I’m gonna read Fall of Reach, First Strike, Ghosts of Onyx, Contact Harvest and the Forerunner trilogy. I played ODST once a loooong time ago and completely skipped Halo 5 so I don’t really know much about buck and the Blood books, and I know there is a murder mystery book that I don’t think I have interest in.
Specifically any books that can lead up to Infinite would be cool as well. Any suggestions on a simplified reading list (to at least get started and I can read the other not as good/important books later)?
The older books (Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood, Halo: First Strike, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, Halo: Contact Harvest) and Evolutions are probably the only “essentials” or “Halo classics” I would recommend. Shadows of Reach leads up to Infinite and Renegades brings back a old character. Some of the more recent books have new characters which werent in the games so they would be good to read later. There is a newer book about the Chief called Silent Storm which was pretty good. I highly recommend you read The Flood because it has Captain Keyes perspective of some of the events in CE.
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> I have played all the Halo games and have watched some youtube videos on Halo lore (specifically the forerunner saga), and I am interested in reading the books. There are 32 of them, and I don’t have an interest in reading all of them to find out which ones are good or meaningfully contribute to the story. As of right now, I’m gonna read Fall of Reach, First Strike, Ghosts of Onyx, Contact Harvest and the Forerunner trilogy. I played ODST once a loooong time ago and completely skipped Halo 5 so I don’t really know much about buck and the Blood books, and I know there is a murder mystery book that I don’t think I have interest in.
>
> Specifically any books that can lead up to Infinite would be cool as well. Any suggestions on a simplified reading list (to at least get started and I can read the other not as good/important books later)?
Personally my list would look something like this.
At its core it’s got only 6 books (Forerunner Trilogy, Fall of Reach, First Strike, Shadows of Reach), but there are definitely some side arcs I think are important too which if you have time you should look into - if nothing else to give you better context for Shadows of Reach/what may come after and to set the post-Halo 5 scene better. Anything Marked as Optional means it has tangential relevance to core books in continuing/introducing threads and/or is just a really good book.
Personally I’d start with the core books up until Shadows of Reach then see how you’re doing for time. If you have time I’d add Side Arc#2 in first, then Side Arc #3, then Side Arc #4, then Side Arc #1 in that order of priority. It definitely doesn’t matter if you fit the side arcs in later. A 5th side arc would be the Kilo-5 trilogy, but that’s not critical IMHO.
Side Arc #1: 343 Guilty Spark - strong connections to Forerunner Trilogy
Side Arc #2: Spartan IIIs, Blue team without Chief, Veta Lopis, and Keepers of the One Freedom as a faction
Side Arc #3: Post-Halo 5 situation, Spartan IVs
Side Arc #4: The Ark as a Location, San’Shyuum post-Halo 3
Chronologically:
-
CORE Forerunner Trilogy - [Optional] Silent Storm - [Optional] Oblivion - [Optional] The Flood - CORE Fall of Reach - CORE First Strike - [Side Arc #2] Ghosts of Onyx - [Optional/Side Arc #3] New Blood - [Optional/Side Arc #4] Shadow of Intent - [Side Arc #2] Last Light - [Side Arc #2] Retribution - [Side Arc #1 and Side Arc #4] Hunters in the Dark - [Side Arc #1] Smoke and Shadow - [Side Arc #1]Renegades - [Optional/Side Arc #2] Legacy of Onyx - [Side Arc #3] Bad Blood - [Side Arc #2] Point of Light - CORE Shadows of Reach - [Side Arc #2/#4]Divine Wind (releasing October)
The ones you have planned there are a really good start, and some of the most important ones.
You’re probably gonna want to read Shadows of Reach before Infinite comes out, since it’s kind of a prequel to Infinite.
I think once you’ve finished the ones you have planned, you will have an idea of what you’ll want to know more about. And you might have some unanswered questions that’ll convince you to continue to other books.
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> > 2535457314567960;1:
> > I have played all the Halo games and have watched some youtube videos on Halo lore (specifically the forerunner saga), and I am interested in reading the books. There are 32 of them, and I don’t have an interest in reading all of them to find out which ones are good or meaningfully contribute to the story. As of right now, I’m gonna read Fall of Reach, First Strike, Ghosts of Onyx, Contact Harvest and the Forerunner trilogy. I played ODST once a loooong time ago and completely skipped Halo 5 so I don’t really know much about buck and the Blood books, and I know there is a murder mystery book that I don’t think I have interest in.
> >
> > Specifically any books that can lead up to Infinite would be cool as well. Any suggestions on a simplified reading list (to at least get started and I can read the other not as good/important books later)?
>
> Personally my list would look something like this.
> At its core it’s got only 6 books (Forerunner Trilogy, Fall of Reach, First Strike, Shadows of Reach), but there are definitely some side arcs I think are important too which if you have time you should look into - if nothing else to give you better context for Shadows of Reach/what may come after and to set the post-Halo 5 scene better. Anything Marked as Optional means it has tangential relevance to core books in continuing/introducing threads and/or is just a really good book.
>
> Personally I’d start with the core books up until Shadows of Reach then see how you’re doing for time. If you have time I’d add Side Arc#2 in first, then Side Arc #3, then Side Arc #4, then Side Arc #1 in that order of priority. It definitely doesn’t matter if you fit the side arcs in later. A 5th side arc would be the Kilo-5 trilogy, but that’s not critical IMHO.
>
> Side Arc #1: 343 Guilty Spark - strong connections to Forerunner Trilogy
> Side Arc #2: Spartan IIIs, Blue team without Chief, Veta Lopis, and Keepers of the One Freedom as a faction
> Side Arc #3: Post-Halo 5 situation, Spartan IVs
> Side Arc #4: The Ark as a Location, San’Shyuum post-Halo 3
>
> Chronologically:
> - CORE Forerunner Trilogy - [Optional] Silent Storm - [Optional] Oblivion - [Optional] The Flood - CORE Fall of Reach - CORE First Strike - [Side Arc #2] Ghosts of Onyx - [Optional/Side Arc #3] New Blood - [Optional/Side Arc #4] Shadow of Intent - [Side Arc #2] Last Light - [Side Arc #2] Retribution - [Side Arc #1 and Side Arc #4] Hunters in the Dark - [Side Arc #1] Smoke and Shadow - [Side Arc #1]Renegades - [Optional/Side Arc #2] Legacy of Onyx - [Side Arc #3] Bad Blood - [Side Arc #2] Point of Light - CORE Shadows of Reach - [Side Arc #2/#4]Divine Wind (releasing October)
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> The ones you have planned there are a really good start, and some of the most important ones.
> You’re probably gonna want to read Shadows of Reach before Infinite comes out, since it’s kind of a prequel to Infinite.
>
> I think once you’ve finished the ones you have planned, you will have an idea of what you’ll want to know more about. And you might have some unanswered questions that’ll convince you to continue to other books.
Thank you to everyone, especially these answers this was exactly what I needed to find. So you think I could jump straight from first strike to shadows of reach after just playing the games and still know what’s going on?
> 2535457314567960;5:
> Thank you to everyone, especially these answers this was exactly what I needed to find. So you think I could jump straight from first strike to shadows of reach after just playing the games and still know what’s going on?
Yes absolutely, only thing really needed to read SoR is to have played Halo 5 or at least know the story.
There are smaller references but nothing that is central to the story.
> 2533274947805189;6:
> > 2535457314567960;5:
> > Thank you to everyone, especially these answers this was exactly what I needed to find. So you think I could jump straight from first strike to shadows of reach after just playing the games and still know what’s going on?
>
> Yes absolutely, only thing really needed to read SoR is to have played Halo 5 or at least know the story.
> There are smaller references but nothing that is central to the story.
Agreed OP. If you just want content relevant to the main story line, then you can cut out a solid chunk of books. I personally love all the little minutia and weird lore references, so I avidly read every scrap of lore I can get my hands on. But I totally get why someone would look at all that info and just not want to deal with it.
For my two cents, read the following:
- Fall of Reach - First Strike - Ghosts of Onyx - The Forerunner Trilogy - Shadows of ReachYou’ll get the vast majority of what you’re looking for in those books. For incidentals that will add some extra context:
- Contact Harvest (I view this as a foundational book that provides backstory on several main characters from the games) - Hunters in the Dark (if you played 4-player co-op in H3, you’ll appreciate this book quite a lot)As for the Blood Series (no idea if that’s what we all call it, but it’s what I call it), I recommend reading if you got the time. They’re well written and enjoyable to read. Bad Blood connects the end of H5’s gameplay with the final cut scene and then shows what the universe looks like post-guardian activation.
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> > 2533274947805189;6:
> > > 2535457314567960;5:
> > > Thank you to everyone, especially these answers this was exactly what I needed to find. So you think I could jump straight from first strike to shadows of reach after just playing the games and still know what’s going on?
> >
> > Yes absolutely, only thing really needed to read SoR is to have played Halo 5 or at least know the story.
> > There are smaller references but nothing that is central to the story.
>
> Agreed OP. If you just want content relevant to the main story line, then you can cut out a solid chunk of books. I personally love all the little minutia and weird lore references, so I avidly read every scrap of lore I can get my hands on. But I totally get why someone would look at all that info and just not want to deal with it.
>
> For my two cents, read the following:
> - Fall of Reach - First Strike - Ghosts of Onyx - The Forerunner Trilogy - Shadows of ReachYou’ll get the vast majority of what you’re looking for in those books. For incidentals that will add some extra context:
> - Contact Harvest (I view this as a foundational book that provides backstory on several main characters from the games) - Hunters in the Dark (if you played 4-player co-op in H3, you’ll appreciate this book quite a lot)As for the Blood Series (no idea if that’s what we all call it, but it’s what I call it), I recommend reading if you got the time. They’re well written and enjoyable to read. Bad Blood connects the end of H5’s gameplay with the final cut scene and then shows what the universe looks like post-guardian activation.
Entirely agree here.
I was swithering on Ghosts of Onyx but ended up going for it not being as essential because all it really gives you is a pre-Halo 4 Halsey, the post-Reach Spartan-IIIs and a post-First Strike Blue team. If you’re reading it I’d say its value is limited if you’re not going on to the rest of the Side Arc #2 I identified.
The Halo 4-Halo 5 bridge provided by Kilo-5 is kind of irrelevant once you’ve played Halo 5, and Side Arc #2 especially Last Light and Retribution probably provide the same insight to Covenant splinter groups.
> 2535435902217648;7:
> > 2533274947805189;6:
> > > 2535457314567960;5:
> > > Thank you to everyone, especially these answers this was exactly what I needed to find. So you think I could jump straight from first strike to shadows of reach after just playing the games and still know what’s going on?
> >
> > Yes absolutely, only thing really needed to read SoR is to have played Halo 5 or at least know the story.
> > There are smaller references but nothing that is central to the story.
>
> Agreed OP. If you just want content relevant to the main story line, then you can cut out a solid chunk of books. I personally love all the little minutia and weird lore references, so I avidly read every scrap of lore I can get my hands on. But I totally get why someone would look at all that info and just not want to deal with it.
>
> For my two cents, read the following:
> - Fall of Reach - First Strike - Ghosts of Onyx - The Forerunner Trilogy - Shadows of ReachYou’ll get the vast majority of what you’re looking for in those books. For incidentals that will add some extra context:
> - Contact Harvest (I view this as a foundational book that provides backstory on several main characters from the games) - Hunters in the Dark (if you played 4-player co-op in H3, you’ll appreciate this book quite a lot)As for the Blood Series (no idea if that’s what we all call it, but it’s what I call it), I recommend reading if you got the time. They’re well written and enjoyable to read. Bad Blood connects the end of H5’s gameplay with the final cut scene and then shows what the universe looks like post-guardian activation.
Perfect, cutting 32 books down to 11 before infinite is WAY doable. I can read the others a bit later.
If you want books leading up to infinite I would recommend Hunters in the dark since it takes place on zeta halo where infinite will take place
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> If you want books leading up to infinite I would recommend Hunters in the dark since it takes place on zeta halo where infinite will take place
Hunters in the Dark has a brief scene on Zeta, but most of it is on the Ark.
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> > 2535472616057540;10:
> > If you want books leading up to infinite I would recommend Hunters in the dark since it takes place on zeta halo where infinite will take place
>
> Hunters in the Dark has a brief scene on Zeta, but most of it is on the Ark.
Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve read most of the books