Official Halo: Envoy Discussion [SPOILERS]

Community Halo Universe
1

Hello, and welcome to the discussion thread for Halo envoy! This is a spoiler zone so no need to put on spoiler tags, so read threat at your own risk!
WARNING SPOILERS

SPOILER ZONEhttp://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/HALO-Envoy/Tobias-S-Buckell/HALO/9781501106873

> It has been six years since the end of the Covenant War…and yet on the planet Carrow, a world on the edge of the Joint Occupation Zone, a decisive new battle suddenly erupts. Human colonists and the alien Sangheili have already been living a tension-filled co-existence in this place, with Unified Earth Government envoy Melody Azikiwe attempting to broker a lasting peace between their two species. But as civil war now engulfs the Sangheili settlers, Melody must act on an additional covert assignment courtesy of the Office of Naval Intelligence: find a way to free the SPARTAN-IIs known as Gray Team, held in stasis since the end of the war by a cunning Elite fleetmaster consumed with vengeance. And none can anticipate the ongoing violence leading to the discovery of an even greater, unstoppable threat—one hidden for eons below the surface of the planet….

By Tobias S. Buckell
25th April 2017 (Tuesday)
SPOILERS AHEAD

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I got my copy of the book today (for some reason, the book stores here broke the street date, but I’m not complaining). Definitely very interesting so far, it gives a different (and albeit refreshing) perspective on the post-war era.

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Is Gray Team’s mongoose in the story?

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Any cool fights?

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Are the San’shyuum in this book?

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> 2533274809220485;1:
> Hello, and welcome to the discussion thread for Halo envoy! This is a spoiler zone so no need to put on spoiler tags, so read threat at your own risk!
> WARNING SPOILERS SPOILER ZONEhttp://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/HALO-Envoy/Tobias-S-Buckell/HALO/9781501106873
>
> > It has been six years since the end of the Covenant War…and yet on the planet Carrow, a world on the edge of the Joint Occupation Zone, a decisive new battle suddenly erupts. Human colonists and the alien Sangheili have already been living a tension-filled co-existence in this place, with Unified Earth Government envoy Melody Azikiwe attempting to broker a lasting peace between their two species. But as civil war now engulfs the Sangheili settlers, Melody must act on an additional covert assignment courtesy of the Office of Naval Intelligence: find a way to free the SPARTAN-IIs known as Gray Team, held in stasis since the end of the war by a cunning Elite fleetmaster consumed with vengeance. And none can anticipate the ongoing violence leading to the discovery of an even greater, unstoppable threat—one hidden for eons below the surface of the planet….
>
> By Tobias S. Buckell25th April 2017 (Tuesday)
> SPOILERS AHEAD

I find your lack of spoilers disturbing. ; )

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Grey Team? Spartan II’s? I thought there were only 50 or so survivors of the original augmentations. Many of them die in earlier books and campaigns. I just don’t understand how there is still a whole other team still existing. Were they placed in stasis at the very beginning of the war? I am definitely going to have to read this book.

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> 2535414356806465;7:
> Grey Team? Spartan II’s? I thought there were only 50 or so survivors of the original augmentations. Many of them die in earlier books and campaigns. I just don’t understand how there is still a whole other team still existing. Were they placed in stasis at the very beginning of the war? I am definitely going to have to read this book.

If you don’t know who Gray Team is you may want to hold off getting this book. Read “Halo: The Cole Protocol” first because that’s where Gray Team was introduced. It also gives some interesting backstory for Captain Keyes and the Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam. Both “The Cole Protocol” and “Envoy” were written by Tobias Buckell.

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> 2533274793749599;8:
> > 2535414356806465;7:
> > Grey Team? Spartan II’s? I thought there were only 50 or so survivors of the original augmentations. Many of them die in earlier books and campaigns. I just don’t understand how there is still a whole other team still existing. Were they placed in stasis at the very beginning of the war? I am definitely going to have to read this book.
>
> If you don’t know who Gray Team is you may want to hold off getting this book. Read “Halo: The Cole Protocol” first because that’s where Gray Team was introduced. It also gives some interesting backstory for Captain Keyes and the Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam. Both “The Cole Protocol” and “Envoy” were written by Tobias Buckell.

That’s right… I thought that was a “black” spartan team

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Well, here’s the first big spoiler of the book. For all of you who haven’t read and don’t want to know anything, turn away now.

Good?

Not looking?

Alright.

Daaaaaaaaaaaammmnnnn, I was not expecting the ancient threat to be the Sharquoi. I had thought that they were forgotten and would never reappear in Halo lore. That’s a very very nice surprise, and a very cool one at that. Props to whomever came up with the idea to bring them back into the fold. I haven’t finished the book yet, so I don’t know what happens to them. But maybe they’ll appear in future games? Who knows?

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> 2535414356806465;9:
> > 2533274793749599;8:
> > > 2535414356806465;7:
> > > Grey Team? Spartan II’s? I thought there were only 50 or so survivors of the original augmentations. Many of them die in earlier books and campaigns. I just don’t understand how there is still a whole other team still existing. Were they placed in stasis at the very beginning of the war? I am definitely going to have to read this book.
> >
> > If you don’t know who Gray Team is you may want to hold off getting this book. Read “Halo: The Cole Protocol” first because that’s where Gray Team was introduced. It also gives some interesting backstory for Captain Keyes and the Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam. Both “The Cole Protocol” and “Envoy” were written by Tobias Buckell.
>
> That’s right… I thought that was a “black” spartan team

There is only one Black Team, and they got unceremoniously killed off-screen in the Escalation series to make the Didact look a bit more scary.

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> 2533274808386392;10:
> Well, here’s the first big spoiler of the book. For all of you who haven’t read and don’t want to know anything, turn away now.
>
> Good?
>
> Not looking?
>
> Alright.

I am surprised.

So the book isn’t connected to the events after Halo 5 or is a tie in to Halo 6/HW2? Completely self contained story, nothing to do with Cortana?

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> 2533274803587475;12:
> > 2533274808386392;10:
> > Well, here’s the first big spoiler of the book. For all of you who haven’t read and don’t want to know anything, turn away now.
> >
> > Good?
> >
> > Not looking?
> >
> > Alright.
>
> I am surprised.
>
>
> So the book isn’t connected to the events after Halo 5 or is a tie in to Halo 6/HW2? Completely self contained story, nothing to do with Cortana?

Not so far, no. I’m a little over halfway done, so we’ll see. I feel like it won’t though, which makes me very happy.

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Stoked to see your thoughts and reactions! :slight_smile:

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> 2533274808386392;13:
> > 2533274803587475;12:
> > > 2533274808386392;10:
> > > Well, here’s the first big spoiler of the book. For all of you who haven’t read and don’t want to know anything, turn away now.
> > >
> > > Good?
> > >
> > > Not looking?
> > >
> > > Alright.
> >
> > I am surprised.
> >
> >
> > So the book isn’t connected to the events after Halo 5 or is a tie in to Halo 6/HW2? Completely self contained story, nothing to do with Cortana?
>
> Not so far, no. I’m a little over halfway done, so we’ll see. I feel like it won’t though, which makes me very happy.

See I’d prefer to have some insight into where the series is heading. If its another Kilo 5 esque story, then I am not sure what its relevance would be to the wider plot. Does it really matter if a war starts on this planet if these events are going to be overshadowed by Atriox and Cortana shenanigans? I haven’t read Cole Protocal so I am not really fussed about Grey Team. Probably going to give this one a miss then.

I mean most of the Halo Novels I have read, basically Fall of Reach to Contact Harvest, were pretty much about Spartan 2’s fighting the Covenant; so I feel I’ve already read that basic premise many times before. Plus it sounds a lot like re-treading old ground covered from Kilo 5 about the fraught relationship between Humans and Elites. Which, as I alluded to above, feels redundant following Halo 5 with the Arbiter triumphant and new threats rising from the Brutes and Cortana.

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> 2533274803587475;15:
> > 2533274808386392;13:
> > > 2533274803587475;12:
> > > > 2533274808386392;10:
> > > > Well, here’s the first big spoiler of the book. For all of you who haven’t read and don’t want to know anything, turn away now.
> > > >
> > > > Good?
> > > >
> > > > Not looking?
> > > >
> > > > Alright.
> > >
> > > I am surprised.
> > >
> > >
> > > So the book isn’t connected to the events after Halo 5 or is a tie in to Halo 6/HW2? Completely self contained story, nothing to do with Cortana?
> >
> > Not so far, no. I’m a little over halfway done, so we’ll see. I feel like it won’t though, which makes me very happy.
>
>
>
>
> See I’d prefer to have some insight into where the series is heading. If its another Kilo 5 esque story, then I am not sure what its relevance would be to the wider plot. Does it really matter if a war starts on this planet if these events are going to be overshadowed by Atriox and Cortana shenanigans? I haven’t read Cole Protocal so I am not really fussed about Grey Team. Probably going to give this one a miss then.
>
> I mean most of the Halo Novels I have read, basically Fall of Reach to Contact Harvest, were pretty much about Spartan 2’s fighting the Covenant; so I feel I’ve already read that basic premise many times before. Plus it sounds a lot like re-treading old ground covered from Kilo 5 about the fraught relationship between Humans and Elites. Which, as I alluded to above, feels redundant following Halo 5 with the Arbiter triumphant and new threats rising from the Brutes and Cortana.
>

I hear you, but I’m on the completely opposite end of the spectrum. I couldn’t care less about the post-Halo 5 story, and will most likely not be buying Halo 6 because I have no faith in that story. I would very much rather read a story that actually adds something interesting and meaningful to the lore instead of Evil Cortana who wants to destroy the galaxy for some reason or something.

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No spoiler tags needed in this thread.
I just finished the book, which I got about less than 5 hours and 15 minutes ago.

Wow! The book was quite something! I was so surprised to see the Sharquoi, and it gave such an interesting look again at the politics of the galaxy. This story takes place in September 2558, one month before the events of the Guardians. Yes this sort of makes me see Cortana’s point even more, but her methods are not right. Anyways, it’s interesting to see these different people, well some of them at least, be able to put the old hatred away, for what is right, for what is necessary.
Because if there is one truth, whether in halo or real life. There is no us versus them, there is only us.

I was so surprised to see the Sharquoi! Very nice to have them indeed.
Excellent book!
Nice to have more precise additions and things mentioned.

So the grunts had goblins before Cortana?

So did Osman know that something was coming then? Does that probably mean that Gray Team will work in the created era and with the SoS?
I wonder if the Created will come and give out relief and reconstruction for the people of Carrow.

Very interesting book honestly.

Maybe one day I should draw Carrow or something. Also, I do enjoy this story being sort of the after story of Oasis, but at the same time not simply being a direct sequel to it. Like, Oasis told its story, and this continued the theme, but it also told its other story.

Also nice to see the banished getting mentioned more. I was hoping we’d see some name drops for the weapon variants such as Void’s tear, but oh well. Now we have an interesting gravity hammer, but it was nuked.

Gray team though, they basically blew up a planet, yikes. Nova bombed it.

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So, they were held in stasis after ‘Cole Protocol’ and released just recently (around the time period of Halo 5)?

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> 2535414356806465;18:
> So, they were held in stasis after ‘Cole Protocol’ and released just recently (around the time period of Halo 5)?

In last day of 2552 and awoken in September 2558

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Would anyone mind giving me a quick summary of the Sharquoi’s involvement?

Are they sentient like the other races? And how are they described? What exactly makes them a threat?