So I’m slowly getting around to reading all the Halo books but I noticed Karen Traviss is getting a lot of hate around here. Is the hate rightfully placed? Should I buy the Kilo 5 trilogy? No spoilers please as one day I may read it.
There’re quite a few things wrong with the series (Cobra will no doubt give you a wall of text), but in my opinion the books aren’t deserving of the “terrible trilogy” title that they have received from a lot of the community. I enjoyed reading them, and I recommend that you do as well if for no other reason than to have a greater understanding of the post-war universe or to have more context behind the upcoming in-game events.
> Is the hate rightfully placed?
While a good number of people are just going to tell you that it is, and in some cases I can certainly understand why it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, this is ultimately something you have to decide for yourself.
I am not a particular fan of the Kilo-5 novels, Glasslands especially is my least favourite book in the series. That said, The Thursday War has some really good segments from Jul 'Mdama’s perspective which leads right into Halo 4 and details the origins of the reformed Covenant, and Mortal Dictata is a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy which focuses on the effects that the Spartan-II project had on the families of the abducted children as well as detailing a lot more of Kig-Yar society.
Most additions to the Halo series are worth experiencing, if only for the substantial amount of lore they add to the series which you don’t want to miss out on. Don’t let other people put you off something you may potentially enjoy just because there are things that they disagree with, take the risk of getting it and deciding for yourself.
Ok I think I will buy them then. P.S What order are they in?
> Ok I think I will buy them then. P.S What order are they in?
Glasslands, Thursday War, Mortal Dictata
Even though I’m not a fan of them, I’d still say get them if you’re dedicated to reading all the books. Its better to be informed than just run on forum coments.
I don’t hate much of the books themselves, I just find the author seems to heavy handedly be trying to make halsey look bad. But we can leave that discussion for the like 3 other threads on this.
They do seem to do sort of a poor job bridging the gap between halo 3 and 4 though, as from my understanding all 3 happen with 2553, maybe early 2554, leaving still 3-4 years of gap.
Whilst I’m not a fan of the Kilo 5 trilogy there worth a read, they add to the story and help explain a few things.
I loved Glasslands, Thursday War was okay, and I absolutely hated Mortal Dictata. Still, I would recommend reading all of them. They have their flaws, but all are relevant and contain important details pertaining to Halo 4 and the current Halo Universe.
I think all but Mortal Dictata are absolute -Yoink-, but that is something you need to find out for yourself.
I wouldn’t buy them, definitely read them by all means, but with something as widely reviled amongst the fanbase as the Kilo-5 Trilogy is, if it were me it’d be something I’d try to find where I could borrow the books and read them for myself before deciding if they’re something worth spending money on and buying.
> I think all but Mortal Dictata are absolute Yoink!, but that is something you need to find out for yourself.
I’m surprised. You liked Mortal Dictata?
> > I think all but Mortal Dictata are absolute Yoink!, but that is something you need to find out for yourself.
>
> I’m surprised. You liked Mortal Dictata?
I probably shouldn’t, but somehow I do.
> > I think all but Mortal Dictata are absolute Yoink!, but that is something you need to find out for yourself.
>
> I’m surprised. You liked Mortal Dictata?
While I can’t speak for Cobra, I found Mortal Dictata was more trying to be its own thing, rather than just an update on what the UNSC has been doing. We got perspectives on ‘modern’ innies and skirmishers/jackals, something we don’t often get.
The Halsey hate also seemed more, thought out this time, as opposed to characters just making -Yoink!- comparisons and saying awful things. We get the story of a father who lost his treasured daughter. On the flipside I think Osman’s view of halsey gets a bit toned down by the end of the novel when she discovers her own origins before the Spartan program. There’s also some admittance that Halsey’s being used as a scapegoat, as opposed to the other 2 novels just making it seem like its all her fault.
If it wasn’t for BB’s donor at the end saying how great Parangosky was, I’d actually the novel left on a more neutral note for that argument.
Trust me brother I waited so long to buy the kilo V series because of the constant fan berating and dismissal as complete -Yoink- and got my hands on the series and was grossly disappointed in the fans reactions to these novels. These books by no mean are bad books deserving of the 2s and 1s fans leave on every site reviewing them of course you review a product based on your personal enjoyment from it but because a certain character was written in a certain light on flawed basis I think people got out of hand with sheer fan rage. I recommend the novels each one touching on some moral grey area that I previously never really pondered and providing interesting reads on two of my now favorite characters Serin Osman and Jul Mdama. DO IT!!! 
Go ahead and read them, just. Keep in mind there are some inconsistencies with the rest of the universe, but overall I think the hate Travis’s gets is mostly undeserved. People are upset mainly because a character they hold dear is put into undeserved trouble, and that the rest of the characters hate on her - heavily.
IMO they were good reads even though i like most of the other books better. I really enjoyed Mortal Dictata, though.
Of course you well know the negative reaction to the Kilo-5 trilogy has more to do than simply because one character is mistreated.
Yeah, but it seems to be the primary reason. That, and the thought processes/logical fallacies characters like Vaz and MP exhibit in the books (geared towards Halsey hating.) That’s why I used the term mainly, I understand and agree with the other issues. I just think that the hate of Traviss’ writing in the Halo fiction is <mark>mostly</mark> undeserved.
You know I have some problems with it, too, I just prioritize the glaring inconsistencies with facts in the Universe. (Things like the sentinels getting no mention, Jerrod being missing, etc.)
Either way I think the novels were enjoyable. FWIW, I enjoyed every other book I read in the series more than Glasslands and TTW.
They really are bad on so many levels. Not just the Halsey hate. I won’t bother going into detail because others on here have already done a better job of it than I ever could, just read some of the older threads.
Unfortunately, they are also canon. So if you want to know all the details you’ll need to read them. Just do what OrderedC0ma said, borrow them from a friend or the library. If you must own them, buy used. Then, at least, your money isn’t going to directly support Karen Traviss’ terrible writing.
If you enjoy having a notion of structurally sound and quality canon, then don’t ruin the dream by reading Kilo 5.
Completely ignoring the Halsey bashing (she was never guiltless, but if you’re going to condemn, try to not have baseless and idiotic reasons), it does a great job of turning the brain collection that is ONI into a gathering of self-destructive morons.
Oh, and engineers are magicians and performed a vanishing act whilst the Arbiter (who could go toe to toe with any Spartan II) is turned into a punk -Yoink-.
> So I’m slowly getting around to reading all the Halo books but I noticed Karen Traviss is getting a lot of hate around here. Is the hate rightfully placed? Should I buy the Kilo 5 trilogy? No spoilers please as one day I may read it.
Just read the darn trilogy and form your own opinions is all I have to say.
In my honest opinion I am kind of neutral on the hate towards the trilogy.