So I have been reading a lot of Halo books in the last few years, but I always avoided three of them: Primordium, Cryptum and Sanctum. I have never felt the need to read/buy them. But now I’m wondering, are they <<must-reads>>? I love the Halo lore, but I’m not sure if these books are just the terminals in the games but in a novel format.
In short, should I get into the saga?
I would say “no” in the strictest sense if you’re willing to look to the terminals to get a far more condensed summation of the key elements of the story relating to the game, most notably Halo 4’s. You are missing out on an enormous amount of information, lore, and characterisation background if you do, though. The Forerunner trilogy provides the fans with context behind the creation of the Halo rings, who the Forerunners were as a civilisation, their relationship with humanity, the progressive loss of sanity of the Didact, why the Librarian harbours so much affection for humanity, why this deep rooted hatred and race for control exists for this so called “Mantle of Responsibility”, the origins of the Flood, and so much more. Again, you could technically rely on the terminals and in-game dialogue to get the gist of what’s going on but it’s elaborated on and coloured so interestingly within the books that it feels lacking to not have the full scoop of the world.
What I will say is that the Forerunner trilogy isn’t the easiest of the Halo books to read. It’s written in a different manner to the standard operational military sci-fi engagement with Spartans or some kind of marine providing you with eyes and ears. Primordium is the most difficult to get through because a lot of it is just slow-paced exploration of the Halo ring with not a lot of significant events happening until close to the end – interestingly the one Infinite is set on and from the perspective of someone you should be familiar with.
By the way, there’s also the short epilogue story “Rebirth” and the anthological tales “Promises to Keep” and “Defender of the Storm” from Fractures that could be read in tandem. I would, in this order, recommend Rebirth first and Promises to Keep second as they both deal with the aftermath of the Forerunner trilogy.
Edit: The name of the final book in the main trilogy is Silentium, by the way.
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> I would say “no” in the strictest sense if you’re willing to look to the terminals to get a far more condensed summation of the key elements of the story relating to the game, most notably Halo 4’s. You are missing out on an enormous amount of information, lore, and characterisation background if you do, though. The Forerunner trilogy provides the fans with context behind the creation of the Halo rings, who the Forerunners were as a civilisation, their relationship with humanity, the progressive loss of sanity of the Didact, why the Librarian harbours so much affection for humanity, why this deep rooted hatred and race for control exists for this so called “Mantle of Responsibility”, the origins of the Flood, and so much more. Again, you could technically rely on the terminals and in-game dialogue to get the gist of what’s going on but it’s elaborated on and coloured so interestingly within the books that it feels lacking to not have the full scoop of the world.
>
> What I will say is that the Forerunner trilogy isn’t the easiest of the Halo books to read. It’s written in a different manner to the standard operational military sci-fi engagement with Spartans or some kind of marine providing you with eyes and ears. Primordium is the most difficult to get through because a lot of it is just slow-paced exploration of the Halo ring with not a lot of significant events happening until close to the end – interestingly the one Infinite is set on and from the perspective of someone you should be familiar with.
>
> By the way, there’s also the short epilogue story “Rebirth” and the anthological tales “Promises to Keep” and “Defender of the Storm” from Fractures that could be read in tandem. I would, in this order, recommend Rebirth first and Promises to Keep second as they both deal with the aftermath of the Forerunner trilogy.
>
> Edit: The name of the final book in the main trilogy is Silentium, by the way.
I have read Halo; Fractures and really didn’t like the three Forerunner stories within it. That’s mostly why I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to dive into the saga. But if you’re saying that a lot of important lore is in it, I’ll need to give it a go, even though I kinda hate the way Forerunner things are written.
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> > 2533274808716317;2:
> > I would say “no” in the strictest sense if you’re willing to look to the terminals to get a far more condensed summation of the key elements of the story relating to the game, most notably Halo 4’s. You are missing out on an enormous amount of information, lore, and characterisation background if you do, though. The Forerunner trilogy provides the fans with context behind the creation of the Halo rings, who the Forerunners were as a civilisation, their relationship with humanity, the progressive loss of sanity of the Didact, why the Librarian harbours so much affection for humanity, why this deep rooted hatred and race for control exists for this so called “Mantle of Responsibility”, the origins of the Flood, and so much more. Again, you could technically rely on the terminals and in-game dialogue to get the gist of what’s going on but it’s elaborated on and coloured so interestingly within the books that it feels lacking to not have the full scoop of the world.
> >
> > What I will say is that the Forerunner trilogy isn’t the easiest of the Halo books to read. It’s written in a different manner to the standard operational military sci-fi engagement with Spartans or some kind of marine providing you with eyes and ears. Primordium is the most difficult to get through because a lot of it is just slow-paced exploration of the Halo ring with not a lot of significant events happening until close to the end – interestingly the one Infinite is set on and from the perspective of someone you should be familiar with.
> >
> > By the way, there’s also the short epilogue story “Rebirth” and the anthological tales “Promises to Keep” and “Defender of the Storm” from Fractures that could be read in tandem. I would, in this order, recommend Rebirth first and Promises to Keep second as they both deal with the aftermath of the Forerunner trilogy.
> >
> > Edit: The name of the final book in the main trilogy is Silentium, by the way.
>
> I have read Halo; Fractures and really didn’t like the three Forerunner stories within it. That’s mostly why I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to dive into the saga. But if you’re saying that a lot of important lore is in it, I’ll need to give it a go, even though I kinda hate the way Forerunner things are written.
It’s true the the Forerunner saga is a whole lot of colloquialisms and I also thought the books would be a bit mundane to read. I was so wrong however. Granted the format of how the story is told is not everyone’s cup of tea. I did however read those books back to back on my holiday and absolutely couldn’t find enough time to keep reading them! The lore is expansive and the character’s stories are something that’ll have some big implications in Halo for games current and to come with Infinite taking place on Zeta Halo. (Hopefully). To sum up my thoughts in the series, it would definitely be something I’d enjoy re-reading, Greg Bear has an absolute unique and immersing way of transporting you to the Halo Universe prior to the firing of the Array.
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> I have read Halo; Fractures and really didn’t like the three Forerunner stories within it. That’s mostly why I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to dive into the saga. But if you’re saying that a lot of important lore is in it, I’ll need to give it a go, even though I kinda hate the way Forerunner things are written.
I loved the Forerunner Saga, and it provides a lot of nuance to the story that throws a lot of preconceptions on their head.
At bare minimum, I suggest starting the first book and seeing if it strikes your fancy… you should be able to find a copy in a public library to read without any monetary investment. That’s how I usually read new novels before deciding if it’s one I want to have on my shelf or not.
I wouldn’t call them required reading if you want to enjoy a more casual Halo experience. But if you want to get into the lore more, they are very useful. They are particularly useful for understanding and appreciating the story told in H4. There was an exposition dump halfway through the game, but it’s easier to follow that exposition dump if you’ve read the trilogy. The terminals are great, but they only capture a fraction of what happened in the books.
In short: if you want to be a lore nerd, then it’s a must read.
Honestly they’re the best written sci-fi in the whole series in my opinion. Other halo books just haven’t worked for me since.
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> Honestly they’re the best written sci-fi in the whole series in my opinion. Other halo books just haven’t worked for me since.
They are definitely in their own league. Those three books are so much smarter than I am!! There are aspects of that third book that my brain still can’t quite picture on its own, they’re just so fantastical. I’ve read the trilogy twice and done the audiobooks three times. Hands-down my favourite novels in the series.
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> > Honestly they’re the best written sci-fi in the whole series in my opinion. Other halo books just haven’t worked for me since.
>
> They are definitely in their own league. Those three books are so much smarter than I am!! There are aspects of that third book that my brain still can’t quite picture on its own, they’re just so fantastical. I’ve read the trilogy twice and done the audiobooks three times. Hands-down my favourite novels in the series.
For me, they’re must reads. They open so much else up. Point of Light certainly doesn’t make sense without them. Hunters in the Dark is hugely diminished.
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> I wouldn’t call them required reading if you want to enjoy a more casual Halo experience. But if you want to get into the lore more, they are very useful. They are particularly useful for understanding and appreciating the story told in H4. There was an exposition dump halfway through the game, but it’s easier to follow that exposition dump if you’ve read the trilogy. The terminals are great, but they only capture a fraction of what happened in the books.
>
> In short: if you want to be a lore nerd, then it’s a must read.
I second this.
hey are on a completely different vibe to most of the other books, but provide so much context for what actually happened during the Forerunner-Flood War. And even then, the story is told from the perspective of only a few characters, so there is still so much left to explore.
I’m very much expecting a lot of Primordium’s lore to pop up in Infinite too. Most of the book takes place on Zeta Halo, and there is a lot going on on that ring.
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> > I wouldn’t call them required reading if you want to enjoy a more casual Halo experience. But if you want to get into the lore more, they are very useful. They are particularly useful for understanding and appreciating the story told in H4. There was an exposition dump halfway through the game, but it’s easier to follow that exposition dump if you’ve read the trilogy. The terminals are great, but they only capture a fraction of what happened in the books.
> >
> > In short: if you want to be a lore nerd, then it’s a must read.
>
> I second this.
> hey are on a completely different vibe to most of the other books, but provide so much context for what actually happened during the Forerunner-Flood War. And even then, the story is told from the perspective of only a few characters, so there is still so much left to explore.
> I’m very much expecting a lot of Primordium’s lore to pop up in Infinite too. Most of the book takes place on Zeta Halo, and there is a lot going on on that ring.
If there isn’t a scene where a bunch of characters lick rocks or mentions having a favourite wife in Infinite, I’m gonna riot.