Halo: Glasslands

[DarkHalo003]

https://halo.xbox.com/en-us/news/headline/tor-books-announces-the-on-sale-availability-of-halo-glasslands/290608

Any thoughts? I'm pissed they dumped Eric Nylund, especially considering this continues Ghosts of Onyx, but so far this story reads pretty consistent to past, proper Halo Novels. Thoughts? From what I read off of Waypoint, it's looking pretty cool. Definitely interesting to see what Arby is going to do.

[Warsaw]

Nope.avi


Also, hating the simplified Halo logo.

[TeeKup]

Should be picking this up this friday. I need some GOOD Halo literature to expel whats left of cryptum that hangs in my mind.

[Warsaw]

Doesn't matter, because Cryptum is still considered canon.

[Arteen]

Should be good. I liked Traviss' Gears books, and I'm not a huge fan of Nylund, anyway.

[Cortexian]

Doesn't matter, because Cryptum is still considered canon.
Not if you haven't read it and don't care because of bad reviews!

Things I don't know can't piss me off!

[Amit]

Not if you haven't read it and don't care because of bad reviews!

Things I don't know can't piss me off!

Amen to that.

I'm not sure I want to read this. Introducing yet another strike team into the story as main characters is not very appealing. Not when there are so many loose ends on a lot of the other characters. I want Nylund back, but we'll see how this one goes, just because I want to see what Traviss does with the Ghosts of Onyx storyline. I'm not encouraged that we'll find out the whole story since Glasslands is supposed to be the first novel in an "all new trilogy." :ohdear:

[DarkHalo003]

Amen to that.

I'm not sure I want to read this. Introducing yet another strike team into the story as main characters is not very appealing. Not when there are so many loose ends on a lot of the other characters. I want Nylund back, but we'll see how this one goes, just because I want to see what Traviss does with the Ghosts of Onyx storyline. I'm not encouraged that we'll find out the whole story since Glasslands is supposed to be the first novel in an "all new trilogy." :ohdear:
Meh, it's in book formatting, so it's alright. As long as there is decent Halo fiction out there for me to read (not to mention more on ONI, the Spartans, and the Elites), then I'm alright. Here's the exclusive excerpt at 343i that gives you a pretty decent idea of what to expect:

http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/news/headline/the-halo-bulletin-101211-exclusive-book-excerpt-glasslands/280887

[Zeph]

Seems to be the first book since Onyx that doesn't rewrite the facts. Will probably be a good read.

[=sw=warlord]

Seems to be the first book since Onyx that doesn't rewrite the facts. Will probably be a good read.
I don't remember there being a spartan called Naomi.

[Zeph]

I don't remember there being a spartan called Kurt.

Presumed dead people showing up is common in Halo. Rewriting the ideology behind an upbrining where you cripple a team mate by scooping out their eye is just bad writing. Notice how before 343i took over, every single spartanII was professional, strong, and badass. Now, you'll find them worse off than many of the misfit spartanIIIs.

[DarkHalo003]

I don't remember there being a spartan called Kurt.

Presumed dead people showing up is common in Halo. Rewriting the ideology behind an upbrining where you cripple a team mate by scooping out their eye is just bad writing. Notice how before 343i took over, every single spartanII was professional, strong, and badass. Now, you'll find them worse off than many of the misfit spartanIIIs.
Kurt was the main protagonist in Ghosts of Onyx....

It doesn't surprise me that ONI hogged some Spartans (such as Gray Team) to themselves. And considering this is the first book for 343i, I don't understand how you can say they diminished the SII's in anyway. If anything, they've made them far more prominent.

[Amit]

What was the first book by 343i to have S-II's in it?

[=sw=warlord]

What was the first book by 343i to have S-II's in it?
As I recall, Cole protocol was the first 343I got going.

[TVTyrant]

Never touched that one or Cryptum. I gave up after Contact Harvest. They were determined to undermine and destroy their own canon/story, and I am not going to pay them to do so. It's called Fanon (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Fanon), and I prescribe to it.

[Warsaw]

Not if you haven't read it and don't care because of bad reviews!

Things I don't know can't piss me off!

I haven't read it, but knowing it exists and knowing its synopsis is enough to piss me off.

[Tnnaas]

It's funny how they think they can just keep making more Spartans. After Halo: Reach, I think they had a few over 33 (where I place the limit, some died in augmentation, and not counting those who were discharged). They might as well have said that they had the original 300 Spartans that Halsey originally screened for and the last 225 of them were hidden away behind lock and key.

[DarkHalo003]

Never touched that one or Cryptum. I gave up after Contact Harvest. They were determined to undermine and destroy their own canon/story, and I am not going to pay them to do so. It's called Fanon (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Fanon), and I prescribe to it.
Uhhh what? Contact Harvest doesn't really contradict anything....

I like Cole Protocol. It's action packed and reads a lot like the others.

I really don't see the problem with the occurrence of more Spartan II's though. It wouldn't be off for ONI to drag away a few for their own purposes. I do wish they'd re-use some of them, like Maria or even use Gray Team again.

[Kornman00]

Pretty sure Evolutions was the first 343i managed book. CP came out Nov 2008 (but was under development before then obviously).

This isn't much, but Halo Wikia doesn't list (http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/343_Industries) CP under 343i's belt either.

Also, I enjoyed CP, hth~

[Patrickssj6]

Pick this (http://www.amazon.com/Shore-Thing-Nicole-Snooki-Polizzi/dp/1451623747) book up instead.

[Masterz1337]

I'm a bit more than halfway through. Completely fucking boring. Brutes are now the elites gardeners? WHAT THE FUCK.

[Kornman00]

"Think Different" :-3

[Arteen]

I'm a bit more than halfway through. Completely fucking boring. Brutes are now the elites gardeners? WHAT THE FUCK.
Too bad. At least the Gears books are good.

[Amit]

Pretty sure Evolutions was the first 343i managed book. CP came out Nov 2008 (but was under development before then obviously).

This isn't much, but Halo Wikia doesn't list (http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/343_Industries) CP under 343i's belt either.

Also, I enjoyed CP, hth~

Ha, I just happen to be reading CP right now. I didn't really like how the Spartan took off their helmet and said their name in the beginning of the book, though. I thought it was against procedure to take off your helmet in a combat zone.

[Pooky]

Also, I enjoyed CP, hth~

:raise:

[Kornman00]

:raise:

:raise:

[TeeKup]

I enjoyed Cole Protocol too but it did like to drag its feet at times. As any one else picked this up yet?

[TVTyrant]

Uhhh what? Contact Harvest doesn't really contradict anything....

I like Cole Protocol. It's action packed and reads a lot like the others.

I really don't see the problem with the occurrence of more Spartan II's though. It wouldn't be off for ONI to drag away a few for their own purposes. I do wish they'd re-use some of them, like Maria or even use Gray Team again.
Except for the whole Brute thing...

And the Battle Rifles...

And the weird credit belly button piercing Johnson uses...

[Kornman00]

I enjoyed Cole Protocol too but it did like to drag its feet at times. As any one else picked this up yet?
Yeah, not saying it was as good as the first few books, but I enjoyed it. My copy of GL came in the other...probably won't be touching it until Dec tho...no time right now.

[Masterz1337]

I finished it this morning, the last fourth was really good, the rest was terrible. It ends so abruptly though, I feel like whatever this book's story was suppose to be they decided to spread across several books. The book finally picks up as it ends.

[DarkHalo003]

Except for the whole Brute thing...

And the Battle Rifles...

And the weird credit belly button piercing Johnson uses...
What Brute thing? As far as I'm concerned, nothing in previous canon outright defied it.

So you're saying that the addition of BRs ruined the book?

WTF, a stripper used that. It's the fictional futuristic book.

[Kornman00]

Didn't CH also touch on Jackals fucking or whatever their sexual practice is?

[DarkHalo003]

Didn't CH also touch on Jackals fucking or whatever their sexual practice is?
I don't think so. I'm positive that's actually Cole Protocol since they talk about Jackals interacting with humans.

[TVTyrant]

What Brute thing? As far as I'm concerned, nothing in previous canon outright defied it.

So you're saying that the addition of BRs ruined the book?

WTF, a stripper used that. It's the fictional futuristic book.
Since according to Nylund they didnt even see an Elite until Reach, yeah, it kind of fucking does.

No but it was bullshit.

This was meant to be funny. I hope you were comically missing the point.

[TeeKup]

Since according to Nylund they didnt even see an Elite until Reach, yeah, it kind of fucking does.

....what books have you been reading?

[Masterz1337]

They say that in FoR Teekup.

[=sw=warlord]

They say that in FoR Teekup.
They saw the Engineers and Hunters for the first time in Fall of reach, I'm reasonably sure that seeing as the Elites were the backbone of the Covenant they would see them long before.
Not to mention The Fall of reach Follows times from before the Spartans were even Spartans up onto the point Reach was attacked.

[TVTyrant]

Literally says it right in the text. Go re-read the book. It says it exactly.

[DarkHalo003]

Actually, MC and his squad saw Elites for the first time in Reach. Other units across the UNSC fought Elites plenty before then, so it's really an obsolete point.

[=sw=warlord]

And if we're really going to go for canonical details, the UNSC first encountered the flood 5 years after the Covenant first attacked harvest whilst the Spirit of Fire was at the shield world.

[TeeKup]

I could have swore the MC and his squad first encountered them on the Cruiser that was attacking the research center where he got his Mark IV armor.

[=sw=warlord]

I could have swore the MC and his squad first encountered them on the Cruiser that was attacking the research center where he got his Mark IV armor.
This.

[DarkHalo003]

And if we're really going to go for canonical details, the UNSC first encountered the flood 5 years after the Covenant first attacked harvest whilst the Spirit of Fire was at the shield world.
It's not an entirely bogus idea though, simply because the Spirit of Fire was "lost at sea" after the incident. It really just makes that canon a bit obsolete as well.

[TVTyrant]

I'll try to find my book. They might have been recycled though :/ my Mom threw away just about everything she deemed "messy" when I moved out.

[Kornman00]

"Captain, wake up...something has happened".

"What is is Sarina?"

"MS still hasn't made a HaloWars 2"


http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/1957/ffffuuuu.png

[Masterz1337]

I could have swore the MC and his squad first encountered them on the Cruiser that was attacking the research center where he got his Mark IV armor.
Jackals. The UNSC believed there were elites and prophets out there but had never encountered them before when talking about the Spartans mission. There is no "cannon" for Halo anymore, with every other book retconning the others.

[TVTyrant]

Jackals. The UNSC believed there were elites and prophets out there but had never encountered them before when talking about the Spartans mission. There is no "cannon" for Halo anymore, with every other book retconning the others.
This times >9000. Thanks for backing me up on this. I couldn't find my book so I can't quote it, but I am absolutely sure this is what happened in FoR.

[Kornman00]

Q&A with Karen Traviss (http://torforge.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/qa-with-karen-traviss/)

[Masterz1337]

She seems like a smart woman but it kills me the book feels like it was watered down to be spread into more books.

[Kornman00]

I guess you could say Microsoft...

told her to 'spread 'em'
:caruso:

[=sw=warlord]

She seems like a smart woman but it kills me the book feels like it was watered down to be spread into more books.
Read this and look at the controversial section, 3 million clone soldiers for a republic with 1.3 million planets?
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Karen_Traviss

[Kornman00]

Damn, I wish I had time to read this book so I can find out if I want to rage about it :saddowns:

[DarkHalo003]

The use of Bear and Travis is simply publicity in an attempts to expand the Halo fanbase. It's for people who like the other stuff of these authors, but aren't necessarily into Halo. MS doesn't really give two fucks about us, the actual fanbase.

[Kornman00]

So

When can we expect the real Halo authors to write some more books again?

Wasn't Eric N. working with 343i on the new stuff a while back?

[Amit]

His Wikipedia page doesn't even mention anything from 343i, really. Heh, who knew he was a Chemistry major?

[Masterz1337]

Read this and look at the controversial section, 3 million clone soldiers for a republic with 1.3 million planets?
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Karen_Traviss
I wish halo had mistakes/bad ideas like that, rather than the Flood being the human's pets. -'_'-

[Kornman00]

Yeah, I'd rather have minute (well, I guess in scale, their's isn't minute) inconsistencies than LOLWTFDIDIJUSTREAD baloney sandwiches in my stories.

Everybody knows that if anything, Grunts will be our pets/butlers.

[Masterz1337]

The Brutes are the Elite's gardeners now -_-.

[TeeKup]

I have no qualms about seeing brutes as forced labor landscapers for the elites. It seems proper for them.


I hate brutes.

[Masterz1337]

They weren't forced.. they volunteered.

[TeeKup]

....that's an entirely different story. I need to read this. Fuck being broke.

[TVTyrant]

Makes no sense...

[Hotrod]

Well I just finished the book and I can't see what all you guys are complaining about. I loved the book, and it was great to see the after war aspect of the universe as well as Halsey and the Spartans.

But man, the book had so many Halo 4 teases, it's not even funny...

[DarkHalo003]

Well I just finished the book and I can't see what all you guys are complaining about. I loved the book, and it was great to see the after war aspect of the universe as well as Halsey and the Spartans.

But man, the book had so many Halo 4 teases, it's not even funny...
What's your opinion on the new Brute Labor Force? Why did the Brutes agree to it? Or was it more like "Yeah, the Prophet's suckered us into their shit, so we're going to make up for it somehow?"

[Hotrod]

What's your opinion on the new Brute Labor Force? Why did the Brutes agree to it? Or was it more like "Yeah, the Prophet's suckered us into their shit, so we're going to make up for it somehow?"
Well in the book, they mentioned something about those Brutes being scared of their Elite masters. And think about it, if they ditched the Elites they would get killed by them pretty quickly.

I compare it to the relationship between the Elites and the humans. Some of them hate each other, while others don't mind and actually respect one another. Who's to say that ALL Brutes hate Elites? The book shows that there were some that didn't really have anything against them and would prefer peace to war. Sure, it did seem a bit weird at first, but the idea grew on me pretty quickly.

[TeeKup]

^ I can understand that. After the events of the Great Schism, it's likely to see Sanghelios would make every single attempt to fuck over Doisac. Unless the brutes offer themselves into servitude.

Sangheili supremacy. :D

[DarkHalo003]

From what I've been reading, it's more like any lesser Covenant working for the Elites are simply continuing the jobs they were tasked to them since the Covenant assigned those tasks to them. I mean, if you were told to pick berries for aliens on their home planet and in doing so life would be okay, wouldn't you continue your tasks as well?

[TeeKup]

Have yet to pick this up. I want to. :I

[neuro]

monkeys will be monkeys.

[TVTyrant]

I get the Grunts going along with it, but the Jackals and Brutes? Wouldn't they want to rebel or something? For God's sakes, weren't the Jackals a species of space pirates before joining the Covenant?

[DarkHalo003]

I get the Grunts going along with it, but the Jackals and Brutes? Wouldn't they want to rebel or something? For God's sakes, weren't the Jackals a species of space pirates before joining the Covenant?
Some of the Brutes did resist and even stole a few ships at first, but after the Elites took care of most of the Brute problems, the Brute servants decided against rebellion. Regardless, the Elites hardly trust the Brutes and they hate Jackals with a passion. It makes better sense upon reading. Masterz was exaggerating. :/

[TeeKup]

Masterz was exaggerating. :/

Figures. Will most likely buy this tomorrow.

[DarkHalo003]

Just finished, vague spoilers about the ending ahead:

Such a fantastic way to end the book. It really leaves we anticipating the next one. After reading this, I have full faith in Karen Traviss writing the trilogy. Nice job this time 343i.

[Cagerrin]

Probably a bit late, but finally got a chance to read this and Thursday War. Can't help thinking that it's a terrible loss if they don't have Traviss writing combat dialogue snippets or something for H4 as she's got a great knack for it.

Also wishing they were heavy enough books to slap Bear around with, funny how they put their worse author on the stuff that needed the most careful handling.

[Tnnaas]

funny how they put their worse author on the stuff that needed the most careful handling.
It's what 343i is best at. :iamafag:

[DarkHalo003]

Yeah, Traviss is a good writer. I really wished they didn't go with a man who doesn't really give a shit besides what money he earns. Hey it's George Lucas' cousin!

[=sw=warlord]

Yeah, Traviss is a good writer. I really wished they didn't go with a man who doesn't really give a shit besides what money he earns. Hey it's George Lucas' cousin!
Speaking of George lucas, you realize that Karen Travis is infamous with the starwars fan community?

[Cagerrin]

Infamous for disliking Jedi(which is actually a good thing, fuck Jedi), and for playing with as little disregard for logistics as the rest of SW, except in only one case instead of everywhere. The SW fan community is, on the whole, not exactly smart.

[=sw=warlord]

Infamous for suggesting that the republic had 3 million clones when the republic had 1.3 million planets.
Consider the fact that there was 100 million people involved in WW2, it's no hard to realize more would be needed for such a large war.
The Halo fan community isn't exactly intelligent either.

[Warsaw]

Intelligent and thorough are two different things.

In all fandoms, you have people who will just yell at everything and then you have people who will sit down to do the maths and see if their conclusions are correct. Both can be considered intelligent, but they don't necessarily put enough effort into using it.

[DarkHalo003]

Speaking of George lucas, you realize that Karen Travis is infamous with the starwars fan community?
Yes, but that does not mean her writing is shit. Speaking of shit:

http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/22/Tor-Books-Updates-Release-Date-of-the-Third-Halo-Novel-by-Legendary-Science-Fiction-Author-Greg-Bear.aspx



In Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-book arc set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic 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.

What.



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.

WHAT.



aided by unexpected allies

:fail:

[Warsaw]

Why do people still pay attention to that shit? Halo canon started with Fall of Reach and ended with Halo 2 as far as I'm concerned.

[TeeKup]

Probably referring to Mendicant Bias and whatever horde he controls.

[Warsaw]

Knowing Gregg Bear, probably not.

[Tnnaas]

He's been reading my fanfics. Unoriginal asshole, I'm the one who should be destroying Halo with fanon, not him! :maddowns:

Forerunner Saga pretty much = Fanon in my opinion.

[Sanctus]

Oh God I hope it's not more wacky shit. He's going to introduce a new species I bet. One that embraces Flood as Gods or something.

[Pooky]

Oh God I hope it's not more wacky shit. He's going to introduce a new species I bet. One that embraces Flood as Gods or something.

That's downright chilling in how likely it is.