Halo: Contact Harvest

Excellent!

This was a very good read. I too had the dread of this different author destroying the book but it was very well written. It had good detail in the action scenes and he put a neat spin on the conversation between the AI's. All & all a great read, I, like so many others, can't wait for more Halo books to emerge.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

first contact

harvest a planet mainly for for farms and is a peacefull planet.but contact is made between humans and the covenant.this book is about the story of sergent johnson and his milatia men are the only protection for harvest after trying to make peace with the covenant failed. the book also talks about how truths rise to power. but for a few charecters the book ends as some of shakesphere's plays. it is a good book i give it a five star. so if you want to learn more about halo this and the fall of reach are good books to find this info.

Best of the HALO books.

I bought this book because of a thing at my school where we had to read 30 minutes a night. I thought "Meh, I like Halo and love Halo 2 and 3, so I guess this can't be that bad, right?" Just a few pages in I was hooked. From the bloody fights to the added halo backstory, this book was amazing. It was action packed and may even deserve a movie. Now there is a sex part that parents should know about, but it is a great book that I've loaned out to 6 different people. I don't even know why wrote this review, because you wouldn't be a halo fan if you didn't buy this book!

A worthy addition to the Halo mythos.

While most of the other books in the Halo series were written by Science Ficion author Eric Nylund, first time author Joseph Statan takes the helm for this fifth installment. In my opinion, there was nobody better to cronicle the origins of the Human-Covenant war than one of the original creators and writers of the Halo game series. For those not in the know, Halo chronicles the war between the Humans and a confederation of aliens known as the Covenant who are bound together by religious beliefs. 'Contact Harvest' outlines the first contact between the two factions on the Human farming colony Harvest, and the early skirmishes over the Covenant's so called 'holy artifacts' that sparked the thirty year war culminating in the events of the game Halo 3. 'Contact Harvest' is the second book to not feature Master Chief, the main character of the Halo series, but instead focuses on a more minor character Sergeant Johnson who, for the first time, is truly fleshed out as a person. Contact Harvest is ultimately the ultimate Halo fan's dream. Not only do we find out what events led up to the Human-Covenant war, but we learn more about Johnson who, for the first time, finally seems like a human being. I also enjoyed hearing the story from the Covenant's perspective and learning more about their culture and mentality as well as discovering the pasts of some of the Covenant's most important figures. For newcomesers into the Halo universe, this is a good place to start becasues it takes place, chronologically, before the first four novels and the three games. The second book without the series main character Master Chief, 'Contact Harvest' instead focuses on the character of Sergent Johnson who is really fleshed out here for the first time. I also very much enjoyed hearing the story from the Covenants perspective and thought it provided important insight into their history and culture. In all, I emmensily enjoyed 'Contact Harvest'. I enjoy the Halo series as a whole and believe that each book is better than the last. Staten's style seems to echo that of Nylund's right down to his excessive use of dashes, but that is not necessarily a bad thing because I found Nylund's works equally enjoyable. Ultimately, recomend this latest installment for both Halo fans and newcomers alike because I think both fans and non-fans will find something to like. If you've never read Halo before, don't worry! You can start here and not miss a thing. I suggest that, if your a fan of Science Fiction, give 'Contact Harvest' a try and perhaps you will get hooked on Halo.

Best Book Ive Read In A While

This book is a must for Halo fans.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A very great book, but not written very well.

I really love this book. It tells about one of the greatest charactors in the Halo universe, Sgt. Johnson. I really enjoyed the story of this novel how it told the background story of Johnson and pvt. Jenkins, from Halo Combat Evolved. I really like how he almost killed Tartarus. I really loved how Johnson was the first one in history to encounter the Covenant. The only problem is that the book wasn't written very well, it has a great story, but just how it was written was so amateur. It's not discriptive enough and just isn't as creative. I thought the scene at the end really ruined it. But still overall, it's a great book. I am one of the many Halo fans that believe Johnson to be a Spartan I. Not a Spartan II like the chief, but one a Spartan I, the first Spartan project. The graphic novel specifically says Johnson was a part of many ONI projects, one known as the Spartan I project.

An excellent addition

Thuis book was an excellent read and added a lot of character to one of our favorite figures in the Halo Universe. Sergeant Johnsons portrayal helps to develop him further on. The book follows the history very well and shows that there were a few survivors from the first encounter. A definite must read.

also a Disapointment

i have been a major fan of the Halo novels from the start. it is poorly written and lacks much of the adventure, action, and mystery as the previous novels. the books contains a couple of 'adult situations' (if you catch my drift) that to me, ruin the atmosphere of the book! Like all of the halo books, it does go in-depth, but unlike the previous books it seems as though it goes almost too deep and since it lacks the mystery and action that always kept you on track, focused, and made you never want to put the book down. i would not recommend purchasing this book. i'd save you cash for the follow up of THE GHOST OF ONYX.

Great book

it was a awesome book i liked how it took the view of my favorite character in the halo world Avery Johnson just about every thing about the book was good like how it took the view of a grunt named unggoy the only thing I didnt like was the scene at the end of the book which had nothing what so ever to do with the story and didnt need to put that in

Wow

Wow i really think that avery Johnson on the cover REALLY does look like a GANGSTER l o l ohh and i just chose a random rating cause i havent even read the book yet

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Disappointment

I've read the other Halo books (by Eric Nylund and William Dietz), and this was by far the worst. Poorly written, didn't follow the storyline sometimes, and contradicted everything the first 4 books said. I could go on with spesific examples, but I won't for space's sake. Long story short, if you liked the other four Halo books, don't get this one. It isn't even written by one of the two normal authors, which is probably why it's so inconsistant with the others.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Weird...but good.

I think Joe's writing is every bit as awesome as Eric's. Excellent character development and description. The beginning was cool. Gave insight into rebel forces now known as the Insurrection. However, I feel that the action pacing was a bit lacking. Most of the book was about training a bunch of farm boys to become security guards. *yawn*. Action sequences were too brief and too far apart. When they did fight, is was either agaisnt three jackals, or two brutes, or a pack of grunts. Also, what happened to the first generation of SPARTANS? The complete lack of SPARTANS made this title seem a bit empty. Just one other thing. Obviously the Engineers, Brutes and Drones were encountered on Harvest and surely would have been documented by ONI officer al-Cygni. But if that is so, then how come the Spartan-II's arent briefed on them 30 years later? Only the Grunts, Jackals and Hunters are shown in the bestiary with the Elites and Prophets only speculated. Strange that ONI would withhold intel, or unless the survivors of Harvest did--but why? I would have also liked to have read about the battle of the Argo with the Covenant fleet and the ensuing Battle of Harvest. All in all good, but not great like Nylund's titles even though Joe is just as capable. But I forgive him only because this is his first entry into the series.

Yay for Johnson!

I can't wait. Two days feels like eternity to me. The Johnson goodness is so close, yet so far away. I really hope he's as funny in this as he is in the games and in First Strike. Also, I'm wondering if Jenkins, Mendoza, Bisenti or any of them will be in it, since he got rescued at Reach with three other Marines (whose names escape me).

The way the [Halo] world is

This book shows how the events at Harvest unfolded and resulted as the Human-Covenant war , a fight for their existence. This is whats truly hidden in the Halo Bible and will answer many questions. Joesph Staten, of course, knows what he's doing, especially because he is the lead writer and producer.

A reviewer

When I first bought this book, I was afraid. I have thoroughly enjoyed Eric Nylund's story telling and I feared that Mr. Staten would preside over another disaster like the one perpetrated by William Dietz 'Halo: the Flood'. Fortunately, I was very wrong. I really enjoyed Mr. Staten's book and I couldn't put it down. The story was great, the writing was great and I hope to see more books by Mr. Staten on the Halo universe soon!

Great Book

I enjoyed this book because it almost felt as if Eric Nylund wrote the book itself. A must pick up and a great story through the eyes of SS Avery Johnson. Hope to continue on reading more great books from Eric Nylund though it would take a while to get but as i said A Must Read.

A reviewer

This is a book with a cool, funny man who everyone knows and cares about. The real green. Even though what happens to him!

Amazing Book!

This book is simply amazing in its story and design. Being written by a worker of Bungie itself, the book has amazing detail and truth to it. Set before the for books of the Halo Novel series, it gives insight into how the Covenant really escalated the war up to the time of Master Chief. If anyone has read the Halo novels or are a first-timer, I highly recommend getting this book. It's a must have for all Halo fans!

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