Halo: Silentium

[DarkReign2021]

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. Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian—a husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict—hold the keys to salvation. Facing the consequences of a mythic tragedy, one of them must now commit the greatest atrocity of all time—to prevent an unmatched evil from dominating the entire universe.

[LickableLemons7]

Bump.

I spy, with my little eye...something from the campaign demo at E3 2012.

-A big, floaty orange/gray sphere of doom?

Yes.

-10 points.

Swish.

[mrj3d]

Oh nice. I love gaming related books.

[PyreBall]

Ah, so that's the name of the third book. I'm reading Primordium right now. When does Silentium come out, or has it come out and I just missed it?

[LickableLemons7]

Originally Posted by PyreBall

Ah, so that's the name of the third book. I'm reading Primordium right now. When does Silentium come out, or has it come out and I just missed it?

It should be out January 8th, 2013.

[Diamondxinferno1116]

Isnt this sorta a spoiler?

[ZingZitang]

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

Bump.

I spy, with my little eye...something from the campaign demo at E3 2012.

-A big, floaty orange/gray sphere of doom?

Yes.

-10 points.

Swish.

Word is, this big, floaty orange/gray sphere of doom is some version of the Didacts Cryptum.

[PyreBall]

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

It should be out January 8th, 2013.

Ah, damn, I was hoping it would be done before Halo 4 released. All well.

[Matt36]

Why is this being released so long after Halo 4?

[Kaiyo]

Relating to Didact being on the new Cryptium and Requiem being involved with Halo 4.

[HaloTitan]

Originally Posted by Kaiyo

Relating to Didact being on the new Cryptium and Requiem being involved with Halo 4.

Can't wait for this one. I have so many questions that need to be answered, although I was hoping that would happen prior to Halo 4's release.

[corpsefactory]

i will definitely be getting this, read the 1st one and loved it, 2nd was not too bad, always enjoy the books, always full of story

[DarkReign2021]

It's unfortunate this doesn't come out until after Halo 4's launch, but we at least get The Thursday War, the sequel to Glasslands. Karen Traviss' story isn't the best we've had in the franchise, but it's still better than Dietz's and Buckell's books at least.

[JASEL84]

Spoiler alert!

[DarkReign2021]

There are no spoilers here. That's the description on the back of the book. And even if you haven't read the first two novels, the excerpt tells you nothing about the events of the previous two books. The only thing being spoiled here is the existence of the Flood and if that's a spoiler than you probably started the series with Halo: Reach and need to get with the program. Flood have been around since Halo 1.

[LickableLemons7]

New cover art; major spoiler alert to those who haven't finished the Halo 4 campaign.

Spoiler! (click here to reveal)

The original cover art we saw will be a part of the back of the jacket cover.

[ThePumpkinKing]

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

New cover art; major spoiler alert to those who haven't finished the Halo 4 campaign.

The original cover art we saw will be a part of the back of the jacket cover.

Wow. Fuckng love it. I've never been big on expanded universe media like this. But the game left me really wanting more history on the Didact and his fall from grace. Thinking I'm definitely gonna have to check this out.

[LickableLemons7]

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/f...=1#post5510542

Discuss, x360a. Is anyone here excited for Silentium? C'mon, there's gotta be a couple.

[The BiggD]

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/f...=1#post5510542

Discuss, x360a. Is anyone here excited for Silentium? C'mon, there's gotta be a couple.

Hey Lemons, good to see you active again. I'm pretty pumped. Not sure you read through my comments in the link you posted but since I haven't read the Forerunner novels yet, I'll be picking them all up at once.

I can't wait, dude. I love the Didact & Librarian, and all that sci-fi Forerunner lore...so these books will be a pleasure to read.

I have Cole Protocal sitting on my shelf, is it worth the read?

EDIT: Oh shit, just saw the cover art in your spoiler tag. That's brilliant. It looks awesome!!

[LickableLemons7]

Originally Posted by The BiggD

I have Cole Protocal sitting on my shelf, is it worth the read?

I think it's good backstory for the Halo universe, but it's not worth the read now with this emphasis on The Reclaimer Trilogy and Forerunners and Precursors and all.

But hey, if it's on your shelf, and it's not a library book, take your time and read it, since Silentium isn't out 'till March, and you say you won't start The Forerunner Saga until Silentium is out.

Explaining in as little detail as possible (and if I remember correctly, as I only read it twice)The Cole Protocol is basically the story of how good ol' Captain Keyes was promoted from a Lieutenant to Commander.

And if you haven't already, here's a reminder:

Must read Halo books:
-The Fall of Reach
-First Strike
-Uprising (comic)
-Ghosts of Onyx
-The Thursday War (and Glasslands, because even though it was a bit slow, you get more out of TheThursday War by reading Glasslands)

And of course, all of The Forerunner Saga.

There are some cool poems and short stories in Halo: Evolutions, they're all up for grabs.

The only Halo related material I haven't read are those other non Uprising comic-esque things, like Bloodlines and Helljumper.

[The Elite Elite]

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

Must read Halo books:
-The Fall of Reach
-First Strike
-Uprising (comic)
-Ghosts of Onyx
-The Thursday War (and Glasslands, because even though it was a bit slow, you get more out of TheThursday War by reading Glasslands)

And of course, all of The Forerunner Saga.

Really, Uprising? I didn't find the events of Uprising to be of any real importance to the overall canon. Quite frankly I thought it was a very poor story, but that could just be me. Also, what's with all the Karen Traviss dislike? I thought her two books were pretty darn good. Nylund is the Halo author I find to be a poor writer.

[The BiggD]

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

I think it's good backstory for the Halo universe, but it's not worth the read now with this emphasis on The Reclaimer Trilogy and Forerunners and Precursors and all.

But hey, if it's on your shelf, and it's not a library book, take your time and read it, since Silentium isn't out 'till March, and you say you won't start The Forerunner Saga until Silentium is out.

And if you haven't already, here's a reminder:

Must read Halo books:
-The Fall of Reach
-First Strike
-Uprising (comic)
-Ghosts of Onyx
-The Thursday War (and Glasslands, because even though it was a bit slow, you get more out of TheThursday War by reading Glasslands)

And of course, all of The Forerunner Saga.

There are some cool poems and short stories in Halo: Evolutions, they're all up for grabs. The only Halo related material I haven't read are those other non Uprising comic-esque things, like Bloodlines and Helljumper.

Yeah, I bought it back in November for like $6 but it's just been sitting there. I think I'll give it a go once I'm done with No Country For Old Men.

Interesting story for it, I love me some Captain Keyes. Read all your suggestions minus the comics and Evolutions. Been meaning to pick up Evolutions but haven't gotten around to it, and I always thought the comics might be bad, but I'll look into them.

Come March, I'll be drowning in the Forerunner Sage

[LickableLemons7]

Originally Posted by The Elite Elite

Really, Uprising? I didn't find the events of Uprising to be of any real importance to the overall canon. Quite frankly I thought it was a very poor story, but that could just be me. Also, what's with all the Karen Traviss dislike? I thought her two books were pretty darn good. Nylund is the Halo author I find to be a poor writer.

I really enjoyed the bridge between Halo 2 and 3 which Uprising provided. Sure, it may have not been as emphasized as the whole Mars stuff, but Chief's failed attempt to kill The Prophet of Truth aboard the Forerunner Dreadnought and him using a plate from the Dreadnought as a heat shield for his fall to Earth was pretty badass.

How can you not like Eric Nyuland?! Heresy! He's the one that started it all!

A lot of people really didn't seem to like Traviss's spin on the Halo lore, because I'm pretty sure she said she knew diddly squat about Halo. Then she writes Glasslands and people are like "OMG WHYYYY let her stick to Star Wars and Gears." I did like her short story in Evolutions, "Human Weakness."

Originally Posted by The BiggD

Read all your suggestions minus the comics and Evolutions. Been meaning to pick up Evolutions but haven't gotten around to it, and I always thought the comics might be bad, but I'll look into them.

Eh, I liked Uprising, but that's the only Halo comic I read. DarkReign can give you greater feedback on Bloodlines, Helljumper, and The Halo Graphic Novel, I'm fairly certain he's read them.

If you want to get some taste of the material Evolutions has to offer, you can hop on Waypoint right now. Under the "Universe" section there's some pretty cool motion-comic style renditions of The Mona Lisa(one of my favorite stories in Evolutions) and Headhunters(another badass story). There could be more, but I haven't checked what's up on Waypoint recently.

[The BiggD]

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

How can you not like Eric Nyuland?! Heresy! He's the one that started it all!

I'm with you here. Fall of Reach was a phenomenal one. My favorite Halo book no doubt, with Ghosts of Onyx right behind it.

Originally Posted by LickableLemons7

Eh, I liked Uprising, but that's the only Halo comic I read. DarkReign can give you greater feedback on Bloodlines, Helljumper, and The Halo Graphic Novel, I'm fairly certain he's read them.

If you want to get some taste of the material Evolutions has to offer, you can hop on Waypoint right now. Under the "Universe" section there's some pretty cool motion-comic style renditions of The Mona Lisa(one of my favorite stories in Evolutions) and Headhunters(another badass story). There could be more, but I haven't checked what's up on Waypoint recently.

If Dark replies back here, I'm sure he'll have tons of info to share on them. I'll try checking out those two stories tonight, the titles themselves sound pretty good. Thanks for the suggestions

[DarkReign2021]

Originally Posted by The BiggD

I'm with you here. Fall of Reach was a phenomenal one. My favorite Halo book no doubt, with Ghosts of Onyx right behind it.



If Dark replies back here, I'm sure he'll have tons of info to share on them. I'll try checking out those two stories tonight, the titles themselves sound pretty good. Thanks for the suggestions

I had a long drawn out post typed up a couple days ago, but I fell asleep in my chair and funny things happen when I sleep with my laptop in my lap. lol.

Anyway, I have read all of the comics except Fall of Reach. Honestly none of them were really bad, but you have to accept them each at face value. They didn't tell important stories and most of them didn't even add any sort of valuable insight into the series.

My personal favorite was the Halo Graphic Novel. It was divided into 4 vastly differing stories.

The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor: This took place during the levels 343 GS and The Library in Halo: CE. It focus on our old friend Half-Jaw as he investigates the silenced communications of a Covenant ship. It's got a heavy focus on the Flood and the potential of diversity that the Flood possesses in infecting hosts. It was a nice look into Half-Jaws past and explains how he receives the injury hes nicknamed for and explains how he had prior experience with the Flood before Halo 2.

Armor Testing: This one was my favorite of the 4. It was mostly graphic-driven and had limited dialog. It's based on a member of the Spartan-II program who, unlikely as it may seem, actually retired from the program with the intention of starting a family. Since she's the only known survivor of the S-II program besides Master Chief, she's called back to test the MJOLNIR Mk. VI armor that will be given to the Master Chief in Halo 2. Not really anything important, but it adds an interesting definition to the universe and explains the scratches that your suit has already sustained by time you get it.

Breaking Quarantine: This is the most important of the set since it gives an actual picture for how Johnson was able to survive the Flood onslaught and escape Halo alive. This story had absolutely no dialog and was completely driven by the heavy artistic style.

Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa: My least favorite of the group and, coincidentally, the one I remember least. It was focused on an anonymous civilian in New Mombasa, but the story was slow, devoid of much action, and I felt Uprising told a more detailed version of the same story.


Moving past HGN, you're left with Bloodlines and Helljumper. Bloodlines was, honestly, completely pointless. It told an unnecessary story from the perspective of Spartan Black Team, a bland set of characters that ultimately had no call for being introduced to the series beyond further muddying the count of Spartans that survived the Augmentation process in the long run. Helljumper, on the other hand, was a story that acted as a sort of prequel to the story in ODST. Much like how Reach gave a small history of Buck's experience, Helljumper shared the experiences of Romeo and Dutch in an earlier Covenant Campaign. Not a big role in the series, but it was enjoyable enough to read.

Opinions on Uprising were already given, so I won't say much here. I enjoyed it myself for the most part, but I think the focus should've been more on the Chief's attack on the Dreadnought. The civilian aspect was interesting, but ultimately the comic was supposed to be about the bridge between H2 and H3. Uprising would've been better suited as a story alongside Sadie's story in ODST's terminals.


As for other content, all of the clips from Halo: Legends were fun to watch and both of the Waypoint Comic Animations were fun. Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian was an interesting recreation, Headhunters was charming, and Mona Lisa, though way too long in the book, seems to be on a good path in its animated form. I'm looking forward to seeing it to completion.

[The BiggD]

Originally Posted by DarkReign2021

I have read all of the comics except Fall of Reach. Honestly none of them were really bad, but you have to accept them each at face value. They didn't tell important stories and most of them didn't even add any sort of valuable insight into the series.

My personal favorite was the Halo Graphic Novel. It was divided into 4 vastly differing stories.

The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor, Armor Testing, Breaking Quarantine, and Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa.

Moving past HGN, you're left with Bloodlines and Helljumper. Bloodlines was, honestly, completely pointless. Helljumper, on the other hand, was a story that acted as a sort of prequel to the story in ODST.

Opinions on Uprising were already given, so I won't say much here. I enjoyed it myself for the most part, but I think the focus should've been more on the Chief's attack on the Dreadnought.

As for other content, all of the clips from Halo: Legends were fun to watch and both of the Waypoint Comic Animations were fun. Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian was an interesting recreation, Headhunters was charming, and Mona Lisa, though way too long in the book, seems to be on a good path in its animated form. I'm looking forward to seeing it to completion.

Dude, the Halo Graphic Novel sounds like such a good time to read. Last Voyage and Rtas?! Oh yeah! Armor Testing & Breaking Quarantine both sound really interesting. The last one...ehh.

Bloodlines and Helljumper don't sound that good so I may pass on them. I still need to check out the short waypoint ones Lemons suggested. Hopefully on Friday I'll have time.

As for Halo Legends, I can't find my copy I watched three of them when I got it over the summer but never got around to the others. Once I find it, I'm gonna finish that.

But yeah, the HGN sounds awesome. I'm gonna look into it. Still gotta finish Cole Protocol too. Then the Forerunner Saga. So much Halo. I love it.

[LickableLemons7]

Originally Posted by The BiggD

I still need to check out the short waypoint ones Lemons suggested. Hopefully on Friday I'll have time.

Here's a high quality version of Headhunters. Just a second shy of 19 minutes. If you got the time. I know The Mona Lisa is over a hour total.

Headhunters (Halo Evolutions: short story) - YouTube

Headhunters (Halo Evolutions: short story) - YouTube

[The BiggD]

I never really cared for motion-comic shorts/videos but after finally getting around to watching Headhunters, it was pretty sweet.

I kinda forgot about how the Spartan-III's were essentially 'suicide-mission-soliders.'

Since when are the Elites referred to as gators?! And grenades can't pass through shielded barriers...the fuck?

Such a great clip dude, I loved the ending. I'll check out the Mona Lisa tomorrow!

[DarkReign2021]

Well an interesting little tidbit was recently revealed thanks to Greg Bear. As it turns out, and this is something I've been pondering for a while, the Didact we face in Halo 4 was actually the Ur-Didact. This explains a good deal of the hatred we see from him toward Humanity and Bear teases that events in Silentium will make that hatred even stronger.

This really clears up how the Didact would have activated the Halo Array as we discovered in the Terminals during Halo 3. It's nice to have something official on this finally.

http://www.gregbear.com/blog/display.cfm?id=6897

[LickableLemons7]

Originally Posted by DarkReign2021

This really clears up how the Didact would have activated the Halo Array as we discovered in the Terminals during Halo 3. It's nice to have something official on this finally.

http://www.gregbear.com/blog/display.cfm?id=6897

So it's presumed both the Ur and Bornstellar Didacts are dead?