Rating: 
Summary: A work of art: Nylund has INDEED done it again
Review: Yes, the review below me speaks the complete and utter truth. This book may be shrugged off by many because it takes place in the universe of a video game. But I appears that games are able to have complex, original, and intriguing storylines as well. I am a hardcore Halo fan; I'll admit that. But Eric Nylund's Halo: The Fall of Reach was a classic, and although I loved Halo: The Flood as well, I wad disappointed that Nylund had not returned.He has done so with Halo: First Strike. This book is great stuff. A nearly perfect piece of work. There is never a dull moment. Always some new plot twist, new direction, over interesting dialogue to quench the reader's thirst. And being the plot fanatic that I am- whether it be video games, books, or movies- I was very interested in what happens after Halo and before Halo 2. The one problem is that the editing is kind of bad. I notice a lot of things are blatantly repeated that were said previously, and you can tell it isnt just part of the story. All in all, however, this book is amazing. I loved it; as someone else said, even if you aren't a hardcore Halo fan like us, but you like sci fi, pick it up. Along with The Fall of Reach. You'll love em'. Heres to Halo 2. *raises glass*
Rating:
Summary: An absolute gem of a book
Review: First Strike is without a doubt one of the most riveting books out there. Through every exciting moment in the game, you are constantly kept wondering how the many interesting characters will get through the current seemingly impossible situation. Even during what you might call "lulls" in the action, the pictures flowing from the paragraphs to your mind keep you turning the pages; it is a real challenge to keep yourself from skipping ahead a bit to see what happens next. If you like action, this book is for you. However, there is more than non-stop, heart-pounding action. As the story unfolds, you are able to sense that there is a much deeper plot underneath that the vivid word-pictures can only scratch the surface of. Each character is well-developed, with enough mystery surrounding them it compels you to read the previous books in the series to come to a closer understanding of their true background. If you like a deep and imaginative, yet believable plot, this book is for you. Whether you are a hard-core Halo fan who loves both the Xbox game and the previous books in the series, or you simply like to read interesting books, everyone can find a reason to pick up Halo: First Strike and not put it down. To be honest, I have one minor criticism; there are a few grammatical errors here and there. It's unfortunate that within the book's 340 pages, there are still errors that weren't found by the skilled proofreaders who checked the novel. However, this very minor flaw should not detract from revelation that is First Strike. This will be a great addition to your personal library!
Rating:
Summary: Touching, original, & morally inspirational. A sincere epic.
Review: First of all, I am not jumping to any, absolutely any rational conclusions on saying this is the best book I have ever read. Adventure, thrills, cleverness, drama, love, sympathy, inspiration, intrigue, friendship, even tolerable complexity; everything has been included in the literal masterpiece. At times, even hysterically comedic. It begins at the end of the destruction of Halo; i.e. the end of the game. Immediately, things are not over, covenent are still in orbit around the destruction searching for survivors and enemies. From the teaser presented on the back of the cover, you assume what developes. However, how it developes is another story that will awe you, and even satisfy you with matters that you have probably questioned about the game, and/or previous books. To be brief, despite being an amazing book, visually, if this would be created into a film, it would express it's true sincerety and extremely unique epic tale of survival, will, and determination, not to mention all the other qualities previously mentioned, in addition (i'm aware of this fragmented sentence) to give it's visual or literary audience a hope for humanity. This book affected me emotionally as much as Kurasawa's "Seven Samurai" Scott's "Gladiator" and Gibson's "Gladiator" Not to mention it's sweet satisfaction as french movie "Amelie" did. This review may be a bit misleading, but forgive me, as I mentioned this earlier, it is the best book I have ever read. I am now a hardcore Halo fan. PS, someone buy this franchise's movie rights. To Eric Nylund: I did not think perfection was a possibility, but your skill of attuning with the human spirit, as well as your breathtaking talent with ideation and words, undoubtably made this book perfect. Please, insist on writing the rest. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Nylund does it again
Review: I'm not good at editorial writing, so I'll just say this- if you're a HALO fan, get this book- you shouldn't even been reading these reviews! If you're not a HALO fan, then hey- check this book, and the other HALO book by Eric Nylund (The Fall of Reach) out. They're not just for HALO fanbois (such as myself), they would stand alone against just about any space opera out there. I couldn't put this book down until I was done reading it. All and all, a great book, period. Get it- but make sure you've got enough time to read it all the way through before you start.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: This book is amazing. Ive read about 150 pages everyday of this awesome book. Nylund did a great job on this book. I could probably say it's the best book I've read but thats just me. I don't know if others would like it as much though... If you have read the fall of reach and were obsessed with the book like I was then read First Strike, it's alot better. So much information about everything. If you have played Halo for Xbox or Computer you should have a good idea about all of the enemies and weapons,like what they look like. It makes everything more interesting.
BUT MAY I SUGGEST ONLY READING THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE ALOT OF TIME ON YOURE HANDS BECAUSE YOU WONT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: No words can describe this book!!!
Review: This book is awsome. Its incredible. This is a must read. Its 100 times better then the first two books combined. It gives alot of information on the covenent and Earths secret project. That general Ackerson guy is in the book and he has some secret project underway. The master cheif is all well and good and hes ready to apply more wuup ass to all the covenent scum. His adventure revolves around trying to warn the humans of some secret covenent plan. This book is awsome. Once you read it you'll want to read it again and again. I've already read it 3 times. This is a book that you must not miss. Oh ya and after the book is over it leaves alot of untold plot which could mean a 4th book is coming. This is a great time to live. Thers 3 halo books and a video game and halo 2 is on the way. What a wonderful time.
Rating:
Summary: Timeline - What goes where
Review: Here is a quick timeline on where First Strike fits in:
The Fall of Reach >>> HALO [+] >>> The Flood >>>First Strike >>> HALO 2
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The Fall of Reach: Planet Reach has fallen and the Human Covenant WAR rages on. This books introduces most of the terms and charachters, so is a must read. sort of "read this first"
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HALO (Xbox game): you have to play the game to find out what happens. Believe it or not the game has a very strong storyline to it.
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The Flood: Ok, you cannot play the game because you don't have $200 to invest, read all about it in "The Flood". This one tells you what really happens on HALO.
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First Strike: After you have played the game or read "The Flood" you would want to know what happens before HALO 2. So "First Strike" fills the gap.
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HALO 2 (Xbox game): we will all have to wait and see what HALO 2 has in store for us.
Hope this helps
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: It had all the elements to make up an exciting and believable space opera within the Human-Covenant War storyline and characters. Just as other great sci-fi works, past and present, have done in this same adventurous genre: "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "Foundation", "2001", "2010", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Ringworld", all the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" books, "Advent of the Corps" and others.
Rating:
Summary: Nylund does it again with First Strike!
Review: For some, the Halo Series has been at it's best when written by Eric Nylund. While the Flood certainly wasn't bad, combined with the fact that it was written by a different author with a plot that most of us knew, made it a little boring but nonetheless a more indepth version of Halo. However, Nylund is back and so is his brilliant style of writing and conveying scenes of non-stop acting in First Strike.
Those who have loved the series so far will continue to be impressed with the newest novel until the one which will tell the story of Halo 2. First Strike of course picks up pretty much right where Halo (The Flood) leaves off with John and Cortana floating in space in the hope of finding survivors. They find survivors and embark on a quest to find Reach and possibly any Spartan's left on it. Without spoiling the book too much, John will have some backup for the upcoming war with the Covenant. Overall, if you haven't read this book you're missing out on a great preview to Halo 2 and a great read for any science fiction fan as well.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: I read all 3 books, and there awesome! The plot is awesome,
the setting is, and the charcters too. I could not put this book down!! Strongly reccomded for even people who ARENT fans of halo! Read the previous 2 books 1st, but this one was my favorite. Check it out!
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