Discover the official Halo novel, Parasite by author William C. Dietz. This is the second novel in the Halo series, originally released in English on April 1, 2003.
Halo: The flood is a novel based on the famous Halo video game license and particularly the game Halo: Combat Evolved, released on PC, Mac and Xbox, which follows the success of the first novel. Halo : The Fall of Reach .
The Human-Covenant War, a desperate struggle for humankind's very survival, has reached its boiling point on the mysterious ring world called Halo. But the fierce Covenant warriors, the mightiest alien military force ever known, are not the only peril. As the fortress world of Reach and its brave defenders were bombarded to rubble, a single cruiser fled the carnage with the battle's only human survivors - Captain Keyes, his small crew of Marines, and the last SPARTAN super-soldier, the Master Chief. With the cruiser's artificial intelligence, Cortana, concealed in his battle armor, the Master Chief crash lands on Halo in the midst of a massive Covenant occupation. Curiously, the alien soldiers appear to be searching for something hidden on the ring. Built by a long-dead race, Halo harbours many deadly secrets, but one overshadows them all. Now the Master Chief must lead the scattered troops in a brutal race to unravel Halo's darkest mystery - and unleash its greatest source of power ...
Halo - The flood is a novelization of the game, in other words, a narrative account of Halo: Combat Evolved. The writing of the book is therefore very close to the experience you might have with the video game.
This proximity to the game's gameplay enables detailed descriptions of the fight scenes and will appeal to fans of Halo: CE, although it may be less engaging for those unfamiliar with the game.
William C. Dietz's novel includes several plots that enhance the book's narrative, including that of Zuka 'Zamamee and the Covenants. Characters such as Major Silva, Lieutenant McKay and Grunt add an important dimension to the main plot.
Without giving too much away, some passages in the novel are gripping and very well approached to add depth to the characters during key events.
Despite a well-crafted narrative, this Halo novel also has a few negative points, including too many periods of combat that don't always advance the narrative. Some passages of military dialogue also slightly lose the focus of the reading experience.
All in all, Halo: The flood is a novel with a few narrative flaws that easily fade with the depth provided by certain characters and events. The book will appeal to Halo fans and remains interesting for those wishing to discover the license.