Customer Reviews

The Halo: The Flood

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

The author does a good job bringing the game into the book -- complete with most of the dialogue and quotes you hear with the game and the book adds a great dimension to the events happening on Halo.

However - just as the game - it's very action-oriented with a majority of the book being about how he tosses a grenade and sidesteps. Focusing on the action instead of the story or characterization gets a little boring. The first book really lets you get to know the characters AND lets you get in on the action.

Also, the other difference from the first book is that in "The Fall of Reach", the Covenant are tough and mysterious, making them interesting. "The Flood", the Covenenant are pretty dumb and easy to kill, which... well, which makes them dumb (regular marines puts them down with a bullet). Master Chief is inexplicably a lot less strong here also. It's like "The Fall of Reach" was played on HEROIC or LEGENDARY level, while the setting for "The Flood" was EASY level.

This is still a good read (unlike other series such as the STARCRAFT line), and you'll love it as long as you don't get your hopes up.

I was excited to read The Flood because I really enjoyed the Fall of Reach (the first Halo book) and was looking forward to a new installment in the Master Chief's adventures. The great thing about the Fall of Reach was the creative license taken by that author to create a new universe and to explain the origins of the Master Chief as well as the war with the Covenant. Unfortunately, The Flood is more of a walk-through of Halo, the video game, then a good story. In my opinion, the author abandoned artistic license in his attempt to reproduce a level by level description of the game. At many points while reading the book I found myself wondering if the author wrote the story based on notes he took while watching someone play the video game.

The story-line in the book suffers from several major defects, including, but not limited to: (1) stilted adherence to the many missions and sub-missions found in the video game, including the necessity in many cases that each wave be separated by a door which the Chief must open, (2) the inclusion of automated non-player dialog found in the video game, (3) repetitious battle scenes between the Chief and the unending waves of enemies attacking the Master Chief (even the author starts describing these as "all too familiar"), (4) repetitious descriptions of weapon selection (switching from shotgun to rifle and back again) and reloading, (5) the Master Chief's unexplained inability to carry more than two weapons at time, even for short distances (even though the armor provides him with enough strength to flip over a jeep laying on its side), and (6) the ever present availability of reloads and replacement weapons. These aspects may make for great game play, but they make for a lousy book.

A better story would have been one which follows the essential elements of the game's story line but which provided a more detailed account of the actions taken by the Master Chief, the Marines and the Covenant.

When a movie is made into a video game, the video game must make certain sacrifices from the original story so as to improve game play. The opposite is also true: an action oriented video-game does not contain the level of character development necessary to support a written story line. In the case of The Flood, the author should have eliminated most of the game-play scenes (which provide minimal detail and maximum action) and created a more detail oriented story with better story and character development. I would recommend another of the author's books "Legion of the Damned" as a good example (think: The French Foreign Legion in space).

Do we really need chapter after chapter of the Master Chief shooting up wave after wave of the Flood, then Covenant, then Protectors, then all three combined? Much of this could have been eliminated in favor of a few strong chapters of story development. The story is so stilted in remaining loyal to the game that an observant reader can almost detect where level changes and cut scenes would have occurred in the video game.

I strongly recommend against this buying The Flood and I do not consider it to be a true sequel to the Fall of Reach. Play the game instead, you'll get the same exact story either way. Buyer beware.

I've beaten Halo multiple times. No, i don't own the game. Yes, i've read the "Fall of Reach", yes, "The Flood" isn't perfect. I like this book, but it doesn't deserve a 5. The Master Chief seems...weak. The battles aren't written "right". IT skips thru verrrrrrrrrry important levels in diologue like "he ran through many corridors filled with covenant and flood. He took them out. After the 20th corridor..."
It bugs me. I like it. i don't love it.

On to the good:
"the flood" has a MUCH deeper storyline than the game. You learn things that weren't in it, and it make you want to play the game through parts that you already have beaten, just to hear "that one crucial line". The Master Chief is shown as an emotionless person, good or bad? You're choice. The ending about the marines is simply breathtaking. Cap'n Keyes is strict, and Cortana is funny. The flood are...well, they're the flood. Freaky creatures that need phsyciotrists. And food. The twists in this book are nothing new if you have beaten the game, but it makes you gasp if you haven't. A great companion with the "Fall of Reach", a completely awesome 5 star official prequel to the book and the game.Although "the flood" is slightly dissapointing, it's an awesome read. Buy it.

I was overexcited when I first saw this book being a huge fan of Halo. I bought it for $11.79 and finished half the book in less than a day. This book is an okay book for Sci-fi readers or Halo fans. If you beat the game, you might not want to read the book because it's like a walkthrough. But... Halo: The Flood also brings in the Human Covenant War through the eyes of other characters. You'll read about Sam Marcus, Capt. Keyes' killed and unknown comrades, and even about a Grunt called Yayap (Yayap makes you feel sorry for the Grunts and despise the Elites). I would recommend this book for young adults, there's a little too much of profanity (unless you're not sensitive).

Eric Nylund's book (The Fall of Reach) added more to the Halo franchise by describing the origins of the Spartans, and the events that led up to what was actually depicted in the game itself. Since "The Flood" follows the events in the game very closely, it doesn't feel as fresh as the previous book. But William Dietz still does a pretty good job of bringing the story to life and making it interesting, considering the material he had to work with. Let's face it, the story in the game is basically one big fire fight. A good portion of this book are scenes lifted straight out of the cutscenes in the game. But Dietz does manage to add some new material as well. He includes a well thought out subplot about the Marines, and what happens to them in the Master Chief's absence. I actually enjoyed this part of the book the most. Dietz also depicts some events from the perspective of the Covenant, which also gave the book a bit more depth. All in all, this book is a good novelization of the game and fills in a few blanks as well.

Being a fan of Science fiction/Fantasy, I am always on the prowl for a crackling yarn and I believe that "THE FLOOD" kept my attention for the 2 weeks I went exploring outside the country. Yes I must admit that it follows the game exactly (when it focuses on the Master Chief). But you must consider this: Does the game let you explore the minds of other characters in the story? No. Therefore, the book helps you explore the HALO universe and not only that, it is a very well written story. In conclusion, "THE FLOOD" is a solid piece of writing that deserves more attention than it is getting.

Many people scorn video-game books. Video games don't usually have the most in-depth plots, and the books often wind up being simplistic, shallow, and boring. I can happily report that Halo, the Flood, breaks the mold.

Perhaps it is becasue Halo has an unusually-deep plot. Perhaps it is Dietz's amazing supplementary elements. Whatever it is, the Flood is an amazing read.

Those who have played Halo the game will recognize the story. A human ship fleeing an alien assault crash-lands on an strange construct, an artificial ringworld called Halo. There, they discover that the aliens believe it to be a weapon, capable of decimating humanity. The Master Chief, a cyborg supersoldier, the last of his kind, must stop that from happening. But not all is what it seems on Halo...

One of the best aspects of this book is the added perspectives. The game is seen solely through the Chief's eyes. This books gives the reader glimpses into the world of the Covenant, as it follows the exploits of a vicious Elite determined to defeat the Master Chief, and the timid Grunt forced to follow him. Even better, their attempts are written into easily, recognizable sequences from the game, in which a gamer will delight. It's refreshing to see it from this side.

The book also has a host of human characters, whose individual stories are also great. The Master Chief is not the only hero on Halo. Their stories, unique and innovative, are very interesting. I also liked how Dietz ends the novel. I won't say how, but somehow, it is just fitting.

By the way, the Master Chief's sequences are awesome too. Despite being constrained by the book's plot, Dietz adds a whole new side to the Chief. In the game, he hardly speaks, and his thoughts are hard to discern. In this book, however, he speaks a lot, and we get so see his thoughts. He is not simply an automoton (as Nylund would have us believe), but a thinking individual, a much more interesting protagonist.

The action of the book is simply amazing. Dietz has taken sequences from the game and breathed a new life into them. Though many are recognizable, many others are unique, and are highly entertaining. The combat is brutal and intelligent, and requires a lot of intelligence on the part of the humans. The situations into which the Master Chief falls, and the ways he gets out of them, are just perfect. This is truly the Master Chief from the game. Dietz also makes great use of objects from the Halo world, from the guns to the vehicles. There's never a dull moment.

If you've played the game, read this book. If you like science fiction/action, read this book. If you like serious novels, then you won't like it. But if you like entertainment, you will find plenty here. I hope Dietz gets to write another Halo novel.

Wow! I have finished reading Nylund's "The Fall of Reach" just a month ago. The way the story was told was incredible - it breathed true life into this Bungie masterpiece, and Halo: The Flood continues the tradition! This book is complete with a fresh new perspective told from the Covenant's point of view, in addition to the action we have come to expect from the Master Chief.
Similar to Halo: The Fall of Reach, The Flood contains the finest ideas from other science fiction works - in particular the Helljumper's pods remind me of the vehicles used in Starship Troopers (the book). I'm pleased to see that such ideas have carried over to this work.
The Halo book series tells the incredible story of Halo and the human-covenant battle that rages across the galaxy. Sure, the book is based on a video game, but don't let that stop you from reading it! You don't even need to play the game if you read both books in sequence - they are packed with pleanty of detail. Overall I give this book an A+. Now I just wish Bungie would comission a novel or two to tell the story of the UESC Marathon.

I read the Fall of Reach, a great book and beaten the game of Halo in Legendary. Both the game, the book and Halo the Flood are absolutely must-haves if you love halo. Even if you don't know what is Halo it's a good story.

Well The Flood explains alot. You get new info on how the Covenant social structure is and on their tactics. Helljumpers are explained alot. Many things are worse than the game. The little blobs are even more powerful in the book. In the game they don't qualify as something to care about in normal and easy. Also they explain why you are the only one to survive, and many questions I had about Halo, the ring itself.
One of the better aspects is the talk of machinery. It was written by a ex-marine.
Conclusion:
The Flood gives you a insight on covenant motives, the forerunners and a more detailed explanation of how everything happened. It really makes you wait for Halo 2. This book opens the path for many new things that will surely be in Halo2.
A MUST-BUY if you like Halo. Otherwise it's still a great book.
Recomendations:
Read Halo The Fall of Reach before this one.

synopsis

John (SPARTAN-117's ) has been mentally and physically trained since the age of 6 and has undergone many surgeries, implants, and injections to make him the most efficient soldier in UNSC controlled space. In Halo: The Flood, John and several hundred men and women aboard the ravaged Pillar of Autumn battleship arrive in a system and find a strong Covenant force awaiting them. During the ensuing pitched battle in space, the Pillar of Autumn detects a massive alien artifact in orbit around a planet. The human battleship is soon overcome by covenant forces and all hands are forced to abandon ship and head for the massive ring shaped construct. Surviving human forces land on the alien artifact to discover that Halo is and artificial world created by a race unbeknownst to them and known by the covenant as the "Forerunners". The latter part of the book is about how the humans and covenant discover something evil buried deep within the ring, and about how both sides end up fighting for their lives.
I really enjoyed this book because of its intense connection to Halo the game, and I do think that William Dietz is a generally talented author who has the ability to put the reader right in the action. I only had minor discrepancies with the book and that was mostly about poor editing; the occasional confusion of character identities, and one spot where a Covenant soldier is blown off a cliff, yet the human killer is still able to stomp on his head... that threw me into confusion for a minute or two. All in all however, I really enjoyed this book and will give it a four out of five for its wonderfully articulated, action packed scenes.

reveiw

I liked this book alot beacause of the story line outside of the game story line. The author was good at describing the intense battle scenes. He also told a good story outside of the action. I also liked how he got the enemies point of veiw. I would like to read more of the books by this author beacause I enjoy the actoin