First Strike (Halo #3) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Eric Nylund (Author) "SPARTAN-104, Frederic, twirled a combat knife, his fingers nimble despite the bulky MJOLNIR combat armor that encased his body..." (more)
Key Phrases: plasma turrets, grav beam, fuel rod gun, Master Chief, Admiral Whitcomb, Ascendant Justice (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Human-Covenant war rages on as the alien juggernaut sweeps inexorably toward its final goal: destruction of all human life!

Halo has been destroyed, and the threat it posed to sentient life, neutralized. But victory has come at a terrible cost for the UNSC. Thousands of valiant soldiers fell in the battle to prevent the alien construct from falling into the enemy’s clutches.

Now, everything depends on the Spartan known as the “Master Chief.” Yet even with the aid of the artificial intelligence Cortana, the Master Chief will be hard-pressed to rescue survivors and evade the Covenant ships patrolling the remains of Halo in debris-strewn space.

Ahead lies a dangerous voyage home, through a gauntlet of Covenant forces. For the sake of all, the Master Chief and his war-torn squad must not only survive, but take the fight to the enemy with a decisive first strike.

This novel is based on a Mature-rated video game.

Bungie, Halo, Xbox, the Microsoft Game Studios logo and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. © 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

From the Inside Flap

The Human-Covenant war rages on as the alien juggernaut sweeps inexorably toward its final goal: destruction of all human life!

Halo has been destroyed, and the threat it posed to sentient life, neutralized. But victory has come at a terrible cost for the UNSC. Thousands of valiant soldiers fell in the battle to prevent the alien construct from falling into the enemy?s clutches.

Now, everything depends on the Spartan known as the Master Chief. Yet even with the aid of the artificial intelligence Cortana, the Master Chief will be hard-pressed to rescue survivors and evade the Covenant ships patrolling the remains of Halo in debris-strewn space.

Ahead lies a dangerous voyage home, through a gauntlet of Covenant forces. For the sake of all, the Master Chief and his war-torn squad must not only survive, but take the fight to the enemy with a decisive first strike.

This novel is based on a Mature-rated video game.

Bungie, Halo, Xbox, the Microsoft Game Studios logo and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. © 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (December 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345467817
• ISBN-13: 978-0345467812
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,474 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #6 in

  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( N ) > Nylund, Eric

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Far Exceeds My Expectations, February 4, 2004

By	Annmarie Bromley (CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Halo series had a great first two books. The Fall of Reach was an excellent introduction, and The Flood, while a bit on the repetitive side, brought great character and story development to the MC/Cortana duo. First Strike, however, exceeds everything from the first two books, with a much deeper plot and brilliantly thought-out action sequences. It's amazing that Eric Nylund was able to pull this off so successfully. Before I started reading the book, I wondered how the story was going to progress, considering where The Flood left everything off at. But reading the first two chapters quickly silences any doubts. An amazing and captivatingly resonant read.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nylund does it again with First Strike!, June 30, 2004

By	Travis Stein (Houston, TX (USA)) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

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, 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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We need more authors like Nylund. Eric, go clone yourself., December 12, 2003

By	Iron Mike "Portnoy, not Tyson" (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

Star Wars. The Forever War. The Golden Age. Starship Troopers. Halo: The Fall of Reach.

What do these have in common? They are among the SF stories (or franchises) that have had the greatest impact on me. And I can say with certainty that Nylund's "Fall of Reach" was at the top of my list. Until Halo: First Strike.

I borrowed FoR from a friend. I read it 6 times before he made me give it back and buy my own copy (a decision I have not regretted yet). I then read it at least a dozen more times. It is the reason I am a Halo fan. It was that good.

When The Flood came out, I was both excited and dismayed- excited because there was more Halo for my insatiable mind to absorb, but disappointed because Nylund was not the author. (I have nothing against Dietz, but he needs to stick to books in universes of his own creation. He's too by-the-book for Halo, especially for a pre-established plot.) I read it and was inevitably disappointed- it was good, but by no means did it live up to FoR's legacy.

I was among the first to find out about the release of First Strike, and I was excited to hear that Nylund was writing it. I was also happy to hear that it would not take place as part of the plot of either game, but as its own unique story, which is part of what made FoR really shine. I had high hopes for this book.

I was not disappointed.

Halo: First Strike surpasses FoR in every conceivable way. The characterization is incredible, the action is mind-blowing, the plot twists stunning. It will answer questions about Halo you have not even thought of. It takes place between Halo and Halo 2, but goes deeper than even I could have imagined. And over it all, there are subtle hints that something bigger is going on. It is the same mysterious sense of majesty that made Halo so incredible. The atmosphere, the mood, the wonder of it-this is a book every Halo fan should read. But First Strike, like FoR, is not just for fanboys. It is not just the best of the three Halo books, but it is among the best SF I have ever read. And I've read a whole freaking lot.

First Strike was satisfying in the same way FoR was: when I turned the last page, the only thing on my mind was "Wow." Immediately followed by "I gotta read that again." The only disappointing thing is that like its predecessor, it will be vastly under-publicized. As a serial paperback, it will receive no media attention, no appreciative comments by fellow authors printed on the back, no chance of becoming a hardcover. Just the fact that it is a video-game novel will prevent most people I know from picking it up. But none of that prevents First Strike from being one incredible piece of work. Even flawless. Nylund has an incredible gift, and I am truly inspired.

After I finish this review, and after finishing my third read, I'm going to go shove this book in the faces of everyone I know and scream "READ THIS!!!" Then I'm going to sit down and finish my own SF classic, which I will dedicate to Eric Nylund. And then... I'll read it a couple dozen more times.

It's just that good.